Disclaimer: I don't own anything...in this fanfic anyway.

Summary: Matt is an escort. An ESCORT! Not a hooker as many people choose to believe. That is until he meets Taichi and his remaining morals seem to desert him.

Warnings: Slash, sexual situations (especially in this chapter!) and language

Chapter 7 - The Self Destruct Button

It had been a long two weeks since Matt had last seen the brunette, and it was bothering him immensely. He knew that Tai had been mad at him but the brunette had still said he was going to call for an appointment during their heated argument. But unfortunately, Tai had done no such thing.

Matt hated the fact that he had actually become attached to the brunette, relying on his daily visits to get him through the day. He wasn't supposed to be so dependent on clients, especially for things other than money. It was pathetic really. So much for being professional.

If that wasn't enough, Tai's reluctance to speak to him couldn't of come at a worse time. Without his daily dates, Matt found himself very short of money, meaning he had to accept every client that was interested. Unfortunately this included complete bastards who were about forty years old with wives and children sat at home, evidently looking for cheap kicks.

It was so not fun.

There was also one client in particular who had developed an unhealthy fixation with the blond. Like Tai, Tanaka paid for dates frequently, perhaps more frequently than Matt would have liked. Although he'd never done anything inappropriate, the blond still felt uncomfortable around him. Tanaka expected him to follow orders without question, as though he was a slave, hired only to do his bidding.

Matt even had a date with him that very night, and was already absolutely dreading it.

Gone were the excited butterflies in his stomach that he used to get before his and Tai's dates. All he felt before meeting Tanaka was anxiety.

Adjusting his shirt in the mirror and glancing at the clock, Matt realised there was only a few minutes before Tanaka's arrival and let out a long sigh. Sometimes he really hated going to work, except maybe when his date was with Tai.

Jolting in surprise as the doorbell rang, the blond pulled himself out of his depressing thoughts and rechecked himself in the mirror, flicking his hair out of his eye.

Confident that he looked good enough to meet Tanaka's standards, Matt headed towards his front door, reluctant to even answer it. He plastered on what he hoped was a welcoming smile as he opened the door, despite feeling nothing but disappoint as it swung open and revealed who was on the other side.

"Evening Mr Tanaka," he said pleasantly.

"Are you ready to go?" Tanaka asked immediately, eyes sweeping up and down Matt's body, as though checking what the blond was wearing was acceptable.

Giving a quick nod, Matt locked his door and followed his client, who had instantly walked off, expecting the blond to follow him obediently.

Matt rolled his eyes but did as expected, striding slightly to keep up with Tanaka's powerful steps.

Silence descended upon the two as they walked quickly towards their destination, which was a large restaurant not far from Matt's apartment. They'd been there together a couple of times and Matt liked the food at least, even if the company left a lot to be desired.

"We're here," Tanaka stated a few minutes later, breaking through the deafening silence. Holding the door open for the surprised blond, he approached the nearest waiter and inquired about their table, once again ignoring Matt completely.

Slightly irritated that Tanaka still made no effort to talk to him, the blond hovered back, only coming forward once the waiter had confirmed their table was ready.

Seconds later, Matt was seated quietly at the table, engrossed in his menu, knowing it was pointless to engage in small talk with the older man. Tanaka was never talkative, despite Matt's best previous efforts. All he ever seemed to want to do was sit in Matt's presence, something which confused the blond greatly. Who in their right mind would pay someone to do nothing? Not that Matt was complaining. It often meant he got paid for no reason.

Trying to keep the money in mind, the blond ordered his food quickly and proceeded to devour it, eager to escape as soon as possible. He knew it was a long shot, but he was hoping that Tanaka would just let him leave once he had finished.

His client however, seemed to have other ideas.

Setting down his knife and fork slowly, Tanaka addressed the blond for one of the first times in the evening, gaze steady and unwavering. "I have a proposition for you."

Matt blinked, eyebrows creasing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well let's just say I'll pay for a little extra on our next date," Mr Tanaka suggested calmly, giving the blond a small smile.

"A little extra?" the blond inquired hesitantly, unsure of whether he wanted to know what his client meant.

