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Yes, B****! Work! [closed RP for confidant_v & Joyabe]


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Name: Leo Hart

Age: 22

Height: 5’7

Sexuality: gaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

Family:

- Older brother, Erik Hart

- Pet dog, Champa

 

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Likes: watching youtubers, sleeping whenever possible, animals, going to clubs, spending money, and more sleeping

 

Dislikes: poor quality clothes, swimming and oceans, annoying people (though he thinks everyone is annoying), eating healthy

 

Personality: To say that Leo is difficult is an understatement. Most people find him aggressive, obnoxious, selfish, loud, arrogant, narcissistic, and borderline crazy. However, there’s a certain charm in his relentless attitude. People seem to admire his lack of respect and his brazen personality. It’s probably how he soared to be one of the top rated youtubers. Regardless of how bothersome he is, people love is honesty and genuinity… Some people anyway. Others simply see him as a selfish jerk who somehow made his way to the top. Not that Leo cares. He’s definitely got love for himself and his haters can go jump off of a cliff. The only time there seems to be semblance of true love in him is when he’s with his dog, Champa, or his brother, Erik. Otherwise, prepare for the rollercoaster that is Leo.

 

Background: At the tender age of 12 Leo posted his first youtube video, a simple five minute video showing off some new clothes he had bought at the local thrift and how he altered them to look like something off the Michael Kors runway. Overtime his popularity grew and now at 22 years old, Leo is one of the top paid youtubers with a channel of over 1 million subscribers. He specializes in fashion, lifestyle, and especially makeup. Being self-taught Leo never went to school for formal training and yet he has deals with several makeup (and fashion) brands as a model, and sometimes he gets requested by celebrities to do their make up for them. He’s even worked as the makeup designer on movie sets. His career is growing and growing, and though he’s a rough type of person more and more people are falling in love with him and his channel. He’s even got his own eyeshadow palette in the works. Too bad his striking personality leaves him with little friends by his side. There’s no one to celebrate the upcoming launch of his palette with… Just his dog, his brother, and all of his youtube followers who will be there when he announces the launch.

 

Leo's Tags:

Twitter: Leoshart

Youtube: Leos_Hart

Instagram: Leoshart

Personal Blog/Website: Leo’s Hart

 

 

 

“No, no, no, no, no! Stop! What the hell are you doing?” Leo’s loud, abrasive voice shot through the large

multi-person dressing room filled with artists and clients. The team of supposed makeup artists he was given hardly knew what they were doing. What, were these people fresh out of cosmetology school? Or worse, did they never even go to school in the first place? Well, not that that was a bad thing… Leo was technically uneducated in the art of fashion, design, lifestyle, and makeup, but he didn’t need to go to school. Leo had a natural talent, and that talent had taken him far in life. It was why he was he here now on the set of a movie, doing the makeup of the co-stars.

 

“Where do you get off thinking this foundation matches her skin? It’s foundation. It’s literally the first thing you put on your skin and you’re already messing up? Look…” Leo dug through the makeup bags that were littered on the ground before rummaging through the bottles and boxes on the table of another artist. “Here!” He held up a small vial of foundation to the star’s face, though he was only staring at the artist who had made such a terrible blunder right out of the gate. “See how this matches ten times better? Literally ten times better. If you’re unsure about what foundation to use then just hold the damn bottle up to the skin or run a swatch on her arm. Now clean her up and start again. Good lord….”

 

With that taken care of and the other artists all handled, Leo went back to his own client though not before updating his story on Instagram and Snapchat. “I swear…” he said into his phone’s camera as he walked down the hall. “Never underestimate the phrase ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ because there are definitely a lot of fakers up in here. It gives me chills knowing that there are people who have no clue what they’re doing working on people’s faces. To all of my followers, either learn to do your own makeup or find someone you trust with your life.”

 

Leo ran a hand through his currently green hair once he turned off his phone. As he stepped into the dressing room of his client, he could hear his brother’s voice in his head. How many times had Erik told him to calm down and stop being so high maintenance. Damn near everyday, but that would never happen. The very tagline on his blog was “High fashion, high energy, high maintenance type of bitch” and he took that seriously. Besides, he wouldn’t have made it as far as he had if he’d been complacent and easy-going.

 

“Sorry I’m late, sweetie. Now let’s see what we got going for you.” Thankfully his client didn’t care that he was late. Even someone as abrasive as Leo had a sense of professionalism. Kind of….

 

He pulled out his brushes, palettes, and powders and smiled at the woman in front of him. “Let’s turn you into a goddess.”

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Name: Ray Deora

 

Age: 25

 

Height: 5'10

 

Sexuality: Bi, seke

 

Likes: sweets, the ocean, shopping, his close friends and family, early mornings and late nights.

 

Dislikes: small spaces, situations in which he's out of control, cooking, people having an image of him that he didn't intend to create or show.

 

Personality: on the surface, Ray is the friendliest guy ever. People around him like to joke that his name wasn't given to him by accident- he always tries to be positive and cheerful. Yet, somehow, while he is friendly towards everybody (unless they were being an asshole first), not many people can say that they really know him. Ray very much prefers it this way, thank you very much. It's not like he's pretending, but he is very particular about the parts of his personality he lets others see. In reality, he's busy with hiding the parts of his personality he considers to be ugly from the rest of the world. He's very well aware of the fact that he is jealous, messy, moody and on top of it all claustrophobic. He's sure that if people were to know the real Ray, they wouldn't stick around for long.

 

Bio: With a very normal upbringing (as normal as it can get when you have 3 other siblings, all of which are close to you in age), Ray studied to become a makeup artist as soon as he graduated highschool. It seemed that besides the technical skills which he honed even before he started studying seriously, he also had a certain amount of talent that allowed him to quickly advance. Now, the the age of 25, he's already a familiar name in the industry, working both in entertainment and private events. Ray honestly loves his job. In fact, he's one of those lucky people that are happy to wake up and go to work (which is a good thing, seeing his mornings as a makeup artist tend to be very, very early). In fact, his job had always been the biggest love of his life. He uses the excuse of it simply taking up all of his time, but truth is he just doesn't feel like he could ever develop a serious relationship with someone if they knew his real character.

 

Extra info:

-Ray has two beauty marks right under his right eye.

-Has a piercing in his left ear.

 

 

 

"Jackson" Ray exhaled in fake, very theatrical grievance "are you trying to get me fired on the first day?". Jackson Carter, who also happened to be the up and coming name in acting those days only flashed him a very white smile from underneath some very dark bags. "In the first place they hired you because of me" he told him confidently "I'm the only one that can fire you. Besides, isn't this what I hired you for?". Well, true. After seeing his work on another actor, Jackson's agent contacted Ray in order to have him in charge of his makeup in his up and coming film. Long story short, after a trial meeting in which Ray spent three hours playing with makeup on his client's face according to his strange requests ("now do one that makes me look delicious" was his favorite), Ray was hired for the job. A short meeting with the one in charge of hair and makeup for the entire production and a signed contract later, he was hired for the coveted position.

 

"Still" he continued talking, turning away to rummage through one of his bags only to pull out a tub of a salmon colored concealer "there's only so much I can do. And you're supposed to look hot for this one. I'm not a magician you know" he winked at him as he tilted his clients head upwards. "Please, even a three year old with crayons can make me look hot" Jackson smirked, yet obediently deposited his face in Ray's hands, causing the other to let out a laugh of appreciation.

 

They spent the next hour or so with Jackson in his makeup chair and Ray beating, blending and baking. Actually, Jackson was a really good client. He had good features, good skin, and he didn't fall asleep in the chair. Not to mention he was serious eye candy. What else can you ask for? True, there was also something exciting about clients that posed more of a challenge, but there was also something nice about such a perfect client. Not to mention this job would also boost his already soaring career.

 

He was quite surprised to hear a voice talking to him through the earpiece he was wearing. Although he knew this was a requirement, he was pretty sure nobody would ever call for him unless it was for Jackson- and that was not the case this time. "Ray" the assertive voice of Natalie, the woman who hired him, was suddenly loud and clear in his ear "when you're done with Jackson I need you at the co-stars ASAP. They're falling behind and I need someone to do quality control". That was not a request. Brushing the last bit of excess powder off Jackson's face, he took a step back to appreciate the result. "Gorgeous" he smiled at him "now be a good boy and don't fall down on my work. I'll come for touch ups before shooting starts" he promised before exiting his trailer.

 

The co-stars proofed to be quite a hassle. Ray found himself running around between artist and actors, approving, instructing, and correcting. "Hm, this looks a little flat. It's going to read two dimensional in the cameras" he noted as he looked at his last face "try adding some depth to it" he turned to the girl working on that makeup before grabbing a contour color and a brush "here, just add some shadows to the face" he demonstrated on one side before handing her the tools "okay?" he smiled at her. He was more than shocked to see tears pooling in her eyes as he did, although, in her defense, she did wipe them off as she nodded and immediately got to work. "Ah, sorry about it" one of the guys he worked with in the past said quietly as he walked him towards the door "that Leo Hart chewed her out earlier. It was brutal. Don't worry about it okay?" he said as he waved the still shocked Ray goodbye.

 

Right, he remembered. That guy was also working on this film. As the makeup artist for the female lead if he remembered correctly. He never had the dubious pleasure of working with Leo, but of course he knew of him. He didn't live under a rock. He couldn't say he had a particularly good impression of him though, and what he just heard was certainly strengthening this notion. Generally he believed in positive reinforcement over breaking someone to build them from the ground, and had a soft spot for people that seemed to have a hard time believing in themselves. And to actually bring someone to tears... "not today satan" he mumbled under his breath. He still had a few more minutes before he had to go back to Jackson. Might as well put them to good use.

 

Finding the room he was looking for was quite an easy task, and soon he found himself knocking on the door and peeking his head in without really waiting for an answer "Good morning" he greeted with a wide smile "sorry for interrupting, but I need to borrow Leo. Can I have a word with you outside for a moment?" he turned his blue eyes to look at the man in question.

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Leo thought back to about an hour ago when he told his client, the lovely Scarlet Sanchez, that he would turn her into a goddess. She had the audacity to cast doubt and he simply laughed it off. After all, the scene he was preparing Scarlet for was her returning home from a long, crazy night out with her boytoy. She was to be walking along the streets, hungover with her makeup far less than perfect and her clothes a complete mess. Leo knew that walk all too well…

 

“The dreaded walk of shame…” Scarlet said with a shake of her head.

 

“Child, I made that walk last week, and let me tell you it was nothing to be ashamed about.”

 

Scarlet’s loud laugh resounded through the dressing room, which only made Leo’s smile even wider. In that moment he knew that he had earned her trust. She knew that even though this scene required her to look a hot mess, Leo would still make her feel like a goddess. It was what he did after all. No one on this earth deserved to feel ugly or like they weren’t good enough. His “rough around the edges” demeanor may have betrayed that mentality, but Leo believed in it wholeheartedly. It was why he started his blog in the first place… To help those poor people who simply didn’t know the first thing about looking beautiful. All they needed was a little training and guidance and they could become gods and goddesses themselves.

 

“Alrighty, my beautiful, shining, darling, princess, drunkass lil beyotch, you are all done!” Within just the span of an hour or so, Scarlet had fallen in love with her newest makeup artist. Not only did he keep her entertained, but he also kept his word. Even though she looked like she just rolled out of some guy’s bed and now running all through downtown to get home, he still managed to make her look like a goddess. Her eyeliner was smudged, but still shaped to her eye keeping the traces of a cateye. The color scheme of the eyeshadow made her eyes pop, and he blended them in a way that could only be described as controlled chaos. Her lipstick was faded, but that hint of pink remained so she didn’t look entirely dead.

