Authors' Notes: We got this chapter out quickly! (Sorry for any typos, but we both wanted you all to have the chapter sooner rather than later.) THANK YOU to all the readers, followers, faves, and especially reviewers out there. We're so pleased with all of your support and we hope getting this update out quickly will bring in more. :)
Chapter Nine
Black coffee was disgusting, but Ritsuka found himself sipping at it in the early afternoon, trying feebly to rid his head of the grogginess he'd felt ever since waking at around 10AM that morning. The night schedule wasn't easy to get used to; not for Ritsuka anyway, who'd been woken at the crack of dawn every morning and given random cold medicines — the drowsy kind— at 8pm every evening by his mother, who insisted on an early bedtime and uninterrupted night's sleep.
The mind fog usually wore off by nightfall, thank goodness, but he was finding late afternoon naps an increasing necessity. He hadn't wanted to at first, fearing the other boys would see him as more of a baby than they already did, but found that most— if not all— of the other boys were also fond of naps.
Presently, he couldn't seem to find Kio anywhere, Natsuo had been called to Soubi's office, and Ritsuka was in the back garden with an extremely ill-tempered Youji. It seemed nothing in the world annoyed him more than Soubi helping himself to his boyfriend. Ritsuka had never seen him in such a foul mood and wasn't altogether sure how best to handle him. He was perched on a bench, half-sketching the circular planter before him, filled with pink, blue, and purple flowers; and half listening and commenting to Youji's rant.
"As if that sleezeball doesn't have enough tail with the rest of the boys!" Youji shouted, pacing furiously. "God knows he makes use of them. And Kio would KILL to take care of his needs." Youji sneered this last part, as though nothing was more vile than wanting to be with Soubi. "He takes Natsuo JUST to get to me, I know it!"
"Maybe he just thinks Natsuo is hot," Ritsuka said, mildly.
Youji paused in his pacing, looking up at Ritsuka and snorting in derision. "Of course Natsuo's hot. The hottest thing in this city. But Soubi doesn't care about that. I annoy him so he takes Natsuo to annoy ME. He's a scumbag and a creep and he's a just plain overlord. He treats The House like his palace and all of us in it like his own personal harem. Except me, of course — he knows I'd bite him if he tried anything and NOT in the good way."
Ritsuka looked up from his sketchpad. Youji was ruthlessly grinding a defenseless afid into the ground, teeth clenched and bared.
"He never calls you to his office?"
"Hell NO," he said, giving the bug a final, cruel smear and taking up his pacing again.
Ritsuka blinked. "Then... then why does he keep you on? I thought-"
"Because I make him bank. I make him more in one night than some of them make in a week. There's no way he'll pass me up just because I hate his stupid, poker-faced, ass-cold, cigarette stenching, butterfly wearing, nut-case, creepy, pedophiliatic guts!" By this point he had torn a rather large switch off a tree and snapped it cleanly in half.
Ritsuka felt rather impressed by his strength. "He does seem to have a lot of... stamina."
"The creeper subsists primarily on Viagra and cigarettes," Youji snapped. "I know it."
Ritsuka laughed. He couldn't help himself. Luckily, Youji seemed to not take any offense toward this.
"How long has it been now?" he demanded. "Twenty minutes? What's taking so long?"
"It's only been four," Ritsuka pointed out, helpfully.
"That's FIVE minutes too many."
Ritsuka DID feel sorry for Youji. It couldn't be easy to let Natsuo be with someone else, right in front of him. He couldn't help thinking that Youji ought to be used to it by now, though. They were prostitutes — it was just a fact. They worked every night together, and even shared clients. Youji must know that Natsuo had no feelings for Soubi. It was patently clear that Natsuo was in love with Youji and no one else. Ritsuka's mind recalled the night before, and the picture that Youji and Natsuo had made together, with a pang of jealousy. Some part of him wanted to tell Youji that he should be grateful for what he had. It was something that most people only ever dreamed of having.
Youji picked up his ranting when Ritsuka didn't respond, muttering about how Natsuo would need a scrub and a hot shower to get the stench of Soubi off of him and Youji himself would make sure to do the scrubbing. Ritsuka went back to his sketching. The planter was taking life on his paper. Each flower was getting more and more detailed and Ritsuka admitted to himself that he was happy with his drawing so far.
He wondered what Seimei would think about it.
He had noticed a potted plant in Seimei's penthouse with orange roses in full bloom. He'd wondered jealously if someone had given it to him; an admirer maybe? A proper lover? But then maybe he simply liked flowers. It made Ritsuka that much more determined to show him this sketch.
He'd bring it in his coat pocket again tonight, he decided. The chances of Seimei coming for a third night in a row and again picking out Ritsuka were even more ridiculous than the two night chance had been, Ritsuka knew. But then, he HAD lucked out then, hadn't he? Perhaps he wasn't such a fool as to hope.
Youji's sudden halt in pacing and muttering caught his attention, and he looked around to see what had impacted the other boy so thoroughly.
Soubi was striding toward them, Natsuo closely behind. Ritsuka checked his watch again and frowned. It had been a mere seven minutes since Natsuo had disappeared into the office. Surely they weren't done?
"What happened?" Youji spat at Soubi, as Natsuo sprinted toward him. Youji immediately shoved him behind his back, as if protecting him from the likes of Soubi's perverseness. "Can't get it up anymore, old man? Ran out of your Viagra stash?"
Soubi stopped and stared at him a moment, looking thoroughly unimpressed and unaffected by the insults. Without a word, he turned toward Ritsuka and smiled. The warmest smile Ritsuka had seen in a while.
"Dear, dear, Ritsuka. Have I got a treat for you."
Something about that sounded like ANYTHING but a treat. Ritsuka felt a sense of foreboding well up inside him. He immediately closed his sketch book and shoved it into his pocket.
"What are you talking about?" he asked Soubi, not caring for the moment whether or not he sounded as respectful as an employee should.
"Come into my office," Soubi said smoothly. "Kano is waiting for us there. This treat is for the pair of you. I'm sure he is as anxious to hear about it as you are."
From his place a little way's off, Youji snorted. His arm was around Natsuo's waist, holding him so close that there was not an inch of space between them. "I bet this 'treat' involves Ritsuka and Kano making YOU a handful of cash."
"Considerably more than a handful, I would say," replied Soubi. He held open the back of door of the house, gesturing toward it solicitously. "Now then...if you please, Ritsuka?"
"Look out, Ritsuka," Youji called, as Ritsuka started toward the door in what felt like a death march. His heart was hammering. "The pervert will probably expect a celebratory suckoff session after this. Bring mouthwash."
This time, Soubi only response was a rude hand gesture that Ritsuka might have ordinarily found amusing if he didn't feel so panicked. WHAT was Soubi expecting him to do? It couldn't be a video already. The others had told him that wouldn't come for weeks, at least. It was too soon. And Ritsuka didn't even think he could handle a client yet, aside from Seimei. How could he possibly star in a video?
In the office, Kano was seated in the chair closest to the door, looking relaxed and far more attractive in jeans and a long sleeve than what should be allowed. His bored expression lit up when he looked up.
"Hello, Ritsuka."
"...Hi." Ritsuka said, unsurely.
Kano was smirking, his eyes half-lidded. He looked incredibly predatory, like Youji. Only where Youji made you want to back up against the wall, Kano emitted charisma and charm which was so inviting it almost made Ritsuka want to move closer and smile back. Instead, he moved past Kano and sat in the chair beside his, feeling Kano's stare on him the entire way.
