Peter and the little girl stepped out from the changing room, with him patting down her frilly green dress, as Colin adjusted the shades and moved the equipment into position.

What's up with this bunch? They went in there together? Were the thoughts on Colin's mind as he spyed them from the corner of his eye.

The woman, Ivy, had to purchase something from a store down the block after she had received a phone call. It seemed it was urgent because she handed Colin the money she was to pay---even before the shoot was done---and rushed out of the place, saying she'd be back for them in a while.

Ivy only came because she had to make sure Peter took those photos. He was stubborn, and even though he knew the photos were of great importance, he'd have worn a potato sack if it was up to him.

That was why she had taken precautions and packed his outfit herself; she couldn't afford to risk it.

The Chus were to take five photos in all; two of the little girl, two of Peter and one of them together.

Peter took the girl by the hand and led her to the bright yellow cube that she sat on.

Behind the camera, Colin focused the lens on the girl and clicked the first photo.

All of a sudden, the room was filled with blinding bright lights that went off as soon as they heard the shutter sound. It threw Colin off focus and he covered his eyes with his palm, white dots dancing beneath his eyelids.

Dammit Austin, Colin thought. The number of times Colin had to tell Austin to adjust and dim the lights after any shoot was exhausting. You gotta learn sometime. Twelve times have to be enough to fucking know that the lights go off after a shoot. But you just never learn.

Peter, who had also shielded his eyes from the glare, blinked rapidly after Colin shut them off. He stared at Colin, and the glare on his face was more dangerous and burned brighter than the high-powered lights.

Colin, after he was done changing the settings, noticed that the girl still sat there. She hadn't moved a muscle and hadn't even made an effort to protect her eyes. Again, he found this peculiar.

"Dude, what the fuck? You almost blinded me," Peter said in a rage, teeth clenched. "You'd have blinded my niece! Lucky for her that she can't see a damn thing in the first place else you'd have taken her eyesight away!"

That was the reason. She was blind. It was the most plausible explanation for the feeling up of her hair and walking into the changing room with Peter. He had dressed her. And now, the lack of a reaction to the flash of light.

"Look, man." Colin started trying to calm Peter. "I had no idea that the-"

"I thought you were supposed to be a professional and here you are, about to hand out a handicap on a silver lens."

Colin watched the boy closely through light brown eyes the colour of burnt sienna wood. Peter stared back, even though Colin's piercing gaze made him want to look away.

Colin tried explaining again, even though he had the urge to do more than that. "I didn't know it would---"

"I don't wanna hear your lame explanations. You already annoy the hell out of me when you're quiet. Oh wait, you never are."

That was the last straw for Colin, and he forgot the girl was still in the room.

"Do you have a stick shoved up your ass or something? It's not my fault you got dumped, so don't get all bat shit crazy on me. Bet the cheating wasn't the only thing that drove the girl off," Colin fired. "That attitude you have needs to be dealt with. I didn't know, alright. So shut your trap and take a seat."

With the outburst from Colin, Peter meekly sat down. Well, as meek as someone like him could be.

Holding up the camera, Colin pointed it at the girl once again.

She stared out with no emotion showing on her face, no expression. Colin grimaced. This isn't going to work, he thought. Not like this.

He immediately thought of something.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Colin asked, zooming in on the girl's face. Initiating a conversation might be the route that got him a great photo.

He looked at eyes from behind the camera. They were beautiful. A hazel colour speckled with a mix of shades; little flecks of gold and green. They were like something paint from an artist's brush had dripped on and the green of her dress complimented her eyes in the most perfect way. It was a pity that such magnificent eyes didn't have vision.

"Lily," she replied, voice small and innocent. It was the first time she had spoken since she stepped into the store.

"Lilies are my favorite flowers," Colin told her.

Colin didn't expect the girl to ask him a question- in fact he assumed that their conversation was over but she surprised both him and Peter.

"What do they look like?"

Peter passed Colin a challenging look. He'd been there before- asked about the look of certain things. All his answers to those questions always seemed wrong. Every single time. It left him frustrated anytime she couldn't get visuals from his descriptions.

Colin didn't take long in answering. "Absolutely beautiful. Just like you."

Lily, hearing those words, smiled. It was something she hardly ever did, and it took Peter by surprise.

Once again, Colin had managed to get a reaction from the normally withdrawn girl- something Peter had to try over and over again, multiple times, to achieve.

It was a fascination to Colin that a person who hadn't seen one in the span of their life knew how to smile. It was an instinct, beautiful as it was. You didn't have to demonstrate or teach someone how to do it. They just naturally knew how.

As he took photos of the beaming, darkhaired girl, he wasn't prepared that she would speak again.

