Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: My Time At Sandrock (Video Game) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Pablo/Fang (My Time At Sandrock) Characters: Pablo (My Time At Sandrock), Fang (My Time At Sandrock) Additional Tags: Post-Game(s), Pre-Relationship, Fluff Summary: Pablo is on the cusp of hosting Sandrock's very first Fashion Show. The fitting for his final model, Fang, is going well...until it comes time for him to don the swimwear. Pablo isn't sure why he's being so shy about it, until the reason is accidentally revealed to him, causing him to reevaluate this particular design in favor of Fang's comfort.
It was almost time. Sandrock’s very first Fashion Show was going to raise its curtains tomorrow night, and Pablo was beside himself with excitement. With a brand new stage built by the town's best and brightest builder, along with the enthusiastic support of mayor Trudy, everything was ready for the shows of a lifetime.
Well, almost. Pablo had just seen Owen out after his final fitting, and when he checked his name off of the model list, he realized that there was only one person left. Who should be arriving any minute now...
As he gave the outfits that he had crafted for said model a final once-over, he heard the parlor door open. Beaming, he spun around and rushed up to Fang, who had quietly stepped inside.
"Fang, darling! You made it!" Pablo gushed. "Let's get right to it, shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, he placed his hands on Fang's shoulders and steered him towards the back of the room. "I am oh-so-excited to see you in these beautiful outfits!"
Stopping in front of the curtains he had set up over a clothing rack as a make-shift fitting room, Pablo handed Fang the first outfit from the Starlight collection. "Go ahead and try this on for me, please."
Fang nodded. "Okay," he said, before disappearing behind the curtain. Pablo waited with baited breath as he changed, and when Fang stepped out, Pablo clapped his hands in delight.
"Oh, honey! You look fabulous!" Pablo giddily fluttered around Fang to make some minor adjustments. "Are you comfortable? Do the shoes fit? Can you see with the monocle?"
"Um...Yes. Yes. And...yes."
"Glad to hear it! But, don't take my word for it, look for yourself!" Pablo pulled a floor-length mirror in front of Fang and watched with a glint in his eyes as he examined himself. "Well, do you like it?"
Fang was silent for a moment, his eyes wandering over his own reflection, until he nodded slowly. "It is...different. But, I like it."
Pablo eagerly clapped his hands together. "Wonderful, wonderful! It's always a plus when the models adore their outfits. Now then, time for your swimwear..." He went back to the clothes rack and pulled out a pair of swim trunks, sandals, and the handful of accessories that he had meticulously chosen to complete the look. As Pablo handed Fang the outfit, he took note of how his brows furrowed slightly; maybe he was a little shy about how much skin he would be showing. There had never been a reason for anyone to don swimwear in Sandrock until quite recently, after all.
"Go on then. You're going to look so handsome, I'm sure of that, honey," Pablo said. Fang's lips set into a line and he disappeared behind the curtain without a word. After an oddly long time, Pablo started getting impatient and asked, "Is everything alright, Fang?"
A beat of silence went by, before Fang stuttered, "I-I don't think...Very...revealing..."
Pablo chuckled and waved a hand. "Come now, no need to be shy. You cut a very handsome figure-Oh!
Suddenly, Fang came stumbling out of the fitting room, landing on his hands and knees in front of Pablo. "Are you alright?" Pablo reached down to help him up, but as Fang's hair slipped over his shoulders, his back was bared to him, along with the probable reason for his protests.
Three large scars stood out among Fang's pale skin, and Pablo silently cursed himself for his thoughtlessness. Two long ones crossed each other through the middle of his back, while a larger blotchy one lay over his waist. Guilt consumed him as Pablo proceeded to help Fang up, who said nothing and stared at the floor.
"I am so, so sorry, Fang," Pablo said, scoffing as he rubbed at his temples. What a terrible social blunder this was turning out to be! Fang was already incredibly shy and stayed secluded for the most part; Pablo didn't want to make that worse, especially since he seemed to be slowly coming out of his shell more these days.
"Not your fault. The shoes...I tripped," Fang responded, but Pablo shook his head.
