Love is... 2 (Gus and Rex) - 4. Chapter 4

The next day was Sunday, and we repeated the same rhythm. I got to his place a bit early, we grabbed food downstairs and chatted over brunch, then studied for another couple of hours. I went home afterward.

Those two days? Easily some of the happiest I’d had in a long time. That night, I couldn’t even sleep properly. I kept replaying his smile, his voice, the way he laughed at my jokes.

On the train ride back Sunday evening, I posted on both Facebook and Instagram:

“Being near you feels like sunrise in my soul… and every goodbye feels like winter in my chest.”

Later that night, my DMs blew up. Friends were teasing me left and right—Marcus even called me a “hoe” again for the second time. But what really made my heart leap was when Rex replied to my post with nothing more than a simple:
^__^

That smiley face alone had me falling even harder. I didn’t even know if he realized I was talking about him. But a part of me hoped… maybe he did.

After that, I couldn’t wait for Wednesday—because Rex was coming to stay over at my house. This time, we’d actually get to spend more time together. Sure, Max, Mom, and Dad would be around the whole time too… but still.

“Mommm! Your handsome son is home! Max isn’t back yet?” I called out the second I kicked off my sneakers by the front door.

“No, he’s not. And who told you it’s okay to yell like that, Chubby?!” her voice rang out from the back of the house.

“What? You’re yelling too!”

“Are you talking back to me?!”

“Nooo, ma’am! Wouldn’t dare!” I shouted back, trying not to laugh.

“You better watch it!”

“You mean… like, watch out for a kiss on the cheek?”

“Come into this kitchen and I’ll kiss your cheek with a butcher knife! And I don’t mean the one on your face!”

“Oooooh I’m terrified!” I yelped, sprinting up the stairs before she could actually come out with a knife in hand.

Once I was safely in my room, I lifted my sleeve and sniffed. Yeah… gross. The kind of gross that makes you question your own life choices.

It was already past five. Max could show up any minute—with Rex. And here I was, still in my sweat-soaked school uniform after playing soccer under the scorching sun. No way was I letting Rex see me like this. I jumped straight into the shower.

After rinsing off, I stayed in the bathroom, still wrapped in my towel, checking myself in the mirror. That’s when I heard voices passing by—Max and Rex. They were already home.

I reached for the doorknob, on the brink of walking out… then froze. I hadn’t brought my robe. I was basically naked. So instead of bursting out like a maniac, I waited until their footsteps passed and the door to Max’s room clicked shut. Then I slipped out, darted to my room, and got dressed.

Even though I’m the type who wears his heart on his sleeve—through words, expressions, all of it—I told myself to slow down a little. Just in case. Because even though Rex had said he wasn’t seeing anyone right now and hadn’t dated anyone since high school… I still didn’t know who that person had been. A girl? A guy? And if it had been a girl… how would he feel about a guy liking him?

A guy like me.

After throwing on a clean T-shirt and some comfortable shorts, I headed downstairs and plopped onto the couch, pretending like I didn’t already know Rex was here. The TV was on, but I wasn’t really watching.

“Oh, you showered already, Chubby?” Mom said, walking past with a basket of laundry. “Max and his tutor friend just got here. They’re probably upstairs now.”

“Oh, okay.” I kept my tone casual even though I could practically hear my pulse in my ears.

“So what time are you two planning to study? Have you talked to him yet? You guys gonna eat first or study first?”

“Uhh… not sure yet. Aren’t we eating after Dad gets home? Around seven?”

“It’s already close to six. What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know… should I let him rest a bit?”

“Up to you. I’m not your schedule manager. Go talk to him.”

“Mmhmm, okay.” I jumped up from the couch and headed upstairs.

I knocked on Max’s bedroom door a couple times. A second later, it swung open.

“Yeah? What’s up?” Max asked.

“Um… where’s Rex? Mom told me to ask when he wants to start tutoring.”

“Hey, Rex—Chubby wants to know what time you’re starting,” Max said, pushing the door open wider.

