A/N: I decided not to wait until this story was completely finished before posting the first chapter. This fic was an idea that was almost ruined for me after I accidently used it in a challenge, but KlikStar convinced me it was all right to go with it, so here's the first chapter. I named it 'Shake It' because I used this story idea when 'Shake It' by Metro Station came on in the challenge (which is featured in the next chapter). This story was written for KlikStar, a story that would not have been written otherwise if it weren't for her support and the inspiration she gives me. Thanks for being my friend.

-o-o-o-

Zack mindlessly watched his pen twirl between his fingers as his head rested against his hand, propped up on his desk. Days seemed to drag on and on and were only getting worse as time passed by. Five o'clock would hit then he would go back home to his empty apartment and kill off some time before it was time to go to bed, only to repeat the same routine the next day. There was no substance in his life since his last relationship ended unexpectedly and not having someone waiting at home for you took all the fun out of life.

He would never consider himself a hardcore romantic nor would he say he relied on relationships to make himself feel fulfilled, but as of lately he was beginning to question himself. His last relationship ended so abruptly and not by his choice so he found himself craving one that much more. He wasn't positive whether he wanted the relationship he'd lost back but he was growing tired of coming home to an empty apartment.

Zack cursed quietly under his breath as the pen hit his thumb and fell to the desk. He grinned to himself as he picked up the pen and looked at the time on his computer. Twenty more minutes until he was released from work. He wished he had work to do to kill the time but the company was going through a slow patch. He glanced up at the abandoned game of Solitaire on his computer and sighed. It wasn't until someone startled him from behind before Zack perked up.

"Hard at work, I see." Kunsel said with a grin, taking a seat on Zack's desk.

Zack shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Not a whole lot to do on a slow Friday afternoon."

"Tell me about it. I think the entire tech department is bored out of their minds." Kunsel smiled as he looked over the sea of cubicles. "What are your plans for this weekend?"

Zack looked back at his computer screen and frowned. "Don't have any. I'll probably catch up on my laundry."

"Sounds like a blast." Kunsel commented, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'll say." Zack added, mindlessly kicking at his trash bin with one foot.

"Come out with me and the guys tonight." Kunsel offered, waiting for the darkened mood and rejection that was sure to come.

"I don't know." Zack said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand before letting it fall limply to his lap. "I'm not really in the mood."

"You're never in the mood." Kunsel said, a smirk playing across his lips. "That's why I told you come out; I didn't ask."

Zack looked up at Kunsel and sighed. "Maybe next time."

"Nope. This time." Kunsel said, leaning forward with a smile. "You used that 'next time' routine for the past few weeks and this time I'm holding you to it. Besides, no booze and no friends make Zack a dull boy, indeed."

Zack smiled and shook his head.

"You need to get out of that place, man." Kunsel continued. "Ever since Reno left you've become quite the hermit." Zack's eyes flickered slightly at the mention of Reno's name, not going unnoticed by Kunsel. "It's about time you started hanging out with your best buddy again." Kunsel added, patting Zack on the back. "I miss you sometimes, ya know?"

Zack rolled his eyes and sighed again. "You miss having a drinking buddy that can keep up with you, that's all."

Kunsel laughed and shrugged. "He said – she said. Whoever said it, you're coming out tonight. We're going to The Lookout and getting drunk. Who knows, you may even pick up tonight."

Zack chuckled and leaned forward to shut down his computer. "I doubt that."

"Why not? You're hot, you're single, and you need to get laid. It's perfect!"

"I don't need to get laid." Zack countered, sending a playful glare up at his best friend. "I need-"

"If you say 'Reno', I'm going to throw you out of this very window and laugh wildly when your body goes ker-splat!"

"I wasn't going to say 'Reno', but thanks for that friendly warning." Zack chuckled. "I just need to figure things out, that's all."

