Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between the characters in this story and real people (appearances, names, etc.) are purely coincidental. This story may contain homosexual material, including love and sex, so if material like this is illegal in your region or if it discomforts you, please leave.
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Kyle groggily powered his two light boxes and sat on his beauty desk in front of the camera. He looked at himself in the monitor attachment to make sure his skin was relatively clean. He brushed his palms over his bare chest and finger-combed his wavy brown hair.
Kyle very groggily said, "Hey, guys. What is the haps, Internet fam. Welcome back to my channel, Kyle Beauty, where I give you all the tips, tricks, lessons, products, and reviews on all things beauty.
"Back by popular- blah, blah, blah. It's too early for this!
"As you can so obviously see, I am tired as all fuck because it is currently... 5:33A.M.. I never up this early, but I had to be this morning because last week I put up a poll on Twitter asking what you guys wanted to see. Eighty-one percent of you voted for a 'My Morning Routine' so here it is. I haven't done a Morning Routine for you guys in over a year so it is much overdue.
"Everything that you are about to see is a hundred percent real, it really is my normal routine. I'm only doing it this early because filming takes time, I'll be doing more than one take for many of the tasks, and I'll obviously be doing explanations. My normal wake-up time is 6:30, and I'm usually out the door at 8:10.
"Okay, before we get started, I would like to point out that this video is in no way sponsored. The products that I will mention and use are products that I use in my everyday life. Alright, let's go."
After Kyle hit the shutter button to end the recording, he went over to Brendan's computer desk where the redhead was busy checking emails. Kyle sat on Brendan's lap, which caused Brendan to giggle. Kyle rested his head on Brendan's shoulder.
"Have you seen the comments on YouBeFit's video and your collab with Vinny?" Brendan asked with an amused lilt to his voice. "Everybody is convinced you're more than friends with both. I mean, you did look pretty into Vinny."
"Mmm," Kyle groaned. "Please don't tell me you're jealous."
"I'm not," Brendan replied, almost groused. "But there was a moment in your video with Vinny where you both looked ready to kiss."
Kyle lifted his head and frustratedly said, "You say you're not jealous but you're sounding pretty fucking jealous right now."
"Okay," Brendan relented. "It got me a bit insecure."
"Do you trust me?" Kyle asked heatedly.
"Yes."
"Then fucking act like it."
Kyle removed himself from Brendan's lap and went over to his tech cabinets. He rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a Canon PowerShot G9X camera.
As Kyle was searching for a battery for the compact camera, Brendan said, "I'm sorry, Ky. I really am."
Kyle didn't turn back to look at the redhead as he responded, "You've never gotten jealous when I collaborated with Manny, or the Beeps, or Tyler or Connor or the Rhodes. So why Vinny?"
"I- I don't know."
"Well figure it out. I don't have the time or the patience for jealousy."
With that, Kyle exited the office carrying the camera and a Gorilla tripod. Having decided to do voiceover, Kyle did not speak a word as he filmed himself brushing his teeth, taking a shower, moisturizing his body, applying his makeup, cooking his breakfast, and dressing for the New York winter.
Kyle removed his coat and walked back into the office. He stood behind Brendan's chair and hugged the redhead from behind. He kissed the top of Brendan's head and sighed.
"I really am sorry, Ky," Brendan said with immense regret in his voice.
Kyle kissed Brendan's short hair again, and responded, "I know. I love you, Bren, but I need you to figure out why you're jealous of the video with Vinny. There's half an omelette and a slice of avocado toast in the kitchen if you want it."
Kyle unwrapped his arms from Brendan, and Brendan swivelled his chair and pulled the brunette onto his lap. He drove his stubbly face into Kyle's neck, and Kyle bursted into loud peels of laughter.
Trying to push the redhead away, Kyle called, "Bren! Stop!"
Brendan turned his head and attacked the other side of Kyle's neck. His scratchy orange stubble scraped across Kyle's skin, tickling him.
"Stop!" Kyle pleaded in his laughter. "I have to leave for school in two hours and I still have to edit and record a voiceover!"
Brendan planted a kiss to Kyle's neck before he leant back against the chair. Kyle's laughter died down, and he looked deeply into Brendan's blue eyes. They conveyed so much devotion and raw love. Kyle leant forward and delivered a sweet kiss to Brendan's lips.
