Yes, B****! Work! [closed RP for confidant_v & Joyabe]

[Joyabe]

Was the idea of Leo coming to meet his family terrifying? No, not at all. Why would it be? Just because he brought exactly two people home in his entire life? That he knew he would never hear the end of it? That his family won't stop sending him crazy wide knowing smiles the entire night? It wasn't Leo that would have to face the full-on Deora craziness, it was him. Nothing scary about that.

 

"If I was surrounded by crazy people growing up don't you think it could say something about me?" Ray propped an elbow on the bed to lean his chin in his palm, examining Leo as he got up. This, of course, was more true than Leo could ever know. Well, he could, if Ray wasn't so set on and trained in hiding it. Just like he did now, hiding the typhoon of thoughts that stormed in his mind behind a small smile as he watched Leo run around the room, even finding the head space to carefully catalog the little pieces of information he gave him for later use.

 

By that point, opening his arms for Leo to jump into was almost second nature, and as he was dragged back into the bed he wrapped an arm around him, using the other as a pillow. He shook his head softly, giving Leo another small smile.

 

"No, I don't don't like it. I think it's amazing you can be so passionate about something. I..." he paused, eyes lifting up to look at the ceiling. "I'm not sure what I'm passionate about. I mean, I like doing makeup. And I like... I don't know, whatever it is my friends like I guess I was able to get kind of into," he scrunched his brows together. "I don't know what makes me happy. I was always able to talk to people about pretty much anything so I just... I just exist I guess. God that sounds depressing," he laughed. "I don't know, guess I'm just not that interesting. Are you disappointed?" He turned his eyes back to Leo, an almost apologetic expression on his face. Standing (well, technically laying down) next to Leo just made him feel even more anemic. Like once his shell would be peeled off, there wasn't much to see on the inside.

[confidant_v]

Something about Ray's strange response tickled the quite ticklish Leo. He giggled as he snuggled closer to his new favorite thing, keeping his arms tightly wrapped around him. "I'm not disappointed. In fact, I'm happy that I'm dealing with such a clean slate. That means I can pump you full of new things to be passionate about. And you know what, I have an excellent idea of the first thing that you're going to fall in love with." With a smile bright enough to light up even the darkest of gay bars, Leo leaned upwards and planted several small kisses to Ray's perfectly shaped lips.

 

Did Leo find it odd that Ray couldn't think of anything he was passionate about? Sure. Did he believe that people who had nothing they found special were actually murderers? Of course. Did Leo immediately reject anyone who couldn't express what they loved in fifteen seconds or less? Almost always.

 

Almost.

 

Time and time again, Ray had proven himself to be different, though Leo wasn't so sure that there was absolutely nothing that made Ray's heart soar. He clearly had a thing for makeup, and maybe possible somewhere out there in the cosmos of Ray's mind, body, and soul he had a thing for a certain green-haired (about to black-haired) boy. Unfortunately, there was no time to think of such grand ideas such as where they stood in the universe or how they would stand the test of time or even if they would stand of the rest of a year or so on a movie set. Blueberry pancakes (ugh) were calling their names, and Leo would be damned if precious Ray didn't get his pancakes.

 

"Come on, babe." With a light pat on the Ray's stomach, Leo stood and opened his closet door. "We got to get breakfast. There's no time for makeup and shit like that. We've got to eat or I'll die." He quickly changed out of his yoga pants into skinny jeans, though kept his anime shirt on. Aside from that the only thing he added to his wardrove was a pair of Coco Chanel oversized black sunglasses because like HELL he'd be seen walking around outside without some semblance of make up on. "You need your blueberry pancakes whether I like them or not so get up. Come on." There was zero hesitation as Leo grabbed Ray's arm and headed outside without so much as a good bye to Erik who simply waved at them as they passed.

 

"Wait... Where is this restaurant anyway?" Leo asked once they were outside, realizing just how much he lacked foresight. "Should... Should we have called an uber or....?"

[Joyabe]

The mention of falling in love made Ray's heart sink. It wasn't that he was against the idea, quite the opposite actually. It was just that it was something he was never truly able to do. Perhaps in a similar way to his lukewarm interest in most things, his emotions only warmed up to a certain degree, never able to surpass it. And it wasn't even for himself this knowing terrified him this time- it was for Leo. If he wasn't disappointed with his lack of over-consuming enthusiasm about things, he surely would be about his lack of such attitude towards people. And he really, really didn't want to disappoint Leo. Yet, for whatever reason, he couldn't do with Leo what he did with most people to not disappoint them. His years of perfecting the art of keeping a safe distance crumbled like a nasty old eyeshadow in his presence. He was like the micellar water what melted away his trusty water-proof eyeliner, a fact that became all the more clear when they stood outside his apartment once again.

