Rock and Roll Chose Me

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2Dexter was in love.

Head over heels. Fairy tale. Storybook. One hundred percent in love.

There were only two problems standing in the way of letting his epic love story unfold.

Problem number one: He knew absolutely nothing about the guy he was madly in love with.

Problem number two: The person who did know all about him was refusing to share any information at all with him.

It was quite a tragic situation.

Dexter hung upside down on the couch, the ends of his hair brushing the shaggy carpet and his bare feet swaying from side to side, just subtly, or not so subtly, toward Daisuke’s face as he tried to read the newspaper. Why Daisuke read the newspaper, Dexter wasn’t sure. He could easily just read the news on his phone or his laptop and save a few trees. One would think that with all the rescuing he did—the damn strays he always brought home with him—he’d be into saving a tree or two. Well, at least they used the papers in the kitchen. For the animals.

“Dexter, I swear to f**k, if you don’t cut that out I’m going to break them off.”

Caught red-handed. Or footed. Whatever. To avoid having his feet broken, Dexter grunted and flipped so that he was upright, shaking his hair out of his face. He sat quietly for about two seconds before hopping onto his feet on the cushion to a crouched position. Daisuke bobbed back and forth and sighed.

“Daisuke,” Dexter whined. “Please.”

“No.”

“Aw! Come on!”

Dexter shimmied his way behind Daisuke. He could suck up to his roommate, and he just needed, needed, needed some information. His hands went straight for Daisuke’s shoulders and the tension there thawed under his gentle touch. A pleasant moan rose softly out of Daisuke’s throat, his head tilting back slightly.

“Mm, right there, right there!” he demanded when Dexter’s thumb lowered.

Dexter continued what he was doing but wrapped his left arm around the front of Daisuke’s chest. He pressed their cheeks together and pouted.

“Don’t…”

“Please?” he whispered.

“No,” Daisuke whispered back.

“You are killing me.”

Dexter got bopped in the face with the newspaper.

“I doubt that.”

“No, you are. Just remember that when you find me. Dead on the floor. The rock star that could have been; Dexter James Erikson’s untimely death was brought about because his roommate kept him from his true love.”

“I think I’ll take my chances.”

“I hate you.”

He got another whack with the paper. Daisuke never once even raised a newspaper to one of the dogs. He had, however, struck Dexter with them lots of times.

“You do not.”

Dexter sighed. Kissed the side of Daisuke’s neck. “Okay fine. I don’t. But you’re causing me pain.” He collapsed to the side behind him and grabbed his chest. “Agony! Torment! Ow! Ow, ow, ow!”

“Jesus Christ, Dex, stop being so dramatic.”

“I can’t! I don’t think you understand how serious this is!”

Daisuke scoffed and started to roll up the newspaper.

“No!” Dexter pretended to plead, curling into a ball on the couch. “Don’t roll it up! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Daisuke laughed and swatted him in the ass with it anyway. “Aw, like I could ever hurt you.”

“You are right now…” he grumbled and stuck his tongue out when Daisuke glared at him. “C’mon, Suke! Why? Why won’t you tell me anything about him?”

“Because the less you know about him, the better.”

Dexter heaved himself up and threw his head on Daisuke’s shoulder, flinging an arm around his chest.

“Oh, but he’s so pretty! Please! Please, tell me something!”

Grunting, Daisuke clapped his hand down on Dexter’s shoulder and pushed him off the couch. Playful. Snickering as he did. Hard enough that Dexter, when he landed on the floor, ended up laughing his ass off. He sat back up, pushing his hair out of his face again.

“No, really, Daisuke, did I do something to piss you off? Something wrong?”

Daisuke groaned now, like he felt bad, and set the paper aside. If there was one thing Dexter knew about Daisuke, it was that he never meant to make anyone feel bad.

“No, Dexter, of course not. It’s just…look, that guy’s one of the nicest f*****g kids I’ve ever known in my life.”

Dexter flung his hands out. “What’s that supposed to mean? I mean, are you saying I’m not a nice guy?”

“No.” Daisuke chuckled and touched Dexter’s face. “You’re one of the sweetest guys I know.”

“Then what the f**k’s the problem?”

“The problem…? The problem’s that you fall fast, right, Dexter? You fall fast, you fall hard, and then you freak the f**k out because you fell fast and hard and you leave a broken heart behind.” Daisuke sighed. “I’ve seen you do it a hundred times. And I never fault you for that, cause you got your s**t to deal with and I get that, Dexter, I do, I really do, but I can make sure that you don’t do it to him.”

Well, Dexter could never fault Daisuke for being a liar. He did do that. All of that. He had his reasons like Daisuke pointed out. Reasons he’d rather not think about. But he’d never felt this way before. Not for someone he’d never even talked to. That was the God’s honest truth.

“Okay,” Dexter whispered. “Okay, you’re right. But this one’s different. I swear.”

“How the hell can you possibly know that?”

“I just do. I feel it. Inside.” Daisuke gave him a very doubtful look. “I’m so f*****g serious, Daisuke, I swear. I promise. I’ll be so different with him.”

“Like you were different with Maddie?”

“What?! We dated for, like, two weeks! And Maddie broke up with me anyway.”

Daisuke twisted his lips. “Fine. I’ll give you that. What about me?”

“You?! We just had s*x!”

“Yeah, but it was good s*x,” he replied, hands behind his head.

“It was good s*x,” Dexter agreed with a chuckle. He got on his knees and moved closer to the couch again. “Look, Daisuke, I get it. I’ve f****d up in the past. But…I dunno. You called me out on it. I’ll do right by this one. Best I can.” He crossed his heart. “Scouts honor.” When he got another doubtful look, he flung his head in Daisuke’s lap. “Ah, please! I’m throwing myself at the mercy of the court here.”

