𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐘.

SERGIO FAYED. twenty-five. food truck worker. better than your boyfriend. CLICK HERE FOR INTRO.

[giofyd]

ORION CASTILLO.

Whilst Ori was hopeful the warning would have the young man turning on his heels and understanding boundaries for once it was not surprising when they didn’t. But, for the older one of the pair it was too early for this, he still hadn’t attached a caffeine drip to his veins yet. “Dame fuerza” [give me strength] he mumbles under his breath as Gio started up an annoying conversation with himself. “Yes yes, hello Gio,” he tries to dismiss his bad manners with a save of his hand in their direction. If anyone made him feel like a grumpy old man it was him.

Relief flooded him when he found his keys, knowing he was seconds away from locking the other out and ridding them for the day. Or so he thought. With his key pushed into the lock he froze, thinking of how every time he’d look out the window the kids face would be there mocking him. “And if I say no?” he asks slowly, cautiously turning to face the other. “Por el amor de Dios” [For gods sake/fuck sake] he swears as he finds them much closer than he expected a normal person to be. Normal. Right, this town let alone being before him was far from normal. “Gio. Personal space. We’ve talked about this” he huffs, finally turning the key. Stepping in the doorway he extended his hand in the mans direction “stay.” Ori reframed from shutting the door on them, lingering to handle this before he’s stuck with the boy all day.

Gio takes a single step back, though keeps his eyes intensely focused on the storekeeper. Orion has always been transparent about how he feels about Gio’s presence, but that never stopped the younger man from pursuing a friendship with him. To Gio, the challenge is an invitation. He’d taken harder rejections - this is simply nothing. This probably just means that he needs to be craftier about his methods.

And perhaps he’d been going about it the wrong way. If the main door’s jammed, he could at least try getting to Ori through the window.

(Or the backdoor, but that’s rife with imagery that he doesn’t want to entertain.)

“Hey, man, that’s no way to talk to a potential customer,” Gio says, sternly this time, and squares his shoulders like a man ready to spend money he doesn’t have on antique collectibles. If that’s what it’ll take, then so be it.

[giofyd]

NIKOLAS DE LARUSSI.

Nik is actually startled when Gio hops up the way he does. Nik stares at him, wide eyed and blinking. Of all the reactions he definitely wasn’t expecting this one and he’s not sure if it’s bad or good just yet. But he blushes, head whipping around to make sure no one is paying them any mind but not actually looking hard enough to know before he tilts his head, looking like a confused puppy. “UUhhhhhh, I’m not sure I want to repeat it now-What’s…?” He trails off with a confused laugh, the next portion coming out sounding more like a question. “Hunter and I are kinda like…together soooooooo…” The words trail off again before he reaches for Gio, trying to pull him back down into his seat. “Keep your voice down, please. You and my mom are the only people that know. I don’t know if Hunter is comfortable being…Out, yet. I’m only telling you because you’re the third musketeer and before you argue with me, yes. The third. And that’s final.” 

‎

Gio squeaks - he squeaks - and triumphantly punches a fist into the air. “I knew it! I fuckin’ knew it!” He’s grinning from ear to ear, truly very happy for his friends. “Oh, I could kiss you both right now. I wish I’d bet money on this!” he adds, the latter spoken unabashedly; he’d always been confident in his friends getting together at some point, it was just a question of when. Hunter and Nik couldn’t have been more painfully obvious in their pining for each other, what with all those longing looks and playful touches. But even then, Nik makes a good point - he’s not sure if Hunter was out, and it wouldn’t have been his business to pry even as one of his very close friends.

“Wait, when did this happen? How did it happen? Tell me everything,” he asks, only for a lack of excitement in his own life at the moment. Perhaps he could live out his most romantic fantasies through his best friends.

[giofyd]

LUÍS GONÇALVES.

“Okay, then I pick the chicken one. Hey! If I get food poisoning, and I gotta call out of work, can I sue you on one of those TV court shows for lost wages? I hear they pay ya no matter if you win or lose, and I can plug the stream.” He grinned at his reflection, settling finally on a hat and beginning to study his own face in the mirror, running a hand along his facial hair. With that, he gave a soft hum before sticking out his tongue.

