Color Me

RED

His strokes were strong and even as he glided through the water of the apartment swimming pool. Scott watched him swim lap after lap, stretching his arms, pushing his way through the water, his head coming up every fourth stroke so he could catch his breath. Graceful and gorgeous was what he was, and without any colored spots circling around him, apart from the bright red spot of pain near his right ankle.

He made another turn, just as Scott's phone vibrated. Scott grabbed it off the table and read Kerry's text.

*dont 4gt, early meeting dis AM.*

Scott sighed. He loved his personal assistant, but hated her reminding him of meetings he really didn't want to attend. Unfortunately, they were mandatory. He texted her back to reassure her he would be on time — she would only text him again if he didn't — and went back to watching him swim.

Him. Gorgeous. Scott had no idea what his name was. There was no name on his door or his mailbox yet and he didn't want to ask Rosa about him. She would only go blabbing to Dad, and Scott didn't want him prying.

Scott had lost count of the laps when Kerry texted him, but Gorgeous should be almost done by now.

Gorgeous turned, but instead of doing another lap, he made his way to the stairs and Scott grabbed the armrest to keep from getting up and leaning over the balcony. He could see Gorgeous well enough where he was, and he didn't want to ruin the moment by drawing attention to himself. This was the best part of his mornings, lately.

Scott loved how the wet body was revealed step by step. His wet hair glistening in the early sunlight. His eyes squeezed shut as he shook his head to get rid of the excess water. Droplets landed on his broad shoulders, and Scott was drawn to a tattoo inked over well built muscles that covered the left shoulder and upper arm. Scott would never come near a needle himself, but he couldn't help admiring it.

It looked like Medusa, the way the swirls or tentacles crossed each other, reaching away from the middle. No clear face in the middle, though, so he suspected it was a tribal design. Or a bunch of octopi fighting for space. He didn't know what it was about that tattoo, but it called out to him, sent shivers up his spine and begged him to be touched.

As Gorgeous stepped out of the pool, Scott tore his eyes away from the tattoo and let them slide down to his swimming trunks — tight, small black swimming trunks that hid nothing. Not to mention the abs to die for, chest hair that would no doubt scratch his palms if he ran his hands across it and an attractive goatee surrounded by an almost permanent five o'clock shadow. He was hot.

Maybe one day Scott would have the courage to get into the pool with him. He doubted it would be any time soon.

Gorgeous grabbed his towel from the railing and swung it around his shoulders as he walked out of the pool area towards his first floor apartment with a slight limp. The bright red spot had dampened a bit, but his limp often seemed less pronounced after his swim. It didn't make his movements less graceful.

Scott watched until he couldn't see Gorgeous anymore and only then cleared his table. He checked the clock. Still fifteen minutes until he needed to go, plenty of time to wash his breakfast things. Scott smiled. One less thing for Rosa to clean. If she insisted on helping him, the least he could do was leave as little as possible for her to do. Not that she wouldn't find something to keep her busy. She was just born that way, she always said.

As Scott looked out of the window he noticed many of his neighbors leave, on foot, by car, by bike. He hadn't seen his new neighbor leave for work in these past weeks, and he wondered what he did for a living. Then again, he wondered many things about Gorgeous. Where he came from. If he had a girlfriend, a boyfriend. Why he seemed so spotless.

Scott sighed as he dried his hands. It had been a while since he'd had it this bad. He just hoped this one would end better, with less humiliation.

His phone vibrated again just as he grabbed his bag and helmet. Time to go. He left a note for Rosa and walked out the door.

The stairs were empty. Nothing strange about that, most of his neighbors were gone already. Scott was lucky to live close to work. It was a ten minute bike ride, provided the traffic light was green. Most mornings it was.

Scott didn't like his bike much. No, that wasn't true. He liked his bike just fine, it was the plates front and back saying deaf cyclist that his dad made years ago that he didn't like. Though, as much as he didn't like drawing attention to himself, he knew he wouldn't take them off.

He could walk, of course, but this way he could cycle down to his favorite shop after work and be back before either Dad or Rosa came by with his dinner.

Rosa's turn tonight. Scott hoped she would be making her chili again.

****

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" a tiny woman behind the desk asked him.

Her lips were easy to read and Jonah nodded. "I'm meeting Isaac Fisher."