 

"We should have." Despite the looming dread in the pit of his stomach, and maybe because of it, Ray wrapped his arms around what could only be described as his personal version of laughing gas, numbing the fear and making him almost alarmingly calm and content. "Which is why I did when you were changing clothes. It should be here in a few minutes. Do you even pay attention to me?" He teased, turning his head the was conveniently resting on a strategically placed shoulder to plant a long, almost overbearing kiss on Leo's cheek before he let him go. Once they were truly out in public he knew he'd have to be a lot more careful.

 

To call the place Ray took Leo a restaurant might have been a little insulting- to restaurants, that is. After Ronnie's cute cafe and his secret gem of a bar, this place was... well, as a diner as a place could be. A long counter with stools, a menu that haven't changed in probably a decade or two, and a few red vinyl booths, one of which Ray pulled Leo once they entered the place. It was nothing fancy- but it was his favorite place to go to cure a hangover, one of the reasons being the two cups of coffee that appeared before of them almost as soon as they sat down, already accompanied by cream and sugar. It was safe to assume after so many early mornings (or very late nights) there, the staff- consisting of the same three waitresses for all he knew- memorized his order. It wasn't all that hard considering the fact Ray was very particular about his coffee, which, just like about everything else he liked, had to be extra sweet.

 

"Would your subscribers cringe if they where I took you to breakfast?" Ray mused after their waitress promised to be back with menus, her short blonde curls bouncing as she went. "I bet they'll be mortified I didn't take you somewhere with neatly ironed white tablecloths and waiters that speak French," he laughed. "Don't tell them okay? I don't want to start getting hate emails from all the starlights... I bet they'll be pissed enough I'm keeping you offline. They don't have to know I took you to such a normal people place. They also don't have to know this is where you can get the best milkshake you ever had, I don't want there to be lines when it's 2AM and I'm craving one. Oh god," his expression turned into a mortified one as a thought crossed his mind. "You're one of the weirdos that order strawberry instead of vanilla, aren't you? I know you are."

 

Actually, if he was being honest, Ray didn't want people to know about him and Leo for a few other reasons as well. Even if... whatever it is that was going on between them wasn't really a thing yet, Leo was a public figure or influencer or one of those things everybody wanted to be these days. And if he would hang with him a lot, people would naturally start assuming things. And, well... Ray was still trying to wrap his head about the idea of letting Leo in. He didn't want to even think about doing the same with tens of thousands of other people. His privacy was just yet another thing he was very jealous for.

 

 

Foreshadowing for some drama later on?

 

 

 

[confidant_v]

What was this place? Leo looked around, wishing he had the courage to take off his sunglasses so he could see all of the colors and decor properly. He felt like he stepped right into the 1950s. These kinds of diners only existed in movies and in a time long since forgotten... Although that's also what was so chic about it. The deeper they walked into the little diner the more Leo's smile widened. On top of that, the staff recognized Ray?? How adorable! Sure, Leo got recognized everywhere he went but that was entirely different. These people knew Ray on a personal level. They smiled at him, chatted him up a bit, nodded at Leo as if he were the strangest thing that had ever set foot in this place since Reagan was president, then graciously gave them menus.

 

Leo could only laugh as Ray spoke about his mass amount of followers. It didn't surprise him that he thought this way. Most people didn't really understand the ins and outs of being a influencer. Leo could go to a dump, tell his followers it was the new hottest thing in Hollywood, and they would believe him. Or rather they would make it happen. Influencers were nothing without the people who listened to them. It was the audience that made things popular or important; people like Leo simply put out the idea. Of course, things changed depending on the influencer. Leo himself had so much control over what was popular and what wasn't. If he said that little 50s style diners were in, then they'd be in. Of course that control also came with the fact that his followers could mutiny any day. The illusion of control was just that. An illusion. It could all come crumbling down on him with one scandal, one wrong word, one mistake.

 

"They'd love it," Leo said simply, not wanting to get into the depressing science behind his career. Although it seemed the underlying sentiment behind Ray's little tangent was something Leo came across all the time.

 

"DON'T POST THIS!! I'M SERIOUS! DON'T!"

 

Such a request hit Leo's ear nearly every day. Sometimes it was annoying, sometimes it was fine, sometimes he listened, sometimes he didn't. It depended on the importance of the thing. It also depended on the importance of the person and well... Ray's importance shot to the moon overnight. Better to not fuck this up right from the get go.