Kunsel nodded as his expression turned thoughtful. "Yeah, I understand." He rubbed his chin and took a deep breath. "Nothing sorts things out quite like tequila!" he added with a grin. "I'll pick you up at nine. Fair - I suggest you be ready and waiting or I'm dragging you out as is." Kunsel stood up and patted Zack on the back again before giving his shoulder a firm squeeze. "I'm looking forward to spending time with my best bud again."

"Sap…" Zack grumbled under his breath drawing a laugh from Kunsel.

"Fag…" Kunsel retorted, forcing a chuckle out of Zack.

"You knew that already, idiot."

Kunsel looked back and smiled. "And I can't help but love ya. We'll have fun tonight. You'll see."

-.-.-.-

Back at home, Zack sighed heavily to himself as he cleaned up the dishes from dinner. He really didn't feel up to going out that night; as much as he missed his friends, he preferred to wallow in his own misery at home. Kunsel wasn't lying when he told him that he would drag him out as is if Zack wasn't ready. Last time, Zack had to beg Kunsel to allow him to put on a pair of pants when he called his bluff. They had even made it as far as the car before Kunsel released him, threatening that he would be in to drag him back out in two minutes if he wasn't back by then. It had been three weeks since Reno left him for another guy and he didn't quite feel over him yet. In all honesty, if Reno came by tonight to ask for him back, he probably would have agreed. That didn't matter anyhow because Reno was not coming back.

He placed his plate on the drying wrack and reached for the dish towel to dry his hands. He had no idea what he was going to wear tonight and really didn't have the mental energy to put too much thought into it. He wandered to his bedroom in silence and rooted through his closet. He pulled out a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt before changing into the clothes. Just as he fastened his belt, his buzzer rang announcing, presumably, Kunsel's arrival and Zack trotted to the front door to buzz him in.

Kunsel walked into the apartment without knocking and looked Zack up and down before frowning. "That's what you're wearing?" he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Umm, it would appear so." Zack countered, narrowing his eyes at his best friend.

"Oh, no, no, no…" Kunsel said, shaking his head and shoving Zack back towards his bedroom. "I'm finally getting you out of the house and you're going to look your hottest." He pushed Zack onto his bed before rooting through the ravenet's closet.

"Why do I need to dress up for The Lookout?" Zack asked, pulling off his shirt.

"Because there's a dance floor and a lot of hot girls… and guys, I suppose." Kunsel answered, tossing a white long-sleeved t-shirt at Zack followed by a black ski-vest. "We're not going to a pub, Zack. We're going to check out the scene."

"I don't wanna check out the scene." Zack said, pulling on the shirt Kunsel had picked out for him. "I'll come with you to the scene, but I'm not looking to pick up tonight."

"Better be safe than sorry." Kunsel responded, pulling out of the closet with a pair of black cargo pants. "Besides, what's the harm in looking all hot and sexy anyhow?"

Zack rolled his eyes as he stood up to remove his pants. "What's the harm in what I was wearing?"

"Because we're not going to a pub. We've been over this, Fair!" Kunsel responded with playful exasperation, rolling his eyes.

Zack shook his head and couldn't help but smile at his friend as he pulled on his cargo pants. "You're going to ditch me for some chick tonight, aren't you?"

"Maybe?" Kunsel smiled. "There will be others there to keep you company."

"I didn't say that was a bad thing." Zack said, refastening his belt. "The sooner you get distracted, the sooner I can slip out."

"Not tonight, my friend." Kunsel grinned. "You'll have a great time, I promise." He clapped Zack on the back and ushered him out of the room.

Zack was surprised to see the crowd Kunsel managed to drag out for tonight's outing. Most of the guys he hadn't seen since before the breakup and although he would never admit to it, he was relieved that they were all so happy to see him again. A beer was shoved into his hand before he managed to greet everyone and immediately he felt his spirits lift. Tonight wasn't going to be as bad as he'd originally thought.

"Look who decided to come out of his hole!" a voice shouted over the loud music.

Zack turned and smiled as a familiar face approached him and pulled him into a hug. "Hey Luxiere." Zack said as he wrapped his arms around the man.

