Beauty and the Brute

"That's good then."

"Grand."

——Ari--

I tried to get up early the next day. I was over being a useless lump. Cameron had already left, and I stared in the fridge for a minute, wondering if I was hungry enough to steal his food.

Nah. Better not. Once I'd started it would become a bad habit.

I didn't have a lot to do, so I logged into Tui's Steam account- man he hadn't changed his passwords in forever- and started fucking around with Hand of Fate 2. I idly texted Tommy, the guy from the gym to set up an appointment. He replied with a list of locations.

Just in case you don't want to come back to the Cuba Street one after the next thing I say.

He texted.

Which is- maybe we could skip the workout and grab a beer?

I grinned.

Tonight?

Sounds good- Rogue and Vagabond?

Sure. Like 5ish?

See ya soon x

I felt a little smug. A date and a trial and I'd only been in town for like a day and a half. See. I was ok. I would be ok.

---

I had no clothes for the weather- I'd come from London in the middle of winter. In a moment of desperation I checked Tui's wardrobe, hoping maybe he would have something that kind of fit- it's not like I needed to look super hot or anything, I just needed something in between jeans which I would sweat off in the heat and my gym shorts which were practically underwear.

Balled in the back of the closet was a pair of longish denim cutoffs which made me laugh a bit- they must have come in fashion at some point, Tui always did follow a trend without much thought. Anyway, they could work- better than his basketball shorts for sure. I had a white linen shirt and threw on some trainers. Yeah, I looked gay, but I wanted to look gay.

Tommy was late and I got myself a sour while I waited for him. I sat on the lawn and played with a dog who decided I was his new best friend, not that I complained. I love dogs. I felt a hand on my shoulder and glanced up to see Tommy looking down at me.

"Tell me that's not your dog." He smiled down at me. I grinned.

"Ugh I wish." I said.

"Phew." He rolled his eyes. "Was beginning to think you were absolutely perfect." I laughed.

"That's a high pedestal, man." I warned him. "Anyway, what can I get you?" I stood up and we walked to the bar. He didn't even put a finger on his wallet. Dammit. Not that I mind picking up the bill... It's just I really had budgeted for a tight four weeks and I totally hadn't budgeted in drinks for pretty boys.

We sat down and talked about our lives. He worked at the gym three days a week and was studying Spanish. His plan had been to go and teach English in Buenos Aires but that was obviously on hold for now.

"What do you do?" He asked eventually. I wasn't sure if he was ever going to ask. He could really talk, which actually I kind of like. I don't have a lot to say.

"Nothing yet. Got out of Isolation two days ago."

"Oh shit. I wondered what that accent was." I frowned.

"I have an accent?" He laughed and his legs fell against mine. I liked that. I rested my hand on his knee a bit and saw his face turn a little pink.

"You can't hear it? Sort of..." He wrinkled his nose. "Posh." He said apologetically.

"Ew." I said. "Yeah, been in London." I opened my mouth to tell him what I did and hesitated. He caught me.

"What?" He said. I blushed.

"Nothing!" I jumped up. "Same again?"

"Yes, please." He blinked at me. Huh. Lucky he was cute.

I went to buy us another round and did a double take as I saw Cameron and his friends inside. He nodded at me and waved me over. I looked at his mates, a little worried, but he seemed happy enough so I drifted over and let myself be introduced.

"This is Ari, Tui's kid brother..." Kid brother? Really? "Ar, this is Tama, Lee, Spike and Elijah." I shook each of their hands.

"Good day?" I asked.

"Living the dream." Spike said.

"Another day, another dollar." Tama added.

"Can't complain, no one will listen." Lee grinned. I laughed at them and motioned outside.

"Sorry, I would stay but I'm trying to get laid." I muttered to Cameron. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Look at you Ar, all grown up." He laughed as I blushed, but it wasn't mean, just sort of... teasing. I shrugged him off and got our next round.

Tommy grinned knowingly at me as I returned.

"I googled you." He said with a smile. I felt myself blushing.

"I've been in isolation for two weeks...and they do a lot of retouches on those photos anyway..." I warned him. He rolled his eyes.

"I said I googled you, not damn you look good in underwear- although, since that came up organically, damn you look good in underwear." I laughed and lay back.

"Better out of them." I flirted. He lay on his stomach beside me.

"Really? I don't know if I believe that..." I glanced at him with a fake frown.

