Chasing Rusty Parer

Chapter Twenty-Four -- The Problem With Cosplaying

Rusty browsed through the many items on display, but each time he was about to press the 'add to cart' button, he couldn't bring himself to do it since there was immediately something else catching his eye. That had been the case yesterday, too, and if he postponed too much, there was a possibility he would end up having all that stuff he wanted to buy for Gabriel delivered to him post factum.

That wouldn't do, and he had just the best solution for his temporary gift-hunting disability. He grabbed the phone and started smiling even before Matty picked up.

"Hello," he drawled.

"Rusty, what's up?" Matty sounded genuinely happy to hear him. During the week, they didn't see each other much, since they were supposedly both busy studying. He wasn't, but Matty applied himself, and he had to respect that. "Did you find something for your brother? Don't forget that I want to contribute."

"That's exactly why I'm calling. Let's go shopping."

"In the real world, you mean? I thought you wanted to shop online."

"Nah, that's like a normie thing," Rusty justified without thinking twice.

"Normie? Ah, I understand," Matty replied, and Rusty could tell that the other was smiling even though he couldn't see his face. "Then let's go touch grass together."

Rusty laughed. "Yeah, let's do that. Are you free today?"

"Sure thing. I'm free right now."

That was Matty, always ready and available for him. How hadn't he thought of it until now, how convenient and cool it would be to have a friend that filled all the gaps? No square peg trying to fit through a round hole there. He had to laugh at himself for that. There was nothing square about the Mighty Thor.

***

"So, what do you think about this?"

"A hoverboard? Aren't those like last year or something?" Matty asked.

"Hmm," Rusty mumbled and put the package back on the shelf.

He had insisted that he would pay for everything, but Matty was just as equally insisting that they would split the final bill in half. Still, that made him feel like they were now involved in some responsible shopping, and those two words had no meaning and purpose being next to each other when it came to him.

"What about this?" Matty suggested.

Rusty could feel his eyes lighting up at the sight of that flashy mini-drone. He grabbed it from Matty's hands and placed it carefully in the cart.

"This also looks interesting," Matty added as he grabbed another thing. "It's like some capture the flag game, but he can play it with his friends in the dark."

Rusty had no idea if Roy was letting his ten-year-old son play with his friends in the backyard and stay up so late, but it was a good idea anyway. Maybe their shared old man was getting softer with age. For Rusty, the only words Roy had ever had were 'study' and 'play basketball'. He was doing one better than the other, but still, he wasn't good enough.

He shrugged and took the over-the-door compact basket hoop and threw it in. The chances were the kid would love it, and maybe he'd grow up to be a better player than his older brother.

"Laser guns, obviously, right?" Matty continued animatedly.

This was fun, Rusty realized. He could see himself pushing a cart behind Matty while the guy bought half the store, and not only once in a lifetime.

"Rusty?" a familiar voice called for him from behind. "Rusty Parker?"

He turned quickly and faced the owner of the voice. "August?" he asked and blinked as he took her in.

She hadn't changed much since they had seen last of each other. The same long jet black hair, the same keen scrutinizing eyes, the same leather jacket that made her look like a badass, and that half smile that had used to make him feel so funny on the inside.

She opened her arms wide. "Aren't you going to give me a hug?"

He moved toward her somewhat reluctantly, and August noticed right away. However, before she got a chance to drop her arms, he swept her into his and forced them both into a pirouette, making her laugh out loud. He only put her down when she smacked his shoulders with her fists, begging him to stop.

"How have you been doing?" Are you still married to that asshole?

"Better," she replied. "Each day is new."

That didn't answer his unspoken question. He then realized that Matty was only a few feet away. He ran a hand through his hair. "I was shopping for a gift for Gabriel with my friend Matty. Matty, this is August, an old friend."

She didn't seem upset with how he introduced her and offered her hand, her arm extended over the full cart. "Nice to meet you, Matty. I bet the others ran from home just to avoid this, and you were the only victim available."

"No, actually, I was Rusty's first choice," Matty replied. "Nice to meet you, August."

If Matty had been a girl, Rusty would have thought that reply a bit catty, but his very special friend was actually telling the truth, and there was nothing disingenuous in his words.

