Their Little Beauty (MxMxM+)

Chapter Eight- Bastarding Rats, Fucking Wasps and Loathsome Escorting

It was cold.

Summer was still only half-way done, the sun had been shining all day and sunburns had been aplenty, and yet Briar still felt bitingly cold in the warm evening air. 

It could have been his clothes. Although, even they looked a little too warm for the summer, the casual suit shirt and jacket stifling even at ten in the evening. But Briar knew better, he knew the real reason for his trembling hands and shivering body. 

Because after finally managing to fight, argue and persevere his way into normal work, he was throwing it all away. And as much as he despised himself for greeting the stranger with a flirtatious smile and hanging onto his arm, Briar didn't stop himself from being taken to the party and later that evening, a hotel. 

It's for Hari. Remember what he looked like, remember what happened. It's for him, for both of us, I have to do this. Just don't think about it, just pretend it isn't happening, it always worked before. 

To keep his mind busy and reinforce his conviction, Briar thought back to the previous day when he had felt perhaps the happiest he had since a teenager. He thought of Jesse. 

***

"That wasn't running. No fucking way".

"How dare you? I will have you know that I run extremely normally, thank you very much" he demanded, head pointing up so his nose was pointing to the sky, hands on his hips. 

"Oh yeah, for sure. Very normal... for a disabled kangaroo" they snarked then burst out laughing at Briar's face. 

"You mean little man. I used to be an athlete, a great one, of course I run normally!" he defended, voice cracking as it rose unnaturally high.

"Hmhm, just as you said- 'used to be'. And trust me, it's obvious the minute you start wobbling. Sorry, 'running'". 

Briar, absolutely insulted and publicly shamed, huffed and plonked down on the bench next to the little fox who was consuming what appeared to be a very hot slice of pizza, if the steam was any indication.

If he wants to be bitchy, two can play at that game, he thought with a grin.

"Why did you choose to be a fox? You suit something more... rodent like, with the way you stuff those cheeks. No, maybe a scavenger, since you managed to get that pizza for free. A rat! They're both". 

It was perhaps the most entertaining thing he had ever witnessed, cackling with an aching belly as Jesse's face continued scrunching up like a salted slug, sounds of indignation escaping their throat but no real words. 

"A rat? A BASTARDING RAT?! Get back here you fuckin-". 

And then they were both up, Briar squealing because holy shit was the fox faster than he'd expected of a person with such short legs. Jesse yelled profanities and threats at his back, chasing him around the roundabout and swing set before glancing over to the bench where their food lay unattended. 

"The wasps! The fucking wasps are gonna get my pizza!". 

Briar could no longer stand, collapsing to the grass in fits of uncontrollable laughter as Jesse picked up the pizza slice only to notice they were now being chased by wasps. Their solution seemed to be running in circles around the bench, which was greatly amusing. 

"You could, just, get rid of the pizza?" he so helpfully suggested, leaning back on his hands and soaking up the sun. When was the last time he actually sat down and just enjoyed himself or relaxed? The answer wasn't clear but he swore to himself to start doing it more often.