"Ha... finally... I can breathe..." Rin let out a long sigh as he tugged loose the tie.

Rory stumbled slightly as he made his way out of the hotel restaurant the event dinner was still being held. He'd had four glasses of wine in under two hours and was definitely feeling them now. He fumbled with his own tie and pulled it free from his neck, then undid the top two buttons of his dress shirt. "Much better..."

Rin snorted out a laugh as he spun around in the fresh night air to face Rory. "The night's still early... What do you say we go somewhere else?"

Rory frowned. "I... I don't know..."

Rin grinned as he took Rory's hand. "What? You're that eager to get me all alone upstairs?"

Rory's cheeks blushed as he shook his head furiously. "Noooo..."

Rin narrowed his eyes. "Thought so..." He turned but didn't release Rory's hand. "I know a good place. It's right on the water, nice, quiet..." Rin tugged Rory close and began leading him down the scantily lit riverwalk path. "Here it is." Rin finally stopped, gesturing to a hole in the wall bar a mile from the hotel.

Rory frowned. "I... don't think I should drink anymore."

Rin chuckled as he led Rory toward an outdoor seating area. "You don't strike me as the type who would get shitfaced. One more drink, then we'll head back. Till then, just enjoy the view." What would you like, and I'll go get it for you?"

Rory bit his lip. "I don't like mixing drinks, so wine again if they have it, a seltzer if not."

Rin smiled down at him. "Any particular flavor you like?"

Rory shrugged. "About anything. Watermelon and strawberry are my favorites, though... and mango..." He added with consideration.

Rin chuckled. "Got it. I'll be right back." Rin returned a few minutes later with two seltzers and a draft beer. He set the seltzers in front of Rory. "They had watermelon and strawberry both. I wasn't sure which you'd like best, so I got them both."

Rory's cheeks heated. "I can't drink all this!"

Rin shrugged. "It's fine, drink what you want of them and throw the rest away." He pulled the stool over beside Rory and sat down. "You've looked deep in thought since earlier. What's on your mind?"

Rory blew out a sigh. "This job..."

Rin took a sip of his beer before propping his elbow on the table and resting his head in his palm. "What about it?"

Rory moved his attention to the can in front of him and began spinning it. "I... thought it would be easy being your assistant... that what you do is easy..."

"That it's a joke? Yeah, I get that a lot." Rin filled in.

Rory shook his head. "Not a joke... but easier... but after this weekend and seeing how much work you put in outside of writing... and the people you have to interact with outside of your fans..." Rory's eyes met Rin's. "I'm... I'm just worried I'm not enough... but... but I have to be... I can't..." Tears burned the backs of Rory's eyes.

Rin sat up and cupped Rory's hands as they nervously fumbled with the can. "But you can't lose this job... Yeah, you've said that a few times now. Maybe it would help if you elaborated. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself... You know, now that it's just us."

Rory glanced over at him before moving his attention down to the can and their hands. "If I'm going to talk about that, I may need more than the two of these."

"Drink as many as it takes. I want to know you better, understand you some."

Rory nodded as he lifted the can past Rin's hands. "Bottoms up them..." He stared out at the water silently until the drink in his hand was finished. Sliding the empty can to the side, he moved his attention to the other. He twirled it between his palms, not taking his focus off the can. "You want me to help you write a romance and teach you romance... but the truth is... I'm not that experienced in romance either... My... my ex... The last person I was with wasn't the best of people." He shook his head. "It took so long to get away from him, and there isn't much I wouldn't do to keep from ending up back in his grasp."

"The nightmares?" Rin asked quietly.

Rory nodded, not lifting his eyes from the can. He could feel the tears building in his eyes.

"You didn't just break up and leave him, did you?"

Rory shook his head. "N-no... I ran away... I had tried several times but failed. He would catch me, find me..." Rory bit his trembling lip in hopes of stopping it. "He can't find me this time. I can't go back there."

Rin hooked a finger under his chin and lifted his face to meet his gaze. "Rory... I'm sorry... I... was such a dick to you. Using the excuse I didn't know isn't good enough in this situation, but to think of what you must have gone through and what I've put you through..."

Rory pulled away, tears now freely streaming down his cheeks in silent trails. He took a long drink from the can. "I can't say this has been easy... but it's better than being... with him..." Rory shrugged as he brushed the tears away and forced an indignant laugh. "It's not like there's anywhere else for me to go anyway."

Rin frowned. "You've said that before, too. What about your mom? I know you said your dad passed away, but your mom, is she still alive?"

Rory nodded. "She is... but she remarried... and her husband doesn't approve of me..."

Rin's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Rory huffed out another laugh as he raised his drink to his lips. "A dirty faggot, of course..."

Rin's entire mood flattened. "Oh... Rory no... When was the last time you saw your mom or talked to her?"

Rory shrugged. "I showed up at the house begging her for a place to stay a year or so ago, but her husband refused. I tried to explain the situation, but they wouldn't listen... My stepdad saw the bruises and said that it's no less than what I deserved for being a 'dirty faggot'..."

Rin scooted his chair closer and pulled Rory against him. "Fuck them both then... You don't need them." Rin cooed as he patted Rory's head soothingly. "You've only been here a little over a month, and already you're the best damn assistant I've ever had. Of course, I'm not going to let you go. Fuck my dad, too, if he tries to say otherwise." Rin held Rory away. "Look at me. I mean it. You've proven to be a good asset to our team. And I promise I'll start treating you better and stop giving you so much shit."

Rory's tear-filled eyes shimmered hopefully up at Rin. "And stop making moves on me all the time?"