 

“You are something else, Leo. You know that?”

 

“Damn right I do.”

 

“Do you think they’ll let me take a selfie? Is that revealing too much considering the movie won’t be coming out for a while?”

 

“It sure is, but take the selfie! Who cares? Let me get in on it!”

 

They had set themselves up perfectly. The lighting was great, their smiles were bright, and of course their make up was on point… So who the hell decided to come knocking on their door right before Scarlet could take the selfie? On top of that this nobody just let himself right in.

 

“Can I have a word with you outside for a moment?”

 

Leo’s face twisted into something very akin to disgust and hate before it settled into a flat, emotionless expression. “No.” The snort and quick laugh that came from Scarlet only boosted Leo’s already exceedingly high confidence. He was about to press this little mousy man more, but Scarlet stood to her full six-foot self and rested a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You bring out the worst in me! Listen, we’ll have plenty of time for selfies later. I need to get to set. Don’t forget to give me your number when you touch up my makeup.”

 

“Of course, love. Good luck!” With Scarlet gone, Leo simply stared at the invasive man in front of him. He knew who he was. Anyone who dared to be called a makeup artist knew Ray Deora. That didn’t mean Leo needed to address him as if he were royalty though. In fact… Better to pretend he didn’t know him at all.

 

“Why do you look so pasty?” He said abruptly as he made his way over to Ray, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him fully into the dressing room. “Have you ever even touched a brush? You’re not doing yourself any favors.” Leo didn’t let the other get a word in edgewise. He didn’t want to hear Ray’s voice anyway. Instead, he shoved him into the chair and immediately took out a new set of brushes (different from the ones he used on Scarlet) and began to work on his new little project.

 

“I bet when the light hits you someone in the distance screams ‘the beacon has been lit!’ And your color washes out your pretty bright eyes. Looks like you came to the right bitch. I don’t normally do this for free, but everyone deserves to feel beautiful. I’ll make you feel like you’re the star on set, and not Jackson whats-his-name.” How could someone who’s entire game was makeup go around looking like this? Leo was appalled, but hey… Time to show the so-called “expert” what a young thing with no education in the field could do.

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Oh wow. Ray was expecting Leo to have some attitude, but he was not expecting that. Just how unprofessional that little brat was, acting like that right in front of his client? Despite how much he wanted to slap some sense into him (and he really, really wanted to), he kept the professional smile on his face, never letting the other two in the room see he was boiling on the inside. He would deal with the little asshole when they're alone- never in front of a client.

 

Of course, as soon as Scarlet was gone he didn't really get the chance to do anything before being grabbed and pushed by Leo, who was surprisingly strong, and showered with a typhoon of oh so kind compliments. Honestly, he was quite shocked by this behavior. No one had ever treated him this way- not because of who he was, Ray never thought so highly of himself, but because, well, common decency. It's not like everybody loved him, and he even got to work alongside some people who didn't, but even they could at least fake being polite. Who in their right minds just started insulting people the first moment they met them? Well, Leo hart, that's who.

 

Someone had to shatter his overinflated ego. And right now, Ray was more than happy to be that someone.

 

With a small smirk, Ray circled his arms around Leo who just happened to stand right in front of him. It was his fault for trying to do his makeup. Pulling him closer to him, he rested his chin against the other's chest looking up at him "so you think I'm pretty?" he raised an eyebrow at the man. His kindness flew out the window ages ago, and although he still seemed to be in control, Ray was still holding back from smacking that smug little so called star. "Does this make you feel threatened? Is that why you're using colors that don't match my undertone?". Letting out a small chuckle he released Leo, standing up from the chair he was pushed into only moments ago.

 

"Before trying to flirt with me shouldn't you focus on your client?" he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind his ear "her eyebrows were not leveled. She's gonna look busted on camera you know" he said in mock concern. Now he was the one verbally attacking, not letting the other put a single word in "that's gonna be terrible for your career. Nobody wants someone who can't even do eyebrows to touch their face". He very purposely avoided using the term makeup artist. Although he clearly had immense talent, he would not give Leo this recognition, not to his face. Having people follow you online was great and all, but you had to learn to act like a person in real life as well. "And..." he paused for a moment, letting his eyes drift to the top of his head, his lips pressed as if trying to hold back laughter "that's a choice."

 

God, the more he talked the angrier he got. He really, really wanted to vent out his frustration on this guy. To just scream his lungs out at him and let him have a piece of his mind. But no. He can't go that far. He had to keep face at work.

 

Turning around to exit the room, Ray stopped one more time at the door. "Oh, Leo?" he turned his head to look at him, a sweet smile on his lips "try not to make any of the junior artist cry, 'kay?" he asked before he turned around again, not really waiting for a reply. After that little hiccup he still had a job to do. With that thought in mind, Ray headed back to Jackson's dressing room in order to pick up a few essentials before he would head to set.

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First and foremost where did this little cretin get off by saying that the color Leo chose didn’t match his undertone? Secondly where the hell were Scarlet’s eyebrows unlevel? They were so leveled it was practically orgasmic. Thirdly if this boy didn’t get his hands off of Leo right this instant he was gonna wind up in the nearest hospital bed. This little bitch thought he was all that and then some. Leo saw his kind all of the time. They look cute on the outside, mousy and delicate, but in reality they were even more savage than Leo himself. A true snake in the grass. And that’s officially what this boy was to Leo now… A snake.

 

Ray left thinking he’d won the war, but oh honey the battle hadn’t even started. Leo’s eyes narrowed as Ray left, and for a moment he considered letting it go. He heard his sweet brother’s voice in his head, telling him to just forget about it and maybe even go take a look at Scarlet’s eyebrows. It was possible this man was telling the truth and not trying to be a total bitch. Perhaps this was a lesson that Leo needed in professionalism, authenticity, and overall kindness. Erik did always say that someone would come along who would shut Leo down. Was today the day?

 

After a deep breath, Leo grabbed something from his makeup kit and ran down the hall. Even for his lithe body type Leo was in shape and easily caught up with Ray. “Hey! Wait!” He stood in front of Ray, just staring into his eyes and hoping the other would see something genuine in them. His features were soft, gentle, and though many thought it wasn't possible, Leo looked apologetic. His face suited this angelic look that not many had the honor of seeing. “Look, thanks for… Thanks for the advice on Scarlet’s eyebrows. She and I just hit it off so well and we were chatting, chatting, chatting so I probably missed them. Good thing you caught it. I mean after all…” Leo took Ray’s hand in his own and placed a long, thin something in his palm. “You’d know a thing or two about busted eyebrows, wouldn’t you?” That malicious, sly grin that Leo was known so well for reformed on his lips, while his thumb brushed across Ray’s eyebrow. A soft “ugh” came from him when he pulled his hand away, as if he had just touched something disgusting. Seems that bout of kindness was nothing more than an act. Was it too much to ask Leo to just be decent for once in his life?

 

Yes. Yes it was.

 

With that evil grin still plastered on his face he sashayed away, giving a call of “You can keep that, sweetie! You need it more than I do!” to Ray. What he had given the other man was an eyebrow pencil, because he fucking needed it. Like hell he was gonna let this annoying SOB to get away with the last word. And nevermind that Ray had the audacity to question his techniques, but this was all about that stupid junior artist? This industry was a beast and if she couldn’t handle tough feedback, then she didn’t need to be in. Crying on the job? Seriously? Leo rolled his eyes as he went back to his dressing room to gather up his things. He wanted to meet Scarlet on set… Just in case there was maybe possibly the smallest hint of something wrong with her eyebrows. Not that he doubted himself!

 

There was no harm in checking though.

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Ray couldn't really say he cared about Leo enough at the moment to stop and wait for him when the other called him. Let him run after him for a little- maybe getting some of this energy out will also help with the bitchiness. Placing his hands in his pockets, he kept on with the same long strides, not bothering to slow down, turn around or show any sign that he noticed Leo really.

 

Of course, it was a little hard ignoring him when he finally did catch up and planted himself right in front of him. He did consider just plowing on through him, but that wouldn't be good. Killing Scarlet Sanchez's makeup artist would mean she won't be able to participate in filming until they find a new one. And that means Jackson wouldn't be working as well, meaning so would he. He's not going to sabotage his work just for the pleasure of literally stepping over some egotistical web star. It was tempting though.

 

Instead, he let out a sigh, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, for once not even bothering being nice. Leo didn't particularly earned it. However, as he took in the other's expression, some of the skepticism in his own seemed to soften. He had to admit that when he wasn't being all snarky and condescending, Leo did had a likable face. Was he really apologizing? Ray didn't expect it to be so easy. He blinked in surprise at the other's complete change of character, now actually listening to his words. Maybe he really did realize he was wrong. It was definitely refreshing to see him repent and actually show some vulnerability. Well, if he was really, truely sorry and realize his mistake, maybe, just maybe Ray could...

 

Kill him. He was so going to kill him.

 

Clenching his fist around the eyebrow pencil, Ray leaned back at the same moment Leo pulled his hand away from his face. He had the feeling if he touched his eyebrows too much they just might fall off. He didn't feel like getting jinxed. And his eyebrows were on fucking fleek, thank you very much. What a fucking royal asshole.

 

He was way too busy trying not to bitch slap Leo to respond. He barely heard the last words called in his direction as he stomped the rest of the way to Jackson's dressing room, every muscle in his body seemed to tense in an effort not to do anything he might regret. He was very thankful for the room being empty when he got there, allowing him to slam the door behind him and throw the eyebrow pencil against the wall. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, the last bit of clam completely slipping away from his face. Why did he had to work with that asshole? Why did he had to get himself involved with him? Wait, no, that wasn't his fault. He was doing the right thing there. And they wouldn't be in that predicament if Leo was just anything else but the worst type of human being. But it seemed he wouldn't be that lucky.

 

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ray took a deep breath, letting it out with a loud exhale. Right now the most important thing was work, he reminded himself as he reopened his eyes and moved to pick up one of the makeup bags that stood on the table. He would just act as if nothing happened, he can do that. Hell, he's a fucking expert in doing that. There's no fucking chance he's going to let anyone ruin this for him.

 

Checking his reflection in the mirror once before he left the room, he plastered his regular smile on his face. His eyebrows were perfect, as was the rest of his face. Unlike some people, he didn't feel the need to wear makeup to look good. With that remastered attitude, Ray left the trailer, heading straight to set. He swears he's going to make sure Jackson was camera ready as no one has ever been before. He's going to make that smug little brat eat his words.

 

"Good morning" he greeted the crew with a wide smile as he entered the set, receiving a few greetings in return. Well, of course he did. There was very little Ray couldn't get when he smiled at people, and now he was actually in a place where people also knew who he was. Of course though, this wasn't about him. Hurrying to Jackson that was just wrapping things up with one of the PAs he pulled out a box of translucent powder and a brush. "You managed not to fall asleep on your face!" he praised him as his hands quickly moved around his face, making sure no undesired shine would appear on them. "Of course I did" Jackson laughed "I wouldn't dare ruin all of this" he smiled at his makeup artist. "You know, if you'll make me this much more handsome people would look at me more than they would at Scarlet" he joked. Ah, those words were music to his ears and exactly what he needed to hear. "Well it's hard to go wrong with your face" Ray returned the compliment "and I am supposed to make it so that everyone falls in love with you at first sight". Although he didn't specifically address the claim Jackson looked better than Scarlet, he didn't exactly denied it either. In his own little state of fury, that seemed to be the best way to quietly comment on her makeup without really being blunt or offensive. After all, he didn't want to say anything bad about her.

