Dakota shut the door before he said- loud enough for Avil to hear over his music- 

"What the actual hell, Avil?" 

Avil looked like how Dakota imagined a deer in headlights to look- stunned, frozen, and afraid. He then came out of shock, grabbing his phone and stopping the music from coming out of his speakers.

"Dakota, I- Why didn't you knock?" Avil asked worriedly. Dakota frowned before approaching his brother, examining Avil's face.

"I have a better question," Dakota frowned, "Who the f**k did this to you?" It was strange seeing Avil with no makeup on- he looked more boyish, and he had quite a few pimples that Dakota didn't even know were there. But Dakota was not worried about any of that right now.

"N-No one did," Avil blatantly lied to his face. Dakota could tell. Avil had been skittish ever since he entered the room. "I fell."

"Don't lie to me," Dakota demanded. He often lost control of his manners when he got protective, and in the moment, he didn't care that he was bossing Avil around accidentally.

He and Avil had a little staring contest- a challenge of stubborness- before Avil gave up and sighed.

"If I tell you what happened, you can't tell Nick," Avil responded lightly. He knew Dakota would not take it well.

"Why not?" Dakota asked a little more forcibly that he wanted to, but Avil knew he didn't mean anything by it.

"Because I know he'll do something about it," Avil replied, "And I don't want him to do anything about it."

"Why not?" Dakota repeated, "Whoever did this should rot in jail. Or die. Preferably both."

"It's just a bruise, Dakota," Avil replied, seemingly getting angry at him. Dakota didn't know why he was angry when it was the abuser that Avil should be angry toward. Dakota looked over Avil quickly, then crossed his arms.

"How many more are you hiding?" he asked. Avil looked away from him.

"It's none of your business," he snapped.

"It is my business. I'm your brother. I don't what you to get hurt, so please, drop the act and tell me," Dakota replied, staring down his brother. Dakota didn't have much family until Nick adopted him, so he would protect his family with his life. His family included Avil.

"Promise you won't tell Nick?" Avil replied. He looked frightened. Dakota wanted to help.

"Sure," Dakota agreed, but that didn't mean he was going to take action himself. Even if Nick wasn't allowed to know, Dakota was still going to do something about it.

"And don't go crazy, okay? I have an explanation. Just hear me out," Avil replied, looking worried. Dakota had no idea what he was worried about, but he nodded in response.

"Good. Okay, so...I mean it's not that surprising but it's," Avil stumbled, "It's Devin. He did it."

Dakota saw red.

"That b***h," he said, with venom lacing his words, "He's going to die. I'll make sure of it."

"No!" Avil begged, "You promised you wouldn't go crazy! This is why I'm not telling Nick!"

"Why are you protecting him? Are you in love with him or something?" Dakota demanded. He was angry. He was protective. He thought about all the times he had refrained from punching Devin in the jaw- and he solely regretted holding back his fists.

"No..." Avil trailed, then bit his lip, "But I am in love with Tanner."

Tanner. Devin's best friend. Better dude, but still bad. He probably stood by and watched while Avil got beat. Avil knew Dakota and Nick would include Tanner too in the crimes- he was an ally to the boy who beat his brother.

"You idiot," Dakota replied, "You are allowing yourself to be beaten because you're in love with your bully's best friend? Who does that?"

"I can't help who I love," Avil snapped- his jaw was set and his eyes hard; so Dakota backtracked. He knew Avil was getting angry, and he realized he might have been being a little insensitive.

Just a little.

"Sorry," Dakota apologized, "It's just I don't want to do nothing while you let yourself get hurt."

"I know," Avil replied, then smiled, "I tried to hide it from you, but- apparently- you can't knock."

"You were playing your music too loud," Dakota replied, "You couldn't hear a knock." A few seconds of silence passed. "So, if I can get Devin in jail- or dead! Dead works too- and keep Tanner out of it, would you be okay with that?"

"No," Avil replied. Suddenly, he let a tear drip down his face. Dakota's anger fizzled into a dying ember, and he then walked over to his brother to wrap an arm around him. Avil's tears dripped onto his shoulder, "I don't want him to hate me because I got his best friend thrown in jail."

Dakota considered this, then nodded.

"You don't deserve him, Avil," Dakota replied, "You are so much better than that."

"Don't talk about him like that," Avil said half-heartily. He was really upset; Dakota could tell, and he wished he could do something about it. He sniffled on Dakota's shoulder for a few moments before quickly collecting himself.

"So, um," Avil started, wiping his eyes, "Why did you need me in the first place?"

"Uh, well it's complicated," Dakota replied.

~{()}~

Dakota might have accidentally told Avil everything.

Well, not everything per se, but close to it. He told Avil that he was interested in Lucas- romantically- which shocked Avil because Dakota had never really talked about his interest in boys with anyone in the family. Dakota wasn't exactly ashamed in the fact that he liked boys. He was just afraid of the consequences.

Avil understood.

Dakota explained as much as he could about his task in distracting Lucas without actually giving away what he was distracting Lucas from. Or any other details like that.

Avil listened patiently before getting excited, putting together an outfit for Dakota to wear that really 'accentuated his manliness.' He told Dakota not to be rude, to use polite manners, and to try to open himself up to Lucas. Dakota hasn't really opened up to Avil, but they didn't talk about each other's lives before adoption.