Kyle spent roughly forty minutes editing eighty minutes worth of footage down to a single fourteen minute clip and bleeped out any cursing. He then hooked up his Apogee microphone to his Mac Pro and began recording the voiceover.
"Okay, so I always begin my day by scrubbing my teeth clean. I have the Sonicare Diamond Clean electric toothbrush. What I love about this is the intense whiteness it gives my teeth, it connects to the app on my phone to give me complete coverage, it comes with so many brush heads to clean my whole mouth, and it has multiple modes for speed and strength.
"My favourite toothbaste- toothbaste. What is wrong with me?
"My favourite toothpaste is the Simply White by Tom's of Maine. It is my favourite because it is made with all natural ingredients, has great cavity protection, and the mint is not overbearing.
"After brushing my teeth, I shave. I don't have much of a beard, but I like to keep my face smooth and hair-free. I'm a simple guy when it comes to razors as I use the Gillette Fusion with the Flexball head, and Gillette Fusion shave gel.
"Next is a shower. I shower every morning, but you guys know that I don't wash my hair that often so that it grows quicker and healthier. But this morning is the day to shampoo and condition. Hair La Vie makes amazing shampoo that is packed with twenty or twenty-one oils that will strengthen and revitalize your hair. It is free of sodium lauryl sulfates, parabens, and silicone. Because of this, the shampoo doesn't foam or bubble but be assured that your hair is being cleansed. Just a quick shampoo and rinse.
"I also use the conditioner made by Hair La Vie. It is the same deal. Two pumps of this magical liquid and generously lather it in. Leave it in place for five to ten minutes.
"To wash my body each morning, I use the 24 Hour Deodorant body wash by American Crew. This body wash isn't organic and has chemicals, but I take really good care of my skin so it doesn't matter to me. I've been using this body wash for five or six years and I've always loved it. It smells amazing and the scent lasts all day and all night, even with moisturizer over it.
"So now that my shower is done and my hair damp, I use Hanz de Fuko's Claymation hair paste. Just a dime-sized amount is enough to sculpt your hair into shape. It leaves your hair feeling just a little tacky but not crusty, so you can drive your fingers through your locks any time during the day.
"To keep my face looking young and healthy and feeling incredible, I use the Clarisonic Smart Profile cleaning device with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser.
"Once my face is cleansed and rinsed off, I take a cotton pad with Kiehl's Calendula Oil-Free toner all over the face. And finish it off with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free lotion.
"To keep the rest of my body moisturized, I use the Deep Moisture body lotion by Brickell. This light formula really hydrates my skin and its eucalyptus and lemongrass scent mixes extraordinarily well with the mintiness of the American Crew body wash.
"Next is... No. Don't like how that sounds.
"Ummm... Choosing clothes each morning can be difficult sometimes because I can go batshit crazy over outfits. But this morning it was easy. Three days ago I had received a package from Victor's Closet, which is a new clothing brand. They make amazing skinny jeans in a huge assortment of colours. The jeans stretch only slightly so they slide on, but don't stretch throughout the day so they fit perfectly at all hours. I'll leave their website down in the description box below.
"This sweater from McGregor Fabrics & Creations is perfect for the cold winter. I ordered it back in October when the weather was cooling, and I ordered it in a size double-X large because I love thick, knit sweaters to fit overly big.
"Each morning I begin my makeup routine by swiping Tom Ford's Traceless Foundation Stick in the shade Bisque all over my face, which has been my favourite foundation for forever. I take a damp Beauty Blender and blend the foundation into my face and neck.
"Next, I dot Y.S.L.'s All Hours Concealer under my eyes, down my nose, on my chin, and between my brows. I use the same Beauty Blender to blend that in.
"My usual contouring is always done very lightly. I take the Make Up For Ever number 156 brush and dip lightly into the contour powder by Black Up cosmetics.
"To bake my makeup into place, I dip the Beauty Blender into Giorgio Armani's Micro-Fil Loose Powder in the shade number 1 and dab it all over. While it bakes, I perfect my brows using the Givenchy eyebrow pencil in the shade Brunette.