"Yes," he replied, eyes travelling up and down Matt's body pointedly. "You catch my drift."

Matt recoiled, eyes wide and horrified as he surveyed Tanaka. "No way! Definitely not!"

Tanaka raised his hands in surrender, looking surprised at Matt's sudden exclamation. "I was just saying, if you need extra money - say triple of what you get now - I'll be more than willing to pay for it."

Matt raised his eyebrows, shocked that the man had been so blunt. He'd had offers before of course, but never ones so generous. Triple of his current pay would help his finances dramatically, considering he could barely afford his school fees, let alone anything else.

However sleeping with Tanaka wasn't an activity Matt would particularly enjoy. The man was an intimidating 6 ft 3 and towered over the blond, despite Matt's own impressive stature. This was very unnerving for the blond, because as he had such a slender frame, Matt always relied on his height to intimidate people. And if that wasn't enough, Tanaka weighed about twice the amount the blond did, due to what Matt could only assume was pure muscle.

However despite his size, the blond had to admit that Tanaka was actually passively attractive. He was tall and dark-haired at least, although not necessarily handsome. He was certainly no Tai.

Suddenly realising where his thoughts were heading, Matt banished the brunette from his mind, attempting to turn his attention back towards his client.

But as soon as he had done so, to Matt's absolute horror, somebody else entered the restaurant. A athletic bushy-haired somebody.

"Shit!" Eyes widening in alarm, the blond grabbed his menu violently, jerking it up in front of his face.

Ignoring Tanaka's raised eyebrows, Matt peaked out above his disguise, gaze following the brunette as he crossed the room, sitting himself at a nearby table.

The blond sighed, unsure of whether he was happy or irritated about Tai's sudden appearance. After all he had definitely missed the brunette over the last couple weeks, but really didn't want Tai to know he was sitting with a client, especially after the brunette's previous reaction to his job. It was the reason they had fought in the first place.

Determined to escape the restaurant without any sort of confrontation, Matt knocked his drink back quickly, cringing slightly as the taste of double vodka and coke filled his mouth.

"Is something wrong?" Tanaka asked, sounding casually curious and somewhat amused.

Matt laughed nervously, a lot higher and louder than he had intended. "No, no, of course not."

However his piercing outburst of uncomfortable laughter seemed to have drawn unwanted attention, much to Matt's increasing dismay. Apparently recognising what had been Matt's jittery giggle, Tai turned round, eyes immediately drawn to the reddening face of the blond.

Eyes widening in surprise, Tai's gaze flickered from Matt to Tanaka, forehead furrowing as he started to frown.

The blond looked away, unable to meet the brunette's eyes, especially when Tanaka was studying him so closely, expression a lot more suspicious now.

"Shall we go then?" Matt suggested, trying to keep his tone cool and casual, despite how embarrassingly flustered he had become.

"I haven't finished yet," Tanaka replied calmly, gesturing to his drink.

"Ok then." Matt smiled weakly, looking down at the table, eager to escape Tai's burning gaze that he could feel on the side of his face. Jumping to his feet and throwing Tanaka what he hoped was a smile and not a grimace, he waved an arm in the direction of the toilet. "I'll be right back."

Marching away from the table at record speed, Matt practically dived into the toilet, pleased to be away from Tanaka and Tai's unwavering stares.

Splashing water over his face in the sink to calm himself, the blond took a deep breath, attempting to suck it up. So what if the situation was slightly awkward; he was an escort, the king of cool and collectiveness. He had definitely handled far worse.

Feeling a lot more composed and slightly more optimistic, Matt steeled his shoulders and opened the bathroom door, suddenly coming face to face with the one person he didn't want to see.

"Tai! You scared me!" Matt exclaimed, completely thrown off guard. So much for being composed.

"I see that," Tai commented, eyebrows raised. "I want to talk."

Blinking at the bluntness of the statement, Matt took a moment to gather himself. "Well I'm sorry, I can't right now. I'm busy."

"Yea I can see that too," the brunette replied bitterly, grabbing Matt's arm as he attempted to brush past him.

Ripping himself out of the brunette's grasp, Matt glared angrily, but remained where he was, undeniably curious about what Tai had to say.

