Devil's Drop

Mark's Secret

When Jason suggested that Ryan and Chester should pack up some of the YRS belongings around the house, while he and Mike tried to sort through paperwork, Chester didn't object. Packing boxes and picking through cheesy porn outfits and props wasn't the most fun job he could think of, but it was the first time in three days Jason had actually suggested they all do something other than sit around and drink coffee while they talked through their shared grief. Funeral arrangements were made, that would be happening next week. But that was the only thing in place. Everything else was in the air, and things had to start somewhere. And Ry and I get the physical labor. That's okay. We'd be lost on all the legal stuff anyway.

Chester looked over at Ryan as they stepped into the costume room, empty boxes in hand. "God, it's a mess in here," Chester complained as he looked around. Normally the costumes were hung in a rather orderly fashion. Booty shorts were in one section, vests and cheesy things like headbands and sunglasses were in another. Then there was the rack that held the theme outfits - police uniforms, and firemen costumes. There were things to make you look like a teacher, a waiter, or a vampire. And then there was the coolest rack in the room, or at least Chester thought so. All the tight jeans and half shirts were kept together, spreading across every color of the rainbow.

But as Chester looked around, everything seemed to be out of place and mixed up. "What's Jay going to do with all this stuff?" Chester asked as he headed for the tight jean rack first. They weren't the expensive jeans he'd bought for his own closet of clothes at home, but there was a pair or two he could take off of Jason's hands if he wasn't going to use them for anything.

"I don't know," Ryan answered honestly as he sat his box on the floor and started pulling some of the more dramatic costumes off their hangers. "He's not going to continue YRS," he announced unofficially. "We're both ready to leave this kind of stuff behind." He flashed the elf costume he'd just folded up Chester's way. "I think he might put it in storage for now."

"Woah, so no more YRS," Chester stated, and Ryan nodded. "I kinda figured. Jason's never been the director type."

"I don't really think it's that. It's just, all this," Ryan corrected. "Besides, we want to start a regular life, you know?"

Chester agreed. Something regular. That was a subject he and Mike had talked about many times. Life after YRS and what that would look like. They just never figured it would happen so soon. "He could sell this stuff to one of the other companies," Chester suggested as his interest in the cheap jeans faded while he folded them and dropped them into his box. "I bet he could get rid of most of this stuff."

"That's a good idea, Chazzy," Ryan offered as he stared at the hot cop outfit he was about to neatly fold up. He ran his fingers over the flimsy fabric and the breakaway bits. "Is it bad that I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get to see Jay in this?" he asked, his serious expression flipping to a smile.

Chester rolled his eyes as he laughed. "You should keep it. You could probably talk him into putting it on. Maybe," he amended as the memory of Jason in that very outfit flooded over him. "Or maybe not. Last time he had it on and all...."

"Right," Ryan agreed immediately as he dropped the costume in the box. "You're right. That was stupid. God, Chaz, I hate that I wasn't here for any of that. And -" he stopped himself as he looked out the open door, trying to see if they were really alone. He knew Mike and Jason had gone into Mark's office to try and make sense of the stacks of paperwork that lived there, but he wasn't sure where Brad was. He pursed his lips for a second before he moved across the room to be closer to Chester, bringing his box with him. He picked up a hanger that was strung with belts, taking them off one at a time. "I can't believe Mark was going to put Jay in a scene...with Mike."