"What is your name?"

"Colin."

She didn't ask any more questions and Colin stood from where he was crouched.

It was Peter's turn to take photos with Lilyn and he sat next to her.

Her hand immediately found his the second his weight was on the box and he gave her a small smile, kissing her forehead.

She giggled. "I'm too old for that, you know?"

"I know."

He huddled close to her small form and Colin took a couple of shots.

Colin stood from the crouch position he was in and gave them a nod that it was done.

Lily started tugging at Peter's shirt soon after, and he asked her what the problem was.

"I'm hungry, when's my mom coming?"

"She said she'd be back soon. I think I have some juice in my backpack, come."

Peter's hand went around Lily as he guided her to the front desk area and dug through his backpack for the pouch of kool-aid he had stuffed in there this morning.

He stroked her hair as she sipped from the straw and got back into the studio.

Let's get this over with, thought Peter as he took a seat in a chair positioned in front of a plain white background.

"Hey, the camera's over here. Don't be turning your head around like you're a lost chicken."

Colin's comment resulted in a scowl from Peter. "At least I have a head sitting on top of my neck." Peter rolled his eyes.

Colin squatted a few feet from Peter's chair and looked through the lens, one eye clamped shut.

He'll admit, Peter had a nice neck, even if his mouth wouldn't stop running. It was long and slender, with freckles peppered on certain spots. Colin couldn't help as his thoughts strayed. My hand would fit perfectly around that neck.

He admired Peter's long eyelashes that drooped over his eyelids as he blinked over and over again.

"If you don't want your pictures to look like trash, keep your eyes open."

Peter's eyes were also a different story. They were dark as night. So dark you couldn't tell where iris ended and pupil began; they melted together in a black swirl.

Even when those eyes got clouded with unhidden dislike and bushy eyebrows furrowed, Colin's smile---which revealed a small chip on one of his front teeth from a wipe out on his old skateboard---didn't falter.

Peter's lips parted in a bid to speak, but Colin stopped him.

"Shh, you don't wanna ruin the pictures." Colin was lying if he said he wasn't having fun messing with the scowling boy. Plus, the view of his plump, pink lips was a helluva good sight. Imagine those lips wrapped around my-

No, he couldn't let his thoughts stray that far. He was a professional, even if he wouldn't mind taking Peter that very moment.

"Last one... " Colin murmured as he captured the final shot.

He looked through the photos he had taken and was satisfied with the results.

The photos were good. Colin turned to Peter, who was staring pointedly at him from where he sat in a chair across the room, one leg crossed over the other.

"Take a look at these?" Colin directed the camera and Peter.

Lifting himself from the chair, Peter made his way to the brown-haired guy and made a motion with his fingers for Colin to hand it over.

Colin brought the camera towards himself. "Ask nicely and I'll give it to you. It won't kill you, might leave you sore and aching... since you're clearly not used to being nice. But you'll survive."

The double interpretation of Colin's words was not lost on Peter. He knew Colin had fully intended to choose those exact words when his head cocked to the side and a corner of his lips turned up suggestively.

However, Peter would never let Colin have that satisfaction of knowing that he affected him. Honestly, he couldn't say that he was not intimidated by the guy. Colin was taller and more muscular than him. His scrawny arms and sinewy muscles looked pathetic in comparison.

Peter swallowed hard before he spoke, his throat which had unbelievably dried up. "I'd rather smash that camera first and swim with piranhas than be nice to you."

"Suit yourself." Colin shrugged and walked off.

Peter, disappointed that he had no idea what kind of photos Colin had taken, would never dare ask to see them.

Instead, he got Lily and changed her back into her street clothes.

Ivy came back a while after the entire shoot was done and Colin was editing the pictures.

She took a look at them and smiled.

"They're beautiful. You even managed to get good ones of the Grinch over there." She laughed. "Come look at them, Peter."

Peter was curious to see the photos; a glance would be okay for him. But his pride. His damn pride and ego wouldn't let him. He couldn't swallow it, it was the size of a basketball.

He was having second thoughts and weighing whether he should just suck it up and go see the photos, but when his eyes meet Colin's daring brown ones; he decided he'd rather not see them.

After all, he'd eventually get to see them, anyway.

As his sister and niece walked out the door, with him close behind, he heard Colin call out to him.

"Hey, I got a question for you."

Peter stopped and turned, curious about what Colin had to say. His eyebrows raised, a subtle sign for Colin to carry on.

"Are you in any way gay?"

Author's Note

Second chapter up!

Thoughts on it? I actually haven't written anything under an lgbt+ theme so I'd appreciate all your suggestions on how I could improve some parts I messed up.

Till the next chapter! :)))