The roar of the crowd echoed in Rory's ears as he waited for the stage team to finish the final preparations. His eyes searched the sea of faces uselessly. There were more cosplays covered than everyday wear. There were at least four people wearing ball caps under dark hoods today. He blew out a heavy sigh as he let his body weight crash onto the fold-out chair Rin had set out for him a bit earlier. Rin… His eyes moved around the backstage area until they found the person in question. Though Rin was finally taking the DM's seriously, he still didn't fully understand the dangers… no, not if Rory was right… Rory's eyes moved over Rin's well-built body as he adjusted his suit in the mirror. Rin was tall and strong… but how would his strength compare to a psychopath that was over 6'4…
Dillon stepped behind the stage. "The plants are set in the audience. They are clear on what to say, and in case there are any curveballs thrown, we have them all in chat."
"Then everything is ready?" Rin asked, not taking his eyes off his own reflection.
Dillon shrugged. "As ready as it can be. Beck is here again today… She's not going to be all that happy having her story scooped like this. It's hard to tell what the backlash will be."
Rin spun away from the mirror. "That's her problem." He strolled to the curtains and where Rory waited nervously. "Ready?"
Rory picked anxiously at the cuticles of his thumbs. "Rin, are you really sure about this?"
Rin gave him a curt nod as he held out his hand. "I am. This is for your safety, and in the process will also boost the sales of the new novel… win, win…"
Rory hesitated. "There has to be a better way. If… if I'm right… Then this will put you in danger."
Rin gave him a sad smile. "I'm always in danger. You forget, they are my fans to begin with." Rin didn't give Rory a chance to argue further as he yanked him up from the seat and began leading him out onto the stage.
"Not this one…" Rory muttered as he was led out into the blinding lights of the stage. His eyes squinted against the bright lights as he tried his best to see the faces staring back at him. He could feel so many eyes burning into him that it would be hard to tell if the stalker was here tonight or not. He sat down quietly in the chair Rin pulled out for him as Rin remained standing.
"Some of you may be wondering why the event headline for tonight has changed a bit… Well, as many of you know already, there has been a massive number of rumors and speculations circulating about my new assistant and me." Rin held out his hand to indicate Rory. "We are here tonight to address those rumors and the impacts going forward. We ask that you hold any questions for now. We will be more than glad to take questions once we're finished." Rin clapped his hands together as he waited for the murmurs to settle down. "Now, Rory is and will continue to be my assistant first and foremost. As Rory retires the character of Mao, he will be stepping into the new character of Cole." Rin sent Rory a charming smile. "However, there will be less acting involved this time around…" Rin held his hand out for Rory and waited for him to take it.
Rory apprehensively took Rin's hand and stood. He let Rin pull him against his side and wrap his other arm around him. He forced a smile but couldn't shake the feeling that cold eyes were growing angrier by the second as they watched.
"On Rory's second day of working for me, he made me madder than I'd been in a long time. You all, as my fans, may find this offensive as well… but he said my stories were just empty smut. They lacked real connection… real feelings." Rin turned his gaze down to Rory. "I was so insulted that I challenged him… I said show me then… Show me this thing you call love…" Rin slowly lifted his hand and caressed Rory's face lovingly before chuckling and turning a grin back to the gathered crowd. "And do you know what he told me? He said love wasn't something that could be shown or taught…" Rin's smile faded as he turned his affectionate gaze back down to Rory. "Well, I'd have to argue that now. In the process of helping me make these last two stories the best love stories I've ever written, he's also taught me what love looks like… what it feels like… Because of him, I now know exactly what it means to fall hopelessly, helplessly, and irrevocably in love with another person." Rin clasped Rory's hands against his chest and bent down, pressing their foreheads together. "Rory… I'm in love with you… Ha… I love you so much… I'd be lost without you… Stay with me… Stay by my side…"
Rory's mouth fell open as he began to stutter. This wasn't what he had expected. A press conference, yes… A love confession for the world to see, no! He pressed against Rin's chest as he shook his head. "Rin… what… no… Rin…" His eyes shot frantically around the crowd before moving back up to Rin. "You couldn't have given me a heads up?" He whispered, but the microphone Rin wore still picked it up.
Rin chuckled as he shook his head. "Would you have still come out here with me had you known my intention?"
Rory's nervous eyes moved around the room once again before moving back to Rin, an unspoken answer obvious in their depths.
Rin chuckled. "That's what I thought." He pulled Rory closer as he pressed his forehead back to Rory's. "So, what is your answer? Say you'll stay by my side… Say you love me, too."
Rory tightened his hold on Rin as he stepped closer and buried his face in Rin's suit jacket. His mouth was close to the mini mic attached to the lapel of the jacket as he nodded. "You already know I do…" Rory murmured. "And that I will…"
Rin wrapped his arms around Rory's narrow shoulders and held him tightly as he pressed his lips against his soft blond hair. "Yes, but I want to hear the words…"
"I love you, Rin…" Rory snaked his arms around Rin's waist. "And… and I'll stay…"
The room burst out into deafening applause. Chairs scraped the floors as people who were sitting shot to their feet. Cameras flashed, and chatter could be heard from people posting live updates on social media. Rory peeked out from Rin's tight embrace, but he couldn't make out any more of the figures of the room than he could earlier. If anything, the room was now in even more chaos than before.
