The Lewd Beauty And The Grump [Rin&Hideki] (Private)

[-Hideki-]

That Roger asked Daniel why he had wanted to know this and what he thought he gained by this information and what he believed that would tell him about him was not him taking the question seriously or thinking that it could possibly tell him anything about himself. He as well as Rex just wanted to understand the intention and motive behind a question they found highly peculiar and random. “Yes, if I answer a ridiculous question I think it’s legitimate to ask why I got asked this and what I answered it for now. Hence what you think you gained in terms of knowledge with that information.” The man stated and when the brunette said ‘Nah’, that he wouldn’t tell him raging Roger looked at him shaking his head. “You are a weird man indeed.” He let the other know and Hutson found it rather amusing to hear Roger out of all people calling Daniel weird.

 

In case the prostitute was bored or annoyed by the security guard speaking about Sebastian he didn’t show it to him at least and covered it up quite well. Instead he heard about a guy who had had a thing for bitter stuff to then hear how the brunette found that the things one didn’t understand in others were what made them interesting. That preferences like those were particularly authentic and true as they couldn’t be faked and weren’t influenced by culture and social conventions. He had to admit that there was something true about this. Those quirky details were incredibly likeable indeed and he’d never forget the smell of hot chocolate, the steam from the cup as Sebastian had been sitting on the sofa, putting marshmallows into it and one or the other into his mouth, the corners of his lips tugging up into a cosy, homely smile watching stupid comedy on television. How he had sat down behind him and had pulled him into his arms, holding the other man whilst sitting on the sofa together, being looked at by the other with chocolate coating his lips for Rex to then lick and kiss it off. There were a lot of memories connected to Sebastian and hot chocolate. There were so many memories in so many things. So many things that he could see the man’s face in and if it merely was this stupid chocolate milk bottle for Chen who loved that type of drink as well apparently.

 

When he was absentmindedly talking about the sweet taste on the lips of his deceased boyfriend, almost able to feel and taste them again on his own as he was thinking about it, missing him again, missing their touch and intimacy, the warmth, Daniel’s voice was throwing him out of his thoughts and Rex examined him closely and with a questioning look hearing him say that it was a nice memory that he found would be a good plot for a song. “A plot for a song....?” he asked genuinely not understanding. “The taste of my boyfriend’s lips?” he wasn’t really seeing how this would make any song at all “I think it wouldn’t sell well in the first place.”. Then again Sebastian would have probably liked that, that their life would make a song especially if it were to touch people or better even, Rex’s and Sebastian’s love story as an opera or a musicle. The Lieutenant with the caramel hair and the brown eyes would have loved to see that and he most certainly would have made the blond man watch it together with him just like all the other operas and musical he had liked. An almost sweet but at the same time bitter smile was appearing on the security guards face when he said:”He’d have loved that idea. The idea of some cheesy, dorky song about his lips and his kisses that he’d then probably would have listened to and whistled a long to every time when we had to get back to... work.....” The man spoke and he almost sounded like Sebastian was still pretty much alive and he was still pretty much in love but Sebastian wasn’t alive to receive and feel his love anymore. Rex loved a memory, lingering and sticking in the past, unable to let go of it. And although he had tried his friend David had realised that he was not the one able to take Rex’s hand, pull him out of his past and make him let go and start living in the present again.

 

Upon hearing that the store Daniel had been speaking about was still in the making and there wouldn’t be a job interview this early on and that meant he could give those two other places a go, a club and a library he learned, and call them instead the former Major General thought that he should go with calling those two places rather than to wait until who knew when for that store to open and even risk that the business would soon fail after opening. It was to see in this district constantly. It wasn’t a district with a high purchasing power after all and shops that opened or reopened often closed down again soon after they appeared leaving the windows and buildings empty again.

 

And Rex appreciated that Daniel decided the same way he would have decided and said he wanted to give the other places a call and he was finding it even more positive when the brunette man excused himself right away when they had reached Roger to get to call the places then and there. While the prostitute was busy trying to get a job interview Hutson handed Roger the brownies he had bought and Roger looked at them. “Those ain’t no butter cookies.” He said and Rex just said “I know.” Drily not bothering any further and Roger scratched the bridge of his nose. “How much were these?” he asked and Rex screwed up his nose. “Shut up. Just eat those damn things alright. Your stomach’s noises are getting annoying.” And Roger opened the brownies and started to eat them.

 

When Daniel returned to them, Roger had his mouth stuffed with brownies not paying the other any mind right now, Rex nodded and even smiled at Daniel affirmatively when he told him that he had gotten invited for two job interviews asking him if he was free the upcoming Friday. “Tomorrow? I can make time for you.” He answered and it wasn’t as if he had a busy schedule before work or anything. He’d usually go to the gym and then hang out in Harrison’s pub with Roger and David until he had to go to work.

 

“If we won’t have anything else to do I’ll get Roger home. You can come along unless you’d like me to escort you back to the brothel before.” He suggested and Roger spoke with his mouth full. “You can’t just invite people over to my place! You got to ask me before.” The man protested out of principle and Rex threw an icy glare towards him. “If you’d be more responsible I’d not have to watch you when I got an appointment in the first place.” He made that clear and Roger stuffed another brownie into his mouth before he kept on talking. “Stop calling this an appointment. It’s not an appointment. You got yourself a little date here. And I know it sucks that I am on your date now where you wanted to be all lovey dovey and just the two of you but you gotta thank David for that. He insisted. I didn’t even say you had to take me with you.” He found and Rex took a breather. “Stop blaming David for your irresponsibility.”

[♠[Rin]♠]

“Ah, almost,” the former musician smiled. “Not exactly physical lips but everything connected to that image. Passion, emotional connection, warmth, the taste, desire, adoration; all those things can be put into the lyrics.” William voiced his thought that such a song would not sell well to which Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “You never know. There are differences in taste, but there are minor acoustic vibrations in music most people react positive to. If they are put into a song, your chance of the audience liking it rises.” The security guard went on to explain that Sebastian would have liked the song nonetheless and, for a brief moment, it sounded like that man was still alive, but Daniel knew that he wasn’t. He did feel sorry for William and that he had to go through all that pain and maybe he did not want help, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that, one day, if he noticeably needed it, he would receive it.

 

As soon as Daniel returned from his phone calls and asked William if he had time for accompanying him in the coming morning, he was given a positive response. “Thanks,” the prostitute nodded. He slid his phone back into the pocket of his jeans and kept the chocolate milk in his right and the thrift shop’s bag in his left hand. The blonde told him that he wanted to bring Roger home and asked whether Daniel wanted to come along or return to the brothel. Roger complained about it immediately and even if Daniel wouldn’t mind accompanying them on their way, he preferred going back. “I’d love to, but I should go back. It’s not that late, but I still have some preparations to make before the shift starts.”

 

On their way back Daniel looked up to the bright sky. The sun would set in a few hours. There was something sorrowful to working during the night only, he had found after working for many years. Of course, during his career as a popstar he had worked during nights as well in the form of studying lyrics, compose, perform live on tour or attend galas. However, his schedules had always changed and working at daytime was much more pleasing. The sunlight had always motivated him subtly, while looking out the window into never-ending darkness had only made him tired.