"Look at you, Mr. Fair, ready for action once again." Luxiere said, looking him up and down. "I must say, it's a relief that you're back because these assholes can't wing like you do."

"I'm not here to find 'action'; I was dragged out by Kunsel." Zack said, a familiar happiness erupting in his heart at seeing his friends again. It felt good after three long weeks of nothingness.

"Well, good on him, then. You've been locked up in that apartment for far too long." Luxiere grinned. "Now tell me, see anything you like yet?" he asked, looking around at the bar and dance floor, which had yet to be filled.

"Not really looking for anything tonight." Zack answered, eyes not bothering to sweep the place.

"It'll just come to you, I'm sure." Kunsel contributed, slinging an arm over Zack's shoulder. "You'll find what you're looking for when you're not looking."

"Right on." Luxiere said, tapping his glass against Kunsel's.

Zack shook his head as he took a long sip from his pint.

"Don't be so down, Zacky-pooh." Kunsel grinned. "You aren't the type to stay single forever. Trust me, if you don't see anything you like tonight then we'll head somewhere else tomorrow."

"I'm not looking for anything tonight." Zack reiterated. "And I'm not going out again tomorrow."

"Yes, you are." Kunsel smiled.

"Yes, he is." Luxiere added, drawing a laugh from Kunsel.

"We're your best friends." Kunsel started. "And we've given you more than enough time to be miserable over that asshole. Now it's our job to make sure you are happy."

"And getting laid." Luxiere added.

"Maybe I want to be single for a little while longer." Zack complained. "And that would make me happy. There - a job well done, guys. Thanks!"

"Okay, be single." Kunsel shrugged. "But the second part of being your best friends is: again, Luxiere, if you please?"

"Make sure you're getting laid, I think it was." Luxiere repeated with a grin.

Zack rolled his eyes as another familiar face approached him. Him and Ollie have never been the best of friends but they hung out with the same circle.

"Zack, always a pleasure."

"Heya Ollie." Zack responded, choosing to take another particularly long sip from his pint.

"How have things been?" Ollie asked in a formal manner. There was always something about this guy that bugged Zack and he didn't know why.

"Fine, thank you. And yourself?" Zack tossed back, not particularly interested in the answer.

"Things have been fine?" Ollie asked without answering. "I'm sorry to hear about you and Reno. I thought he might jump ship but I wasn't sure, which is why I kept my mouth shut."

"Speaking of keeping your mouth shut." Kunsel interrupted, throwing an arm around Zack and leading him to the bar. Zack was stunned at the last comment by Ollie but chose not to say anything.

"Creep…" Kunsel said lowly before looking into his friend's eyes. "I hear that guy stalks people just so he can be the first to start the rumour mill."

"Did he ever tell you why he thought Reno might dump my ass?" Zack asked after emptying his pint and placing the empty glass on the bar.

Kunsel gave him an easy glare before ordering four shots of tequila. "I would have said something to you if he had said anything to me. You know that."

Zack nodded and looked back at Ollie, who was chatting with one of the other guys. "I wonder if he knew…" Zack pondered aloud as the bartender dropped four tequilas in front of them.

"It doesn't matter anyhow because anything said by that guy is probably no more than his over active imagination." Kunsel said, throwing money on the bar and turning Zack around to face him. "Now, in light of my best friend being single with me once more, I toast to you, Zack Fair, that we rip this place up like old times. Two a go!" Kunsel laughed, picking up two of the shot glasses.

Zack smiled at Kunsel and felt nothing but gratitude at this moment. He picked up his shot glasses before tapping them against Kunsel's, downing one after the other.

Kunsel motioned for the bartender to bring two more pints as he put a hand on Zack's shoulder. "Be as miserable as you want for as long as you want, but you need to have one night every once and awhile like this with me, 'kay? That's all I need."

Zack nodded as the bartender placed the two pints in front of the boys. Kunsel paid once again before dragging Zack back to their small crowd.

"Luxiere!" Kunsel shouted. "Five o'clock!"