"Well you certainly moved on quickly," Tai observed after a second of silence, eyes swivelling towards Tanaka, who was sat waiting somewhat impatiently. Although the brunette didn't sound too angry, the cold carelessness of his voice hurt Matt regardless, who was beginning to want nothing more than to see Tai smile again. He was ashamed to admit that he had missed the brunette's cheeky grin.

"What do you mean moved on quickly? Tai, you were never actually my boyfriend." Matt had crossed his arms over his chest, tone calm and posture tall. He was determined to appear more unconcerned than he actually felt, but was undoubtedly failing.

"Yes and why would I want to be?" Tai replied, eyebrows raised and anger increasing at the coldness of Matt's apparent aloofness. "Why would I want to date someone who obviously wouldn't be faithful?"

Matt scowled, eyes narrowing defensively. "It's my job Tai! Get over it! I kiss people and I happen to get paid for it, is that a crime?!"

"Well yes actually!" Tai pointed out, raising his own voice in return.

"It isn't even any of your business," Matt sniped, choosing to ignore the brunette's previous comment. "You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want to see me anymore!"

"Yea, because you were seeing other people as well!"

"It's my job!" Matt yelped exasperatedly, causing heads to turn in their direction.

"Yes I'd noticed actually," the brunette said sarcastically, placing a hand on his hip and glowering down at the blond. As two grown and mature adults, Tai knew that they should of been able to have one sensible conversation without argument, but despite his best efforts, he just couldn't contain himself. The blond had an annoying way of really getting on his nerves.

Sensing the brunette was growing tired of their argument, Matt let out a deep breath, attempting to rid himself of his anger. "Look, I've got to get back. I don't want to fight Tai. I like you, I do, but this is my job and you need to accept that."

Tai blinked, thrown by Matt's admission. He'd been lusting after the blond almost as soon as he'd met him, but he'd never believed that Matt had returned his feelings. It just didn't make any sense to him. How could Matt claim to like him and still kiss and caress other people? The thought alone made Tai squirm uncomfortably.

"So you like me, but still go on dates with other people every night?" the brunette asked, eyebrows raised. "Well sorry, but that doesn't sit right with me. I can't date someone like that. If your looking for a boy toy I suggest you look elsewhere."

Without giving the blond a backwards glance, Tai walked away, leaving Matt stood gaping behind him, both hurt and furious that the brunette had brushed him off once more.

Resisting the urge to curl his fists and rugby tackle Tai to the ground from behind, Matt stalked back to Tanaka, who gave a cold smile upon his return.

"What took you so long?"

"Some jackass held me up," Matt replied darkly, gaze flickering to the other side of the restaurant, where Tai was preparing to leave.

Narrowing his eyes while giving Tanaka an uneasy smile, Matt followed the brunette's movements with an icy glare. He was absolutely fed up with Tai judging and making comments about his life, especially when he himself was so completely unorganised and irresponsible. Matt was a grown man, perfectly entitled to do whatever he pleased.

With that thought in mind, the blond turned back to his client, face set and expression determined. "You know what, Mr Tanaka, about what you said earlier, I've changed my mind…"

An hour later, the blond stumbled back through his front door, face flushed and lip twitching nervously. Unwilling to turn on the light, he edged around his furniture, leading the man that had followed him through the dark and straight into his bedroom.

Pushed back against his wall as soon as he'd shut his door, Matt squeaked slightly in surprise, rough and demanding lips instantly muffling his shock.

He responded somewhat hesitantly, but nevertheless curled his arms around the man's neck, pushing his hips forward and receiving a low groan.

Taken aback by Matt's forwardness, the man pulled back and stared at the blond, squinting slightly in the dark. The blond flashed him a cheeky grin, amazed by his own confidence.

Tai had told him to find another toy boy and he already had. The brunette could shove that up his ass.

Pulling Tanaka's head back down to his own, the blond bit harshly on his bottom lip, causing the man to grip his slender hips roughly. Ceasing the hem of the Matt's shirt in his grasp, he pulled it upwards, wrestling it off his head.