"Well I'll just have to prove it to you wont I?" He laughed and we kept talking. I think he was a little younger than me, and he was definitely more wide eyed than me. He asked me a lot about travelling the world. He listened to me talk and gave me a sappy look like I was the most interesting person he'd ever met. Aw, dude.

We were talking about books- he didn't read but he listened to things while working out- when Cameron and his lads left. I waved to Cameron and he did a double take as he saw Tommy. I grinned at him as I put my arm around him.

"I'm so getting laid." I mouthed. He gave me a thumbs up.

--Cam--

You liar. Just saw him basically fucking a guy in public.

I texted Tui.

What? He's been here a day! He doesn't know anyone!

He's getting to know some blonde kid at Rogue. Intimately.

Dammit.

Why'd you tell me he was straight?

So you wouldn't hit on him. Duh.

I put down my phone. Fair. I mean, I wasn't going to anyway. Even if he was unfairly hot. And had an unfairly hot new friend. I guess hot people just attract other hot people.

But. If he was gay then he had to have at least looked at me, right? I'm taller than he is! I'm not bad looking. I glanced at myself in the mirror as I got home. Maybe I'm just not his type. Which is good, because we have two weeks before Tui gets home and if I was his type then I don't think I could be responsible for my actions.

I took a shower and was surprised to see him in the living room, sitting at my XBox when I got out.

"You either struck out hard or moved on fast." Ari smiled at me.

"He was 19." He said. "He lied about it but I saw his ID." He winced. "I let him down easy."

"Oh well. Always Scruff." I suggested. He looked mildly surprised.

"Can't host." He said slowly. "Can't afford a hotel."

"You can host." I said. "Just give me a bit of warning." Ari blushed a deep red. He blushed easily.

"Thanks Cameron."

"Cam."

"Anyway..." He gestured to the screen. "Wanna play for a bit?" I shrugged and grunted my affirmation before getting to my room to put some clothes on. I thumped down next to him and he handed me a controller. "Still working it out..." He said thoughtfully as we began to play. His mouth fell open as he watched me. "Damn maybe I'll bow out and make us some dinner. Fuck!" He swore as he died.

"Aight, try again, loser." I didn't let him quit and we played Cuphead for a couple of hours.

Eventually he blinked and sat up.

"Fuck Cameron, sorry. It's late." I glanced around the room and shrugged. Kinda hard to keep track of time when it's always light outside. I don't mind a late night.

He suddenly got really stiff. He sort of always did when we weren't relaxing and shooting the shit. I guess I made him a little nervous. I guess I get that. He twisted his hair in his fingers and glanced towards the kitchen. "You hungry?"

"I could eat." I pulled out my phone to browse Deliver Easy and get something on the way.

"Anything in particular?" Ari asked. I shrugged and grunted as I scrolled, meaning who the hell ever knows what they want for dinner.

I heard him sigh and get up. I wasn't really paying attention, I got distracted by a group chat and was staring at my phone. Eventually I realised the house was starting to smell amazing and I glanced up to see Ari in the kitchen with his hair tied up. He must have felt me looking at him because he glanced at me.

"Tacos?" He said, gesturing to the arrangement on the kitchen bench. How did he whip up a little gourmet selection in like 15 minutes? "Just finishing the meat." He said. I felt a warm glow of affection for him spread out from my chest.

"Ari." His head jerked up and his eyes were wide. "You're too sweet. Make sure I sort dinner tomorrow yeah?" He shrugged as he plated the meat and gently stacked the chopping board and the skillet next to the sink.

"You could do me one better and help with the washing up tonight." He suggested with a smirk. Oh. Huh. I guess yesterday's dishes hadn't just magically vanished after all. I wrinkled my nose.

"Fair." I sighed.

--

I was a little tired at work the next day because we stayed up after his homemade tacos and had a sesh listening to Bongzilla, his guilty pleasure.

"Can't believe I finally found someone to do this with." He sighed, relaxing into the couch.

"What, your London crew didn't get high?" He laughed.

"They got high." He said. "It's different though. Party drugs. I was hooked on coke for like a year. I think I was offering blow jobs at one point ..." He shuddered. "But no one just chills like this and listens to... this." He was headbanging slowly and his hands were playing the bass part without an instrument. His face was almost orgasmic as the main riff came back slower and dirtier. I grinned watching him. He was such a mix of likeable things. Clearly a total stoner, into sludgy metal, really pretty, kind of stuck up but not really, and a good cook. No wonder the pretty blonde boy had lied about his age. I would lie about almost anything. I sighed and got myself to bed before I was too horny to function.