"With my brows now done, I make my cognac eyes look brighter with eyeshadow. I apply the shade Battle Green from Natasha Denona's number 28 palette on the crease of my eye and the outer corner. I then apply the shade Emerald Green all over the lid. And then I take the Natasha Denona single eyeshadow in the shade Venice, which has a shimmery finish, and apply it to the inner corner and the lower lash line.
"With eyeshadow laid down, it is now time for eyeliner. My current obsession is with the Victoria Beckham Estee Lauder liner because has such beautiful, precise application.
"With my eyeliner applied and winged, I grab falsies and mascara. I apply a set of Luminous Lashes from Velour using the adhesive from Duo and the Tarte lash applicator. And for mascara, I use Tom Ford's Waterproof Extreme.
"After brushing the excess setting powder off my face, I apply blush. I take the Hourglass Ambient Lighting into he shade Radiant Magenta and brush it on the apples of my cheeks.
"I then brush Burberry's Festive Shimmer Silver highlighter to the high points of my cheeks and the tip of my nose.
"Last is lips. Most days I go for a nude shade, nothing flashy. But some days, like today, I like a little colour. I swipe on the MatteTrance lipstick from Pat McGrath in the shade Full Panic.
"To finish off my face and set it all in place, I mist Caudalie's Beauty Elixir generously.
"Out into the kitchen and enjoy a nice, hearty breakfast. I make the most delicious omelettes in all of New York, by the away.
"That is it for this video, guys. Don't forget to give this video a like, comment down below what products you dislike from my morning routine, and recommend products for me to replace with. Thank you so much for joining me, and I hope you have an amazing day. Bye."
Kyle saved the filed twice to be safe, and then turned off his computer.
"All done editing?" Brendan asked warmly when Kyle went into the kitchen.
"Yep. What do you have planned for today?"
"Light day," Brendan answered as Kyle laid his head on his shoulder. "Three clients, emails, and employee scheduling."
"Let's go see a movie tonight. I also need to fly down to Phoenix on Friday afternoon to buy products, so would you mind booking the tickets? You can come with, if you want to."
"How long a trip?"
"Fly back on Sunday evening," Kyle replied. "I'm not missing classes for anything."
"Can't follow," Brendan said regretfully. "Too busy on Saturday."
Kyle placed his AMEX down on the countertop and responded, "I'll be gone just two days anyway. I'll be too busy to do any R and R."
"I'll reserve you a room at the Hilton Garden," Brendan responded. "Want a car rental?"
"Yes please. I hate taking cabs everywhere."
"S.U.V.?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm not buying anything in bulk. I gotta get going. Thanks for always arranging travel. I love you."
Kyle and Brendan shared a sweet kiss before Kyle redressed in a triple-layered trench coat and grabbed his school bag.
Kyle sat on the couch with his knees pressed to his chest. Brendan leant his side against Kyle, and both men ate slices of Kyle's homemade chicken tomato pizza and watched an episode of 'Supernatural'.
"Mm," Brendan said. "Almost forgot to tell you. I also booked our flights to Portland for December fifteenth at 5:05P.M. and back on January second."
"Oh, good," Kyle said gratefully. "Thanks. I was going to do that tonight. Will you be okay to be away from your gym for that long?"
"Yeah. I'm almost done training Betty to manage the gym and train with clients. Everybody will be able to help her when she needs it."
After each man had eaten two big slices of pizza, Brendan laid down and Kyle laid down on top of him. Brendan slid Kyle's oversized sweater up and stroked his fingertips along Kyle's back.
"I think we should finish our talk," Brendan said quietly as the ending credits rolled.
"The 'Boyfriend Tag'?" Kyle asked.
"Yeah. How are we going to do it?"
"We have so many options," Kyle responded before he planted a kiss to the cotton covering Brendan's firm pectoral. "If we do it on my beauty channel, we can do a P.R. unboxing, or a 'New Products First Impressions', or I can do your glam makeup even though you don't exactly love wearing makeup.
"If we do it on my tech channel, we can a P.R. unboxing, or the 'GOOGLE HOME Review & Tips', or a phone case review. If we do the phone case review, it'll give me a chance to review cases on my Note 8 and your iPhone Ten.