As soon as they reached the brothel, Daniel turned to Roger and offered him a hand to shake. “Was nice meeting you! Get home safely.” Afterwards he turned to William. “I’ll see you later. Thanks for coming along.” He rose a hand to briefly wave while stepping backwards before he turned around and vanished into the building. The moment he stepped into the hall, he was greeted by three of his colleagues standing by the counter. Chen was among them, who immediately went over to stand right in front of Daniel. “Soooo?”

“Here’s your chocolate milk,” the brunette said, handing it over to the Chinese. Mentioned man took the bottle gratefully; however, he still shook his head. “That’s not what I meant!”

“I know.” Daniel grinned. He set his elbow on the counter and finally spotted another person in the middle of the room. It was a younger man, an Italian if Daniel remembered correctly, who was currently checking out one of the two dancing poles. “Is he going to dance on the pole tonight?” he asked Chen. The smaller male, nipping on his chocolate milk, followed Daniel’s gaze. He gulped the sip down and sunk the bottle from his lips. “I think so. I already told him that it’s not as clean as it could be. The surface is still way too sticky. I had a hard time getting most of it clean.”

A dance pole was quite extra one would think, but the truth was that those two poles were cheap and of low quality. Daniel had seen the right one fall off once. They had merely glued it back onto the ceiling and fastened it with old nails they had found because the corresponding ones had broken. Presenting oneself there was just a way of getting attention and attracting more customers. Daniel had, out of interest, been taught how to do basic moves around and with a dance pole, but that had been years ago and he wasn’t eager to learn for how long the poles were able to sustain his weight.

“What’s in there?” Chen then suddenly asked, pointing at the bag in Daniel’s hand. Th brunette looked back to his colleague and smiled at him. “Clothes.”

The Chinese snorted in dissatisfaction. “You went shopping without me?”

“It was just a thrift shop, don’t worry about it.”

 

-

 

Twenty minutes before the beginning of his shift, Daniel was still in his room. He had hung the suit on a hanger in the back of his closet for nobody to see. Given that his second cardigan was wine red and didn’t fit most of his ‘work clothes,’ Daniel decided to go for a short-sleeved black light shirt which was laced in the front. He combined it with a pair of dark grey hotpants and a black leather strap around each wrist. Changing into his converse which whose soles were no longer completely white, the left the room and went downstairs into the hall. A few of his colleagues were already sitting by the dance poles. The Italian guy from before was still practising some movements where he also received a few tips from the other prostitutes. Daniel walked straight up to the bar and greeted Peter, who was as early as one expected him to be. He sat on the tall chair next to the security guard and also smiled at the barkeeper. “Hey, we cleaned your counter today. Hope it looks fine.”

“It is,” the man beamed. “You look hella tired. I might have something that’ll keep you awake.”

“Does that have a name?” Daniel asked. He wasn’t a fan of drinking something that was unknown to him.

“Don’t you worry.” The barkeeper turned around and started to magically mix a drink together. It only took him a few minutes until he once again faced the prostitute and set a shot glass in front of him. Daniel studied the faint, blue liquid inside with narrowed eyebrows. “I know your alcohol tolerance. Will I even survive drinking this?”

“It’s not as alcoholic as one might think,” the barkeeper said, lifting a finger. “Just a lot of … let’s say it will keep you awake. It’s like black coffee without the bitter taste. The Bombay Sapphire makes it blue. It’s just a shot, come one, give it a shot.”

Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle at the pun. He lifted a hand and yawned into his pawn. “Don’t you have light coffee?” In fact, he had stayed away from alcohol as much as possible after his withdrawal. Given that he had to get up early for the job interview at the library was a little frustrating, so he had to fall asleep as soon as possible. A coffee would make it a lot easier than alcohol in retrospect, it always did.

“I’ll give you a coke instead,” his counterpart grinned and turned around to fill a glass, which he then placed in front of the brunette right next to the shot. “You could just mix those two, you know.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Daniel grinned. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. Was coca cola really going to keep him awake? He would doubt it, but the placebo-effect had always had a strong effect on him, so he chose to believe in the little chance that was there.

[-Hideki-]

“Preparations?” Roger asked with a grin tugging at his scar-for-lips. “What do you do? Smear your arse with butter?” he laughed and Rex pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose feeling like one day he’d lose his patience with this man, when Roger started to cough as he had choked when he had started to laugh.

 

As Daniel had wished Rex was escorting him back to the brothel and other than Roger yelling insults after some youth who was throwing his garbage onto the ground and not into the rubbish bin and shouting at some woman dressed in a full-body-condom who was running away with her buggy the way was completely uneventful. He didn’t know what Daniel was thinking about Roger and him and he didn’t want to know. It was tiring as it was to have to answer people for raging Roger’s lash outs and usage of language all the time just because they were friends. Rex still was not Roger.

 

When the prostitute had left them and they waited for the bus to drive them to Roger’s place he had to deal with the younger man poking fun about Rex’s and Daniel’s supposed relationship, paired with insensitive statements and stereotypes about gay people and a row of other such stuff that made him wish the doctors would have stitched the man’s mouth close when they had put him back together to one piece and he was almost thankful when Roger started to loudly rant about some mother not speaking in English to her kid – while Rex agreed that she should speak in English to her children if she lived in the US he didn’t agree with this interference of Roger’s on the bus - and getting them into a crossfire when he said he was glad a wall would be built at the borders now that the reign of the fake, muslim president was finally over. Somehow Rex would have liked to present this to Peter because Roger was not from the South, he was from the North, born and raised in this very liberal city on the other side of the bridge.

 

Due to his heroic dedication of demanding English to be spoken in the US raging Roger looked content and satisfied with himself until they reached the door of his apartment -that was in an even worse building than the one Rex lived in - and the man had to fight with the lock of the door, the shivering of his hand and the twitching of his fingers making it difficult to turn the key. Rex pretended he didn’t notice. If it was him he’d hope Roger would do the same, pretend to not witness it and to not insult his honour with offering to do that for him. It took five to ten minutes, the blond wasn’t so sure, and then the injured man managed to unlock the door to his apartment and they walked into the usual mess.

 

It was one large room with a kitchen unit. At the end of the room there was a mattress on a pile of old wooden palettes, their national flag was hanging over it on the wall and a Christian cross over the old bed stand where the man had placed his medals and documents including the letter that thanked him for his service as that was the last bit of gratitude and validation Roger had gotten in his life since he had gotten disabled. The closet was opened and disorderly, clothing was flying around on the ground of the room in-between empty bottles of alcoholic drinks and liquor and on the mattress. The kitchen counter was full of stuff and there was some burned food still on the stove and two of the cupboards lacked doors one of which Roger had replaced by a poster of Donald Trump, the other with one with a naked chick with plastic tits from a playboy magazine or whatever.

 

The old tartan sofa with the loose suspension was the centre of the room. Dozens of bottles, a red baseball cap from the last election, more clothes, some video games and DvDs were laying on it. The shacky old coffee table had more video games, an old laptop and one of the man’s guns that was flying around openly, some bullets lying around it and when Rex saw that he knew that Roger had not only figured out that David and him had thrown his bullets into the trash but that the man had bought new ones again.