"Oh, not that. I mean, I should have known that you'd have a good reason to want to cover your back."
"Ah. So...you saw them."
Pablo nodded grimly. Fang let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head. "It...is fine. All in the past now."
"Still, hmm..." Pablo tapped at his chin. It wouldn't do to have one of his models so uncomfortable up on that stage, not to mention that he certainly did not want to reveal such a personal part of Fang's life to everyone and their mother. So, even if it pained him a little bit, Pablo was determined to alter this look for Fang's sake.
Turning to a rack of clothes lined up against the wall, Pablo walked over to it and started pulling out various shirts and swimsuit cover-ups. These particular items were a part of his reject pile, but maybe with a little mix and matching, he could make a new look work...
After a few minutes, a satisfied smile crossed his face, and he went back to Fang with one particular shirt in his hands. "Ah, here we go. Try this on, darling," he said while holding it out towards him.
Pursing his lips, Fang gave his head a slow shake. "But, your original idea. This is...not it."
"Oh, that." Pablo waved his free hand nonchalantly. "Well, one must be adaptable when involved in creative pursuits. And, even though I'm normally of the opposite opinion, I must take comfort into consideration before beauty in this case."
"But, Pablo-"
"That being said, you don't have to participate at all if you're still uncomfortable with the idea. All of my models are individuals with their own boundaries and comfort levels, and it would be incredibly uncouth of me to trample all over yours."
"...I see."
Pablo watched patiently as Fang rubbed at his arms and averted his gaze. When his eyes flicked back up, he slowly reached out towards Pablo, who smiled and handed him the shirt. His eyes sparkled when Fang slipped it on and turned towards him; oh yes, this was going to work splendidly!
"Beautiful!" Pablo exclaimed, and he frowned as he circled Fang before adding, "Oh Peach, from now on I really need to have someone model all of my creations before tossing them right into the reject pile..."
When Pablo was standing in front of Fang again, their eyes met, and the latter's lips twitched upwards ever-so-slightly; Pablo swore that he saw a ghost of a smile cross his face.
Fang glanced at his reflection in the mirror and nodded. "I like it."
Pablo sighed with relief and moved behind him to give his shoulders a squeeze. "I am so happy to hear that, darling. But, if that changes and you feel uncomfortable, do remember that you can back out at any time. I would never hold it against you."
"I know...Thank you."
Smiling brightly, Pablo waited until Fang changed back into his clothes and returned both of his outfits to their respective racks. "Thank you, Fang, truly. And I must apologize again for being so pushy earlier."
Fang shook his head and pushed his hair behind his ear...which Pablo found to be endearing for some odd reason. Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, I won't take any more of your time tonight. Take care, and I will see you tomorrow!"
"You...take care too."
As he watched Fang leave the parlor, Pablo's eyes were glued to his back, and a frown crossed his face. When the door had closed behind him, a long sigh filled the room.
"What happened to you, Fang...?" Pablo muttered to himself as his brow furrowed with concern. In spite of the overwhelming curiosity he felt about the topic, he assumed that it wasn't a happy story. That, and it was Fang's story to tell - if he even wanted to tell it - and Pablo figured that he wasn't someone that he would confide in the first place.
After tidying up the parlor and making sure that his models' outfits were all ready for the stage, Pablo called it a night early; there were many preparations to be done tomorrow before the first show.
When the time finally came for part one of Sandrock's very first "Deserticte" Fashion Show, Pablo took the stage and delivered his intro like a pro, if he did say so himself.
Thus began the Starlight show, and Pablo could not stop smiling as he watched each of his beautiful models walk the stage in the outfits that he designed himself. His smile grew when Fang, his final model, took the catwalk. His walk was a bit stiff, and he didn't strike a pose when he got to the end of the stage, but Pablo didn't mind at all; he was just happy that Fang was comfortable enough to get up there in the first place...and he looked devilishly handsome.
Part one of the Fashion Show had gone off without a hitch, and that made Pablo all the more excited for part two. The next day flew by in a blur, and before he knew it, he was standing up on that stage once more to deliver the intro for the Summer Heat show.