 

"I won't tag the restaurant, dear," Leo said as he glanced over his menu, directly addressing Ray's request. "Not this time anyway. Although if these pancakes are as good as you say they are then they certainly deserve a picture on my Instagram, don't you think?" He turned to Ray, smiling as he poked the other's cheek. "Strawberry milkshakes? You're wrong about all of that, hunny. I don't order vanilla or strawberry. Why would I want those lame things when I could order chocolate? In fact..."

 

When the waiter came back that was exactly what Leo ordered. Fuck real food, he wanted a chocolate milkshake with hashbrowns for breakfast and he'd damn well have it. Now that would definitely find it's way to Instagram. With his mind on how much fun his followers would have with his choice of breakfast, another thought made it's way to the forefront. He raised his eyebrow at Ray, the corner of his lip turning up in a smirk.

 

The Hart Family Smirk.

 

"Ray?" Leo leaned in closer to Ray, his chin resting on the back of his hand as he lowered his glasses ever so slightly to look over them. "Do you even have an Instagram? Or at the very least a facebook?"

[Joyabe]

"You know, you're impossible," Ray blinked and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "First you trash blueberry pancakes, now vanilla milkshakes... seriously, what am I going to do with you?" Reaching for his hand, he pulled it away from his face, lacing their fingers together for a moment under the table before letting go and poking his cheek in return. "As long as it doesn't expose my secret milkshake place you can upload whatever you want to your Instagram. Honestly, I don't even know why you're asking, you're probably just going to upload whatever the hell you want anyway..." Ray's words might have sounded harsh, if it wasn't for the admiring smile he sent Leo, laughing at his own accurate observation. His expression turned a tad more suspicious and careful when he smirked at him though.

 

"Is... is this a real question?" Both of Ray's eyebrows rose high, giving the other a look of disbelief before he chuckled, giving Leo a smirk that was almost as equally dangerous. "I'm a little surprised Leo. Did you assume I live a weird off the grid life?" He leaned in to whisper inches away from the other's face. "Because otherwise, I can't possibly believe you didn't already spy on all my social media. I'd expect nothing less from you... found anything interesting?" He suggested with a smile that offered nothing but trouble, tongue peaking out through his teeth.

 

A second later, a waiter carrying their breakfast made him pull away almost as quickly as he leaned in, leaving him wearing an expression of pure innocence if it wasn't for the mischievous spark that danced in the back of his eyes.

 

"So..." Ray opened again, pouring an amount of maple syrup over his pancakes that would make any dentists out there very rich. "What do you do? I mean usually, when you're head diva, not hired to do her makeup." He clarified, sinking his fork in his food and bringing it to his mouth. He was genuinely curious, Leo's lifestyle and profession completely foreign to him. How did he spend his days? What was he doing when the cameras were off? Actually, how did he even maintain that career while doing Scarlet's makeup? Surly, there was so much more to it than what ended up on the internet.

 

"Also," he added in a tone promising discussion of a matter of the upmost importance. "Didn't you say you wanted pancakes? What happened to that?" He laughed, pointing at Leo's plate before a devilish grin sneaked onto his face. "Here, we can share mine." With that same smile, maybe a slightly more challenging version of it, Ray brought a forkful right to Leo's lips, leaning his head on his free hand as if he were condescending Willy Wokna himself. "It's really good."

[confidant_v]

Normally, Leo would be ecstatic to have Ray's face so close to his. He'd place a kiss on those perfectly delicious lips right now if he weren't in a complete stupor. After all, how could he, the social media guru, not have Facebook stalked goddamn Ray Fucking Deora??? He should have done that the first day they spoke when they hated each other! The disbelief was evident on his face; he even ignored his milkshake and hashbrowns when they arrived. There were far more important things to worry about than food right now. Pulling out his phone, he immediately began searching for those far more important things.

 

"Fuck you, Ray. Look I don't have time to Facebook stalk every single person that comes my way. And besides, it's not like it's totally farfetched for someone to not have social media these days." Okay, yes it was but Leo wasn't about to admit his mistake. Honestly, he'd had so much fun spending time with Ray, even when they couldn't stand each other, that it didn't even occur to him to look up his social media. The man filled his mind, not his phone, though now he'd be in both. "Oh my god." Leo smiled as he pulled up Ray's facebook, nearly squealing like a drag queen in a wig shop at the pictures of the beautiful man. This must have been how people felt when they saw the painting "Starry Night" in person. Capturing such beauty in a single moment, a single picture, should have been impossible but there it was. And there was that smile of Ray's on his profile. His perfect skin, his perfect hair, his perfect eyes. Leo nearly gasped, but he instead took a sip of his milkshake. Better option to calm his pounding heart.

