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Fabian was having a very difficult time, groaning as he held up what seemed to be the fifth eyeshadow palette in the last ten minutes. “See this one?” he said, opening it. Ryan looked at it dutifully. It had most of its nine shades barely touched, but one of the colors was empty down to its pan. “This was the best base shade I’ve ever had.”
“You should get more of it.” It seemed simple enough.
Fabian groaned once more. “It only came in this palette.”
“Ah.” Ryan went back to the book he was reading on his Kindle. It was amazing how much he actually wanted to read now, with energy and lack of migraines due to various head injuries. He tapped to flip the page when Fabian gasped. He looked up with a fond smile. “What’s up?”
Fabian tapped on the palette, “This is a famous one.”
“Oh?” It looked like a million other ones. Ryan had known it was going to be a process when Fabian said he wanted to clear out his makeup supplies, but it really was surprising him. It seemed like every palette had a story about one shade or another.
“I found this at Marshalls, can you believe it?” he said, all excited. Even though neither of them had to worry about money, Ryan knew he got an absurd amount of delight at finding a good deal. “Marked down because of one crack in a pan.”
“Oh, nice.” He opened it up and Ryan noticed nearly none of the colors had been touched. His brow furrowed. “Did you not like the colors?”
Fabian made a thoughtful little noise. “No, they’re pretty, but look.” He swatched some of the colors–yes, Ryan knew what swatching was now–on the back of his arm. They all looked the same, all light and shimmery pinks against Fabian’s darker skin. “This palette was super famous. All the Youtube makeup girlies were using it. But I have to have darker colors, like the greens you like.”
“You look very good with green,” Ryan smiled.
Fabian came closer, eager for the praise as always. “Thank you, Ryan,” he purred, and Ryan set his Kindle aside to wrap Fabian up as he crawled in his lap. He sighed against Ryan’s chest, his long limbs folded up to fit snugly within Ryan’s arms. “My favorite place.” Ryan’s heart swelled like he always did when Fabian told him how happy he was around him, how his arms could hold and his hands could be held when they had been used for such violence for so long. He’d put it all away, and got to use his body for comfort now, for the most beautiful person he’d ever met.
He pressed his lips against Fabian’s neck. “Are you done clearing out?”
“Not even close,” Fabian said. He looked up into Ryan’s face, just this side of mischievous. “I think I deserve a break for all my hard work, though.” He lifted himself up to look into Ryan’s face, very close, so Ryan’s eyes could dance around the perfect angles of Fabian’s face. What a gift it was, to be so close to this human. His big hands found a good home on Fabian’s waist, which always brought a smile to Fabian’s pretty face. “You know…” he said slowly, reaching his delicate fingers up to touch Ryan’s cheekbones. “That palette would really work with your coloring. You’d wear those pinks well.”
Ryan furrowed his brow. “Really?”
“Mmhmm,” Fabian hummed, shifting to grab Ryan’s forearm. It was hairier than Fabian’s, so he started massaging Ryan’s hand instead, pressing his fingers into the tendons and smoothing out any tension. Fabian drew lines with his fingertips to show what he wanted to do. “Can I swatch a little here?”
“Yeah,” he murmured. He loved all of Fabian’s questions. He always knew what was coming, but it was sexy, having a little anticipation after he agreed to even a simple touch.
Fabian selected a few colors and drew neat lines on the back of Ryan’s hand, then raised it to his face. He gasped. “These are your colors. I’m a genius. An artist. A visionary.”
“I mean,” Ryan said. “It’s true.”
Fabian leaned in with a quick kiss. “What do you think about a little glitter on that sweet face of yours?” he asked when he broke away. And while it was so nice of Fabian to ask, Ryan thinks he would’ve said yes if Fabian had asked what do you think about a little toxic sludge on your face in that soft tone of his.
But it’s just a little glitter, and they have no other plans. So.
“Okay,” he said easily. “Sure.”
Fabian lit up, immediately jumping off the bed to get whatever else he needed. “This is going to be so fun,” Fabian said, in the kind of excited tone that Ryan could never resist. He found it easier to trust, as comfortable as they were together by now. It was the same tone that had Fabian rerouting the GPS often when they were on the road together, insisting they visit strange roadside attractions. Ryan proudly had become quite the Instagram photographer; it turned out his height was perfect for the angles Fabian loved, apparently.
He returned with a few little brushes and a dollop of lotion on his finger. “Do you remember this lotion?” he asked.
Ryan sniffed and recognized the smell. “Is that the, uh–”
“The under-eye lotion I got for you, yes,” Fabian said, the quirk in his lips letting him know he was teasing him. “That you keep forgetting, mmhmm. That one.”
