Love from Venus: Arc 1, Part 6
Title: Love from Venus
Part: ARC 1, Part 6
Author: Aquarius Galuxy
Fandom: Power Stone
Pairing: Rouge/Ryoma
Genre: Romance/Erotica/Friendship/AU
Rating: varies from PG to NC-17
Word count: 4,527
Summary: Sales representative Ryoma Iwakura's life careens off course when a business deal brings him to a hostess bar, and into the company of hostess and strip club dancer Rouge. A spark of attraction ignites between them, one Ryoma tries to deny. Despite his reservations, he embarks on a scandalous friendship with Rouge that questions his plans for the future.
Author's Notes: 3 weeks more before school starts, 4 more chapters... And I still have a hat to knit. I don't know where my extra time is going to come from. Anyway, it's way too late now, I need to be asleep. @_@ Prompts are from 10_prompts.
#20 (7:6 Decay)
"I think I'll have to call it a day," Rouge muttered to Cassie as they readied a booth for the next patrons, gathering glasses and wiping the table clean. It was halfway through the night -- it being a Friday meant that the flow of customers was endless at this time. As it was, the club was almost having a full house, and their supervisor was fluttering about, matching hostess to client. "The Madam wouldn't be too happy with me."
She stifled a cough as best as she could, passing her hand over her arm. Sometime through the night, the radiators of the club seemed to have ceased working, although she was the only one who'd noticed. Her balance was off, too. It had been worse the previous day, during the times she had to regain her footing after disentangling herself from the poles. There was no doubt that her illness had worsened by now.
"Yeah, girl, you look like you might collapse any moment." Cassie frowned, handing her the remaining glasses and her rag. Rouge stood still while the other hostess looked hard at her. "Get these to the runner first, then tell the Madam you're sick. I'd be damned if she wants to deal with you blacking out on her."
"I know, I know." Rouge tossed the blue-haired hostess a faint smile, heading towards the bar. "Thanks."
Cassie laid a hand on her shoulder and leaned in. "Take care on the streets, Rouge. Flag a cab or something. Ayame and I would totally see you home if we could."
Rouge nodded, the movement tipping her world. She paused to let the dizziness wear away, barely hearing the clinks of glasses and voices surrounding her. The thought of curling up in bed sent longing straight into her bones.
"Oh, and visit a doc a.s.a.p.," Cassie added over her shoulder before hurrying off to another booth, where new patrons had begun to file in.
In the middle of the bustle, Rouge felt as if she'd never been more alone in the hostess club. People were moving, time was ticking by without her. She wondered just how she would scrounge enough money for a doctor's visit, heading towards the glass-deposition area with a grimace.
---
#21 (4:8 Follow)
The moon drooped low in the sky, orange and deceivingly large against a backdrop of buildings. Further down, in the streets of Sunland, Edward Falcon pulled away from a group of home-goers who had left King Albert's early, turning into a street that led towards home. There were a handful of stragglers around at this time -- it wasn't that late, after all. To a night owl like him, 11pm was the time he headed home because he wanted to watch the football match on TV. (With the jukebox muted until Ryoma fell asleep.)
Falcon squinted when he saw a slim figure up ahead weaving along the sidewalk like someone who'd had a little too much to drink. He hadn't thought that knee-length hair was that in vogue these days. Figuring that he might as well do a good deed before the day ended and see the woman to safety, he increased his pace, pulling up next to her.
She gave a start when he drew abreast with her, glancing at him sluggishly. Falcon gaped in astonishment. How coincidental was it that he'd bump into Rouge on the streets? She blinked at him, surprise registering on her face only moments later.
Rouge didn't look well. He could have sworn that she appeared paler under the yellow street lamps, with indistinct dark patches beneath her eyes and her arms folded tightly across her chest. That she was ill put Falcon at a loss -- how did one deal with an acquaintance who wasn't feeling well? This was Ryoma's girl, no less.
"Hey, fancy seeing you here, Rouge." He grinned tentatively and adjusted his pace to fit hers.
"Hey," she mumbled without smiling, turning away to cough forcefully into a napkin. Falcon decided that she definitely had to be sent home when she wobbled on her feet, catching her elbow to steady her. Rouge regained her balance and murmured her thanks.
"About the other day -- I'm sorry for walking in on you and Ryoma." He attempted to strike a conversation, rounding a street corner when she did. What could he say to a girl that his buddy fooled around with?
Rouge was silent for a while, blinking slowly. Falcon wondered if she'd even heard him. "It's fine." A while later, "We weren't doing much, anyway." She wasn't one to hold grudges, which was a good sign. He felt the hostess shiver in his grasp when she next spoke again. "I can manage on my own now, thanks."
His eyes popped incredulously.
"No, you can't. Look, why don't we take a detour to my place, and I'll get Ryoma to see you home." He looked around, contemplating the fastest route they could travel by. Despite how fervidly Ryoma had claimed that there was nothing between them, he was positive that the man would want to ensure she got home in one piece. "Where do you live, anyway?"
"Sunset Avenue," Rouge muttered, stepping away from him. "But I don't need help--" She ceased to talk when a fit of coughing distracted her, halting on the pavement until it eased. Falcon frowned. Ryoma wouldn't forgive him if he left her severely ill on the streets. Hell, he himself didn't feel comfortable walking away while she was teetering and almost delirious.
"Okay, as much as Ryoma pretends he doesn't like you, he'd still bring you home, given the chance to. You aren't safe on the streets like this." Falcon looked at her, confident that she'd take him up on the deal. He wasn't going to hog time with her if Ryoma had already made his attraction known. "It'll be better all around if you let him accompany you back to your place."
