Crash!
Rin shifted between the vase shattering and Rory's trembling body as his dad slammed the flowerpot against the door. Rin's pants and designer shoes took most of the spray of glass and water from the fallout, causing Rin to purse his lips in irritation toward the floor. "I'll be sure to send the front desk my dry cleaning bill…" He muttered, drawing even more of his father's wrath.
"Do you find this funny! There have been articles and videos circulating for months, and now this! Are you both seriously going to stand there and blatantly lie to my face?!" Rodric flung a tablet in Rin's direction, not caring whether Rin caught it or not. "You're not even trying to hide it now, so why deny it to my face?" His attention shifted to Rory, who was all but hiding behind Rin. "Rory, surely you'll stand here and defy me to my face? Will you treat me as an incompetent invalid who can't read a room? You are practically clinging to Rin as if they're your lifeline!"
Rory's hand shook as he clung tighter to the back of Rin's suit jacket. He couldn't lift his gaze from the floor as he stuttered. "S… Sir… it's not like that…"
"Then please do explain? What is it like? You had a romantic weekend getaway where you introduced Rin to your parents? And I'm supposed to believe all this is for a fucking story?" His attention shifted back to Rin.
Rin shrugged. "Well, you did teach me that experience does provide the best writing, and my last novel proved that point well enough. So, I decided to push the boundaries with this one." Rin narrowed his eyes, a devilish smirk spreading across his lips. "Surely you, of all people, should understand that concept."
Rodric shot to his feet in a fit of rage. "You're testing me, Rin!"
Rin pushed Rory's hands away and stomped over toward the desk. "No, Father, if I really wanted to fuck your shit up, I'd write a tell-all of just how big of a piece of shit father you've been all these years." Rin's lips curved into a smile. "Instead, I'm having some fun with my new assistant while writing my next and possibly biggest best seller. You want to fire the best money cow that's walked into Perish Publishing since you found a way to use and abuse me, go ahead, but I'll simply hire him myself and use him however I see fit."
Rodric narrowed his eyes. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Rin's smile widened. "You don't think I can? Try me."
Rodric begrudgingly sat back down, a cold, calculating glare trained on Rin. "Very well, do as you will… but mark my words, Rin, your little fans don't want to see you happy. They don't want to read about you being happy. They want to see, read, and watch drama. As long as we're providing them entertainment, they'll stick around, but the second you become too placid, they'll lose interest and move on."
Rin gritted his teeth. "Is that what happened to you, Father? Did people become too bored with your old ass, so you had to start using me? You had to start fucking with my life?!"
"That's enough, Rin," Rory called out as he rushed over and grabbed Rin's arm. He tugged Rin away from the desk as he sent Rodric a nod. "We will take note of what you said. We will continue staging sitings to coincide with chapters and events. I assure you, Sir, regardless of how things may appear or adapt over time, the relationship between Rin and me will not negatively affect Perish Publishing." Rory's attention shifted to his hands around Rin's arm. "If anything, a closer bond between the two of us could only be more beneficial, as it has allowed me to better understand and handle Rin's moods."
Rin's anger wavered as he shifted his fiery violet eyes from his father to Rory. He moved a hand to Rory's cheek and watched as crimson began to flood the pale flesh. "Really? Then perhaps, Rin lowered his head, letting his lips hover scant centimeters from Rory's, knowing good and well how he would react.
Rory shoved hard against Rin's chest before turning on his heels. "Jerk…" He muttered under his breath as he stomped toward the door.
Rin chuckled as he shot his father an amused grin. "Is that proof enough for you? If we were more than we claim, don't you think he would have given in more just then instead of nearly shoving me to the floor?" Rin shook his head as he all but skipped after Rory. "He's been a fun one. I really do owe you for such a gift."