Fingers made their way through Dexter’s hair and he looked through a curtain of curls. Dexter recognized the expression on Daisuke’s face. Meaningful. As though trying to judge whether or not Dexter could really pull off his promise.

“You listen to me, Erikson. I’m on his side. Start to finish.” Dexter’s eyes went wide, but he nodded, Daisuke still running his fingers through his hair. “You hurt him, I’m gone. You find a new roommate, you dig?”

“I got it.”

“Like, our friendship is on the line with this. Do not f**k up.”

“Okay,” he said. “I won’t.”

Daisuke sucked in a deep breath. Deep enough that it made Dexter lift up his chin so he could get a good look at him. Let him know that he was absolutely genuine about this.

“His name is Colin. Colin Hunt,” Daisuke told him, guarded like he was still determining whether or not he found Dexter worthy of this information. “Went to high school with ‘im. Graduated a few years after me. Smart as a whip. Skipped, like, two grades or something when he was little.”

“How old is he?”

“Twenty-two. He just started studying for his Masters. Art.”

“He’s an artist?”

“Yep. Ever since we were kids.”

His head spun. Dexter always had a soft spot for artsy kids. Certain artsy kids, anyway. Long fingers finding things that others didn’t see, creating something out of nothing. Especially ones that looked like that; like Colin, as it turned out his name was. Dexter’s eyes drifted to his left arm. Four years old. Titanium from the elbow down. The skin sleeve over it had a slightly lighter shade than Dexter’s actual complexion, but it was close enough. He’d gotten extremely lucky to be picked for the trial runs for such a high-tech prosthetic.

It’d been hell re-relearning how to use his fine motor skills after switching one prosthetic for another. But this one was lighter and more functional once he got used to it. And Dexter loved, absolutely loved, the paintings on it. All different doodles and drawings that he could wash off with a bit of paint stripper and start all over again.

“Yeah,” Daisuke remarked like some kind of mind reader. “He can do amazing things for you there.”

As if Dexter needed even more reason to be in love. “What else?”

“Nah-ah. That’s all you get.”

“What?!” Dexter shrieked. “Are you serious?”

“As the plague.” He slipped his hand under Dexter’s chin. “Now, if you’re still so enamored by the end of the week and if you’re a good boy and very well-behaved…” Dexter huffed and made a face, but played along anyway. “Then and only then, will you get what you’re really after. Deal?”

Dexter rolled his eyes, but with no other choice on the matter, he shrugged and sighed. “Deal.”

“Good. Now, go feed the dog.”

“Ugh. You’re going to milk this for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”

“Course I am. Now scoot! Before I have you feeding me, too.”

Since he might’ve—just might’ve—been serious about the feeding him too part, Dexter hopped to his feet and went to feed the dog of the week, Spot. Daisuke always named them Spot, but that made it easier than having to remember name after name after name. Dexter scooped some food into his—her, maybe?—bowl and then plopped down at the kitchen table, chin in his hand and silly grin on his face.

Colin Hunt. Smart, skinny artist. Wore thick glasses in front of the most adorable, precious blue eyes, and a knitted brimmed beanie that covered a mop of dark-golden hair. Colin Hunt. Smile that made Dexter’s heart ache for more of it. Colin Hunt. Hottest piece of ass Dexter Erikson had ever seen. Colin Hunt. If Dexter didn’t get a piece of him, his life really wouldn’t be complete.

* * * *

One week.

One torturous, tormenting week of being abused and worked to the bone by his so-called friend and roommate. No, really, Daisuke had been a saint the whole time. All he had Dexter do was pick up after him and of the two of them, Dexter was the neater one, so really, it’d just been Dexter keeping his trap shut and not nagging Daisuke about picking up his dirty socks or putting his dirty dishes in the sink. Instead, he’d been doing it all himself. That, and he hadn’t been allowed to talk about Colin or ask about Colin or even say the name Colin even though Colin had been the only thing on Dexter’s mind.

Dexter had been good. So good. Counting the days down good. But now that it was Friday, he had no idea if the day marked the end of the week or if tomorrow did or if he was allowed to even ask. Daisuke had to work a late shift later tonight and likely would be gone by the time Dexter got through with his own day job. Not a bad gig, The Panda House. Finest Chinese Food in Brooklyn. Good bosses, fun co-workers, flexible hours. Paid the bills. Dexter didn’t mind it.

Busy night. Not unusual for a Friday, and a good way to keep a distracted mind busy. In the kitchen, Dexter sat at the counter with his co-worker, Gabe, who’d very kindly been letting him chew his ear off about Colin all night.

“Have you ever had a conversation with the dude?” he asked Dexter.

“No.”

“And you’re in love with him?”

“Love at first sight?”

Gabe snorted and searched around for something to throw at him. A dishrag ended up in Dexter’s face.

“You’re too much.”

Dexter whined. “Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating my feelings slightly. But, f**k me, Gabe, I’ve never seen anyone like this kid.”

“God damn, Dex, I can’t wait to see him.”

Dexter groaned. At this rate, he’d settle to just get a glimpse of him again, if that ever happened. Left up to Daisuke and it might not. Dexter sighed, picking a bit at the dumplings on the plate between him and Gabe, about to complain a bit more about Daisuke leaving him hanging when his phone vibrated in his back pocket. Strictly speaking, they weren’t allowed to use phones while on the clock, so Dexter made sure none of the bosses were around before yanking it out and seeing that he had a text from the very source of his complaints. He chuckled as he opened it.