Rouge tugged her arm out of his grip, leaving him staring in bewilderment as she shook her head stubbornly. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. They began to walk again, in what he assumed was the direction of her home. "I can get back myself," Rouge told him, rubbing her arms. Her teeth chattered. "There's no need to trouble Ryoma like that."
"He won't think it's troublesome, lady -- he likes you!" Falcon looked towards the heavens, missing the spark that flitted in Rouge's eyes. The moon shone back down at him in disdain. "Okay, maybe he isn't infatuated, but as his buddy of five years, I can tell that he's interested in you."
"Not when I'm sick." Rouge pushed onwards resolutely. She dipped her head against the wind, pausing when she started to wobble. "Neither of you needs to help me. I'll be fine."
"Hang on." Falcon froze in alarm. "You aren't stringing Ryoma along, are you? You keep refusing to see him."
"I have no intention of doing that," Rouge all but snapped, frowning at the ground and shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts. She started to walk again. "Now, if you'd just leave me alone--"
"Fair enough. And I'm going to make sure that you get home safe, whether you like it or not," Falcon grumbled, trailing after her. This was one tedious, thankless task. Ryoma wasn't even going to fill him in on the parts of the football match he'd miss. Damnit.
---
#22 (7:4 Sensitive)
"Man, you're so gonna wish you were with me tonight, buddy."
Ryoma looked up from the bed, watching as Falcon shut the apartment door. Oddly enough, his friend had returned later than he expected. It wasn't like him to forget a match on TV. He scanned the man briefly, finding no signs of a scuffle. "Did something happen?"
Falcon slanted him a knowing glance, shedding his various clubbing accessories. "Yeah. I met your girl on the streets--"
"--I do not have a girl!" Ryoma cut in indignantly. A frown creased his forehead. Years of friendship should have taught Falcon to be more mindful of these things. "If you're referring to my friend Rouge, then I'm all ears."
"Whatever." Falcon rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she was in pretty bad shape."
Ryoma felt his insides turn to stone, just a little. Had Rouge run into robbers? Or, heaven forbid, a rapist? She'd been fine just the day before. Imagining her battered body was something he dared not do. His hands fisted against the sheets, in anxiety he wasn't aware of. "In what way? Why are you just standing here, Falcon?" he urged.
"Relax, buddy. She wasn't hurt or anything like that--" Ryoma exhaled in relief. "--But she's down with one hell of a flu. She wasn't walking straight when I saw her, and by the time we got to her place, she was tripping, left, right and centre. It took her forever to climb the stairs."
How had her cold got so severe? It was dangerous for her to be out in that condition -- what was she thinking? Ryoma stiffened when he processed the rest of Falcon's words. "Wait, you mean to say that you brought her home?"
Jealousy ate at him, even though it should not. It wasn't fair that Falcon got to make sure she was safe. He'd gladly walk with her in the chill if he had to.
No. He didn't like her that way. Having the blond escort her home was just the same as if he'd gone himself. He couldn't have had missed out on anything. In fact, Falcon could go flirt with her if he was so inclined to. Or so Ryoma thought, grudgingly. He liked that Rouge had her own beliefs but did not judge him for his. He liked that she didn't expect anything of him, especially after they'd slept together. He even liked how she, with her scandalous jobs and preferences in bed, could blush when all he asked was a simple question about her. He liked-
"Hey Ryoma! Are you listening?" Falcon snapped his fingers to seize his attention. When Ryoma didn't respond, he strode forward and waved his hand inches from his face. Ryoma blinked, jerking backwards when the blond bent down and peered at him. "Jeez, don't go into a trance about your ladylove while I'm talking to you."
Ryoma flushed. "I wasn't--"
"That aside, yes. I sent her home." Falcon straightened, pulling his shirt off and heading for his set of drawers. "I was going to bring her here so you could do the honours."
"Then why didn't you?" Ryoma shot back without thinking.
"She didn't want me to." The blond raised an eyebrow, crouching to procure clean clothes from his storage area.
Why had Rouge not wanted him to be there? "You could've called me," he muttered resentfully. He hadn't done anything to offend her at Bailey's. In fact, he'd gone so far as to lend her his coat without taking it back when they reached Club Venus.
"I didn't bring my phone along." Falcon tossed a towel over his shoulder without bothering to look at him. "You know how pickpockets are with these clubs."
"But still," Ryoma groused. If he'd been there, he wouldn't have let Rouge struggle up the stairs by herself. The nerve of Falcon to leave a sick woman to that! "I'd have taken better care of her, unlike you."
"Someone's a little touchy where Rouge is concerned," Falcon drawled, grinning at him as he got to his feet. Ryoma graced him with a dark stare. The smile fell away from Falcon's expression moments later. "Seriously, though, I think you should at least call her up or something tomorrow. She was pretty weak and kinda pale tonight. And she wasn't breathing properly on the stairs. I hope she's seen a doctor."
"I hope so, too." Ryoma trailed off, realising that she probably hadn't. He bit down a curse. As a new friend, it wouldn't do for him to barge into Rouge's home at ungodly hours just to check on her health.
He went to sleep that night fervently hoping that she'd be better when morning came.
---
#23 (2:7 I'm here)
It was with some hesitance that Ryoma picked his phone up and dialled the number Rouge had scrawled. Concern won over awkwardness, breeding anticipation with each ringing tone. He made sure that Falcon had scarcely entered the bathroom when he began the call.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end was a pitch higher than Rouge's. It probably was the roommate she'd mentioned at Bailey's.
"Hi, could I please speak to Rouge?" Ryoma faced away from the kitchen, lest his voice travelled to his friend's ears. Was the dancer awake yet? There was nothing to be deduced from the lack of background noises in his ear.
"Uh..." A minute pause hovered between them. "Rouge isn't feeling well right now. Who is this speaking, and would you like to leave a message?"