That’s when I saw him.

Rex was sitting on Max’s bed, shirtless.

And just like that, my brain short-circuited.

His skin was smooth and pale, almost like porcelain, but not in a delicate way—more like soft light catching on something clean and real. His chest was lean but defined, the kind of body you don’t get from hitting the gym obsessively but from playing sports, moving naturally. You could see it in the subtle muscles across his shoulders, the faint lines of his abs, the way his arms flexed just slightly when he shifted. His collarbones framed it all like art, and those soft pink nipples on his fair skin… nothing like Max’s darker ones that I’d seen a hundred times growing up. Rex didn’t have to try—he just looked good. Like his body knew how to carry itself, casual but strong, without even thinking about it.

And me? I was frozen. Every sense locked onto him like he was the only thing in the room.

I mean, I’d seen other guys shirtless plenty of times—at home, in locker rooms, wherever. I walk around shirtless all the time. None of it ever fazed me.

But this? This hit different.

And my brain? Gone. Shut down.

Something about Rex—maybe the way he looked up casually when the door opened, maybe the contrast of soft skin and confident ease—just hit me different.

So yeah, I stood there like an idiot, staring.

“Uhh… but Mom also said if Rex’s tired, he can rest for a bit first.” I finally found my voice.

“It’s fine. If you wanna start right away, I’m good with that. I’m not that tired. The afternoon class today was pretty chill.”

“What about dinner, though? You hungry yet, Rex? We can eat first if you want.”

“Nah, I’m not hungry, yet. I usually eat pretty late.”

“So, what’s the plan? You two wanna start the lesson now?” Max asked.

“I guess we can study for an hour, then take a break for dinner when Dad gets home, and pick it up again after,” I suggested.

“Okay then, go tell someone downstairs to bring Rex a snack or something.”

“I’ll just get changed real quick, Gus. I’ll meet you in your room in a minute,” Rex said to me.

“Sure thing,” I replied, and went downstairs to tell the helper to prepare some snacks and drinks for upstairs.

I was only in my room for about five minutes before Rex knocked on the door. Just moments ago, he was only wearing his student uniform pants, but now he had changed into a t-shirt and shorts.

I really liked when he wore shorts like that. It made him look smaller, more compact—and honestly, even younger.

“Alright, let’s get started,” he smiled.

An hour flew by just like that. Right as we were about to take a break, my mom opened the door to tell us it was time for dinner.

“So, Rex, how’s my Chubby doing?” she asked across the dinner table. “Dumb as a rock, right?”

“MOTHER!!” I whined.

Rex chuckled. “Not at all. I think he’s actually pretty sharp. I guess the reason he’s weak in physics and math is more because he never got a good foundation in school. But once we go over things, repeatedly a little, he picks them up quickly. He’s fast at calculating and catches on pretty well.”

“How could he have a good foundation? He’s lazy as hell,” my dad chimed in. “All he does is play sports and hang out with friends. Never cracks a book. When it’s exam season, his mom practically has to stand over him with a cane like he’s in kindergarten.”

“Wow, great. Go ahead everyone, gang up on me over dinner,” I said, putting down my utensils and leaning back in surrender.

“Heh, don’t worry, sir. When Gus studies with me, he really does focus.”

“Gus? Focused?” my dad asked again. “You must be pulling my leg? You just saying that to make us feel better?”

“No, really. He’s serious when he studies. Sure, he zones out a little sometimes, but he never shows any sign of laziness or not wanting to learn. I’m being honest here.”
I sat there blushing as Rex complimented me. If only he knew the reason I spaced out sometimes was because of him!

“I think he really likes Rex, don’t you think, hon?” my mom added, making me jump.

“Exactly. Never seen him this eager to study before.”

“Did you know, since Saturday, this boy’s been in such a good mood. Big smile, no complaining, no whining about being forced to study—none of that.”

“He’s even been coming home earlier, cleaning up his room, just to be ready for Rex to come teach him,” Dad said.

