Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā aĀ Ā wideĀ Ā grinĀ Ā momentarilyĀ Ā stretchesĀ Ā acrossĀ Ā hisĀ Ā faceĀ Ā toĀ Ā displayĀ Ā aĀ Ā setĀ Ā ofĀ Ā whiteĀ Ā teethĀ ,Ā Ā headĀ Ā shakingĀ Ā slightlyĀ Ā asĀ Ā heĀ Ā beganĀ Ā mixingĀ Ā theĀ Ā redĀ Ā andĀ Ā whiteĀ Ā paintĀ Ā togetherĀ Ā toĀ Ā makeĀ Ā theĀ Ā perfectĀ Ā shadeĀ Ā ofĀ Ā pinkĀ .Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā iĀ Ā thoughtĀ Ā youĀ Ā cameĀ Ā toĀ Ā meĀ Ā becauseĀ Ā iĀ Ā wasĀ Ā theĀ Ā onlyĀ Ā optionĀ . Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā masonĀ Ā snortsĀ Ā andĀ Ā theĀ Ā cornerĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā lipĀ Ā liftsĀ Ā inĀ Ā aĀ Ā smallĀ Ā smirkĀ ,Ā Ā tryingĀ Ā toĀ Ā comeĀ Ā offĀ Ā moreĀ Ā confidentĀ Ā thanĀ Ā heĀ Ā actuallyĀ Ā wasĀ Ā atĀ Ā suchĀ Ā aĀ Ā closeĀ Ā distanceĀ .Ā Ā Ā ā Ā Ā Ā itĀ Ā suitsĀ Ā youĀ Ā justĀ Ā fineĀ ,Ā Ā aveĀ ,Ā Ā ifĀ Ā anyoneĀ Ā wereĀ Ā aĀ Ā catĀ Ā inĀ Ā anotherĀ Ā lifeĀ Ā thenĀ Ā iāmĀ Ā sureĀ Ā itĀ Ā wouldĀ Ā beĀ Ā youĀ . Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā heĀ Ā raisesĀ Ā theĀ Ā brushĀ ,Ā Ā bristlesĀ Ā nowĀ Ā coveredĀ Ā inĀ Ā pinkĀ ,Ā Ā andĀ Ā beginsĀ Ā hisĀ Ā workĀ Ā whileĀ Ā hisĀ Ā otherĀ Ā handĀ Ā delicatelyĀ Ā takesĀ Ā averyāsĀ Ā chinĀ Ā betweenĀ Ā hisĀ Ā thumbĀ Ā andĀ Ā indexĀ Ā fingersĀ .Ā Ā theĀ Ā silenceĀ Ā thatĀ Ā fallsĀ Ā overĀ Ā themĀ Ā asĀ Ā heĀ Ā paintsĀ Ā theĀ Ā tipĀ Ā ofĀ Ā theĀ Ā otherāsĀ Ā noseĀ Ā isĀ Ā comfortableĀ Ā āĀ Ā peacefulĀ ,Ā Ā evenĀ Ā ā¦Ā Ā thatāsĀ Ā untilĀ Ā heĀ Ā noticesĀ Ā himĀ Ā staringĀ Ā inĀ Ā hisĀ Ā peripheralĀ Ā visionĀ .Ā Ā itĀ Ā takesĀ Ā allĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā willpowerĀ Ā toĀ Ā keepĀ Ā focusĀ Ā onĀ Ā theĀ Ā taskĀ Ā atĀ Ā handĀ Ā andĀ Ā notĀ Ā atĀ Ā theĀ Ā pairĀ Ā ofĀ Ā brownĀ Ā huesĀ Ā thatĀ Ā seemedĀ Ā toĀ Ā beĀ Ā memorizingĀ Ā hisĀ Ā faceĀ .
