*yawn* ~it's Staurday~ so, i wonder how people are going to react to this chapter? I love-hate this chapter myself xP hopefully i dont spam your inboxes this week hurr durr xB
so this past week i got both the most views in one day and the least. 349 in one day but i blame this on the derp uploading lol
It's still shocking to me how quickly this story is going, i mean chapter 14 already! lol well enjoy^^
Disclaimer: Chapter 1
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I don't want to exaggerate. I really don't. Yeah, I'm tired, fatigued, and downright exhausted. But I don't want to seem like a whiner. Rei Kon is not a whiner. I've battled opponents who more or less wanted me dead. I didn't whine then, I'm not whining now. So I guess I'll put this as simply as I can. Without exaggerating of course. The bottom-line is…
My legs are going to fall off.
Yeah.
The reason for this? The bane of my existence since I started working for Kai. That's right. Bryan. Stupid, high-maintenance, Bryan. Let me bring you to the current situation. It's the day of the photo shoot. Most of the models have arrived by now, but here's the kicker. Bryan got here early. Yeah, and you want to know why? So that he could order my ass around and take advantage of me waiting on him hand and foot, since 8:00am!
The shoot ends at 6:00pm.
Right now I am making my way over to the bastard with his seventh (yeah, seventh) cup of coffee. The other six were just not to his liking. Apparently making a cup of coffee exactly how he asked for it is "not to his liking".
I was pretty surprised when I showed up this morning to find that the photo shoot would be held in an empty studio building. I've passed by this place a couple of times on my way to and from the university. There has been a huge "FOR LEASE" sign on the front of it for a couple of months now. One of the photographers that greeted me this morning said that they chose this building for the size, not the appearance. It is just like he said: plenty of room but there is a reason why it's still for lease. Honestly, I'm sure no one wants it.
Speaking of not wanting something, there's Bryan. He's sitting in front of the actual photo taking area. A bunch of bright lights are pointed to a few backdrops hanging on one of the walls. The main color scheme seems to be red and black. No surprise.
"Here's your coffee…. again" I practically shove the cup at Bryan hoping that the gods love me enough to cause the plastic lid to become undone just enough for the boiling hot liquid to scorch his model face. Then the photographers will have no use for him and he'll be out of work and I'll never have to see him again. Guessing by his lack of painful screaming, the gods still hate me and I didn't get my wish.
Bryan looks up from his newspaper. He had better be reading every word in that newspaper. I had to run to the convenient store five blocks over to get that newspaper because he said that the convenient store right around the corner didn't sell the same newspaper. They were exactly the same mind you. Bryan is a sick and twisted man.
He eyes the cup in my hand before looking at me. A sinister sneer appears across his features and he leans back triumphantly.
"You know what Kon? While you were gone, I had a change of heart." Can't change what you don't have. "I've realized that the first cup of coffee you made was perfect. Go and get one exactly like that." Mother flipping son of a hairy catfish! I hiss audibly while he resumes reading his newspaper. I have to mentally hold myself back from dumping the whole cup on his head.
I stomp back across the studio toward the refreshment table that I've become quite familiar with. On my way I leave a stream of very colorful curses in my wake. The attendant at the refreshment table gives me a sympathetic look. I don't need your pity lady, I need a pistol. Either for Bryan or myself. I haven't decided yet.
"Rei?" I glance over my shoulder to find a blonde male around my age. I recognize him as one of the models from the profiles I studied. If I recall correctly, his name was Matthew Satou and he works for Men's Egg. I give him a small smile before turning back to the coffee at hand. "Hello Mr. Satou. If you need something I can be with you in a minute."
When the coffee resembles what I had made earlier that morning I turn to head back to Russian bastard number 2. I wonder how good my aim would be if I chucked the coffee at him from where I'm standing. A hand on my shoulder stops me and I turn to meet dark eyes. Why do I feel like I've seen these eyes before?
"I guess you don't remember me… again. We had talked back at Tokyu Department Store." I've met many guys at Tokyu, honey. You're going to have to do better than that.
"I had.. Um, asked you out… on a date." His face turns a bright rouge and he scratches his head through his blonde hair. I'm feeling a sense of deja-vu. He laughs nervously before trying again. "You were eating a crepe… chocolate-banana I believe." Something clicks.
"Twinkie-boy!"
"Pardon?"
