Chapter Text
It’s a weird image: Shaolin Fantastic the Lady-Killing Romantic in Thor’s Studio. Thor’s out with his friends so it’s just Shao and Dizzee. Dizzee’s all but moved in so it’s a very different place than it was a few months ago with Shao found them together. It’s disorganized, chaotic and small but its theirs.
It wasn’t like Shaolin made a habit of coming to the Studio. But when the get down brothers needed to find Dizzee, only Shao knew where he was. True to his word Shao never mentioned any of what he saw that night to the others. Dizzee was more grateful than words could express.
“So what’s up?” Dizzee said after watching Shao awkwardly pace around the small space. “Is this about the party tonight? Because I already told Ra-Ra not to worry. I’ll be there.” Shao shook his head, running his fingers along a beaded curtain. It was unlike him to be so quiet. “Hey man, is something wrong?”
Shaolin took a breath like he was preparing himself for some great ordeal. “When did you realize that you, and Thor, were…”
“Into each other’s dicks?” Dizzee said in a blunt way that made Shaolin wince. Still, Shao didn’t say that wasn’t what he meant to ask so Dizz ran with it. “Thor’s been comfortable with his sexuality for a while. He’s had boyfriends before.” Dizzee glanced at Shaolin to see his reaction to speaking so frankly about their relationship. Shaolin only seemed to be listening intently. Only his eyes were on the beads he fiddled with in his hands. So Dizzee continued.
“For me, some people just look so beautiful. It’s like their beauty radiates from inside and out. Shining through the darkest clouds and breaking the worst storms. It’s been like that for girls and guys if I can remember.”
Shaolin jerked towards him at this. “So you into both then? Dudes and ladies, even?”
Dizzee shrugged. “I wouldn’t say equally. Maybe something like 70/30.”
Shaolin seemed to be processing this information carefully. Dizzee let him, knowing it wasn’t easy coming to terms with one’s sexuality. Dizz had his suspicions for a while. The lingering looks at Zeke. The hinting words “Because people don’t need to know everything about me.” Implying there was something else to know. And of course, with someone as mysterious as Shaolin there were bond to be secrets. But this was one that Shaolin might be coming to Dizzee for. Not Zeke, or Napoleon who he was known to confide in when he’d had a little too much of everything. It made the selfish part of Dizzee feel good to be able to be a confidant for his hero.
Dizzee moved a little closer to Shao before sitting down on a turned over plastic crate. “Do you think,” Dizzee asked carefully. “That you might be—
“Fuck, I don’t know!” Dizzee cringed as Shao kicked over a stack of Kyrlon cans. “I just…I just thought that maybe…”
Dizzee stood up and approached Shao carefully with his palms out. “It’s okay man. It’s cool if you don’t know. Or if you’re not sure. Humans are fluid beings and sexuality is just another form of it. It’s hard to map.” Shao didn’t seem to be consoled by this, still seeming highly upset. Dizzee continues closer until they were about a foot apart.
Dizzee took Shaolin’s hands in his own which managed to distract the older boy. Dizzee planned on just doing that, but then their eyes locked. Suddenly Dizzee found himself moving closer. Shao met him in the middle and their lips connected to the sound of fireworks echoing in their ears. Dizz had never kisses a man who wasn’t Thor before. If he had any doubts that he was into guys and not just Thor, this resolved them.
Shao responded almost immediately which shouldn’t have been such a surprise but it was. Then again, you don’t get the name Shaolin Fantastic the Lady-Killing Romantic and be a bad kisser. Shao’s got two hands on Dizzee’s cheeks holding him in place which is new. Dizzee puts his hands-on Shao’s waist pulling them flush against each other. A quick swipe of Shao’s tongue and suddenly their tongues are dancing together.
It feels like they’re kissing for an eternity but it can’t possibly be that long. The two of them split apart finally for breath with their foreheads pressed against each other. Dizzee’s first thought is how world-changing that kiss was, and his second is that he’s going to have to tell Thor. There’s nothing to gained by lying to his beautiful boyfriend, and Dizzee didn’t anticipate him being too mad. The two of them still kissed Thor’s lady friend at clubs from time to time. Maybe if Thor kissed Shao then he wouldn’t feel left out.
