He hadn't noticed a difference in his skin. Then his boyfriend read his DMs
Liam was only about 5 years younger than his longtime boyfriend Isaac, but it was a point of trivia they'd often playfully muse over.
When Liam hit 30, he started getting serious about preventing signs of aging. Isaac would laugh and remind him that at least he wasn't halfway on his march toward 40, like himself.
But much as they joked, Liam took a lot of pride in being the younger partner. It was a dynamic that worked for them, and he wanted that vibe to persevere.
One of their favorite things to do was to pose around the townhouse and post stories on Liam's Insta. Liam, however started getting much pickier about good lighting, which Isaac dutifully accommodated. Still, Liam was a little anxious about too much shadow spilling across his face.
So, Liam researched some skin care products as a way to fight back against the forces of gravity and time. Specifically, he wanted to reduce pesky fine lines and tighten his skin.
He applied an ingredient-rich charcoal mask on Sundays, then used a daily moisturizer that contained aloe, hyaluronic acid and B vitamins.
The habit was fun and relaxing, but it was hard to tell whether the routine was making any difference in his overall appearance. Even Isaac, who has a laser-eye for detail, hadn't made any comments on the results of his small experiment.
But one day, something did catch Isaac's attention.
Liam was starting to spend more and more time responding to comments on his Insta stories, and refreshing to check out the long list of viewers.
The new behavior became material for Isaac to tease Liam about. Liam laughed and shrugged in acknowledgement of the added screen time he'd been giving, but neither thought much of it.
Over the course of three weeks, Liam's screen time had incrementally rose. Isaac was getting curious as to what activity was so intriguing on Insta.
One night, when Liam was turned over in his sleep, Isaac took his phone and tapped into his Insta app. Waiting for him was about a dozen new notifications -- some of them were new messages.
Isaac didn't feel great about spying on Liam, but he was already halfway to the DMs, and the pulsating red dots were begging to be popped.
Everett
Kai
Jace
These were names that Isaac didn't recognize. He tapped each message.
"You are stunning"
"I can tell you are happy"
"You are looking great. We should do dinner sometime"
It was that last one from Jace that was a little irking. Isaac scrolled up to find more messages from the mystery man.
"You've been looking especially good lately. Glowing"
Isaac's wisdom kicked in. He stopped reading, turned off the phone and placed it on Liam's bedside table. That night's sleep wasn't as good as it usually was.
The next morning, Isaac doted on Liam a little more than usual and examined him just a bit more closely to see whether Liam was clear-headed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Liam seemed to not even noticed that some new DMs were read.
But Liam continued to snap shots, post and gleefully respond to likes. One thing was different, though. Liam wasn't retaking so many shots or complaining about the lighting.
Isaac built up the chutzpah to ask: "Are you feelin' yourself today?"
Liam darted back a sexy glare. "Only if you think I deserve to." Then he leaned in to kiss Isaac.
"So many friends are remarking on how healthy I'm looking."
Isaac saw an opportunity to wedge it in. "Friends like Jace?"
There was a brief, pregnant pause. The happy couple's eyes met to download their position.
Liam's shoulders dropped and he craned his neck at the ceiling. "Ugh. I'm sorry Isaac. I don't know who that is."
Isaac smirked a little. "Me neither."
Liam blew past the fact that Isaac read his messages and dove into the apology.
"I know I've been spending more time on my phone. I think I'm just enjoyed the attention more than ever."
Isaac put his hands on Liam's waist. "It's okay, Liam. But I have to take something away from you."
Liam's head tilted a bit with perplexity.
"I'm throwing away your love potions. Especially the charcoal mask," Isaac spouted dryly.
The gears were turning in Liam's head. He thought Isaac was gonna limit his screen time. Was it really the skin care routine that had his DMs blowing up? That actually made sense.
"Compromise?," Liam ventured as he leaned against the counter. "I keep the love potions. But only for you. Only one post a week for everyone else."
Isaac's hed bobbled with a nod and the two met with a kiss.
Isaac didn't mind having his 'glowing' stud to himself. Screw a Jace.
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Learn from Liam and try American Boy Club's Age Defiance Kit