Jealous... An all too familiar feeling now... but why indeed... Rory's eyes searched the mesmerizing violet eyes staring down at him. His heart thudded against his chest as he watched them shift from his eyes to his lips. When Rin moved in for another kiss, Rory quickly turned his head.
Rin chuckled, placing a kiss just below Rory's ear. "You can try to hide it and run from it all you want, but regardless... we're stuck together, you and I... And the longer you try to fight this, the harder it will get for you." Rin slid his arms from around Rory and pulled out a chair. "Have a seat. While we wait, you can tell me some more about your parents. I'd hate to meet them without knowing anything about them."
Rory frowned as he fumbled with the crutches. "We don't even know if they will be willing to meet me..."
Rin shrugged as he sat down beside him. "Tell me anyway. I want to know all there is about you... But I'll take what you'll give me for now." Rin's eyes searched Rory. "We could start with another question... When did you first realize you were gay?"
Rory frowned as he began to fumble with the cuticles of his thumbs. "I... I'm not sure exactly when..."
Rin caught his hand and interlaced their fingers. "Have you always had this habit?"
Rory furrowed his brows as he stared down at their hands. "No... not really... It developed after my dad passed away, I think..."
"How long was it after your dad passed that your mom remarried?"
Rory's brows knitted. "It was about two years, maybe a little longer... but they'd met in a grieving group at the local church. He's a preacher, you see, and would make house calls to check on us for several months before they started dating..."
Rin frowned. "That seems a bit predatory, don't you think?"
Rory shrugged but didn't take his attention from their hands. "My mom didn't seem to think anything of it."
"Was he always cold toward you?"
Rory shook his head. "No, but I refused to let him take my dad's place. I guess that was strike one. Then, as I began becoming aware of my sexuality, I stopped going to his church... They had... have a strong stance against... hah... a lot of things..."
"I see. And then you were outted?" Rin asked, moving closer and wrapping his free arm protectively around Rory's back.
Rory nodded, staring distantly at their hands. "He'd gone through my room and found some pictures. Most of them were innocent enough, but there was a handful of me and one particular friend who was always 'too' close." Rory snorted a haunted, humorless laugh. "Funny thing was, that friend was straight. I just had a crush on them... But stupidly enough, when my mom sat me down that night to ask, I didn't think much of it and answered her honestly." A sad smile curved his lips as tears ran down his cheeks. "I was so happy to finally come out, and she was so calm about it. I thought she was ok with it... That she accepted it... that she accepted me." He shook his head as he turned and pressed his face against Rin's shoulder. "I was asked to move out that next morning... not to come back..." Rory slid his arms inside the jacket Rin was wearing and dug his fingers into the back of the perfectly pressed dress shirt as tears continued to flood his eyes. "My mom just stood there. She didn't say anything as that man kicked me out of our home... Dad's study... all his things... I'll never see them again because of that bastard..."
Rin cupped the back of Rory's head and stroked his hair. "Shh... I got you. Promise me, when we get back to the house, you'll make the call. I'll be right there beside you." Rory nodded against his shoulder. "Good. Ok, our coffee is coming out. Do you think you can drink it, or should I ask for it to go?"
Rory sniffled back his tears as he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his sweater sleeve. "You wanted to meet the owner. I'm fine... Just... maybe it would help if you shared a bit about yourself while I calm down... IF we're together, yeah, know..."
The corner of Rin's lip lifted into a smirk. "I see what you did there. Alright, fine... What do you want to know?"
Rory thought over the questions he had for Rin as the barista set their drinks out for them. He waited patiently for the boy to leave before asking. "Did you always want to be a writer?"
Rin snorted. "I never wanted to be anything my father has pushed on me, but here we are..."
Rory furrowed his brows. "Then how did it start?"
Rin blew out a breath. "Ah... Now that is a long, drawn-out answer... You know my dad was a writer before he started the publishing company, right?"
Rory nodded. "I've heard several, um... rumors since I started working for you, but..."
Rin snorted a laugh. "They're probably sprinkled with at least half-truths." Rin popped the lid off his coffee and watched the steam mix with the cooler air. "My father frequently used my life as a reference to his books. If it wasn't interesting enough, he would put me in situations that would become more interesting by proxy. I was forced to keep journals once I was old enough to write tangible sentences and express myself well enough..."
Rory frowned. "That sounds miserable."
Rin nodded, his focus still on the coffee. "It has been its own version of hell. It is how I met Dillon." His eyes turned to Rory and softened. "And now you... So, I guess it's not all bad."
"Rin Perish! In my shop! I can't believe it!" A happy voice called from across the shop.
