Clang(3)

He couldn't ask his brothers. That would be way too weird. Someone who  knew him loosely but without much of a personal connection...

Chase?

Jackson tried to ignore the flip-flop in his stomach. Chase was a  relatively new and gorgeous friend, but he'd never shown a hint of  interest in Jackson.

They went out for coffee every few weeks to hang out and bitch about  their respective arts jobs that weren't counted as artistic by enough  people. Chase was a tattoo artist, and he did damn good work... but most  people just didn't understand what went into it. And Chase was gay, so  he knew what men were looking for.

He pulled out his phone to send Chase a text.

Hey :) Wanna meet up for coffee soon? I need your opinions on dating.

Moments later, he had his answer.

Someone WANTS my opinions? OMG. ;) Tomorrow at 4?

Jackson grinned.

Works great. See you then.

They might only be casual friends, but it would be nice to get out of  the workshop a little early. Jackson shut the laptop without a second  thought and turned his attention to TV.


         

     



 


Chapter 4


Chase


Oh, boy, was Chase ready to complain about all the asshole guys in town.  If Jackson had dating questions, he had more than enough answers.

Jackson was buff and gorgeous, but he always acted restrained around  Chase. He was one of the few guys around here who'd never hit on him.  Well, he'd flirted a little when they'd met at an art show that spring,  but since then... nothing. It was kind of a nice change, if  disconcerting.

They vented together about being on the fringe of the arts scene and gay  scene and shared stories of their work. Each of them was interested in  the other. Blacksmithing and tattooing were totally different but both  pretty unique arts professions.

If only Jackson wanted more than casual friendship with him.

He'd expected to bitch about flaky guys, but Jackson caught him off-guard. "Wait... What? You want to start online dating?"

Jackson nodded, cradling his white coffee mug by his chest. He wore his  uniform: a dark grey t-shirt that hugged his pecs and stretched around  his biceps. Fucking hell, he looked hot. Chase had done a good job  pretending not to stare, or so he hoped. "I haven't really done it. I  tried a few years ago but all I got were hookups."

Chase smirked. "Such innocence. So why do you need my help?"

Jackson snorted in laughter. "I need help figuring out what to say so I get a boyfriend, not horny guys."

"That's a tall order. I look like the love guru?"

"Nothing says he can't be a tattooed weirdo."

"Hey," Chase grinned. He sipped his coffee and winked. "I'm only freaky  in bed. I'm quite normal the rest of the time. I can twist into all  kinds of shapes, if it helps--"

"Yeah, yeah," Jackson waved him off with another laugh. "Anyway, what do I say?"

"Just be honest, man. You seem pretty down-to-earth. I mean, your brothers know you better... Why not ask them?"

Jackson winced and glanced down into his mug. "Um... embarrassed, I guess."

It was almost hilarious to see a big guy who could lift Chase off his  feet one-handed looking so bashful. It was kind of adorable in a  heartthrob way, too. Chase took pity on him and grinned instead of  laughing. "Why? Everyone dates online now."

"Well, Cameron met Noah in person... Thomas doesn't really date, but... I  don't know. It seems sketchy. I haven't even dated in ages."

"Why now? Seeing Cam and Noah around?"

Jackson shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just lonely."

That made Chase pause, the smile fading from his face at the raw  admission. They weren't exactly best buddies, so he hadn't heard Jackson  talk that way. He must need my help bad.

"I get it," Chase assured him after a few moments. "Me, too. I've only  got a few friends in the area, even having lived here for months now.  One of them's the guy who owns the tattoo shop... The others are pretty  much his friends."

Jackson looked sympathetic. "Yeah. I'm lucky I've got buddies around  here. Just none of them I want to... you know, romance," he laughed.

Chase chuckled. "All right. You got a computer with you?" He didn't see a jacket or bag.

"Nah, only at home. D'you wanna come back with me?"

"Sure," Chase agreed. For once, the implications weren't sexual. "I'll  help you write your profile and woo all the knights in shining armor...  armor that needs hammering. Heh..."

Jackson kicked him and laughed. "Shut up."