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā masonĀ ,Ā Ā aĀ Ā youngĀ Ā manĀ Ā whoĀ Ā wasĀ Ā naturallyĀ Ā privateĀ ,Ā Ā hadĀ Ā justĀ Ā suggestedĀ Ā introducingĀ Ā theĀ Ā otherĀ Ā toĀ Ā aĀ Ā familyĀ Ā memberĀ .Ā Ā whatĀ Ā gotĀ Ā intoĀ Ā himĀ Ā andĀ Ā wasĀ Ā itĀ Ā onlyĀ Ā aboutĀ Ā givingĀ Ā hisĀ Ā sisterĀ Ā aĀ Ā lessonĀ Ā inĀ Ā etiquetteĀ Ā ?Ā Ā itĀ Ā wasnātĀ Ā asĀ Ā ifĀ Ā heĀ Ā wereĀ Ā suggestingĀ Ā invitingĀ Ā himĀ Ā overĀ Ā toĀ Ā aĀ Ā familyĀ Ā dinnerĀ Ā orĀ Ā lettingĀ Ā himĀ Ā meetĀ Ā hisĀ Ā momĀ Ā āĀ Ā rightĀ Ā ?Ā Ā shitĀ .Ā Ā theĀ Ā thoughtĀ Ā ofĀ Ā hisĀ Ā motherĀ Ā accompanyingĀ Ā theĀ Ā childĀ Ā aroundĀ Ā theĀ Ā festivalĀ Ā slippedĀ Ā hisĀ Ā mindĀ Ā completelyĀ .Ā Ā allĀ Ā thatĀ Ā heĀ Ā couldĀ Ā doĀ Ā wasĀ Ā simplyĀ Ā prayĀ Ā toĀ Ā whateverĀ Ā deityĀ Ā wasĀ Ā listeningĀ Ā forĀ Ā somethingĀ Ā toĀ Ā preventĀ Ā averyĀ Ā fromĀ Ā havingĀ Ā aĀ Ā momentĀ Ā toĀ Ā spareĀ .Ā Ā notĀ Ā toĀ Ā mentionĀ ,Ā Ā theĀ Ā manāsĀ Ā staringĀ Ā wasnātĀ Ā helpingĀ Ā theĀ Ā growingĀ Ā rednessĀ Ā thatĀ Ā beganĀ Ā toĀ Ā spreadĀ Ā acrossĀ Ā masonāsĀ Ā cheeksĀ .Ā Ā Ā ā Ā Ā Ā ohĀ ,Ā Ā rightĀ Ā āĀ Ā youāllĀ Ā probablyĀ Ā beĀ Ā busyĀ Ā ā¦Ā Ā yāknowĀ ,Ā Ā peopleĀ Ā haveĀ Ā anĀ Ā almostĀ Ā insatiableĀ Ā appetiteĀ Ā atĀ Ā theseĀ Ā kindsĀ Ā ofĀ Ā thingsĀ .Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā smoothĀ ,Ā Ā realĀ Ā smoothĀ .Ā Ā heĀ Ā wishesĀ Ā someoneĀ Ā wouldĀ Ā takeĀ Ā theĀ Ā brushĀ Ā fromĀ Ā hisĀ Ā fingersĀ Ā andĀ Ā writeĀ Ā theĀ Ā wordĀ Ā āĀ loserĀ āĀ Ā acrossĀ Ā hisĀ Ā foreheadĀ .Ā Ā Ā ā Ā Ā Ā soĀ ,Ā Ā areĀ Ā youĀ Ā onlyĀ Ā hereĀ Ā toĀ Ā workĀ Ā orĀ Ā doĀ Ā youĀ Ā genuinelyĀ Ā enjoyĀ Ā stuffĀ Ā likeĀ Ā thisĀ Ā ?Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā masonĀ Ā asksĀ Ā asĀ Ā ifĀ Ā heāsĀ Ā completelyĀ Ā unaffectedĀ Ā byĀ Ā theĀ Ā gazeĀ Ā thatĀ Ā theĀ Ā otherĀ Ā hasĀ Ā lockedĀ Ā onĀ Ā himĀ .
āis that so??ā avery mused, not bothering to argue or agree. truth was, there were plenty of options he could have chosen from before his arrival. his co-workers would have also been more than happy to help add a bit of make-up to his look. he also could have come back later, should someone else come to help at the stall. regardless, the factĀ was he didnāt want anyone else to paint on his face. if mason hadnāt been the one running the stall, there was no way he would have chosen to stop by and add some more cat-esque features to his costume. not that mason needed to know that. as the younger confirmed that the cat choice was actually quite suiting, avery couldnāt keep his lips from curling into a smirk. the smirk didnāt last long, however, as his chin was taken between masonās fingers.Ā āfolks at vitaās clinic suggested it to me,ā he murmured, lashes fluttering slightly as the bristles of the paintbrush started to stroke his nose. a bit of silence settled over them for the moment, leaving avery to get lost in his gazeās task of mapping out the otherās face.
it was most likley, his staring that is, the reason why he actually noticed the colouring begin to bloom on the otherās cheeks. it didnāt register, in the moment, that heĀ could have been the one to cause the other to blush.Ā āmm,ā avery studied the otherās expression, wondering if he wanted to take back the invitation to introduce him to his younger sibling.Ā āiāll make time if i need toĀ ifĀ you want to bring her by.ā he told the other simply, because he would. as unexpected as meeting the otherās sister would be, he wouldnāt reject the option. blinking slowly, averyās gaze finally flickered away. it shifted to look down at masonās shoulder as he considered the otherās question. part of him felt inclined to answer truthfully in a more detailedĀ and honest answer. another part figured a one word answer would suffice as well. avery chose to go somewhere in the middle.Ā āonly for work, really. they asked me to work the stall and i couldnāt come up with a good reason not to.ā he paused, eyes shifting back to look at masonās mouth. a habit from constantly lip reading in most scenarios although the other man is close enough he could focus on his words without needing to.Ā āiām not the biggest fan of crowds so i probably wouldnāt have come out otherwise.ā he admitted this simply, not delving into details and instead keeping it short. it was more than heād tell most, not that mason knew that.