“I sell you plenty hard, dude” he retorted, giving something of a huff. “I can’t help if I got charisma. It just happens. I say things, and it’s just hilarious and suave and shit. It’s why I’m so good at what I do.” But knitting his brow, Luís reached out an arm and tugged Gio over to the mirror. “But look at yourself, bro. You’re, like, a solid ten. Genetic lotto win. The two of us, we’re the hottest fuckin’ guys in this town. You could have anyone you wanted. I wish I had your goddamn jawline.” He put an arm around his shoulder. “So what? You wanna bulk? I’ll help you bulk. We’ll go lift. You should try that shirt on. It’ll look good on ya.” He flashed his teeth before breaking into a snorting laugh. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that now.”  Still, cocking his head sideways,  Luís narrowed his eyes, rolling up his sleeve to flex, “Maybe I should start posting thirst traps, though. Is that bad? I don’t think so. I could get thirst follows.” 

Gio raises a brow at the idea that Luís had hatched. He has to give it to him,  it’s certainly one of his better ideas, which is saying something. “There’s a method to you madness, my guy. Sure.” Gio gives him a lackadaisical smile and nods. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a natural-born charmer, just a regular Brando.” Gio says and studies his reflection from the same mirror that Luis had been ogling. He’d never been one to obsess over his image or to measure his physical attractiveness against other people, but next to Luis, it’s hard not to feel like a dried-up chicken wing. It’s true, he could use some bulking up a little, but it had just never been him. “I don’t know, I’ve never pictured myself swole, you know? Or, I have, but then I look like… you know that Spongebob episode where Squidward has an accident and they reconstruct his face and he ends up looking… well, hot? It’s kinda like that. Like my head shouldn’t belong to my body.” 

This isn’t to say that he does not appreciate Luis hyping him up. Because he does. They’ve both reached a point in their friendship where they’ve taken it upon themselves to pull up each other’s self-esteem because no one else will. 

At Luis’ suggestion, he tries on the shirt - still over his own - and starts to work on the buttons. “Hey, no one’s stopping you. I think you’d make a great influencer. Start getting free shit without having to grovel for ‘em.” He leaves the top buttons undone and wiggles his arms a bit. “Or we could always just go back to your Court TV idea and you’d get scouted without even trying.”

[giofyd]

Nik // Gio

Nik: He doesn't know actually. I wasn't planning on keeping it but it was out there in the heat panting and looking miserable. I was just going to feed it and drop it off at the shelter but every time I look over at it that gets harder to do.

Nik: How have I not blocked your number yet? Of all the mysteries in Pleasance, this is by far the biggest.

Gio: That is sickeningly sweet. look at u guys building a life together!!!!

Gio: Uhhh because i'm charming like a stray cat?? i come and go as i please. u might as well have adopted me tbh.

[harry-strickland]

[homoeroticism]

#mood

[giofyd]

AJITA TANNU.

“You know me too well,” Ajita said while wiggling her eyebrows. Her lips broke in a smile as he refrained from commenting back on Geography, instead focussing back on Charli who had absolutely no idea what was going on. His joke was mean, but it was well thought off, so Ajita really just had to laugh even if it was at her own expense. Okay, yes, maybe she wasn’t that great at making friends. Gio had his buddies, Ajita tended to make friends less easy. Her mom said it was her vibrant personality, few could match it. “Are you jealous? Because don’t worry, I can find you a squirrel or something to keep you company? Maybe a raccoon?” 

‎

“Oh, please.” Gio scoffs. “Like you could get a squirrel.” He huffs amusedly; so maybe they’ve never said the kindest words to each other, but that’s only because they know each other well enough to identify which buttons to push. Or Gio likes to think so, anyway. He can’t imagine there being much more to Ajita Tannu than the condescending, annoying, uppity intellectual with a superiority complex he’s known all his life. And in all fairness, there isn’t much more to him than the lazy, reckless deadbeat that he’s been all his life, either.

He’s not sure either of them can outgrow this. They’ll both be 70 and they’ll be sitting on this very bench trading geriatric playground insults.

“Look, why did you bother coming back, anyway? Europe not good enough for you, or you’re not good enough for Europe?” They’re probably way better than he’s ever going to be and for that reason, Gio believes he must give them a hard time for it.

[giofyd]

Nik // Open

Nik: If you replace sneaking someone from prison with snuck a stray cat into the apartment then....maybe.

Nik: THAT counts as a slumber party.

Gio: You and Hunter have a cat now???

Gio: Looks like things are getting serious 👀

[giofyd]

ORION CASTILLO.

“No. Not today, please, anything but this.” Ori was muttering to himself as he picked up his pace, moving past the neighbouring buildings as he aggressively pats down his pockets searching for the store keys. There was one thing that could side track Ori’s day in a matter of ten seconds, and it came in the form of one twenty-five year old idiot named Gio Fayed. The kid just wouldn’t let him be, it was like Gio had some sort of Orion radar. Maybe he should have just turned around and called in sick, dodged a bullet whilst he still could. With the store was so close, he thought he might make it in time, risking his exposure as he hurried along. But then he got himself caught up, at the door of the store with no key in hand. 