Soubi draped himself in the chair behind his desk, still looking disturbingly pleased. He pulled a package of cigarettes from a drawer and lit one, inhaling deeply before exhaling the smoke with a satisfied sigh.
"Ritsuka...Kano...an order has been placed for you." he said. "A very special order. The two of you will be working tonight — together. You'll both be servicing the same client, and he is specifically requesting your mouths to do the work."
Soubi tapped his cigarette against the butterfly-painted ashtray, his eyes passing over both Ritsuka and Kano speculatively. "I can't say that I blame him. You both have such pretty mouths."
Ritsuka's heart slammed against his chest. His mind was racing so fast that the thoughts were making him feel dizzy. He had to service a client with Kano? They would be working together? Naked together? And he had to use his mouth? Ritsuka had never done that before. And worse...it was impossible for this client to be Seimei. Ritsuka remembered that he specifically had told Kio that threesomes were not his thing. This had to be someone new, and Ritsuka was already sure that they could not be as enjoyable to work with as Seimei.
Soubi continued, his voice lazy with satisfaction. "I'm expecting a generous payment, being that the order is so specific and on rather short notice. So I'm sure I don't need to tell the two of you that everything must run smoothly. Remember, the customer is always right."
"How short of notice?" Asked Kano, his voice as languid as Soubi's. Clearly, this "special order" didn't disturb him in the least, and neither did being referred to like a delicacy cake or something.
"Tonight, in fact," Soubi answered, tapping his finger against an open day planner. "8:00 pm. It's early, and I expect you will be back 10 or 11; however, as a bonus for attracting such satisfactory clientele, you may take the rest of the night off."
"Marvelous," said Kano, watching Ritsuka again.
"But— " said Ritsuka, and was cut off by Soubi.
"Kio will dress be the one to prepare you, as usual, but to the customer's specifications. He's requested matching outfits. I'd like a good look once you've both been completed."
Soubi truly thought of them as made-to-order toys, it seemed. He glared. "I'll bet you would."
Soubi only smirked.
Ritsuka stood up, ready to be out of Soubi's presence as early as possible. He was beginning to think that Youji had made some awfully good points about the state of Soubi's character. "Is that it?"
"That is all. Please do find Kio so that he may start preparing for your special night." The smirk never left Soubi's lips as he answered.
Kano nodded nonchalantly and stood up too, leaving and holding the office door for Ritsuka. When the door was safely closed behind them, Ritsuka wanted nothing more than to go into his bedroom and beat the stuffing out of his pillow; anything for an emotional outlet.
But Kano smiled at him and said, "Well, this is lucky, isn't it? Only a couple of hours of work and then we get the night off."
Ritsuka shrugged, not meeting his eyes. Nothing about this evening sounded lucky to him.
"What's wrong?" Kano asked. He reached out and touched Ritsuka's shoulder. "You look like someone just let the air out of your corvette tires."
Ritsuka laughed half-heartedly. He appreciated Kano's concern but he didn't much feel up to spilling his guts to the guy. "I'm just disappointed that's all. It's nothing."
"Oh..." Kano said, and he sounded like he DID suddenly understand what the problem was. Ritsuka looked up at him and Kano's eyes were soft and sympathetic. "You were hoping to be with Seimei Aoyagi again tonight, weren't you?"
Ritsuka actually blanched at that. God, he was obvious? Was he really THAT obvious? He had been careful not to talk about Seimei. He thought about him near constantly, but never spoke about it.
"It's okay, Ritsuka," said Kano. "I won't tell anyone. Being smitten with someone you can't have more than a business relationship with is difficult enough without the added stress of everyone knowing. Emotional attachment is frowned upon in this profession."
At that moment, Youji stalked by, dragging Natsuo behind him. "Don't come into the room unless you want a nice x-rated show. I'm going to slam him senseless, as I damn well SHOULD be the one to do," he said as he passed, Natsuo actually GIGGLING as he went.
Ritsuka looked back at Kano, who was smiling apologetically. "Frowned upon if the emotional attachment is to the client, that is. Within Soubi's House, love blossoms."
Ritsuka brushed his bangs out of his eyes self-consciously. Kano was looking at him much too intently for him to be entirely comfortable. "Kio's already made it VERY clear that that's the way things are supposed to work around here." he muttered.
Kano hesitated for a moment before responding. "You know...maybe tonight, with this client of ours, you could just...pretend the client is Seimei."
Ritsuka only looked at him, bewildered.
Kano smiled. "Yeah, you know...you could think of it like practice. Seimei's bound to take you again sometime. And until he does, you can think of things as just practice for the next time you see him. Makes it a little easier to do, right?"
Although this seemed like an abrupt about-face from Kano, Ritsuka thought it was genuine. Something about Kano made him seem like the kind of person Ritsuka could become friends with. He gave advice without forcing it.
Ritsuka smiled, unable to help himself. "Well... it does sound a little more bearable. But I'm still not sure if I'm ready to... I mean I'm really not that experienced and it was only easy with Seimei because he's... he has this way that just..."
"I know," said Kano. "It's rare to get a client who puts you at ease like that. Most of them are quite impersonal and demanding, which you actually might find makes it easier. When you care about someone, you tend to feel a lot of guilt when you're elsewhere." Here, he paused to brush back Ritsuka's bangs, which had fallen back into his eyes. Ritsuka didn't flinch away, but only just. "When it's impersonal, it's easier to bear. It's more like... scrubbing toilets than being intimate."
Ritsuka nodded, feeling wary. He couldn't help wanting to take a step back but he suppressed the impulse. Kano was helping him out and he didn't want to appear rude. "Yeah...well, I guess we'll see."
Kano smiled again. "Soooo," he said. "Ready to track down Kio for our makeovers?"
"I'm sure he'll be ecstatic about doing the job," Ritsuka laughed, and followed Kano up the stairs.
"This...is so bizarre." said Ritsuka.
He and Kano were in the back of a taxi cab, on their way to their special "treat," and he just couldn't get over the costumes Kio had dressed them in. It wasn't Kio's FAULT, exactly; he had only decorated them according to the client's specifications. But Ritsuka felt downright foolish.
"I think it's cool," said Kano, much too happily. He spread his arms and looked down at himself again, then gave Ritsuka a sidelong glance that felt a little like a visual caress. "We're moon men."
Ritsuka laughed. They were dressed identically, in platform boots, skin-tight shiny pants, and form-fitting sleeveless T-shirts- all bright silver. Kio had even put make-up on them: eye shadow, eyeliner, sparkling nail polish on their toes and their fingers, again, all silver.
Ritsuka couldn't help thinking that even though they were dressed exactly alike, they looked very different. Kano seemed very futuristic and cool in his ensemble. Ritsuka was sure that he himself simply came off like a drag queen.
"So, how are you feeling about the job tonight? Still nervous?"
Ritsuka nodded. "Besides the fact that I've only ever worked with one client, I've never worked with somebody else before either."
"Well, I've been on jobs with some other boys before. Basically, it's pretty similar to working alone. It's just that a lot of time if a client orders a pair, they'll want the pair to do things with each other. It'll probably be that way tonight, if the matching outfits are anything to go by."
Ritsuka's heart pounded. This was beginning to feel like one surprise after another.
