Devil's Effect

A Picture Says It All

Mike walked out of the studio, his backpack slung over both flannel covered shoulders. The light breeze moved his shaggy bangs across his forehead; they were just long enough to cover his eyes if he didn't continually sweep them out of the way. Ever since he'd gone back to Red Pelican Music and started teaching piano again, the artistic side of his personality had come back with a vengeance as he tried to distance himself from his identity as a porn star. The blue tips were gone, and between the longer hair and the facial hair he was sporting these days, it was hard to find Kenjiin his appearance. Even though his hair now covered his ears, he kept the small hoop earrings Chester loved so much. They were a little secret, just for Chester to uncover and play with.

He smiled at the thought of his boyfriend's tongue teasing his ear. Ches has always been good at finding that spot... he knows exactly how to get me going. And he's gotten so bold with it, playing with it in front of Ryan and Jay. He knows I can't say no to him. He tossed his backpack into the passenger seat of his old blue Honda Civic and glanced at his watch. His last lesson of the day cancelled, so he was leaving an hour earlier on a Friday than he usually did. I'll be home way before Ches and Ryan today. Maybe with enough time to take a nap. I'm beat.

The past two months since Ryan and Jason moved into the loft had gone by in a blur. What had started as a temporary living arrangement had gradually morphed into their everyday normal. After three weeks, Mike's boss had taken him back full time, and he'd been grateful for the extra lessons and longer work days. He'd never started driving Uber after all. Even though he and Chester were needing to have a deposit for a new apartment - fast - they both agreed that full time teaching would be more reliable than driving. Now that things around Mark's estate were settling a little and Jason was about to get what little was coming his way, they needed income they could count on to have room in the budget to save a little.

Mike was the only one home the afternoon Mark's lawyer called Jason and explained everything, detailed how probate had gone, and where all of Mark's money and property was going. Mike had been sitting on the couch next to Jason and when Jason took his hand, Mike held it through what seemed like an endless string of "yes, no, I understand" comments. Mike was the one who told him it would all be okay when Jason numbly ended the call. The house in the hills belonged to Phillip, whose name had never been removed from the deed, and the weekend following that call, the four of them had taken the rest of Jason's personal belongings from the house to storage. There was a decent amount of cash in a checking account with Jason's name on it, and an investment account that belonged to him as well, but the rest of Mark's money - the money that afforded Jason the high end lifestyle he was used to - was tied into the business. Though Jason had rights to parts of the business after he'd married Mark, the rest belonged to Phillip, and Jason had tasked his lawyer with trying to find out how he could buy Phillip's interest in YRS. So far, no deal had been reached, and Jason's money was still in a state of suspension.

All of which meant, he and Chester needed someplace else to live, and they hadn't even started to look yet. But Ches should start pulling in good money from modeling, and now that I'm full time, we can save a little more. We need to start looking... soon. It's so crowded in the loft.

Somehow they had fallen into a routine that worked, though Mike wasn't entirely sure how they managed some days. Jason was always up and out of the way first, sitting at the kitchen table in his slacks and button-down shirts and ties, reading financial news on his phone while drinking coffee. Mike had been joining him for breakfast while Chester and Ryan got ready to head out for work. His mornings consisted of listening to Jason's fretting with one ear, and listening to Chester and Ryan's good-natured bickering with the other. He tried to keep tabs on what was happening with his boyfriend while he and Ryan were in various states of undress in and out of the one bathroom, but it was hard when Jason wanted to talk politics or money with him.