Kaoru felt naked without his piercings as he reached out toward the full-length mirror in front of him. There was no way that the man reaching back was him. How could it be? Something about the man was powerful and confident. He could only dream to be half the man his reflection was. It made him want to adopt the persona that Kojiro had conjured up for him.
There was a knock on the door that brought him back to his senses. Kojiro entered the room, quickly shutting the door behind him. "Holy shit, Kaoru! Color me impressed! My idea looks even better than I had envisioned!" He pumped a fist into the air, slinging an arm around the other man's shoulder. "Score one for us! How about it, Kaoru? Will you test out Cherry Blossom tonight? I'll be there to supervise the whole time to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Kaoru glanced back at the handsome, confident man in the mirror and took a deep breath. "If I must," he sighed, looking up at Kojiro. "Are you sure about that? What if I ruin everything?" He curled in on himself with anxiety. His heart pounded at the thought of being rejected by the guests or even Kojiro at the end of the day.
In an instant, Kaoru was no longer standing in the dressing room of the host club. He was tied up on the edge of a cliff, struggling to break free. A hand pushed him from behind and he could feel himself falling, suspended in air. Without even hitting the water, he found himself submerged as the ropes tying him constricted around his body. He was drowning! He was going to die! This was the end!
"Kaoru!" Kojiro's worried shout brought him back to reality. He found himself in a pair of strong arms, being held to a toned and muscular chest. Disoriented and confused, Kaoru grasped anxiously at the man's clothes, scared he would drop him or leave him all alone. His heart hammered in his chest as his body coated itself in a cold sweat. Tightening his fist into an iron grip, Kaoru secured himself to the other man.
He felt himself moved to the other man's lap and clung tightly, afraid that the man's legs would give away and he'd fall through into nothing, free-falling for all eternity. The other man's arms wrapped tightly around him, finally making him feel safe and secured as he curled closer into the man's chest, not noticing his falling tears until he felt the damp fabric against his cheek.
After a few minutes, Kaoru slowly came back to reality to find himself snuggling Kojiro and clinging to him as if his life depended on it. Disgusted with himself, he shoved the other man away, causing himself to fall from the other's lap and onto the floor. His face burned with embarrassment to be caught in a moment of weakness around someone he hardly knew.
"Ah, so you've returned to reality, Princess?" Kojiro asked, grinning down at him. "You know you're pretty strong for a guy your size. I couldn't pry your hand off of me to save my life. Kinda hot. I think the ladies might enjoy it, especially if you grab their hair like that when they're the wild type." He sighed blissfully. "You'll have to teach me that."
Kaoru stared at him for a moment, his lip curling in disgust. "What the fuck, dude?" He pushed himself back up on his feet and glared down at his roommate. "I'm not looking to make it with the ladies." His face burned with embarrassment. "I don't even like the ladies…"
"Ah, so men are your persuasion?" the other laughed. "Why didn't you say that in the first place? If that's the case, we can train you to take male guests tonight if you'd like. I have a guy who can."
"No," Kaoru interrupted. "I don't want to go with…." His voice trailed off. What was he saying? Clinging to him wouldn't help his current situation. Sure, he wasn't too keen on strangers, but that gave him no professional reason to cling to the only person in the club that he knew. How pathetic. He really was useless after all.
"Are you sure you're okay with tagging along with me?" Kojiro's eyebrow quirked. "If women make you uncomfortable, I'm okay with you going back to the apartment. I'll give you the keys so-"
"I'm fine!" Kaoru snapped. He held his breath, taking mental preparation to tame his tongue. After a few moments of deep breaths, he decided to speak once more. "Just take me as your apprentice. It's not like I'm afraid of women, they're just not my preference. I'll be fine tonight. Just...stick to the plan."
The other man clucked his tongue at him. "If you say so, but feel free to leave the room if it gets to be too much. We can even make a signal, if you want."
"What are you, five? I said I'll be fine."
"You know, you're kinda cute when you're stubborn."
Kaoru kicked Kojiro in the shin. "Shut up and train me already."
.
Their first guests of the night were two women who had been life-long best friends. They both practically had hearts in their eyes upon seeing Kojiro and his open shirt, revealing his impressively-toned muscles. Yet when they saw Kaoru beside him, they nearly foamed out the mouth. And then when Kojiro announced that Kaoru would be joining them for no extra charge, they screamed with delight.
Kojiro led the way to a sensually-furnished room. It had an atmosphere that encouraged sex and could lull you into the act if you weren't careful. They sat down on a large sectional, the girls snuggling into Kojiro while Kaoru sat on the other side of one of them, trying not to seem too awkward.