"Hey," Kano continued, his voice softening. "Is there any particular thing Seimei Aoyagi does with you that I could do? You know...help you imagine that you're doing stuff with him?"
Ritsuka considered this. There was so much that Seimei did. He wouldn't even know where to begin, and, in all honesty, he didn't even want to. Maybe Seimei dished out all the same caresses to every boy and Ritsuka was just being stupid for holding onto it like a secret gift, but he just couldn't help himself. There was noises and touches and glances. In all of them, he sifted through until he found one that seemed comforting and familiar, but not something he couldn't bear to part with.
"He touches my hair," he said, finally, and touched the back of his head, a little to one side. "Here. When we're kissing. He lays his hand there and his fingers slowly curl into the strands until he's holding on." Ritsuka pulled his hand away and looked to Kano, startled to see him staring in clear bewilderment. "What? What did I say?"
"You KISS? Seimei Aoyagi KISSES you?"
"Well...yeah." Ritsuka said, wondering why Kano was acting like this was some sort of huge shock. "He has sex with me, why wouldn't he?"
Kano just stared at him for a moment, that bewildered expression frozen onto his features. Finally he said, "Seimei...has never kissed me. In all the times I've been with him...not once."
Ritsuka boggled. "Never?"
"Never," said Kano, completely serious. "I tried it once and he stopped me...I mean, he was polite about it, don't get me wrong. But he was pretty clear that it's just...not his thing."
To Ritsuka's relief, Kano didn't sound jealous or even remotely bothered by this fact. He appeared to be simply stunned by this revelation.
Ritsuka rubbed nervously at the top of his arm. "I … I have no idea why…"
Kano was smirking. He reached over and sifted his fingers down the length of Ritsuka's hair. "A touch of hair it is, then. Just be aware that kissing may not be in the cards. I've never been with this client personally, but a few of the other boys have. He's not friendly, but neither is he mean-spirited. This whole thing will be nice and impersonal. Just follow my lead."
"But I don't know how to…. use my mouth like that," Ritsuka blurted, feeling suddenly desperate to jump out of the taxi. He couldn't face Soubi if he messed up this whole exchange. It sounded like a really big deal to him. And he didn't want to get thrown out; he would never see Seimei again.
"Relax." Kano patted his hand. "I'm good at non-verbal cues. I can instruct you as we go along."
Ritsuka exhaled, trying to calm his nerves. He nodded. Kano's presence was very helpful. Ritsuka didn't know how he would have done this by himself. The thought occurred to him that eventually he WOULD have to work alone with a client, and he shuddered.
A short time later, the cab pulled up to a dark and decrepit hotel. Ritsuka stepped out and saw that there were very few street lights working. The sidewalk under his feet was inundated by weeds, which grew bravely through the cracks. Kano was already hovering near the door of the building.
"Ready?" he called to Ritsuka.
Ritsuka gathered his nerve and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."
Once they were inside, the pair of them took the elevator to the seventh floor. Kano had explained that they were expected to show up right at the client's door. Apparently Soubi didn't want any corners cut in the way of service tonight. Kano found the room easily, much to Ritsuka's dismay. He had been hoping for a few minutes' delay while they searched. Anything to put off the coming experience, no matter how inevitable it was at this point.
Kano knocked loudly, like this was nothing. Ritsuka wondered if he felt nervous at all. He certainly didn't look it. From behind the door, a growlish sort of voice grunted for them to come in, and Kano did so without a moment's hesitation.
Ritsuka crowded behind him and followed into the dingy room, not moving out into view even when they stopped.
"I asked for two," said the man, gruffly.
Without turning around, Kano reached behind himself and tugged Ritsuka out by the arm, keeping his hand firmly gripped on the bend of his elbow. "Soubi always makes good on his promises. Do we meet your approval?"
The man was reclining on the bed, wearing nothing but a loose-fitting pair of shorts. His cold, gray eyes swept over them greedily, like a starving mouse sizing up a block of cheese twice the size of its own head. It was hard to tell from his positioning, but he looked stout; stocky legs and a round, protruding belly. He was probably in his mid to late forties, with half-silvered hair and a thick, wide mouth with a strong underbite, exactly like a bulldog.
"Yes," he said, almost to himself, in a sloppy voice that had Ritsuka wondering if he was about to drool— in an extremely grotesque way.
He did NOT want to touch this man and had half a mind to alert Kano to this fact right away. Surely Kano— handsome, young, strong Kano— was NOT going to perform sexual favors on this pervert.
But Kano was making no movement to leave. Ritsuka turned to him, half-panicked. He kept his eyes on the man, expression cool, and an iron grip on Ritsuka's inner-elbow; a clear sign they WERE going through with this.
Ritsuka fought hard to control his growing panic. He concentrated on his breathing, inhaling deeply and exhaling the same way. Maybe there was hope for the situation...maybe Ritsuka actually COULD get away with not touching the client at all. He was noticing now that the man honestly looked too lazy to have sex. There were orangey-yellow droplets of grease dotting his chest. From the smell of the room, the grease had come from cheap fast-food tacos. On the beside table, Ritsuka could see candy bar wrappers along with a few unopened Hostess cakes. The more Ritsuka saw, the more he found himself hoping that all this client wanted was a show. Maybe when Soubi had said he requested their mouths, he had meant using their mouths on EACH OTHER.
Kano maintained his cool expression as he asked, "What can we do for you, sir?" He sounded like a waiter, actually. Reserved but willing to please.
The man's answer fostered Ritsuka's hope tremendously. Ritsuka almost sighed with relief when he said, "Start warming up. Kiss. Make it slow."
Kano turned to him and pulled him close; which, admittedly, was not that much of a change since Ritsuka had practically glued himself to Kano's side in his apprehension. He did not know Kano hardly at all, but at the moment, Ritsuka clung to him like he was the only tree left standing in a hurricane. He was trying his own hand at communicating without words. He was asking, BEGGING for help. He was pleading with Kano to give the okay that they could JUST RUN.
Seeming to at least sense the silent, but rising, hysteria in Ritsuka's eyes, he said, very softly, "It's okay." Then he brush Ritsuka's bangs to the side and leaned in close to his ear. "Remember," he whispered. "This is only practice."
And then Kano kissed him.
Ritsuka couldn't help but instantly compare Kano's kiss to Seimei's. Kano's lips were firm on his, unyielding but not forcing Ritsuka to respond. Really, as the kiss went on, Ritsuka realized that unlike Seimei, who always seemed to work to elicit a positive reaction, Kano was unconcerned with whether or not Ritsuka was enjoying things or not. It became clear to Ritsuka that Kano thought of this purely as a job - and not one that should be performed as perfectly as possible. Kano did what the task required: no more, no less.
But he was, at least, trying to ease Ritsuka's apprehension. Kano seemed to remember what Ritsuka had told him, because at that moment, he slid his hand into Ritsuka's hair, just as Ritsuka had described in the cab. Immediately, a flood of memories came over Ritsuka. Seimei's hand in his hair, just there. Seimei kissing him. Not because he had been asked to, but because he wanted to. Wanted Ritsuka. Seimei with him on the couch, holding Ritsuka between his legs and touching him all over. Seimei pulling Ritsuka against him. Seimei, making Ritsuka feel more desirable than he'd ever felt before.
