above all (m×m) ✔

14) father figures

"Sorry, it's messy here.." Brandon muttered, rubbing the side of his neck. He looked like he was fighting against an urge to clear up, to make the place more presentable.

There were half finished drafts and art supplies scattered all around, but  Steven wouldn't necessarily have called the place messy. Besides, the warm, earthy colors were so utterly Brandon that Steven couldn't help but fall in love with the apartment.

"I like it here." Steven told him. A relieved smile tucked up the corners of Brandon's mouth, like he had actually feared that Steven would judge him. Steven sat on the couch, picking up Brandon's sketchbook and starting to leaf it. With a playful smirk, he added: "I'm not saying that you smell or anything, but you should take a shower before breakfast."

"Shut up." Brandon muttered, before turning around and rummaging through his drawer for clean clothes.

It didn't matter how many times Steven saw Brandon's art, it never ceased to take his breath away. What Brandon had was raw talent, a gift. He mostly used black ballpoint pen, which he carried to all their gatherings alongside the sketchbook, but Steven spotted a few canvases leaning against the wall as well. 

The water started to run in the bathroom, stealing Steven's focus from the portrait he had been admiring. It got increasingly difficult to study the drawing, where Dam-Bi was blowing a bubble with bubble gum, when his mind kept creating tortuously vivid images of Brandon in the shower. Naked, slathering his toned body with soap and.. Steven shook his head, trying to clear his head.

He enjoyed sex, there was no way around it. In any other situation, he wouldn't have gone through more than a couple of weeks without sex. Steven was a sucker for any sort of intimacy: cuddling, kissing, hugging, even holding hands. So, of course it was going to be a challenge to court someone who wasn't ready for any of that yet. Who might end up never wanting those things, if he didn't find the needed connection with Steven. 

Steven shouldn't have been thinking about sex or intimacy, not right then. Not when he could see something was bothering Brandon. He had sounded genuinely spooked when he had called Steven the previous night, and Steven had kept talking just to make sure Brandon wouldn't hang up. 

It was clear that whatever nightmare Brandon had had, hadn't been about the CIA, shadow monsters or leather jackets. It hadn't been the sort of dream you could laugh at in the morning, or the sort to tell a funny story about. If, in fact, it had been about Brandon's dad, how terrible a person that man needed to be? And, more importantly, how could Steven make Brandon open up about it?

Steven studied a drawing Brandon had made of him. In it, Steven was smirking, an unlit cigarette sticking out the corner of his mouth. It held so much emotion, like Steven could actually see himself through Brandon's eyes. He could see this cheerful, assertive man who was quick to smile, someone who was fun to be around with. Steven smiled at the picture, feeling warm all over.

"I drew a picture of you." Brandon said, bringing a whiff of lemony soap with him. He still kept a healthy distance from Steven on the couch, but at least he had chosen the couch instead of the floor like he tended to do in any other company. 

"I think you've drawn quite a lot of pictures of me." Steven pointed out, a poised smirk on his lips.

"Shut up." Brandon grumbled, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "I drew something I'd like you to have."

"Where is it?" Steven asked, already leafing through the pages, like couldn't possibly have the picture fast enough. 

"The second last page." Brandon instructed Steven. He was biting his lower lip nervously.

"This one?" Steven asked, eyebrows drawing together. He had nothing against Ash and Miles, but what could he possibly do with their picture? 

"No, not that.." Brandon snatched the sketchbook from Steven, turning the pages. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he stared at the book blankly. "I swear I.." Brandon frowned, his voice drifting off. "Nevermind."