——

"You're spacey." My boss called me out. I shrugged.

"I've got the hots for my flatmates little brother and I've been explicitly told not to fuck him." I said with a sigh. The boss pulled a face and rolled his eyes.

"You think that's funny?"

"I think it's tragic." I said. Boss was a cunt, he always had been. He was half the size of me and thought yelling and going red in the face was a good way to make us work faster. His dad owned the company so I didn't think picking fights would lead anywhere good. Still. It was funny to see him have no idea how to react to me.

All the guys know I'm gay. Well, at least 80% gay. Women have slipped through from time to time. It used be be hard and I felt pretty lonely but I put my energy into the gym and now if anyone gives a fuck they certainly don't say so. They still don't believe it usually, the first time I tell them, but they get the picture pretty fast when I start drooling over Joseph Gordon Levitt. Yeah I know. He's straight. A guy can dream.

"You could have the hots for me for all I care." Boss said. "Get it together."

I sighed. Fair.

I invited Ari out that night and he accepted. He'd borrowed one of Tui's t-shirts- one that didn't cling to him, and he was wearing the same shorts he'd had on yesterday. He didn't know what to do with his hair evidently, he'd slammed a cap on top. He was trying to look straight. Noble, but doomed.

"How'd the trial go?" He grinned.

"You're looking at the latest KP for Olive cafe. Head Chef is a total douche but the bartender definitely has a thing for me so I might be ok." He pulled out his wallet but I stopped him.

"Hold up. You must be skint. I'll get this one."

"I just got a job! Let me, please, I totally owe you!"

"For what? Making me dinner? Fuck off." Ari tugged on his hair. Huh. I wondered if he knew he did that when he was nervous.

"Look, I know how fucking dumb it is that you're saddled with me." He said. "And I really appreciate you inviting me out, and hanging out with me and stuff." I opened my mouth to protest but Ari had whipped his card out and paid for our drinks before we could argue any further.

We had a really good night. He fucking creamed the guys at pool, and then at darts, and then he suggested Karoke and it turned out he could cream us at that as well. He sang Poison by Alice Cooper and fucking nailed it, including an exceptional air guitar solo. I followed him which was totally unfair so I sang Gay Bar right at his face because I was a little mad at him and I wanted to embarrass him.

He jumped up on stage with me. I should have known he wouldn't back down from that kind of challenge. We did everything except actually make out on stage. I'm pretty sure I was both embarrassingly hard and also totally fucking in love with him as we finished up. The lads were wolf whistling, and the girls behind the bar seemed to think our performance at the very least deserved some shots on the house. Ari pulled me way too close as we walked to the next bar and dragged me outside with some beer.

"I'm impressed!"

"At how much you show me up?" He laughed.

"We're a good team." He said. "Hey, we should really have that jam session."

"Sure mate, maybe tomorrow."

"Oh shit, you have work." He winced as he checked the time "Dammit, I'll call an Uber." I rolled my eyes as Ari started playing with his phone.

"Not right now." I gestured to the sound system with a grin. "It's 1am, this club only gets good right about now." He looked up as he heard the crack of thunder and the sound of rain. He looked at me incredulously.

"Uhhh... this isn't..." He laughed as I shut him up with a pretty good air guitar solo of my own, to the tune of Raining Blood.

--

"Is the alcohol that, don't lie to me, you utterly reek of, anything to do with the little brother you're not meant to be sleeping with or is that a whole other issue I have to deal with?" I glanced at my boss as I tried to remember how on earth trigonometry worked and finish the plans I was working on.

"I'll get it together." I grunted. "Sorry man. Bad couple of days. I swear I'll get it together."

"Hope so. Can't finish this build without you Banks." I glanced up as he moved on.That was the closest thing to a compliment I think I'd ever had from him.

--Ari--

Fuck knows how I went from hundreds of dollars a day to show up and look pretty to showing up looking like shit and working like a dog for 8 hours for minimum wage. Well. Ok. Global pandemic. I'll allow that.

I actually didn't mind. I was a pretty solid dishie. Fast. Kept my head down. Didn't say shit when the Head Chef was an absolute cunt to everyone, including me.

Well.

Didn't say much.

"Does this look clean to you, faggot?" He waved a pot in my face. I mean. Yeah. It did. I raised an eyebrow at the sink and turned to him, my face neutral.

"No, Daddy." I said softly. His face turned an alarming shade of purple.