"So where did you find a beauty like Cherry Blossom, Joe?" the woman with the blonde hair asked Kojiro, twirling one of his dark curls in her fingers. Her eyes gazed into his, intoxicated by him. "He definitely has a mysterious aura and a rare, elegant beauty about him!"
"Yes, I thought so, too!" the brunette eagerly agreed, as if Kaoru wasn't sitting directly beside her. "He's so handsome and charming! I'm too shy to speak with him!"
Kojiro laughed, winking over at Kaoru. "That's not something that you should ask me. I'm sure Cherry could tell him yourself. With charm like the two of you, there's no way a man would be able to hold back answering any question you may have!" The girls squealed in delight as he caught the other man's gaze. "How about it, Cherry? Wanna tell us your backstory?"
Having rehearsed this moment with Kojiro before opening, Kaoru knew exactly what to say. "I've just broken free from a torturous type of love. My love left me behind, and took my heart with them when they left. I am fated to never love again, for destiny wishes I be forever alone."
"With a lonely heart like Cherry's, he's come here to seek companionship. I hope you ladies will show him sincerity in your hearts and welcome him."
"Of course we will, Joe!" the blonde assured, smiling over at Cherry.
Kaoru internally sighed as he downed the rest of his cocktail. This was going to be a long night.
.
As the night went on, the two women and Kojiro grew more and more drunk. Kaoru, meanwhile, nursed his drinks while watching the three all flirt with each other, rolling his eyes when the two girls sat on each of the other man's thighs and made out with each other. He was glad that it wasn't him caught up in that, and quickly looked away when he saw how aroused the women had made his companion.
The blonde giggled, pushing her bangs back and out of her face. "Now it's your turn to put on a show for us," she told him. She lifted a delicate finger toward Kaoru, a devious grin on her face. "We want you to make out with Cherry."
Her friend giggled. "Yes, please! I would kill to see two hot men make out with each other!" She and the blonde removed themselves from Kojiro's lap, sitting on either sides of the men to put them in the middle. Laughing, the two pushed them toward each other.
Kaoru felt his heart pounding. There was no way he could kiss Kojiro! The other man was straight! Besides, the only man he had ever kissed in that manner was Ainosuke! There was no telling if he was a good kisser or not! Anxiety filling his chest, he looked to the other man, deciding to follow his lead.
"Why not? After the show you two put on, how could we not?" Kojiro looked up at Kaoru, smiling. "How about it, Cherry? Should we give the ladies what they want?" He reached out and placed a hand on Kaoru's cheek.
Kaoru took a deep breath and leaned his head into his touch. If Kojiro was the one leading, how could he say no? The other man was too drunk to really have an opinion of it anyway. He had to tell himself that nothing bad would happen as he moved to sit thigh-to-thigh to Kojiro, leaning in toward him with caution.
Kojiro leaned forward, placing a teasing nip on Kaoru's lips before softly kissing them. "Wow," he breathed. "You have some soft lips, Cherry. What do you use on them?"
"Just shut up and kiss me," the other man grumbled back at him, initiating another kiss. The way Kojiro's lips enveloped his sent chills down his spine. His heart pounded madly in his chest as he slipped his arms around Kojiro's neck, feeling the bigger man lifting him onto his leg. Breathless lips stole kisses for a few moments before Kaoru felt Kojiro's tongue prodding at him lips.
Kaoru opened his mouth, inviting him in as he would one of his hands into Kojiro's hair and kept the other one steady on the other man's chest. Feeling Kojiro's tongue exploring his mouth, running roughly over his own, a moan slipped from Kaoru's lips. He felt the other man's hold on him tighten around his waist and squeeze his slim thigh where he had been holding him in place on his lap.
As he began to lose himself in the kiss, Kaoru suddenly remembered where he was by feeling Kojiro's length poking him in the thigh. He instantly snapped back to reality and brought the makeout session to a sensual and gentle end. For a moment, the two men looked each other in the eyes as they caught their breath. Kojiro's eyes held a look of shock and surprise, and something about it made Kaoru's blood run cold.
What had they just done?
.
Kaoru sat alone in a dressing room. When the women had left fifteen minutes after his makeout session with Kojiro, the other man had quickly relieved him of his duties for the rest of the night. He felt awkward as he scurried to a dressing room to change into his clothes and take his contacts out.
As he sat and waited for closing time, he cleaned his glasses multiple times and fiddled with his cell phone. Having taken out his piercings, he saw how much more mature it made him look, and he decided to keep them out and let the holes close up. He tied his hair up in a bun to keep it out of his way as he curled up in the corner of the break room and thought about how good Kojiro had made him feel.