"I'm Ryoma. I'm, um, a friend of Rouge's." How should he ask about her without sounding like a stalker? He looked around the room, casting about for something to say. "My roommate brought her home last night and he said she was really ill. I'd like to know if she's any better today."
"Ryoma? Am I right to say that you're her former client?" the girl on the other end asked carefully.
"I guess you could say that. I met with Rouge on Thursday and she was already feeling unwell by then. How bad is her condition now?" Ryoma hoped he didn't sound too anxious. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, watching the Saturday morning traffic scroll along the road. "If it helps, I lent my jacket to her that day."
"Yes, she's told me about that." Silence stretched across the line. "The thing is, Rouge is in a pretty awful state right now. Worse than last night--"
"--She hasn't seen a doctor, has she?" he interrupted, his gut filling with apprehension.
"Well, no." He heard the uneasiness in her tone. "I'm actually really worried about her."
"Damn. I'm coming over to see her," Ryoma told the girl before he knew what he was saying. Heat swamped his cheeks when it occurred to him that he'd spoken as if he and Rouge were intimate. "May I have your address?"
"I... suppose. Have a pen and paper?"
Ryoma nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. He strode over to his desk and snatched a biro up. When she didn't respond, he pressed, "Yes, I do. Address, please?"
"Sunset Avenue, Apartment 301. It's the building painted purple." She added in a rush, "Do hurry, though. I have to leave in half an hour and... I'm assuming you live nearby."
Ryoma glanced at his watch, gritting his teeth. He could make it there in thirty minutes by walking, but he didn't think he could stroll with his nagging worry about Rouge. "I'll be there. Give me fifteen minutes."
"Right, see you then." A light click ended their conversation.
Ryoma was tugging the door open when Falcon stepped out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. The blond wandered over, watching as he shoved his feet into socks and shoes. "Hey, where're you going?"
"I have something to see to," Ryoma muttered, hopping to keep his balance. His roommate stared on blankly. "See you later, Falcon."
Intermittent coughing resounded from behind Rouge's door as Mindhi closed it with a frown. Her roommate had fallen more severely ill since the previous night -- she was gasping and trembling now, and Mindhi wasn't so sure that letting her remain at home was such a good idea anymore. The doctors at the hospital wouldn't treat her unless they could pay for it, however. She bit her lip. Perhaps they could borrow money off that man Rouge liked. After all, he had sounded worried over the phone.
Mindhi walked over to the living room, where she'd left her textbooks. The Cell Bio. exam was in an hour's time and she couldn't afford to miss out on it. Bound to an organization which had provided her with a scholarship, she had to make sure to ace all her tests and exams, or risk having her funding retracted and her family forced to pay the penalty sum. It would put them in a rut of debt she hated to imagine.
This meant that Rouge would have to wait some hours to see the doctor, since Mindhi didn't think she could crawl out of bed, much less travel a distance, by herself. And all these plans were built on the assumption that Ryoma would loan them some cash. She ran a hand through her hair in uncertainty.
The doorbell rang then, earlier than she'd expected. Looking through the peephole revealed a man dressed in casual wear, with dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He looked as if he'd just jogged here, his chest rising and falling steadily.
Impressed, Mindhi stepped back and swung the door open to survey the guy Rouge had expressed a liking for.
"Uh, hi. I'm Ryoma," he began, glancing past her shoulder into the apartment. His shirt was damp and his hair had matted against his temples. With his toned body, it was pretty easy to see why Rouge was attracted to him. He met her gaze. "Are you Rouge's roommate?"
"Yeah. My name is Mindhi." She backed away to allow him entrance into the apartment, closing the door once he was in. He scanned the place. "Rouge is in her room right now. I'll bring you to her."
They exchanged a look when the violent coughing started up again. Ryoma's eyes widened at its intensity; he frowned at her, clenching his fists. "She can't not visit the doctor like this. Surely you know that."
"I do." Mindhi turned away from him and made her way to Rouge's room. "I have to leave for an exam soon, but I will be taking her to the hospital after that. It's just that we might have to borrow some money from you. If you have any to spare, that is."
"I do," Ryoma nodded, concern evident in his eyes as she knocked and pushed the door open.
Rouge shuddered, squirming onto her side under the thick layer of covers weighing down on her. Despite their insulation, the frigidness of autumn still touched her appendages, taunting her as she curled tightly into a ball and pulled the sheets over her head.
She hadn't had much sleep through the night -- the itch in her throat refused to budge, and coughs had been wrecking her frame whenever she was on the verge of drifting into slumber. Her throat felt raw. On occasion, she would feel her breath seeping away, until she drew a harsh gasp to bring air back into her lungs. This continued in tedious cycles, to the point where she thought it had resulted from the blankets enveloping her.
Rouge threw the covers off her face, inhaling deeply through her mouth. Icy temperatures teased a shiver through her limbs; her skin was rough with goosebumps. The fever made her head spin each time she tried to ease into a better position. She wondered when it would all end, clutching the blankets closer. How was she going to get to work tonight?
There were voices beyond her door -- the higher pitch of a female, and the low rumble of a man. They had to have materialised due to her fever. Mindhi rarely had visitors. Rouge pulled the covers back over her head, burrowing deeper beneath the layers, until a bout of jarring coughs wrenched her out again. She winced. Her belly hurt from all that hacking.
She imagined a tap on the door, ignoring it in favour of remaining on her side. Turning over would send the room revolving again.
"Rouge?" Mindhi's voice rung clearly in her ears, as if she was already in the room. The knock had been real, then. "You've got a visitor."
Rouge blinked hazily, slowly shifting around to identify their guest. She knew no one who would drop by this early. When the seesawing in her head eased, she cracked her eyes open.