 

"Ray, you're so damn gorgeous. You could have been a model, you know." Leo spoke quietly, as if to himself rather than Ray. "Fuck, you might even be better looking than me." Leo scrolled through the posts, grinning when he saw a picture of Ray from behind. "And look at that ass! Mmmmmm! Yum, yum!" To extend his compliment, Leo reached down and gave Ray's ass a nice pinch. Just for good measure. Just to make sure it was still there and hadn't gone anywhere. These kinds of things needed to be checked from time to time.

 

"Do you follow me? You better follow me. On all my social media, okay? And follow me on Youtube so you can get updates on my videos."

 

Now that Ray had a new follower/fan/stalker, Leo put his phone away... Only to take it back out so he could snap a picture of his food. Mercy, he was slacking with this social media. As he was posting that lovely picture of his breakfast and a witty caption under it, he glanced over at Ray and raised his eyebrows at him. "Hmmm? What do you mean?" Everyone knew what he did whether he was head diva or not. Everyone. "This head diva has a social media presence to keep up with. I'm always posting about new makeups and trends, or posting from my mom's shop. Soon I'll be streaming games or making videos of them to post on Youtube. My new gaming channel will have me busy. I also have a few new makeup looks based on anime and video game characters planned so I need to make videos of those and post them. When I'm not doing all that I'm meeting with all the lawyers and other important people who I can't think about right now to help with my new makeup line. But knowing these people is how I get jobs like the one we have." He shrugged and snapped a selfie to post on his Instagram, hoping to catch up from his laziness.

 

Finally putting his phone down for good this time, Leo sighed as he indulged in his salty/sweet breakfast. "Everything you see in front of you now is what you see on my social media though. Everything I 'do' is there too. Even if it's just hanging out with friends. You know...." Leo started a thought, resting his hand in his palm as he looked at Ray through his dark sunglasses. "I don't think I would do the social media thing if I couldn't be myself. I'm not like Scarlet and Jackson. I can't get on camera and pretend to be someone else. It was hard hiding that annoying, stupid, nerdy part of me, but now that it's out there I'm happier than ever. Like a weight's been lifted off of me. There's nothing to hide with me so I guess in reality I'm a pretty simple guy. I like make up, anime, and video games. That's about it. That's what I 'do.' Oh, and of course I play with my dog."

 

Leo might have gone on more if Ray hadn't offered him his pancakes. Not one to turn down free food, Leo opened his mouth and gobbled them right up. "Mmmmmmm~ Ray! This is my new favorite spot. Fine I'll admit it. Stupid pancakes taste good. This place should do some kind of collaboration with my mom. God. That'd send people straight to heaven."

 

Before he became too engrossed with his food and forget that Ray was beside him, he decided he'd shoot Ray's question right back at him. "So what about you, gorgeous? You said earlier you didn't have anything that you were super passionate about. I don't really believe that, but I do believe you can't think of an answer right now. Better question, though, what is it that you do when you're not doing Jackson's face? Just working on your own? It's perfect though, you don't need to work on it."

[Joyabe]

Ray wasn't sure why on earth did he think provoking Leo was a good idea. It was all fun and games when he was the one flipping through childhood pictures of the other, but now he not only provoked the probably most dangerous person he knew, but also planted the idea in his head to stalk his social media.

 

"Please stop." Ray was a man who rarely resorted to begging, and yet as Leo, in a most Leo fashion, went so far with his compliments he might have needed to take a passport with him, he couldn't help but groan softly. "Here, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram... do you still have an active Myspace? Anything else I'm missing?" he counted as he pulled out his phone, following the other's order partially to pacify him, but also because he knew, in the back of his mind, he could return the stalking favor. And it has been a long time since Ray was so eager to stalk.

 

Working on his food, Ray listened with interest as Leo went on about answering his question. If he was being completely honest, it made his head spin. He figured there was so much more to Leo's work than one could see, that's why he wasked in the first place, but right now he was having a hard time figuring out how he fit all that into just 24 hours a day. And of course, there was this authenticity thing. Someone like Leo... Ray could never understand that. He knew exactly who he was, and he had so much confident in that person. While he felt like he was navigating life with constant uncertainty he became a pro at hiding, Leo was smooth sailing on his belief and trust in himself. God he was jealous of those people. He was so glad his pancakes distracted him for a moment so he could regain his composure- the last thing he wanted right now was for Leo to discover just how petty he could be.