 

And it seemed like Roger had gotten tired of his video games in his overly medicated and alcoholised head and had printed pictures of the head of the Iranian government and the Saudi Arabian prince and had given those pictures head-shots and shots between the eyes which were surprisingly precise considering the man’s state. Then again he didn’t like that Roger had bullets again and that Roger not only had them but used them but it was useless to reason with him, they had tried before.

 

Raging Roger let himself fall onto the chaotic sofa immediately while Rex went to the window, rolled up the curtains and opened it wide as the whole apartment smelled like alcohol and burned whatever it had been the man had tried to cook himself and in the next moment he heard Roger curse as he had gotten one of his boots off but was struggling with the other one as his hand didn’t do as he wanted again. After frustrated yelling the young man resigned and stayed there with one of his boots on turning on the history channel. And Rex hadn’t even managed to find some garbage bags in that chaos to collect the empty and more importantly the full bottles of alcohol when Roger was already at it.

 

“It’s a scam!” he yelled. “They’ve been fooling us. They’ve been giving us the run around and we believed it. That’s definitely not real, didn’t ever happen. Hollywood faked it, maybe Disney has its fingers in it.” He barked. “That there are still people who think that actually happened. Moon landing! As if the population from the dark side of the moon would have accepted that without taking them hostage!!!” He snorted as Rex begun throwing the bottles into one of the garbage bags he had finally found. “How is that guy’s name you hang out with lately?” Rex wanted to know. “You mean Mike?” Roger asked. “Yes, exactly, this guy. You should hang out with him less he is a bad influence on you.” The security guard said feeling as though he had a son he didn’t want again. “Bullshit! Mike is brilliant!” Roger protested and Rex shook his head. “He thinks that the world is actually run by lizard people who manipulate the human race to destroy itself!” Hutson repeated what that man had said that one time he had met him. “That is actually true. Just that they ain’t no lizards.” Raging Roger said and Rex pressed his fingers against his own scalps. “What are they then, crabs?”

 

Hours passed, Rex had thrown all the full and empty bottles into the trash some blocks from Roger’s apartment building so that he couldn’t pull the full ones out of it again and the closer it got to his working hours the more tired he became and not only was he sure that Roger would have tired him out by the time he’d arrive at the brothel he also worried that Kathrin had come to her senses and realised she didn’t want to babysit raging Roger after all and he’d have to take him to work where he’d probably do the best he could to offend everyone. He also had to head home before to change hence he was checking his watch constantly when finally Kathrin arrived.

“Good evening gentlemen!” she said as she entered the room wearing the same clothes as in the shop and still seemingly full of energy as she raised a bag with food. “Sorry that it’s gotten a little late I went to buy us some food.” The woman said and Rex stood from the uncomfortable sofa immediately. “No one wants you here anyway MingMing! And I hate Chinese food.” Roger barked at her and Kathrin sighed. “Good! Because it’s Indian food!” she said and placed the food bag onto a free spot on the table. “I hate fucking curry too!” he snorted and Kat smiled amused, shaking her head at him again. “Fine. Because it’s no curry.” She told him and sat down next to him, realising that he was still wearing one of his boots.

 

“Why are you still wearing one of your boots.” She wanted to know and lay her hand on raging Roger’s thigh rather close to his crotch as she looked at his feet and Roger blushed furiously and screamed just as furiously. “Because I can! I do whatever I want! It’s none of your business MingMing! Hands off!” he yelled at her and turned to Rex. “Take her out.” He demanded. “No.” Rex said drily before turning to Kathrin. “Thank you for staying with him tonight. Enjoy your time and your dinner and his story about how Stalin and Hitler are still alive and run an amusement park in Brazil.” The former major general nodded and was finally out of the door.

 

He had to hurry and barely managed to be at the brothel in time. Even Carlos was earlier than him that night and that meant something. And while he felt like he wanted a break and some quiet after having listened to rants and absurd conspiracy theories the whole damn day he knew that he wasn’t going to get even a minute when Peter smiled at him and it wasn’t just that usual jolly smile he threw Rex’s way that usually made the blond screw up his nose and want to puke in his face, no, there was something different about his smile.

 

“I’m happy for you man!” Peter said and patted Rex’s back. “Don’t fucking touch me.” He hissed at him but Peter ignored it, maybe Daniel was right and he and Kathrin had at least some things in common and maybe he had something in common with Rog... no.... no definitely not. “I’d never had thought that you’d manage to have some good time when we went to the club yesterday.” The brunette continued and Hutson looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I didn’t.” He truthfully told him but it only made Peter laugh and collegially smack Rex’s shoulder. “Come on Will, we all know. We saw you disappearing together and Chen already told me all about you and Daniel and your night together.”

 

Hearing that made a fire of rage towards Peter burn in his guts and the security guard grabbed his colleague’s wrist. “First, don’t ever call me Will again. Second, I didn’t do what you’re implying!” he stated sharply and with a death glare and a stern face. Peter raised his hands to demonstrate he meant no threat. “Cool. Cool. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with it though. You should know that there is nothing wrong with sleeping with or experimenting with another guy. You don’t need to be ashamed or embarrassed about it....” it was at this point where the brunette security man was cut off as Rex snorted disdainfully, screwing up his nose.

 

“I don’t need some straight bloke who is obsessed with political correctness to tell me that it’s alright to be attracted to the same gender.” He told him his eyes forming slits. “I know. I’m gay. I loved another guy since middle school. Have you actually ever been with a man? Felt attracted to another male?” the blond demanded to know and Peter opened his mouth and closed it again. “You fucking moron.” The blond man stated and Peter’s eyes were widened and he was staring at Rex as he sat back down onto his seat dumbfounded for a moment.

 

It was quiet for a little longer before Peter, who never learned, spoke again. “I didn’t know you actually were....” he started and shook his head. “If you’re gay, how come you associate with this awful bloke you were with when my wife and I met you at the supermarket together the other week?” he asked. “Roger? Why wouldn’t I. He’s a friend.” Rex just said not wanting to justify himself for Roger. “How can you be friends with him? When he looked at my youngest daughter he said that statistically speaking she’d have a high chance of becoming a criminal, junkie or a prostitute one day. And then he went on saying that if it was genetic though that thanks to me her chances would only be half as bad.” Peter said and Rex shrugged disinterestedly. “The bloke believes in Eugenics! He is saying outrageous stuff. Do you think that’s okay? Why are you still friends with someone who says things like those?” Peter now demanded to know, being the one to get riled up.

 

“I don’t agree, I don’t believe in Eugenics, I wouldn’t say that.” Rex answered drily and tiredly but Peter didn’t seem satisfied. “That doesn’t answer the question as to why you hang out with someone who believes in Eugenics and says something like that about my daughter and my wife.” The brunette got louder now and it was heading into the direction of a fight. Rex groaned annoyed and ordered a whisky. “He doesn’t believe in Eugenics either. He just worded it poorly and clumsily, he didn’t express what he meant well. He’s a harmless guy who is a little too imaginative.” The man said annoyed and Peter frowned deeply. “Please! Imaginative! My youngest drawing a rainbow unicorn is imaginative! Are you serious now! Clumsily worded? The guy deliberately provokes. He knows what he’s saying and implying. His words are not harmless.” The man who was a father argued and Rex was taking a gulp of the whisky not in the mood for this in the slightest. He turned towards Peter and stared him in the eyes. “If you know that he wants to provoke you. How about not letting yourself be provoked by what he says? Just don’t listen to him.” he suggested and stood from the seat, taking the glass of whisky leaving the bar.