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Name: Erik Hart

Family: Younger Brother, Leo Hart

Keywords: Calm, Cool, Collected, and Genuine

Situation: Currently lives with Leo while he finishes college

Sexuality: Probably gay, but Leo doesn't like to pry (yes he does but still)

 

 

 

Leo was laughing all the way to set. He always managed to get the last word in. That Ray could try all he wanted; he’d never get the edge up on Leo. There was one serious rule when it came to dealing with Leo and that was if you’re going to aim at him, then you better not miss. Unfortunately for Ray, he missed at point blank range with a goddamn shot gun. But this was nothing unusual. Most people missed. In fact only one person could ever manage to bring Leo down and that person was calling him right now.

 

“Boy, I told you not to call me at work. You know that—“

 

“Stop being a bitch.”

 

“What?”

 

Erik rolled his eyes, knowing that his brother knew damn well he was doing it. “My Leo senses were tingling, and that only happens when you’re being a complete and total asshole.”

 

“Erik!”

 

“Look. You’re on the fucking set of a movie, Leo. A movie. Anyone would kill to be in your position, and you’re gonna fuck it up because you don’t know how to be respectful. Just… Be nice.”

 

It was hard to ignore the exasperated, dramatic sigh that came from Leo. Even so Erik knew that his little brother would listen to him. He always did… to the best of his ability anyway. He often failed especially when Erik asked Leo to do something as impossible as be kind. “Listen, you know I love you. I know it’s possible for you to be kind. It’s hard, but you can do it. Don’t ruin this just because you’re an asshole. Remember why you’re doing this in the first place. Remember your goal?”

 

“To make the world beautiful.” They said it in unison, and all of the hostility and aggression Leo was harboring left his body. His brother definitely had a way of bringing the loud, obnoxious man back to earth. Too bad Leo couldn’t find a boyfriend with that power.

 

“I’ve got to go, Erik. Thanks.” Leo hung up before his brother could say anything more, and made his way to set. He waved to Scarlet, who ran to him, her arms open wide.

 

“Thank you for making me look beautiful, my love! Even with a hungover look everyone had their eyes on me over Jackson!”

 

“Of course they do, dear. The man on camera is just a simple, green stem, but a woman is the lovely, flowing petals.” In that moment Leo took a second out to look closely at Scarlet’s eyebrows. They were fine! Beautiful! Dark! LEVEL!! “You’re stunning, dear.” Leo said rather than screaming about that stupid lying bitch. And speaking of….

 

“By the way," Scarlet's voice excitable and hyperactive voice was just one of many things she was known for in this industry. It fit well with Leo's own higher, playful tone that he tended to carry. "You should meet Jackson! Come on!” Funny… It wasn’t even fifteen minutes ago that Leo had dragged Ray by his arm to somewhere he didn’t want to go, and now Leo was being dragged right into the lion’s den. It wasn’t as if he didn’t see Ray there, touching up Jackson’s makeup. Frankly, Ray had it easy. There was nearly zero effort in doing a man’s makeup for a movie. All they needed was to pop a bit so they wouldn’t fade away under all the lights. Scarlet probably appreciated that, but there was no people like Ray and Jackson would understand.

 

“Jackson! Jackson!” It didn’t take them long to make their way around the cameras, people, wires, and anything else that tried to get in their way. “I wanted you to meet my makeup artist, Leo Hart. He’s a doll. I think he’s my new best friend.”

 

“Ouch, sorry to hear that kid.” Jackson joked, earning a hard hit to his arm from Scarlet.

 

“Not at all. I think she and I are soulmates. In just an hour she got me like no one else ever had.” He cast his eyes over to Ray, almost daring him to say something. After his conversation with his brother, Leo wanted to try to behave. His way of behaving was simply to ignore whatever it was he didn’t like. Still, his mind was screaming at the stupid, delicate, nobody.

 

‘Did you hear that, Ray.’ Leo thought, a grin plastered to his face as Jackson and Scarlet bickered back and forth.‘A doll. She said I was a doll and her new best friend. Eat that, along with whatever else it is you like to put that in mouth of yours. Ugh.’

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Was the universe trying to get back at him? Was this divine punishment for something he did? Why on earth did he have to deal with that guy only moments after he pissed the hell out of him and in front of all those people? He also had to have at least some level of concentration- right now Jackson was his top priority, and it was a little harder to achieve when he was busy keeping one eye on his less than professional colleague. Instead of dragging her makeup artist right into their faces, couldn't Scarlet keep him stashed somewhere far, far away, preferably tied and gagged? Well, probably not. Too bad.

 

He almost snorted out a loud laugh when Scarlet called Leo her new best friend? Really? Really? Was this guy even capable of grasping the concept of friendship? That seemed quite improbable.

 

He caught that snarky look the other gave him alright, returning an equally intense one. While his lips were still stretched into a smile, his eyes were colder than the insides of a freezer in freaking Siberia. There was this small part of his brain that entertained the idea of sacrificing one of his precious brushes in order to shank him. Ugh, but no it wasn't worth it, they were way too expensive. Also, murder is usually and generally frowned upon.

 

It took him a moment, but some part of his brain suddenly realized that Scarlet broke from her small fight with Jackson to talk to him. "Did everything with my genius turned out fine?" she asked him, making Ray to break the deadly glare he was sending in said genius' direction switching it for a sweet smile addressed towards the lead actress. "Everything is perfect" if you don't count the whole throwing insults in each other's face ping pong match they had "sorry for interrupting earlier. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Ray Deora, I do Jackson's makeup" his lips stretched into a new smile as he reached his hand for a shake, pleased to see the gesture being returned. He was a little confused however when Scarlet didn't let go, and instead stared at his face so intensely he was sure she was trying to make it catch on fire or something. "I swear I met you somewhere before..." she said, not giving Ray the opportunity to answer before the realization seemed to hit her. "Ah!" the sudden, loud response nearly made him jump three feet in the air "you did the Alessandro show!" she beamed at him, seeming pleased now that she finally solved the mystery of their previous encounter.

 

Actually, it wasn't exactly an encounter. Ray did work on this specific fashion show. He was responsible for hair and makeup, to be more accurate. That was a year and a half ago though, and it was the first time he did something on this level for a fashion show, and for such a familiar designer. It also just happened to be that Scarlet's ex was one of the models walking that runway. "I did" he laughed "but we never really met. I'm flattered you remember me" he was now almost completely back to normal, more than happy to talk to anybody that wasn't Leo Hart.

 

"Sure I do! I really liked this collection" it seemed that was everything Scarlet needed to go into full-on chitchat mode "And I got to hang out backstage. At least something good came out of dating that idiot". Oh, that was all the encouraging Ray needed. "Trust me, someone like you can do so much better" he was now leaning closer to her, using his hands and being theatrical all over "he may had a nice body, but his face wasn't all that great. I never thought I'll have to do this much work on a model. He was quite a handful for Alessandro as well" 'and he also grabbed my ass whenever he had the chance' he added quietly in his head. But this was probably a bit of information he was going to keep to himself.

 

Ah, he was right back in his element. He smiled and listened and laughed as Scarlet went into a rant, encouraged by the few little baits that Ray gave her. Sneaking a glance at Leo, he gave him a small, yet very evil smile. 'See that little baby wannabe?' he thought 'that's how you succeed in this business'. Always being a people's person, or at least putting up the front of one, was one of Ray's strengths, and one of the things that helped him advance in the industry so well. He could easily win Scarlet over. He had no intention of stealing her away- his hands were full as is was and unlike Leo, he still had some morals. But there was this childish satisfaction in getting the client of the person who hated him so badly to like him. Actually, now that he was thinking about it, what the hell did he do to bring this hatred upon himself?

 

Nothing. Nothing at all. The simple answer was that Leo was a first grade asshole from the moment they met for absolutely no fucking reason. He really did have a rotten personality, didn't he? Never, in a million years, would they get along well.

 

"Ah, guess that's us" Scarlet broke her enthusiastic monologue, hearing the "places everybody!" call that was shouted loud enough to be heard even over her loud talking. "Good luck! I'm sure you're really going to shine" he smiled warmly at Scarlet before turning around and sending a somewhat sadistic smile towards Leo. He had no doubt he would catch the very intentional insult behind his very specific choice of words that managed to compliment the actress while doing the exact opposite for her makeup artist. With that small air of satisfaction he headed off to the back of the set, not bothering to look back and see how his small remark affected Leo. He knew he was maybe being a little childish himself, but he couldn't help it. It seemed Leo had the ability to bring out the worst in him. 'It would only do him good to have his confidence shaken just a little' he convinced himself... plus, now it was personal.

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Leo wasn’t quite sure where Ray got the arrogance to give him that look. Did he think he fazed him any? Did he think Leo was going to suddenly start shaking in his Gucci boots? Please. ‘You must be a pretty lonely guy if you get excited just by having one conversation.’ It was inevitable that Scarlet would have a conversation with Ray at some point. They were all technically working together. Hell, she’d probably meet the guy who brought Jackson his lunch one of these days and strike up a chat with him too. No need to act so high and mighty.

 

Besides, it wasn’t like Scarlet was the only person who carried recognition in her eyes. Leo didn’t miss the way Jackson was squinting at him and tilting his head. The two hadn’t even met before and Jackson knew Leo’s face. ‘Hah! Take that bitch.’ Leo’s thoughts betrayed his bright, confident smile as Scarlet and Ray clammered on and on. While they chatted, Jackson reached out for Leo and was about to address him, but they were called back to set.

 

“Stay here for me, would you?” He asked Leo before running behind Scarlet to their positions. He nodded and gave a bright “Sure!” only to be drowned out by Ray’s petty little backhanded compliment. Well… Two could play that game. “That’s right, baby! Shine, my girl!” His extra bit of motivation earned him a wave from Scarlet. No matter what Ray tried, there was no way he was going to break Leo down. In fact, let him try. Leo was pretty confident in his ability to make others feel like they were the scum of the earth. He welcomed Ray as his next victim.

 

Not on set, though. This was a place of professionalism, and Leo wasn’t about to let Ray ruin this for him. Even though they had to be on set together it wasn’t as if they needed to hang out. Leo was off on his own, idly chatting with the extras or other artists on set until it was break time again. This time both Scarlet and Jackson approached him, though Jackson asked if they could meet Ray so he could get his makeup touched up again. Leo's thoughts screamed ‘NO’ but the wide smile and “Of course!” that came from him silenced that thought. Leo followed the stars to Ray, doing his best to avoid even looking at the man's jacked up face.

 

“So, Leo, correct me if I’m wrong" Jackson began, "but you’re that famous youtuber. Right?”

 

Oh damn! Perfect opportunity to rub Ray’s nose in his own shit. “Yep! My channel is called Leo’s Hart.”

 

“That’s right!” Ray pulled out his phone and did a quick search to find Leo’s channel. He nodded as he scrolled through the videos, as if seeing them brought back a plethora of memories. “My nephew, Andrew, is a big fan of yours. That’s awesome! Wait til I tell him you’re working on the set with us. He’ll freak.”

 

“Oh, you should bring him by. I don’t mind saying hello.”