 

"Oh? So suddenly blueberries aren't man kind's worst enemy or the devil's pure creation?" He tried channeling his energy into harmless teasing, although Leo's question brought him right back into his earlier seriousness. After taking a sip of his coffee and thinking about it for a moment, he tried his best at explaining.

 

"Well... when I'm not doing Jackson's face I'm doing other faces. Shoots, fashion shows, some private events... Most 'normal' people," he rolled his eyes as he air quoted. "Don't know who I am. They know a lot of the faces I paint, but they don't know and care I do. They don't really care who's painting their favorite people at all, in most cases," he shrugged. "Of course, to get to those people you have to know the right people... just being good isn't enough. It's a lot of schmoozing. Making those people feel special when you paint them, make it about them, go to events you get invited to so you can meet more people..." In contrast to what Leo did, in order to succeed Ray had to put the spotlight on other people, which he gladly did. Ironically enough, to break through he always had to remain just enough in the shadows. "And of course outside of it I still need to learn- new techniques, discover trends, try out new products... the usual stuff," he gave another shrug. Of course, it was in that moment that Ray realized he might have just went on the longest, most boring rant in the history of rants.

 

"But I guess you already know all that, right? Maybe even better than me... you get a little taste of both sides. Why don't we talk about what to do next instead?" He was quick to change the subject. "Go somewhere? Do something? Just stay home and do nothing? Other nouns?" He offered. "Or... er, well, if you have other plans that's okay too. I'm guessing you don't get a day off so often. You probably have a lot to catch on."

[confidant_v]

Leo wasn't necessarily laughing at Ray, but he was most certainly laughing. The poor thing; he almost felt bad for showering him with compliments. The sweet begging from his new darling was almost too much for Leo's tiny minuscule heart. It was only then that Leo realized just how much Ray seemed to hate receiving compliments. Why? Who didn't like people saying nice things about them? "Look, babe, I'm an Aries. Do you know what Aries people like? We like to get compliments and we like to give compliments. We need to make sure that the people we care about are showered in love and attention." Leo rested his elbow on Ray's shoulder as he leaned in to stare at the beautiful face. "Here. I'll make a deal with you. Let me compliment you all I want, and you take the compliments and be happy with them. Does that sound fair?" Sounded fair to Leo. It was a perfect deal if he ever heard one. A more perfect deal didn't exist. Everyone won with this flawless, perfect, sound, reasonable deal that Leo presented to Ray.

 

Leo listened intently as Ray explained exactly what it was that he did. It wasn't surprising, but at the same time it didn't make Leo happy. He was someone who wanted people to recognize and know his talents. It was why he bothered being the social media star he was. Sure, Leo knew that not everyone craved that lifestyle, but someone as talented as Ray should try to get his name out there more. So many more opportunities could come his way. "Do you like that then?" Leo asked, sliding his elbow off of Ray so he could work more on his milkshake and hashbrowns. "You like being in the background?" There was no way Leo sounded insulting. No. Not at all. "I don't know, Ray. You've got so much talent. Why don't you want more people to acknowledge it? You could be a star, babe. People from everywhere could know your name. You don't have to spend your time making other people feel special when you can feel special. I mean, I like making people special, but I couldn't do it if I didn't feel like I was the hottest thing in the room."

 

Sweet Ray was the complete opposite of Leo. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Leo was drawn to him. Or maybe it was the reason he disliked him so much when they first met. Well, obviously Ray didn't need the social media attention to help open doors for him. He'd managed to make his way onto a major movie set without recognition from the outside world. Perhaps someone like him would crack under the pressure of all those eyes on him. Even Leo sometimes felt like he'd break if people didn't stop talking to him or recognizing him in the street. "I guess constantly being under scrutiny is a downside to the social media star lifestyle. That's not something you want to deal with, right? Still... You could be famous, Ray."

 

Where did this timidity come from? Leo raised his eyebrow as Ray stuttered his way around the end of his sentence. Was he suddenly intimidated by Leo? Did Ray suddenly see him as a lion about to devour his prey? "I didn't beg Scarlet to hook me up with a day off so I could be by myself and catch up on work." Surely Ray didn't have that much of a confidence issue. "I want to hang out with you, Ray. And I'm not even going to entertain the thought that you don't want to spend time with me. Like hell you're going home." As if to prove his point Leo grabbed Ray tightly around his wrist; believe that if the man had handcuffs he'd chain the two of them together for probably longer than just the day. "You're sticking with me whether you like it or not." And that wasn't a threat. It was a promise. A promise with dangerous implications behind it.