The memories overwhelmed him. He stepped closer to Kano, taking his collar in his hands and pulling him closer. He parted his lips, meeting Kano's tongue and thrusting against it. It wasn't Kano inside his mind. It was Seimei. Seimei's hand in his hair. Seimei's mouth against his. Ritsuka's hands fisted in Kano's shirt, letting out the barest of growls.
Suddenly, Kano pulled back. Ritsuka was left gasping for air as Kano kissed down his neck and to Ritsuka's ear. When he got there, he whispered something. It was so quiet that he had to strain to understand the words.
"Stop, Ritsuka, stop. He wants the aggressor. Trust me."
Ritsuka froze as Kano began nibbling his ear, hands sliding soothingly— not arousingly— down his sides. With his images of Seimei suddenly shattered, it took time a moment to realize Kano was trying to save him from this client. Somehow, he must have worked it out that the man would be most keen to have whoever overpowered the other, and he was placing himself firmly into that role. Rituska though it was very brave of him, and part of him felt a little guilty. The other part was so overwhelmed with relief he couldn't even fathom stopping him from playing hero.
Following Kano's lead, he relaxed into the touches, submission flooding through him like molten lava. Kano moved his mouth back to Ritsuka's and licked open his lips, pushing his tongue persuasively against Ritsuka's. Instinctively, Ritsuka's momentarily thrust back; but the reaction was one of welcome rather than a fight for domination.
Distantly, he heard a faint squelshing noise coming from somewhere by the bed. His eyes fluttered open a sliver, just enough to see that the client had taken out his unremarkable asset and had begun a lazy stroking as he watched. Ritsuka tried with difficulty not to wretch into Kano's mouth.
Without any forewarning, Kano grabbed onto his behind, squeezed, and then gave it a slap, which sounded impressive compared to how slightly it stung. Kano swallowed down Ritsuka's grunt of surprised and walked him backward toward the bed.
Ritsuka's heart immediately began slamming with such force that Ritsuka thought it would beat out of his chest. The faster they got to the bed, the sooner he and Kano would have to service Mr. Taco Grease. It was one of the least appealing futures Ritsuka had ever contemplated. But Kano was steady and relentless, walking Ritsuka further and further until the backs of his knees hit the bed. Kano's hands found their way to Ritsuka's shoulders and suddenly Ritsuka found himself plopped onto the bed. It squeaked uneasily.
The client let out a grunt that sounded appreciative.
Kano seemed determined to make it clear which of them was in charge. He straddled Ritsuka's lap, kissing him deeply. His hand was in Ritsuka's hair - which both reminded Ritsuka of his encounters with Seimei and also made it impossible for Ritsuka to pull away. Kano eventually did, though. He smiled devilishly at Ritsuka, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I think we have someone here that needs our attention," he said.
I CAN'T DO THIS! Ritsuka's mind screamed, his eyes wide and pleading with Kano's sorrowful ones. DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!
Kano ran a tentative finger over Ritsuka's brow, as if soothing the worry apparent there. For whatever the reason, Ritsuka felt a sudden implosion of hatred toward Soubi. He had no doubt Kano would do his absolute best to save him from the worst of this situation tonight, but who would save Kano? And what about NEXT TIME? He wanted nothing more at that moment then to slap Soubi across the face so hard his stupid glasses shattered.
And Ritsuka DETESTED violence.
Without stopping to think, he said, with bitter conviction, "Soubi is a complete di-"
Kano speared his tongue into Ritsuka's mouth, effectively slicing off his words. Ritsuka struggled this time, which apparently did wonders for their client, who began grunting in a steady rhythm. The sound was horrifying enough to make Ritsuka go still. Kano pulled away again, a warning stark in his eyes.
"You'll have to excuse him," said Kano, now pinning Ritsuka down by the wrists. "But this is exactly why Soubi thought he'd be perfect. He oftentimes needs something big and satisfying to keep his mouth occupied."
Feeling stung, Ritsuka turned his head to the side, and Kano again leaned down to whisper, "Ritsuka, its okay. I wont let him hurt you."
Ritsuka closed his eyes and sighed deeply, giving a small nod he hoped was invisible to the client.
"Come 'or here," said the man, in a thick, scratchy voice.
Trying hard not to look reluctant, Ritsuka followed Kano's lead and took station on one side of the man while Kano moved to the other. Ritsuka kept his eyes trained on Kano. He did NOT want to kiss this man.
Kano flickered his eyes from the man's chest (if a small flat area above a pot belly could be called that) to the space between his legs, subtly nodding at it. Ritsuka took this to mean that kissing wasn't going to be required.
A moment later, Ritsuka's guess was confirmed. It seemed that this client didn't need much in the way of foreplay. He was none too subtle either. Ritsuka saw one pudgy hand find its way to Kano's head and guide it pointedly toward his crotch.
Ritsuka had to fight not to gag. Kano wasn't Seimei, by any means, but he was still a nice guy. He shouldn't have to service someone like this just to get food on the table. He raged again at Soubi, though he managed to keep his anger silent this time. It wasn't long before that anger turned to disgust, though. Kano had begun running one hand back and forth over their client's inner thigh.
"Why don't you be a good boy and help me?" Kano asked, the words so sudden and authoritative that Ritsuka actually started. "Before I MAKE you."
Mr. Taco Grease grunted and arched his back as far as an oversized bowling ball COULD arch. Kano rolled his eyes very subtly, as if to say he knew that would be the reaction if he ordered Ritsuka around. He then flicked his eyes from Ritsuka's hands— which were nervously clenched between his knees— to his own pocket.
Although he wasn't sure what was in there, Ritsuka almost instinctively knew what Kano expected him to do. Apparently, Soubi's boys weren't just good at getting the job done; they were merciless teases, too.
Internally bracing himself, Ritsuka took a breath and grabbed hold of the client's thigh and leaned over, reaching for Kano's pocket with his other hand. He felt the pressure of Mr. TG's arousal against his shirt front and heard the sharp intake of breath. The entire outfit would have to be burned.
From his propped up position against the pillows, Mr. TG watched through slitted eyes as Ritsuka slid his hand into the tight material of Kano's pants pocket. Luckily, they allowed for some give and he didn't have to make more than one attempt.
"Deeper," said Kano, in a sultry voice Ritsuka barely recognized. He slid his hand further in until his fingers touched a small package. He withdrew it without ceremony and would have laughed that IT was silver too if he hadn't been so mortified. He held it out for Kano, hoping he looked obedient enough to bore the man away from interest in him, and watched as Kano tore it open with his teeth.
"Now, Mr. Takahashi," Kano continued in that same sultry voice, addressing their client. Ritsuka supposed Kano had picked up the name from Soubi at some point. Or was it some sort of generic name for clients that all the boys used, to maintain anonymity? With a shock, Ritsuka realized that he'd heard that name before. Youji and Natsuo had once complained about doing a double order for him themselves. "I'm sure you understand. Much as we'd like to be skin-to-skin with someone as well-endowed as you -"
This time, Ritsuka wanted to roll his eyes.
" - we really must err on the side of the caution." Kano began to roll the condom down. He did it so efficiently that it looked like he'd done it hundreds of times before. Ritsuka realized with a gulp that he probably had. "No need to ruin our session here with worries, is there? And we promise to make it worth your while."
Kano narrowed his eyes at Ritsuka when he was down, smiling in an entirely conniving way. "Now...show me what else you can do for me. Slow licks. Make him want more. Make him want us both."
This was it. Half of Ritsuka wanted to run away and the other half wanted to throw up.