Rodric shook his head as he watched Rin wrap his arms around Rory's waist and pull him into a hug as the doors were closing. At this point, he couldn't tell how much of it was an act or not. It was obvious they had feelings for each other, but had they acted on them yet? Rin was right about one thing. The fans were eating it up. According to Amanda, the social media accounts were getting more traction than they ever had. Sponsorships and new revenue were pouring in… too bad he hadn't thought to capitalize on that when Rin and Dillon had first started it.
**
"Hum, hum, hum… No, I just can't help myself cause the heart wants what it wants, and I just can't help myself… thanking bout my hands all over your body… umm…"
"What are you singing now?" Rory asked with a chuckle as he emptied the last of the boxes Dillon had carried into the booth.
Rin danced over and wrapped his arms around Rory, and began dancing with him as he sang louder. "Telling me we ain't gotta tell nobody. I think you know me too well. I just can't help myself, myself…" Rin bent and pressed his lips against Rory's neck. "It kind of makes me think of us, don't you think?"
Rory spun in his arms, unable to refuse the playful sway of their bodies. "I don't know. Maybe if I heard the actual song instead of your failed attempt at singing." He shook his head as he tried to mask his amusement. "And here I thought there wasn't anything the great Rin couldn't do."
Rin shrugged. "Singing has always been more of Dillon's thing." He leaned over and snagged his cellphone with one hand, and Rory held tightly against him with the other. "Here." A few seconds later, the familiar lyrics were playing through the booth.
Rory curled up his nose. "This isn't exactly a love song…"
Rin shrugged against Rory's body. "No, not exactly… more about forbidden, desperate, desire. You make me feel desperate in a way no one else ever has, Rory. I feel like if I loosen my hold on you even just a little, then you'll vanish, and I'll lose you forever."
Rory leaned away, holding the steady violet gaze that burned into him. "I'm not going anywhere, Rin… Not willingly, not on my own accord. Know, if I leave, I was made to."
Rin tightened his hold around Rory. "I'll not let that happen."
Rory frowned, his mind moving back to a few weeks ago in Rodric's office. "And if you have no control over the matter?"
"I'll never let you go. I don't care what it takes to keep you by my side. I'll give all this bullshit up if it means staying with you."
Rory pushed away from Rin. "You'd give up your mansion, expensive… everything… fame… all for me?" He shook his head. "Your face is so well known, how would you even hide it?"
"I'd find a way to be with you. I don't need any of that shit."
Rory's frown deepened as he shook his head. "You say that now when you've never been without it, but when you're faced with homelessness, you'd rethink it."
Rin's brows furrowed as he took a step back and clasped Rory's shoulders. "Rory, do you think I'm solely reliant on my father right now? That if I were to walk away right now, that I'd be destitute?" He shook his head. "No, Rory, Dillon, and I have amassed our own small fortune over the years. We've just been biding our time, earning as much as we can until we find the right time to break away."
Rory furrowed his brows. "Then why would you go through all the hell your father puts you through if you could leave whenever you want?"
Rin shrugged. "Like I said, we've been waiting for just the right time. I want a way to bring him and everything he holds dear down with him… I've not found that yet."
"Well, that tell-all you mentioned writing the other day sure as hell would do the trick." Rory scoffed.
Rin nodded. "You're right… It would… I'd just never thought to do it until the other day."
Rory's brows furrowed. "You hadn't? I would have thought as a writer, that would have been the first place your mind would have gone."
Rin shook his head as he backed against one of the counters and pulled Rory between his legs. "Nope… Think about it, buttercup… A tell-all about my dad would also be a tell-all about me… Until you, I've never been completely comfortable with myself as a whole."
"And now?" Rory asked, sliding his hands over Rin's firm stomach before resting his hands against the hard chest he'd come to love so much.
Rin grinned down at him as he cupped a hand over one of Rory's. "I'm warming to the idea."
Dillon stomped in with a stack of boxes in hand, ruining the moment. He arched a brow. "Not even trying to hide it in public anymore?"
Rin shrugged. "Anyone asks, we're in character…"
"Shouldn't you stick on your little fox ears at least if you're going to use that line?" Dillon shot back teasingly.