“We’re not open yet Gio,” he warns with his back turn to the younger man, his gaze turned down as he opens his bag to riffle around it for the keys he needed. He didn’t have to look up, he knew the other was there. He was always. there. The sign Ori had printed some time ago now mocked him, overlooking the pair from behind the glass window, its big black lettering reading ‘No Gios allowed’. If only the boy would listen to it.

@giofyd​

He was not waiting to jump Ori at the store.

That’s what he’s going to tell him, anyway.

Gio is well-aware of the older man’s aversion to his presence - Ori simply finds him to be a bit much and while it’s easy to take offense, Gio instead chooses to see it as a compliment.

Who doesn’t want to be a bit much? It beats being not enough.

Being a bit much got him his own sign at the store. The notoriety of being that Gio is something he enjoys.

“Good morning, Gio, nice to see you today, Gio. Aw, thanks, Ori, you look very handsome, too,” he says, doing his best impression of the storekeeper while Ori rummages through his bag for the keys he probably wished he already had in his hands or he'd have already slammed the door in Gio’s face. “Hey, cool with you if I park the truck out here today? Might help bring in some customers for ya,” he continues, leaning against the glass as he gets a little too close for comfort.

[giofyd]

Nik // Open

Nik: Okay but sneaking someone out of prison and hiding them in your apartment is not a ‘slumber party.’

Gio: Well... did you?

[giofyd]

HUNTER DAVIS.

Hunter doesn’t comment on the channel change, he doesn’t watch the news much either. It usually seemed to focus on some tragedy and he wasn’t into that. 

He considers Gio’s answer for a moment and he can see the perspective. It’s good to stand up for yourself, it shows that you value yourself and don’t want people to belittle you. But with his friend, he seemed to pick these fights on purpose.

He gives a small scoff. “You’re talkin’ like I’ve never stood up for myself before.” The statement is quiet, not wanting to start a fight between his friend. He’s not trying to hurt Gio, he’s just concerned for him, today may have been a small injury but who knows what it’ll be next time. 

“I just wish you wouldn’t act like your disposable, like it doesn’t matter if you get hurt. They mighta been douchebags but they coulda hurt you way worse than this.” His tone isn’t aggression, but worry because his friend has been doing this for a while.

Gio had never been a martyr. He’ll promptly save himself first and then his gameboy and then his aunt from a burning building. Only come back for anyone else if there’s still time. But saying that he only picks fights with people who deserve to be fought is easier than having to explain that there’s an itch in his brain that needs constant scratching. Impulses he can’t ignore. The need for instant gratification. The thrill of never expecting when fists are gonna start flying unless he throws the first punch. And then chalk it up to some justifiable hero complex he does not have.

“Listen, Hunt, if they could hurt me worse, they would. I’m tough, come on - I’ve got thick skin.” And in an attempt to be funny ( stupid ), he pulls at the taut stretch of skin over his arm, then his cheek, which he offers towards Hunter to take a pinch for himself, chin jutting out as he leans across the sofa. 

[giofyd]

AJITA TANNU.

“We both know you don’t have the guts to post it, though,” Ajita threw back, self-satisfied smile on her face as she gave Gio a once over. “Bulgaria, you may not have heard of that country, I don’t know how far you got in school. It’s in Eastern Europe, above Greece and slightly connected to Turkey, left off the Black Sea. Let me know if my words are confusing you, alright?” If Gio wanted to make fun of her being smart, she would make fun of him being dumb. She was certain he wasn’t actually dumb, but she loved to see his reaction.

‎

“I would, but I won’t - only because you’re gonna comment stupid lies on it.” She would, she really would, he won’t put it past her. And neither would making petty comments about him not being the sharpest tool in the box - where grades and books are concerned, anyway - but he’d already embraced his being a little less intellectually gifted. He’ll say it’s just part of his charm, something which Ajita desperately lacks. Still, he is briefly stymied. Geography had been one of his weaker subjects.

“So you decided to adopt a friend because nobody with thumbs wanted to volunteer?” He snorts.

[giofyd]

BEHROOZ NAJM.

Bez grinned, their usual - I am becoming a part of this conversation even while I am just a bystander - way, enjoying being seen as a confidant. They listened and nodded, not having met Shadow before but knowing she existed, finding it incredibly funny that Gio so openly said that Whisper had been more fun when she wasn’t a mom. They basked in these secrets being shared, though knowing Gio, he was truthful with more people than just them. But still the effortless motion with which he spoke reminded Bez of friends back in London. “My lips are sealed,” Bez said in response, doing the little motion with their fingers. 