The hostess inhaled sharply in surprise. And promptly began to cough again, the relentless itch forcing gasps and wheezes from her lungs. By the time it subsided, her cheeks were hot with exertion; darkness clouded her sight due to the lack of air.
"She needs a doctor as soon as possible," Ryoma told Mindhi urgently. How had he known to come?
Mindhi ran a hand through her hair. "I won't be free 'til the afternoon. That's the earliest I can manage."
"I'll take her to the hospital, in that case," Ryoma volunteered. Her roommate looked at him in astonishment. Rouge felt her breath shorten again and gulped a mouthful of air. "I don't have anything on right now, anyway."
"That's a really big favour you're doing us, Ryoma. I can't thank you enough," Mindhi said in gratitude. "But I have to be leaving now -- is there a number I can contact you by?"
Rouge watched as Ryoma handed her something from his wallet. "This is my business card. You can reach me by my mobile phone."
Mindhi nodded and stepped over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be leaving you with Ryoma, Rouge. Feel better soon, okay?"
There was only the raven-haired man left in the room after Mindhi made her exit. Rouge stared blankly at him, her throat too hoarse and sore to want to speak. This really wasn't her ideal date.
He came over to the bed, crouching next to her. "I'm sorry for intruding. I was, uh, worried when Falcon told me how ill you were last night."
Rouge nodded. She might have blushed were she not feeling so indisposed. Ryoma had been doing a great many things for her she didn't deserve, and she couldn't bear to stop him because she liked his attention. Looking at him up close, Rouge thought he was handsome -- not in the classic way, though there was something about his honest face that appealed to her.
"I'll get you to the hospital soon enough. Don't you worry about that," he murmured, peeling the covers off her and gathering her into his arms.
Ryoma really was very warm.
---
#24 (3:8 Spotless)
The hospital pharmacy was crammed full of patients, old and young, each awaiting his or her customised bag of medication. Electronic buzzers beeped constantly; the disjointed red numbers on liquid crystal displays flashed alongside them. Other than the counter staff, few people exchanged words in the room.
Ryoma glanced at Rouge, before returning his gaze to the wad of papers in his hand. She'd dozed off in the plastic seat beside his, her features almost entirely veiled by hair and a blue face mask. The doctor had diagnosed her with pneumonia after some tests. Much to his horror, Ryoma found out that her life would have been at stake had she remained in bed for a few more days. Rouge hadn't quite absorbed the enormity of that news, but he did, and he was still reeling from the unease of imagining what could have happened.
Being in the hospital didn't sit well with him. The entire place was spotless, sterile, reminiscent of the lack of life instead of the birth of it. There had been all shapes of machinery in the emergency department; the nurses had instructed him to turn his phone off to prevent the disruption of their signals. He vaguely remembered there being something he had to do with his phone, though.
Mindhi was going to call him.
Cursing himself for forgetting, Ryoma switched his mobile phone back on and received a notification about a missed call. The last thing he needed was to lose the trust of Rouge's roommate. He glanced at her again, wondering when she'd be back to her old self. Not that he wanted her to seduce him a second time. Hell, no.
It was strange how things had progressed over the past half month. He hadn't expected to sleep with a strip club dancer or bring her to the hospital. He hadn't expected to like her, either, but he'd get rid of that problem. After he stopped seeing her so much. He had a future with another woman, probably someone opposite of Rouge. It wasn't something he looked forward to or opposed -- his marriage would just be another chapter of his life.
In the meantime, all he had to do was see that Rouge recovered. She'd want to foot the hospital bills herself, like how she'd insisted on not taking any more of his money at Bailey's. He'd only managed to convince her that it was a gift after some minutes then. Falcon would declare that there was something to be read into their relationship, but he disagreed.
The ring of his phone disrupted his thoughts. Scrambling to end its persistent tone, he answered it, checking on Rouge to make sure that she hadn't stirred. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Ryoma?" He heard the familiar voice of Mindhi, glancing at the flashing queue numbers to ascertain that it wouldn't be his turn yet.
"Yes, speaking." Ryoma hadn't time to formulate his next thought before the girl spoke again.
"Phew! I was worried that you'd kidnapped Rouge, since I couldn't get through to you," she explained in a rush.
"My apologies." He watched the hospital staff dispense pills and bottles to the various patients, thinking back. The room was just as crowded as it had been an hour ago. "I wasn't allowed to turn my phone on during the doctor's consultation."
"Oh. I see. Sorry about that -- how is Rouge?" Slivers of anxiety saturated her words.
"Rouge will be fine. She has pneumonia, but the doctor said that it isn't at a critical stage yet. She'll get to go home after we're done at the pharmacy." Ryoma eyed the flashing numbers, which were finally approaching the one he held.
"Thank heavens!" Mindhi heaved a great sigh. "And thank you, Ryoma. I'll be coming down to pick her up. How much do we owe you?"
Ryoma glanced at his receipt and hesitated. It wasn't a pretty sum. The medication hadn't even been paid for, and Mindhi and Rouge would be worse off than him without funds like that. "It's fine, I've got it covered. You don't have to return the money to me."
"But that's... That's just wrong! We'll pay you back for it so it's fair."
"No, I'll settle the bill. You don't need to worry about it." Ryoma looked up, grimacing when his queue number flashed across the display panels. He got to his feet. "Listen, we're almost done at the hospital. I'll drop Rouge off so you don't have to make your way down for nothing."
"I'll take the matter up with you afterwards," Mindhi acquiesced reluctantly. He heard her frown.
"Sure. See you then." Ryoma ended the call, hurrying forward to collect Rouge's antibiotics.
She was still fast asleep when he returned with them. He smiled slightly, touching her shoulder to rouse her for their trip back.