"Make it good," slurred Mr. Takahashi, as Ritsuka bent lower.
He wondered if the man was drunk. That would explain his exaggerated laziness. And that smell. But didn't alcohol make sex difficult? He had heard it had an adverse affect on a male's ability to perform, and he was thinking entirely too much about this. He leaned in and closed his eyes, thinking of Seimei as Kano's hand cupped the back of his neck and guided his head down to the appropriate area.
Seimei's eyes, he thought, slowly lapping with his tongue. Seimei's laugh. This wouldn't be horrible if he were servicing Seimei. It might even be enjoyable. The thought of hearing the sounds he could elicit if he did this for Seimei was actually a ridiculously pleasant one. He almost smiled, and then felt Kano lean forward, and their tongues clashed around Mr. Takahashi.
Seimei, his mind screamed, think of Seimei, Seimei, Seimei….
It became very hard to maintain the thought, though, because Mr. Takahashi began making sounds of his own. They were nothing if not sickening: grunts and half-formed commands of "slower" or "more" or "yeah, like that." Seimei sounded nothing like this man. Seimei would have groaned deliciously, voice smooth and low. He would have wound his hands in Ritsuka's hair, not to control him, but to feel him there. He would have fought to control himself, which would have made Ritsuka all the more pleased when he lost the battle and succumbed to pleasure.
Ritsuka must have underestimated the time it took for Mr. Takahashi to get what he paid for, or else his fantasies of Seimei had taken him over for longer than he thought. Either way, there was no mistaking the more frequent grunts coming from the head of the bed. Mr. Takahashi was soon mumbling "I'm gonna...gonna..."
Kano literally shoved Ritsuka away and swallowed the entire length, which gave Ritsuka no cause for concern that Kano would suffocate or choke. Mr. Takahashi was thrashing now; his fingers, blackened around the nails, were digging into Kano's shoulders, shoving him further down. Ritsuka put a hand to his mouth to cover a dry-heave. He glanced up at 's face to see his eyes were firmly closed.
Ritsuka bolted to the bathroom.
He had just enough left in him to quietly close the door and turn on the water. Then he fell to his knees in front of the toilet and began vomiting the takeout dinner he had eaten with Kio and Soubi not two hours ago. Thoughts of Seimei swam dizzily through his head, mixing nauseatingly with thoughts of Mr. Takahashi and a deep, dark sense of guilt. This man wasn't Seimei, wasn't Seimei, wasn't Seimei… and Ritsuka, who suffered no emotional blows when giving in to Soubi's needs, couldn't make sense of the onslaught of regret and revulsion he felt with himself for it.
He had to rinse his mouth out five times before the taste of vomit even partly left his tongue. The tap water tasted only marginally better than the contents of his stomach. Having no desire to see his reflection, Ritsuka avoided the mirror altogether. He knew that nothing pleasant would be staring back at him after what had just transpired.
When he could bring himself to go back into the bedroom, he found Kano standing at the foot of the bed. He was staring at Mr. Takahashi with eyes like stone. Their client appeared fast asleep. Suddenly he let out a humongous snore, and Kano turned away fiercely.
"Let's go, Ritsuka." he said, making for the door.
Ritsuka hurried to catch up to him. He was deathly afraid of being left alone in a place like this with a person like that.
"I thought he wanted to take the aggressor?" Ritsuka asked, just managing to slip out the door after Kano.
"He did. But there was no way I was letting that guy violate either of us that way. So I took care of things."
Alarm bells went of inside Ritsuka's head. They strode down the hall together toward the nearest elevator. "But won't he get mad? What if he tells Soubi? What if Soubi says we duped him and we get -"
"No," Kano interrupted, jamming the button as soon as it was in reach. "We did exactly what we were asked to do. Nothing more and nothing less. We don't get paid to hang around while he naps and wait for him wake up. That was not in the deal. It's NEVER in the deal, and I'm not much of a workaholic. There's tricks like that you can do to get out of a bad situation. You can't always count on them, but most of the time they can save you from truly nauseating experiences."
After that, Ritsuka didn't have any protests. But he was still angry. At SOUBI. And as soon as they got back he planned to really give him a piece of his mind!
Outside in the frigid air, it wasn't until Kano let go of his hand that Ritsuka realized he had been holding it. Kano, it seemed, wanted out of that place just as badly as he did. He hailed a cab with two sharp whistles, shoving Ritsuka in ahead of him. Once inside, he began combing his fingers through his hair.
"Look, Ritsuka," he said. "I know that experience was an awful one. But you should know the majority of the clients are not that disgusting. It's true, a lot aren't attractive, but neither are they difficult to look at. That was abnormally horrible."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Ritsuka asked, hoping it wasn't, because he certainly didn't. In fact, he was feeling worse by the moment.
"I don't know if it should make you feel better," Kano admitted, softly. "But, Ritsuka, most of our clients are pretty well off financially, and they're wealthy because they have high ranking jobs. And when you have a high ranking job, you CANT be like that revolting creature."
"Where to?" asked the driver suddenly, who had been coasting slowly along the street.
"Shikiko's hideout. The club by the downtown park." He then turned to Ritsuka and added, "I still have some friends from my life before stardom and hookerville and I'm going to meet up with them since it's still early. I'd like you to come with me."
"I can't," said Ritsuka, turning to stare coldly to the forefront. "I have to go scream at Soubi until his eardrums explode. Maybe next time."
Kano was pulling a little tube of toothpaste out of his pocket and squeezing some out on his finger when Ritsuka said this. As soon as the words were out, he paused, looking at Ritsuka with one eyebrow raised. "Why do you want to scream at Soubi?"
Ritsuka snorted. "Why WOULDN'T I? You were there when all of...that...happened." He waved one of his hands vaguely in the direction of the hotel. "Soubi KNEW what he was getting us into. No way that could have been a surprise to him."
Kano blinked, not speaking. He made a small "hmm" sound before using his finger to scrub his mouth. Then he offered the little tube to Ritsuka.
Grateful for anything minty right now, Ritsuka took it eagerly and copied him.
"Ritsuka...this isn't really Soubi's fault," said Kano. "He's a businessman, and a pretty good one at that. He found us a client who didn't hurt us, who agreed to condoms, and who paid well for our services. He can't be expected to only allow the charming ones through. He's got a business to run, after all. And if it weren't for him, you and I would both be homeless, along with the rest of the boys in the House."
"But he doesn't have to be so mysterious about it!" Ritsuka protested. "He could have at least warned us! And he's so smug about everything too - like he's the boss of all of us."
"I hate to break this to you, Ritsuka, but he sort of is." said Kano mildly. "And he's really not in it to make us miserable. He does more good than harm. He's not a bad guy. Kind of hot, too, actually. Tall...long blond hair..."
Ritsuka crossed his arms, pouting openly. So Soubi was an attractive businessman. That gave him the right to subject them to THIS fiasco? "He's completely unfair."
Kano shook his head. "Oh, Ritsuka. But you are still only a child."
"And you're WHAT," Ritsuka sized him up across the the stretch of backseat. "A whole day older than me?"
"Practically. I'm going to tell you something only Soubi knows about me. I had a pimp before him. Trust me when I say that life with Soubi is as close to paradise as a rent boy can hope to get. We get two nights off a week, we get free medical care, free shelter, free food. Plus he gives us ten percent of our earnings. And because we don't have to pay for anything ourselves, that's pocket money. We can go have fun or we can save it up. In fact, I think saving up is exactly what Youji and Natsuo are doing. Hoarders, the both of them."