“I’m not used to a skincare regimen,” Ryan said, letting Fabian smooth the lotion around his skin, shutting his eyes. “I’ll get there.”
“I think you just like me to do it for you.”
“Maybe I do,” Ryan smiled, welcoming the soft brush of Fabian’s lips on his. He opened his eyes, enjoying the cool feel of the lotion on his skin. “What color are you going to do?”
Fabian lifted the palette and looked seriously at Ryan’s face. “Something simple…” he mused, which was probably for the best. Fabian had his own version of simple today, with a neat line of eyeliner only along the top lashes and a smattering of gold on his eyelid. But Ryan didn’t see an eyeliner tub on the bed waiting for him, so he figured Fabian actually meant simple for him. “Maybe this?” he ran a finger along a deep rose color. “This one’s called Burnout.”
“Ah, perfect,” Ryan said, thinking sarcastically of how disgusted he’d been with the sport that had fueled him for so long. Fabian shared a little smile with him.
“And look how pretty it is,” Fabian noted. “Look how beautiful Burnout can turn.” He came closer then, straddling Ryan’s waist, and–damn, he would’ve worn makeup a long time ago if it meant Fabian Salah would climb on him like this. He lifted his face up to him as Fabian smiled down. “Hi, gorgeous. You wanna close your eyes for me?”
He did so, feeling Fabian lean down and rest his hand on Ryan’s face for added control. He made a happy little noise.
“Your skin picks up this shade so well,” Fabian murmured. “Pink is definitely your color.” Ryan never thought such a statement would make him so happy, but fuck it. He’d played in a dozen different uniforms by the end of his career, never staying in one place for long. But it’s not like the NHL had a ton of use for pink in that mess of masculinity. He’d never known. He’d missed out on wearing his color this whole time, apparently.
“Really?”
“Yeah, this pale, kinda dusty rose shade?” Fabian said. “Gotta get you a shirt in this shade sometime soon. Open your eyes?” he requested. Ryan fluttered his eyes open, met with Fabian’s deep smile. “Oh, yes, perfect. Now to do the other one. Close your eyes again, my love?”
Ryan’s content to let Fabian work, humming as he goes. He can tell it’s his newer song, the one he’s been humming and singing quietly all week. It's a fun one, with a pithy little bridge that Ryan knows Fabian is especially proud of and can't stop singing. “You know that song’s gonna get stuck in everyone’s head.”
“It better,” Fabian said, a hint of laughter on his tongue. “It’s stuck in mine enough. A good stuck-in-the-head, though, right? Not a brain worm?”
“Nah, it’s really good,” Ryan confirmed. “You’re recording that one with the rest this week, right?” It was one of the reasons that they were at home for a while, to get the first recordings done.
“Hoping,” Fabian sighed. “I still always feel like I’m getting my hopes up for nothing.” Ryan frowned with his eyes closed still. “What?”
“It’s not for nothing,” Ryan gently reminded him. “You’re building a community around your music. It doesn’t just go away.” It was true; while a lot of other artists were chasing the virality of a TikTok sound, Fabian was quietly building his base. His base of people who knew his name, his sound, the vibe he brought to his shows. He was an artist in every sense of the word, and Ryan believed in him enough for both of them. Not to mention Fabian’s friends. “It’ll be a good week.”
Fabian touched his nose with the tip of his finger. “Thank you, honey.” He shifted on Ryan’s lap then, fully sitting now. “Oh, hi there, Mr. Price.”
Ryan’s laugh was low, fighting a blush as Fabian found him half-hard. “Is that really a surprise?” After all, Fabian had been softly touching and moving on him for some time now.
“Should make you up more often, if it gets you excited,” Fabian purred. “You know I love getting you excited.”
“Mm.”
“Okay, open for me?” Fabian asked again, and Ryan blinked his eyes open. He beamed at his handiwork. “Ryan…” he whined a little, and moved like he was going to kiss him, but stopped short. “Let me get a mirror.”
“No, wait,” Ryan said, pulling him back in. “Hang on.” He gathered Fabian close to him, holding his face in his hands for a moment before he leaned in to kiss him. Fabian sighed into the kiss, already rocking against him, letting Ryan lead them into deeper kisses than he’d expected to get into before Fabian did his makeup. But all of it felt so good–the softness of the makeup brushes, the intimacy of Fabian being so close to him, the tender compliments about his complexion and his color being pink. It all felt so delicate, and Ryan wanted to lean into it even more.
Fabian moved his kisses to Ryan’s neck. “You want something?” he asked, “You know I’m here. Loved giving you that attention.”
“Y-yeah,” Ryan tried. He swallowed, trying to find those words that Fabian loved.
