Victor Dautt at age 16, continued to participate in the school's drama club. Unlike Marcel, who seemed much more distanced from his old friends who were gradually leaving him alone, Victor wanted to work professionally as an actor; in case his dream of being a musician ended up being just that. But at his age and without much experience beyond what he learned on his own, the highlight at that time was acting in very low-budget commercials.
He associated with dangerous people with the innocent intention of earning easy money, they were illegal jobs related to the sale of stolen merchandise, among other shady businesses. He didn't tell anyone that, but he was doing it because before he turned 18, he planned to live as far away from Stella as possible and he wanted Benxamin to run away with him. He still had the dream of returning to the Hephaestus island as he had promised his mother.
Victor made many mistakes trying to get his aunt's attention when he got into trouble by stealing or pulling risky pranks. Still, he sought to love her as a second mother when he was younger, but Stella always showed apathy towards him and his brother ever since she was forced to adopt them after Anaís's death. There were times when she took out her anger violently on her nephews as an unforgivable way to control them, so Victor's feelings for this woman gradually faded away.
He was aware that without Stella, they would have lived in an orphanage or on the street, but still, with this frustrated artist, their lives lacked happiness and at the same time he believed that his guardian was also miserable because of them.
After her divorce, his aunt was much more erratic with herself, for a time she painted pictures with subjects as confusing as her thoughts, but luckily she was able to sell them at much lower prices and in turn found another job to support herself. Regarding August, he gave the twins some money for their own expenses, then got fed up and claimed it was no longer his responsibility. He lived with Camille, who was quickly promoted to director of marketing.
What happened to the money that Victor and Benxamin inherited after their mother died? Little by little, it disappeared with Stella's eccentricities and her failed attempt to set up an art gallery to sell her paintings, a business that went bankrupt after a few months.
As for Benxamin, he got a part-time job as a waiter at a small restaurant of Japanese origin. He did well and learned fast. He graduated from high school long before his brother. With his grades, there was an enormous possibility of getting a scholarship and studying any profession he wanted, but in his prodigious mind he always aspired to achieve other dreams and didn't know how to carry them out.
He wanted to start his own projects working as a photographer and artist, and this was mainly because he was drawn to Stella's painting of the man and the demon in love. He imitated her art, but gave it his personal stamp. The illustrations had an interesting peculiarity, they were portraits of people with a lot of blood or scars on their faces. He showed them to his brother, Lester, and even to James; they were terrifying but at the same time so attractive that those who saw them loved them no matter how impressive they were. If he was having a bad day, he would draw what he felt, using the magenta color that most disturbed him.
Lester fell in love with his drawings and thought it was time to share his passion for creating stories with the twins, although he was embarrassed that they read it - but he thought about doing it very soon. This closeness between them, especially with Benxamin, motivated him to work with him in said restaurant. The economic situation of his family was very precarious and in less than nothing, with the permission of his parents, the boys were working together.
The chemistry between the two was beyond incredible. They helped each other whenever they could and from time to time, they talked about much more mature and profound topics with the greatest naturalness in the world.
And it was on a rainy day that Benxamin bravely said something to Lester that left him speechless.
“I like you.”
Lester was confused. When did it happen? Or maybe when he said that he liked him it was because he meant that he considered him his friend?
Unlike Lester, Victor had his first girlfriend at age 14, but then his next relationship was with a boy. While Benxamin maintained a courtship of almost a year and a half with a guy of the same age.
Lester thought for a moment that it was a misunderstanding, but Benxamin made it very clear that he liked him… romantically.
He sought help in this, consulting his mother, who felt a little better with the treatment.
“Benxamin told me he likes me, mom. But, I don't know what to do.”
“Benxamin?” Mira asked as she was lying on her bed.
She asked her son to sit next to her and the young man gave her all the details.
“I see. This is a big surprise to me. Well, he's a very smart boy and I'm happy for you, Lester,” affirmed Mira with a smile. Thinking of supporting him through his illusion and his inevitable break-up.
Mira's head was bombarded with many thoughts. The time he would spend with that boy, he would put aside what he liked and focus more on the other person, in addition to his concern for his appearance, his hair, among other details. But he would be his first boyfriend and it was a good opportunity to gain more experiences in his life.