"Or we can do it at your gym. We can do the tag while stretching, warming up, and working out."
"Mmm," Brendan groaned with a smile. "So much to ponder. Let's just think on it."
Kyle laughed and asked, "And put it off longer? Knowing that we first began talking about this two months ago?"
"Yes," Brendan answered with laughter. "We should get ready. I told Cal and Donna we'd pick them up at 6:30."
Brendan wiped the counters clean as Kyle placed the leftover pizza into a sealable container. Kyle then sat at the kitchen island and brushed powder to his face to get rid of the shine on his makeup, and Brendan loaded the dishwasher.
As he swiped lipstick on to fix the patchiness, Kyle said, "Hey, Google. Can you turn off all the lights except the kitchen lights?"
"You got it!" the Google Home device said from beside the refrigerator. "Turning off seven lights."
As the two men were at the closet putting their coats on, Brendan called, "Hey Google! Can you turn off the kitchen lights and turn all thermostats down to sixty degrees?"
"Sure! Turning off kitchen lights and turning three thermostats to sixty degrees Fahrenheit."
After Calvin Brown and Donna Jeinik got into Brendan's Lincoln and Brendan pressed on the gas, Kyle put the overhead lamp on and took his phone out and started an Instagram live stream. Not even three seconds later, there were sixty Instagram followers tuned into the live stream.
"What is up, Hemstad fam!" Kyle enthusiastically said to the front camera and the now hundred thirty followers. "I hope you guys enjoyed this morning's video on my tech channel where I reviewed the top five best fitness apps for at-home exercising that you can get on both iOS and Android devices. The video has been up for ten hours or so and has over five hundred fifty thousand views already. You guys are amazing, and I enjoy helping you with inexpensive tech tools and advice. If you are looking for cheap or even free apps for fitness, be sure to check out the video.
"Oh, wow! Two thousand viewers already! Hi, guys! How y'all doing? I hope you're better than I am. I've been awake for thirteen hours already and had a super busy day. I am currently on my way to the movies, and we can't decide what to watch. Cal is the awesomest guy in the world because he agrees that we should see 'Wonder' the Julia Roberts flick. But these two want to see 'Justice League'. What do you guys think? Which movie would you go see on opening night?"
'Wonder!'
'Wonder!'
'Justice League!'
'Justice League!'
'Justice League!'
'Wonder!'
The now three thousand viewers were throwing comment after comment after comment. A lot were voicing their opinions on the film choices, but some were saying that Kyle looked great.
At the A.M.C. Loews cinema, all four got out of the vehicle but didn't close the doors so they could leave their coats in it.
While Kyle was purchasing four movie tickets from the automated ticket machine using his MasterCard, a couple of girls screamed, "Oh, my god! Kyle Hemstad!"
As the machine processed the credit card payment, Kyle turned around, smiled at the teen girls, and said, "Hi."
The two girls excitedly walked over and asked, "Can we take photos?"
"Sure," Kyle replied. "Just gimme a second."
As Kyle removed his card from the machine, the girl with the blonde hair said, "Oh, my god! Kyle, I love your videos!"
"Yeah?" Kyle asked while taking the four tickets out of the feeder. "Which channel?"
"Both!" - "Both!" both girls answered at the same time.
"That's awesome! What are your names?"
"I'm Lana!" the brown-haired girl said.
The blonde girl answered, "And I'm Katie!"
"Well, Lana, Katie, why don't you hand your phones to my friends and they'd be more than happy to take photos."
While the blonde- Katie, handed her phone to Donna, she asked, "Mind taking photos in both landscape and portrait?"
"Same," Lana demanded more than asked of Calvin as she handed him her phone.
After the couple had snapped photos of Kyle between the girls with his arms around them, Kyle said to the teen girls, "It was wonderful meeting you girls."
Lana responded, "We literally just saw your Instagram Live fifteen minutes ago when we were getting dinner!"
"Hope you ladies had a delightful dinner. What movie are you seeing?"
"Our boyfriends want to see 'Justice League'," Katie answered.
Kyle smirked at Brendan and Donna, and told the teens, "I'm sure these two are completely jealous. We are here to see 'Wonder'."