 

From there he headed straight towards Daniel, a displeased expression on his face as he grabbed the man’s shoulder and turned him around towards himself. “Did you lie to Chen and said we had sex?” he wanted to know. “Because that’s what he told Peter who is being a nuisance again. “

[♠[Rin]♠]

“Okay, how about this one,” the barkeeper went on. “An Eskimo invites a friend to his home. When they arrive, the friend, puzzled, asks, ‘Now, where your igloo?’ The Eskimo replies, ‘Oh damn, I must have left the iron on’.”

Daniel chuckled into his glass. He took a sip and set it back down onto the counter. “How comes you are the encyclopaedia for bad jokes?” “You’d be surprised what kinda jokes people tell you when they’re drunk,” the man smiled. “What’s the worst you’ve heard in the past month?” Daniel asked. The barkeeper thought for a moment before he answered, “A woman goes to the doctor. The doctor says, ‘You’re obese,’ whereas the woman replies, ‘For that, I’d like to have a second opinion’. He adds, ‘Well, you’re quite ugly, too’.”

Daniel shook his head, smiling. “Harsh, but actually funny.”

In the meantime, the doors to the hall opened and William entered. Peter instantly welcomed him, more or less let’s say, because it somehow turned into an argument right after. The prostitutes in the middle of the hall were watching curiously, as if hoping for a fight, but as nothing happened and William just passed his colleague by, they disappointedly turned back to their chattering.

 

Daniel personally hadn’t been listening which was why he was surprised by a hand suddenly grabbing him by the shoulder, turning him around. He straightened his back and his gaze met William. Even as he was sitting on the tall chair, he was still smaller than the blonde. A little frustrating, but nothing that he could change. In fact, he was of average height, William was just tall. But still.

 

The former musician narrowed his eyebrows at the question, but his facial features soon relaxed again as he received further information. “Will, I thought you paid attention to your milieu,” he said. He nodded his head towards the group of prostitutes at the dancing pool, where Chen was vividly telling the others a story. “Chen is a rumour monger.” At first, when Chen had come to work here several years ago, it had been annoying, but with time most of the other prostitutes had started to appreciate his stories. Nobody took them all too seriously, which was why none of the other seemed to be interested in spying on Daniel and William talking right now or were even curious enough about what had happened to ask them themselves. Everyone knew that Chen never left the brothel, so they saw it as a natural habit of his to spend his time thinking of thrilling stories to share. He would have made a good author if he had had the chance. When it came to describing something, he always found the perfect words and the series of acts connected well. “I told him that there was nothing. Don’t let it trouble you, he’ll get bored of it in two or three days and find something new. In fact, when you started working here, he thought you were a skydiver.” Daniel chuckled when William called Peter a nuisance. “Just don’t listen, he is quite the vivid storyteller as well as you know. But I am proud of you, because you asked me first instead of silently assuming that I started the rumour.”

 

“You look a little worn-out, though,” Daniel then said. “If you need a massage, let me know, I learned the basics when I was in Norway.” He picked his glass of coca cola off the counter and took another sip to empty it before he put it back and thanked the barkeeper for the drink. Afterwards, he slid off the chair and adjusted his top. It was getting late and the first customers were entering. “I’ll leave you to your whiskey now, but remember not to drink too much, okay?” Daniel smiled. He passed the security guard by and joined his colleagues in the middle of the hall. The moment he reached them, Chen turned to him with a grin. “What did you guys talk about?”

“Shut it,” the brunette jokingly said. “How did your chocolate milk taste?”

“Divine!” the Chinese beamed. “Thanks for getting it.”

“No problem.”

The night passed by slowly. By the time the shift was over, Daniel felt like it had taken him an eternity to finish. He stayed downstairs for a little longer, helping the barkeeper to put away the empty glasses. Afterwards he retreated to his room, where he stripped his bed, carried the sheets to the bathroom and dropped them into the basket next to the washing machines. He took a quick shower, returned to his room and fetched an extra set of bed sheets from the closet, which he put on the bed. Changing into his pyjama’s, Daniel finally laid down and curled up under his blanket, and despite his fatigue and exhaustion, falling asleep didn’t turn out to be easy. In fact, resting in a slumber didn’t either. He found himself waking up at random times during the night and as a result, when his phone’s alarm woke him at seven, he was hardly well-rested. Had he been during his career? Sometimes, but not always either. It was obvious that he had to get used to it again. If he were to get one of the jobs he had applied for and was going to be interviewed for today, he would have to change his schedule and his sleeping rhythm. There was much to do and he had to put effort into it. That wasn’t a problem, after all he knew how to handle stress, but after all those years he knew that he had to get used to it once more. It wouldn’t be so hard as it had been right after high-school, but he didn’t want to underestimate the situation he was in.

Daniel dragged himself out of the bed, into the bathroom and washed his face, brushed his teeth and combed his hair. As he looked into the mirror, a tired face stared back at him. In such a particular situation he wished it was socially acceptable to wear make-up for men, because those bags under his eyes were a huge flaw on his face. Now, to be honest, he didn’t even know how make-up worked; he wouldn’t be able to apply it correctly and for it to look fine, so it was a short-lived thought and he got over it a few seconds after coming up with it.

 

It was quite in the brothel. His steps, no matter how carefully he walked, sounded loud in his ears as everyone else was still fast akip. Daniel put on the suit he had bought and pulled out his buffalo leather brief bag which contained all the papers he had taken with him after leaving his home years ago. It was expensive, no doubt, and he would have made a lot of money off selling it, but it held emotional value because his mother had gotten it for him as a graduation gift back then. He had ended up writing his resum? by hand - as neat as he had been able to - since there hadn’t been time to go to a print shop and take care of it there. It was a bless that his handwriting wasn’t awful.

 

Daniel left the brothel at eight. On his way out, the bag hanging down his shoulder to his hip, he was reminded by his phone that he didn’t have William’s number as he had wanted to text him that he was ready. So, there was no other choice than to wait outside.

He stepped out onto the pavement, closing the door behind him softly. The fresh oxygen and the daylight lifted his mood immensely and helped to decrease his fatigue. He wasn’t nervous about the up-coming interview, in fact he was curious about it. He knew the chance of getting a job at the first application was faint, but he had to start somewhere and if he failed, he would try over and over again. That was how the job market worked, he had learned.

[-Hideki-]

His face darkened considerably when Daniel basically told him that he should have known that Chen was one to make up and spread rumours for his entertainment. “As if I’d care about your stupid gossip.” He hissed with narrowed eyebrows. Rex for the most part didn’t listen. Not to Peter’s uninteresting stories about his everyday life and his family and definitely not to the newest brothel gossip the whores told. It didn’t interest him and he wasn’t paying attention. The only one who had made himself suspicious by continuously hitting on him had been the brunette himself whom he had in turn mistrusted and hence observed. But whether Chen made up stories or not he had not realised nor had he cared.

