Chapter 3
A/N: …Hm… I don't know what to write over here right now. I guess just that I'm sorry it's taking so long to post chapters… It sucks, I know. I'm just really uninspired lately. I'm trying, I really am… Well, enjoy this chapter, and hopefully my muses will return from their unscheduled vacation soon.
Disclaimer: Don't own Ouran Host Club or Pretty Woman.
Kaoru couldn't move as Kyouya's lips brushed against his. It was soft, gentle, not like anything he'd ever felt before. Usually his clients weren't interested in kissing. In fact, he couldn't think of anyone who'd ever kissed him like this…
'Don't panic,' he reminded himself sternly. 'You have an escape route if you need it.' But he couldn't stop the way his body became tense and taunt, ready to fight or fly if he needed.
Kyouya pulled back, and those cool gray eyes appraised him. "Hm…" Kyouya sighed. "I had assumed that the taste of that cigarette you just smoked would have made that more unpleasant than it was. I still don't think I'm going to take up smoking though."
Kaoru started to open his mouth, but didn't trust himself to speak, so he snapped his mouth shut.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me I just stole your first kiss," Kyouya said, just a hint of teasing in his voice.
Kaoru managed a weak squeak before finding his voice. "It's… not usually what people pick me up for," he decided.
"Ah… I should have assumed as much," Kyouya said, his fingers against tracing the faint bruises on Kaoru's wrist, bruises that Kaoru was sure Kyouya shouldn't have been able to see. This man was more observant than Kaoru had given him credit for. "Although… I suppose I could have asked this question earlier… but I'm not even sure how to ask… Ahh… Who would you spend your time with… if you weren't working?"
Kaoru's eyebrows went up as he tried to decipher the question. "You mean, am I just gay for pay?"
Kyouya's eyes closed for a moment. "Why do you insist on using that crude vernacular? Are you hoping to frighten me off?"
"It's called street slang, and I'm just trying to clarify whatever the hell your delicate sensibilities are preventing from asking me in plain English."
"Fine, yes, I suppose that's what I'm asking you. Tell me, Kaoru, if you weren't under financial obligations, would you have sex with another male, or do you prefer female company?"
Kaoru only barely resisted rolling his eyes, mostly because that question made him way more uncomfortable than it should have. "Umm…" he trailed off, licking his lower lip. And he didn't fail to notice the way Kyouya twitched.
"It's a simple question, isn't it?" Kyouya asked, the tiniest edge of irritation in his voice.
Kaoru ducked his head. "Not for me."
Kyouya's eyebrows knitted together as he tried to figure that out.
"I… I don't… I've never…" Kaoru couldn't figure out how to explain.
"You've only ever had sex for money?" Kyouya guessed.
Kaoru thought about prison, about trading favors for protection. "Yeah, pretty much. Never for my own pleasure," he decided at last.
"Haven't you at least thought about it?" Kyouya pressed.
Kaoru shook his head. "It's the last thing I want to think about when I have money in my pocket. My brother does sometimes, but… I… I just don't want to think about it. It feels… weird."
"Because you're giving something away that you're usually receiving money for?"
'Because it only ever seems to hurt, so why would I do it during my free time?' "I don't know, I've never really thought about it much. I just know it's not something I've been interested in." His eyes followed Kyouya's long white fingers, tracing their way down the front of his t-shirt.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
'Everyone makes me uncomfortable anymore…' "I'm not used to someone asking me questions about my life." 'Especially someone who actually seems to care about my answers.'
"So much effort just to make you tell me your name…" Kyouya murmured, his fingers continuing their slow journey across Kaoru's shirt. "I wonder what I'd have to do to get you to tell me how you ended up here."
"That's not a mystery, is it? You brought me here," Kaoru said flippantly.
"You know what I mean," Kyouya said. "You could ask me questions too, you know. I promise I'll answer as honestly as you do."
'Weasel words… He has to be a lawyer…' Kaoru thought. But he shook his head. "I already told you, I don't really need to know anything about you… I'm sure you'll never make the mistake of wandering into Central LA again, and I'd probably get shot or something if I tried to walk these streets. Our paths won't cross again."
"You seem very confident of that. Maybe I want to go slumming."
Kaoru snorted. "Please. Your type doesn't slum, not like that. You were lost."
"Maybe I'd get lost again."
"And maybe then I'd ask you a couple questions, like why you don't have a GPS in your car." Kaoru wasn't sure where his newfound attitude had come from, but he was watching Kyouya closely to make sure the man wasn't going to react badly to his sass. To his relief, Kyouya seemed more amused than anything.
"You must be getting more comfortable with me," Kyouya said with a smirk.
Kaoru blinked. Frankly, he wasn't sure what the hell was going on anymore. Kyouya didn't seem especially interested in sex, and usually Kaoru would be pulling his naïve and innocent act to move things along… but if Kyouya wasn't in a hurry, Kaoru certainly wasn't going to be… He realized how tightly his hands were gripping the iron railing behind him and tried to loosen them without drawing too much attention to his actions.