How could he have done this to himself? Kojiro was a host! He should have known that the other man's kisses would make him feel this way! His heart raced madly whenever he pictured Kojiro's face after the kiss. What could the other man have been thinking in that moment? Kaoru's stomach twisted with anxiety as he thought about what would happen on the way back to the other man's apartment. He should've considered that before following through. Then again, he knew he would be scolded if he didn't follow the wishes of a guest.
Kojiro entered with a groan, wearing the clothes he has come to work in. He punched out on the machine on the other side of the room. "Ready to go home, Kaoru? I'm so tired."
"Uh, yeah," the smaller man replied, standing up. "Are you sure you're good to drive your bike with both of us? I mean, I can drive if you want me to. I have my license."
"Nah, I'm good to drive," the other assured. "Thanks for offering, though! I appreciate that and will keep it in mind." He clapped his hands together as if ending a pep talk. "Let's get going, Kaoru. I'm sure you're just as exhausted as I am. The first day is always the craziest, if you ask me."
Kaoru simply nodded and followed Kojiro out of the club, stopping to watch him lock up. He let his hair down and put on Kojiro's spare helmet before climbing onto the back of the bike. His cheeks flushed deeply as he held Kojiro around the middle as he started up the bike. Something about their current position had reminded him of earlier than night. Kaoru felt as if he had been engulfed in flames, praying that the ride back to the apartment would go by quickly.
.
Kaoru woke up in Ainosuke's bed, feeling disoriented. He reached over to discover that the other man was lying next to him. He rolled over to face him, his hand reaching to caress Ainosuke's cheek. A sense of comfort overwhelmed him as he felt the other's hand place itself atop his own.
"Did you sleep well?" Ainosuke purred at him, leaning up to kiss Kaoru's forehead. "I couldn't even wake you up." He pressed a sleepy kiss to the smaller man's lips. "I'm glad you slept well, Kitten, but we need to talk about last night."
"Last night?" Kaoru sleepily asked. "What are you talking about?"
"I know you made out with another man last night. Kojiro Nanjo, right? Don't forget that I have eyes and ears everywhere." His tone suddenly adopted a dangerous edge. "You think you can cheat on me and get away with it? That must've taken a lot of nerve Kaoru. You're supposed to be mine. So what the fuck was that? Is he that much better than me? Do I have to teach you who you really love?"
The man with the rose-colored hair suddenly felt heavy as lead. How did Ainosuke know about Kojiro? Wait, why was he in Ainosuke's bed? How did he get there? He was heading to his new home with Kojiro! What was going on?!
Ainosuke placed a hand on Kaoru's throat, gripping it tightly. "Do you really think that you can just leave me as easily as you'd like? You're my boyfriend. Don't ever forget that, you worthless piece of shit."
Kaoru clawed at the other man's hand, trying to catch his breath. "Stop it, Ainosuke! Let go! I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again! I belong to you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm-"
.
"Kaoru!"
The man in question bolted upright in bed, drenched in a cold sweat, holding a gentle hand to his burning neck. He pulled his hand away, noticing blood beneath his fingernails. His lungs sucked up as much air as they could, heaving over and over again as he gasped for breath. Tears were streaming down his cheek.
Kojiro sat on the edge of his bed with a first aid kit, waiting patiently for his roommate to calm down. "I apologize for coming into your room without permission. You were screaming, and when I came in, you were clawing at your throat as if you were trying to tear it out. Are you okay? Please tell me if there's anything I can do for you. I placed a glass of water by your bed before you fell asleep. You might want to drink some."
Kaoru desperately grabbed the glass, chugging it down as he ignored the droplets of water drizzling from his mouth onto his shirt. He placed the empty glass back down on the nightstand and curled up in a ball to cry.
"I don't want to upset you, but I need to clean the scratches on your neck. Could you lift your neck, please?" Kojiro's face looked so kind and concerned when Kaoru lifted his head. He pressed a cotton ball with disinfectant to his neck gently. "It might sting a little, but it needs to be done, okay?"
The other man flinched a few times upon the stinging sensation of disinfectant on his open wounds, tears still flowing from his golden eyes. His eyes widened in terror when Kojiro moved to bandage his neck. "Please, no," he choked out.
"I have no plans to harm you, Kaoru, I swear." Kojiro gently wrapped the bandage around his roommate's neck, making sure to give him plenty of room to breathe to ease his anxieties. "There we go." He stood up. "Are you feeling a little better now? Maybe you should try going back to leave.
As Kojiro turned to leave, Kaoru reached out and grasped his hand tightly. He looked up at the other man with pleading eyes once he turned around, eyes full of fear. "Please," he softly begged, "don't go."