got rid of the screensaver and went back to uploading the file. “You said it was right there on the desktop?”
“You were laughing at something. What were you laughing at?”
The terror in Kelly’s voice tore away the last of Walter’s amusement. “Hon, it’s fine. Stop freaking out. You’re going to be late for class. You want me to email it, right? To your usual?”
Even after they’d hung up, Kelly remained obsessed, texting Walter three times during his class, demanding to know what was so funny. Eventually Walter sent one of David Kawena’s sexualized Disney hero paintings as a reply—Aladdin, because that was the most recognizable one, but man did he hover over Prince Phillip.
OMG my screensaver was all he got back from Kelly, and then radio silence until, exactly seven minutes after his class let out, Kelly came back to the room, breathless and sick with embarrassment.
Walter tried to calm him down. “Hey—sweetheart, seriously. It’s fine. The pics threw me for a loop is all. No sweat.”
“I forgot I’d never changed that. Lisa did that before I left as a joke.”
Walter simply raised an eyebrow and waited.
Kelly folded like a house of cards. “Okay, so I have a thing for Disney movies. I always have.” He held out his arms like a sacrifice. “Go ahead. Make fun.”
Walter shrugged. “Whatever. It’s a little weird, but it suits you in its own way. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It was just the last thing I thought I’d see.”
Kelly leaned against the side of his loft, crossing his arms over his chest. “They make me happy. I don’t think that’s bad.”
“Didn’t say it was. Hell, I loved Pete’s Dragon when I was younger. Always got misty when I heard Helen Reddy sing ‘Candle on the Water’.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, really. What, you think I came out of the womb this cynical?” He put his hands behind his head. “I even took piano lessons just so I could learn to play the song. It’s the only thing I still know by heart.”
Clearly he’d chosen the right balm, because Kelly smiled and eased into the green rocker. “That’s cool. I never learned to play at all, so you’re one up on me.” He had his phone in hand, scrolling through until he’d pulled up the image Walter had texted him. “Where in the hell did you get this, by the way? There’s no way this pic is Disney issue.”
“You never saw that before? Are you kidding? There’s a whole fucking series.” He reached for his laptop and tapped out a search as he spoke. “I found them a few years back, but the artist has made more since I last looked.” After loading Kawena’s Facebook album, he passed the computer over to Kelly.
Kelly’s eyes went wide, then darkened with a quiet lust that Walter found more erotic than the photos. “Oh my God. Holy shit . Flynn Rider. And— Jesus! Tarzan. And the Beast!” He covered his mouth with his hand, but his eyes told Walter these images were burned on his roommate’s brain. “If I’d have found these at twelve, I’d have needed more therapy than I already had. Either that or maybe I wouldn’t have needed any at all, because this is pretty much how I saw them myself. Except somehow this is even better.”
Walter studied Kelly a minute, trying to decide if he were truly that casual about having been to therapy or if Kawena’s images were simply that distracting. This was confirmed when, a few minutes later, Kelly looked up with an expression that made it clear his brain had finally caught up with his mouth.
Oh, Red. So fucking adorable. Walter played it cool, propping his feet up on the desk chair. “You were watching Disney while I was drooling over Tom of Finland. Why am I not surprised?” When Kelly gave him a blank look, Walter laughed and shook his head. “ Seriously , baby, did you grow up in a cave? Google it.”
He smiled, slow and devious, as Kelly opened a search engine. Kelly went still in the same way he
“You were laughing at something. What were you laughing at?”
The terror in Kelly’s voice tore away the last of Walter’s amusement. “Hon, it’s fine. Stop freaking out. You’re going to be late for class. You want me to email it, right? To your usual?”
Even after they’d hung up, Kelly remained obsessed, texting Walter three times during his class, demanding to know what was so funny. Eventually Walter sent one of David Kawena’s sexualized Disney hero paintings as a reply—Aladdin, because that was the most recognizable one, but man did he hover over Prince Phillip.
OMG my screensaver was all he got back from Kelly, and then radio silence until, exactly seven minutes after his class let out, Kelly came back to the room, breathless and sick with embarrassment.
Walter tried to calm him down. “Hey—sweetheart, seriously. It’s fine. The pics threw me for a loop is all. No sweat.”
“I forgot I’d never changed that. Lisa did that before I left as a joke.”
Walter simply raised an eyebrow and waited.
Kelly folded like a house of cards. “Okay, so I have a thing for Disney movies. I always have.” He held out his arms like a sacrifice. “Go ahead. Make fun.”
Walter shrugged. “Whatever. It’s a little weird, but it suits you in its own way. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It was just the last thing I thought I’d see.”
Kelly leaned against the side of his loft, crossing his arms over his chest. “They make me happy. I don’t think that’s bad.”
“Didn’t say it was. Hell, I loved Pete’s Dragon when I was younger. Always got misty when I heard Helen Reddy sing ‘Candle on the Water’.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, really. What, you think I came out of the womb this cynical?” He put his hands behind his head. “I even took piano lessons just so I could learn to play the song. It’s the only thing I still know by heart.”
Clearly he’d chosen the right balm, because Kelly smiled and eased into the green rocker. “That’s cool. I never learned to play at all, so you’re one up on me.” He had his phone in hand, scrolling through until he’d pulled up the image Walter had texted him. “Where in the hell did you get this, by the way? There’s no way this pic is Disney issue.”
“You never saw that before? Are you kidding? There’s a whole fucking series.” He reached for his laptop and tapped out a search as he spoke. “I found them a few years back, but the artist has made more since I last looked.” After loading Kawena’s Facebook album, he passed the computer over to Kelly.
Kelly’s eyes went wide, then darkened with a quiet lust that Walter found more erotic than the photos. “Oh my God. Holy shit . Flynn Rider. And— Jesus! Tarzan. And the Beast!” He covered his mouth with his hand, but his eyes told Walter these images were burned on his roommate’s brain. “If I’d have found these at twelve, I’d have needed more therapy than I already had. Either that or maybe I wouldn’t have needed any at all, because this is pretty much how I saw them myself. Except somehow this is even better.”
Walter studied Kelly a minute, trying to decide if he were truly that casual about having been to therapy or if Kawena’s images were simply that distracting. This was confirmed when, a few minutes later, Kelly looked up with an expression that made it clear his brain had finally caught up with his mouth.
Oh, Red. So fucking adorable. Walter played it cool, propping his feet up on the desk chair. “You were watching Disney while I was drooling over Tom of Finland. Why am I not surprised?” When Kelly gave him a blank look, Walter laughed and shook his head. “ Seriously , baby, did you grow up in a cave? Google it.”
He smiled, slow and devious, as Kelly opened a search engine. Kelly went still in the same way he
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