"Uh, nothing. I hadn't realized you would be one of the models for the shoot." I switch the coffee cup to my other hand as it was getting just a bit too hot. Hey, by talking to this guy I can avoid serving Bryan for a while. Awesome game plan Kon! You're playing for the rest of the season!
Twinkie, er, Matthew seems to feel a little more comfortable around me now that I remember meeting him previously. "Yeah, I hadn't realized that you would be working here either. When you suddenly left Tokyu and never called I was really, well, disappointed." D'aww he's a cutie. If I weren't chasing Kai like a cat chasing a laser pointer I would totally give him a chance. But I am, so I won't.
Matthew leans back against the refreshment table. I can see why he's a model. He's just all around good-looking. I'm waiting for someone to jump out and take his picture right now. "So Rei. May I ask what your new job is?"
I'm about to take a spot next to him against the table, but that's just asking to be compared to him physically. I settle for standing casually at a comfortable distance. "I'm an assistant for Silver Bullet." His eyes go wide before he chuckles.
"That's surprising! I thought that with your looks you would have been scouted by now." Did you hear that Kai? My looks should have made me a model by now. My ego has skyrocketed but I wave off his comment modestly.
"There is no way I could be a model. My looks aren't amazing." He shrugs and looks at me through his bangs. His dark eyes hold a hit a mischievousness.
"I think you're the sexiest thing I've ever laid eyes on."
The cup of coffee in my hand suddenly seems cold compared to my now heated face. Did he really just say that? He laughs from either embarrassment or at my expression and I slowly laugh along with him. Suddenly, one of the stylists calls for him from the dressing room (bathroom).
"It looks like I have to go now. But if we both have free time today I would love to sit and chat some more!" Even though he is nowhere near the same league as Kai, he is handsome and nice. It feels good to have another gay guy to talk to. Someone who actually makes me feel worthwhile and not like a piece of meat or the dirt under his shoe. I give him a genuine smile and nod. "I would like that too."
I wave him off and he trots over to meet with the stylists. I thought it would be hell not having Hilary here to keep me sane, but I'm glad Matthew's here. I'm honestly looking forward to talking with him more. I wonder if he likes beyblading-
"Kon!"
Damn you Bryan! I stomp over to where he is still sitting, but now there is a female stylist fussing with his hair. Once again I shove the coffee in his face.
"Here." He glares at me abruptly as if handing him coffee that he asked for was the most offensive thing I could have ever done. If he asks me to spoon-feed it to him I'm pouring it down his pants…. And then running like hell.
"Forget the coffee. I want tea."
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Cold metal feels good against my face. It does after all of that running around anyway. Tala and Kai showed up a while ago so Bryan actually had to go and do model stuff. Unfortunately, even when he was getting his pictures taken he still found things for me to run around for.
"Kon! Bring Tala a coffee!"
"Kon! Tala's cold, give him your jacket."
"Kon! Tala wants an onigiri. And don't go to the convenient store around the corner, it's no good."
"Kon!"
"Kon!"
Agh! I can still hear his voice in my head! I'm trying my hardest to smack it out but it's not working! Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up!
"What are you doing?"
I jump out of my seat to find Kai standing in the doorway. Of course he would find me in here beating up my own head. Here being a back room that I found for a hiding place. I ran over here to get away from the Russian bastards and figured that it was far enough away to not be found. Nothing is in here really, just a metal desk that I was previously occupying, a file cabinet, and a clock. I glance at said clock and figure that I've been gone a whole 10 minutes.
"I was wondering where you had gone." Really? You took an interest in my whereabouts? I'm touched really. He leans against the doorframe as the door swings closed. God, he looks so good. Why isn't he a model instead of stupid Bryan? Kai would make a lot more money if he modeled for himself. Or for me. I would pay for that. It's amazing how the fluorescent lights really make his eyes pop! Even when he's looking down at his blackberry I can still see the color perfectly. Hey… wait a second.
"You'd better not be texting Bryan and telling him where I am." His crimson eyes land on me and he raises a solitary brow. Yup, still sexy.
"Do you really think that I would do something like that?" He pockets his blackberry and leans back into his previous position. This time his arms are folded as he waits for an answer.
"No, I guess not." I slide onto the top of the desk behind me and cross my legs Indian style. My thighs take this opportunity to tell me that they are in pain. I thump on them lightly to try and massage the ache away. Oh yeah, that hurts.