 

“I might actually. He’s only now getting into makeup and things like that, but he says your tutorials are perfect. Also, he said he loves your gaming videos. The ‘Leo Plays Resident Evil 7’ is his favorite one so far. He says you should play more horror games, but I think he doesn’t care either way. We watched one of your playthroughs on Nier: Automata and it was a lot of fun.”

 

Oh… Oh…. Oh….

 

Leo didn’t expect Jackson to bring up… That. And in front of fucking Ray no less. While majority of his channel was makeup, fashion, and lifestyle, he did have a few videos uploaded of him playing video games. In truth, Leo was obsessed with video games, anime, comics, and anything of that nature. Not that the world could know. The video games he chose to put on his channel were very specific and if anyone found out that he actually truly liked these things… Lord have mercy on his sweet gay soul, he’d become a laughing stock for sure. He often saw gamers wearing makeup, but makeup artists wearing games… That wasn’t a thing. Not in this industry. Worse, what if they found out that he loved anime and video games so much that he had figurines of his favorite characters in his apartment? OR THAT HE OWNED ANIME T-SHIRTS??? Or that he read and wrote fanfiction????

 

Leo almost passed out right there.

 

Thankfully he got control of his mini panic attack and reminded himself that Jackson only knew what he put on his channel. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

“I actually got to play RE7 on the VR recently. It was terrifying.” It didn’t long for Leo to regain his composure, not that it was obvious that he lost it in the first place. “I’ll never do something like that again!”

 

“Oh god, I can only imagine.” Jackson slid his phone back in his pocket once he finished scrolling through Leo’s various videos. “Hey, can I ask you a favor? I hate to ask, really I do, but do you think you could give a shoutout to Andrew in your next vid? Man, if you could manage that I don’t think Andrew will need birthday or Christmas gifts for another ten years.”

 

“No problem, Jackson. I was going to post a new video tomorrow anyway so I can add that in!”

 

“You’re amazing.”

 

“I told you he’s a doll! Now leave him alone. We’ve got a lot of work to do!” Scarlet finally got tired of Jackson chatting up her makeup artist and dragged Leo away, though not before he gave a coy, evil smirk to Ray. ‘See there, Ray? I know how to talk to people too, you jackass.” Enough about Ray though. There was work to be done. The scene was changing and Scarlet required a full, perfect face to pull it off. It was time for Leo’s skills to really shine.

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Could he honestly say that no small feeling of panic went through his mind when Jackson asked Leo to wait for him? Well, no, of course not. He was wondering if he would use this opportunity to say something, to maybe try and sabotage him... but no, he quickly shook the thought out of his head. He was there for a reason. Jackson asked for him for a reason. He did more than enough to prove that he deserved to be there- and he'll be damned if he lets Leo Hart ruin it for him.

 

Watching the filming from a quiet corner in the back of the room helped relax him even further. First and foremost, it gave him a much needed break from having to talk to people. While he enjoyed the company of others, it was also somewhat exhausting at times. Especially after the intense morning he just went through, he could definitely do with some recharge time.

 

It also gave him the opportunity to quietly study his work. He loved looking at his pieces at action, and although the makeup itself he did for Jackson wasn't especially thrilling, he was still in awe by the thought he was a part of something so much bigger. He also had to admit, although very reluctantly so, Scarlet's makeup was just as good. Well, almost just as good. He could see a few choices he would have had a different call on, but it was more taste than anything else. He would give props where they were deserved- he might have been a terrible person, but Leo did know how to do makeup.

 

Of course, his little moment of tranquility couldn't last forever. Although not in a rush to get to Jackson when the scene was done as he knew he wouldn't have a lot of work, he still wanted to keep an eye on his meeting with Leo. Just in case.

 

He didn't have the chance to find then however, before they found him. The fact that one of Scarlet's assistants decided now would be the best time to come and talk to her about her schedule left Ray with nothing much to do but to listen to the conversation between Leo and Jackson, ready to jump in at the first sign of danger.

 

That didn't seem very necessary though. Ray crossed his arms as the two talked. 'Yeah, yeah' he mentally rolled his eyes 'so you're a famous youtuber. Nothing new there. And Jackson's nephew likes you, big fucking deal'. Ray wasn't specifically disturbed by this fact. Considering the fact he didn't release tutorials on any kind of platform kinda made it hard for people out of the industry to know him. That was nothing to frat over. Jackson's nephew wasn't even that into makeup anyway. He was more into Leo's gaming content.

 

He was more into Leo's gaming content.

 

Ray bit down on his lip, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to leave his mouth. The high and mighty, personification and essence of every mean or bitchy gay man ever (there was no fucking way this guy was straight), Leo Hart was into video games? He wasn't sure, but it seemed that exposing that small detail was making Leo a little uncomfortable. God, he could kiss Jackson right now.

 

He had to admit that this was actually a little bit adorable. Well, it would have been if it wasn't attached to anyone other than Leo. In this case, it was freaking gold in Ray's hands. He continued to stand there, smiling to himself, barely bothering to notice the rest of the conversation- although he did try to maintain a minimal amount of attention. He didn't even mind that smug expression the other graced him with. That was so insignificant in light of this new information.

 

Touching up Jackson's makeup didn't take all that long. There really wasn't much to do with male actors in between scenes, unless their characters were to get in a fight or something like that. Soon enough they were back to filming, and as soon as he made sure his client looked nothing short of perfect under the lights and in front of the cameras, Ray turned to look for-and easily locate- a certain someone. Guess the green hair did have its advantages.

 

A smile of pure enjoyment stretching across his lips, Ray closed the distance to Leo's back, leaning so that his arm was rubbing against Leo's and his lips were right at his ear. He assumed the closeness would piss the other off, so naturally he gladly leaned into it. "So Leo Hart is actually a secret gamer?" he whispered into his ear, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to response loudly or do anything to cause a scene really, while shooting was in process. If he did it would only reinforce Ray's fist impression of him- that he was extremely unprofessional. "You know, this actually makes you a little cute. You should stop with putting up that front just because you're scared of people finding out" he murmured. Did he really have the right to tell other people something like that? Well, their situation was different. They were different. There really was no reason to suddenly feel compassion for someone who was nothing but hostile towards him, was there?

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God, Scarlet was finally on fleek! It was refreshing to have the chance to show his actual skill rather than how messy he could make someone’s face look. Leo wasn’t sure exactly how many scenes would require Scarlet to have a hungover look, but he hoped this first one was the last. Now she looked like the goddess she truly was. Perfectly blended foundation, contour, and highlights. Sweet, subtle pinkish-red lips, and a neutral yet killer eye. Never go home without your cateye. Stunning. Simply stunning.

 

“You’re ready to go, my sweet. If looks could kill, everyone on set would be dead.”

 

“Thank you, doll!” Scarlet seemed to get easily overwhelmed. Perhaps it was just her emotional nature or maybe she was genuinely thankful for Leo’s assistance. Either way, she didn’t jump in front of the camera without giving a hug to her new favorite makeup artist. With her gone, Leo was once again in waiting mode. He had calmed down since his last encounter with Ray and Jackson, and was now only thinking about things that made him happy. His dog, of course, was number one on that list. His newest video followed. Whether or not that one fanfiction updated today came after. Speaking of fanfiction, his ship better have gotten together in that anime he was keeping up with or he was liable to drop it. He had zero time for NOTPs.

 

His mind was a swirl of all of these things and more, but it all came crashing down when he found his way to him. When did Ray suddenly appear and why the hell was he so close? Leo tried to back away, but the other kept close to him, following him all the way. Perhaps this idiot didn’t know that Leo was definitely willing to get physical if need be. In fact, he was about to give Ray a good push to his scrawny little chest had he not heard those horrifying words.

 

Leo Hart… Secret gamer….

 

Oh no, no, no, NO! Goddamn Jackson! How could he reveal Leo’s Achilles’ heel right in front of his new worst enemy? Leo was frozen to the spot, his eyes wide and staring into nothing as Ray continued to speak. To say Ray hit a sore spot was an understatement. Leo’s hobby was… Well, embarrassing. There was no winning. As a makeup artist and someone in the public eye playing video games and watching anime was seen as immature and childish. And if Leo had gone the opposite route and tried to become a professional YouTube gamer there was no way anyone from that world would accept his obsession with makeup and fashion. It was a lose-lose situation, and no one, absolutely no one, could know the truth.

 

“What do you mean?” Leo said, trying to keep his expression neutral or at least sassy. “So I played a few games on my channel. And? I have to keep my followers entertained. If that means picking up a controller once in a while, then that’s fine. Doesn’t mean I’m a nerd like that.”

 

Yeah! All Ray could possibly know was what was on Leo’s channel, and that didn’t amount to much in the area of nerdom. There was no way Ray would ever find out that he owned every game system from the PlayStation 2 onward and that the only reason he didn’t have the older consoles was because they all broke due to age. There was no way Ray would ever find out he owned over 250 games and counting. He’d never know how he loved screaming at players in Overwatch, or how emotional he got playing Final Fantasy XV, or how he would play Tetris for hours and hours and goddamn fucking hours.

 

God he loved Tetris.

 

There was no way Ray would know any of that! Or how much he loved anime! Or how’d he kill to own the first edition first volume TMNT comic. Or how he had binders full of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards (literally the most embarrassing thing to him). Or how it was his dream to cosplay Sailor Pluto (the goddess among goddesses!)

 

“So, nice try!” He finally managed to back away from Ray, giving him his signature “back the fuck up or get smacked the fuck up” look. “I played a game or two in my time as a YouTuber. Sue me. Now go somewhere.” He flicked the other away like an unwanted fly. “Don’t you have some junior artist to cuddle or something? Or is it that you’re just so desperate to flirt with me that you can’t stay away? You should have said so, Raaaay~” oh how easy it was to sing Ray’s name to annoy him. “Not that I’m interested in someone like you, but I can at least give you an autograph, sweetie.” Hopefully, his sass and teasing was enough to divert Ray’s attention from Leo’s little secret.

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Wow. Just... wow. Sure Ray was expecting some kind of a reaction, but that was such an overreaction it almost came back around to under territory. Clearly, he hit a nerve.

 

He watched in wide-eyed amazement as Leo went into a rant containing everything and anything between denial to insults as a distraction tactic. Clearly, it was a big deal. Well, it shouldn't be though. It was like that only because Leo was making such a matter out of it. He was actually telling the truth when he told him nobody would care. Before they were professionals they were all people with lives and interests of their own. But, well, it seemed like this guy was way too engrossed in his own little world he built in his head to notice anything, or anyone else really. That only showed just how young and immature he was, and maybe even somewhat not confident- at least about some things. Thing was, in this state of defensiveness there was no way Ray could ever reach him about anything- not about his shitty attitude or about his very deformed perception of reality. This was a lost battle to begin with.

 

"You know" he sighed "I was serious. If you were really interested in this job and not in getting famous you wouldn't care. Nobody else here would, as long as you're talented enough" he said, ignoring the fact he just called Leo talented. He was dragged into this stupid war ever since morning, but that wasn't his intention. He still wasn't sure why Leo was able to shake him so easily or why he hated him so much, but he didn't care anymore. Well, maybe he did just a little about that second thing, but it's only natural to want to be liked, or at least not completely despised, at first sight, right? But still, this little game had to stop- they were going nowhere. He would just tell Leo things as they were one last time- no patronizing, no insulting, no games.