"Don't call me Daddy!" He yelled- and some of the other chefs looked up and grinned.

"Sorry, baby." I said. His eyes started to water in anger.

"Show me some godammed respect!" He yelled.

"Bathroom or your car?" I received a slap to the face for that. Which actually meant he got the verbal warning and I got an apology that I didn't deserve.

Cameron thought it was the funniest shit he'd ever heard.

"Daddy!" He rolled his eyes as he laughed. "Honestly Ari, is this how you used to behave in London?" Well. I used to behave a hell of a lot worse in London.

"Chefs didn't abuse me for no good reason in London!" I said.

"There's so much bar work out there Ari, you don't have to put up with this shit. Let me put you in contact with someone." Cameron pleaded. I shrugged him off and went to make dinner.

--

For whatever reason, Cameron came home really late the next couple of nights. It worried me a bit. I realise I'm not exactly a saint but the way he drank and didn't get enough sleep made him kind of an idiot, and probably an absolute chaotic mess on site. I stayed up the next night and cornered him when he got home.

"Right." I said.

"Right." He mocked me. I tried to look at him as I played with my hair. "Stop doing that!" He said. I blinked.

"What am I doing?" He sighed.

"Nothing Ar. Go on."

"Do you always stay out this late?" I asked, sitting down at the kitchen table and trying to not sound too much like a primary school teacher. Cameron glanced at me and slid opposite me.

"It's a recent thing." He mumbled. I felt myself grow hot. A recent thing. Oh. Maybe I was the problem.

"I... I can... just like. Chill in Tui's room. With my headphones on. If that helps." Cameron sighed and slowly looked up at me with a goofy grin. He rolled his eyes.

"Little dude. That's not the problem here ok? Promise." I bristled a bit at the little dude, but I nodded.

"Well. Can I help?" He leant over the table. Ok. Great. I had a depressed lump of muscle to deal with. He laughed grimly. I didn't get the joke.

"Sure." He said. "Let's have that jam session." I rolled my eyes.

"Now?"

"Tomorrow. Give me a reason to come home." He grinned at me. Fucking flirt. If only he knew it.

"I'll hold you to that, Banks."

"Deal." He shook my hand. Fuck. Had we never touched hands before? His were huge. His grip was firm, but not stressful. I glanced up and caught his eyes and he was looking at me intensely. "Bedtime." He decided.

--

I got a standing ovation at work the next day. I laughed and brushed everyone off, but I couldn't hide my grin at being the centre of attention. I missed it. It's not that I mind being a nobody- you're always a nobody in a place like London- but I did miss having friends, people around me. People who thought I was funny.

I was rummaging around in the stock room when I overheard Maddie and Ruby coming in for the night shift.

"I dunno." Ruby said. "He dresses straight. He's just pretty." Maddie scoffed.

"He dresses straight because he's in the dish pit! Sorry to bust your hopes Rubes, but there is no way he's not a full on..."

"Found it!" I pulled out the sack of flour and announced my presence. They both turned red. I grinned as I walked past them. "Cute shoes." I told Ruby.

"He's into me." She hissed when she thought I was out of earshot.

"He complimented your SHOES Rubes! The man is gay!" Maddie didn't even try to keep her voice down.

I got a roast started after work, and wondered if Cameron would show after all. He strolled in just after 6pm and inhaled deeply as he entered the flat.

"Jesus, smells divine." He said. "I definitely live with the wrong brother." He glanced over the room to where I'd set our amps up and he grinned. "God, I've been aching to relieve some tension. I'll just have a shower real quick Ar."

Fuck we were good together. I started with a bassline and he riffed on top and we took turns screaming obscenities about our bosses into the microphone. I would have kept going all night except the timer for dinner went off and I sighed.

"Dinner."

"You're a literal angel."

"Tell my parents that." I plated it up and we ate in just our singlets and sweatpants. We talked a bit about our days. I told them there was seriously some girl at work who thought I was straight and he shrugged.

"I thought you were straight." I laughed.

"No way! Come on man, I basically wave a rainbow flag." He looked at me.

"Actually you kind of don't. You just look like you care what you look like. You're definitely very..." I waved at him to prompt him and he stabbed at his food as he trailed off. "There is no way I can finish that sentence and not sound like a total douche." He muttered and shook his head.

"Or a total fag, depending on where you're going." I teased. He looked up at me.

"Masculine." He said, and I winced. "Yep, total douche. I knew it." I laughed and kicked him under the table.