Feeling the cold chill of the night instantly hit his naked upper body, Matt suddenly felt very exposed and open. He needed to get under the covers of his bed as soon as possible. He'd feel a lot more comfortable there.

Grabbing Tanaka by the shirt collar and leading him back to the bed, the blond collapsed on top of his quilt, feeling the client press down onto him. Lips then instantly found his throat, making him jerk up shamefully at the touch. Although embarrassed, he just couldn't help it. He hadn't felt so free in a long time. The no sex with clients rule had really hindered his sex life. He desperately needed release.

Watching with anticipation as Tanaka removed his own top, Matt repressed a shiver, clutching desperately at the bed with balled fists. He couldn't believe he was actually going through with it. He had never believed that he could.

"Relax will you," Tanaka ordered, giving the blond a small nip at the neck in annoyance.

Jolting slightly, Matt took a deep breath, feeling Tanaka's rough fingers fiddle with the waistband of his pants. Closing his eyes tightly as his pants were pulled down his legs, Matt instantly felt Tanaka's hot breath against the inside of his thighs and opened them.

Matt watched as Tanaka rose and shed his pants through squinted eyes, mind wandering to Tai. He imagined sharing the same experience with the brunette and could practically hear him calling his name in ecstasy.

'Matt!'

'Matt!'

"Matt!"

"Matt! Are you here?"

Jolted out of his reverie by the volume of the yell, Matt looked towards Tanaka in confusion, wondering where the voice had suddenly come from. It was a lot more urgent than the one from his daydreams.

"There's someone in your apartment," Tanaka said quietly, causing the blond to gasp in horror.

He recognised the voice. It was Tai's voice.

However before Matt could so much as breathe, his bedroom door swung open, revealing the last person in the world the blond wanted to see.

"Oh my god!" Tai's eyes scanned the scene in horror, immediately causing him to recoil from the doorway.

Matt cursed repeatedly under his breath, making a quick dash for his clothes. He desperately attempted to cover himself as he waited for the brunette's inevitable blow up, face flushed and hair matted as Tanaka stood to the side, watching in confusion.

However to his immense surprise, Tai merely turned and walked away, shaking his head sadly.

"No Tai, wait!" Struggling to pull his pants up as he walked, Matt stumbled after the brunette, dread filling his stomach. How the hell was he going to explain his actions? "Please wait Tai!"

To Matt's surprise the brunette instantly stopped inches from the front door, spinning around to face the blond. He folded his arms across his chest and levelled Matt with an accusing stare, jaw set and eyes narrowed.

"Sorry for barging in but the door was open and I heard noises. I just came to see how you were after today, considering I was a bit harsh. I wanted to apologise," Tai said bitterly, expression cold and chilling. "Looks like I needn't have bothered."

"Tai…that was just…I mean…" Matt trailed off, face flaming and eyes downcast, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me Matt," Tai said mockingly, shrugging his shoulders as though he didn't care. "After all, I'm just a client."

Hurt that his previous words had been thrown back in his face, Matt looked away, trying to hide the tears that had formed in his eyes.

Taking a moment to gather himself, Matt spoke shakily, desperate to defend his actions. "I just…I needed money."

"Well if your that desperate, I'd go back to him," Tai sneered, eyes flashing angrily. "I don't think he's going to appreciate you walking out half-way through."

"Tai, why are you being so horrible?" Matt asked quietly, shaking his head in despair.

"I'm just… disappointed. I thought you were better than that," Tai admitted, unsure of what to say. He wasn't sure why he was so angry, but he couldn't contain the feelings of hurt and resentment rising inside of him. "Look it's not really any of my business, so I'm just going to go. Do whatever and whoever you want!"

Throwing Matt's bedroom a disgusted look where Tanaka was still waiting, Tai turned and walked away, just as he had done twice before.

To be continued…

A/N Yep, Matt's now a slut and Tai knows it. Sorry I took so long to update but I don't like this chapter as it finishes just as the last chapter did. I really struggled to write it. However I needed to make things less awkward between them and more hostile, as in the next chapter they are going to have to be very angry with each other for the storyline to work. There's going to be fireworks.

Next chapter is 'A Fine Line: Love and Hate.' There will definitely be Taito action.