Rue got out of the car and fumbled with his keys. Suddenly, he was nervous, and he knew that was only because Arlo was there with him. For some reason, he cared about his opinion, and although the mere thought of it made his heart jump out of his chest, Rue wanted to see what it was like to have Arlo in his space. To see him there among his designs and his art supplies. There, in his world. He wanted to know what it felt like. If Rick were the only one, he'd never be able to feel comfortable around. Rue was so scared that he was. And if that was the case, he had no one now. He was alone again.
The building wasn't well-kept, and from the outside, few people would believe it was an apartment building. But what the guys didn't know was that Rue owned it.
Three years ago, Rick helped him find that place after circumstances had led him to find himself without a home, and he would be forever grateful to Rick for that. The apartment and studio suited him perfectly, although it was a little snug. But a year ago, the building's owner decided to sell the building and the person he intended to sell it to intended to tear it down and rebuild. Knowing how much the place meant to Rue, Rick then went to the owner and asked him what his asking price was. It turned out that since several parts of the building needed to be renovated, he was prepared to go even lower than the asking price after some persuasion from Rick. Rick then approached Rue and asked if he was interested in being the new owner. It would mean he would never have to move unless he wanted to, and he would live for free. He would also earn an extra income if he decided to keep having tenants. The responsibility and interactions scared Rue, but the thought of having a forever home was inviting.
Rue didn't have a business sense, but he knew he didn't want to see the building go, nor did he want to force anyone out of their homes. He knew what it was like to feel utterly alone and have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. He didn't want to cause that to happen to anyone else. Even though he was unsure and worried if he could do a good job, Rue said yes and bought the building. Rick and his wife helped him figure out what needed to be fixed, and they got him a good deal thanks to a friend of a friend being a contractor and another friend, an electrician. Being a restaurant owner, it was essential to have such connections, and Rick didn't mind reaching out to them for Rue's sake.
The building was originally a beige, greyish colour, with walls that had been abused regularly by spray painting youths in the area. So first, it had to be cleaned and repainted. Rick then asked the city and other buildings in the area for permission to paint it, and after having collected the signatures, Rue cleaned the walls, painted them white and then turned the building into a canvas for his art.
The first half of it was a mural dedicated to his art, and it was beautiful. The other shop owners and local residents loved Rue's building as it made them feel like they weren't living in one of the poorer neighbourhoods or that it was such a cold area with only beige and grey old buildings. It made them feel like there was a little magic in the world again, and that made them happy. The tenants in Rue's building felt the same way. Rue hadn't raised the rent and he was always kind and polite. He willingly dedicated his time and money to restoring the building while saving them from being evicted. In their eyes, he was a bit of a hero, though he'd never believe that was the case.
He had yet to perform any significant renovations inside the building, but the tenants didn't mind. They were just happy that Rue was the new landlord and that it would happen. While there weren't many tenants, none wanted to be without a place to live. Therefore, they had no trouble being patient. The previous owner would never have made the necessary renovations, but Rue would. Rue even gave them all a list where they could write down what they thought was most important to renovate and change, what worked and didn't work in their apartments and the building itself. He also had them mull over what they thought would make the apartment building, their home, even better for themselves and future tenants.
Living in a city meant they had all had their share of landlords, and a landlord like Rue was unheard of. There was even an ever-increasing list of people who wanted to move in once the vacant floors had been renovated, but Rick hadn't told Rue about that. He didn't want to overwhelm him.
The guys got out of the car and locked it. When they turned around and faced the building, they all froze. Well, all except Rick. He was merely enjoying their reactions. They didn't know what they expected to find, but the sight before them wasn't it. They couldn't believe they'd never seen this building before. It stood out like a tree in a construction site.
"You live... here?" Arlo asked, astounded.
"I do," Rue walked ahead, unaware of Arlo's blushing cheeks and the guys snickering behind him. He unlocked the front door and stepped inside. It was a large carved door, unlike most apartment buildings in the area that had glass doors with codes to open them. It was an entrance from another time as it was one of the few things left from the start of the 20th century. Each tenant had their own key to the front door. Not keycards or phone apps, but the same cast iron keys the first owner had made when he had the door put in.
There were cameras and a security system inside the building for Rue's and the other tenants' safety, but they didn't stand out, so he felt it was the better option. Rue didn't want to get rid of the traditional entrance. It made the home his, and it made him feel protected in a way.
"He's the landlord," Rick said a little smugly as he could see the awe on their faces. They were no longer snickering at Arlo's rosy cheeks.
Bo frowned. "What do you mean?"
Rue nodded once. "I own it. It was heading for demolition, and I didn't want to see that happen. So Rick helped me buy it."
"You... how old are you?" Arlo asked.
"Older than you," Rue replied with a chuckle and continued to walk inside.
Rick stifled his laughter. He had always loved how Rue had flickers of confidence that came without any forewarning. It never stopped being amusing to him. He knew that underneath all the anxiety and insecurity, Rue had it in him to be the confident guy people thought him to be. Rick was convinced that was his true self, but the world had moulded him into something different.
The others followed him inside, but Arlo remained frozen, watching Rue walk up the stairs. He was gazing at the man and then the building and couldn't believe how everything he found out about Rue made him more amazing to him. But it also made the divide between the two greater. The floor was covered in square stone plates with different patterns on each one. Some were a little worse for wear, but they were still beautiful.
"Are you coming?" Rick called.
Arlo realised he hadn't been moving, and Bo stood at the entrance, holding the door open.
