Red Light |Virgato|

Chapter 16

When they get to Joel's building, they're both grinning lopsidedly, cheeks rosy, and Chris seeming too eager for something as ordinary as Joel.

Anyone could give Chris the world. Men pay real money to get even a fraction of him. And here Joel is, Chris having interest in him and for what, he's not quite sure.

But he knows better than to ask as they walk into his building, Chris not letting his smile fall for a second as he walks to the stairs. He's wearing Joel's jacket fully now, but he hasn't closed it so his bare stomach is still visible, the way he's breathing deeply.

In the fluorescent light of Joel's building, the sweat in his stringy hair is obvious. How it's made it frizzy and messier, and his glitter eyeshadow is smudged some with his eyeliner, and he walks with semi-tired steps.

Joel watches him as he moves to the stairs, tracing his fingers over the banister and broadens his smile, glancing over his shoulder at Joel. It's so sincere. "Did you design this?"

"This?" Joel titters, following after him to the base of the stairs as Chris takes one step up. "It would be a little pretentious to live in a building that I designed."

"Would it?" Chris hums, glancing around. "Huh. Do you, like, bully the architect of this building then? Make fun of all his mistakes? Bet that roof leak made you wish you'd designed it."

Joel chuckles. "Not so much the architect's fault, but yeah. I hate the gothic style. The guy was probably a douche."

"And you're not?" Chris peers down.

Joel grins. "Do you want me to be a douche?"

"No," Chris's cheeks are rosy from the cold outside and his eyelashes are thick with mascara. "I like how you are."

He walks up the stairs with something of caution and Joel knows he should be following right after, but he can't help but hover at the base of the staircase instead, peering up, admiring Chris ascend with a profound interest.

Because it's Chris, and there's no other reason required.

Chris keeps his hand on the railing as he wanders the steps and Joel watches him move, watches him look around and admire the hall with a subtle smile, watches Chris explore the stairwell with those curious, intense brown eyes. His long, bare legs and shiny boots that click the ground when they walk. Joel's jacket around his shoulders and his frizzy hair.

He's here.

Finally, when Chris looks back over his shoulder and realizes Joel isn't right behind him, he grins down at the base of the staircase, all shiny white teeth, bobbing his head, asking, "You coming or not, Joey?"

And Joel follows.

He tells Chris the apartment number and lets Chris lead the way - Chris gets to lead the way in every moment tonight, Joel has decided; he wants to give Chris everything he wants - Chris reaching his arm behind him to catch Joel's hand and Joel can't help but snicker to himself as Chris locks their fingers and drags him along.

"You know, I went to the theater," Chris says conversationally as they stride together down the carpeted hall. "And you're definitely a better architect than whoever this schmuck was."

Joel laughs heartily and he doesn't even process that they've landed in front of his door until muscle memory is making him take his keys out and turn them in the lock and suddenly - all so suddenly - they're walking into Joel's apartment and Chris is shutting the door behind him, stripping off Joel's jacket.

Joel watches the muscles in his arms move, astounded, as Chris folds the jacket in his arms and walks further inside.

"So this is it," he hums, surveying it.