As they finished their coffee, Chase's mind wandered. How can a guy with  a big family in the city, all those friends, and everyone he knows  through work be lonely?

Maybe he was just trying to take pity on Chase by offering him a hand of  friendship. Hell, that was fine by Chase. He got to spend more time  around the hunk, even if it was from setting him up with someone who  wasn't Chase.



"I think that should get some interesting messages. Fill those blanks in."

Chase stretched his fingers and pushed the laptop back to Jackson. He  watched him read his profile. It wasn't much  –  just a few sentences in  each profile box  –  but it would get him started.

He'd already had to ask Jackson some questions, and the answers were  interesting. Of the six most important things to him, Jackson's list was  predictable. He'd said family, going out with friends, his  blacksmithing work, and great home-cooked food. He'd thought for a  moment before adding sunrises. Chase had pressed him for a sixth item  and Jackson's thoughtful answer was, "A relationship when the time is  right."

That answer was still bouncing around Chase's mind. When the time is  right? That didn't sound at all desperate  –  it sounded like he was happy  to wait for years longer, if he had to. Not like Chase.         

     



 

Jackson skimmed the profile. "This... this sounds decent. Wow." He pointed at the screen. "Want to meet up for 'blank'?"

"I'm assuming you're not gonna put 'casual sex' in there," Chase grinned. "Coffee or a beer or whatever."

"A beer sounds weird. Alcohol on a first date. How about coffee?"  Jackson typed that in, then mumbled under his breath as he filled in the  other blanks. Chase left it to him to think of a hobby he wanted to  share, his greatest secret, and what he was looking for in a man.

He looked cute from this angle. Jackson hunched over the coffee table  with his broad shoulders stooped enough to lean down and see the screen.  His shirt rose up his back, sliding up enough to leave an inch or two  of bare, tattooless skin.

Chase clamped down on his moment of arousal.

"Thanks," Jackson concluded as he straightened up.

"Hey, it was only a few sentences here and there." Chase pulled his gaze  off Jackson's body and back to his face to make eye contact. Stop  ogling him, Jesus. You'll make things weird.

"You wanna have supper with me and my brothers?"

Chase didn't have anywhere else to be, and he was running low on freezer meals. "Sure. Thanks. When?"

"Anytime I head outside and turn on the barbecue," Jackson laughed. "They'll smell it."

Chase laughed, too. That sounded nice. "Barbecue? Burgers?"

"Yeah, burgers and steak and veggies. We've come up with a bunch of new  recipes. Corn, salad, pizza, pineapple, asparagus, donuts..."

"Salad?" Chase laughed. "Pineapple? Donuts? I mean, corn and asparagus are kinda normal..."

Jackson winked. "Just for that, we're having salad to start and  pineapple for dessert. C'mon." Jackson walked to his kitchen, and Chase  found himself naturally following.

There was something about him that was just magnetic.

Jackson lit the barbecue first. They chatted more as they cut lettuce  heads and defrosted burgers. Chase shucked the corn, his chest aching at  the memories of shucking corn for family dinners.

By the time the ingredients were ready, there was a knock on the back door and it slid open.

"Oh, hey," Cameron greeted, raising a hand in greeting to Chase. "What's up?"

Chase had only met him twice. First had been at the same art show where  he and Jackson had met. Jackson had sculpted this gorgeous metal statue  based on Cameron. It still stood in the arena lobby. Then, Cameron  bought Chase's art piece for his living room. It was a collection of  miniature paintings done on a series of hockey pucks stuck together with  needles. Chase was glad someone had loved it enough to buy it.

"Not much. How're the paintings looking?"

"C'mon over later and I'll show you," Cameron invited. "Noah found the  perfect spot for it in the living room. I really like it, man, no  bullshit." He reached out to shake hands again in greeting as he moved  past Chase to his brother.

"He does," Jackson agreed.

Chase grinned. It was nice to hear from someone who appreciated the work  he'd put into it. Usually, his art was done with needles and ended up  on people's bodies.

"Thomas just got home. He'll be out in a few," Cam told them.