------
Part: ARC 1, Part 6
Author: Aquarius Galuxy
Fandom: Power Stone
Pairing: Rouge/Ryoma
Genre: Romance/Erotica/Friendship/AU
Rating: varies from PG to NC-17
Word count: 4,527
Summary: Sales representative Ryoma Iwakura's life careens off course when a business deal brings him to a hostess bar, and into the company of hostess and strip club dancer Rouge. A spark of attraction ignites between them, one Ryoma tries to deny. Despite his reservations, he embarks on a scandalous friendship with Rouge that questions his plans for the future.
Author's Notes: 3 weeks more before school starts, 4 more chapters... And I still have a hat to knit. I don't know where my extra time is going to come from. Anyway, it's way too late now, I need to be asleep. @_@ Prompts are from 10_prompts.
#20 (7:6 Decay)
"I think I'll have to call it a day," Rouge muttered to Cassie as they readied a booth for the next patrons, gathering glasses and wiping the table clean. It was halfway through the night -- it being a Friday meant that the flow of customers was endless at this time. As it was, the club was almost having a full house, and their supervisor was fluttering about, matching hostess to client. "The Madam wouldn't be too happy with me."
She stifled a cough as best as she could, passing her hand over her arm. Sometime through the night, the radiators of the club seemed to have ceased working, although she was the only one who'd noticed. Her balance was off, too. It had been worse the previous day, during the times she had to regain her footing after disentangling herself from the poles. There was no doubt that her illness had worsened by now.
"Yeah, girl, you look like you might collapse any moment." Cassie frowned, handing her the remaining glasses and her rag. Rouge stood still while the other hostess looked hard at her. "Get these to the runner first, then tell the Madam you're sick. I'd be damned if she wants to deal with you blacking out on her."
"I know, I know." Rouge tossed the blue-haired hostess a faint smile, heading towards the bar. "Thanks."
Cassie laid a hand on her shoulder and leaned in. "Take care on the streets, Rouge. Flag a cab or something. Ayame and I would totally see you home if we could."
Rouge nodded, the movement tipping her world. She paused to let the dizziness wear away, barely hearing the clinks of glasses and voices surrounding her. The thought of curling up in bed sent longing straight into her bones.
"Oh, and visit a doc a.s.a.p.," Cassie added over her shoulder before hurrying off to another booth, where new patrons had begun to file in.
In the middle of the bustle, Rouge felt as if she'd never been more alone in the hostess club. People were moving, time was ticking by without her. She wondered just how she would scrounge enough money for a doctor's visit, heading towards the glass-deposition area with a grimace.
---
#21 (4:8 Follow)
The moon drooped low in the sky, orange and deceivingly large against a backdrop of buildings. Further down, in the streets of Sunland, Edward Falcon pulled away from a group of home-goers who had left King Albert's early, turning into a street that led towards home. There were a handful of stragglers around at this time -- it wasn't that late, after all. To a night owl like him, 11pm was the time he headed home because he wanted to watch the football match on TV. (With the jukebox muted until Ryoma fell asleep.)
Falcon squinted when he saw a slim figure up ahead weaving along the sidewalk like someone who'd had a little too much to drink. He hadn't thought that knee-length hair was that in vogue these days. Figuring that he might as well do a good deed before the day ended and see the woman to safety, he increased his pace, pulling up next to her.
She gave a start when he drew abreast with her, glancing at him sluggishly. Falcon gaped in astonishment. How coincidental was it that he'd bump into Rouge on the streets? She blinked at him, surprise registering on her face only moments later.
Rouge didn't look well. He could have sworn that she appeared paler under the yellow street lamps, with indistinct dark patches beneath her eyes and her arms folded tightly across her chest. That she was ill put Falcon at a loss -- how did one deal with an acquaintance who wasn't feeling well? This was Ryoma's girl, no less.
"Hey, fancy seeing you here, Rouge." He grinned tentatively and adjusted his pace to fit hers.
"Hey," she mumbled without smiling, turning away to cough forcefully into a napkin. Falcon decided that she definitely had to be sent home when she wobbled on her feet, catching her elbow to steady her. Rouge regained her balance and murmured her thanks.
"About the other day -- I'm sorry for walking in on you and Ryoma." He attempted to strike a conversation, rounding a street corner when she did. What could he say to a girl that his buddy fooled around with?
Rouge was silent for a while, blinking slowly. Falcon wondered if she'd even heard him. "It's fine." A while later, "We weren't doing much, anyway." She wasn't one to hold grudges, which was a good sign. He felt the hostess shiver in his grasp when she next spoke again. "I can manage on my own now, thanks."
His eyes popped incredulously.
"No, you can't. Look, why don't we take a detour to my place, and I'll get Ryoma to see you home." He looked around, contemplating the fastest route they could travel by. Despite how fervidly Ryoma had claimed that there was nothing between them, he was positive that the man would want to ensure she got home in one piece. "Where do you live, anyway?"
"Sunset Avenue," Rouge muttered, stepping away from him. "But I don't need help--" She ceased to talk when a fit of coughing distracted her, halting on the pavement until it eased. Falcon frowned. Ryoma wouldn't forgive him if he left her severely ill on the streets. Hell, he himself didn't feel comfortable walking away while she was teetering and almost delirious.
"Okay, as much as Ryoma pretends he doesn't like you, he'd still bring you home, given the chance to. You aren't safe on the streets like this." Falcon looked at her, confident that she'd take him up on the deal. He wasn't going to hog time with her if Ryoma had already made his attraction known. "It'll be better all around if you let him accompany you back to your place."