"Coming."
Inside, it was evident that the building hadn't been recently re-decorated. But the bones of the building were good. A few carved details in dark wood would look very beautiful after some polishing. The staircase was of a quality that none of the buildings in the area upheld. Everywhere you looked, you saw a result of true craftsmanship. Nothing mass manufactured or that had come in a box from China. They could all see why Rue would want to keep the place. The walls weren't white or beige, but some were patterned, and others were brown. A few had a jacquard-like pattern you couldn't see unless you looked at them from a certain angle. Halfway down, the walls were covered in carved wood. There were also paintings hanging in a few places. Due to working in the restaurant, seeing those paintings made it clear to all the boys to whom the building belonged. Though painting and sculpting are very different techniques, you can still see Rue's artistry in both.
Walking up the staircases to the other floors, seeing the odd details in décor and the paintings to match... it felt like they had fallen into another world. They each felt like Alice in Wonderland, having fallen down the rabbit hole. There were new things to discover around every corner, and they hadn't even made it to Rue's apartment yet. It was like going through an attic in an old house that hadn't been cleared out yet. To them, it was an unexpected adventure.
"You made all of these?" Arlo asked as they finally reached the third floor. They were slightly out of breath, mainly because the cooks had decided to race the last two flights of stairs.
"Y-yes," Rue replied, feeling his nerves hit as he turned the lock. "I have not gotten around to fixing the rest of the building yet, as I'm still going through the tenants' wishes. So I thought some paintings would at least make the building feel more... I don't know."
The lock clicked, and he opened the door. "If possible, please take off your shoes," Rue said and went inside, trying to see how much they would need to carry.
Naturally, they complied and removed their shoes, placing them on a row next to the door. The guys then sat down in the kitchen, and John started tending to the few minor injuries from the near-car crash.
Arlo's eyes wandered around, and he was overwhelmed. Sure, he had dreamed he'd one day be there, in Rue's apartment, but he didn't think it would happen. He was just there to help carry boxes, as were the others, but he didn't let that dim his excitement. He was there; he had spoken to Rue a few times and learned several new things about him. And the more he saw and learned, the more he knew he was not ready to give up on him.
When Rue returned after having sorted things out, he was moving from foot to foot, apologetically scratching his neck.
Rick noticed immediately. "What's the matter, Rue?"
Rue mumbled something, and the guys looked at him curiously, as none of them had been able to make out what he said.
"What was that?" John asked kindly.
Rue avoided their curious gazes and spoke a little louder. "There are sixteen boxes. And a small one." He bit his lip. "I should have just hired someone." He mumbled and sighed before meeting their eyes.
But to his great surprise, none of them looked mad. If anything, they looked amused.
Rick laughed loudly and wrapped his burly arms around him in a big hug, lifting him off the ground. "Isn't he amazing? In one week he filled 16 boxes with new creations. Not including the one he already carried to the restaurant." He beamed with for Rue. And he deliberately displayed his affection and bond with him in front of Arlo. Both to see his reaction and to determine if he was serious enough. He felt it his duty to ensure Arlo knew that Rue wasn't someone to be messed with. Not on his watch.
Arlo knew they were family, albeit not genetically, but he couldn't hide the irrational anger that bubbled inside him. He wasn't angry that they had a close relationship. Or that they were hugging. It was just... Rue was this amazing person, and Arlo worked in a restaurant. Rue was older and more mature than him. He didn't just own his apartment, but his entire apartment building, and he was a very successful artist. If that wasn't clear to him before, it was now. After all, Rue had purchased an entire apartment building on his own. Rue was an amazing designer who could be world famous and probably would be one day. While Arlo knew Rick and Rue were just friends and family, he also knew that Rick was a successful restaurant owner and a chef. Arlo's anger and frustration was not stemming from jealousy. It came from sadness, wanting, longing and a loss of hope. How could he ever hope to close the divide between him and Rue when it was ever increasing? How could he ever measure up to his success?
Rue was so far out of his league that Arlo felt like crying. And to make it worse, he knew that there was no going back after that day. He was in love with him. He was in love with a man he couldn't have. No words could express how much that hurt him. Realising he was in love with him and at the same time realising it was an impossible and unrequited love was too much for him. Arlo felt angry because it was easier to feel angry at the world than to admit the anger's true name was the first crack of a broken heart.
"Hush, Rick." Rue chastised, but he didn't remove the heavy arm that lay across his shoulders. They often sat close or hugged, and that was normal for them. "Are you sure you aren't mad though?" Rue looked at all of them. For the first time, however, Arlo avoided his gaze. It made Rue insecure, thinking he had offended him. "I could still hire someone?" He said and looked at Arlo. Arlo however, didn't notice, but the others did.
Bo smacked Arlo's head affectionately and muttered something before turning to Rue. "It is absolutely fine. We are more than capable of moving those boxes. You have nothing to worry about." Bo was very matter-of-fact, and he was a doer. He was competent and good at fixing things. Be it whipping up a creative meal or fixing a leaking tap. His interest in staying fit helped, too. Though Bo didn't say so, he was quite pleased to fit in a workout during work hours.
Arlo blinked when Bo made contact with his head and realised he had missed Rue speaking to him. If he didn't feel bad before, he certainly did now. But as much as he wanted to have a real conversation with him and get to know him, his mind was drawing a blank. He simply stood there staring wordlessly at Rue. Which, to be fair, made him look a little crazy, so his friends stepped in.
"Absolutely," John added. "Where should we begin?"