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Basil smiled at the old woman as she patted him gently on the cheek. “You're a good kid,” she praised and his heart thumped excitedly in his chest.
She continued to carry her groceries into the building, and he felt one finally burst of desire to make the moment last. “Are you sure you don't need help unloading?” He asked, hopeful that she'd agree and maybe share some of her leftover pasta.
“Not today dearie,” she smiled. “Come around on tomorrow like we talked about to look at the faucet and I'll have some fresh meatballs ready though.”
Basil nodded, a slight ping of sadness. He wouldn’t get any leftovers this time. He wouldn't be the one helping her with the faucet after all.
He turned and headed back out to the street. The young boy on the door step grinned up at him excitedly. “Hey Jason! Thanks for the book recommendation! I'm really enjoying it!”
Basil returned the smile easily, now used to hearing another's name. “Oh yeah?” He hoped the boy would give a clue as to what book ‘Jason’ had recommended. Basil usually had already read the books when this happened but he liked to cover all his bases.
“Yeah! There is so much more context in the book than the movie!”
Basil chuckled and ruffled the kid's hair. The boy leaned into the touch instead of fearfully jerking away. It warmed his clay covered heart. “Well keep reading and let me know when you finish!”
There was a skip to Basil's step as he continued down the street to his favorite sandwich stand. They'd always give him a discount when he wore this face. Basil didn't exactly know what the guy did to deserve all the love the neighborhood gave him, but he was actually absent enough that Basil could easily wear this face nearly every morning without concern.
He'd first seen the guy a few weeks back, helping Mrs. Santelli off a bus. She'd offered him lunch, but the guy had declined. Basil, wearing the guy's face, showed up to her apartment a few hours later and accepted. She'd fed him the best enchiladas of his life and the deception was on.
People would feed him, smile at him, thank him, and all Basil had to do was wear this one guy's face. It was a home run part.
“Hey Jason! What are you doing out so early today?” The voice caught Basil slightly unaware and he turned around, an easy joke on the ready when he stopped dead. There was easily the most handsome man Basil had ever seen.
The guy's blue eyes were striking, his smile captivating, his dark hair perfectly styled, and his posture easy. He filled out the jeans he was wearing in a way that would definitely be present in Basil's dreams that night. Holy wow.
“Uh, you alright?” The guy asked, a light blush forming as Basil clearly checked him out.
“Day just got a lot better,” Basil grinned, the low voice he used for Jason coming out flawless.
Most people reacted to that voice. The old ladies would smile brighter, the younger crowd would swoon closer… this guy raised his eyebrows in alarm and barked a laugh. “Oh yeah? You packing a gun or just happy to see me?”
Thrown off by the reaction, Basil looked down at his pants, but he knew he wasn't sporting any sign of his attraction for the handsome man. He studied his shoes for a moment, nice leather boots that he'd seen the real Jason wearing before. In the time he'd worn this face, there had never been anyone that offered more than a passing familiarity, no one looked too closely at Basil, just enjoying the attention he'd provided.
Handsome guy here must be a different story. He'd approached with a cautious air and had only grown more tense in the few moments since Basil had spoken. It was a shame, this was Basil's favorite face; one that he truly enjoyed wearing and using to pull himself out of his daily depressive slump.
“I better go,” Basil mumbled, not looking up at the man again, afraid to see something he wouldn’t like in those pretty blue eyes. He turned to shuffle off, his appetite suddenly gone.
“Wait–” the man called, and his hand caught on Basil’s shoulder, holding him in place. “Sorry,” he sounded confused, like he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. It made Basil feel even lower. “I’m just heading for lunch. Do you want to join me?”
“You paying?” Basil couldn’t help but ask, the thought of food making his stomach rumble a bit.
“Sure, sure,” the man said. “What kind of big brother would I be if I made my little brother pay for lunch?”
Basil froze in his tracks. Acquaintances he could bluff and riff off all day, he even trusted his impression enough to play off old friends or ex lovers situations… but family? His heart pounded in his ears, he really needed to escape.
“Oh come on Jay,” the man whined, sliding around to cut off Basil’s attempted escape. “Don’t be like that. I’m trying to be nice. Please? Let’s just pretend for a bit?” The plea was delivered with a pair of puppy dog eyes that made Basil’s throat constrict. The man really was incredibly pretty. And he wanted to play pretend? At being brothers?
Basil knew he should leave, never wear this face again, but… He looked at the begging blue eyes and something inside him cracked a little. The guy had said please… and offered to buy him lunch. “Fine,” he finally answered, voice coming out gruff.
The man’s entire countenance brightened. “Thanks. Come on little brother, let’s go get some lunch.”
And that’s how Basil Karlo ended up with a weekly standing lunch date with Dick Grayson. All he had to do was let the man have his fantasy.