Mira supported most of Lester's decisions and she remembered her sister when she had to face their parents by having a relationship with another girl. But regarding his future, Mira and her husband were saving for him to study engineering or law after graduating from school.
“But, Mom… I don't feel the same way about him,” her son explained.
“I-I thought... ” Mira hesitated for a moment, she even planned to speak to Benxamin in person the next day.
“No. I like him, but not that way.”
“Do you like someone else? A girl, or a boy…?” his mother hesitated.
“No, no, mom. I don't like anyone,” he said confidently.
“No problem. I only ask that when that happens, don't hide it from me, nor from your dad either. You're not alone dear, you can tell us everything you want,” she said as she took his hand.
“Mom, I... ” Lester said, changing the subject. “I doubt it's the right time but I want to confess something to you. Marcel Witsel, you know who I mean, right? He bullied me for several years.”
“Yes, I know who he is.”
And after talking for hours, Lester told his mother everything he had to go through because of Marcel, the fight in the factory and they even laughed at Benxamin's reaction with the rats.
***
A few days later, Benxamin talked to Victor about his feelings for Lester while they had lunch together.
“Do you like Lester?!” Victor asked as if he had been punched in the face.
“Yes, I like him.”
“Are you sure?” he asked him again as he ate.
“Yes, Victor. Why are you doubting me?” said his brother at the same time that his green eyes dominated the incredulous Victor.
“How do you know it's true? That doesn't happen from one day to the next. You have never manifested anything and you come to tell me as if it were something simple.”
“I don't know. It just happened.”
Then Victor stopped eating. He looked at his food and put it aside, after a few seconds he showed a slight smile. He felt uncomfortable by such news, he really loved Lester, as much or more as a simple friend. But knowing Benxamin and his determination, he counseled him.
“Do you remember when you told me about your first boyfriend? I'm glad it's you. Just listen to him, he has no experience in this and it will be very important to him.”
Then Benxamin understood that he entered a territory that was foreign to his domain and remembered the words that Stella once told him about the meaning of the painting.
The man loved the demon enough to risk his life for him.
In this case, Victor had feelings for Lester beyond friendship, and appreciated him so much that he was willing to let Lester experience for himself whether or not he wanted to have something with Benxamin.
***
It was Saturday afternoon at the restaurant, Benxamin hoped that there would be no diners to be alone with Lester, confessing his feelings and not knowing if they were reciprocated or not, made this self-assured young man extremely anxious for most of the day.
“Lester,” Benxamin said. “I wanted to ask you about what we talked about last week.”
Lester looked at him in a very tender way and told him the truth like when he faced his bully.
“I feel very lucky to have met you and Victor. I love spending time here with you, but I appreciate you as my friend. I'm so sorry."
Benxamin sighed; it was one of the few times he was disappointed. Lester, who had no experience with this kind of love, knew what he wanted and learned to be sincere thanks to his friends.
“But,” Lester continued. “I don't mean to make you feel bad, it's just that I... I can't see you that way. Forgive me.”
“Nah,… don't apologize. I like how you've changed. You aren't the shy boy you were a few years ago. I think because of that and the way you treat me and my brother, I was attracted to you, but for now let's just leave things as they are. Friends, dear Lester?” Benxamin asked, intending to shake his hand, but still heartbroken.
“Friends, dear Ben,” Lester said, accepting his gesture.
“Please, don't call me that,” he replied, remembering what Stella called him.
“Sorry! Well... Benxamin?”
“Don't apologize for everything you do or say. It's annoying and you haven't done anything wrong, call me Benxa. I like it more."
“Ok, dear Benxa.”
***
A few hours later, Lester was home and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. There was a small window from which he could see the apartment next door, more precisely the Dautt brothers' bedroom, and by chance he heard Victor singing with an old guitar that he bought weeks ago in a second-hand store. Looking closer, he noticed that his friend was sitting on what appeared to be his bed. Lester was there for several minutes and seeing him so focused on what he was doing, he wondered if he appreciated Victor in the same way that he appreciated Benxamin. He immediately blushed and ran to his bedroom because he felt like a pervert spying on him.
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