"You can relax, you know," Kyouya said. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you."
Kaoru's lips twitched. 'If it were actually that simple…'
"You don't believe me… But then, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Kyouya's fingers traced the bruises on Kaoru's wrist again and the redhead twitched again. "Would you like something to eat?" Kyouya asked suddenly. "I can order room service."
Kaoru mutely shook his head. Kyouya's eyes narrowed.
"You're skin and bones. Eating a full meal would probably do wonders for you."
"I ate earlier. I'm okay," Kaoru said softly, lying through his teeth.
Kyouya looked skeptical, but he didn't press the issue. And Kaoru was glad because he suddenly had to put all his energy into controlling his facial expressions as Kyouya's fingers ghosted across his new bruises and cracked ribs. His breath hitched slightly as he bit back a whine of pain.
'Relax,' he told himself. 'Don't show pain. Don't show fear. Don't show weakness. They'll use it against you. Don't show pain. Don't show fear. Don't show weakness.' He repeated the mantra over and over in his head, trying to keep his facial expressions neutral and swallow the whimpers of pain threatening to erupt.
And then Kyouya poked him hard, right over one of the cracked ribs, and Kaoru jerked away before he could stop himself. Kyouya scowled. "I thought you were hiding something. What happened to you?"
"Nothing," Kaoru said through clenched teeth.
Kyouya's eyes narrowed, and the hand that had been caressing Kaoru's wrist darted up to his shoulder, and Kaoru found himself being roughly yanked back into the hotel room. He yelped in alarm as Kyouya used a wiry strength Kaoru hadn't realized he possessed to shove him towards the bed. Instinctively, Kaoru twisted his body so he wouldn't land on his aching ribs, one arm moving to cover and protect said ribs, and the other bracing him as he hit the mattress. For a wild moment, he thought Kyouya was going to pin him down to the bed, but instead the young man perched next to him.
"Perhaps that was a bit rough, but you seemed to have no intention of listening to me," Kyouya said calmly. "I figured taking you by surprise was the best course of action."
Kaoru exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Deny it all you want, but you're obviously hurt. Will you let me look at your injury?"
"…Why?" Kaoru asked cautiously.
"I want to see how badly you're injured. What's so strange about that?" Kyouya asked.
"A lot more than you might think," Kaoru said before he could stop himself. And then he ducked his head as those gray eyes pierced him, trying to unlock every mystery he kept locked away.
"Well, I do have medical training, if that's what you're worried about," Kyouya said at last.
Kaoru wasn't quite sure when this had happened, but instead of huddling on the bed, he'd shifted so that he was on his back, propping himself up with his elbows. Usually this position would have left him feeling vulnerable and more than a little nervous, but he just studied Kyouya with an almost detached caution.
"Some thugs decided to teach me not to work on their turf," he said finally, "not too long before you picked me up actually. It's not that bad though, honest. They just cracked a couple ribs. None of them are broken."
"Not yet. And how do you know that?" Kyouya demanded.
"I've had broken ribs before. This is nothing compared to that." He didn't bother mentioning that those broken ribs had been just one small part of a brutal assault, and the one good thing about being in jail meant his injuries were treated by a competent doctor and he had emerged from the hospital in excellent health. Of course, if he hadn't been in jail, he never would have been assaulted, but he was trying to look at the positives here. "I'm fine, really."
Kyouya sighed. "For my own peace of mind then, if you won't think of yourself. Let me look at your injury."
Kaoru sighed, rolling his eyes a little. But he sat up and one hand grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt, yanking it up to expose the ugly bruise covering his side. He didn't look at Kyouya as he did this, just glanced down at his knees.
Kyouya sighed. "Sit still. I'm going to palpate your ribs as gently as I can. Please don't move; I don't want to hurt you any more than is inevitable."
Kaoru managed a weak grin. "Well, thanks for not lying about whether or not it'll hurt."
"It seems to be the least I can do," Kyouya said. One hand rested lightly on Kaoru's shoulder, the other gently touched the painful bruised area.
Kaoru was as still as a statue as Kyouya prodded gently at the ribs, the only signs of discomfort being small winces and a few instances where he bit his lip and closed his eyes, but he never made a sound. Kyouya's hands were smooth, warm and gentle against his skin. Kaoru didn't flinch, and he kept his breathing even with a superhuman effort. When Kyouya removed his hand, Kaoru's arm trembled as he slowly lowered the shirt to cover himself again.
"What was your plan to deal with this if I hadn't picked you up?" Kyouya asked softly.
"Invest in some medical tape to patch up the ribs… maybe something off the street to take the edge off the pain. I know a couple guys who could get vicodin, Percocet, all that shit… I'm not a fan, mind you… I don't like taking stuff that messes with my head, especially when I'm on my own. Probably buy a bottle of aspirin, then take something hard to take the edge off." Kaoru gingerly touched his side, then lay back on the bed.