 

“I do care about Mister goody-two-shoes over there lecturing me about how being attracted to another guy is nothing to be ashamed of followed by him nagging me about Roger drawing a connection between the crime statistics and genetics though as it’s fucking annoying.” The blond made that clear. “So make this blabbermouth Chen shut up about us or I’ll take care of it. I have heard enough bullshit for today.” The security guard expressed with a frown, pressing his fingers against his scalps.

 

To hear that he looked worn out wasn’t that much of a surprise because he felt a little worn out. The last night had not been the longest, it had been difficult too, although better than Sebastian’s birthday had gone for him the year prior and then he had put up with Roger the whole day who was exhausting in a sense. Hence, despite the snort he let hear when the other offered that he could give him a massage there was a part of him that wanted that massage, that longed for it, that longed for relaxation. He hadn’t been massaged ever since Sebastian had died.... He generally hadn’t been touched nicely since then. The two raging disastrous fucking sessions he had regretted as soon as they had been over hardly counted as anything.

 

He gulped down the remaining whisky in the glass immediately when the other was leaving him alone and he slammed the empty glass onto the counter. “Don’t drink too much. Who does he think he is.” He mumbled. “Who does he think I am? Roger?” he added and shook his head returning to his place, cutting Peter right off when he was opening his mouth again. “I swear to god when I hear the word ‘Eugenics’ from you once more that night I’m gonna forget myself.”

 

The rest of the night went by rather uneventful though and Peter had returned to blabbering something about renovating the kitchen and how he and his wife couldn’t agree on a colour or having a modern how he wanted or country house kitchen as his wife wanted and uninteresting stuff like that which Rex completely ignored.

 

When he finally arrived at home after work he didn’t even care to properly dry himself off when he left the shower and he was running around with only a towel wrapped around his hips as he was showing some convenience food into the oven, sitting down on the sofa as he was waiting for it to be ready to be eaten. He didn’t turn the TV on though. Instead he was staring at the wall and then at his phone. Daniel was following his advice, he was making those steps. Those steps to get out there, to start to do something useful! And he... he needed to do that too but the question was still how and what. He opened his contacts. Scrolled to the name Arthur. Closed his contacts again. Then went back to the name Arthur, stared at it for what seemed like an eternity before he finally pressed ‘call’.

 

Hearing it ring made him nervous and his muscles tensed and he felt the urge to move but forced himself to keep sitting. After a while it seemed like someone picked up and Rex held his breath. ‘Hey, this is Arthur Hayworth, can’t pick up the phone right now, just leave a message, I get back to you.’ He heard his cousin’s voice with the familiar dialect sound from the mailbox, and the blond opened his mouth, closed it again and hung up.

 

What was he supposed to say? And even if Arthur who was a high official at ICE could get him a job theoretically how would that even go with his history and the fake ID and the fake identity that was ‘William Brix’. Not to mention that Arthur probably didn’t hold a favourable opinion about him anymore either. Arthur and him had always gotten along in the past. He was the son of his mother’s brother and unlike most of his other cousins Arthur who was about the same age had never found him weird. They had had similar interests and even though the other had been more extroverted and positive it had worked. They had even still gotten along when his cousin had married and become a father. He had even named Rex his best man for his wedding back then what had completely overwhelmed Rex who had had to plan his bachelor party which had absolutely not been his thing just like the whole wedding stuff and without Sebastian Rex would have taken his cousin on a hunting trip into the woods without any other guests because Hutson found most of his cousin’s friends annoying and stupid.

 

He was still staring at the phone. He called another time but this time didn’t even listen to the whole things when the mailbox went on but he hung up right away. He couldn’t just call. Not even just like that without asking for the man’s help when it came to his career. It’s been years.... Years in which he hadn’t talked to him. Hadn’t given the other man a sign of being alive. Heck, Arthur wouldn’t even know that this was his number. Nor did he know where Rex was. He had to forget that whole thing and focus on something else. He really should establish a security company and clean the streets and the city that way, making it safe again. Had that part of that city ever been safe though? Didn’t matter, he’d make it safe again.

 

A burned stench like in Roger’s apartment was filling his nostrils just that Rex was not drunk but in thought, and the man jumped up from his seat and ran to the oven where the convenient food was burned into unrecognisably and a grey cloud of smoke was coming out of the oven when he opened it, making him wave his hand in front of his face. “Fuck!” he cursed, throwing the food onto the counter, slamming the oven shut. He let his hand run through his hair and opened the fridge. There wasn’t much in it and he couldn’t cook what wasn’t the best combination. After searching in some of the cupboards he at least found some canned soup and this time, as he was cooking it, he was staying in the kitchen but it was so boring that he was starting to search for a fitting location for his future security company online on his phone as he waited for his food.

 

As soon as he had eaten the soup he was falling asleep. He hadn’t even had the energy to yell at the guy who was reading the news on TV left and when he woke up the other day he didn’t have any time left to spare and got to get ready immediately. With a black button up shirt and his woollen coat, his sun glasses on his nose, a paper cup of coffee in hand, he arrived at the brothel punctual as always and had found enough time on his way there to shoot Roger and David a text in their group chat that he was searching for appropriate locations for a security company and that he’d get it on now. Roger had responded immediately and enthusiastically while the suspended policeman had yet to reply. But Rex knew how critical he was about the plans Hutson had. Not so much about a private security company, nothing wrong with that, but a security company as a disguise for a group of vigilantes he had a major issue with.

 

“Morning.” Rex greeted the prostitute he was surprised to find there waiting for him already. But it was a positive surprise, showing that the other seemingly really wanted this. The blond took a gulp of his coffee and looked the younger man up and down. He looked presentable. “Are you prepared for the first interview?” he wanted to know, pulling his phone out when he got a message about a real estate object that was fitting his search criteria having been put online and he checked it out immediately. “Mmmh.... might as well make an appointment to inspect this.” He mused and typed on the phone before he let it disappear in his pocket again. “If it comes to the worst and you’re not getting hired till then, you might as well work for me. I decided to pull up a company.” He told the other and in that moment he didn’t know why he had hesitated for that long. But in the end he knew. He had hoped to work for the nation again. If not for the Army at least for the police, the border patrol or ICE, anything like that. The private sector was foreign to him, it wasn’t his thing, his ancestors had all been in the Army as well, he was from a military family. That was what they did and always had done. It was what he had known all his life and Rex didn’t like new and foreign things, he didn’t like to change and adapt and running a private business, even if it would be security, would be vastly different from everything he had done before.

[♠[Rin]♠]

“Morning,” was Daniel’s simple reply. The other was mainly clothed in black, which wasn’t surprising. He had already noticed William’s lack of liking for colours. “As ready as I can be,” he then answered. He arched an eyebrow curiously when the blonde answered someone on his phone, given that he hardly saw the security guard with a phone in hand. Though, he knew the other had friends. It wasn’t an uncommon thing.

