"I guess I'm an actual model now," Dakota said beaming. She fanned herself dramatically, as if just the thought of her actually being signed to an agency was such a surprise to her. It really wasn't.

"Congrats, Dakota," Colin said leaning back in the dining chair he was sitting in. "That's amazing."

"Totally! And it's all thanks to you, Mitchell. The pictures were gorgeous. I wish I could thank you some other way."

"You already did with that tip. It's fine."

After repeatedly expressing the gladness she felt by tugging on Colin's hand and squealing, Dakota left. After helping herself to the breakfast Colin had been eating.

"Your friend's so freaking hot," Peter said under his breath as soon as the door had shut.

Colin had almost forgotten that Peter had also been in the room when Dakota was there. He hadn't spoken a word since the time they had begun their slow walk of shame into the apartment. He just lay in one of the couches in the living room, doing God knows what.

"And smart enough to stay away from guys that call her hot," Colin commented.

Peter sucked in a breath, regretting ever opening his mouth to speak. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you didn't." Looking over his shoulder, Colin spotted Peter on his back, hands encasing an object. It was a brand new phone.

"You got a new phone already?"

"Yup." Peter lifted the iPhone up for Colin to see before his hand went back down.

"That's cool. I assume you've unpacked by now so can we talk about the rental agreement?"

"Go ahead."

Colin concurred, going ahead. Clearing his throat, he spoke in the husky voice he had. "You'll be paying nine hundred."

Peter turned so abruptly that his phone almost fell out of his hand. "Nine hundred dollars?"

"Oh not that. The landlord only takes the rent in yen."

Peter lifted his head, brushing away strands of his hair which fell into his dark eyes. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I was actually just being disrespectful," Colin replied, raking a hand through his own hair. "You really need to stop asking questions with obvious answers, Pikachu."

"Nine hundred dollars," Peter whispered, slowly sinking back down into the couch. "And how much are you paying?"

"Thousand two hundred."

"Woah," Peter breathed out. "I really can't afford that. I'm the embodiment of a broke college student."

"You're still schooling?" Colin was genuinely surprised. Sure, he had seen a couple of books suffocating Peter's backpack, but he never checked to see what they were. He assumed they were for reading and never actually considered the possibility of them being textbooks.

"Yup. Senior year, which has already had a very rough start."

Colin laughed. "I can relate to that." He stood up from the chair, sitting on it backwards so his long legs hung off at the sides. He rested his chin on the top rail of the chair and asked, "hey, you want to know my favorite college memory?"

"Sure."

"It was leaving."

Peter burst out in laughter so strong that his phone slipped out of his hand and fell on his face. That got Colin laughing too, a sound that sounded way too pleasant in Peter's ears.

"I feel like that would be my favorite memory too with how things are going."

"You're having a hard time, huh?"

"Kinda. I'm on scholarship and so I have this whole load on me to pass with distinction else I'd be dropped like..." Peter paused, mimicking the sound objects in cartoons make when they fall. He added an explosive effect and got a chuckle from Colin.

"So you're the stereotypical Asian boy who's super good at math, yeah?"

"I suck at math. Apart from that, I'm pretty good at other subjects." Peter tilted his head up to meet Colin's gaze when he said, "Can you believe my dad actually told me "You're an Asian, Peter, Not a B-sian" when I started high school?"

"That's the corniest shit."

"I know right. It was hard trying not to laugh because I know I'd get my ass whooped if I did."

Colin bit on his lip. It was hard keeping his comments to himself after what Peter said. Lord, did he want to assure the grimacing boy that he would soothe every ache Peter had with gentle kisses. It didn't matter which part of his body hurt, he wouldn't mind peppering kisses anywhere. Especially Peter's ass. Oh, he wouldn't have a problem with that at all.

They both went quiet after that, til Colin perked up with a suggestion. "Tell you what, Pikachu, you can chip in with the rent when you get paid. No sweat."