 

"Some of the juniors you so happily bashed are into those things as well" he continued quietly, determined to get everything out before the shooting of the scene ended, and while attracting as little attention as possible. "You would have known it if you bothered talking to them like they were normal people". This guy was just trying to have the cake and eat it too. He wanted to be a celebrity while also being a makeup artist. And while, yes, doing those two things together was possible, you had to be serious about them both to actually get there. And right now, Ray wasn't sure Leo was serious about either one of them.

 

But, well, it wasn't his job to educate or guide him. That was what got him in this mess in the first place. He would say whatever it is he has left to say and then he's officially washing his hands of Leo Hart. He's here to work after all, and while he would never ignore or avoid any of his colleagues intentionally, this nonstop fighting and bickering was a whole different story. Unlike a certain someone, being mean and obnoxious wasn't his style, nor was it what was he known for. And he would not let Leo destroy his image and career, in which he put so much time and effort to build, and that mattered to him almost more than anything else in the world. That's it. He was done.

 

Well... almost done. As much as he would like to say he was all calm and collected and not bothered by Leo in the slightest that wasn't the case. He would never admit to it, because he would never admit to being childish and petty, but he had to have the last word. There was no harm in throwing one more tiny punch right?

 

"Also" he smirked, closing the distance to Leo once more only to grab his chin and tilt his head up so he would look at him "for someone who's not interested, you sure give me a hell lot of attention".

 

Now he was done.

 

He only held this position for another moment, looking Leo in the eye, before he let go with a light huff and turned around to go back to his quiet little corner in the back of the room. 'It really is too bad he has such a shitty personality' he thought. 'With that face and his skills he really could have been successful'. Well, maybe in a few years if he would grow out of this phase and wouldn't have burned too many professional bridges by the time he got there. Ray sure did hope he wouldn't have to ever deal with him again after this project was done though. His nerves couldn't possibly stand it.

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Leo couldn’t help but narrow his eyes as Ray spoke. Where did this guy get off? Why was he suddenly high and mighty, determining that Leo was lying and then trying to give him advice? Sure, he’d totally been lying, but Leo didn’t recall asking for anyone’s help or advice in this situation. In fact, if Ray really did feel like Leo should be casual about his love of all things nerd, then why would he even bring it up?

 

Such an asshole…

 

Why couldn’t he just leave him alone? Leo crossed his arms tightly across his chest, almost trying to curl in on himself if he could. His eyes were downcast, and the only thing running through his mind was how desperately he wanted Ray away from him. Fuck that guy. Fuck him. He had no idea what Leo wanted, what he’d been through, how hard he worked… Ray knew nothing about Leo. Or about makeup.

 

The biggest goddamn asshole.

 

Finally, thank the gods and stars and divas above, Ray seemed to have enough of poking at Leo and walked off. It felt amazing, like a ghost that had been haunting Leo had finally decided to go to Hell where he belonged. Still, Ray was less like a ghost and more like a mosquito. Even when the mosquito flew away it’s effects lingered. Ray had gotten under Leo’s skin and it was driving him insane. Where did this stupid jerk get off saying these things? Assuming things? Putting Leo in some kind of box and classifying him like he was some special animal?

 

Fuck. Him.

 

The filming eventually ended and everyone went back to their respective positions. Though it was simply impossible for Leo to pass by Ray without saying something. “You’re real shitty at giving advice, you know that?” Naturally he didn’t say this in front of the actors or anyone else who could hear, but Ray needed to know that he wasn’t the all knowing guru he thought he was. Even so, it was would be a stretch to say that Ray didn’t have an impact on Leo’s spur of the moment decision. No, in fact, he was the cause of it. And Ray… Oh Ray would suffer.

 

*****

Leo showed up to work the next day feeling elated, jovial even. He greeted Scarlet, though asked if he could do one quick thing before they got to work on her makeup. She whined, but let him do his thing, which led him to Jackson’s dressing room.

 

And thank goodness Ray was there.

 

“Hope you don’t mind me interrupting.” Leo stepped into the dressing room and held out something to Jackson. “This is for your little nephew. It’s my own personal copy of Resident Evil 7. I signed it too. It’s his now!”

 

“Whoa seriously? Are you sure? I mean, he’ll be ecstatic, but you didn’t have to do all of this!”

 

“It’s my pleasure, Jackson. Oh and I have a shout out to him at the end of my new video which I posted yesterday.” If Leo could describe the look on Jackson’s face he’d compare it to a child who just received all the candy in the world. So much so that Jackson ran off just so he could call his nephew and give him the good news, leaving Ray and Leo behind. Leo shot his companion a sinister grin before pulling out his phone and opening his latest video. “And you, Raaaaay~ get the honor of watching my video with yours truly. Come now, don’t be shy.”

 

And thus the video began. It was of lesser quality than his typical videos. Leo had recorded from his phone so he could walk around while recording. Even so the message was clear. This video wasn’t like anything he had released so far. First of all, he was completely beatless and secondly he was wearing a simple t-shirt… A Yuri On Ice t-shirt no less.

 

“Hello, starlights! So question: have you ever had someone call you out on something and done it in such a way that it seemed like they were giving you advice, but they were actually just fucking with you? Yeah. That happened to me yesterday. But it takes a lot more than that to bring me down. In fact, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, bitches. So here it is. Here’s my confessional. I’ve always been teased for my obsessions whether they be makeup or video games or anime. We live in an age now where these things are more acceptable, though. Right? I dunno, maybe I’ll lose all my followers after I show you guys my Yu-Gi-Oh card collection, but who fucking cares? I love me some anime and video games. I read comics and manga all goddamn day. Check it out.”

 

He stood up and turned the camera which revealed his large bookshelf, complete with countless novels, manga, and comics, some of which were spilling onto the floor. Peppered around the shelf were anime and video game figurines. “And that’s just my bookshelf.” Leo continued to speak as he walked to another room and opened the door, revealing his brother playing a computer game. “See that fucking awesome gaming computer? I built that shit! See those expensive ass headphones my brother is wearing? I bought those and I use them to own every living person in Overwatch! Speaking of Overwatch….” The camera suddenly shifted to a large entertainment area, covered from top to bottom in what seemed like endless video games and several gaming systems. “And those are just my physical copies. I have a ton more downloaded.” He then moved on to show off his anime dvd collection, his Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic cards, his full collection of nerd shirts and more.

 

“So there it is. Not only am I a makeup nerd, but I’m a nerd in general. And to the one who pissed me off enough to make this video… Well I’ll see you on my newest channel, which I’ll be revealing in about a week. That’s right, starlights, I’ll be starting a gaming/nerd channel entitled “PLAYED” and the guy who inspired me so to speak, a real ray of sunshine, will be joining me for my first video on my new channel. Keep an eye out for it, starlights! Don't panic, by the way, I'm still keeping my makeup channel. I'll just have two now. Oh and a special shoutout to the nephew of a client, Andrew! I’ve got a special surprise for you, buddy. Adieu for now, my darling starlights! Adieu!”

 

Leo didn’t even wait for Ray to say anything before he snatched back his cellphone and began walking away. “I won’t take no for an answer. You really pissed me off yesterday, but I make the best of these situations. You'll be joining me for my first video whether you like it or not.” And with that he left Ray. After all, he couldn’t keep Scarlet waiting too long.

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After their first day of shooting, Ray was certain he'll be able to put this whole thing behind him. Even the small comment Leo threw in his direction as they were wrapping up seemed to reinforce that notion- while, yes he may have pissed him off, it also seemed like Leo wanted nothing more to do with him. They'll just go straight into a ignoring each other kind of relationship and peace would be restored.

 

That feeling, false as it was, of peace and quiet continued into the next day. Preparing his tools to get to work on Jackson, Ray hummed quietly, enjoying the absence of drama and continuous insults. Finally, he thought, order was restored and he'll be able to quietly enjoy his work.

 

Oh, how wrong he was.

 

He didn't even got the chance to touch Jackson's face, when the door to the room opened and the biggest nuisance around let himself in. Because obviously, knocking was beneath him. The calmness he was feeling moments ago seemed to magically disappear, replaced by suspicion and a healthy dose of caution. He thought he had managed to push Leo away, and instead the guy just marched right back in. It seemed though, that he was of no interest to him. Maybe he really did come there for Jackson- after all the two seemed to really hit it off the previous day, and as much as he didn't like him, he couldn't exactly prevent the two from talking to each other. As long as it had nothing to do with his job, it was none of his business who Leo was or wasn't talking to. The problems began when he literally sent his client running out of his makeup chair.

 

Ray turned to Leo, more than prepared to lecture him about the shit he just pulled off (although frankly, Scarlet's makeup would take so much longer so if he was here it's not like Ray was the one going to fall behind), when he shot him that evil smirk. Ray nearly visibly recoiled. He didn't like that smile one bit. How stupid of him it was to think Leo would come there just to talk to Jackson. That he would finally leave him alone. The way he said his name made chills run down his spine. What the hell was he up to?

 

Soon enough, at least some of the answer to this question was answered. Ray found himself watching the video pushed on him, partly out of pure curiosity and partly because he was genuinely scared for his life if he wouldn't. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind as to who was the target of the hatred he witnessed on that small screen. He also had to admit he was a little surprised by just how much of a nerd Leo seemed to be- although he didn't think it was a bad thing. The problem about Leo wasn't his hobbies, it was his personality. When the phone was snatched back and Leo threw his last words into the room before leaving it, Ray couldn't do much but stare at him dumbfounded. Clearly, hurricane Hart was back in town, and he wasn't sure how the hell to deal with it.

 

In fact, he wasn't even sure what he just witnessed. Leo just said he didn't need his advice the other day and then took it anyway. He was pretending to be proud and unashamed, but his more than hostile behavior was saying otherwise. Was this a brave confession or a deceleration of war? Honestly, he wasn't sure whether he should pat Leo on the head or spray him with holly water.

 

After doing Jackson's makeup for the day and sending him off to set, not before he scolded him for running off earlier of course, Ray's mind was once again free to try and deal with the migraine that was Leo Hart. He was pretty sure this guy was up to no good, but if there was even the smallest chance this wasn't fake and that he was really finally opening up about who he was... he couldn't risk jeopardizing it for him. Groaning quietly, he ran his hands through his hair. Why did he have to deal with all this drama? He just wanted to work quietly, keep the amount of distance he chose from others and not draw any unnecessary attention to himself. This was starting to get dangerous. Leo was coming in with all that drama and unpredictably and just contaminating his sterile and carefully cared for work space. And he's not going to let that happen.

 

With that thought in mind he quickly left Jackson's dressing room, his legs soon leading him to that of Scarlet's. She should be just about ready to head to set which means he should be able to grab her precious makeup artist for a much needed word. Knocking on the door (some people still kept their manners in check), Ray proceeded to walk into the room, smiling brightly. "Good morning beautiful" clearly, he was talking to Scarlet who seemed quite pleased with the compliment "I'm so sorry for barging in so early, but I really need Leo for a few minutes when you're done and before shooting". He was having a little bit of a deja vu. "Sure, as long as you give him back" she laughed, causing Ray to automatically let out a response chuckle "of course, I wouldn't dare keeping him to myself" nor do I want to. Not even if you pay me.

 

Soon enough it was call time and Scarlet was leaving the room, leaving the ghost of a "you better not run away on me" behind her. Ray took just a moment to look at the door she closed behind her before he leaned against the same door, crossing his arms as the wide smile slipped away from his face. "Can we please stop with the games?" he sighed as he turned his attention to Leo "just tell me what is it you want. I'm not trying to fight you or piss you off or call you out on anything". It was fucking near impossible to read Leo. Was he planning something or did he genuinely want Ray on his next video? And if so, what for- more views? Emotional support? An effort to try and make a nerd of him (although he didn't really care about that)? "What do you want from me Leo?" he repeated the question.