“A company?” Now Daniels eyes did flash up despite the fatigue. “That’s interesting.” He hadn’t estimated that William would like to build such a fragile thing such as a company. “What’s it about?” It was questionable if the few experiences he had gathered because of his mother’s hotel would suffice to understand a business plan for an entire company. “Have you thought about the costs yet? The place? What about the accounting and the marketing?” No business started out in a plus, or let’s say it rarely did. Most of the time he had heard about people raising a credit to be able to materialize their idea. He hadn’t thought in the first place that William would suddenly come up with such a huge plan. An own business was always unstable and could collapse easily unless society or the economy was dependent on it. Planning alone usually took up five to seven months, depending on how big or small the idea was and how much effort it would take to make it real. In fact, making it real wasn’t the problem, keeping it alive was.

 

Daniel walked alongside William along the path. The shadows were slowly shrinking in length as the sun was climbing higher up the sky. The local library wasn’t far away. The old building took up a lot of space, given that it was larger in width than in height. Bare concrete stairs led up to the old double entrance door. The first room was a corridor which ended with an open door. It was a little dusty in here; well, a little didn’t really fit. It was indeed dusty. Daniel could almost feel a sneeze coming up, but it was fine. A few old wooden stairs were standing against the white walls. Next to them there was a painting hanging on the wall which showed the library in the year of 1958. There was also a vending machine in the corner, but the products inside didn’t look all too tasty. A few sandwiches, chocolate, bottles of water and coke, that was it.

 

“Thanks for coming with me. I’ll leave you here, okay?” Daniel said. “I’d say you could read a book, but…” He took a look around. In this corridor there was no book to spot. He gave the blonde an encouraging smile and then walked farther into the building.

 

Rows of books, up to the ceiling, took up five seventh of the great room he entered. A wooden desk extended from a few metres next to him to the distanced end of the room. There was a computer in the middle on the desk along with a keyboard. A few books were lying beside, along with a few pens. Daniel traversed the room and stopped in front of a door which was labelled with “Private”. He knocked twice and it didn’t take long until someone called him in. He opened the door to step into a small office. The walls in here were also white, the furniture was dark brown and the floor was covered by a sea blue carpet. In the middle was a desk of normal size covered in papers and documents. An elder man looked up from a letter he was writing or notes he was taking – there wasn’t much to see – and at first he looked irritated, but then he checked the time on his wrist and nodded towards the stool standing in front of his desk. “Sit.”

 

The interview took a while. Along with the usual questions came quite questionable and very detailed questions. By the time Daniel returned, he was already hungry again. It could have gone worse, but the result was still to be told. Did he doubt he would get the job? Let’s say that working as a prostitute for ten years never looked good in a resume.

[-Hideki-]

“Security.” The former Major General answered Daniel’s question as to what his company was supposed to be about. He doubted that the man would be surprised to hear that though. It was the most obvious answer. Rex would suck at most other service oriented business models and he had zero interest in finance, banking and economics so those type of businesses would fall away as well. The brunette seemed to be more curious than that though and the blond man was immediately met by a flood of questions concerning stuff he found annoying and had no experience with and that had also spoken against running his own business and the private sector for so long. “Do I look like a bloody bookkeeper to you or what?” He barked, irritated, taking a deep breath, biting onto his thin lip to calm himself down and get a grip on his anger for once. If he was supposed to have a respectable job again he needed to slowly but steadily get back to the composed self he once had been. Well, he knew that he’d probably not get rid of the anger issues completely and not magically anyway but he had to work on himself.

 

“Look…” he tried to go about the annoying questions differently. “I have capital and I have an idea. In capitalism that’s the fundament and on this I will build and how exactly I will build this, I will figure out.” he explained. “I am currently looking for locations. And I’ll employ someone for the bookkeeping and financial stuff as well as for this whole marketing rubbish.” The blond man added. Rex had no knowledge about or interest in marketing and he had never even figured out how to be appealing to people himself, how to present and advertise himself so to speak, hence he certainly couldn’t advertise something in a way that would get people’s attention. And finances… well he could do his own finances if he absolutely had to. He had liked to shove that task onto poor Sebastian who had to bother with it for the both of them, had to do Rex’s taxes and all that jazz. And Rex had even been against hiring someone to do it for them because he had said:”I don’t trust none of them. One shall always do ones finances oneself.” What had meant, Sebastian should do both of theirs.

Now he had to hire some money dude anyway but he doubted that he’d manage to trust him.

 

The library wasn’t far from that rundown bordello – what sounded ridiculous if one thought about it – and it actually was the most plain and ugly library the security guard had ever seen in his life. It had nothing lofty about it that those places usually had. “No problem.” Rex stated when the other man thanked him for having accompanied him to the library. He also nodded when the other said he’d leave him waiting at the floor and there was a hint of a smirk tugging on those thin lips at the man’s remark concerning the books.

 

As soon as the other had disappeared in the library Hutson leaned against the wall, checking those real estate websites for more available places but there wasn’t anything new they had put online. Hence he was thinking about those questions the other had asked him in regards to his business plan again and he ended up calling Roger. The blond didn’t even say ‘Hello’ or waited until raging Roger could say a word but immediately started to talk. “Your father is a bookkeeper or finance manager of something like that isn’t he?” the other thought to remember. “No.” it came from the other immediately in a protesting voice. “I mean , yeah, he is an banker but forget it. I’m not asking him for help.” Raging Roger made clear. “I need a money guy.” Rex told the other clearly and Roger mused for a while. “Mmmh, why don’t you ask old man Harrison? He run’s that bar since the dark ages or something. He probably has a money guy.” he suggested and Rex was actually surprised that the young man had an actually good idea.

 

By the time Daniel reappeared Hutson had not only ended the conversation with Roger but too had called a few locations for an inspection. The blond man let his phone disappear in the pocket of his coat and he looked into the younger man’s face examining him, thinking that he looked a little disheartened and disillusioned but he wasn’t entirely sure whether he was interpreting it right. “How did it go?” he asked nodding into the direction of the door that led them outside again. “Before I escort you to your other interview I have to pay a visit to Harrison’s bar. I hope you don’t have an issue accompanying me there.” The security guard let him know. If the man could name him some money guy he could start out. At this point he didn’t need to worry his head about a marketing strategist; he’d hire one of those later on.

[♠[Rin]♠]

That he wanted to found a security company really didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was the fact that William explained himself after barking at Daniel. The brunette arched an eyebrow, but he let it be. “But will capitalism last when you have to take care of a group of people?” He would need many more specialists if William didn’t know how to handle most of the sectors. “I must say I don’t know that much about founding a company myself, though,” he admitted. “Just the basic steps of keeping it.”

 

After he was done with the interview and met William back in the entrance hall, he spotted the blonde hanging his phone up. Apparently, he hadn’t gotten bored. He seemed very eager about his company idea. “Mixed feelings,” he answered truthfully. “A few questions were a little weird, but otherwise I’ll know in a week or two, he said. He isn’t a person you can read well.” William mentioned that he wanted to pay a bar a visit. He hadn’t been there before if he wasn’t mistaken. The name Harrison didn’t ring a bell, but then again, his sense for direction was still unreliable and he might have passed the bar by several times without noticing. “Sure thing,” Daniel grinned. “I don’t mind, really. Drag me wherever you want.” William already knew that he was more of a follower than a leader when it came to going outside. In fact, he enjoyed just being with people, spending time, doing whatever. He would go bowling too even if he was bad at it. Accompanying someone he liked was always worth it, it didn’t matter what, where or when.