Rin released his hold on Rory and raised his hand. "Alright, we'll take this time to answer any questions you may have." Rin selected the first plant they'd placed in the audience.
"How much of the romance that we read with Mao was your real feelings?"
Rin smiled as he pulled Rory's seat back out for him and waited before taking his own seat. He slinked his arm around the back of Rory's chair as he answered. "Looking back, I'd say it all led to me falling in love with him. I remember the first night I had him act out notes from a particular scene he'd trashed…" Rin shifted his gaze to Rory and intwined their fingers. "I couldn't help being drawn to him. At first, I thought it was just because I was having so much fun teasing him, but the more we were together, the more I realized… It had to be him… I ended up getting into a fight with my other actor because, at the time, I hadn't realized I'd written a part that only Rory could play. It wasn't until I'd already begun writing the new story that I realized my feelings and had the desire to express them."
Another hand shot up. Rin nodded toward them, and they began speaking immediately. "Have you read the new story, Rory?"
Rory nodded. "Most of it… but it… Um… Takes on a bit different meaning now…"
Beck stepped forward with her arms crossed. A man beside her held a recording device. "I can't help but note how perfectly timed this announcement is. It's almost like free PR for your new book. Announce a romance with your assistant, right, as you're releasing a romance based on a writer and assistant…"
Rin shrugged. "You've been following us close enough, haven't you? You tell me, are we faking it or not?"
Beck snarled her lips over clenched teeth but didn't say anything further.
Rin's gaze moved around the crowd. He pointed to another hand that shot up. "Yes?"
"There were speculations that you've been together for some time now. That you've already met his family. Is that true?"
Rin nodded. "That is a complicated question. I've met His mom… that's all I'll say."
Rin continued answering and diverting questions for another 40 minutes as Rory tried to avoid as many as possible. He could definitely feel eyes on him now, but even with the lights adjusted so that the audience was more visible, he couldn't tell where the person was. A vibration in his pocket got his attention, but he tried his best to ignore it. He'd turned his ringer off before coming out on stage, so what could it be? When the vibration wouldn't relent, he finally gave in and pulled his phone out. He glanced at it under the table where they sat. Someone had called the app over twenty times in the past few minutes. His brows scrunched as he opened the app to see who had tried calling so many times.
Rory's face grew pale, and his hand began to tremble. Unknown user. A bubble popped up on the DM screen indicating a message was being typed out right now. Rory's head popped up and scanned the crowd, but nearly everyone he could see had a phone in their hand. He shifted his gaze back to his under the table. The bubble was still there. They were still typing. Rory's wide eyes stayed trained on the screen as his clammy palm tightened around the phone.
"Do you really think this little show will keep you safe? That more attention will dissuade me from getting too close?"
The phone pinged again. "Look around. It's only making it easier for me to get closer. I could be right in front of you, and you'd never know. How easy it would be for me to grab you. Do you think they could find two people in a sea of all these bodies? No… I could have you unconscious and dragged away before anyone would be the wiser…"
Rory's heart began thudding hard against the walls of his chest. He was here right now! Rory's eyes shot up from the phone and began scanning the crowd once again, a new sense of urgency taking over. The phone pinged again.
"Look at the edge of the stage. I left you a gift."
Rory's eyes grew wide. His heart leapt into his throat. He couldn't get a full breath, no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't until the phone clattered onto the floor that Rin's concerned violet eyes filled his field of vision. Rin's voice echoed in his ears as if Rin were yelling down an empty, narrow tunnel. Strong hands clasped his shoulders and began shaking him.
"Rory! Rory! Snap out of it! What's wrong?! What happened?" Rin's eyes followed Rory's to the edge of the stage before furrowing. "What is that? Who put it there?"
Rory couldn't answer, couldn't breathe. His lips trembled and tears streamed down his face as he stared back at Rin helplessly.
"Fuck, Rory!" Rin pressed his mouth to Rory's and forced air into his lungs. When Rory pushed away with a gasping cough, Rin cupped his face. "Better? Can you tell me what happened now?" Rory pointed at his phone. Rin's brows furrowed as he bent and scooped it up. He quickly scanned the conversation before anger replaced confusion. He pushed up from his seat and made a show of tossing the phone across the table before stomping over and snagging the strawberry soda from the edge of the stage and throwing it into a trash can just off the side of the stage. His gaze moved over the crowd, but no one person stood out. "We're done here." He spun on his heels and closed the distance between him and Rory in just a few long strides. He didn't hesitate as he bent and scooped Rory into his arms and carried him off stage. "You're safe… As long as you're in my arms, you'll always be safe."