Rouge tugged her arm out of his grip, leaving him staring in bewilderment as she shook her head stubbornly. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. They began to walk again, in what he assumed was the direction of her home. "I can get back myself," Rouge told him, rubbing her arms. Her teeth chattered. "There's no need to trouble Ryoma like that."
"He won't think it's troublesome, lady -- he likes you!" Falcon looked towards the heavens, missing the spark that flitted in Rouge's eyes. The moon shone back down at him in disdain. "Okay, maybe he isn't infatuated, but as his buddy of five years, I can tell that he's interested in you."
"Not when I'm sick." Rouge pushed onwards resolutely. She dipped her head against the wind, pausing when she started to wobble. "Neither of you needs to help me. I'll be fine."
"Hang on." Falcon froze in alarm. "You aren't stringing Ryoma along, are you? You keep refusing to see him."
"I have no intention of doing that," Rouge all but snapped, frowning at the ground and shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts. She started to walk again. "Now, if you'd just leave me alone--"
"Fair enough. And I'm going to make sure that you get home safe, whether you like it or not," Falcon grumbled, trailing after her. This was one tedious, thankless task. Ryoma wasn't even going to fill him in on the parts of the football match he'd miss. Damnit.
---
#22 (7:4 Sensitive)
"Man, you're so gonna wish you were with me tonight, buddy."
Ryoma looked up from the bed, watching as Falcon shut the apartment door. Oddly enough, his friend had returned later than he expected. It wasn't like him to forget a match on TV. He scanned the man briefly, finding no signs of a scuffle. "Did something happen?"
Falcon slanted him a knowing glance, shedding his various clubbing accessories. "Yeah. I met your girl on the streets--"
"--I do not have a girl!" Ryoma cut in indignantly. A frown creased his forehead. Years of friendship should have taught Falcon to be more mindful of these things. "If you're referring to my friend Rouge, then I'm all ears."
"Whatever." Falcon rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she was in pretty bad shape."
Ryoma felt his insides turn to stone, just a little. Had Rouge run into robbers? Or, heaven forbid, a rapist? She'd been fine just the day before. Imagining her battered body was something he dared not do. His hands fisted against the sheets, in anxiety he wasn't aware of. "In what way? Why are you just standing here, Falcon?" he urged.
"Relax, buddy. She wasn't hurt or anything like that--" Ryoma exhaled in relief. "--But she's down with one hell of a flu. She wasn't walking straight when I saw her, and by the time we got to her place, she was tripping, left, right and centre. It took her forever to climb the stairs."
How had her cold got so severe? It was dangerous for her to be out in that condition -- what was she thinking? Ryoma stiffened when he processed the rest of Falcon's words. "Wait, you mean to say that you brought her home?"
Jealousy ate at him, even though it should not. It wasn't fair that Falcon got to make sure she was safe. He'd gladly walk with her in the chill if he had to.
No. He didn't like her that way. Having the blond escort her home was just the same as if he'd gone himself. He couldn't have had missed out on anything. In fact, Falcon could go flirt with her if he was so inclined to. Or so Ryoma thought, grudgingly. He liked that Rouge had her own beliefs but did not judge him for his. He liked that she didn't expect anything of him, especially after they'd slept together. He even liked how she, with her scandalous jobs and preferences in bed, could blush when all he asked was a simple question about her. He liked-
"Hey Ryoma! Are you listening?" Falcon snapped his fingers to seize his attention. When Ryoma didn't respond, he strode forward and waved his hand inches from his face. Ryoma blinked, jerking backwards when the blond bent down and peered at him. "Jeez, don't go into a trance about your ladylove while I'm talking to you."
Ryoma flushed. "I wasn't--"
"That aside, yes. I sent her home." Falcon straightened, pulling his shirt off and heading for his set of drawers. "I was going to bring her here so you could do the honours."
"Then why didn't you?" Ryoma shot back without thinking.
"She didn't want me to." The blond raised an eyebrow, crouching to procure clean clothes from his storage area.
Why had Rouge not wanted him to be there? "You could've called me," he muttered resentfully. He hadn't done anything to offend her at Bailey's. In fact, he'd gone so far as to lend her his coat without taking it back when they reached Club Venus.
"I didn't bring my phone along." Falcon tossed a towel over his shoulder without bothering to look at him. "You know how pickpockets are with these clubs."
"But still," Ryoma groused. If he'd been there, he wouldn't have let Rouge struggle up the stairs by herself. The nerve of Falcon to leave a sick woman to that! "I'd have taken better care of her, unlike you."
"Someone's a little touchy where Rouge is concerned," Falcon drawled, grinning at him as he got to his feet. Ryoma graced him with a dark stare. The smile fell away from Falcon's expression moments later. "Seriously, though, I think you should at least call her up or something tomorrow. She was pretty weak and kinda pale tonight. And she wasn't breathing properly on the stairs. I hope she's seen a doctor."
"I hope so, too." Ryoma trailed off, realising that she probably hadn't. He bit down a curse. As a new friend, it wouldn't do for him to barge into Rouge's home at ungodly hours just to check on her health.
He went to sleep that night fervently hoping that she'd be better when morning came.
---
#23 (2:7 I'm here)
It was with some hesitance that Ryoma picked his phone up and dialled the number Rouge had scrawled. Concern won over awkwardness, breeding anticipation with each ringing tone. He made sure that Falcon had scarcely entered the bathroom when he began the call.
"Hello?" The voice on the other end was a pitch higher than Rouge's. It probably was the roommate she'd mentioned at Bailey's.
"Hi, could I please speak to Rouge?" Ryoma faced away from the kitchen, lest his voice travelled to his friend's ears. Was the dancer awake yet? There was nothing to be deduced from the lack of background noises in his ear.
"Uh..." A minute pause hovered between them. "Rouge isn't feeling well right now. Who is this speaking, and would you like to leave a message?"