 

He pushed open the right side of the double door wide enough for the both of them to go through and took a deep breath. His shoulders lifted and sunk down again as he released some of his built-up stress. “You talk like you know that bar well,” he pointed out, turning his head to look up to the blonde. “Do you go there often?” He adjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder and slid one hand into the pocket of his trousers. There weren’t places he visited often anymore. Back in the day he had liked to visit that one club in New York, what was it called again? One-Night-Time. ONT for short. Pretty cheesy, but it had been enough for a group of teenagers who were growing into adults. It had been Monique’s favourite club to fish for a few men to keep for a week or two, whilst Tony, an ex-classmate had simply enjoyed the various drinks the club had offered. Daniel personally had had a thing for the music there because the DJ had always mixed 70’s, 90’s and early 2000’s music. It had been rare to hear Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly and Britney Spears’s Baby Hit Me One More Time in one and the same night back then.

 

Daniel opened the lid of his bag and pulled out a bottle of water, whose top he undid, and took a few sips. The liquid filled him with new energy, at least it felt like it. He sighed satisfied before he put it back in. “In fact, I don’t know where you spend most of your time, I noticed. What’s it that you usually do when you’re off work?”

[-Hideki-]

Raising an eyebrow in question when the other asked him whether capitalism would last if he had to take care of a group of people and hearing that question slowly made a grin tug at one side of his lips and he let out an almost amused laugh. “I was in charge of up to 16.000 people, Daniel. Do you really think leading the employees of a small security company will be an issue for me?” the former Major General asked rhetorically. He had led a whole division. In situations a lot more serious and threatening! Rex was not a charmer, he wouldn’t be able to sell someone anything but he could take responsibility and decide, he could lead and instruct and he had a strategic mind. He wouldn’t have gotten that far had he not been a capable man. Sure he had fallen from grace but that had not been due to a lack of talent or ability.

 

Rex laid his head to the left and then the right, his neck making an unholy cracking noise as he sighed; hearing the other admit he didn’t know much about founding a company himself. “I will figure out about it soon enough.” He stated. “What I do know is that our nation is the best nation to found a business in.” The blond man said, slamming his fist against his hard chest in national pride. This nation and its freedom, including the freedom of the market and the economy, to have it easy to open up a business, was what he had fought for, what he had dedicate his life to protect and even if he couldn’t do it as a soldier anymore, he’d contribute in another way now. A path that was still open for him. “It will start out small and I’ll gradually expand if it works well. You shouldn’t imagine it starting out as a large enterprise already.” He remarked feeling a lot calmer at this point then when the other had originally asked him all those things.

 

 

As they were hitting the road again and Rex was heading into the direction of Harrison’s bar, the other man told him that he had mixed feelings about the interview, that the man had asked him weird questions, that the guy had been hard to read and that he’d know in two weeks. “What weird questions did he ask?” Hutson wanted to know feeling like ‘weird questions’ could translate to ‘inappropriate private questions’ and thus would speak against starting to work at that place. “Regardless, you shouldn’t wait those two weeks but continue your search.” The blond told the other man what he thought about this. Two weeks. Sounded too long anyway. Who needed that long after an interview to decide whether he’d consider the person or not. Then again Rex had never had a serious job interview before. His career had been laid out when his parents had send him to military school, later then military academy and he only had to enlist then. And after he had been discharged, the people at the patrol station had been desperate to get someone for their nightshift and had almost thrown the job at him, that shady club had already been convinced to hire him as a security guard due to his appearance and that brothel…. Well, wasn’t worth mentioning.

 

The other was on board immediately when he had asked him if it was fine with him to accompany him to Harrison’s bar before they got to the second interview and the other emphasised how he was a follower once more, stating that he could feel free to drag him everywhere and he couldn’t help but to find that attitude a little careless. “If that’s your general stand you should think about it again. Blindly following isn’t wise. If you let everyone drag you wherever they want, they might drag you to hell.” His bass voice sounded. “There is a lot of scum out there after all.” He added as he was continuing their way to the bar.

 

It didn’t stay silent for long because Daniel figured he knew the place well and wanted to know if he went to that bar often. “Almost daily.” He answered what was true. He usually went to Harrison’s and met up with Roger and David before work. They were some of the regulars. Not those who basically were the bars inventory though, as they entered when it opened and left when it closed. Upon hearing that the other didn’t know what he did when he wasn’t working, asking him exactly that the blond shrugged. “There is no need to bring your private life to work. It doesn’t belong there anyway. I wish Peter would get that.” before he added. “Since we aren’t at work though, I go to the gym and hang at Harrison’s.” Rex let the other know continuing his way. From the other man he knew that he wasn’t getting out often or rather at all. That had gotten clear by the conversation they had had before.

 

It didn’t take long and they arrived at Harrison’s bar. Rex held the heavy door open for the other before he stepped in afterwards; entering the western style bar with the confederate flag on the counter and the outlines of the owner’s home state, which was Rex’s too, hanging as artwork on the wall. Old man Harrison was polishing a glass standing behind the counter while his granddaughter was dancing to the country song that was playing, the costumers who were always there sitting where they always sat, drinking. And then there was another old man sitting on a table at the corner, his big belly almost making his shirt blast, a cross around his neck, his head on the plate of the table, sleeping in front of a pile of pork that had been deep fried because Harrison deep frying everything was the cuisine at his bar. Other than that it was too early to be crowded.

 

“Harrison!” Rex exclaimed, walking over to the counter and the old man with the age marked skin smiled at him, taking Rex’s reached out hand for one firm shake. “Are the others coming too? How is our diva doing eh?” the old man jested and got a smirk from the security guard. “I actually don’t know, I am on the run anyway. Just gotta ask you something.” he stated and then went over to the second question. “As far as Roger goes, he should be good. I threw all of his alcohol into the trash and I got him a babysitter. He seemed alright when we just spoke.” The bar owner nodded. “You wanted to ask me something?” he got back to that and Rex nodded. “Yes. I decided to go with the security company idea now. “he wanted to continued but Harrison didn’t let him finish. “It’s about damn time. I told you that’s the best option you got. David is way too uptight about it. I however think he’ll come around though. When the suspension will get permanent and he loses his job for actually doing his job.” The old man said grudgingly and Rex had to cut him off to get away from the unfair treatment of their policemen back to the security company. “The company….” He started. “Yes, how can I help you there? As good as an idea it is I have no experience with security.” The man who was older than Rex’s father stated and the blond nodded another time.