Dizzee waits for Shao to react. For him to jump away from Dizzee or curse him out. But he doesn’t. Shao just stays there for a moment, his thumb rubbing the back of Dizz’s neck and other hand cupping his cheek. “Dizz… that was. Fuck I don’t even get the words. It was like that kind of bullshit Books be saying about Mylene all the time.” Shao says. Then Shao seems to realize what he implied and takes a few steps back.
“It was like an electric current swept through our bodies. Like fire and lightning or maybe something stronger than them both.” Dizzee said. He wanted to paint this feeling before it faded but couldn’t bring himself to stop considering Shao’s eyes.
“Thank you.” Shao said. “I gotta go, Napoleon’s supposed to get me this rare-ass record for tonight. But…we cool, right?”
Dizzee nods eagerly and risks another quick peck on Shao’s lips. The other boy smiles into it. “You gonna tell Thor?” Shao asks, looking slightly guilty.
“Yeah, man. Secrets are unhealthy you know? They pool inside you and fester and rot. It’s better to let them be free.”
“Aight, I’m out. If you need a place to crash or anything, you always welcome at the Temple.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Shao.”
“Peace, my alien brother.”
With that Shao left Dizzee to try to make sense of what just happened. It wasn’t like it was out of the blue. Dizzee had that hero-worship down to a t. Attractive badass talented artist who was the stuff of urban legend? Dizzee was a puddle the moment that Shao offer him all his art supplies. None of this negated the feelings that Dizzee had for Thor. Thor was lovely and magical. He opened Dizzee up to a world that he never knew existed. A community of people just like him. Free people being free.
Dizzee would love to live in a world in which he could stay with his man Thor, but still can kiss Shao. If it came between the two of them, though, Dizzee would have to pick Thor. This thing they’ve been building is months old. The community that they live in is mostly Thor’s friends. While Dizzee didn’t think that Thor would be malicious enough to sabotage Dizzee’s relationships with them, there was no telling how they’d react. For now, all that Dizzee could do was tell Thor the truth about what happened. See how he reacted.
***
It was another hour and a half before Thor came back. When he did it was with a bright smile and brighter eyes. “Hey baby,” Thor said dropping off his satchel. “What trouble did you get into while I was gone?”
The question had a teasing lilt to it but Dizzee figured this was as a good of a time as any to spill the beans. “Shaolin came by.”
Thor raised an eyebrow in question but didn’t waver in his good mood. “Oh yeah? Something happen with the get down set up for tonight?”
Dizzee shook his head, took a quick breath and ripped the Band-Aid off. “I kissed him.”
Thor’s face twisted with confusion. “You kissed Shaolin.”
“Shaolin Fantastic, Lady-Killing Romantic.”
“I’m questioning your ability to sense the non-straight members of society, babe.”
There was a breath pause a Thor seemed to consider this information. Dizzee didn’t expect him to get upset over it. But suddenly he thought back to Shaolin offering him a place to stay the night. Maybe Dizzee was being naïve in if Thor would be cool with it. “Are you mad?” Dizzee finally asked.
Thor was quick to shake his head in disagreement. “No, not mad. More jealous if I’m being honest.” And wasn’t that interesting.
“It just kind of happened. I didn’t think it would be a big deal but I wanted to tell you anyway.” Dizzee said deciding not to dwell on Thor’s response too much for the time being.
“I don’t mind if you kiss other people, baby. We both know who’s bed you’ll come back to.” Thor’s eyes got a heated look to them that made Dizzee blush. It was still hard to believe sometimes how into him Thor was.
“You sure about that?” Dizzee asked with a mischievous smirk.
Thor took it upon himself to prove just who’s man Dizz was after that.
***
Thor and Dizzee managed to arrive on time to their gig that night. Grandmaster Flash was letting them takeover one of his usual party locations for the night. It was in part of gift for Shao’s quick learning and partly a test of what the Get Down Brothers could do. When they arrived, Shao glanced at the two of them together and looked surprised. Dizzee gave him a small smile to tell him that everyone was fine. Shao gave a wide and bright one in return.
The performance went off without the hitch. The crowd was losing it a few minutes in. The B-boys and B-girls were getting down with the best of them. And all through the night Dizzee could catch Thor sending Shao a teasing but firm side-eye.