"Oh, so I guess I'm expected to worship him just because he pays me to do my JOB?" Ritsuka threw back. "And only ten percent at that!"
"You just don't get it at all, do you?" Kano was sounding angry now. Ritsuka didn't think it was possible. "Normal pimps don't pay for ANYTHING for their hookers. They make them buy it all themselves, and the only pay they get is barely enough to survive on. They make SURE their workers can never escape this lifestyle. But Soubi doesn't do that. He makes certain that any one of us can eventually get out. It may not be moral or even legal, what he does, but Soubi cares. He cares, Ritsuka." Here, Kano turned to look out the window, appearing distraught. "That's a hell of a lot more than you can expect from most people. I have a lot of respect for Soubi. And what's more, I like the man. Be angry if you must, but eventually you're going to see how petty you're being right now."
Ritsuka was silent after that, fuming. He didn't understand how Kano could possibly perform sexual favors on a smelly old troll without throwing up and then sit around singing praises to Soubi, the asshole responsible for getting them into this predicament in the first place.
Neither of them spoke a word until the cab came to a stop, and it was Kano who broke the silence.
"Are you coming?" he asked, sounding like he'd at least somewhat cooled off from his rant.
"No," said Ritsuka, and left it at that.
Kano told the driver to put it on Soubi's tab, handing over a card with Soubi's information and credit line code. "And," Kano went on. "Please see that my friend gets home safely. Do not stop and let anyone else in with him. He's too cute to take any chances on."
Ritsuka glanced over at him, half insulted by that and half surprised Kano thought that of him.
"Goodnight, Ritsuka," he said, and closed the door behind him without a backward glance.
When the cab dropped Ritsuka off at the House, many of the boys were still on the street. Ritsuka scanned the line of them quickly for Kio, Natsuo, or Youji but it seemed that all of them had found customers already. Ritsuka wasn't really disappointed. He had someone else to see tonight — someone with the altruism of a Nazi and the hair of an Afghan Hound.
He slipped past the House doors without making eye contact with any of the boys. From there, Ritsuka stormed straight toward Soubi's office. He had no patience for changing clothes or washing up first. There was an indignant fire burning in his veins and he wanted to make use of it. He had a fight to pick with Soubi Agatsuma and now was the best time to do it.
When Ritsuka reached Soubi's office, the door was firmly closed. He didn't bother knocking; he simply threw it open. "SOUBI!"
Soubi was sitting in his desk chair... and he was shirtless. His long blond hair was flowing over his shoulders. For once, it seemed a little tangled. A few odd strands were out of place here and there, obscuring Soubi's cheekbones. Ritsuka realized that Soubi's ghostly pale skin was actually flushed with pink, and that he wasn't wearing his glasses. But that wasn't the most surprising aspect of the scene. THAT particular honor went to Kio, who was sitting right in Soubi's lap, straddling him. That explained why Ritsuka hadn't seen him out on the street. Kio wasn't out with a customer; he was in here, with Soubi. Working from home, thought Ritsuka wryly. His arms were around Soubi's neck and his shirt looked to be ripped in several places. He was looking at Ritsuka from over his shoulder, smiling in a way that was half sheepish and half proud.
"Hey, Ritsuka," he said, moving to tuck in his shirt (or what was left of it) where it had ridden up the small of his back. Ritsuka saw that his lips were red and swollen.
Soubi's were too. His glasses were on the edge of his desk, looking like they'd been tossed there in a hurry. Soubi picked them up with an unsteady hand. "Ritsuka…" he said, but his voice came out hoarse. He coughed and tried again, putting the glasses back on. "Ritsuka, you're back early."
As if things weren't bad enough, Ritsuka felt a wire of jealousy twanging deep in his gut. How had Kio managed to reduce Soubi to such an embarrassing state, and in what appeared to be such a short amount of time? The man was so infuriatingly blasé all the time it was a wonder he even had blood pulsing through his veins. To affect him this much...
Ritsuka hadn't been able to do it. It sent a new sense of fury coursing through him. "You wouldn't call it early if you had been the one sent to service that... that THING!"
Soubi seemed to have collected himself in an astounding amount of time, for when he spoke again, it was smooth as milk. "Ritsuka is displeased with this evening's client." He spoke thoughtfully, and mostly to himself as he adjusted his glasses on his nose. Then to Ritsuka he said, "Please close the door."
"Why don't you close it yourself?" Ritsuka said, as nastily as he could.
Kio hastened to do it for him, like a service animal. He didn't step out of the room, but he lingered by the door like a shadow.
"What kind of monster are you? To send us in to do such a filthy job and not even have the decency to warn me!"
Soubi was working his arms back into his shirt- long sleeved and white with silver buttons. "It would not do for me to speak ill of my clients. Mr. Takahashi is non-violent and always pays his dues. I never promised you that all clients would be suave and attractive. They cannot all be Seimei Aoyagi." Ritsuka felt himself flush to the roots of his hair in embarrassment and anger. Soubi's eyes narrowed calculatingly. "Can they?"
"That's not the point and you know it!" Ritsuka shot back, more for something to say than because he actually believed it.
"Oh, I think it's very much the point." Soubi replied. Ritsuka got the bizarre feeling that they were having some sort of verbal chess match: two people trying to find a way to both attack and defend at the same time. "Kio had some interesting information for me tonight, concerning Mr. Aoyagi. And concerning you."
"….what information?" asked Ritsuka. He did NOT want to be side-tracked right now, but if it was about Seimei….
"Our illustrious friend came by for you again," Soubi said, buttoning up his shirt. He said 'illustrious' the same way other people said 'child molester.' "This marks the third time in a row….though, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. When he discovered that you were busy, he left with someone else."
Ritsuka's heart sank. He'd missed Seimei…and not because he was out with a decent client. No. He had been out wasting his time with Taco Grease Takahashi. And now...probably RIGHT now...Seimei was with someone else. The thought made Ritsuka want to throw up again.
"Which is perfectly within his rights," continued Soubi idly. "But, for your own safety, Ritsuka, I think you ought to know….I'm putting you on probation."
"What does that even mean?" Ritsuka's thoughts immediately went to his former residence- The Overpass by Chai's diner. Would Soubi seriously throw him out? He couldn't keep the rising hysteria out of his voice. "You're going to threaten this filthy job just because a client keeps coming back for me? Isn't that a GOOD thing?"
"You misunderstand." Soubi was, quite expectedly, pulling out a cigarette. "You see, Ritsuka..." he paused. "Won't you have a seat?" Ritsuka only lifted an affronted eyebrow, arms crossed. Soubi continued. "You see, Ritsuka, probation is not a punishment. It's protection. I'm concerned about Mr. Aoyagi's unnatural fixation on you. It is not healthy for one of my boys and one of my clients to become attached. It has happened in the past and it has ended badly."
"Who said anything about becoming attached?" Ritsuka said. "He's simply a satisfied customer. I'm bringing in money for you!"
Soubi ignored this. "Although Mr. Aoyagi is my top client, he's very dangerous."
"There is NOTHING dangerous about Seimei! He's kind and gentle and makes me feel— "
"That," cut in Soubi. "is precisely why he's dangerous. He makes people feel. And you aren't to feel for a client, Ritsuka. It's forbidden. If feelings begin to surface, it must be stopped at once."