“How else can I give you attention?” Fabian moved his mouth up to Ryan’s ear, tugging his earlobe so lightly between his teeth. “What does my beautiful man want?”
“Your hands,” Ryan got out. “God, I love your hands.”
“Yeah?” Fabian asked, already spreading his palms under Ryan’s shirt, the pads of his fingers circling his nipples. “That’s so good, Ryan. Telling me you want my hands. Where do you want them?”
“Everywhere,” Ryan said.
“I’ve only got two,” Fabian replied, and Ryan laughed a little breathlessly. “You wanna be more specific?”
“I want th-them on…me,” he grit out.
“They’re on you,” Fabian murmured, and Ryan huffed. “Oh, do you mean your cock?” he asked, more than a little playful. “You want my hands on that beautiful, big cock of yours?”
Ryan shuddered and nodded. “Yes.”
Fabian hummed excitedly. “That can be arranged,” he teased. Ryan smiled when he pulled away slightly to get Ryan’s jeans and briefs shimmied down his waist. Fabian made good on his promise, looking down in delight. “I love him. I really do love him,” he sighed. Ryan laughed again, always happy to laugh during sex now. Fabian looked back up to Ryan. “And god, I love you.” He leaned forward to kiss him, fingers wrapping around his dick as he did, and leaving Ryan to touch along Fabians face, arms, and legs as he sat astride Ryan’s thighs. “You look so pretty.”
“No, that’s you,” Ryan murmured, unable to string too many words together with this beautiful man jerking him off.
“Are you arguing with my assessment? As your makeup artist?” Fabian teased, and man…he got him there. Ryan would never. “That’s what I thought. So accept it.” His thumb pressed along Ryan’s slit as his other hand stroked. “Pretty, pretty, pretty.”
It was perfect like this, being worked up through gentleness and then having Fabian touch him with such attention. The stress of performing was gone by now, in this familiar space and Ryan was shocked over how his body had responded with so much lessened stress. He’d take it, even if he was a little more complicated than Fabian usually was. He’d take this, Fabian pressing sweet kisses to his mouth, along his jaw, on his neck as his hands worked to stroke him, as they played with him. Those clever fingers. What couldn’t they do?
“Oh, oh, oh–”
“You good?” Fabian checked in, continuing the speed, and Ryan nodded. “God, we should do this more. Maybe next time I can just sit on your cock while I do it. See if I can focus on giving you a full face while I have you hard in me. Or, fuck–” Fabian shifted, like he was turning himself on with his fantasies, and that always affected Ryan so much. This wasn’t an exception. “Think I could get you hard before a show? Do my own makeup while I sit on you? God, you’d be so perfect for it. You stay hard for so long.”
“Fuck, Fabian…”
“God, I’d step on stage and still feel you–”
“Fuck!” Ryan’s orgasm crashed over him, spilling onto Fabian’s hands without warning, and Fabian groaned as he nuzzled his face onto Ryan’s. “Fucking hell.” He let Fabian get up to wash his hands and bring back a damp washcloth, cleaning them up. Fabian tucks him back carefully with a teasing pat to the outside of Ryan’s jeans that always makes him laugh.
“You have such a big…imagination,” Fabian said, making Ryan laugh with the surprise of the last word. Fabian joined him. “It’s true! It’s so fun thinking of things for you.”
Ryan sighed out, letting the flood of endorphins talk for him. “You’re very good at thinking of them.”
“Mm,” Fabian hummed, kissing his cheek again, then leaning back to stare at him. He frowned.
“What?” Ryan said, trying to understand.
“Your eye makeup got mussed already,” Fabian said. “But I mean…” he bit on the inside of his cheek. “It looks hot, honestly.”
“Can I see?”
“Oh, now he wants me to get the mirror,” Fabian teased, but he got up anyway, bringing over the little face mirror on his desk. He sat in between Ryan’s thighs and held the mirror up in front of him so he can see. “See?”
Ryan’s eyes flicked over his face, blinking as he took in the fallout of rose glitter that had fallen from his eyes all over his cheeks. Some of it was even in his beard. He wasn’t ethereal like Fabian was, and it did look kind of messy but…
Yeah. Honestly.
He did look kinda hot.
“I like it,” Ryan said finally, and Fabian leaned his face back to kiss along his jaw. “Thank you.”
“Mm, you know how you could really thank me?” Fabian purred.
Ryan set the mirror aside and turned his hands on Fabian, turning him around and laying him out flat on the bed before kissing down his neck. “How can I really thank you?” Ryan asked. He kept going, rucking up Fabian’s shirt so he could press kisses all along his belly. He looked up once he reached Fabian’s waistband, seeing Fabian’s eyes dark with lust.
“So pretty,” Fabian murmured again, and Ryan would give him the world to hear that forever.