To Pablo's immense delight, the crowd seemed to have grown since last night's show. He watched with pride in his heart as his models took the stage again, but he found himself waiting with bated breath for one in particular to hit the stage...
However, he didn't show up.
Pablo had to bite his cheek to keep his face from falling as he joined the rest of his models on stage. He heard comments from a few spectators: "Isn't someone missing?" and "Yeah, I saw another piece on the flyer!" Fang had apparently made an impression on the stage last night...not that Pablo was surprised at all.
Unfortunately, although he had been hopeful, he also wasn't surprised that Fang had decided against showing up this time. Even with a shirt covering his scars, it couldn't have been easy for someone as reserved as Fang to show so much skin in front of a crowd of strangers.
Pablo started to address the crowd, "Ah...it appears one of our models is..."
"There they are!"
At the tourist's outburst, Pablo turned around, and his eyes went wide when he saw Fang walking onto the stage to take his place in between Amirah and Elsie. He couldn't stop a broad smile from crossing his face when Fang's eyes met his and he gave him a slight nod.
Turning around, Pablo took a bow and made one final speech to close the show. As the crowd dispersed, Pablo returned to his parlor. One by one, each of his models came in to change and return their outfits, and the last to do so was Fang.
"Fang, darling!" Pablo danced up to him as soon as he walked through the door. "Oh, you were really handsome, standing up on that stage. This outfit truly suits you."
Fang's shy gaze shifted to the floor. "Thank you..." He paused to fiddle with the charm on his necklace. "I felt...very uncomfortable."
Wincing, Pablo felt his heart clench. "Oh dear, you didn't have to-"
But," Fang interrupted, lifting his head and locking his eyes with Pablo's, "everyone was so happy..."
Pablo blinked. "Hm?"
"Seeing everyone so happy...I don’t feel...as uncomfortable...I think it is okay...sometimes. The show. Was fun."
Pablo's mouth fell agape, and then he was gifted with a most breathtaking sight: Fang smiled at him. It was a small smile, but that didn't stop Pablo's heart from fluttering and his cheeks from flooding with heat.
Shaking his head to bring himself back to his senses, Pablo said, "I can't help but feel proud of you, Fang. You shined brilliantly up there on that stage in spite of your discomfort. Thank you for being one of my models."
"You're welcome. It was...the least I could do. For something you worked so hard for."
Pablo felt a warmth spread throughout his chest - no doubt due to how well the shows had gone and definitely not because of how softly Fang was looking at him - as Fang disappeared behind the curtain to change. When he returned dressed in his own clothes, he excused himself and turned to leave.
"Wait," Pablo said, reaching out to grab Fang's arm. "Please, let me offer you a free haircut, Fang."
Fang turned to look at him and tilted his head. "Why?"
"Well, you stepped so far out of your comfort zone for me, so it's the least that I could do."
"Um..." Fang averted his gaze and chewed at his bottom lip. "I'll...think about it." Pablo barely heard his mumbled response, and he thought that his cheeks looked a bit flushed, but Fang had rushed out of the parlor before he could confirm it.
Pablo stared at the door for a bit, before reaching up to rub at his own red cheeks as one thought came to his mind:
'Was Fang...always this handsome?'
Exhausted from all of the excitement that the two fashion shows had created, Pablo managed to banish that juicy train of thought from his mind, and he slept like a baby that night. When he woke up the next day, he returned to his regular routine of making the residence of Sandrock more beautiful with the power of haircuts, makeup, and fashion advice.
As business at the end of the day started slowing down, Pablo pursed his lips when the door opened with only a few minutes until closing time. He turned around to snap at the latecomer, but any scathing remark he was about to make died on his lips when he saw exactly who had walked through the door.
"Fang, darling, welcome!" Beaming, Pablo moved to meet him at the waiting area. "Are you perhaps here to take me up on my offer for a free haircut?"
Fang nodded. "Yes. If it's...not too late. Was caught up with a patient today. For a long time."
"Oh, you're just in time to be my last customer, honey." In order to make sure of that, Pablo quickly changed his open sign to closed. He then led Fang to the makeover area and into one of the chairs in front of a mirror.