Rin closed his eyes. "We'll have to finish this later, I guess." He pushed his seat out and stood, his usual charming smile plastered into place. "Ah, you must be the owner? I'd heard so much about the new place. I had to stop by!"
"Yes, Yes! I'm so happy you did! We have an entire display just for you! Our own local celebrity writer!" He leaned closer and winked. "And also, part of the community. It's always great to see friendly faces here. The two of you must check out our 'romance' section in the back. We have it specially customized for lovers to shop."
Rin chuckled as he watched Rory's levels of red escalate in record time. "Oh, no. Sorry, sir. This is my assistant, not my lover... Though we are working on a new novel that will be an assistant to lovers trope."
"Ah... I see..." The shop owner tilted his head as he studied the two for a moment. "Well, anyhow. Would you like a tour?"
Rin nodded. "That would be great, and I could even sign some of the book copies you have here if you'd like to bring them over after."
The owner all but clapped with joy at the suggestion. "Oh my, yes! That would be great!"
Rory hobbled along the bottom floor tour as best as he could, listening to the constant chatter between the shop owner and Rin. His gaze continued moving around the beautifully themed reading areas set up around the shop. The owner hadn't been lying when he said the romance area was the best. It was like a candlelit getaway for two. Every fiber of his body wanted to drag Rin in there and snuggle up with a book, a candle, and a bottle of wine. A hand snaked around his waist as he continued staring wistfully at the hidden nook.
"Maybe we can come back and say it's part of the new novel."
Rin's words tickled his neck, but Rory forced himself not to react. "I... I think I'll go back to our table and wait for you. I'm getting tired."
Rin nodded. "Need help?"
Rory shook his head.
Rin pulled him tighter against him. "I'll try to move this along a bit faster. I don't want to be apart from you longer than I have to." His gaze was trained on the owner's back as he pressed his lips against Rory's neck. "Hurry along now before I'm tempted to do more." He whispered.
Rory bit into his lip as he nodded. He didn't risk speaking, afraid of what he might say. Take me now, please?! Just there in the romance section... claim me as yours! What is he doing to me?
Several minutes had passed, feeling more like hours now. Rory frowned as his gaze continued searching the shop for Rin. What is this? I've got to get ahold of myself... distraction... I need a distraction. Rory took out his phone and pulled up his social media account. He wasn't active often, but with all the videos that had been popping up lately, he'd started getting back on just to follow Rin's videos. Mandy hadn't been wrong. They were seriously trending. Rory's brows furrowed. He'd gotten several new followers since the videos started posting, even though his account hadn't been tagged. He frowned when he noticed there were even a few messages in his inbox now. He tapped on the messages. Three spam messages asking to be a brand ambassador... delete... Six messages asking the same question, with the various clips of Rin's original videos linked 'Is this you?'. He would have to talk to Rin about how to respond to these, if he even should. Rory froze as he opened the last message. His hand trembled before the phone dropped to the table.
Rin rushed over and took the phone. "What's wrong? I saw you as I was walking over. You turned pale and seemed troubled." His eyes moved to the phone. "Ha... I see." He pursed his lips as he hit delete. "Don't mind that shit. Now that you're face is getting around, and you're linked with BL content, you'll get that kind of shit from time to time."
Rory's hands still trembled, but he forced himself to nod. Those words... surely Mike wasn't the only person who used them... but he hadn't gotten to see the username before Rin had deleted the message. What if it had been from Mike...
Rin's hand cupped Rory's face. "You're still shaking and pale as hell. Let's get you home, what do you say?"
Rory nodded.
Rin turned back to the bookstore owner. "If you'll set up a date, I'll be more than glad to come for a signing event. As you can see, my assistant isn't doing too well right now. I need to get him home."
**
Rin frowned as he glanced across the table. "You've barely touched your food." His eyes moved to the nearly empty glass of wine, the third one Rory had had already. "If you keep drinking like that on an empty stomach, you're going to get tipsy at best... sick at worst..."
Dillon tilted his head as he studied Rory. He'd been oddly silent and pale since getting home, but he'd simply chalked it up to Rin doing something off-handed while they were out. Now he was curious. "Is it not to your liking?"
Rory shook his head as he pushed the contents of his plate around with his fork. "It's... good... really..." What if he's found me? What if he's found me? What if he's found me? The question wouldn't stop playing on a loop in Rory's mind, driving him to near madness.
Rin frowned. "Is this still about that message you got?" He blew out a sigh as he leaned back in his seat and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, but you'll just have to get used to a little hate from time to time. I know it may be a bit triggering for you, considering what you went through with your stepdad... but..."