"I'm Ryoma. I'm, um, a friend of Rouge's." How should he ask about her without sounding like a stalker? He looked around the room, casting about for something to say. "My roommate brought her home last night and he said she was really ill. I'd like to know if she's any better today."
"Ryoma? Am I right to say that you're her former client?" the girl on the other end asked carefully.
"I guess you could say that. I met with Rouge on Thursday and she was already feeling unwell by then. How bad is her condition now?" Ryoma hoped he didn't sound too anxious. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, watching the Saturday morning traffic scroll along the road. "If it helps, I lent my jacket to her that day."
"Yes, she's told me about that." Silence stretched across the line. "The thing is, Rouge is in a pretty awful state right now. Worse than last night--"
"--She hasn't seen a doctor, has she?" he interrupted, his gut filling with apprehension.
"Well, no." He heard the uneasiness in her tone. "I'm actually really worried about her."
"Damn. I'm coming over to see her," Ryoma told the girl before he knew what he was saying. Heat swamped his cheeks when it occurred to him that he'd spoken as if he and Rouge were intimate. "May I have your address?"
"I... suppose. Have a pen and paper?"
Ryoma nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. He strode over to his desk and snatched a biro up. When she didn't respond, he pressed, "Yes, I do. Address, please?"
"Sunset Avenue, Apartment 301. It's the building painted purple." She added in a rush, "Do hurry, though. I have to leave in half an hour and... I'm assuming you live nearby."
Ryoma glanced at his watch, gritting his teeth. He could make it there in thirty minutes by walking, but he didn't think he could stroll with his nagging worry about Rouge. "I'll be there. Give me fifteen minutes."
"Right, see you then." A light click ended their conversation.
Ryoma was tugging the door open when Falcon stepped out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. The blond wandered over, watching as he shoved his feet into socks and shoes. "Hey, where're you going?"
"I have something to see to," Ryoma muttered, hopping to keep his balance. His roommate stared on blankly. "See you later, Falcon."
Intermittent coughing resounded from behind Rouge's door as Mindhi closed it with a frown. Her roommate had fallen more severely ill since the previous night -- she was gasping and trembling now, and Mindhi wasn't so sure that letting her remain at home was such a good idea anymore. The doctors at the hospital wouldn't treat her unless they could pay for it, however. She bit her lip. Perhaps they could borrow money off that man Rouge liked. After all, he had sounded worried over the phone.
Mindhi walked over to the living room, where she'd left her textbooks. The Cell Bio. exam was in an hour's time and she couldn't afford to miss out on it. Bound to an organization which had provided her with a scholarship, she had to make sure to ace all her tests and exams, or risk having her funding retracted and her family forced to pay the penalty sum. It would put them in a rut of debt she hated to imagine.
This meant that Rouge would have to wait some hours to see the doctor, since Mindhi didn't think she could crawl out of bed, much less travel a distance, by herself. And all these plans were built on the assumption that Ryoma would loan them some cash. She ran a hand through her hair in uncertainty.
The doorbell rang then, earlier than she'd expected. Looking through the peephole revealed a man dressed in casual wear, with dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He looked as if he'd just jogged here, his chest rising and falling steadily.
Impressed, Mindhi stepped back and swung the door open to survey the guy Rouge had expressed a liking for.
"Uh, hi. I'm Ryoma," he began, glancing past her shoulder into the apartment. His shirt was damp and his hair had matted against his temples. With his toned body, it was pretty easy to see why Rouge was attracted to him. He met her gaze. "Are you Rouge's roommate?"
"Yeah. My name is Mindhi." She backed away to allow him entrance into the apartment, closing the door once he was in. He scanned the place. "Rouge is in her room right now. I'll bring you to her."
They exchanged a look when the violent coughing started up again. Ryoma's eyes widened at its intensity; he frowned at her, clenching his fists. "She can't not visit the doctor like this. Surely you know that."
"I do." Mindhi turned away from him and made her way to Rouge's room. "I have to leave for an exam soon, but I will be taking her to the hospital after that. It's just that we might have to borrow some money from you. If you have any to spare, that is."
"I do," Ryoma nodded, concern evident in his eyes as she knocked and pushed the door open.
Rouge shuddered, squirming onto her side under the thick layer of covers weighing down on her. Despite their insulation, the frigidness of autumn still touched her appendages, taunting her as she curled tightly into a ball and pulled the sheets over her head.
She hadn't had much sleep through the night -- the itch in her throat refused to budge, and coughs had been wrecking her frame whenever she was on the verge of drifting into slumber. Her throat felt raw. On occasion, she would feel her breath seeping away, until she drew a harsh gasp to bring air back into her lungs. This continued in tedious cycles, to the point where she thought it had resulted from the blankets enveloping her.
Rouge threw the covers off her face, inhaling deeply through her mouth. Icy temperatures teased a shiver through her limbs; her skin was rough with goosebumps. The fever made her head spin each time she tried to ease into a better position. She wondered when it would all end, clutching the blankets closer. How was she going to get to work tonight?
There were voices beyond her door -- the higher pitch of a female, and the low rumble of a man. They had to have materialised due to her fever. Mindhi rarely had visitors. Rouge pulled the covers back over her head, burrowing deeper beneath the layers, until a bout of jarring coughs wrenched her out again. She winced. Her belly hurt from all that hacking.
She imagined a tap on the door, ignoring it in favour of remaining on her side. Turning over would send the room revolving again.
"Rouge?" Mindhi's voice rung clearly in her ears, as if she was already in the room. The knock had been real, then. "You've got a visitor."
Rouge blinked hazily, slowly shifting around to identify their guest. She knew no one who would drop by this early. When the seesawing in her head eased, she cracked her eyes open.