"Is this..." Katie began while looking between Kyle and Brendan. "Are you two on a date?"
"No," Kyle replied with a soft smile. "Friends night out. We just came from my apartment where I cooked the most amazing homemade pizza in all of America."
"I can't believe we just met Kyle Hemstad!" Lana cried, to which the teens grabbed each other's hands.
Kyle smiled warmly at the girls and bade them a, "Have a great night, girls. Hope you all enjoy the movie."
"Sunlight is too bright," Marilyn Winsor said. "I'm gonna need to draw the curtains."
Both Marilyn and Kyle walked from the kitchen to the living and they untied the strings keeping the thin white curtains. Back in the kitchen, Kyle stood at the kitchen island where a large bowl was filled with flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
"Action," Marilyn said softly.
Kyle measured vegetable oil and poured it into the bowl. He then opened his refrigerator and looked. But he didn't find what he was looking for.
Kyle closed the refrigerator and said, "Okay Google. What can I use to replace eggs for baking?"
"Sure," one of the new Google Home devices said. "According to sheknows.com, you can use one quarter of a U.S. metric cup of apple sauce for each egg required in a baking recipe."
"Hmm," Kyle said with a nod of his head.
Kyle opened a cupboard and grabbed a jar of apple sauce. But this jar was sweetened.
"Hey Google. What if I only have sweetened apple sauce?"
"According to sheknows.com, if you use sweetened apple sauce, you can use one-eighth of a U.S. metric cup less sugar than the recipe requires."
Kyle measured a quarter of a cup of apple sauce and poured it into the bowl.
"Cut," Marilyn declared and hit the shutter button.
"Makeup?" Kyle asked.
Marilyn smiled and responded, "Makeup."
Kyle went into the bathroom. There, he cleaned his old makeup off using Clinique's cleansing balm and cleansing wipes by Philosophy.
"So what are you plans for the holidays?" Kyle asked while rifling through shirts in his closet.
"I'm taking Sandra to Cuba," Marilyn answered happily. "Christmas on the beach."
"Sounds nice," Kyle commented as he pulled a green shirt over his head. "Will you girls be there for New Years, too?"
"Yep. We'll be flying back on the third."
The two went into Kyle's office and Kyle sat at his makeup desk.
"Action."
Kyle began swiping Tom Ford foundation to his face and said, "Hey Google. Can you turn the office temperature down to sixty-eight degrees?"
"You got it," a second Google Home device said from Kyle's desk. "Turning office thermostat down to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit."
Marilyn slowly and gently walked around Kyle and the desk as the man applied his makeup, and kept sure to keep the camera as steady as possible.
"Hey Google. Can you play W.C.B.S. Newsradio?"
"I can do that. Playing W.C.B.S. Newsradio 880."
When Kyle was applying lipstick, he intentionally went over the lip line of his bottom lip. He sighed, put the mirror down, and grabbed the jar of Q-Tips. There was just one swab left inside the jar.
"Okay Google. Can you add Q-Tips to my shopping list?"
"Sure. Adding Q-Tips to your shopping list."
"Cut."
"Want a glass of wine?" Kyle offered while stretching.
"Please. I was going to ask for a glass of water, but wine sounds perfect right now."
As he poured two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon, Kyle asked, "What else do you think we should film?"
"Hmm... maybe something with the T.V.? And the Hue lights. And the location of something like a Starbucks or Sephora or something."
Kyle nodded his head, then asked, "So what else have you been working on lately?"
"I just filmed a segment for ABC7 yesterday on the twenty year anniversary of the disappearances of Camden Sylvia and Michael Sullivan."
Ten minutes later, Kyle leant back on the couch looking cozy in a knit blanket. An episode of 'Stranger Things' was playing on the television, but a little quietly. Kyle patted the couch and looked on the coffee table for the remote control. He turned, and saw the remote lying on the kitchen counter.
"Hey Google. Can you turn the T.V. volume up to fifteen?"
A third Google Home device sitting on the side table responded, "You got it. Turning television volume up to fifteen."
The television volume went up, and Kyle happily watched the sci-fi series for a moment before Marilyn stopped recording.
