'Show us what you're best at. Come on, we're all waiting for our turn. Don't be slow.'

Rory could hear other voices echoing in the room around him. Hands kept grabbing him, pulling him against a hard body. All he could do was fight the always losing battle against those echoing voices, those screams of others also being tortured, those hands grabbing him... the things that would happen once the hands had him...

"Rory, come on. Wake up. It's alright. It's just a dream. I've got you."

A voice echoed in the back of Rory's mind, breaking through the heavy darkness that was the recurring nightmare that had been his constant nightly hell of late. That voice... Light tapping against his cheek disbursed more of the darkness.

"Come on, Rory. Open your eyes, bud."

Long fingers brushed over his damp lashes as a soft, androgynous voice called to him from somewhere close... too close... That voice... Rory frowned as his mind began to regain control. His eyes fluttered open to find himself pressed full body against Rin while Rin clutched his face in both hands and stroked it. Their heads rested on the same pillow, and their noses nearly touched. Rory's eyes bugged, and his arms involuntarily shot out, shoving Rin away. "What are you doing?" Rory exclaimed. "Don't touch me!" The sounds coming from the next bed only added to his suspicion and anger.

Rin pushed up on his elbow. "You seemed like you were having a nightmare. I was simply trying to wake you up and comfort you." Rin reached out to Rory, but Rory smacked his hand and continued to back away. "Rory, come on, man. I'm serious."

Rory's frantic gaze darted across the dark room to the other bed. Unmistakable movement caused disgust to color his features. When Rin moved toward him again, he shoved against Rin's firm shoulders hard and went tumbling backwards himself.

"Fuck man," Rin called out as he scrambled to catch him. Rin caught Rory's arm just in the nick of time and tugged him up against his chest before his head could hit the hard tile floor. Rin held tight as Rory struggled against him. "Dude, calm down. Whatever you're thinking right now... I promise it's not the case."

"Bullshit!" Rory called out as he continued to struggle against Rin's tight hold. Dillon and Sabastian's muffled sounds echoed through the room, only adding emphasis to his panic and building anxiety.

Rin released one of Rory's shoulders and grabbed his hand. Rin forced Rory's hand to the front of his baggy sweats. "Rory, chill for a minute and tell me, do you feel anything? What am I going to do to you? With what? Just fucking chill, ok?" Rin nodded toward the other bed. "That, that isn't what you think either. Sabastian is fucking wasted, and Dillon is trying to hold him off until he passes the fuck out." He leaned over slightly, his gaze moving toward the other bed. "Tell him, man."

Dillon groaned. "Right, though at this point I'm about to knock him the fuck out." More muffled grumbling and movement came from the other bed as Dillon shifted and growled. "Cut it the fuck out before you make yourself sick, asshole."

"Sick... going to be..."

"Oh fuck no you're not! Not in the bed!" Dillon scooped up a bundle of blankets and ran to the bathroom stumbling over clothes and shoes in the dark as he went. The door hadn't closed, nor did the light turn on before the sounds of vomiting began emanating from the room. "Told you dick head."

Rin shook his head as he continued to cradle a now still Rory against his chest. Rin still held his hand, but it was no longer pressed against him. "Every time... never fails..." Rin murmured. His gaze didn't leave the darkened bathroom doorway as he continued speaking. "Sorry if that set off some kind of nightmare for you... We tried to keep him as quiet as we could, but Sabastian... well, he has a problem when it comes to partying sometimes."

Rory tugged his hand free of Rin's and pushed away from him. "I... um... thanks... But it wasn't necessary... I'm accustomed to the nightmares. You could have just left me. It's fine." He averted his gaze, his cheeks heating. "Actually, in case we must stay together again like this... I should warn you... I... I have frequent nightmares... There's no point concerning yourself. It has nothing to do with you."

Rin caught Rory's chin and brought his gaze up to his. "Look, I'm not going to ask questions. If you do ever want to talk about it, I'm here to listen... Dillon too... but until then, I promise you, if either of us sees you going through what we just saw, we'll wake you up. We're not going to leave you there to suffer." Rin shrugged. "I know I gave you some hell when you first came to work for me... but hey, we all have our demons, ya know... and I can respect that." Rin smiled awkwardly as he lay back against the stack of pillows on the bed. "What do you say we turn up the TV and try drowning out the call of dinos from the bathroom?" Rin stuck a finger in his mouth and mimicked vomit noises.

Rory nodded, trying his best to hide the smile of relief. He was afraid that if he let it show, Rin would somehow mistake it as a sign he wanted more from this awkward situation. Rory cautiously nestled back down into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. His gaze continued to move over to Rin as the lights from the TV cast shadows across the sharp curves of his smooth, boyish face. In that moment, Rory wanted to reach out and stroke his cheek. What would a cheek that smooth feel like? It looks smoother than mine and I shave daily... and barely grow hair... His eyes began to grow heavy. Rin's profile faded in and out of view as Rory slipped back into dreamland, a light chuckle echoing close to his ear.

"Sleep well, my little prince..." Rin whispered, finally turning his attention to Rory. It had killed him to keep his attention averted when he'd felt Rory's eyes on him, but he knew the second he acknowledged Rory's attention, it would end. Rin brushed blonde tendrils away from Rory's brow as he watched him sleep.

Dillon cocked a brow as he carried the now sleeping Sabastian through the faintly lit room. "What the fuck happened while we were out that has you so up his ass?" Dillon all but dropped Sabastian onto the other bed before walking over and leaning over Rin. He braced himself against the headboard as he studied Rory's sleeping face. "You know, the first day he was at the house I tried to take a picture of him while he slept... but he woke up before I could get a picture..."

A smile curved Rin's lips as he continued to stare. "He's beautiful when his guards are down like this. He looks like a cherub or an angel... or something..."

Dillon snorted out a laugh. "It took you this long to notice?"

Rin shrugged before rolling over onto his back. He reached up and brushed a strand of long black hair behind Dillon's ear. "Maybe I've just gone numb to beautiful men."

Dillon rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smirk that curved his lips. "I'm sure that's it, and it had nothing to do with you being so dead set on running the poor kid off."

Rin turned his head to the side, studying Rory again. "Who knew he'd be one to last this long. I was sure he'd fold within the day when I first met him."

Dillon shrugged as he pushed away from the bed, but his eyes didn't leave Rory. "He's been through some shit, that's obvious enough... maybe if you stop being such a dick, he'll start trusting us enough to open up." His gaze trailed over to Rin. "So... what did happen earlier... I've known you long enough, you're not going to lie here and say nothing."

A smile curved Rin's lips. "I might have found a new way to have fun with him, is all..." His gaze moved to Rory. "And it happens to be a way that helps out my story as well... so win, win."

Dillon shook his head as he turned to his own bed. "Fuck, man... That's cold... even for you."