Above The Line

Chapter Three

Arthur gently washed his hands in the sink on the far side of the trailer, scrubbing at his knuckles with perfunctory motions as he kept a careful eye on the actor sitting only a few meters away. The twenty-year-old was swinging his legs back and forth, taking occasional sips of water as if he were no more than a child excited and ready to get his haircut.

It was absolutely endearing, actually, though Arthur stopped his thoughts at that point, daring to go no further. After spending the past four years silently watching Alfred's startlingly fast climb to fame, ever since his first appearance in a shampoo commercial at sixteen, all the while harboring a deep suspicion for the genuineness of such a sweet act, it was difficult for the artist to suddenly change his stance upon the matter.

However, based on the way Alfred was acting now, the change was already happening, whether Arthur welcomed it or not.

"What time do you have to be back on set?" Arthur asked, more so because he needed to keep an eye on time rather than because he wanted to make small talk. Arthur wasn't really one for conversation when there was work to be done.

Alfred shrugged. "No idea."

The artist dried his hands with a soft towel, which he then partially stuck into his back pocket before walking back over to where Alfred was sitting. He began to prepare his materials, which involved a quick read-through of the blocking and lighting for the next scene before anything else went under way.

The Briton wanted to laugh at the fact that the actor didn't know his own schedule-though that was probably because everyone else worked to fit whatever Alfred wanted to do. Keeping the famous and incredibly rich and powerful actor happy seemed to be one of the top priorities. What a lucky bastard. And to top it all off, the hapless kid didn't even seem to know his own worth, or if he did, he didn't show it.

Arthur took a deep breath, glancing back toward Alfred once again-and immediately that breath was lost.

Alfred was literally breathtaking.

The artist couldn't help but stare as he observed that flawless skin, those accentuated cheekbones, that perfectly sculpted nose that gave way to the most beautiful set of eyes Arthur had ever seen. Every time the makeup artist looked away, it seemed that his gaze would return to an even greater, more transfixing sight than before. How was that even physically possible?

"... Is something wrong?" Alfred asked, when he noticed that Arthur had been staring for quite a while. His tone was all sincere curiosity. God, how had Arthur ever doubted the authenticity of this kid's sweet personality? He was practically dripping earnestness and innocent boyishness. It was adorable.

Perhaps too adorable?

Nah.

"Nothing's wrong..." Arthur murmured absentmindedly as he slowly placed the script back down upon the table, not really caring if it stayed there or fell off. He had better things with which to occupy his attention at the present moment. "You..."

Involuntarily, Arthur reached up to touch that invitingly rosy skin, but he stopped himself last minute, his fingers a hair's breadth away from brushing against those accentuated cheekbones. He always wore gloves when he worked, mostly because he didn't want the oils from his own fingers to mix and mar the medium of his materials. Rarely did Arthur forget, but in the face of such a pleasant sight as the actor before him, the artist almost did.

If nothing else, that in and of itself was already a testament to just how attractive Alfred Jones was-and yet again, the kid didn't even seem to know the effect he had on those around him.

It was almost unbelievable. Almost.

Quickly and with well-rehearsed movements, Arthur pulled on his gloves and readied himself to examine the texture of the actor's skin. Each person's was different, and thus, a seasoned makeup artist would have to layer the makeup differently, use different brands, highlight different colors, etc. from actor to actor. Arthur could only learn which to use and which to disregard by very careful observation, added with some level of trial and error.