"Same here," August replied. "Are you a new addition to the Amazing Four?"

"Yes," Rusty said, at the same time as Matty said 'no'. They exchanged a surprised look.

August laughed, breaking the awkward moment.

"Wait," Rusty turned toward her, "how do you even know about the Amazing Four?"

"I intend to take some classes at your college. I know, better late than never and all that. Nothing fancy, I'm not going to go for a PhD or anything crazy." She laughed again, but this time, the laugh was turned inward.

"How come I didn't know that?" Rusty asked.

August leaned slightly toward him and gave him one of those signature looks, the kind that reached inside his heart and grabbed it by the balls. "Maybe because you changed your number." She only allowed a moment for that to sink in, and then added quickly, "So, I happened to start reading your campus publication, what's it called...?"

"Xpress," Matty supplied when Rusty didn't say a word.

She was supposed to remain in the past, wasn't she? And yet, he couldn't help feel happy to see her. At one point in time, she had known him better than anyone else. Even himself.

August threw a cursory look over the contents of the already full shopping cart. "I'll leave you guys to it, then. See you around, Rusty."

He was still stuck in place, looking after her as she disappeared through the aisles.

"She seems nice. Is she from the same town as you and Maddox?"

"No," he replied curtly.

No, she wasn't, but she knew everything about his friends, at least everything he had told her.

Matty was still looking at him, waiting for something more than just that, but Rusty grabbed the first board game that happened to be there and placed it on top of the other things. "This is the last," he announced.

***

"I believe we went a little overboard," Matty commented while he inspected the contents of the large bag for a moment while they were in the backseat of the Uber meant to take them back to the campus.

They had been shopping for gifts for half a day, but Matty could really say, hand on heart, that it had all been time well spent. Now and then, Rusty would remember something his dad had mentioned about Gabriel, or even Gabriel during what seemed to have been only short and far between interactions. It only meant that Rusty truly paid attention, even if he seemed so keen to stay clear of his dad's other family, at least by how dismissive he tried to sound when mentioning it.

Matty's heart went out to him. He couldn't relate, since his parents were not only married to each other, but also each other's best friends. Although he didn't know everything going on between them and probably they had their fair share of quarrels here and there, Matty couldn't imagine a world in which they'd be separated.

"Yeah, but it's fine," Rusty said, his head turned, apparently lost in the scenery flying by.

It wasn't hard to tell that Rusty's mood change must have happened after meeting that young woman at the store. She was definitely someone Rusty had mixed feelings about, if the way their interaction had gone was any indication. Matty had noticed right away the shared intimacy, that glint in their eyes as they recognized each other. But they hadn't stayed in touch, so something must have happened.

Was she one of Rusty's old flames? The king of Sunny Hill was famous for not doing relationships, so that seemed unlikely. But that could very well be an act. What bothered Matty more, although he was trying not to read too much into things, was how she seemed to know Rusty, really know him. Not only because she was obviously aware of who Gabriel and Rusty's closest friends were, but because of how she had stared at him, with a fond look in her eyes, filled with tenderness and a bit of mockery as if she was a moment away from telling Rusty to drop the act.

She was definitely older than them, maybe not by much, but enough. She had to be twenty-seven or maybe twenty-five, but that difference was enough to make Matty wonder how she had come to know Rusty so well.

"August's very pretty," he found himself saying.

A noncommittal grunt from Rusty had to be a sign that it would be better if he dropped it. Too bad he didn't feel like it. "How did you two get to know each other?"

"What do you want to know, Matty?" Rusty asked and finally looked at him.

Matty didn't cower under that hard stare. Supposedly, they were friends, and friends told each other stuff. "Is she an old friend? And how come you guys haven't stayed in touch?"

Rusty was resting his elbow on the door and covering part of his mouth. He stopped looking at Matty. "We fucked once. And we haven't stayed in touch because if I were to do that with everyone I ever hooked up with, I wouldn't have a life."

That was one strange answer. Matty had no idea what to make of it. August must have made Rusty angry with her somehow. He turned to look out the window on his side, too.