Luxiere's head whipped around to his right behind him before he grinned back at Kunsel. "You're the awesomest!" he shouted over the music before leaving to pursue the girl Kunsel pointed out.

"He hooked up with her last week." Kunsel filled Zack in with a smile.

Zack nodded as he took a sip from his beer. His eyes avoided Ollie at all costs and roamed towards Luxiere and his rendezvous. He grinned before something caught his eye; a shock of blond hair moving through the crowd followed by two other guys. The hair caught his attention but it was the boy's eyes that caught his interest.

He had never seen eyes so blue before, and even in the darkened room, his eyes seemed to shine with a light-hearted happiness that anyone would find captivating. He wore a black dress shirt untucked and unbuttoned at the top exposing his firm chest with dark blue jeans. Zack noticed a few moments later that he was still staring at this guy who was working his way towards the bar. He shook his head and took another sip from his beer before trying to refocus the conversation that was happening between Kunsel and one of the other guys. It didn't take long for his attention to slip as his eyes roamed over to the bar, back to the stunning blond.

The boy was gorgeous; the most attractive guy Zack had seen and he found himself almost gawking at the sight of him. The blond's eyes moved back and forth between his two friends before they practically lit up the room as a laugh escaped his lips. Zack found himself wondering what that laugh sounded like; the blond's pink lips parting ever so slightly as his body moved forward in amusement. The blond whipped his head back towards the bar as the bartender smiled at him and produced a drink. Zack could make out the words 'thank you' as the blond bashfully winked at the 'tender before turning back towards his friends.

"Find someone?" Kunsel asked playfully, throwing his arm around Zack's shoulder, effectively bringing the ravenet back to the crowd.

Zack looked back at Kunsel and took a sip from his pint. "I'm not looking for anyone." he repeated, attempting to look as casual as possible.

"See something you like, then?" Kunsel laughed, pulling Zack away towards the bar.

Zack attempted to answer before he noticed the direction he was being pulled in. He shuffled back slightly only to be pulled further by his friend, almost stumbling over his own two feet.

"What's up? What's the matter?" Kunsel asked, pausing momentarily to look his friend over.

"Nothing," Zack answered. "It's fine… umm… I have a beer already, thanks."

Kunsel's smile broke out into an almost evil smirk. "We're not getting beer." he started. "We're doing a few more shots."

Zack's mouth snapped shut and he tightened his jaw. His eyes roamed over to the bar, feet away from him, in search for the blond without making it too obvious. "I see…" he started, the blond a safe distance away on the other side of the bar. "You trying to get me drunk, Kunsel?"

"Hells yeah!" Kunsel laughed, pulling Zack with him.

Zack rolled his eyes and leaned forward on the bar. His eyes kept flickering back over to the blond, who was facing away from him and Kunsel in conversation with the bartender. Zack didn't hear what Kunsel had ordered, but he scrunched his nose when the bartender dropped a couple of shots in front of them.

Kunsel paid then took a glass in his hand. "I have an announcement to make!" he shouted over top of the loud music and nearby conversations. Zack froze on the spot. Kunsel chuckled and handed Zack the other shot glass. "I said: I have an announcement to make!" he shouted louder over the surrounding noise.

"Oh Gods…" Zack quietly mumbled to himself.

Everyone at the bar as well as nearby crowds stopped talking and looked Kunsel's way. Zack noticed bright baby blue eyes focus on Kunsel's toast as the blond leaned back on the bar, arching it almost seductively, and watched Kunsel raise his shot glass in the air.

"My best friend, Zack Fair," Kunsel started, wrapping his arm around the ravenet "Is finally single again. I want you all to show him a grand ol' time, do you understand?"

People standing and sitting around them began to chuckle and raised their glasses in the air along with Kunsel.

"I said: Do you understand?" Kunsel shouted again, voice overpowering the music.

There was collective shouting of 'here, here' and an assortment of cat calls followed by some cheering as Kunsel grabbed Zack's arm and raised it in the air. Zack glanced over to the blond, who was smiling happily at him with his drink in the air.