"What are you saying!?" Ritsuka shrieked, so loudly he sensed more than saw Kio flinch a little. "All the boys like Seimei! They keep count of how many times they've been with him! They'll go with him on their days off!"
"Ritsuka, there's a difference between enjoying a customer and developing feelings for them," Kio said.
Ritsuka whirled on him. "And why isn't it forbidden to develop feelings for your PIMP!?"
This time, Kio did flinch, as if he'd been given a particularly painful slap to the cheek.
"That is none of your concern," Soubi answered.
"That's convenient!" Ritsuka shot back.
Soubi tapped his cigarette ashes into the tray. "You haven't gotten proper training, have you? Mr. Aoyagi swept you right into the action."
"I didn't do anything wrong! Why should I be put on probation?! It's not my fault I'm good at what I do!"
"Of course you didn't do anything wrong," Soubi replied mildly. His voice was one-quarter as loud as Ritsuka's. "Probation isn't a threat to the security of your job, I assure you. This is for your protection. There are clients and there are parasites. Seimei Aoyagi seems to be dangerously close to – "
Ritsuka refused to let him finish that sentence. "He is NOT a parasite! He's your best client!"
"And so he shall remain. I have no doubt that a little time off will clear his head of this…absurdity.
And Mr. Aoyagi may, of course, request your services in the future. For now I feel that restricting your services and giving you some proper training will provide necessary cushioning to this situation."
Without forewarning, Ritsuka's throat constricted. Hot tears burned suddenly beneath his eyes. "Now it's ABSURD for a client to want me multiple times?"
Soubi shook his head. "For Seimei, this is highly unusual and highly suspicious. It may turn out to be as much good for him as it is for you. But that is beyond my responsibility. You are under my care, not him. I must do what is best for you."
"What's BEST for me is to do my job!"
"Oh, you'll still be working," said Soubi with a deadly smile. "Make no mistake about that."
"Mr. Takahashi?" Ritsuka asked in a low, tortured voice. Fat tears were rolling down his cheeks.
Soubi reached out to, from what Ritsuka could tell, either brush away his tears or pull him into an embrace. Either way, he never got the chance because Ritsuka smacked it away. Soubi let his arm drop.
"Mr. Takahashi only calls every few months. We will not hear from him for some time. But, yes, you will be restricted to special orders only. And only those that require another boy to go with you, to help you train. Aside from that, you may spend time with me for other projects. Photographs, perhaps."
No more Seimei…special orders only….no more Seimei….training….photographs….no more Seimei. It was too much. Ritsuka had stormed in prepared to have an argument and nothing more. Now it felt like the rug was being ripped out from under him. He felt like he was suffocating. He couldn't stand to be in this office another minute.
Ritsuka turned away from Soubi without another word, fully prepared to exit just as abruptly as he had entered. Kio was still lingering by the door.
"Ritsuka –" he said, kindly.
Ritsuka shouldered past him and left without listening to whatever it was that he wanted to say. Some small, patient part of him knew that it wasn't really Kio's fault. It was Soubi's. It was always Soubi's. But right now, Ritsuka paid no attention to that part of himself. Kio had facilitated this entire "probation" by telling Soubi about Seimei. As far as Ritsuka was concerned, that meant he could be rude to Kio all he liked. It wasn't as though KIO were the one being kept from SOUBI. It wasn't like Kio knew how Ritsuka felt at all!
There were quickening footsteps catching up behind him as he reached the front door and threw it open. Kio called his name and grabbed for his elbow.
"Ritsuka, it's okay. I know how you feel."
"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL!" He yelled, throwing off Kio's arm. He stormed outside, Kio on his heels. "You were just in there making kissy-face with that lunatic, and Seimei's off with one of the other boys and it's all Soubi's fault!"
"He's not with someone else."
Ritsuka stopped short.
...Not with someone...?
He turned around, tears still flowing though his emotions had temporarily frozen.
Kio sighed, reaching up and rubbing his forehead as though he felt a headache coming on. "Look," he said. "I didn't want you to find this out at all, because I don't think it's good for you. But male rent boys are no better than a bunch of old women when it comes to gossip. I'd rather you hear the truth from me than some ridiculous version of it from someone else. I'm sure there's a hundred different sensationalized accounts of it floating around this house by now."
Ritsuka swiped the tears away from his cheeks angrily. "What is it?"
Kio said nothing for a few moments. He just stared at Ritsuka with a look on his face that plainly said he knew he would regret what he was about to say. "Seimei came by tonight, like Soubi said. And he asked for you. Again."
"Kio, Soubi already told me all that, so I don't know what you're playing at and I really don't have time for – "
"But what you don't know is that when Natsuo told him you weren't available, Seimei just left. He politely thanked him, rolled up his window, and JUST LEFT."
Ritsuka was dumbfounded. Just left? Seimei heard he wasn't there and….left?
"Ritsuka, THIS is why I thought it wasn't good for you to know!" Kio suddenly shouted.
"What?" Ritsuka asked, startled. "I didn't say anything!"
"You're smiling! Like Christmas just came early or something! Ritsuka, do NOT become attached to a client – EVER. And ESPECIALLY not Seimei. He's the WORST one you could develop feelings for."
Ritsuka felt anger rushing back to him. "You talk about him like he's a criminal or something! When he first asked for me, YOU'RE the one who said he was nice and considerate and all this stuff!"
"And I meant it, Ritsuka. Seimei Aoyagi is a charming persona and a good fuck. And that's ALL he should be to you."
Ritsuka didn't want to hear this. He sat on the curb and wrapped his arms around his knees, refusing to look at Kio and refusing to move.
Kio sighed again and sat down heavily next to him. "Ritsuka, how do you think Soubi became so callous? DON'T TRUST Seimei Aoyagi. He'll break your heart. I swear he will."
"What does Soubi being callous have to do with anything?" Ritsuka muttered at the ground.
"Soubi and Seimei have….a history. That's all I'm going to say about it. It's not my story to tell. But I know the story, and I know what it did to Soubi, and you don't. Soubi was never the same since. I've been trying for so long to coax him out of it and he just….he's just stuck. Take a lesson from him, Ritsuka. Listen to what people are telling you about Seimei. It doesn't feel like that now, but it's for your own good."
Ritsuka hugged his knees to his chest and pressed his forehead against them. He didn't believe all these things about Seimei. If Soubi got his heart broken, probably it was his own fault. Maybe Seimei had rejected his advances or something because he was Soubi too cold. That wasn't Ritsuka's fault.
"He didn't take anyone else." He muttered into his knees.
"Oh, he took someone else."
Ritsuka's head snapped up. "But you said-"
"I know what I said," Kio cut in. "He left, but he came back and he got someone else. What I said was that he's not with someone else right now, and that's because he has already returned him."
Ritsuka's eyes scanned the throng of boys along the street, face streaked with tears and more starting to sprout up.
"Forget it," said Kio. "I won't tell you who it is."
Ritsuka laid his head back down. "Then leave me alone."
His stomach had knotted up and hot sickness was clouding his vision. Someone else had been with Seimei tonight, and he hated them.
Kio sighed and stood back up. "One day you'll understand we only care about you." And then he went back inside.
Good riddance, thought Ritsuka uncharitably, watching him go. Kio was deliberately withholding who Seimei had taken tonight. What did he think Ritsuka was going to do if he told him? Go and fight them? Threaten them with death? Cut their hair off in their sleep so that Seimei would never want to take them back to his place ever again?