Then, a warm hand was on the back of his neck and Rusty pulled him close, at the risk of smashing the full bag of gifts between us. "For the record, you don't count."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matty asked while Rusty rubbed the crown of his head with a closed fist, so playfully and a contrast with his sour mood from earlier.

"You're not like the rest I mean. I'll always keep in touch with you. So stop pouting."

Matty didn't really have any words left after something like that. Rusty looked ahead for a moment. "Hey, man, don't look for a moment, okay?"

It took Matty a moment to realize Rusty was talking to the driver. The guy just shrugged. "I only have eyes for the road, man. Don't mind me."

And then Rusty kissed him. Not just a peck on the lips, but a full-fledged kiss that left him breathless and reeling with happy dizziness until the car reached their destination.

***

Matty examined the costume with worried eyes. How come he hadn't thought of it until now? The tight latex was the same color as his cat boy costume, so if he were to dress in it... Damn, he really needed to see if that was true. He had to check himself in the mirror, so, despite having John as his continuous unwanted audience, he proceeded to dress up slowly, under the blanket, in fear of hurting his roommate's sensibilities if he were to prance around in nothing but a pair of tight underwear while trying on a superhero outfit.

"What are you doing?" John asked and moved his eyes slowly from his textbook.

None of your business was the first thing Matty wanted to say, but he had decided that dealing with his obnoxious roommate wouldn't turn him into an annoying asshole, too. "I'm going to this birthday party," he said. "This is a superhero costume," he added.

"I know what it is," John replied, like somehow Matty had just accused him of not knowing the full periodic table by heart.

Matty huffed, finally managing to get the lower part of his body into the jumpsuit. He pushed away the blanket, hoping that the sight of his bare chest wouldn't be too offensive for the douchebag lying in the bed across from his.

He checked the back while putting the rest on. Well, it was different from his cat boy costume, but maybe not different enough. He showed plenty of ass, and his worries didn't seem unfounded at all. With Rusty's powers of observation, the fact that his latex-clad ass would look very much the same as a certain cat boy's could be enough to ruin everything.

A sigh escaped his lips while he adjusted the costume on his shoulders. Only then, he noticed that John was staring at him, jaw slack. "What?" he asked. "It's a kid's birthday. He likes superheroes."

John frowned and got up abruptly. Matty stepped back when John moved closer and began pulling at one of his sleeves.

"What are you doing?" Matty asked, scandalized by how forward his roommate tended to be with him, despite their being almost as good as strangers.

"You must get out of this costume," John said decisively. "It shows off your body."

"John, stop it, dude," Matty protested and removed his arm from the other's grip. "What's wrong with you? And all superheroes show their bodies. It's how it is."

John crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "You are not going to show yours."

"Excuse me? What's wrong with my body?"

John pressed his glasses up his nose and looked Matty up and down. "You look like you're as good as naked," he said with disgust. "A piece of meat."

Matty began rubbing his forehead. Oh, how he longed for the peace he used to have with John away. But that was in the past. "Well, I promise you won't see me again in it," he said brightly, feigning calm, when he felt nothing remotely close.

"You can be sure of that," John said and pursed his lips some more.

Matty shook his head and headed to the bathroom. He should have known it would be a bad idea to change there, but it wasn't like he had many options. Then, he stopped abruptly and turned toward John. "Is The Implacable Team against wearing superhero costumes, too?" he asked, pretending to be genuinely interested.

John barely spared him a glance. "It's demeaning. Like that female student dressing up as a cat girl and flaunting her body. Look where that got her."

"What cat girl?" Matty asked, now even more than willing to hear what was going through his roommate's head, out of pure repulsed fascination and no other reason.

"The one who got pregnant. She obviously had to drop out. What's waiting for her in the future?"

"What, I wonder," Matty said under his breath. "Wait, do you know who she is?"

"Some junior," John said, waving. "And the man who let himself be enticed by her lewd body, he won't end up well, either."

So much insight, Matty thought, feeling like his head would start hurting at any given moment now. "Well, you don't have to worry that someone might get me pregnant," he said.

"No, but men will only want you for your body if you go down this path," John said in the same preaching tone.