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To say that Leo was happy as he did Scarlet’s makeup was an understatement. He was elated. Joyous. Over the moon. To see Ray so fearful of what Leo had in store for him was better than the most decadent cake that Marie Antoinette could offer. Ray’s face was simply delicious and Leo relished in his new rival’s discomfort. Not that he could tell any of this to Scarlet. She simply thought he got laid last night, and he was fine letting her believe it. Whatever kept both her and him happy.

 

Leo wasn’t even upset when Ray showed up to Scarlet’s dressing room. Honestly, he expected it. He was surprised that Ray hadn’t denied the “invite” to be in his video as soon as he saw it—Leo would have. The shock within Ray must have stunned him silent at the time, but now he was here to clarify everything. Oh, Leo would relish in this too. Was it wrong to have this much fun at someone else’s expense?

 

No. Not at all.

 

"Can we please stop with the games?" Ray had asked.

 

“Stop playing games?” Leo asked innocently, cocking his head to the side as his eyes grew wide and childlike. “Why would you say that to me after finding out how much I adore games? All I do is play games, Ray. It’s my favorite thing.”

 

Leo’s grin was sinister, but it wasn’t too far off from a child who was having fun. Honestly, he had nothing terrible planned for Ray. “What, do you think I’m going to have you over to my place so I can murder you? Or do you think I’m going to humiliate you on camera in front of millions of people? Why can’t I have the person who inspired me to show the world who I really am be in my pilot video for my new channel?” Perhaps humiliation was in store for Ray, but not the type he was most likely thinking of. He didn’t seem the type to scare easy, but Leo would definitely set him up to play a horror game just to see his reaction. Then Leo wanted to play him in some fighting games and demolish him. Was it petty to want to feel so superior to Ray? Maybe so, but no one ever said that Leo was anything but petty.

 

Much like how he did when they first met, Leo grabbed Ray’s arm and shoved him into the chair. Leo smiled down at him as he pulled out some brushes and began playing with Ray’s face. He really did have nice skin even if he was a condescending jerk. Leo may have felt like he was above everyone, but at least he was aware of that. Ray sported his superior attitude without even realizing the type of aura he was exuding.

 

“You’ve got one of those faces that could pull off any look. Chic, goth, color, neutral… It’s a perfect canvas.” The compliment came from Leo before he could stop it. Ninety percent of the time Leo did things without thinking. He was surprised at himself most of the time. “Anyway, you’re going to be in my video even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming. I’ve got the whole video planned out so don’t fuck it up by not showing up. You and your judgmental ass owe me. You wouldn’t be in this situation if you didn’t so boldly claim to know what my interests are. Now take your punishment like a man.” Leo winked at Ray before pulling out his favorite eyeshadow palette. Ray would look so good with green eyes, plus it would match Leo’s hair! And who wouldn’t want that?

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There were not many people that were able to scare Ray. Annoy, frustrate, bother, bore- yes. But he had never met someone that made chills run down his spine the way Leo did. He wouldn't be too surprised if he did bring him to his apartment and try to murder him. Well, maybe not so much. There was something almost childish about his responses and behavior- like his temperament was in complete control over him. So planning a murder was probably something Leo wouldn't do... he would either plan it but not execute, or just kill him in the spare of the moment. And, well, he was still alive. Maybe he could give him the benefit of the doubt and go along with it. Maybe he really was still young and hot-headed (not that Ray wasn't, he was simply better at hiding the fact he was). Maybe switching the stick for a carrot would do him good on this whole dealing with the fabulous natural disaster that was Leo Hart. Heck, maybe it would even help him calm down a little, to just open up about that part of his character he was trying to so desperately hide away. Although, he couldn't really give his own personal input about that last part. Ray didn't really do calm.

 

Maybe... maybe it was the fact Leo had the courage to do something he couldn't bring himself do. Although that was completely different- there was absolutely nothing wrong with loving things like video games or anime. Hell, he even doubled in those from time to time- although by the looks of it he was nowhere as enthusiastic as Leo. But maybe he could understand that feeling of hiding a whole part of yourself from the rest of the world. When he looked at it that way, his brain just couldn't help making comparisons.

 

Ray blinked rapidly as he was pulled forcefully out of his thoughts and into the makeup chair. Again. Was this becoming a daily thing? Was this how people greeted each other in Leo's tribe or something?

 

Letting out a small snicker at the end of the other's small speech, Ray then proceeded to grab Leo's wrists with just enough force to not allow him to continue with his little painting session. After all, he wouldn't dare hurt the hands of another makeup artist- they were their most precious tool, and he wasn't a complete asshole. "You have a strange obsession with my face, you know that?" he raised an eyebrow at Leo. He had to admit there was something almost fun about the other's unwavering persistence and confidence. And... well lately his life have been kinda falling into a routine. Maybe he could use a little drama to shake things up, and Leo was definitely, absolutely, undoubtedly synonyms with drama.

 

"Alright" he gave Leo a small, challenging smile as he got up from the chair "I'll come. Send me the details, I'm sure you can figure out how to reach me" he on his side figured it wouldn't be such a bad idea to give Leo a little something to keep him busy. Although with how this guy seemed to be able to bribe Jackson, he could probably get his phone number, email, and home address yesterday, not to mention they were working on the same set nearly every fucking day. "But I'm telling you right now I'm not letting you do my face. Although you clearly want to". That seemed to be a safe assumption, or at least not a baseless accusation, given the fact Leo just assaulted his face two days in a raw. "When I decide you're good enough maybe I'll reward you" he winked at him. Man, this was actually a little fun already. Considering the fact he was anything but, Ray didn't feel the need to be as PC and polite with Leo as he was with other people. It was refreshing at the least.

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  • 3 weeks later...

“Of course I have an obsession with your face,” Leo said with an evil grin. “I’m obsessed with all faces that need work.” He laughed right at Ray as if he were void of any sort of kindness or courtesy. Well… He kind of was. After all, he was mostly asking Ray to join his video as punishment for him. The punishment would fall a bit flat if Ray actually enjoyed playing games. Nevermind that Leo doubted the man would find happiness spending any time with him outside of work (or within work for that matter) but that was only half of the punishment. Though, if Ray actually liked games then perhaps they could build something of a friendship.

 

Not that Leo wanted to be friends. No. Hell no. Absolutely not. Why would he want to be friends with someone who was attractive (regardless of what Leo said) and who could keep up with his wit and sass and had actual talent with makeup? Pfff. No one!

 

Leo’s eyes remained on Ray until he left, and even then he stared at the door as if he could see Ray’s ghost floating there in front of him. Even he had to admit that regardless of how much the two of them bantered and argued and insulted each other, Ray had something different than most people. What that “something different” was, Leo didn’t know. It wasn’t like he was an expert at reading people, and even if he was it wouldn’t change how he treated them. But still… Ray was proving himself to be someone that Leo could at the very least respect.

 

Eventually Leo found the energy to move, and he made his way to set. The challenge to get Ray’s phone number was hardly a challenge at all. Honestly no one was better at stalking—information gathering—than Leo. It didn’t take long for Scarlet and Jackson to finish recording their scene and once they did, Leo sidled up to the actor and smiled widely at him.

 

“You have Ray’s number, don’t you? I hate to ask—I’m so embarrassed!” That child-like smile and blush that crossed Leo’s cheeks made Jackson’s heart melt. He remembered the days of being young and in love, and he could see something of himself in Leo now. How cute, the kid had a crush! “Do you think you could give me his number? I’m too shy to ask him himself. I mean you know…. not that I’m shy, but around him I’m….”

 

“Of course!” Jackson interrupted, his phone already out and open. He happily gave up Ray’s number, both him and Scarlet wearing grins. Oh… Leo was grinning too. He was very, very excited. The moment Ray’s number was in his phone he didn’t hesitate to text his new best friend.

 

“Sup, bubblegum? Now you’ve got me forever, bitch.”

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It seemed that Leo wasted no time tackling the little obstacle Ray placed in front of him, and just as he predicted he had no problem whatsoever getting over it. As soon as the shooting of the next scene was done he saw the other go straight for Jackson, and of course that good for nothing lead actor fell for some little flirting instantly. Or at least that's what Ray assumed was happening, seeing he very deliberately kept himself away from that little interaction. 'Well, whatever' he thought as he turned to leave the set and wait for Jackson in his dressing room for touch ups after he'll change clothes for the next scene. It was pretty obvious he would give in to Leo's whims easily, but he was a little disappointed that all it took was what a little flirting from Leo's side. He expected more of Jackson.

 

Leo sending him a message as soon as he got his number however, was anything but unexpected. It was very much like him to want to rub this in Ray's face. He smirked at the message that stared at him from his phone screen as he waited for Jackson. It was just as full with self confidence and cockiness as it could get. He didn't expect less from Leo. Well, that just meant he didn't have to change the way he interacted with him, he thought as he typed a reply.

 

"First my face and now my ass? I'll end up thinking you're only after my body. Can we try a more romantic proposal next time?

 

Just as he placed his phone back in his pocket, a post-outfit change Jackson walked into the room and marched right into his makeup chair. Ray couldn't say he wasn't happy to see he was so well trained. "You know" he said as he worked on his face, a hint of a smile on his lips that made it clear he wasn't really angry despite the apparent scolding "you really give out numbers that aren't yours way too easily". The sudden wide smile that spread across Jackson's face and the strange gleam that lit in his eyes at that comment were a little but alarming. Alarming and confusing. "He texted you already?" Jackson raised an eyebrow at Ray. "He sure did" he rolled his eyes in return, not quite certain what Jackson's strange reaction meant. That is, until he opened his mouth again. "Oh come on, give him a chance. He's cute and it takes a lot of courage to text your crush first" he wasted no time in spilling the beans. It took Ray a few moments of confused blinking for the meaning of what Jackson said to sink in, but when the realization hit he nearly spat in his favorite eyeshadow palette. Was that what Leo said to Jackson to get his number? And he believed it?! Oh god and he just sent him a text talking about his ass. He mentally face-palmed himself. He can never let Jackson find out about this message. Ever

 

It was a good thing Jackson's makeup only required light touch-ups before the next scene so they didn't really have the time to talk about it. Actually, Ray wasn't really sure what to say. Did he had to pretend to like Leo back now? Or at the very least be nice to him? Well, it wasn't like he didn't do it already, but now he was so much more conscious of it, and if their usual bickering would be exposed Jackson just might really let him have it. He might even think Ray is a serious asshole. Ugh, and he was hiding it so well until now! That was the reason Ray didn't like bringing his personal life into work- even if this personal life was completely made up by a certain someone.

 

As soon as the shooting of the next scene began, Ray found and joined his (fake) potential better half. "What the hell did you tell Jackson?" he shook his head in mock exasperation, although frankly he found this situation and Leo's antics just the tiniest bit amusing. Not that he would ever tell him that. "Was this whole punishment thing your way of asking me out?" he raised an eyebrow at him, his voice clearly teasing this time. Despite the mental complaints and grumbling, and while he would never admit it not in a million years, maybe, just maybe, he found Leo to be just a little bit fun.

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“Did you actually text him? Like right away?”

 

Leo nodded to Scarlet as she squealed in her seat, her face contorting in all different ways making it impossible for Leo to do his work. Still, it was fun to see her so excited about something that was going on his life--whether that thing be true or not was no business of hers. “Calm down, sweetie, or I’ll never get this cateye right.”

