[18+] Master's Secret (Rem x Zombie_In_A_Box)

[Remalade]

Kise noticed Keegan's obvious distraction during the meal. From the look of concentration on his face, he assumed that the redhead was either trying to guess aspects of his past or thinking of a way to figure them out on his own. Either way, Kise doubted that Keegan would come up with anything valid. He took his time to finish his meal, and by the time he finished, Keegan was already done and staring intently down at his lap, so he assumed that he was ready to go. After calling for the bill and leaving a more than generous tip, Kise stood up and glanced at the redhead. The car had already been pulled around to the front and his men were waiting to escort them. Now they just needed for Keegan to comply.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan just waited until Kise was done and the bill was payed before lifting himself up a little bit... And then he realized, he didn't really have to. The redhead had his own worries, about how he wasn't good enough for the man - those thoughts usually had a good reason and were right. Keegan stayed by the table, although his frown disappeared, leaving some sort of a mask, an emotionless face. He looked away, realizing well enough that if he was left here like this, he would never be able to go back to Kise. He'd begin life on the street again, going from one man to another.

[Remalade]

Kise was relieved when the teen stopped frowning, thinking that he'd finally quit his pouting. He was confused when Keegan didn't move to get up. Perhaps he'd underestimated his determination after all. Holding in a sigh, Kise took a small step towards him. Even if the redhead was upset, he didn't think that it would be to this extent. With the thought that maybe there was something larger bothering him, Kise's voice was much softer than it was before when he finally spoke. "Are you ready to go home, Keegan?" He asked, extending a hand out to him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan let out a quivering sigh as he looked up at Kise, his mask breaking for a moment, revealing his insecurity. The teen took the other's hand anyway, still not saying a word. He wanted to believe he was wanted, everyone did. There was no worse feeling than being not needed, unecessary. He let go of Kise's hand the moment he got up, stuffing both of his hands into his pockets. It was obvious there was something bothering him, to the point where he once again began feeling like nothing. Like a stain on a wall, where everyone just passed by without paying a single glance, a single care.

[Remalade]

Not expecting the teen to pull his hand away, Kise hesitated at the action but chose not to say anything just yet. He opted instead to drape an arm over Keegan's shoulder and lead him back to the car. The silence was suffocating between them, but he knew better than to bring up a personal issue while they were out. He waited patiently until they were in the privacy of the manor. "What's bothering you, Keegan?" he asked, straight to the point. He put down his briefcase and turned toward him to show that the teen had his full attention.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan followed quietly into the car, staring out the window the whole time. The passing street lights just reminded him of when he tried to find some sort of warmth by them. As they stepped inside, Keegan was hoping to slip past Kise and sleep somewhere, but it seemed like that plan wouldn't work out as he was confronted by the man. The teen glanced down, hesitantly rubbing at his neck. It seemed stupid to say out loud, but he couldn't get rid of the fear. "You. You're what's bothering me." He finally said, leaning against the couch as he looked at the man, the uncertainty settling into his eyes. "I know nothing about you, but I'd tell you anything. That alone... It just feels like I'm replaceable." The redhead muttered out, looking away once more.

[Remalade]

Although taken aback by his words, Kise didn't criticize his fears. They were unfounded, in his opinion, but Keegan obviously believed in it, so he couldn't just dismiss it. A soft sigh parted his lips as he came closer to him. His fingers skimmed over Keegan's cheek and jawline as if coaxing him to look up at him instead of at the floor. "I know it may sound cliched and you might not even believe me, but you knowing nothing is only for your protection. Now that I've introduced you to my job, do you know how much I think about something happening to you because of your association with me? I don't breathe a word of my past to anyone. Not a single soul. What do you think would happen if people thought that you knew something about it? You would become a walking target. Knowing too much is just dangerous, Keegan. It's not because I think that you're "irreplaceable", it's because I want to keep you safe." he muttered quietly, but his tone serious.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan frowned as he looked up, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I don't want to be safe, then." He said, rather firmly. The redhead tilted his head as he took the other's hand in his own, lightly squeezing it. "I'm not weak, you know. My body may be, but I like to think I'm hard to break in other ways. Physical pain I can handle, I've lived on the streets long enough to be able to do that." He spoke, looking straight into the other's eyes. "I don't need you to protect me, I need you to trust me." He added, his expression becoming a little bit softer as he moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Even if I do become a walking target, as you say, they won't get anything out of me. This I can promise to you." Keegan said quietly, his determination obvious.

[Remalade]

The redhead's words made him feel something in his chest that he couldn't quite place, and when Keegan kissed him, it took him a second before kissing him back. Even if Keegan was asking for something as simple as trust, it felt like much more than that to Kise. He had basically lived his whole life on his own, believing in only himself, trusting only himself. He'd been betrayed by people that were supposed to be close to him too many times to count. Many of the promises he'd been given in the part had been crushed and stomped into the dirt. Asking for his trust had seemed simple to Keegan, but to Kise, it felt like he was signing the last of his soul away.