 

"I told you already. I'm a really simple guy. I like anime, video games, and make up. If you leave the decision to me I'll just take us back to my place and make you play games with me or watch something with me. I think people think I like going out places because of my social media presence, but really my favorite thing to do is stay inside and just play games. I don't have to deal with people or crowds and I can keep to myself for the most part." Leo shrugged, that hand of his still clutching onto Ray's. "But I want to do what you want to do. You know what I do during my day. So what do you do? Take me around and show me a day in the life of Ray. Unless you really want to go back home with me and play games. But then I'd be scared I'd bore you to death."

[Joyabe]

"You sure sound a lot like a Leo for someone claiming to be an Aries..." Ray teased, although in all honesty he could see Leo being both. Even though one of then was literally right there in his name. "I don't need to feel like the hottest thing in the room to feel successful. And no, that's not a read on you," he quickly added before the other had a chance to protest, probably undoing some of his disarmament by ruffling his hair. "I just like being good at what I do, get recognition for that. You know, I may not be your level famous, but in my field people know who I am. I have my own fans- want me to call Vincent and see how fast he gets here?" He offered with a smirk before dropping it for a more genuine smile. "I don't want to be a star Leo, at least not in the sense you mean it. I like being successful, I like getting recognition, but I also like to keep it to my professional life only... I don't need the whole world wondering where I am who I'm with and what I'm doing at all hours of the day. No offense."

 

Ray wasn't sure why he felt the need to explain all this to Leo. Actually, he wasn't even sure he knew he thought that way until he asked him all those questions. But they were different, so different, maybe too different. It was like he knew Leo wouldn't understand him, but he wanted him to. For once, he didn't want to pretend he knew exactly what the person he was talking to meant, like it was something he felt strongly about too. He didn't want Leo to get the wrong impression of him- but this time, it was the impression he tended to create on purpose he didn't want him to get. He wanted to be honest with him, to show him who he really was, but he wasn't sure how. He wasn't sure he even knew who the real him was. This seemed like a start though... Of course, this entire understanding was new to Ray. New, and fairly, sort of, incredibly scary. This was not the time nor the place to analyze it or try to fight control back over his rebellious mind (was it his mind though?), so it was safe to assume Ray was very much relieved at the change of subject, and maybe also the fact Leo wanted to spend the day with him.

 

"Sorry to disappoint, but my free time id pretty boring as well," Ray gave an apologetic shrug before taking another sip of his coffee. "I just stay at home, watch T.V., put on bad music and perform for the ghosts in my apartment..." he mused. "So really, it's either back to my place or to yours. Unless..." an idea suddenly popped into Ray's mind, causing his most convincing smile to appear on his face, the one that promised an offer one couldn't refuse.

 

"The school I went to isn't too far away. Remember I told you I'm famous in my world? Well, this is part of it," Ray turned just a little, propping his elbow on the side of their booth and leaning his head into his palm. "I still go there sometimes to give master classes, and also just to update on things. Trends, names... products. I haven't been there in almost three months. I bet I can hook you up with some goodies. High quality stuff, full size." Was it stupid to try and bribe Leo was something he was almost probably getting anyway because he was on countless PR lists? Maybe. But then again, this strange need to show off that came out of nowhere was no less stupid. "We could go there before we go back home," he offered, finishing the last of his coffee as he measured the other's reaction.

[confidant_v]

Leo rolled his eyes at the mention of that insane man Vincent. What a stupid dork ass loser. Vincent. The way he acted like Ray was a god among mortals (and maybe he was but Leo didn't want Vincent looking at him like that). Worse was how he treated Leo like he was trash. Sure, Leo was a bitch, he could admit that every day of the week, but he didn't need someone like VINCENT reminding him of it. He also didn't need that man's bitch ass attitude in his face all day. Well, nevermind about the peasant. Not when Ray was opening up his heart to Leo about his shyness... Or maybe it wasn't shyness. Maybe Ray just genuinely didn't want to be in front of the camera. It was tough, for sure. Day in and day out, getting judged by fans and other beauty gurus, dealing with salt and hate for no reason whatsoever, constantly having to put out content, wondering when a break would come yet knowing it never would.

 

Who the hell would choose that life?