“And look at him today! Took a shower all on his own. Usually I have to nag and nag just to get him to wash up.”

“Dad! Mom!” I was burning with embarrassment. “Are you planning to roast me all night?!”

“What? You actually can feel embarrassed, Chubby?” Max laughed.

“Shut up, Max! You’re not fucking helping—you’re making it worse!”

“Hey, watch your mouth, Chubby!” Mom snapped.

I bowed my head. “Sorry…”

“And you. Don’t just go picking on your brother, Max,” she continued. “You’re the older one. Now that you’re in university, you better take studying seriously, too—not just goofing off and chasing after girls all the time.”

“What?! What’s that got to do with me?!”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to count on Rex to keep an eye on both of my sons from now on,” Mom sighed. “One’s glued to his friends, and the other’s glued to his crush. Sigh…”

“Don’t worry, Ma. Max actually does study seriously when it’s exam time,” Rex said.

“See? See? Rex knows the truth!”

“But… he does skip class a lot and barely turns in assignments. So, his participation grade’s kind of nonexistent,” Rex laughed.

“You fucking traitor!”

“Language!” Both mom and dad said at the same time

“Hey, I’m just telling it like it is. Honestly, your little brother pays attention way more than you do in class. If I really push Gus, I think he’s actually smarter than you, Max,” Rex said, winking at me.

I think I just lost my appetite—because my heart and my soul felt too full.

After dinner, Rex and I went back upstairs to continue our study session. Another hour flew by, and once he finished teaching me, we sat around chatting in my room for quite a while—until around ten at night when Max finally came to drag his friend off to take a shower.

After Rex left the room, I lay on my bed, opened Facebook, and posted a new status:
"Your smile carves into my heart, and your eyes… they pierce my soul."

Just a few minutes later, the Likes started rolling in, with a flood of comments and questions, too. But as usual, I didn’t reply to anyone in particular.

Still lying on my bed, eyes on the ceiling, I smiled softly to myself. At first, I thought maybe I could slow these feelings down... pace myself. But after chatting with him earlier today, I knew that was going to be nearly impossible.

The next day—and every day after that—studying with Rex became a routine. But that didn’t mean I was getting used to him. Seeing him more often didn’t wear down my feelings one bit. If anything, it was the opposite. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked him. And the more I liked him, the more I wanted to be his. I wanted to be someone he could look at differently. Someone he might choose.

It had been over a month since we first met, and something in me had shifted. I felt... happier. More motivated. I was messing around less. From someone who used to just coast through life, goofing off with friends and caring only about family, I suddenly wanted to be better. Not for anyone else—but for Rex. So maybe, just maybe, he’d notice me.
Sometimes, when I was out at the mall with friends and saw some snack or quirky little item, I’d grab one just to give to him later. I texted him every single day, sent him funny photos or random thoughts. We messaged mostly through Instagram DMs or iMessage—he always replied, even though I never expected him to. And the fact that he still did made me feel… invincible.

One Saturday, after we finished our usual study session, I asked if he wanted to catch a movie. But he told me he already had plans with friends that night. I was a little bummed, so I called up Marcus and asked if he wanted to hang at the Woodbridge Center Mall instead.

“So, what’s the deal, bro?” Marcus asked while we browsed through racks at H&M. “You tell him you love him yet?”

“Tell him?! You act like this is ordering fries or something!” I rolled my eyes. “Dude, you needed a full-on pep talk from me just to spit it out to Justus, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Marcus smirked. “I was just teasing. Chill out, you lovesick walrus. But that’s kind of my point. When it was me and Justus, you were a damn poet. You had all the right words, all the guts. Now that it’s your turn? You’re chicken-shit.”

I sighed. “Yeah, go ahead and roast me, you gecko-faced little troll. But seriously… if this were just about being nervous to say it, like you were with Justus, I’d have done it by now.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, tone suddenly serious.