Kai makes his way across the room and leans against the desk next to me. I'm not sure why he's still here. He said he was wondering where I was but that doesn't necessarily mean he was looking for me. And even if he was looking for me, he found me, so why stay?
Still, I'd better take advantage of our close proximity. Maybe if I maneuver myself to the side and over a little and… oh yeah, shoulder-to-shoulder. It's getting nasty up in here. I wonder if he'll notice.
"You know," I can see that Kai is observing my hands as they massage my thighs. "When I said you had to accommodate the models, that didn't include Bryan."
What? My hands cease their ministrations and I turn to Kai in disbelief. It would have been nice if he had told me that earlier. He could have told stupid Bryan, too! "Just ignore him and Tala will get him what he needs."
Okay, now he's just talking crazy. "Do you honestly think that Tala would get him anything?" I don't care how close Bryan and Tala are. Tala wouldn't do anything for anyone if it didn't benefit himself. Kai himself told me that Tala only agreed to help Kai because he gets paid double of what stupid Bryan makes.
Kai thinks about what I said for a moment. "Well… no. But he would complain to me about what Bryan asked for and then I could get it for him." A chuckle escapes me at this statement. It's amazing really. When I first met Kai I would never have laughed at anything he said. 98.99% of what he says is probably not something to laugh at while about 1% would be witty comments at other people's expense. This leaves a mere .01% leftover for laughable material. Now I can laugh freely without fearing for my life and doing all of this math.
I turn to him still smiling and find something… odd. He's also looking at me, this is odd in itself. But he looks different. Not physically, he didn't just sprout bunny ears and a button nose. His expression is what looks different. He doesn't look stressed or bored like he usually does (his only two feelings really). I wouldn't say that he looks downright happy either. Something in the middle, something like… content.
I'm not sure how long we are both sitting here just staring at each other. It feels nice, too nice. I think if I breathe too loudly the moment will be lost forever. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance to just look at Kai with him knowing, and with him looking right back! Not the kind of moment you want to mess up.
I tilt my head down slightly which causes stray hair to fall over my face. Damn, I've never wanted to cut my hair before, but it's blocking my view of Kai! Oh, they moved away. Much better. Wait, they moved away because of a hand. Kai's hand! He doesn't remove that hand either. He runs it through my hair and rests it at the back of my head. There's that deja-vu again.
For a moment nothing happens, just some more gazing at Kai's gorgeous face. Then his hand slides to my neck and I can't stop the gasp that escapes my lips. Something flashes in Kai's eyes and they narrow slightly. His fingers massage gently and… oh… oh, that feels nice. I'm just going to shut my eyes and enjoy this for a moment. Why is it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? I try biting my lip to control my breathing, but Kai's hand is just too amazing. I'm getting that drowsy feeling you get after taking cold medicine. I force my eyes open to look at Kai's face. He's watching me with a smirk and his crimson eyes are half-lidded. Damn, that's hot.
My lips feel dry so I wet them with my tongue quickly. The smirk on Kai's face suddenly vanishes but his hand doesn't stop. Instead, it takes a more secure hold on my neck and he leans closer. Wait, this is how it happened last time in his office. He holds me firmly, but gently before he leans over to… to… pull away? He pulls back and detangles his hand from my hair. But why?
"K-Kai?" His eyes meet mine and I can see they still have that something in them, the something that I saw the last time he kissed me. He breaks the eye contact and shakes his head. He starts to stand, wait, no! He can't leave!
I move onto my knees on top of the desk and grab for his shoulders. He turns abruptly from the shock of my action but relaxes. He has to look up at me due to my temporary height advantage. Once he realizes that I'm not going to attack him he sighs and grabs my hands on his shoulders. "Rei, listen-"
"No, you listen." To what? I don't know what to say! Shit, he looks pissed. I interrupted him. What do I do?
I feel Kai's grip tighten on my hands and I do the only thing I can think of to keep him here. I wrap my arms completely around his neck and crash my lips onto his. And when I say crash, I mean crash. My teeth pretty much smash my lips against his. I know he felt that one.
I wince and pull away slightly but stop when Kai's lips move against mine. He is definitely kissing me back. Yes! His hands leave my arms to rest on my waist. Yes, yes! His hands move lower to trace the expanse of skin between my shirt and pants. Oh… yes.
My temporary height advantage forces his head back and I run a hand lightly down the front of his neck. I feel him shudder and tighten his grip on my hips. I found a weakness. Duly noted.