 

"I hear you," Leo said, taking a sip of his shake. "You seem more like a behind the scenes guy, anyway.... No offense." A grin crossed those sharp features as he offered Ray some of his shake. "But in reality, I don't really know if I'd recommend this kind of life to anyone. Better to not even bother getting involved in it. Just follow people you like and keep doing what you're doing." Not that Ray wasn't indirectly getting involved with this terrible and strange profession. If they kept down this road, then Ray would surely have to deal with the never ending battles of Leo's followers facebook stalking him, spreading his name around, digging up as much information on him as they could... Stealing whatever privacy the man had in his life. Not that Leo would mention this. Not now anyway. No need to scare off Ray right when they were at the beginning of this sweet and tender budding relationship.

 

"Stay away from my shake," Leo immediately took back his shake even after he offered it, laughing at himself for his constant back and forth. Why did people put up with him? He was such an asshole....

 

And why was he such an asshole to someone who was so nice to him?? Sure, there was a hidden bitchy asshole in Ray that he liked to hide. Leo could see that a mile away, but he was at least being nice right now. Especially with his extremely tempting offer. Leo's head turned immediately towards Ray at the suggestion of going to a beauty school. A real life beauty school. "Are you for real?" Leo scooted as close to Ray as he could, both of his legs under him in the suddenly crowded booth as he stared at Ray through his very expensive sunglasses. "I'd love to see a beauty school! I'm self-taught. Literally I learned from Youtube before I even thought about getting on Youtube myself. I never went to beauty school. Seriously, Ray. Take me there!" Leo grabbed Ray's arm, perhaps a little too harshly considering his nails were on par with that of a full grown tiger's. "This'll be so cool!! I can't believe I get to see where you went to school and learned all of your tricks! That's awesome. Yes, yes, yes! Oh my god, I can meet your teachers and everything! You can do my makeup there! Let's go, let's go!"

 

Leo? Excited? No... never.

[Joyabe]

"I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to," Ray chuckled, although truthfully he was relieved his offer was accepted so enthusiastically. He picked up his fork and sunk it straight into Leo's plate, bringing the sizable bite- retribution for the earlier shake kidnapping, even if said shake wasn't his to begin with- to his mouth.

 

"Alright," he said with his mouth full. "Finish off your food," a task he apparently began assisting him with. "Ant let's go."

 

Once their food was done, check paid, and Uber ordered, it didn't take longer for twenty minutes for them to step out in front of a familiar building. It didn't seem all too special on the outside- another, average looking, three-storied concrete cube amidst many similar ones right in the middle of the city. On the outside, the place haven't changed at all since Ray started school all those years ago. As soon as he walked inside though, an odd sense of mixed nostalgia, pride, and embarrassment attacked him.

 

The lobby was one wide space, dark wood floors and white walls all illuminated by warm, yellow lights. None of those, however, were the prominent decorative element in the space. All around them, large pictures showcased the work of both school staff and graduates. Some were there from even before Ray started school, some added later, and a few, although they were not his faces, did belong to him- works he did under the school's name when he was just starting to make it. A small part of him did wonder whether Leo would be able to tell them apart, and what he would think of those early works.

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately, Ray haven't decided how he felt about all that yet), it didn't look like he would get the opportunity to inspect them closely. As deceptive as it could have been, they were, in fact, not in a museum, and besides the still images on the walls, there was a very live, and lively, person, sitting behind the big reception desk at the end of the room.

 

"Ohmygod!" A young woman, with perfectly balayaged dirty blonde hair, clad in all black, jumped up from her chair, circling the desk and making a beeline to them. "Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in months. I thought you forgot all about us," she pouted, after giving Ray a kiss on each cheek.

 

"Come on Amanda, cut me some slack," Ray replied with his go-to smile, the one he automatically plastered on every time he interacted with people. "I had the shows, and I have this big project now," he explained, placing a placating hand on her back. "I just didn't have the time to-"

 

"And where the fuck have you been?"

 

Ray turned around to see another woman, roughly the same age, sporting a dark bob and black on black on black outfit coming from one of the back rooms. At least now his fashion choices might have been a little more explainable.

 

"Good to see you too Jess," Ray rolled his eyes and laughed, repeating the kisses ceremony with her as well. "I was actually trying to avoid you, but I guess I have no luck."

 

"It appears so. What, are we not important enough for you to remember now that you hang out with real celebrities?" She asked, before turning to Leo and offering her hand. "I'm Jessica, nice to meet you. If he gets too much let me know and I'll take him off your hands." Clearly, Jessica was able to identify Leo instantly- Ray expected nothing less from her. Amanda, however, was not as quick.

 

"OHMYGOD!" She exclaimed after a moment of inspecting Leo. "You're Leo Hart! You two know each other? Ray, how come you only brought him here now? And without letting us know first?" She asked Ray furiously, not even stopping to let him answer before she turned to Leo again. "I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you with the glasses. I can give you a tour if you want. Maybe something to drink? Oh, and we also have some new products that just arrived so you can take whatever you want. Do you mind if we take a selfie together?"

