At the sight of the money, Zero realised he hadn't even mentioned a price to Kaname.
Fuck. That wasn't good. He was letting himself get distracted. This was not a relationship. It was about the money. Pure and simple.
Speaking of, Zero clambered gingerly out of bed – irritated at having to waste their warmth – to pick them up off the floor and count.
Apparently Kaname had thought their fuck was worth four hundred. Good enough. He straightened out the notes and folded them carefully into his tin in the hidey-hole. He had enough for another month's rent now, with some leftover for next month.
It was going to have to last. Zero knew he wouldn't be seeing Kaname again. Which was… not good.
Shit.
Zero sat on the messy bed and cursed his stupidity. He should have kept his mouth shut. He knew better. He never chatted this much with anyone else, which was half the problem wasn't it?
Zero's closest friend was Hotaru these days. And conversation with him varied from pointless to painful.
Kaname had been different. He was… human. Eugh. Whatever. He'd talked to Zero like he was an equal. An equal he wanted to fuck and tease – but he'd never treated Zero like he wasn't worth the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Zero hadn't been getting much of that lately. He'd latched on. Like a fucking needy idiot.
He'd been too casual with the John. Given too much of himself away to a fucking pure blooded vampire who didn't give a shit.
And now he'd lost his best customer.
Fuck.
#
Zero didn't have much pride left to him, so he did genuinely think about apologising for the full half hour it took of standing on the corner to get his next customer.
After his little pity fest, he'd gone right back out there. No time to waste. If Kaname wasn't coming around again, Zero needed every night to make the rent.
Fucking Mashiro.
Four hundred and fifty a month for an extremely tired apartment – if he was being polite about it – was extortionate.
"You OK?"
Zero spared Hotaru a smile, the other D was not looking so hot.
"I will be. Mashiro's put the rent up again."
Hotaru snorted.
"What did I tell you? You had to go and make it a challenge. Fuck him already."
Zero growled.
"No, I won't and he said he didn't want me anymore so I can't even let him have me for the room."
"He's playing hard to get. Wants you to need it. Make an appointment to see him, get all teary eyed and he'll bend you over the desk before you know it."
Zero grunted, which meant fuck no, a fact Hotaru knew well.
"Fine, don't take my advice. I'll save you a spot in the old cinema for when he kicks you out. The water's still connected and everything. It'll be fun."
Joy.
#
Pretending to be out of breath, Zero groaned a little as he stretched; new customer, always best to stroke the ego a little.
"Hey can I have your number? I want to see you again."
Success.
"I'm always at that corner – oh, wait, yeah, hang on."
He reached over the side of the mattress for his jeans; digging the phone Kaname had given him out of the pocket. It took him a moment to work out his own number, but then he had it and received the man's number in return. He said his name was John, but Zero entered the contact details as LitDicHotel so that he'd actually remember the guy if the man ever rang.
He knew way too many Johns.
'John' took the first shower, Zero spared a thought to hope the man wouldn't use the little bottle of shampoo Zero fully intended to acquire later when the idea struck him.
He looked down at his phone.
Kaname's leash and lure, yeah, that was still irritating, but also, maybe, a business opportunity?
Hadn't he just been moaning that winter meant less business? If he had a number, then couldn't he advertise?
Zero went immediately for the hotel stationary by the phone (which he was also going to take with him when left if he didn't get kicked out first) and thought about it.
Notes in telephone booths and men's bathrooms seemed so skeevy. Then again, the alternative was to grovel to Kuran – another fucking pureblooded vampire and apologise for saying the truth.
Yeah, no.
How to advertise yourself? What the fuck did you even put? Desperate and willing? Deepthroater level 99? Cheap?
In the end, he settled for something vague. A brief description, an innocuous sentence or two that screamed prostitute and then he flipped the page round, ripped ten little tags that people could tear off and copied out his number on all of them.
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
John reappeared from the bathroom, dressing he said, "I'm heading off, see you later."
Zero summoned a smile for him – not difficult as the hotel was paid through the night and included breakfast – and waved him off.
Then he took his own shower and promptly started acquiring all the complimentary goodies he could.
#
The next day, after he'd eaten his fill at the buffet breakfast and stuffed a napkin full of sausages up either sleeve, he went around town, sticking his little notes in likely places.
That very night he got his first call.
Zero smiled as he headed out. Screw you Kaname. I don't need you.
#
A/N: If you have a moment, I'd like to know your thoughts.