 

“How can I calm down!?” She yelled, her feet tapping happily on the floor. “I love love, mi amor, and I love that I’m seeing a relationship blossom right in front of me! It’s bold of you to text him right away though! Then again, you’re a bold person.”

 

“The boldest.”

 

“I’m so excited! Did he text you back? Tell me he text you back! Are you guys gonna go on a date? Should Jackson and I come? Oh god, Leo, what are you going to wear?! How are you going to do your makeup?! How are you going to do your hair?! Where are you guys gonna go? Do you think he’ll pay for you? He has to pay for you, Leo, don’t let him not pay for you. You were the one who initiated, yes, but I think you can be rewarded by being treated to dinner and a movie. Oh, oh, oh what are you guys going to talk about on your date? Do you have more in common than just makeup and working here? What if he--”

 

“He just text me back, girl.” Leo interrupted Scarlet’s rambling with an oddly calm voice, knowing that the content of his words were more important than how he said them. Sure enough, a scream left Scarlet’s lips as she grabbed the phone from Leo’s hands and brought it to her face, scanning over each and every word. The excitement that she had moments earlier instantly dropped, as did her wide grin.

 

“The hell is this? Is this all he has to say? What the fuck, Leo? You weren’t romantic enough for him?? What does he want? A dozen roses?”

 

Scarlet went on and on for so long that the two of them were late getting back to set. Thankfully, Leo was able to convince her that this is how the two of them have been interacting since the beginning and it’s how they like it. In their own weird way the message was endearing and once Scarlet was convinced she was back to screaming about how happy she was that her little Leo Hart was on the road towards love. In a way, Leo was relieved. He didn’t want Ray’s reputation to be tarnished all because of some prank he pulled… Not yet anyway. Anyway, no harm done at least not on his end. Ray seemed to have a different kind of feeling about the whole thing.

 

Leo only smiled when Ray sidled up to him, asking him about what the hell he had told Jackson. Leo pushed some loose strands of hair behind his ear as he contemplated how he would approach this amusing--hysterical rather--situation. “I didn’t say anything that was a lie. All I said was that I wanted Jackson to give me your number because I was too shy to ask you out right. Jackson and Scarlet inferred their own meanings from that… Why do you ask? Are you embarrassed? Are you scared that if you turn down my advances you’ll look like a bad guy?” He lightly poked Ray on his shoulder, feeling even more bold than when he had first text him. If he was going to play this up, then he needed to act the part. There were more actors on set than initially thought… “If you’re worried how you’ll be thought of, then simply don’t turn down my advances. Easy.” Leo shrugged as if it truly were that easy. For Leo it was. He was in the clear. There was nothing malicious about say, asking Ray to be in videos. Or asking Ray to let Leo do his makeup. Or asking Ray to be nice and buy him a candybar from the snack machine. No… Nothing at all that Scarlet or Jackson could see as manipulative. Ray saying no to those small requests however… Oh my what an asshole.

 

Things just got even more fun.

 

 

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Ray almost suggested Leo would go into acting. He should probably get an Oscar if he managed to convince anybody he was shy. Well, either that or Jackson was a bit of an idiot. "Not embarrassed as much as worried about your well being" he feigned worry you had to be a Jackson Carter level of idiot to believe "if rumors about us dating start to spread there are at least two or three people here that would hate you... like, more than they do now." It wasn't exactly a secret Leo wasn't getting along well with other people on set, and it wasn't like he had anyone but himself to blame for that. It also wasn't exactly a secret some of the junior artists tried to flirt with Ray when he was checking their work, and not so subtly so. Not that he was ever going to do anything about it- he didn't do dating in the workplace. He didn't do dating at all recently. He certainly didn't do dating with people that only cared about his name or his face. But that was all information Leo didn't really need to know... and he probably would ignore even if he did. Not like he cared.

 

What he did care about was the fact Leo hit the nail right on the head when he suggested Ray cared about what people would think of him. Maybe he thought Leo wouldn't give it much thought, seeing that being the diva he was he clearly didn't care about it. But the fact he could even guess something like that was so important to him... the fact he could guess this whole being nice thing wasn't just naturally him but an image he worked hard to create. Most people assumed that was all there was to Ray, and that was because he so carefully crafted his image to make sure that's all they'll see. He didn't think people would like to work with an asshole, and he didn't want to be one at work either. Of course, both of those core believes were refuted by Leo, who was the prime example of a sought after first class asshole, as well as very capable of making Ray abandon his Dr. Jekyll face in favor of the more Mr. Hyde-ish part of his personality.

 

And Scarlet also fell for that whole Leo wanting to go out with him? Never mind Jackson, he could probably handle him even if he thought he rejected Leo. But Scarlet would probably give him hell if she thought he was mistreating her precious little devil of a makeup artist. Leo really managed to push him into a corner there. Ray hated corners. "So what, am I supposed to play boyfriend of the year now?" he asked quietly, crossing his arms defensively "it's going to affect you as well if something like that comes out. I can't understand why the hell they would, but I'm sure there are at least one or two people out there that care enough about your personal life to spread this kind of information around". While he certainly didn't feel like having a rumor like that about himself going around, he was still only well known in more professional circles. Leo, on the other hand, was a lot more in the general public eye, and therefore much more interesting as a gossip subject. And he really didn't feel like getting dragged into this gossip.

 

If Leo really did want him to pretend they were going out, even if not all of the time, it was going to be one hell of a headache. Considering the two leads of the film they were working on knew about this "relationship" it meant that they would have to pretend whenever they were in front of them. And they were in front of them a lot. And this wasn't going to change in the neat future either. Did Leo even think about it? Did he realize they just began filming and that they still had months of work together ahead of them? Was he planning on keeping this little facade all the way through filming? Or maybe his plan was to create the impression they were going out only to "break up" and make Ray into the bad guy? While he was pretty certain he had a better starting point when it came to creating the impression the one with the shitty personality wasn't him, he also wasn't stupid enough to underestimate Leo. He seemed to be a good of a liar as he was a makeup artist. What did he do to deserve getting involved with him? And what other option did he have but to go along with his crazy game?

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"if rumors about us dating start to spread there are at least two or three people here that would hate you... like, more than they do now."

 

Leo raised an eyebrow at Ray, wondering if he was actually concerned for him or if this was just his way of pretending to care while really looking out for his own well being. The thought didn’t last very long… It was obviously the latter. Ray was hardly sneaky enough or clever enough to pull the wool over Leo’s eyes. The two were far more alike than anyone knew… Which was probably why Leo was spending so much time peeling back the layers to see the true Ray.

 

“Only two or three people? That’s amazing. Far less than I thought I had to deal with.” Like hell Leo cared if people thought he and Ray were dating. He cared even less if they were jealous of the fact. Sure, he was self-conscious of his nerdy side; that was something that came to light rather quickly, but when it came to everything else Leo gave a total of zero fucks. He also gave zero fucks about the public spreading rumors about his personal life. That was just par for the course in his type of industry, yet Ray seemed to think he would immediately crumple in on himself and call it quits.

 

Oh no. No, no, no. The fun has only just started.

 

Just to prove his point he pulled out his cell phone and opened his Twitter, then showed it to Ray. “Just scroll through and see what people are saying about me. Go on. Feel free.” He hadn’t seen every single tweet directed at him since he announced his new gaming channel, but he’d seen enough. Tweets about how much of loser he was were circulating like crazy. People wrote about how they thought he was an amazing fashion and lifestyle icon only to find out he was a nerd. They believed he was going to shut down his make up channel in exchange for his gaming channel. Some people called him stupid or even went so far as to tell him they hated him, as if he done something that betrayed them. The name-calling was horrendous, hurtful, and sickening; the threats of unfollowing him were monumental…

 

“And that’s all just from when I posted my video.” Leo laughed, as he took his phone back and shoved it in his pocket. “I’m used to people hating me for dumb reasons. Last I checked, I’d lost over 5000 followers. I’m sure the number has gone up more. But even so, there was so much support that I barely even noticed it. Amongst the sea of hate and anger, there was a lot of love.” He shrugged. “So tell me again why I should care if two or three people are mad that I’m supposedly dating you? Or that people are going to blog about my personal life?” Leo cast his eyes over to Ray, though before the other could even give an answer he spoke again. “No answer? I didn’t think so.”

 

Ray was such an idiot.

 

“For the record I never said to Scarlet or Jackson that we were dating. They think I have a crush on you. That’s all. Why don’t you take your own advice and… Oh I don’t know. Be yourself? Is that what people like you say? All optimistic and shit?” Ugh. So gross. How could Ray even pretend to be so… Goody-goody? “See this is what I don’t understand. You act all high and mighty, and you act like I’m such a bitch, and then you tell me to show the world my true colors, and yet here you are being all hypocritical and….” Leo gave Ray a smile that was as mischievous as the one from when he showed him his video. “Acting like you’re a Hufflepuff when you’re really a Slytherin…. Oh, sorry. Nerd reference. That means that you’re acting all cute and nice when you’re really a badass motherfucker. Although I can’t say you’re all that badass…” Leo clicked his tongue, though that smile never left his face. God, it felt so good to shut Ray down like that. The man needed someone to come along and trip him up some. He’d been comfortable for way too long. Lucky for him, Leo is the perfect person to come and shake things up.

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Ray always thought people were terrible, judgmental inherently evil being. He had no idea though that so many of them were also such idiots. As he read through the many spiteful tweets he actually felt a little bad for Leo. So okay, maybe he was the one who chose his career and he probably took the price that came with it into account, but still. People out there were talking to and about him like that just because he had a side to him that didn't match what they thought they knew? That was the exact reason Ray didn't trust people. so many of them were two-faced dumbasses that only cared about what the world sees and thought in black and white terms. Like he said, idiots. For a moment there he actually felt a little bad for Leo.

 

Of course, surely enough before he had the chance to accidentally express this little spark of empathy, Leo opened his mouth to speak again, pouring water all over that little spark.

 

That moment of fleeting weakness was over before it began, and now Leo was no longer someone deserving of any kind of kindness. He was just another idiot. A different, more honest and blunt type of idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. Leo just went ahead and decided to group them together, when in reality they were nothing alike. Their situations were nothing alike. What Leo did was hide a harmless, dare he say even endearing part of himself, and the reactions he got after exposing it were the result of people being stupid and shallow. What he was doing was fucking survival. Did Leo even realize how many people could be so lucky to actually be successful with his attitude? Not to mention that even if he could do it, for Ray that would be just the beginning of a very dangerous landslide. He wasn't being hypocritical- he was being smart. He just... compartmentalized the things people couldn't see. The things he was hiding weren't as harmless as being a little nerdy in an age when nerdy could actually be in. His own advice wouldn't do shit in his situation.

 

Not that he would say that to Leo's face. How cute of him it was to think he'll be able to make Ray admit to something no one had even suspected him of for years. Leo might have been good at seeing trough him and even better at making him lose his cool and collected facade, but Ray was a fucking master at faking it.

 

"Please" he let out a small snort wearing one of his sweetest smiles, one that was usually reserved for clients, to match Leo's "I would never be a Huffelpuff. Yellow is so not my color." He wanted to smack that smugness out of him. He wanted to do it so bad. But that would only work to prove Leo right. Instead, he kept that same smile plastered on his face as he continued talking. "Hmm... but then again so is green, but I guess I'll have to put up with it for a while" he added as his eyes traveled up to Leo's hair, lingering there for a second before returning to his face. "Should we go over basic color theory on our date? I mean, we might as well go out on one, we don't want to disappoint Scarlet and Jackson. And I feel like this is a problem that keeps coming up with you" he raised an eyebrow at the other, his smile finally changing from three packets of artificial sweetener to a more genuine, amused, almost teasing one.