From the look of surprise in her eyes, Jonah knew the way he spoke clued her in that he was deaf. She schooled her features so quickly that others probably wouldn't have noticed her reaction. He only did because he was so focused on her lips and facial expressions. She smiled at him, browsed the book in front of her and nodded.

"If you'll follow me, sir?"

She led him through the posh dining room to where his brother was waiting for him.

Isaac rose and hugged him.

«You couldn't have found something less posh?» Jonah signed.

«The boss wanted me to see whether he could use this place for his business lunches.» Isaac signed back. «Lunch is on him today.»

«Lucky bastard, you.» As if Isaac's taste wasn't expensive enough already.

Isaac grinned. «Anything to see you dress up.»

Jonah raised an eyebrow. He wasn't wearing anything special. A button down black shirt and black slacks, his only pair of slacks, granted, but he didn't need to tell Isaac that. Jonah always wore the slacks when he had lunch with Isaac.

«So, how are the girls?»

«Driving Kim nuts with their latest obsession. They've fallen for the same singer this time. Kim is close to banning his music from the house.»

Jonah laughed. «Sibling rivalry. Guess we never had that problem, did we?»

«Not on that front, no. I remember a football poster that ended up getting ripped, though.»

So did Jonah. Although their music and taste in lovers may have differed day and night, they were both very into football. Neither missed a single Bengals game. They watched them all with the boys in the side room of the Break Room, which was always reserved for them during football season. Only logical, if you considered Jonah and his best friend Cooper owned the club.

Cooper handled the business end, while Jonah handled security. It was the perfect arrangement. And whenever a rowdy bunch thought they could get away with murder during his shift, Jonah didn't even miss his old career.

A waiter approached their table. Jonah nodded at Isaac to let him know he could order for him. He learned years ago to indulge Isaac in his role as big brother. Besides, Isaac knew exactly what he liked. He still read Isaac's lips as he ordered, so he would at least know what was coming.

As soon as the waiter turned his back, Jonah signed, «How are the 'rents?»

«Doing fine. Mother asked how you were, last week. Father just grunted, you know him.»

All too well. Sometimes Jonah was jealous of their elder sister Ruth for moving all the way to Tacoma, and she was the one who got on with them the best. Jonah didn't get on with them at all, hadn't for a long time. Ever since he'd decided to make his money in boxing rather than go to college.

They couldn't accept his decision, couldn't see that he had no interest in studying, at all.

A hand closed over his. Jonah looked up.

«You made the right choice, even if it was for the wrong reasons,» Isaac signed.

The seafood noodle soup was steaming hot and looked delicious as the waiter set it in front of him. Isaac, of course, had gone for the chicken noodle soup; he wasn't much for seafood.

They ate in silence. Jonah enjoyed every bite. Yes, Isaac may invite him to posh places, but the food was good, the company even better.

He couldn't remember when exactly they started having lunch together once a week. Probably soon after Isaac started his first job as a lawyer, even before he met Kim, and they hadn't stopped since. Of course, once football season began, they'd see even more of each other.

«So, how's that new place of yours working out? I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you move, but do you think you're up to Kim and the girls passing their judgment sometime this month?»

«They're not going to like it, Isaac. Still all blacks and whites.» Why did everyone insist he needed more color in his life? He liked his colors just fine, as basic as they were.

Isaac snorted. «I'll tell them not to bother.»

He could try, but Kim and the girls had their own agenda where uncle Jonah was concerned.

«By the way, I ran into Cooper a couple of days ago. What's this I hear about your angel?»

Jonah groaned. He was so going to kill Cooper tonight. «It's nothing. There's this guy in my apartment complex who's seen me swim a couple of times. I made the mistake of telling Cooper he looked angelic from a distance.»

A couple of times. As if. He watched him every morning. He did look rather angelic, with those unruly golden curls framing a strong face. Not to mention that he was young, slim, tall and had a bit of a stubble. A combination that really shouldn't have looked that good, but on him it worked. Good thing the water was cold in the morning.

Jonah doubted the man from the fourth floor knew he'd been caught, the way he still tried to be inconspicuous about it, leaning casually on the railing of his balcony as he had breakfast. Like Jonah couldn't see through that.

Isaac raised his eyebrow. «So, nothing going on then?»

«I never even met the man.» Maybe that should change. Maybe Jonah should invite his angel to swim with him. He groaned. Great. Now he was calling him his angel. Thank you so much, Cooper.