“And feral,” Levi muttered.
“I’ve told you a million times not to steal food off people’s plates. It was bound to happen eventually,” Felix chastised.
“Whose side are you on?” Levi asked, sulking.
“Usually not yours,” Felix reminded him.
“It’s true,” Nico said. “You should learn to keep your hands to yourself.”
Arsen was glad Ever couldn’t see the stir he was creating online. It would have been way too much for him. It was starting to feel like too much for Arsen, too. Every time another tip came in, the computer chimed. Arsen was starting to get a headache.
People gave money hoping to get his attention, hoping to get Ever’s attention. But the only thing that had Ever’s attention was the drawstring on Arsen’s sweatpants, which meant Ever now had Arsen’s undivided attention and the hard-on to prove it. There was no way Ever didn’t feel that.
“That’s all for tonight, guys,” Arsen said abruptly. “I’m going to bed.”
What?
Now?
That was quick
With him?
Is he your boyfriend?
Is he?
OMG. So cute.
Bring him on again tomorrow.
It was only ten o’clock but Arsen signed off, waiting to unzip his hoodie until they were off camera. As soon as he did, Ever looked up in surprise, the tiniest bit of guilt on his face. Had he been trying to tease Arsen? No. Of course not. He was just bored and shy. “Are you ready for bed,besenok?”
Ever stared up at him with wide eyes, full lips parted. The urge to lean down and kiss him was damn near impossible to ignore. Like gravity or magnets. Ever’s tongue shot out to lick over his lower lip and Arsen almost cracked.
But he didn’t.
Ever didn’t need that. He didn’t want it. They were strangers. Fuck.
“Come on. Let’s brush our teeth.”
Arsen led him into the bathroom where he put toothpaste on both of their toothbrushes and then handed Ever’s to him. Ever stared at Arsen in the mirror the whole time they brushed their teeth, spitting when he did, rinsing when he did.
When they were done, Arsen clipped his hair back and washed his face. Ever sat on the toilet, watching intently. “Felix makes me do this,” Arsen said by way of explanation. “He says skincare is very important. Because I don’t want to listen to him lecture me, I just do it. It is easier that way. He is hammer and everybody else is nail. You’ll see.”
When Arsen finished washing his face and putting on his moisturizer, he dried his hands. Ever stood and pushed his own hair back, tipping his face up at Arsen. It took him a solid thirty seconds to realize he was waiting for Arsen to wash his face and not kiss it. It felt like someone kicked him in the heart.
This boy was going to be the end of him.
He gently wet Ever’s skin and then foamed the soap between his fingers before rubbing it over his cheeks, his chin, his forehead, paying special attention to his nose just because it was so cute and small. When he could no longer justify touching his face, he told him to rinse in the sink, patting his face dry before he applied the moisturizer to his skin just as he had his own.
When he finished, Ever gave him the tiniest smile. “Thank you.”
Arsen blinked at him.
He was fucked. He wassofucked they would have to think of a new word for fucked. Destroyed. Ruined. Done for. He would fight armies for Ever. He would let him kick him in the face. He would fight a bear for him, burn down villages, start a war. Whatever it took to make Ever smile at him like that every day.
Not even a day had passed and Ever had stolen Arsen’s whole heart.