Rin snorted out a laugh. "Well, I can't promise that. You're so fucking cute, after all." Rin's laughter died off as he studied Rory. "What if I dressed up as a chick and met your mom and stepdad?"

Rory's brows knitted. "Are you being serious right now?"

Rin nodded. "Yeah... We can use it as more role-playing for the new book, and it might help rebuild your relationship with them."

Rory frowned as he studied Rin's face. "I don't know... I mean, your face might be able to pass with the right amount of makeup... but..." His eyes trailed over the tailored suit that squeezed Rin's broad shoulders and arms before dropping down to the tight vest that hugged his wide, sculpted chest and narrow waist. His eyes moved back up to Rin's doubtfully. "I don't think you could pass as a very convincing female..."

Rin leaned back and ran a hand through his well-styled hair, messing it up. He averted his gaze as he chuckled awkwardly. "I can be more convincing than you could possibly imagine..."

Rory's attention dropped back to the can, and his gaze turned contemplative. "And you'd do that for me? Why?"

Rin blew out a sigh before murmuring. "As a way to apologize for all the hell I've put you through thus far..."

Rory slowly nodded as he lifted the can and turned to Rin. "Deal."

With a smile, Rin clinked his glass against Rory's can. "Deal. You just work out a time and place and let me know, alright?"

Rory nervously nibbled his lip as he nodded in agreement before lifting the can and taking a celebratory drink. His eyes widened. "Um..." He licked his lips and took another long drink. "This one's really good," Rory mumbled as he lifted the can of strawberry seltzer to inspect it.

Rin tilted his head as he leaned in for his own inspection. "Really? Maybe I should try it."

Rory nodded, his focus still on the can. "Yeah, you should. It's really good." He repeated, taking another drink.

A grin spread across Rin's lips. Drunken Rory was just too cute. Rin caught his chin and tugged Rory's lips against his. Rin licked the slight part of Rory's lips, tasting the sweet strawberry flavoring left behind. Rin's smile widened when Rory's stiff body didn't immediately withdraw. "Um... you're right. It does taste good." Rin leaned in again and captured Rory's lips more fully this time. He pressed his thumb against Rory's bottom lip, coaxing his lips apart as Rin dipped his tongue inside Rory's mouth experimentally. "So sweet," Rin whispered against his lips as he leaned back.

Rory's entire face was flushed. "I... I think I've had too much to drink... we... we should probably head back now... don't you think..." Rory turned away as he pulled his jacket tighter around his chest.

Rin chuckled as he slid his stool back and held his hand out for Rory. "Alright, if that's what you want."

Rory hesitated, his eyes moving around the crowded bar before glancing down at Rin's extended hand, then back up to Rin. "You really don't care what people think of you, do you?"

Rin shrugged with a throaty chuckle. "Not in the least."

Rory pursed his lips and clasped both sides of his jacket instead. "It's a bit breezy tonight... by the water..." He muttered as he stood and moved away from the table, but stumbled over the other stool.

Rin's arm shot out reflexively, catching him in an instant. "Careful." He watched as Rory's stunned gaze moved from him to the crowd once again. A smile curved Rin's lips. "It really does bother you, doesn't it?"

Rory pushed against Rin but didn't release his arms as he waited for his equilibrium to return. Rory frowned as his gaze moved over the curious crowd that was now watching them. "Not everyone is as welcoming of things like this... I think your events have blinded you from that fact." He went to move away, but Rin grabbed hold of his waist and pulled him against him.

"I assure you, I'm perfectly aware of what the people around me are thinking." He pressed his forehead to Rory's and closed his eyes, blowing out a slow, long sigh. "Let's go back to the room, yeah?"

Rory nodded. Rin's warm breath against his chilled skin made goosebumps rise over the parts of his body absent Rin's touch. He balled his fists up against Rin's hard, flat stomach, fighting the urge to shove his hands under the flap of Rin's jacket and wrap them around him. Rory forced himself to push away from Rin, but still found it difficult to walk unaccompanied. He frowned when Rin instantly took his elbow with one hand and wrapped his arm around his waist with the other. "It's... been a very long time since I've drank... well... anything... let alone this much..."

Rin frowned as he watched Rory's intense focus on his foot placement along the sidewalk. "You've drunk wine with us at dinner a few times now."

Rory nodded. "Yes, but only two small glasses max, and two glasses made me a bit tipsy after."

Rin's brows lifted in surprise. "Really? After only two glasses?"

Rory nodded, not taking his focus off the sidewalk.

Rin's brows furrowed as he thought back to the event dinner earlier. He tried to mentally count everything that Rory had drunk. "But you had, what, four glasses tonight at dinner... then the two seltzers..."

Rory nodded again.

Rin couldn't help the smirk that curved his lips. He shook his head as he glanced around the scantily lit sidewalk. They were out of eyesight of the bar now, but still some distance from the hotel. He guided Rory over toward the railing overlooking the water. "Do you need a break for a minute?" Rin watched as Rory nodded, finally lifting his gaze from the ground for the first time since they started walking. The corner of his lips lifted as the breeze caused Rory's blonde hair to swirl around his small, pixy face. Rin moved closer and leaned forward, brushing Rory's hair out of his face. "You're incredibly beautiful when you let your guard down, you know that?" Rin ran his fingers through the wildly blowing hair, admiring each strand as it passed through his fingers. "Like an enchanting little fairy boy or something." Rin grinned down at Rory as he moved closer and shifted his hand from his hair to his cheek. "Perhaps I was wrong, maybe you should be the one role-playing the seductive fox."

Rory furrowed his brows. "I'm not anywhere close to any of those words..."