"I see…" Kyouya murmured. "Please excuse me for a moment." He rose gracefully and started walking towards the sitting room area. Kaoru remained where he was, staring up at the ceiling and wondering why he'd just confided so much in a man who was still virtually a stranger.
A few minutes went by and there was a knock at the door. Kyouya answered it and spoke briefly to the hotel staff member standing there, then Kaoru heard Kyouya moving around the sitting room for another minute.
"Kaoru, would you come here please?" Kyouya asked at last.
Kaoru pushed himself to his feet and stepped over. Kyouya was standing in front of the couch, unwrapping a package of medical tape.
"Sit. And remove your shirt," the dark-haired man said, pointing to the couch.
Kaoru wondered when his life had become so surreal. But it was with only a tiny amount of trepidation, born from years of dealing with strangers in unsavory places, that Kaoru approached. He obediently removed his shirt, and he couldn't help but notice Kyouya's breath hitch. This left Kaoru more puzzled than ever… Kyouya was obviously somewhat attracted to him, and he'd paid Kaoru to spend the night in his hotel room, yet he'd barely made a move… Kaoru didn't know what to think.
The redhead sat down carefully on the edge of the couch, and Kyouya knelt next to him, carefully taping up the cracked ribs.
"They'll heal more completely if you don't move around too much," Kyouya said softly. "I may not be a practicing doctor or anything, but I think I can advise you not to push yourself."
"Duly noted," Kaoru said.
"Here, take a couple of these," Kyouya said, dropping a pair of white pills into Kaoru's hand. The redhead stared skeptically at the pills for a moment. Kyouya held up the package. "Relax, they're just basic painkillers. Non-drowsy."
Kaoru wrinkled his nose. "Do you think I'm being paranoid?"
Kyouya hesitated. "It crossed my mind for a minute, but… I have a feeling that your past… is filled with many experiences the likes of which I could not even begin to imagine."
"You do have a way with words, Kyouya."
Kyouya looked surprised, and a bit pleased. "That's the first time you've actually used my name since we met. I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten it."
Kaoru ducked his head, a bit embarrassed. He chased the pills with a glass of water Kyouya handed him. Kyouya moved to resume his seat on the couch next to Kaoru, and he lifted the lid from the tray sitting on the low table in front of them.
"I apologize for not asking for your input, but you seemed so resistant to the idea earlier… I thought you'd have a harder time refusing if there was actually food right in front of you."
Kaoru stared at the contents of the tray… a rather large steak, a platter of spaghetti, a basket of bread, and a gigantic salad. There were two plates and two sets of silverware. Kyouya took a bit of everything, then opened a bottle of wine. Seeing the look on Kaoru's face, he hastened to reassure him.
"You don't have to partake of the wine if you don't want to. I won't be offended if you drink water. But personally I rather enjoy a fine Cabernet with dinner."
Kaoru supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by the high-quality drink in this classy hotel. "I don't know if it's a good idea to mix alcohol and painkillers," he pointed out.
"Perhaps not. As I said, I leave the matter entirely up to you," Kyouya said, sipping from his glass of the rich burgundy liquid.
Kaoru finally helped himself to the food, which tasted even more amazing than it smelled. But he paced himself rather than scarfing everything at once while Kyouya nibbled at his food and read something on his laptop that Kaoru couldn't see. By the time he finished eating, his eyes were starting to droop closed. It was late, nearly 3am, and he couldn't quite remember the last time he'd slept well.
"Don't feel that you need to stay up on my account," Kyouya said, breaking into Kaoru's thoughts. "Feel free to change and go to bed whenever you want."
Kaoru glanced down at the tight jeans. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Now Kyouya looked up from his laptop. "You weren't actually planning to sleep in those, were you? That can't be comfortable."
'Oh boy…' Kaoru thought. He hadn't really wanted to get into this aspect of his life. "Ahh..." he began, than stopped, trying to remember what he had in the duffel bag.
Feeling Kyouya's eyes on him, he finally stood and went into the bathroom and began rooting through the duffel bag. Stuffed in the bottom, he finally found what had passed for pajamas back when he and Hikaru had managed to rent a room for a few months… a threadbare pair of loose pajama pants that had perhaps been blue and white once, and a soft baggy t-shirt that had once been white. Both were nearly falling apart at the seams, but they were technically pajamas, so he changed, brushed his teeth, and then stepped out before he could scare himself wondering what Kyouya would think of his less than presentable clothing.
He needn't have worried; Kyouya still hadn't come back to the bedroom. At first Kaoru hesitated next to the huge king-sized bed, but finally he moved around to the side furthest from the door. He curled up, wrapping his arms around one of the pillows and huddling beneath the blankets. It took a few minutes before he stopped trembling, and soon he sank into a dreamless sleep.