“You already know how I feel,” I muttered. “And you know me—I show it. I flirt. I mess with him constantly. But I still can’t tell if he sees it. He never seems weirded out or anything. He laughs, plays along, we’re close. But I can’t read him. Sometimes I think maybe he gets it. Other times, it’s like I’m invisible in that way. He’s so hard to figure out. And I’m scared, man. Scared he only sees me as Max’s kid brother. Scared that if he finds out how into him I really am... it’ll ruin everything.”

Marcus nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get that. Honestly? I think you’ve already been pretty damn obvious. Especially that time you ‘accidentally’ dropped your towel. Don’t pretend that was nothing.”

“Oh screw you! That wasn’t seducing! That was… testing the waters, okay?”

He burst out laughing. “You keep telling yourself that. Bro, you literally dropped your towel in front of him. What were you testing? His blood pressure?”

He was talking about what happened last week when Rex came over to tutor me. I told him I needed a quick shower—said I was getting sleepy. When I came back into my room wrapped in a towel, we kept chatting like normal. Then I turned my back to him and let the towel ‘slip’ a little too low. I caught it before it hit the floor, but yeah—he probably caught a glimpse of my ass. He just gave me this shy little smile and laughed when I acted flustered, but beyond that... I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“And then there’s the time you wore basketball shorts with no underwear and sat there like you were airing out the goods,” Marcus added, wagging his brows.

I shrugged. “Again, testing the waters.”

“Testing the waters, my ass. That was seduction, bro. You sat down with your legs wide open like you were advertising a fire sale.”

I laughed. “Hey, I call it doing what I have to do to figure out what’s in his heart.”

Marcus shook his head, grinning. “You’re unbelievable.”

And honestly? Maybe I was.

But when the person you like is kind, beautiful, impossible to read, and already such a big part of your daily life... how do you not try everything you can?

That Wednesday, after the towel stunt, I decided to push things a little further. So before we started our session, I took a quick shower and threw on a tank top and a pair of loose basketball shorts—intentionally skipping the underwear. Just to see what might happen.

I noticed right away that Rex glanced down at my crotch while I paced around the room, but it only happened once—and super quick. Later, while we were snacking during a study break, I tried teasing him again: sitting with my legs up, lounging on the bed with my knees bent, casually shifting my position here and there—all while sneakily watching his face.

Just like before, he glanced at me once or twice. But it felt more like reflex than actual curiosity. There wasn’t any obvious fluster, no double take. I couldn’t even tell if that faint blush on his cheeks meant anything. Rex was naturally shy and turned red easily—like, even when the weather got warm. So, I couldn’t trust it to mean what I wanted it to.

“Can I just say something from the bottom of my heart, Chubby?” Marcus said later that week when I vented to him about it again. “You are the king of being a thirsty little freak.”

“Screw you! I’m just expressive, okay? Unlike you and Justus, secretly crushing on each other and doing jack shit for years. You cowards.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. But at least I finally got my happy ending,” Marcus smirked. “Meanwhile, you’ve been out here throwing every move in the book and still haven’t even held his hand. Sad little bastard.”

“Damn, man. You might as well stab me while you're at it, you sick toad!” I shoved him in the shoulder.

“And don’t even get me started on your cringey Instagram captions and Facebook posts,” Marcus added. “You keep dropping the cheesiest crap like you’re some Tumblr poet from 2009. What was the last one again? Something about blood vessels?”

“I envy the mercury that feels your fevered breath…”

“And the artery that cradles your every heartbeat,” Marcus finished, gagging dramatically. “Dude! Cringe overload!”

“Hey! Don’t mock my strategic planning!” I defended myself.

“Strategic planning?”

“Duh. The plan to win Rex’s heart, obviously. I call it: ‘Operation Act Innocent, Eyes Wide, Use Proximity, Flash a Little Skin, Cause Emotional Turmoil, and Capture His Heart.’ I should probably trademark it before BuzzFeed writes an article about it.”

“Hahahaha! You lunatic. Try saying that again without messing it up this time.”

“Nope. I only say it once. It’s a trade secret. Can’t risk anyone overhearing and stealing my intellectual property.”