Rory shook his head. "Not my stepdad..." His words broke as his eyes darted to the wine, but the words caught in his throat. No, he couldn't talk about Mike... not with them. Not yet... He grabbed the glass and finished the contents before pushing up from the table. He awkwardly balanced on the crutches as he announced, "I... don't feel well. I'm going to go lie down..."
Rin blew out a long breath as he continued clasping his hair. "Yeah... alright..."
Dillon watched as Rory stumbled from the room, listening to the clank of the crutches as they vanished down the long hallway. Once he was sure Rory was out of earshot, he finally turned an arched brow to Rin. "What the fuck was that about?"
Rin took a long drink from his glass before pushing up from the table and grabbing his plate. "Apparently, he's been getting some messages on socials regarding the videos he's been in. Not all bad, mind you... But the one bad one he's gotten has really thrown him for a loop, it would seem."
"Shit, what did they say? Did they threaten him or something?" Dillon asked, following him to the kitchen with his plate.
Rin tossed his plate into the sink and shook his head. "Nah, not even. Just called him a fagot... All and all, nothing too out of pocket. We've definitely heard worse, dealt with worse..." Rin leaned against the counter and ran his hand through his hair again. "I'm wondering... Ah..."
Dillon arched a brow as he squirted off the plates. "That if something like that affected him so negatively, if he's going to be able to handle being with us?"
Rin seemed to deflate as he nodded. "Fuck, man..." He turned troubled eyes to Dillon. "What do we do?"
Dillon toweled off his hands and stepped in front of Rin. He pinned Rin between his arms as he leaned against the counter. "What do you want to do?"
Rin pressed against Dillon's stomach. "What are you suggesting right now?"
"Fuck to forget him..." Dillon bent and placed a kiss to Rin's throat.
Rin tilted his head to the side but continued to hold Dillon at bay. "No... not an option."
"Fuck him until he forgets?" He traced the column of Rin's neck with the tip of his pierced tongue.
Rin chuckled as he shifted and dug his fingers into Dillon's sides. "Better option... but hasn't worked with either of us yet, now has it."
"Um... maybe we just haven't fucked enough..." Dillon growled huskily against Rin's throat before nipping it.
Rin laughed as he pushed him away. "Alright, enough. You need to stop before Rory..." Rin's eyes widened as Dillon shifted, and Rin caught a glimpse of the doorway past Dillon's wide frame. "Rory! Fuck! It's not..." He shoved Dillon out of the way as Rory turned as quickly as the crutches would allow and began retreating from the room.
Dillon raked his hands through his hair as he watched Rin chase Rory from the kitchen. He grabbed a fresh bottle of wine and the glasses from the table as he followed them. It was going to be needed for this conversation. He frowned and wished he'd come empty-handed as he rounded the corner and found Rin yanking the crutches away from Rory and flinging them to the floor.
"Stop trying to run and just listen!" Rin cried out.
Dillon shook his head as Rory trembled in a combination of unbalance and fear against the wall. "Rin, stop. Give him the fucking crutches back." His gaze shifted to Rory as he lifted the wine and glasses. "Let's move this to the living room or study. What do you say? Your pick."
Rory frowned at Dillon, his body still trembling and tears streaking his cheeks. He didn't need an explanation of what he walked in on. He already knew... had known from the very beginning what there was between the two... but what? Had he honestly thought it had ended because of him? Hah! More tears blurred his vision as he tried to lower himself to the floor to retrieve the crutches on his own. A harsh grip caught his upper arm and pulled him back up.
"Stop. You're going to fall and get hurt worse." Rin bit out as he bent and snagged the crutches, still holding Rory upright with the other arm.
Rory jerked away. "You're the one hurting me, not them! Why can't you see that? You're the one who keeps hurting me!" The second Rin's hand fell away, Rory crumpled to the floor, and clasped his face in his hands. He couldn't stop the wave of tears that flooded his eyes and began streaming down his face.
Rin frowned as he crouched down beside him. "Come on, hear us out..." He tried to brush Rory's hair back, but Rory smacked his hand away.
"No! I don't want to hear about whatever fucked up shit you two have going on, or how you want to involve me in it." Rory cried out.
Rin crunched forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his temples. "Rory, please..."
"NO!" Rory cried out once again as he shoved Rin, knocking him off balance. He crawled to the crutches and clumsily pushed himself up from the floor with them. He sent Rin and Dillon both contemptuous glares as he hobbled past them, daring them to come after him a second time.
Dillon lifted both full hands. "Ok, ok. We get it... You need space... Heard..."
Rory hadn't made it very far down the hall before he heard Rin cry out a loud 'Fuck' and heard the sickening thud of his fist slam through the drywall of the hallway. Rory didn't look back; he only flinched and went on, not leaving his room until it was absolutely mandatory.