 

He kind of mentally glided over the fact he just asked Leo out. After all, that was a fake date. Just something to keep face and more importantly- to keep Jackson ans Scarlet calm. He knew he would never hear the end of it if he wouldn't pretend to do something now that those two thought Leo had a crush on him. Besides, there wasn't that big of a chance Leo would agree, and even if he would Ray wasn't scared. There's no way he's going to let Leo break him so easily.

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Did… Did Ray actually understand his Harry Potter reference? Leo’s eyes must have revealed his shock, though he quickly magical girl transformed back into his narrow-eyed, playful smile, bitchy self. Honestly, it was nothing to be that surprised about. Everyone knew Harry Potter so it wasn’t unusual for even the most non-nerdy person to understand such a reference. Still… Hearing Ray say something even remotely nerdy was a bit of a… Dare Leo say… Turn on? Leo thought Ray so incapable of comprehending anything from the fandom world that just this little thing almost completely changed his opinion of the man.

 

Almost.

 

Ray was still an idiot.

 

But oh… Oh did he just relate Slytherin’s colors to Leo’s hair? Oh that was smooth. That was smooth. Perhaps it even made Leo’s knees a bit weak. Perhaps seeing Ray make an attempt, even if it was to make fun of him, at relating to Leo’s nerdy side was more than Leo had ever expected out of anyone. No one really understood him and no one ever really tried, but in just three seconds Ray not only shot back at Leo with sass and sauve, but he did it with a nerd reference. Wow… Wow… Oh fucking hell wow.

 

Perhaps Ray wasn’t so much of an idiot.

 

And then that smile. Was that… Was that fucking real?? Who the hell allowed Ray to have such a beautiful smile?? Cupid himself may as hell have repeatedly stabbed Leo in the heart with one of his bloody, goddamn arrows. Was this really the first time he had seen such a genuine, heartfelt smile from Ray? It must have been. Leo wouldn’t have forgotten such a heavenly sight. And then to (technically) ask him out on a date only to shoot Leo in the face with that shotgun of a smile… Well, like hell he could say no if he even wanted to! That would be like saying no to the pope! Or to George R.R. Martin! Or RuPaul!!

 

You never say no to RuPaul….

 

‘Get it together, Leo. Keep it the fuck together.’ He thought to himself, though he didn’t even realize just how miserably he was failing. In reality he never did magical girl transform back into his regular bitch self. He stayed staring wide-eyed and mouth agape at Ray all through this whole ordeal which seemed to last for ten years though really only lasted thirty seconds. In just thirty seconds Ray had torn Leo from his usual diva state to one that was… Leo didn’t even have a word for it. He was simply unrecognizable. He didn’t know what he was thinking or doing or what he wanted or why his heart was doing little flips--his heart shouldn’t be flipping!! He doesn’t even have heart!!

 

“Uhh...Umm.. I-I umm…” ‘Oh god, shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up, just close your mouth, Leo! God, you’re so dumb! Close your goddamn mouth--AHHHH!!’

 

“And what do we have going on here?”

 

Thank god for Scarlet and her rescue. Just when Leo was about to overheat and go on the fritz, Scarlet showed up, knowing her little make up artist was in trouble. Leo would definitely buy her all the coffee she could ever want. He’d even throw in a lifetime supply of croissants if she would just get him away from Ray. Thankfully… Scarlet was a real bro.

 

“I’m sure you two are having fun, but the scene just ended and Leo has a ton of work to do on my face sooo….” She glanced around awkwardly before grabbing Leo’s arm with one hand and waving to Ray with the other. “Bye!” Jackson had never seen Scarlet walk so fast in such high heels, but hey she was an impressive lady.

 

Now came the tricky part though. How was Scarlet supposed to tell Leo that she not only sensed, but could visibly see that he was crashing and burning? Did the boy not realize that he had been staring at Ray with a mixture of awe and affection and like he was an apple pie ready to be devoured? Or that his lips were parted in such a way that Scarlet couldn’t help but think certain things would fit just perfectly in it? Or that his face had been as red as Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Color??

 

Well… Time to share the grim news…

 

“You’re gonna wanna sit down for this, Leo.”

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If there was something Leo was good at, it seemed to be surprising Ray. He was a hundred percent certain he would receive some kind of sassy comeback. Something along the lines of him not even getting to Hogwarts because he was a muggle or a squib. Or some cocky, confident comment about how he can rock any color (which, he hated to admit, wasn't wrong) or even how Ray was color blind and needed Leo to teach him a thing or two. He was more than prepared to deal with any of those. What he was not ready for was Leo going into a strange, alarmingly silent... something. He wasn't even sure how to call it.

 

He watched in wonder that soon turned into worry as Leo changed colors, expressions, and all in all gave an excellent impression of a stuttering, sunburnt goldfish. As odd as it sounded, that wasn't a bad look for him. It almost made him look... cute. Adorable even. No, wait, but that wasn't the point there. The point was that there was something seriously wrong with Leo. Was he having a stroke? No, that wasn't possible, was it? People weren't supposed to be cute when they were having a stroke. The best way he could describe it was that if Leo was a computer he would have probably tried plugging him out and then in again. Ray actually considered for a moment to comically wave his hand in front of his face, maybe even kiss him just to try and yank him out of it. He didn't mean any serious harm by what he said, and certainly never imagined it could evoke... this. But did he just take things one step too far? Did... did he just break Leo?

 

Crap. He was so dead.

 

In fact, he was so preoccupied with the idea of shoving Leo into a nearby closet (he was certain he was never in the metaphorical one, so might as well add this experience to the list right?), that he nearly jumped a few good feet in the air when Scarlet approached them. A reasonable reaction all in all when one surprises a guilty person trying to hide the evidence. Thankfully, she seemed more concerned about her makeup than about her clearly malfunctioning makeup artist. That was perfectly fine by Ray- this way he would have some extra time to come up with a good alibi.

 

"What the hell was that about?" Jackson laughed as the two headed to his trailer. That was what Ray wanted to know too, although he didn't really have the chance to do so. It seemed Jackson had his own explanation in mind. "What did you say to him?" he elbowed Ray with just enough force to create a semi-permanent dent in his ribs "I didn't know you had that much game. Either that or that this is a really serious crush" he smirked to himself, clearly oblivious of Ray's shocked expression. Surely that couldn't be the case, could it? He thought as he began to work on Jackson's makeup unusually quietly. Leo made it pretty clear this whole crush thing was just Jackson and Scarlet making assumptions. So that couldn't possibly be the result of some very unintentional teasing from his side, could it?

 

Unless... maybe Leo was having a crush but hiding it? No, no that didn't make any sense. He saw him acting all innocent and sweet before and the bitchy shitstorm was never late to follow. So he was not having a crush but pretending to have one even knowing full well Ray would probably know he was lying? Or maybe he thought Ray was an idiot and would fall for that? Or maybe he knew that Jackson and Scarlet were watching and even though they didn't know Leo was lying, Ray knew they knew about the crush which he also knew was fake. So maybe knowing that, Leo was putting up an act for those two because he knew they knew Ray knew and therefore would act accordingly and...

 

Ray blinked a few times as he put the finishing touched on Jackson's not so different makeup. His self devised Illuminati level conspiracy theories were giving him a headache. He was actually moments away from putting on a tin foil hat and telling everyone the end is near. He was probably reading too much into it, right? He thought as he was left alone in Jackson's dressing room as the other went to do whatever it was they needed him to. Whatever just happened, whatever it was Leo was planning he shouldn't worry himself with it too much. He should just let things be, keep his eyes open, and deal with troubles when they'll (surely) come.

 

Ugh, but he can't let go of that one nagging thought that there might actually be something wrong with Leo. And what if there was, and it was his fault? If they weren't at work maybe he wouldn't be so worried about it, but what if he'll have trouble with Scarlet's makeup? That should take way longer than Jackson, and Leo seriously seemed all kinds of messed up back then. He... he should probably just check. There was no harm in just checking, was there? Pulling out his cellphone, he quickly typed and sent Leo a short message:

 

Are you okay? You seemed a little off back there. Let me know if you need me to take over Scarlet for a while.

 

He would be lying if he were to say the thought of spending one on one time with Scarlet if she thought he did something to Leo wasn't terrifying. But she would be so much worse if she knew for sure something happened to her favorite makeup artist because of him, and didn't have her makeup properly on in time for the next scene. So that was really all in the name of survival, nothing more.

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Welp, it was time for Leo to throw himself off of the building. No point in trying to talk him out of it! He’s made his decision. After hearing Scarlet’s explanation of how he acted in front of Ray there was no way he’d be able to show his face in front of the man again. He’d managed to secure his reputation as a badass, tough as nails, takes no shit, high maintenance, bitch ass bitch and now… Now Ray was going to look at him as just a punk ass bitch.

 

No… No, Leo couldn’t handle that.

 

On top of that, this whole thing was all wrong. Scarlet and Jackson had made their own assumptions about his non-existent crush on Ray. There was no way Leo was actually developing a crush on the beautiful, sassy, and… Oh god, now he was caring??? Leo checked the text message he’d received and nearly melted at Ray’s concern. He could practically hear that strong yet gentle voice asking if he were okay. He could see that hand reaching out to him, those tender eyes full of worry…

 

Fuck this shit.

 

Leo stood up from the makeup chair where he had previously sat and buried his embarrassed face in his hands. Sure, Ray’s message pulled at the tiny, little heartstrings that Leo had inside of him, but it also brought him back to reality. Not only had Ray seen him so out of character and… weak, but so had Scarlet. Moreso than anyone, his client should never, EVER, see him as anything other than professional.

 

“Keep your hands off of my client, prick.”

 

He shot off the aggressive text message, put back on his prized smile, and set Scarlet down in her chair. “I’ll make it work, sweetie! Don’t worry about me. Let’s instead worry about you and how you’re going to look for this next scene!” Yes, she would be late arriving on set after Leo’s little breakdown, but she would walk in there looking flawless. She was already a head-turner, but he would make sure that everyone who cast their eyes upon her beauty would die from the sheer angelic wonder of it. That was his job after all.

 

He took his time and Scarlet was thirty minutes late to arrive on set, but Leo kept his word. She walked in there feeling and looking like the goddess she was. Unfortunately, the talent behind her beauty decided to stay in the dressing room. Not that she could blame him. She wouldn’t want to face her crush after that fantastical display of crashing headfirst to the bottom of the ocean. Speaking of his crush…

 

Scarlet approached Ray as soon as she caught sight of him, ignoring the director who was practically begging her to hurry it up so they could start the scene.

 

“Ray,” Scarlet started, looking more serious and concerned than she had since filming started. “Take it easy on Leo, okay? I’m not sure what his history is with other guys, but people don’t act like that if they don’t feel strongly about someone. He’s not an insecure person, but I imagine that around you he feels like a little lovesick schoolgirl. Just… I don’t know. You know how to handle these types of situations, right?” And in that instant Scarlet’s beautiful yet worried expression turned the classic look of ‘I’m gonna fuck you up.’ Her eyes narrowed and she pointed a perfectly manicured finger right into Ray’s face.

 

“Don’t you dare break his heart.” And with that she left the young makeup artist to join her co-star on the set. She was finally ready to begin.

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