Peter sighed, glad that Colin was nice enough to bring that up. But that gesture would have to wait because the dark-haired boy had a couple of... issues.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't... I don't have a job."

Colin's face was set in confusion. "Well, you have some savings or something?"

Peter lifted up the iPhone, displaying the platinum-gold coloured back that shone with the Apple company logo. It was the device that had sucked up all the money he had.

"You spent the rent money on an iPhone? You have got to be kidding me."

Peter flashed Colin a crooked smile before shrugging. The gesture told Colin that his roommate was certainly not kidding. Colin rubbed his hand over his face, cursing under his breath.

"You need to get a job."

"I know. I've been searching but I can't seem to find any that..." Peter trailed off, mind lost in thought. "Dude, what if I got a job at Snapshot with you?"

"We're not hiring," Colin replied in a monotone voice. "Besides, we can't work together, with me wanting you and all. I already have a hard time processing how we're living with each other now. And that I haven't touched you...yet."

Peter wrinkled his nose, face scrunched up. The creases immediately stretched out when he smiled, sitting up from where he lay. "What if I went into modelling? Dakota seems to already like it. Plus, it won't interrupt so much with my schooling."

"Pikachu, I don't really know about that..."

"Please. I'll help you out with anything if you can get me a job."

"Anything?"

"As long as it's not gay. Because, you know, I'm straight," Peter clarified, looking away from Colin.

"Who said I had anything sexual in mind?" Colin started to laugh. "I have to say I love how you think though, Pikachu."

Peter rolled his eyes and groaned. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"I am. I can take photos of you for your portfolio and ask Dakota if she can find you a spot in an agency."

"Thanks, man," Peter smiled, face lighting up.

"You're welcome." Colin was about to sit in the chair the right way again when he remembered something. It had been fluttering about in his mind to ask Peter but the conversation he had had with Dakota had disrupted his thoughts. "Are you okay? I mean, when you fell on me, did you hurt yourself? Do the bruises you have hurt?"

"Not really," Peter mumbled, absentmindedly lifting his shirt up. He pointed at the purple splotch on his right side. The dark color had began to turn a mild shade. Poking it with his finger he said, "this one doesn't hurt much."

Peter's shirt rode up farther, exposing more of his skin. It was a light beige tone, now with added bursts of redness from the scratches and light yellow from the sore areas. His slim fingers slid to his toned stomach and pressed against a spot which showed a barely visible discoloration. "This one doesn't hurt at all," Peter said, speaking in a voice slightly above a whisper.

Colin's eyes followed Peter's fingers as they skimmed his flesh, mapping out areas on his body. His fingers itched to touch Peter, to feel the soft skin beneath his palms. With how Peter was speaking, Colin knew he was oblivious to what he was doing. He had no clue how much Colin would have liked to run his hands over the dark brown freckles which he saw were spread out on his skin. There was one every few flicks of Peter's hand and Colin could have turned it into a game: Spot the freckle.

"So, I'm okay." Peter tugged down the shirt, eyes flitting up. He met Colin's gaze which was fixed on him, studying him like he was some sort of Morse code that this brown-haired and even deeper brown-eyed guy was trying to figure out.

"That's... that's great." Colin finally snapped out of his daze and looked away, sensing that Peter was beginning to shrink under the attention he was receiving. He rested his head on the top rail of the chair and looked at the carpeted floor, his eyes falling shut.

They opened a short while later when Peter's phone started blasting out the default ringtone most iPhones had. Opening, that was what it was called. And it was beginning to annoy the hell out of Colin with how loud it was.

Peter answered the call and his mouth immediately fell out of its hinges, making Colin's eyebrows lift in question.

"What? What do you mean you're here?" Peter rushed out of the couch and approached the window. His phone was in his hand and his mouth agape. Colin stood up and also went to the window to see what the commotion was about.

Down there, stood a grinning Ivy holding onto the hand of the little girl with hair as black as her Uncle's.

Lily.

~~~

A U T H O R ' S N O T E

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter.

Don't forget to vote and comment!