"Whoa…somebody's thong is definitely in a twist. Why the long face, Ritsuka?"
Ritsuka looked up at the voice and found Natsuo standing in front of him, arms crossed over his chest and head tilted inquisitively. From his seat on the curb, Ritsuka had to crane his neck to see him properly. Natsuo was dressed in what seemed to be a typical outfit for the boys to wear on the street: a sleeveless, sheer black top and skin-tight dark jeans.
"Don't worry about it," Ritsuka mumbled. He laid his head on his knees to make absolutely sure the message was clear.
Instead of leaving, Natsuo sat down next to him and slung one arm around his shoulders casually. "I was just out getting pounded by a fifty-year-old guy who insisted on being called Luke Skywalker. I had to pretend to be an Ewok. Whatever's going on, it can't be worse than that, right?"
"Mr. Takahashi," Ritsuka muttered.
Natsuo instantly winced and made a sharp hissing sound through his teeth. "I take it back. No one has had a worse night than you and Kano. That's who you went with, right?"
"Yeah."
"He always takes pairs. That's the one saving grace; you never have to deal with him on your own. Cheer up, Ritsuka, it's over with."
"My probation isn't."
Natsuo had been rubbing his back soothingly. He fell still. "Then why are you gloomy? That's like a vacation!"
Ritsuka lifted his head to stare into Natsuo's faced. He looked delighted and slightly envious. "What? How is this a good thing?"
"How is it a bad one?" he countered. "Probation is awesome! All you do is hang around Soubi and watch him make deals and order people around. Sometimes you take on special assignments but it's not every day. How'd you get it?"
"How'd I...?" Rituska started, completely baffled. "Natsuo, I'm being PUNISHED just becasue Seimei Aoyagi asked for me too many times and because Soubi is a jealous-prone control freak. It's not some honorary club membership I've won. I hate this and I hate him!"
Natsuo stared at him, clearly taken aback by the outburst. "Whoa, you really like being a rent boy, don't you? I've never seen anyone get so upset they can't work."
Briefly, Ritsuka debated telling Natsuo exactly why he was upset about not working. Natsuo wouldn't make fun of him for it. He'd just take it all in stride. But then Ritsuka remembered what Kano had said about it being easier to handle having feelings for a client without the rest of the house knowing. If Ritsuka told Natsuo, Natsuo would surely tell Youji, who would talk about it with God only knew who else. No...it was better for Ritsuka to keep his mouth shut about Seimei.
"I don't like being a rent boy," said Ritsuka moodily. "I'm just pissed at Soubi for acting like he can control everything I do. And he didn't even warn me about Mr. Takahashi. He let me go into that BLIND."
"Well...Mr. Takahashi's no picnic, but they're not all enjoyable to be with, Ritsuka." Natsuo said, his tone sounding remarkably similar to Kano. "It's a job, you know? And not really anybody's DREAM job, at that. But it could be worse."
"I don't see how. Whatever. How long is probation supposed to last, anyway? I know SOUBI'S not going to tell me anything."
Natsuo leaned back, resting his weight on his palms behind him. "Well...it varies. Hard to say. I guess it depends on whatever Soubi's reason is for giving it to you." Natsuo laughed abruptly. "He tried to give Youji probation once. Youji told him...well, you can guess what he told him. And then he worked anyway, made double what he usually does, and that was the end of that. Soubi never mentioned it to him again."
A sudden, extremely unpleasant thought crept into Ritsuka's mind. Had they been given probation for the same reasons he had? Did Seimei develop addictions to every one of Soubi's new boys? ...But, no. Soubi had told him that Seimei's behavior was highly unusual. Then again, Soubi was a stealthy bastard. Who knew how much of what he said was the truth and how much was word play?
"Why did he want Youji on probation?"
"For smart-mouthing a client." Natsuo was smirking fondly. "Really, it was Soubi's fault. The client had pre-ordered a pair of cute boys. Soubi assigned the job to us. The word "cute" should have tipped him off that he was looking for young, well-mannered boys. Man- was he surprised by Youji. He's never called back for more services. But Soubi doesn't mind so much. Youji is a money-maker with that sharp tongue of his. You wouldn't believe how many people are into that."
"Like you, I imagine." Ritsuka said, feeling himself smile sadly. Sometimes he wondered if Youji and Natsuo realized how lucky they were to have each other. They seemed so carefree most of the time. So matter-of-fact about being together. Did they know that there were people out there who would kill to have what they had?
Natsuo smiled and laughed. "Yeah. Like me. But don't tell Soubi I said that. Officially, I'm supposed to be encouraging Youji to be more respectful to him. Soubi says I'm the only one who he listens to. But really….it's pretty hot how Youji just says whatever he wants, whenever he wants. So I'm encouraging no such thing."
Ritsuka managed to laugh at that.
"Hey…." Natsuo said thoughtfully. "There's Youji now."
Natsuo's smile grew even wider and he sat up straighter on the curb. His eyes were fixed at a point not far down the street, where a grey SUV was parked. Youji was climbing out of it, looking worn-out but smug. He walked straight up to Ritsuka and Natsuo, neglecting to take a seat on the curb.
"Honey, I'm home," Youji said to Natsuo with a saucy wink. Natsuo laughed and nudged Youji's foot with his own. "How'd it go?"
"The usual. What are you guys doing out here?"
"Ritsuka won't go inside," explained Natsuo. "He hates Soubi."
Youji blinked silently for a few moments at that. Then, he swooped down on Ritsuka and grabbed his face in both hands, kissing him with a loud smack. Ritsuka instantly recoiled and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth in shock. His brain felt like it was stuck in neutral.
"That," said Youji. "Was for joining the Soubi Haters Club. I'm the president. Welcome to the organization."
Natsuo snickered. "So, what brought about this loathing, Ritsuka?" asked Youji. He yawned and stretched. Ritsuka heard several of his vertebrae pop loudly. "Did he do something extra pervy to you?"
"He sent me to Mr. Takahashi without warning me first," said Ritsuka dully.
Youji winced. "Ouch."
"And then put me on probation." Ritsuka continued.
"I'd kill for some probation right now," said Youji. "So why'd you get it? What put the fire ants in his underpants?"
"Seimei asked for me too many times in a row."
"Probation for THAT? That's not even your fault! Man, talk about insanely jealous."
….jealous? Ritsuka remembered what Kio told him earlier about Soubi's "history" with Seimei. Did Youji mean that Soubi was jealous of Seimei? Or….could it be that he was jealous of Ritsuka?
"Youji, what do you –"
But Youji cut him off. "It's freezing out here…I'm going to bed. Come on, Natsuo."
"It's still early, though," Natsuo said.
Youji was already heading inside. He spoke over his shoulder as he walked into the House. "If you two want to hang out like gargoyles all night long that's fine with me. I've already had three clients tonight and I'm exhausted. Soubi can suck my dick if he doesn't like it."
Ritsuka stared at Natsuo, who stared right back. Then Natsuo shrugged and stood up, holding out a hand to help Ritsuka up.
As the three of them trudged up the stairs to their room, Ritsuka couldn't help but wonder what Youji had meant. The story that Kio said "wasn't his to tell." And the way that Soubi really, really seemed to keep tabs on Seimei Aoyagi.
Thank you again for reading! Please review!
- Magic Mind and BC3