"Now," Pablo said as he draped a cape over his front, "what kind of cut are you looking for today?"
"U-Um..." Fang stared at his reflection and shifted his gaze to Pablo. "Just a...trim. Please."
Nodding, Pablo held his tongue; he would have loved to give Fang a brand new and bold cut, but seeing as Fang had never set foot in his parlor before, he wasn't surprised that he was taking a safe route. Maybe someday he could be convinced to make a more drastic change...
"Of course," Pablo gathered the tools he needed and began brushing out Fang's hair. "Do you mind if I talk while working my magic, Fang?"
"No."
"Oh, good, because I just need to tell someone the rumors circulating about how cozy our resident superstar builder and ex-bandit are getting!"
Pablo saw Fang's eyes go wide in the mirror, and he stifled a laugh before diving right into the latest town gossip while he did his job. Fang remained silent the entire time - which didn't surprise or bother Pablo in the slightest - but he did catch some subtle changes in his facial expressions: a raised eyebrow, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, his eyes widening...and Pablo found each and every one to be rather endearing.
When he had finished cutting Fang's hair, Pablo brushed it out and gave it a generous spray of a shine and repairing formula. He took some time to primp it, and when he was satisfied with his work, he grinned at Fang in the mirror and removed his cape.
"And done! Do you like it?" Pablo asked as he helped Fang to his feet.
Fang turned his head side to side, and a small smile crossed his face as he nodded. "Yes. Thank you."
Pablo mirrored his smile and ran his fingers through Fang's hair once more. "Oh, your hair looks so shiny. Much healthier, darling." He hummed in contemplation and added, "But, you must also be attentive to your skincare. This desert climate could wreak havoc on your handsome complexion." His hand moved to cup Fang's face before he could think about it. When he did pause to think about it, he winced and said, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Fang. I'm not sure what came over me-"
"W-Wait."
Pablo's hand froze mid-air when he started to pull away, and his heartbeat quickened when Fang slowly reached up to grasp it with his own. The feeling of Fang's thumb rubbing over his palm caused sweat to beat at the back of Pablo's neck; he swallowed thickly in a vain attempt to clear out the dryness that had suddenly swept through his mouth.
Fang's gaze moved up from their hands, his cheeks darkening slightly when his eyes met Pablo's. "Your hand...is soft."
Pablo stared dumbly at him in response, before he managed to pull himself together by clearing his throat. "Ahem, w-well, thank you, darling. The product of my own rather meticulous skincare routine." He watched as Fang opened his mouth, only to close it again; the way that he shyly averted his gaze gave Pablo a good indication of what he wanted to say.
"Would you like me to share my secrets with you?" he asked. Fang's eyes flicked back to his, and the tiny smile that graced his lips caused Pablo's heart to skip a beat.
"If...you wouldn't mind. Please."
Pablo chuckled and shot Fang a wink. "For you, honey? It would be my pleasure." He gave Fang's hand a gentle squeeze, which seemed to remind him that he was still holding it. However, when Fang tried to pull away, Pablo's grip tightened and he tugged him along until they were standing before the skincare rack.
"Now, let's see what would suit you the most..."
Pablo allowed Fang to sample a few different skin and face creams, and let him take a few home with him at a significant discount; Fang insisted on paying something even though Pablo was willing to give them to him free of charge this time.
When Pablo had walked Fang to the door, the latter asked, "If I have questions...can I...come back?"
"Of course you can," Pablo responded. He let out a chuckle and decided to tease Fang a bit, "In fact, I'm looking forward to your next visit."
"...Me too."
Pablo hadn't expected that answer; it seems that the teaser had unexpectedly become the tease-ee. Blinking owlishly, he watched as Fang opened the door and made to step outside. He paused and looked at Pablo over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Pablo. Thank you...again."
When he had left and closed the door behind him, Pablo let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and fanned himself with his hand; it had suddenly gotten very warm in here.
"Next visit..." Pablo muttered. A broad smile crossed his face as he started tidying up the parlor with an uncharacteristic spring in his step. Filled with a giddy anticipation, Pablo found himself hoping that Fang's next visit would be sooner rather than later...