"To Zack being single!" Kunsel shouted before tapping his glass against Zack's and downing his shot.

Cat calls continued as others surrounding them repeated Kunsel's toast and took a drink. Zack noticed the blond nod in his direction before taking a sip of his own drink, reminding Zack to take his shot.

Zack placed the shot glass on the bar after drinking its harsh contents and scrunched his nose. "What the fuck was that?" he asked, taking a deep breath to calm the burning.

Kunsel laughed and hugged his friend. "Just having a good time."

Zack took a sip of his beer to try and wash the shot away as his eyes glanced back up to the blond, who was still looking over at him, a smile still apparent on his lips. One of the blond's friends patted him on the back and began walking away, the blond taking one last glance at Zack before following.

He couldn't believe that Kunsel had just done that to him. In hindsight, it was something to be expected from him, but he really didn't see that one coming. He turned away from the bar and started walking back to his friends, getting stopped every couple of steps by guys congratulating him and girls flirting. He politely thanked them and continued to the safety of his little circle.

His friends laughed at Zack as he rejoined them, patting his back and tapping their glasses against his as Zack sent an evil glare Kunsel's way. Kunsel only smiled affectionately at Zack before his eyes grazed over the place again casually.

Zack didn't take too much notice at what was being said around him as his eyes began to wander again, looking for that blond at the bar. It didn't take him too long to find blond spikes out on the dance floor with his friends, moving to the music in a light-hearted way. He felt himself tense again as he recalled what it felt like to have those eyes looking at him before the blond drank to Kunsel's toast. Even when the blond wasn't looking at him at that moment, he felt this intensity that he hadn't felt before. The boy was simply stunning.

About another hour few by as Zack attempted to keep some sort of conversation going without his thoughts going back to the blond. To be perfectly honest, the alcohol was beginning to take an affect, his head struggling to keep a coherent thought as his friends chatted away beside him. He couldn't help but glance back over at the blond from time to time, watching as he became more obviously drunk with each passing drink but still able to move to the music as though it was the music itself that was moving him. Kunsel tugging on his arm brought him back to his circle.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Zack turned his head and looked at Kunsel with what must have been a dumb look because his friend began to chuckle and shake his head. "Why don't you just go over there and talk to him, then?"

"What?" Zack asked, panicking now that he was found out. "Who? What are you talking about?" He was less than smooth in his drunken state and he knew it.

Kunsel shook his head once more and sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to go over there and ask him his name for you myself, then."

"N-no!" Zack stuttered, grabbing Kunsel's arm and pulling him back. He knew all too well not to call Kunsel's bluffs. They never were bluffs.

"Why not? You're obviously attracted to him and he's been glancing back at you all night." Kunsel said, turning his back to the dance floor and standing in front to the ravenet. "Don't think for a second I'm completely oblivious to what's going on here."

"He's been looking at me?" Zack asked, amazed that he hadn't noticed that at all.

"He has. A lot." Kunsel responded. "So stop being such a chick and go over there and ask him for a dance."

Zack almost smiled at this but chose to look down at his drink instead. "No… no, that's… no…"

"Yes," Kunsel said, lifting Zack's chin up with one finger to draw his eyes up to his own. "He's interested and you're going to go over there and talk to him now because he's hot and you're hot and you want to dance with him."

Zack took in a deep breath before shaking his head. "I'm drunk; that's probably not the best idea."

"It's the perfect idea, Zack. When did you become such a baby when it comes to this kind of stuff?" Kunsel sighed and put his hand on Zack's shoulder. "If he walked up to you right at this moment and said 'Hey sexy, come dance with me', what would you say?"

"I don't know, Kunsel…" Zack stammered and took another sip from his beer. "It doesn't-"

"Hey sexy," Kunsel said in a seductive voice. "My name is Blondie and I want to dance with you. What do you say to that, huh?" Kunsel brushed his bangs from his face with a flick of his wrist and leveled Zack with his eyes.