They bit their lip, nodding as Gio spoke. They did feel like an outsider, but that wasn’t anything new, that wasn’t because of Pleasance. They decided to shrug in response, the cop comment hitting them much harder than the Harry Potter reference. If anything, their British accent got them closer to people, or at least made them a certain oddity that requested introduction. 

“I don’t know… I just… Don’t you ever feel like you’re doing things wrong? Like people will judge you no matter what, that whatever you think you should be doing is not what you should be doing?” they rambled, then reached for some more food, and started eating again. Only when they had swallowed a second bite, did they think to have their thoughts relatively in order. Yet, they didn’t feel like saying them out loud. Not now. “Anyway, I’ll get there, alright, it’s just not high on my list. Back to you and this hot lady, any plans on wooing her?”

‎

The question didn’t do much for Gio. He’s never been the type to worry much about what people thought of him. Carefree to a fault, one might consider his reckless disregard for opinions that weren’t his own as destructive. Striking a careful balance between confidence and accountability was something his aunt had been desperately trying to instill in him, to no avail.

And it goes beyond just that. Frankly, he’s never had the problem of having to feel like an outside in his own home. Perks of being the boy who never left, he supposes.

“You know you worry too much? Like, seriously, too much? Isn’t being a cop stressful enough? You gotta just learn how to not think. About what other people think, or about anything. Outside of your job, who cares what you should be doing? It’s your life.” Easier said than done, but Gio, true to his advice, no longer thinks about it, simply takes another spoonful of peas, spreads it over some bread and rolls it in burrito-like fashion. 

He’d forgotten they were talking about Fran there for a minute. “Woo her, woo-hoo her, who knows. I promised to take her on a tour of the town, so there’s that. Dunno when she’ll be going back to New York. Might ask her to whisk me away.” He laughs at himself there. Like he’ll ever leave Aunt Maja.

[giofyd]

NIKOLAS DE LARUSSI.

Nik shrugs and shakes his head. It’s almost perfunctory to want to help, especially his friends. The thought of being paid back or favors being returned in any way never crosses his mind. It’s not lost on him how lucky he is to be able to live comfortably enough so anything he can do to spread the good fortune, especially in this town, is nothing short of treat for him, honestly. But he also understands everyone is human and for a lot of people accepting and asking for helper is easier said than done. He’s shaking his head, just about to refuse any offer of payback when the comment is made. The way he stops on a dime probably looks half ridiculous, half hilarious. Slowly, his eyes venture over to his friend and he blinks several times. It only takes about half a second to come up with a retort he knows will send Gio spiralling into an awkward ‘my ears’ abyss which seems like the perfect payback for such blatant disrespect.~ “That’s okay. Hunter’s got me covered in that department these days but if you ever want to buy me an extra sandwich, I won’t complain.” Nik grins in the most innocent manner imaginable before taking another bite of his food. “But in all seriousness, is there anything else I can do to help?” 

‎

How easy it would’ve been for Nik’s mention of Hunter to go by unnoticed; a fair mistake, considering how intertwined their lives are with each other’s and that Gio is currently distracted by a snow white Samoyed passing by on a walk with its owner - how he wishes he could get a dog of his own - amused by its fluffy duster-like tail swaying as it happily trots along the sidewalk. 

Right, Nik is saying something about fucking Hunter.

He’s fucking Hunter.

The nonchalance with which Nik drops the bomb (and judging by that smug grin on his face, he knows exactly what he’s doing) sends Gio into a frenzy. All he needs to do is to flip the table now and he’d be a viral YouTube sensation.

“You and Hunter are what?” His voice almost goes up two octaves as he leaps out of his seat. Luckily, they’re the only ones dining outside at the moment. “You’re doing what? He’s doing what to you? What? What did you just say to me, Nikolas De Larussi, you repeat it now!” 

[giofyd]

LUÍS GONÇALVES.