Rin blew out a sigh as he snagged the fake ears off the table. "Don't get me wrong, I love this story, but I'm glad this will be the last event for it. I can't wait until we can simply be writer and assistant. It will be so much easier."
Dillon snorted out a laugh as he set the boxes down. "Well, let me suggest that you throw in some fun for the sexy photographer and handy helper as well, so I can have some fun at the next events as well."
Rory blushed as he buried his face against Rin's chest. Dillon hadn't made any more advances toward him, but his flirtatious words had gotten a lot more direct over the past several weeks.
"There, all done…" Rin tossed Dillon his phone. "Here, get a few shots of us for my socials. Open for business." Rin called out as he pulled Rory between his legs and held up a peace sign for one clip, then a finger heart for the next with a 'Love to see you!' message. "Want me to send them to you, too?"
Rory frowned. "Shouldn't I do something more… Mao-ish?"
Dillon tapped his chin thoughtfully for a second before asking. "Where's your phone? I have an idea."
"Here. What's up?"
"Rin, take the selfie with Rory's phone, but Rory act like you're pushing him away. We'll tag it 'stole Mao's phone'. Then we'll do one of Rin lying his head in your lap like he's asleep, and you can take a picture, and we'll tag it 'wore himself out, actually cute when asleep'. The fans will eat it up."
Rory and Rin both nodded as they got into position. Dillon stood on one of the foldout chairs to get a better angle for the pictures and began snapping.
"Will these be available?" A high-pitched voice called from close by.
Rin arched a brow, but Dillon was the first to speak. "These are strictly for socials. Can we help you?"
"Oh, no, sorry. I just finished setting up and decided to take a walk around when I noticed you guys. I'm a huge fan."
"Oh, well, if you'd like, you're more than welcome to get a picture." Rin offered. "It's nothing official today, however. We're just messing around."
"Really? May I?"
"Sure. Anything particular you'd like?" Rin asked.
The girl blushed. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much… Something just a little spicy."
Rin grinned. "Always my pleasure, though my assistant may protest a bit." Rin sent Rory a questioning glance.
Red-faced as he was, Rory still nodded his agreement.
Rin shot the girl a wide grin. "Looks like you're in luck. Dillon, snap a few too. I have a good idea." Without further delay, Rin scooped Rory into his arms and sat him on the table. He shoved one hand down the back of Rory's joggers and held the back of his head with the other. "Slide one hand under my shirt and hook the other into the front of my pants."
Rory knitted his brows. "How far?"
"Go wild… make it sexy."
Rory bit into his bottom lip. He knew exactly where he wanted to touch Rin. He slid his hand beneath the shirt and over the tape where he knew Rin's nipples were. He used his hold on the front of Rin's dress slacks to pull him closer as a moan slipped past Rin's lips.
"Um… Naughty, naughty nerd… What have you been reading in those books of yours?" Rin muttered as he leaned against the tabletop, inching closer to Rory's lips.
"Was this not what you wanted?" Rory asked as he toyed with Rin's nipple.
Rin moaned against his lips. "Ah, it most certainly was. And you said kisses did not have the power to transform. You dear prince have become an incubus."
"Then it's my turn to devour you, my dear fox…" Clapping drew Rory's attention away from Rin's burning gaze. More than 10 people were standing by the booth now.
Dillon shrugged. "I went live, and several people started pouring in as I did. Great performance by the way."
"It was amazing! I'm glad I got to see it! Usually, I'm stuck behind my own booth and only get to watch clips afterwards." The others who had gathered all nodded in agreement. "Thank you guys so much!" The girl who had come over first said before giving them a final nod and skipping happily away.
"I tagged your account as well," Dillon said as he handed Rory his phone back.
Rory nodded as he moved his attention away from Rin, who was now engaging with the small crowd, and started scrolling through his notifications. He froze as the now-familiar, yet unknown, username appeared. He opened the message, and he could feel all the blood drain from his face as he read the five simple words. 'I'll be seeing you soon.'