The hostess inhaled sharply in surprise. And promptly began to cough again, the relentless itch forcing gasps and wheezes from her lungs. By the time it subsided, her cheeks were hot with exertion; darkness clouded her sight due to the lack of air.
"She needs a doctor as soon as possible," Ryoma told Mindhi urgently. How had he known to come?
Mindhi ran a hand through her hair. "I won't be free 'til the afternoon. That's the earliest I can manage."
"I'll take her to the hospital, in that case," Ryoma volunteered. Her roommate looked at him in astonishment. Rouge felt her breath shorten again and gulped a mouthful of air. "I don't have anything on right now, anyway."
"That's a really big favour you're doing us, Ryoma. I can't thank you enough," Mindhi said in gratitude. "But I have to be leaving now -- is there a number I can contact you by?"
Rouge watched as Ryoma handed her something from his wallet. "This is my business card. You can reach me by my mobile phone."
Mindhi nodded and stepped over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be leaving you with Ryoma, Rouge. Feel better soon, okay?"
There was only the raven-haired man left in the room after Mindhi made her exit. Rouge stared blankly at him, her throat too hoarse and sore to want to speak. This really wasn't her ideal date.
He came over to the bed, crouching next to her. "I'm sorry for intruding. I was, uh, worried when Falcon told me how ill you were last night."
Rouge nodded. She might have blushed were she not feeling so indisposed. Ryoma had been doing a great many things for her she didn't deserve, and she couldn't bear to stop him because she liked his attention. Looking at him up close, Rouge thought he was handsome -- not in the classic way, though there was something about his honest face that appealed to her.
"I'll get you to the hospital soon enough. Don't you worry about that," he murmured, peeling the covers off her and gathering her into his arms.
Ryoma really was very warm.
---
#24 (3:8 Spotless)
The hospital pharmacy was crammed full of patients, old and young, each awaiting his or her customised bag of medication. Electronic buzzers beeped constantly; the disjointed red numbers on liquid crystal displays flashed alongside them. Other than the counter staff, few people exchanged words in the room.
Ryoma glanced at Rouge, before returning his gaze to the wad of papers in his hand. She'd dozed off in the plastic seat beside his, her features almost entirely veiled by hair and a blue face mask. The doctor had diagnosed her with pneumonia after some tests. Much to his horror, Ryoma found out that her life would have been at stake had she remained in bed for a few more days. Rouge hadn't quite absorbed the enormity of that news, but he did, and he was still reeling from the unease of imagining what could have happened.
Being in the hospital didn't sit well with him. The entire place was spotless, sterile, reminiscent of the lack of life instead of the birth of it. There had been all shapes of machinery in the emergency department; the nurses had instructed him to turn his phone off to prevent the disruption of their signals. He vaguely remembered there being something he had to do with his phone, though.
Mindhi was going to call him.
Cursing himself for forgetting, Ryoma switched his mobile phone back on and received a notification about a missed call. The last thing he needed was to lose the trust of Rouge's roommate. He glanced at her again, wondering when she'd be back to her old self. Not that he wanted her to seduce him a second time. Hell, no.
It was strange how things had progressed over the past half month. He hadn't expected to sleep with a strip club dancer or bring her to the hospital. He hadn't expected to like her, either, but he'd get rid of that problem. After he stopped seeing her so much. He had a future with another woman, probably someone opposite of Rouge. It wasn't something he looked forward to or opposed -- his marriage would just be another chapter of his life.
In the meantime, all he had to do was see that Rouge recovered. She'd want to foot the hospital bills herself, like how she'd insisted on not taking any more of his money at Bailey's. He'd only managed to convince her that it was a gift after some minutes then. Falcon would declare that there was something to be read into their relationship, but he disagreed.
The ring of his phone disrupted his thoughts. Scrambling to end its persistent tone, he answered it, checking on Rouge to make sure that she hadn't stirred. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Ryoma?" He heard the familiar voice of Mindhi, glancing at the flashing queue numbers to ascertain that it wouldn't be his turn yet.
"Yes, speaking." Ryoma hadn't time to formulate his next thought before the girl spoke again.
"Phew! I was worried that you'd kidnapped Rouge, since I couldn't get through to you," she explained in a rush.
"My apologies." He watched the hospital staff dispense pills and bottles to the various patients, thinking back. The room was just as crowded as it had been an hour ago. "I wasn't allowed to turn my phone on during the doctor's consultation."
"Oh. I see. Sorry about that -- how is Rouge?" Slivers of anxiety saturated her words.
"Rouge will be fine. She has pneumonia, but the doctor said that it isn't at a critical stage yet. She'll get to go home after we're done at the pharmacy." Ryoma eyed the flashing numbers, which were finally approaching the one he held.
"Thank heavens!" Mindhi heaved a great sigh. "And thank you, Ryoma. I'll be coming down to pick her up. How much do we owe you?"
Ryoma glanced at his receipt and hesitated. It wasn't a pretty sum. The medication hadn't even been paid for, and Mindhi and Rouge would be worse off than him without funds like that. "It's fine, I've got it covered. You don't have to return the money to me."
"But that's... That's just wrong! We'll pay you back for it so it's fair."
"No, I'll settle the bill. You don't need to worry about it." Ryoma looked up, grimacing when his queue number flashed across the display panels. He got to his feet. "Listen, we're almost done at the hospital. I'll drop Rouge off so you don't have to make your way down for nothing."
"I'll take the matter up with you afterwards," Mindhi acquiesced reluctantly. He heard her frown.
"Sure. See you then." Ryoma ended the call, hurrying forward to collect Rouge's antibiotics.
She was still fast asleep when he returned with them. He smiled slightly, touching her shoulder to rouse her for their trip back.
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