 

"Amanda," Ray rudely interfered the blonde who was already pulling her phone out. "Sorry, but could this wait? I kind of dragged him out of bed super early with the promise of a free beat," he shrugged and gave an apologetic half-smile. There was no need to tell them about the real circumstances that brought on their early, if makeup free for Leo, morning.

 

"Can we do all this after I do him?" He asked, ignoring the snort Jessica let out and addressing his next question to her. "Can I use the stuff in the back? I promise to be real quick." 'The back' referred to a backroom that contained untouched makeup, tools, and a large vanity. It was used to work on the rare important clients that came to the school to get their makeup done under whatever circumstances, and Ray's personal favorite place in it- mostly because almost no one could surprise him there. That, and the access to oftentimes free makeup.

 

"As if someone would tell you something even if you weren't," she rolled her eyes at him. "The room and everything in it is, as usual, all yours. Just don't dine and dash on me... you owe us at least a quick 'hello' in the classes going on right now," she conditioned the offer, crossing her arms.

 

"What do you say?" Ray finally turned to Leo. "Where do we start? Coffee? Tour? Makeup? Selfie? It's your call." Strangely, after jumping so quickly to protect Leo's naked face from an iphone camera, Ray felt a little self-conscious. Stupid, maybe. After all, Leo didn't need protection from anything, except maybe himself. Why the hell did he make him feel so shaky, like suddenly everything he was doing was too little or too much or just plain weird?

[confidant_v]

Leo never had an image of what beauty schools looked like. As he stood in front of the doors to Ray's old school, he had no idea what toe expect once he walked in. It could be a tropical forest in there for all he knew. Perhaps they kept wild animals. Maybe it was a haven of people who wore too much make up and really needed instruction on how to tone it down. Clowns? A circus? Definitely a circus. That was the image he decided to go with as he followed Ray inside, only to be impressed with what was clearly not a circus. It looked like a beautiful mixture of the most expensive hotel he could think of and a museum of the most priceless artifacts. Was this school expensive? Did Ray pay his way through? Were student loans a thing with beauty school? Never mind all of that! Leo was much more interested in the apparent hall of fame, and which ones were potentially Ray signature looks. The time to look at said works never came. Leo was used to screeching fans, and this one was no different, except that she belonged to Ray.

 

Leo sat back as this girl--Amber? Annella? Amanda? Yes... Amanda--piled on the kisses to Ray's cheek. Green was never a favorite color of Leo's even though he wore it in his hair. He was sure that in this moment it was plastered all over his face. Unreasonable as it was, Leo was ready to snatch that's girl's stupid hair and rip all of that weave out and throw it on the beautiful dark wood floors, then force her to watch as the janitor swept it up.

 

No, no.. Leo wasn't jealous. No, not at all. No aggressive jealousy here.

 

And he certainly didn't even get more jealous when another woman appeared out of nowhere. What the fuck, these women just came out of the woodwork! Sure, his fans were the same, but this was totally different. At least until there was attention placed on him. He pulled out his trademark smile and happily shook hands with... Janet? Jennifer... Jessica. Yes, Jessica. After all, for as much of a bitch as he was, he never acted that way towards people who recognized him, and certainly not a fan like Miss Amanda was. Amanda went from 10 to 100 in a minute. Her energy shot up, and it seemed in that moment she had forgotten all about Ray. Leo was hardly okay with that, but... Well, he couldn't say anything like that toward a fan, could he?

 

Thankfully, Ray saved him. "Ray's right, honey. I could never take a selfie with you looking like this. But we can take plenty once Ray is done making me beautiful!" Fans first. Fans first.... Fans first. At least Jessica seemed calm enough. Leo lightly tapped her shoulder when she snorted and whispered a "you naughty thing" to her while Ray handled everything else. "Ooooh, a back room? How sultry! I'm already impressed with this place." Leo thought he'd be taken there straight away until Ray turned to him and asked what he wanted to do. If Ray could see behind those dark sunglasses he would have seen Leo look him up and down as if he were crazy.

 

"We're not doing anything until you do me, boo." Leo couldn't help but laugh at the (much harder) snort Jessica let out. Leo liked this one. She was on his good list. "You best take me to that back room and make me feel like the queen I am." With that, Leo grabbed Ray's arm and began walking in some random direction, his head held high as if he knew exactly where he was going. If anyone was going to be blamed for letting this wrecking ball loose in the school it would certainly be Ray.