Oh-so-good intentions wrapped in toilet paper. Matty shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with sexual desire," he said.

John gave him a surprised look and then buried his nose in his textbook. Matty decided that this wasn't a fight worth fighting. It wasn't his business at all what his roommate was getting up to.

***

"And you see, Zoey," he explained while his bestie was finding a place in her closet for the cat boy costume, "I might get myself in trouble if Rusty gets the chance to stare at my ass while I'm dressed like that."

"Well," Zoey said as she closed the closet door with a satisfied smile, "you only have to face him all the time."

"Really, that's your solution?" Matty rolled his eyes.

"You could wear a cape," Zoey suggested.

"Nightwing doesn't wear a cape. Actually, that's a pretty big thing for him, not wearing a cape and all that."

"For real? I don't keep up with superheroes' pet peeves these days," Zoey said.

"I don't, either, but I had to get informed because I think Rusty would care if I didn't get properly into character."

"Nothing but the best for your Rusty." Zoey giggled and plopped down on the bed by his side. "You should have a plan B, Matty. How about you dress as someone else?"

"He'll be disappointed."

"It means that you need to choose which one's the lesser evil."

Zoey had a point. There was still time until Saturday, and he needed to find a solution until then. "You're right," he admitted. "I'll think about it. By the way, my roommate really hates how I look dressed up as a superhero."

"I bet he hates fun, glitter, and having a life, too," Zoey replied with a snort. "Anyway, it's not his business."

"He gives me the willies a bit, you know," Matty continued. "He told me I looked like a piece of meat, and offered me the cautionary tale of the cat girl who got pregnant."

Zoey shook her head. "He's talking a lot of smack, this roommate of yours. He might give you the willies, but I bet you're giving him a hard willie."

"Yeah, right. I doubt he has one, to start with."

"Nah, you're wrong, Matty, my man. It looks to me like he wants nothing more than to go through great pains and tribulations to save you from the fate of the pregnant cat girl."

Matty shrugged. "Well, I'm not going to become his little 'playing the savior' project. And I'm not usually the type to complain, but he's getting up in my business a lot more than he should. I'm not sure what to do about him."

"You could plant your foot in his ass. Who knows? He might discover something about himself. Just be prepared to deal with Mr. Douchey's face in the throes of ecstasy."

"I can barely deal with you presenting such an unlikely scenario. But, seriously, my parents haven't taught me how to deal with people who are this rude."

"That's because they're too polite and passed it on to you. Fight fire with fire, Matty, is what I'm saying. And if you find yourself in some moral quandary about how to push back without hurting Mr. Douchey's feelings, you can always count on me. I'll put him in his place."

"I'll hold you to it, Zoey. By the way, what's The Implacable Team's plan these days?"

"They're suspiciously silent. It looks to me like they're in their recruitment period, just spreading the word and all that. But leave it to me. I'm going to find out when they're going to move against our dear king. I know! We could be the kingsguard, Matty. See, I'm already finding solutions. And you could wear a white cape."

"I'll keep that in mind," Matty said. "Or, if Rusty notices my ass too much, I'm just going to deny everything. I'm not very keen on disappointing him, given the big occasion and all that."

Zoey nodded like a wise old man and caressed an invisible beard. "I see. When truth comes biting you on the ass, just opt for playing the smartass. It might help you."

That advice was as good as any. Matty stored it away for future reference.

***

Rusty leafed through the pages of the textbook without really reading the words. August coming to Sunny Hill was a thing. He didn't know if he could define it as being a big thing or not, but it was a thing. Just seeing her face was enough to pull him back to those times when happiness equaled that strange frisson of hiding and evading.

"Hey." Maddox's voice interrupted his train of thought.

"What?" He stared at his bestie over the table.

"Are you studying, or do you simply enjoy torturing me by flipping those pages back and forth?"

"You wanted me to sit down here with you and make an attempt at studying," Rusty accused him openly.

Maddox leaned back in his chair and observed him. "Problems in paradise?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rusty bristled and tried to read the first sentence on the page. Nah, it made no sense. It didn't explain to him why he felt so messed up by seeing August again, after so much time had passed.