Suddenly, his hands are at my shoulders and he pushes me away. He holds me at arms length as he steadies his breathing. His eyes no longer have what I saw before. They are exactly the same as they have always been. Cold and uncaring. He releases my shoulders and turns away. All I can manage to do is watch. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Rei, this can't happen."
"Why not?" I come down from the desk deciding that if I want to appear headstrong I need to be on my feet. "Kai, I don't understand you. One minute you seem okay with me and the next minute you push me away. Why?"
I take a step closer as I wait for his answer. For his sake it had better be a good one. Kai shoves his hands into his pockets and meets my eyes. "Why do you want this?"
His eyes are so intense that I have to look away for a moment. He really wants an answer. A part of me thinks that he already knows the answer. "Because… I love-"
"I don't love you Rei." It feels like a hand just reached down my throat to clench my heart. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Ever since I realized me feelings for Kai, my one fear was rejection. I have to take a moment to adjust my breathing. I can see tears cloud my vision, but I blink them away. There is no way I'm going to cry in front of Kai.
"We're too different."
"Just look at where you both come from." Has he been talking to Bryan about this? Ah shit, there's that doubt again. "You came from dirt." God Bryan get out of my head! "He's too good for you."
I look up to the ceiling as a last resort to keep my tears from falling. This takes longer than I thought. As soon as I blink the tears away I can feel the sting of new ones forming. I was never like this, not before Kai came back. I was strong and I'm trying my best to stay that way. When I'm sure the tears are not going to fall I look back to Kai. He has moved to the side of the room with the clock. Away from me.
"Different how?" It's his turn to look away. He shakes his head before looking back at me.
"Rei-"
"Tell me!" He doesn't even blink at my outburst. For a moment he doesn't say anything. It's almost like he's deciding whether or not to actually tell me. He turns and looks up at the clock. For a moment it seems like he really won't tell me. Then a crimson eye looks over his shoulder and into my cloudy ones.
"I'm too good for you."
At first I don't realize that the sob echoing in the room is my own. I wipe the single tear that managed to escape and hurry to the door. I'm not thinking right now. All I can see is me doing all of the stupid and desperate things that I did to better myself. Learning how to dress myself. Learning how to dress others. Being a better sales-associate. Reading those stupid magazines. Putting up with stupid Bryan! Drinking that goddamn vodka! Becoming his goddamn assistant!
All for this one guy who doesn't feel a thing for me.
I grab the cool metal of the door handle and pull it open harshly. All I want to do is go home, crawl under my covers, and die. Why did I ever agree to any of this? I need to be more like Tala. From now on I won't do anything for anyone unless it benefits myself. No more-
"Rei!"
"What?" Shit, it's Matthew. And he looks about two steps away from a heart attack. I calm myself as much as I can before giving him a fake smile. "Sorry, I'm just a bit stressed out."
He accepts my answer and smiles in return. What is he doing in this part of the studio anyway? He was taking pictures a while ago so he has his hair and make-up done. "You look nice."
I finally notice that he has his bag and jacket with him. He sees me looking at his jacket and seems to remember something. "Oh, I just got a call from my agency and I have another shoot tomorrow morning in Okinawa. I need to catch my flight in a couple hours."
I barely catch what he is saying because guess whose crimson eyes are watching. Matthew is standing with his back to the room so he doesn't notice Kai standing in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, we didn't get a chance to hang out." I really do feel bad. If I had been hanging around Matthew then I wouldn't have had to run into Kai and… I offer an apologetic smile that Matthew just waves off.
"It's ok! But I have a free weekend coming up and I wanted to, you know, take you out." At this statement I can see the eyes over Matthew's shoulder fall on me.
"So," he takes my hand and rubs the top of it with his thumb, "what do you say?" I try my hardest to keep my eyes on his. But they turn to meet the red ones a few feet away. I return his hold on my hand and give it a small squeeze. Those red eyes are staring right back at mine. Matthew may not know this, but there are two people waiting for my answer.
"I'd love to."
Matthew gives me the brightest smile yet. He continues to ramble about how happy he is and about all of the things he wants to do with me. I think he's telling me about how long he has been wanting to go out with me. I don't catch any of it though. Another sound has caught my attention.
The slam of the door as Kai brushes past us.
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Next Chapter: Rei comes home to a lonely apartment and finds out what kind of friends he really has.
I can honestly say chapter 15 will not be like any of the others^^ see you next week hopefully~