 

Even so, there was something in the redhead words that seemed genuine. Perhaps it was the softness of his voice or the way that their hands slotted together, but something spoke over the warnings screaming in his mind that this was a bad choice, and it was telling him to take the risk. The taller man closed the distance between them again, this time the soft kiss lingering just a bit longer than the first. When he pulled back, another sigh left his lips, but it was one of anxiousness, not anger or annoyance. "I can't spill out everything at once......but I won't hide things from you anymore. And if you ask me something, I will answer you honestly. And.....I will trust you. I promise." he responded. It wasn't very much, but it was a start. Kise didn't share this part of himself with anyone, and he could only take it step by step.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan waited patiently for the man to think over his words. It seemed like what he said was a lot, and probably had bigger meaning to Kise than to him... It seemed like he reached his point anyway, though. As the other leaned in to kiss him, Keegan gladly returned the gesture, pressing into him slightly. "Thank you." Keegan muttered softly, gently cupping the man's cheek to pull him down for another kiss. He stood on his tip-toes to reach him easily, one arm wrapping around his neck as he closed his eyes. After pulling away, the redhead seemed to have a soft taint of red over his cheeks, somewhat flustered. "So... Tell me about your family." He asked softly, taking his hand into his own again as he tugged Kise closer to the couch for them to sit down.

[Remalade]

Kise smiled a bit despite himself when Keegan had to stand on the tips of his toes to kiss him, yet he returned the contact wholeheartedly. His heart picked up in nervousness at the first question. He managed not to show his discomfort on his face as he was led to the couch, and he had to silently reassure himself that this wasn't a mistake before he began speaking. "As to family.....there's not really much that I can say about that. My mother passed away when I was young. Her parents didn't approve of my father, so I was told, and they cut her off, so I don't have any grandparents either. My father was an alcoholic through and through, and he took it out on anyone that was around him. I'm actually a bit envious of my mother because she didn't have to deal with him as long as I did. But anyways, after a while he got into some trouble with the wrong people and ended up in jail, so I was on my own. I heard something a while ago that he might have been released and gotten remarried, so I might have half-siblings, but I don't know them and I seriously doubt he even told them about me, so that's it." he answered, his tone devoid of any emotion as he quietly recounted the story. "What about your family?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan made himself comfortable on the couch, tucking his legs underneath himself as he leaned against the other, listening quietly. He held onto the man's hand gently, lightly stroking it with his thumb as he finished up the story. The redhead blinked in slight confusion as he was asked about his own family, shaking his head slightly. "Parents were poor, I was unplanned. They kept me until I was... Six, maybe? Then they tossed me out on the street and told me to live my own life." He said simply, looking at the turned off TV absentmindedly. "I don't even remember that much about them, but I'm pretty sure when I was told to leave, my mom was pregnant again... I don't know, honestly." He chuckled, brushing it off like it was nothing. "What about the restaurant owner, then?" He asked, looking up at Kise with a small smile on his face.

[Remalade]

As Keegan spoke, he felt something stirring inside of him.....pity? No, more like sympathy. Honestly, he could understand exactly what the boy went through living on the streets. When his gaze drifted over to the television, his grip on his hand tightened just a bit in an attempt of offering support.

 

"The restaurant owner? That's jumping ahead rather far into the story." Kise muttered with a slight chuckle. "I was about fourteen when I started living on my own. When my father was arrested, I knew that I would be placed in some orphanage, and I didn't want that to happen, so I ran away before any authorities could find me. I never even went to high school. I did as best as I could. We were poor to begin with, so I didn't have anything to take with me or anything I could sell, so I learned to trick people. I learned to steal. I learned to manipulate people into getting what I wanted and needed. It was rough. I was usually sleeping in some gutter or a back alley. I got into fights often. I took things from people who didn't even have any more than I did. But most of all, I was alone. Where I was, you couldn't trust anyone. When you're as poor as I was, even family could become enemies in the face money or a hot meal. So I stuck to myself. Drifted along from place to place, just trying to survive. Then I met that man. I was in the middle of a scam gone wrong, and looking back at it, those guys probably would have killed me. But he stepped in and said that I was his nephew, apologized and offered to repay the money I'd stolen. I thought that this man was an idiot, sticking his neck out for a complete stranger, but I wasn't going to object. When I found out that he had a restaurant, I got a little curious and couldn't help hanging around. He didn't even know me, yet he ended up being the only parental figure I'd ever had..." Kise finished, his tone more reflective. It was surprising just how much the old man had impacted him. He had still lived in poverty, but it was somewhat different. He also thought that maybe the reason he'd brought Keegan in was the fact that they'd shared such similar backgrounds. "How did you survive on the streets at such a young age?" he asked.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Keegan huffed softly, frowning. "Well I don't know what's your story, so excuse me if I jump over something!" He complained, but soon began listening to the story. He remained quiet, honestly curious to find out something about the man. The restaurant owner was connected to Kise in a way he thought it'd be. Judging by their age, at least.

 

"You'd be surprised by how many men actually like little boys." Keegan shuddered, the memories certainly unpleasant. "I started off begging for money from passengers, some actually helped me with clothes, or food... At some point, child services took me in, but I didn't like it there. My first... Err... Master, I guess, found me when I was almost seven. Up until then I slept in churches or homeless shelters, but no one took me in for too long. The man who took me in then was horrifying." Keegan paused for a moment, leaning against Kise for support. "I was told to walk around naked, like some trophy. I guess I don't have to tell you what happened, right?" The teen chuckled, closing his eyes. "Sure, he got bored of me soon, but I managed to snatch some money before leaving. From then, I started making a living out of that, in a way." He smiled, head resting on Kise's shoulder. "Now... Um... I don't know what to ask. Tell me, how was your life on the streets before the owner?" He asked, looking up softly.