"I commend you, though," Avil had said, "He's quite a catch. If we weren't both bottoms and if I wasn't in love with Tanner-" Dakota's eye twitched from annoyance at the mention of Tanner- "Then I would totally be fawning all over Lucas."

"Speaking of which, I hope you know I'm not going to let Tanner near you without good reason," Dakota replied.

"Isn't the fact I love him a good enough reason?" Avil replied, gathering up his makeup.

"Love isn't trust," Dakota replied. Avil sighed.

"I guess you're right," he replied solemnly, "Makeup?" he offered, wiggling a container of neon green eyeliner in between his fingers. "Every time I look at this eyeliner it reminds me of you. It would be nice to see you with it on."

"Do...Don't guys that, you know," Dakota made the universal symbol for 'sex', "Stick it in. Do they wear makeup?" 

Avil gave him a fed-up look that matched the energy of Lucas's eye rolls. It made Dakota feel like a blubbering idiot.

"First of all, the word you are looking for is a top. And second, any person- girl or guy or non-binary, top or bottom- can do whatever the hell they want. If you want to look pretty, it doesn't make you any less dominant or sway you into taking a dick, Dakota," Avil replied, "So do you want it or not?"

"Uh, sure," Dakota replied hesitantly, "But not too much."

"Of course not," Avil huffed, "Who do you take me for? I think this liquid liner is the only thing you need, other than some concealer for those pimples on your chin. This green really ties together your style, and it complements your emo-gothness, I think."

"My what?" Dakota asked, closing his eyes and feeling the liquid substance against the thin skin of his eyelid, "I'm not emo or goth."

"Keep telling yourself that honey," Avil replied, before smiling, "By the way, welcome to the gay train."

"The what?" Dakota had asked. He tried to open his eyes but Avil started screaming at him.

"Don't open your eyes! You have to let it dry first!" he screeched, and Dakota shut his eyes tight quickly in response.

"How long will that take?" Dakota asked.

"Like thirty seconds!" Avil said, Dakota heard a couple clicking noises before Avil said, "Just relax."

Dakota then realized what the clicking noises were. 

"Are you taking pictures of me?" he asked. Avil responded telling him to open his eyes. Dakota saw Avil typing something on his phone.

"Yep," he replied, "I'm sending them to Ethan because I know you won't, and he needs to see this. Do you want to see the result? Oh! No! Wait! You need just a little bit of highlighter."

Avil rushed over to his desk and brought out a powder that looked as if it had sparkes in it.

"Um," Dakota was about to protest, but Avil shushed him.

"I'm the expert, remember?" Avil replied, "This will help...add just a tad of pizzazz."

"The neon green highlighter wasn't enough?" Dakota asked, which got a smack from Avil.

"Hush!" Avil scolded, "Lucas will love it. I promise."

After that, Dakota picked out a restaurant that sold a variety of foods, just in case Lucas didn't enjoy certain other foods. He actually used his phone for once, sending Nick a text that he and Lucas were going out to eat for some, "bonding time."

Nick must have read it as "Sibling bonding time" or something because he responded with an okay with a little heart next to it, as if it was no big deal.

Dakota managed to get a restaurant within walking distance to the house. Therefore, he could escourt Lucas to and from the date.

No- not date. Even though Dakota told Avil it was a date, it didn't mean it was true. Yeah he might have gotten Avil's assistance to dress up, but he wanted to distract Lucas. He thought Lucas might appreciate him making an effort.

The makeup was distracting too- Dakota couldn't stop looking at himself in the mirror. It was strange to see the forgien substance on his skin- so much so that it made him wrinkle his nose. But it wasn't bad. And it did make him look quite uniquely beautiful.

Dakota probably wouldn't do it every day- or often- but it was different, and it made him feel different. It made him feel good.

When he walked downstairs, Nick and Lucas were watching a show on the television while the toddlers sat on their laps and watched with them. They must not have announced their arrival home. They had a bunch of shopping bags sitting by their feet.

"Oh, Hey, Kota!" Nick called, grabbing the remote and pausing the movie, "Is that makeup?"

Nick calling out Dakota's nickname caused Lucas to swivel his head over toward Dakota, and Dakota saw his eyes instantly widen. Surprise lit his face. 

"Oh wow," he tilted his head, "I didn't see you for the makeup type." His eyes traced Dakota's body, unbeknownst to Nick, which made Dakota shuffle with nerves. Avil had forced him to dress in more tight-fitting clothes- clothes that "showed off the goods."

Aparently, it worked.

"Uh yeah," Dakota gestured to his face, "Avil used me as his muse." Dakotas said quickly. "Also, do you want to go out for dinner tonight? Like to hang out?" He tried not to sound like he was asking Lucas out. He didn't want to lead Lucas on. "I thought we could get to know each other better. You know, since we're roommates and all."

"Sure," Lucas replied, before Nick replied as well.

"Do you need someone to drive you?"

Dakota explained that it was in walking distance, and- while explaining- he felt the gaze of Lucas burning into him like a laser beam- focused, precise, calculated. He felt like he was being judged- maybe he was- but he didn't know whether the judgement was negative or positive.

After the conversation, Lucas rushed upstairs to get ready.

Dakota was stressed.

Why was he so stressed? He was just being a distraction.

It was only a distraction.