Devil's Effect

Triggered

The Saturday morning drive to the east side of the city had been full of conversation, and Ryan and Chester hadn't stopped just because they were at work. Ryan stood in front of the long mirror in the dressing room he and Chester had been ushered in and out of all morning. They'd already been through hair and makeup, and now it was just a matter of putting on their assigned outfits before going out and taking a few photos - updated shots that would be scattered over the Score Clothing website.

Ryan tugged at the white jeans he'd been given. Like so many times before, they were just a little too snug for his liking, and he tugged at the waist and the pencil-thin red belt that ran through the belt loops. "I'm suffocating," he whined. "They always make my stuff too small."

Chester gave him a sideways glance. Their dressing mirrors were side by side. "It's because they want to show off those sexy long legs of yours," he stated, gracefully trailing his hand up and down the vicinity of Ryan's leg. "Making your pants a tad tighter than they should be squeezes everything in, and makes it all look thinner."

Ryan's mouth dropped open as he spun toward his friend. His blue eyes about to pop. "Are you calling me fat?" His hand was on his naked chest, just under his Saint Dymphna necklace.

"No!" Chester practically shrieked as he twisted away from his own reflection. "I was just saying, it's a sneaky way to get the best out of your legs. Your sexy legs. Remember? I said that about them forty seconds ago."

Ryan looked down. His legs did seem longer than normal as he smoothed both hands down them. "I guess so," he mumbled, his lips sagging.

Chester had one hand on the hip of his in-style ripped blue jeans, only a few places on his thighs and a spot on his knee showing. It was as far as he'd gotten with his outfit, and now he was at a complete standstill. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. They were alone in the small square room, but Chester still felt the need to drop his voice. After years of working at YRS, he'd learned that alone didn't always mean alone.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine, Chazzy. Just a little paranoid, I guess."

"Paranoid about what?"

Ryan looked up, catching the concern in Chester's dark eyes. "It's been tense at home...Mike's been kinda snippy at me."

Chester wrapped his arms around his bare stomach. "I'm sorry," he apologised. "I've noticed, and I don't know what's gotten into him. He can be like that sometimes...just..."

"An asshole?" Ryan filled in.

"No. I was going to say sometimes he can be condescending."

Ryan looked away, across the room at the shiny silver clothing rack where the rest of their outfits were hanging. "That's just a fancy word for asshole," he muttered before looking back at Chester, his face serious. "I guess it just scared me for a second." He swallowed like there was an apple in his throat. "Thinking you were calling me fat."

"Ry," Chester whispered as he stepped closer, running his hand down Ryan's larger bicep. "I wasn't. I wouldn't. You know you'll always be a sexy devil in my eyes." He squeezed his arm gently. "And I'm sorry about Mike. I'll, I'll talk to him about it." His hand went from caressing to feathering up and down Ryan's arm, over his black and gray tattoos and toned muscle. "I don't know what gets into him sometimes. I think he's stressed and with everything being weird at home."

"Weird?" Ryan echoed lightly.

Chester nodded. "With us. All four of us. It used to be just me and him, you know? And now you guys are there and everyone's..."

"Open?"

Chester looked up. "Yeah. Open. It gets confusing," he whined before he could stop himself. He and Ryan had talked about the state of their household many times, but as Chester stood in the Score dressing room, the need to hash it out some more struck. "You know how we feel about each other. We're friends," he stated, motioning between them. "And I know we get too close sometimes, but I like it." He stopped, his eyes darting up to Ryan's face. Under the lights, and underneath the makeup, Ryan's cheekbones stood out, the slightest hint of blush on them. His dark hair was styled, jagged and pushed to the side, and his lips. They were pink, and a little swollen looking and Chester suddenly felt the urge to kiss them.