Zack punched Kunsel lightly on the arm and chuckled, taking a few steps back from his friend in case anyone got the wrong idea.

"You'd punch him? Maybe it's best that you don't dance with him then." Kunsel said, straightening his posture and rolling his shoulders. "I can't wait until my old bar-hopping best friend returns because this guy isn't him." he said, gesturing to Zack. "Let me know when we can go pick up together again, ya?"

Zack rolled his eyes and turned towards the bar. He needed another drink. In all honesty, he needed another few hundred drinks, but he'd start with one. He ordered another pint and watched the blond dance as he waited for the bartender to bring him his drink. He leaned forward on the bar and sighed.

Tonight had definitely turned out differently than he thought it would. He was sure it would only take Kunsel an hour to get distracted by some skirt, making his getaway much too easy. In a way, he was glad that things hadn't turned out that way. For what reason, he wasn't completely sure because he was actually having a good time seeing his friends again and because he wouldn't have caught sight of this blond beauty that was twisting his body so gracefully on the dance floor. He shook his head as a drink was produced in front of him. Tossing some money on the bar, Zack turned around and leaned against the ledge and tried to focus on something – anything else but that captivating boy. It wasn't as though he was going to go over there and ask him for a dance, much less his name, so he thought it'd be best to just let it go and try to have a good time with his friends.

As expected, he found it much less interesting to watch Kunsel as he animatedly joked around with the other guys than to watch the blond dance and he found himself glancing back towards the dance floor more often than not.

"He's a regular here," a voice interrupted Zack from his thoughts. He rolled his eyes at the familiar voice and forced himself to turn around and look at Ollie.

"Who's a regular here?" he asked, trying to play it cool.

"The blond guy you've been drooling over all night," Ollie answered with a smirk. "Come on, Zack. You're much more transparent than you think you are."

Zack glanced back at the dance floor at the blond before looking back at Ollie. "So he's cute; so what?"

Ollie chuckled and ordered a drink before leaning against the bar. "I don't know his name but I see him here a lot."

"Good for you?" Zack responded in a form of a sarcastic question.

Ollie rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying. You're single now so why shouldn't you be looking at cute guys, right?"

"I'm not looking to pick up tonight so it doesn't matter." Zack wanted nothing more than to end this conversation and get away from Ollie, but he wasn't prepared to be rude about it; not when he was supposed to be out and having fun. Then something struck him. "What did you mean about Reno, when you said you thought he might 'jump ship'?"

Ollie shook his head and frowned. "That's water under the bridge, Zack."

"I still want to know what you meant by it." Ollie was seriously starting to irritate him.

"What does it matter, huh?" Ollie said a little louder than he probably meant to. "It's over now so why do you need to hear the details? It's not going to fix anything; Reno's gone and is probably never coming back."

Zack put his hand up to silence Ollie before he lost control and punched him in the face. He took a deep breath before lowering his hand and taking a sip from his drink.

"Zack, you're drunk. This isn't something we should be discussing right now."

Zack shook his head and glanced back at the blond, feeling his anger melt away from the smile that radiated happiness from the lithe form.

"Saturday nights he goes to The Bell Tower, if you're interested."

Zack looked back at Ollie with wide eyes before his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

Ollie shrugged before taking a sip from his drink and smiled. "I thought it might serve as a good apology for being such an ass to you tonight." He looked over at the blond. "You think he's gorgeous now? Wait until you see him move to real music at The Bell Tower." Ollie shook his head as his smile grew bigger. "The boy knows how to have a good time."

Zack looked back at the blond just as baby blues glanced his way. For a moment panic flooded his body and adrenaline pumped through his veins. He couldn't look away even if he tried. The blond smiled at him as he continued to dance with his friends before his attention was snatched away by one of his friends pulling on his arm, leading him closer to the center of the floor.

Ollie patted Zack on the back, drawing his attention back from his daze with a smile. Zack took a deep breath. "The Bell Tower, ya?"

Ollie winked. "He gets there around eleven."