Luís was standing in front of a mirror, trying on baseball caps and speaking to Gio over his shoulder. The bedroom was, in truth, tidier than usual. He cleaned the place up when Ines was due to stay for a few days. But as he went, he was still tossing articles of clothing into a pile on the floor. “I dunno. A million sounds like a lot, dude. Was it really that many? Name five.” Luís rolled his eyes, spinning around. He flashed his teeth. “Well, what kind of sandwich? Do I get to pick?” He snorted before giving a soft sigh. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Fine whatever. I’ll set you up. Tell her how great you are. We’re scheduled together tomorrow. I’ll tell her how you saved my life. I owe you everything. I’m gonna name my firstborn son after you. And really, she should just give you her goddam number so I can stop playin’ middleman.” He shook his head. “Don’t make it weird, though. You know, I don’t mind playing wingman, but it’s hard. They all fall in love with me before they even get to you. And I gotta work with her, so I can’t have that happening.” 

‎

Gio doesn’t dignify the challenge with an answer, mostly because he can only think of one favor he’s done Luís right about now. He pulls a face at his friend, silently mocking his words before picking up one of the tossed shirts on the pile next to his feet, one with a fun, summery print. “Yeah, you’ll pick the chicken one because it’s about to go bad.” 

Luís always does this, makes it harder for Gio than it really has to be. Probably because he likes watching him beg. Gio can’t blame him, though - he’s pretty damn good at begging.

“They do not. You’re just not selling me hard enough. You say you will, which is one thing, then you actually get there and you’re being all smooth and charming and fuckin’... sex on a stick gamer dude.” He gestures at Luís’ body, head to toe. “You know, you’d make a really good hooker. Just saying.”

[giofyd]

BEHROOZ NAJM.

Bez nodded while eating, they ate slowly, savouring and also making sure they wouldn’t overeat and have a stomach ache later. It was mostly the savouring part though, they had made this themselves, they had to enjoy it to the fullest. 

“Alright,” they said grinning. Looks was definitely something Bez could appreciate, though to them most women were beautiful, about ninety percent of them at least, and they knew that their own preference was more with people who looked masculine - gender in that sense didn’t matter. “Did you flirt with her?” they asked, leaning slightly forward as they did. At home among their friends, Bez had always been the onlooker, the one who didn’t get into a relationship themselves, but always loved to hear about it, the drama, the break-ups, the new flames. “So no tea, that’s disappointing.” Bez laughed. “Do you know every lady in the town or what?” It was asked with some sense of jealousy, but their tone was more appreciative than anything else, a curiosity to learn more. 

The question turned on them gave them a moment’s pause. Bez felt like their life sometimes revolved around coming out to people again and again. It wasn’t a subject for tonight however. “Nah,” they said, shrugging. Part of them felt like they shouldn’t even be talking about that stuff. But that was only because Bez wasn’t thinking about relationships, not ever. Casting their rod meant… other activities that Bez avoided completely during the holy month. “I go to bars sometimes, but I’m trying to get over this feeling of being an outsider, first.” 

‎

“What, Whisper? Sort of, I guess. Look, we were kids, I’d flirt with anyone within a ten-mile radius. I think I still do. But we’re just friends now. Plus, don’t tell her I said this, but she got a lot less fun ever since she got a kid.” A casual shrug decorates his shoulders. “Shadow’s a cutie, though. So she has that going for her, at least.” Gio will never understand the appeal of being a parent, and probably for the better - he feels that he’s doing a favor to society by veering away from bearing offsprings. 

Leerily, he rolls his eyes at the answer that Bez gives him. “An outsider? Really? Do you seriously still think that?” he says with a ruinous edge to his words. In all fairness, he’s never experienced being a transplant for the simple fact that he’s never left Pleasance his entire life. “What are you so scared of, man? No one’s gonna chase you down with torches just ‘cause you talk like a character from Harry Potter. If anything, you’re gonna get flack for being a cop, but not because you’re new or different or whatever.”

[giofyd]

AJITA TANNU. 

Ajita grinned openly, enjoying every second of it. Very few people fell for her tricks, most just walked away because that was probably the smartest thing to do. But Gio got on her nerves with his attitude so in her defence, she was allowed to make him out for an idiot. She shook her head at him as if disappointed in his decision, while completely ignoring his try to use fancy words. After all, she was the Master graduate - be it without a job to match with - but she had the knowledge. 

“So… if a poor hungry child asks you for some bread, you won’t give it to them because you don’t like the parents? That’s low, Gio, so low.” She crossed her arms and shook her head again. Charli sat between them, tongue still lolling, looking from one to the other, waiting for the food. He seemed to recognise something mischievous in Ajita’s posture and let out a low bark. Which for Charli meant he was excited.

‎

“Wow, this would make a great post on r/ChoosingBeggars,” he says, sticking his head out a little more to get his dirty look past the dog and to Ajita. They have never looked more like a jaded married couple with a child caught in the crossfire than right about now. “Where’d you get the mutt, anyway?”