Sitting on a stool at the kitchen island, Kyle said, "Okay Google. Can you tell me the nearest Starbucks shop?"
"Sure. Starbucks 57th & Lex is located two blocks east from home."
After Marilyn stopped recording again, the two closed all of the blackout curtains in the whole apartment. Kyle then removed his makeup once again, and sat down on the couch with the movie 'Back to the Future' playing on the television.
"Action."
Kyle rose from the couch and said, "Okay Google. Can you turn off the T.V.?"
"I can do that. Turning television off."
Marilyn walked in front of Kyle, filming him, as he made for his bedroom. In there, Kyle undressed down to his boxers and got under the covers.
Kyle yawned before he said, "Hey Google. Can you turn off all lights?"
"You got it," a fourth Google Home device responded from one of the nightstands. "Turning off nine lights."
"Aaand cut."
As he opened the curtains, Kyle said, "Thank you so much, Lyn. I really appreciate it."
"Always a pleasure working with you, Kyle. Want any help with anything else?"
"Nah, I'll be okay. I'm just gonna film the outro for this video and then film a video on new Bluetooth keyboards and mice. Here you go."
Kyle handed the young woman a cheque for $200 for videography.
Kyle attached the camera to the tripod and said to the lens, "I hope you guys found this video informative and fun. I had a lot of fun filming this. A huge thank you to Marilyn Winsor for being my videographer once again. If you guys don't know who she is, she's a friend of mine that does independent film projects like news segments, short films, and various campaigns. I'll leave her YouTube channel in the description box below if you want to check her out.
"If you guys remember from my P.R. unboxing a couple weeks back, Google sent me this lovely device. I hooked it up right away as a test, and I fell in with it. I really did. It is useful, it is fast, it is insanely responsive, and it looks great basically anywhere. I loved it so much that I bought three more. I have one in my bedroom, in my living room, in my kitchen, and this one here in my office.
"Setting them up was so easy! All you need is a wireless router and the Google Home app installed on a mobile phone or tablet.
"And you can make the Google Home even more beautiful with the various colours that the speaker cover comes in. You've got the default grey, black, coral, and copper.
"This Google Home retails for $179, but Google is offering a great deal. If you buy this, the interchangeable speaker covers, the Google Home Mini, or the Google Home Max directly from Google, you'll get ten percent off your order using the discount code 'hemstad' until December twentieth. This is not an affiliate link or code. I am not making a commission off of this. Google is doing this for you. So take advantage of this great deal while you can.
"That is it for this video, guys. Thank you so much for tuning in! I hope your week turns out to be a great one. Peace."
It was while Kyle was editing the video that Brendan came home and stood against the office doorway.
Kyle hadn't turned as he greeted, "Hey, Babe. You're home early. I was gonna have shrimp Alfredo ready at 5:00 for dinner. What's up, why aren't- Babe?"
Kyle's glanced at Brendan and saw the redhead's swollen and misty eyes. He quickly got up off the chair and rushed to his boyfriend.
As they hugged tightly, Kyle asked, "What's the matter, Bren? What happened?"
"My-" Brendan began, but had difficulty speaking due to the tears. "My dad. He- he died, Ky."
"What? When? How?"
"He- he had a- a stroke. Last night."
"Oh, Bren. Baby. I am so sor--"
"--He was a fucking asshole," Brendan said with an emotional laugh. "He- he beat me whenever he felt like it. He fucking broke my arm! I hadn't spoken to him in eleven years. I hated him. But why am I- why am I so sad to hear of his death?"
"It's okay," Kyle whispered, fighting off his own tears. "It doesn't have to make sense. Just cry it all out, Baby."
As he sobbed, Brendan said, "Funeral's o-on Wednesday. I- I don't know if I w-wanna go."
"You don't have to. Of course you don't have to. But I think you're gonna regret not going."
Kyle led Brendan into their bedroom where Brendan laid down on his side. Kyle laid down in front of him and held him. Brendan cried. And cried until he fell asleep.
To Be Continued
Hello! I hope you enjoyed reading this third instalment of 'The Trick Is To Keep Breathing'. I am having fun writing about YouTube personalities as I know next to nothing about being a YouTube 'content creator' as they call themselves.
tyler.christopher36@yahoo.com