 

“I know.” He told him. “ But you run a business and I need someone for the finances. You must have someone there haven’t you?” he asked and Harrison confirmed that. “Yes. I do. Clifford over there.” He pointed at the fat man as old as himself who was sleeping on the table. Rex looked at Clifford and raised both of his eyebrows. “But I don’t think he can help you.” The bar owner let him know. “Isn’t he trustworthy?” Rex was a little confused and Harrison shook his head. “No. He is the most trustworthy man, believe me. I’d trust Clifford with my life. We grew up together you see, he came over here when I moved. We’re best friends.” he explained but then added. “That’s the only reason I still let him do that.” the man said and the former Major General looked at him. “Why? If he is trustworthy?” the man wanted to know. “He got a little …forgetful you see. The man will be 87 soon.” Harrison answered. “He is not who you need for your company. You need someone young and fancy like those guys from the other side of the bridge.” The bar owner told the blond what he thought and then added. “Someone like Roger’s father! That story is a shame really. I’d never want to fall over with my kids like that.” the old man added thoughtfully.

 

The story of Roger and his father wasn’t a secret. Roger was originally from a well off family. When his wife had left him, he had first moved back in with his parent’s but his condition had been just as bad as it was now. He had drunken, abused his medicine and had been hurt and angry and at one point committed arson. Rex didn’t know what he had burned, Harrison had placed a bet on it having been his wife’s car and the guitar of that hippie and David said it must have been a whole building, at any case, Roger’s father had been furious but fought his son out of the situation, using his connections to get all charges dropped. Despite the threats and being reprimanded Roger had not managed to get better and at a birthday party and fundraiser of his father’s boss, who had insisted the man shall bring his family, Roger had called the fundraiser of the man’s daughter not merely unpatriotic but a disgrace for the nation and had accused her of the subsidisation of terrorist scum, of wishing to destroy their nation from within. When his father’s boss had called him out and said that his daughter was married to one of those people he had called terrorists Roger had not stepped back but forward calling her a traitorous whore. Going on a rant that too many American women were unpatriotic whores these days who were spreading their legs for terrorists and hippy scum while their men were fighting for the freedom they then deliberately decided to shit on by mingling with the enemy! It had killed it. They had been thrown out of the party, Roger’s father no matter how often he had apologised had to find another job and in the end Roger’s father didn’t only throw Roger out, cut all financial help for his son and disowned him, the two men also got into a fight where the young man’s father said quite some incredibly insulting and horrible things to his son. They hadn’t spoken since years by now although Rex and David had urged Roger to speak to his father again, to solve that issue, but Roger was stubborn and so was his father.

 

“What should I do with a fancy, liberal guy to do my finances! I need a dude who fits our team and the cause, who stands behind the idea!” Hutson said and Harrison sighed. “Then I can’t help you.” The man concluded and then looked towards Daniel. “Hello there! Who are you by the way?” he asked and Rex introduced him. “That’s Daniel.” Harrison nodded into Daniel’s direction and then looked at Rex questioningly. “I help him to get a job.” He explained. “Had any success so far young man?” the old bar owner asked the brunette.

 

While Harrison was talking to Daniel the man’s twenty-three years old granddaughter came over to the bar, her heels clicking and her petty-coat swaying. “Pardon me, but I have overheard your conversation with my grandpa and I have an idea and was wondering if it was alright if I contributed to your conversation?” she asked with a sweet smile and a polite, ladylike voice. “Go ahead. I listen.” Rex nodded and he couldn’t help but feel reminded of his mother by that young woman’s posture, the whole way she carried herself and how she talked and pronounced things, how she looked even. But it wasn’t his mother. His mother was a functional alcoholic in secret who was always keeping up the appearance of the perfect happy life, more illusion than reality and was miserable on the inside. Harrison’s granddaughter never seemed to be like that.

 

It wasn’t only Rex who listened though. Harrison was curious if his precious granddaughter would solve the case for them, he’d be so proud, he was always proud of her already, while the drunken man at the counter who belonged to the inventory asked himself how this girl knew anything about finances. “Since a while I go to the gym, you know, the one a few blocks from your gym,” she started and right now the blond couldn’t see where this was supposed to go. “And when I had finished my jazz-dance course, this woman I had never seen there before who had nearly destroyed the punching bag, approached me and introduced herself and said that she was new and we had a really nice conversation and I learned that she was from the other side of the bridge ….” Rex tried to focus, he really tried but it was like with Peter, too much unnecessary information and too long to get to the actual point. “Hold on, is that story in anyway related to my problem?” the security guard asked, trying to not sound too annoyed because it was Harrison’s granddaughter and she actually was a sweetheart.

 

“Yes.” She nodded eagerly. “She said she went to Wharton Business School, got fired from her job at the executive board of a huge corporation due to remarks she made, due to which no one else wants to hire her right now and she was going to that gym instead of her old one to get away from all of that, to not get identified after the media storm had broken loose over her and she could fit your team perfectly.” The woman then said without even taking a breath to keep Rex from losing his focus. “That’s all well and good. But even if that was true, I don’t think that some Wharton graduate who had been part of some executive board wants anything to do with a small, not exactly lucrative job I’d have to offer. Thanks regardless.” Hutson said finding that this was a waste of time, turning around to say his goodbyes and leave together with Daniel again. “Wait!” the woman said and grabbed him by his wrist, realising this she let go rather quickly though, not wanting to appear pushy, that would be indecent she thought. “She was really nice to me. Even gave me her card in case I’d like to have a coffee. Look.” She was getting something out of her purse and pressed the card into Rex’s hand. “She said she’s always at the gym during the afternoon hours. You should at least try.” Harrison’s granddaughter encouraged with a bright smile. “Thank you Amanda.” Rex said with a sigh looking at the card. ‘Dr. Wendy Anderson’ was the name written on it.

[♠[Rin]♠]

“I know,” Daniel smiled. “I didn’t think you were incompetent or anything. Actually, I think you are very ambitious and that will lead you to victory one day.” He crossed his arms as his own words let a bell ring. “Reminds me of Me, myself & I by G-Easy, good song.” Daniel knitted his eyebrows at the cracking sounds coming from William’s neck, but he didn’t comment on it. He had learned that some people did it for relaxation, he himself wasn’t one of them. “You sure will. I don’t know what it’s worth, but I can help you if you need an extra hand.”

 

On their way to the bar William wanted to know what kind of “weird” questions Daniel had been asked by the library owner. “I know that the definition of ‘weird’ is subjective,” the prostitute said, “but I haven’t been asked before whether I preferred KFC over McDonald’s.”

They arrived at the bar, which didn’t look so different from what he had expected. It was a little weird to him, because he had actually expected it to look different than he had expected it to look like. It was a common thought he had been carrying all his life. Almost everything differed from one’s imagination, but in this town, most things were just too normal to be extraordinary. He didn’t consider that good or bad, it was something he liked to be neutral towards. He didn’t know this bar and at this hour it wasn’t full, so there was no way he would know whether it was a good one or not. “Don’t worry about it,” Daniel said when William told him he shouldn’t follow other people blindly. “It sounds dumber than I meant it. I just enjoy spending time with the people I like.”

 

The owner, Harrison, was a friendly guy, at least it seemed that way. He and William talked for a while about the company, apparently his idea was well known among his acquaintances. A few names came up, one of them was Roger’s father and the other was, apparently, the one of the man sleeping at his table. Eventually, they didn’t find a solution for William’s problem, and Harrison turned to ask about Daniel’s identity instead. He returned the greeting nod politely and smiled as he was asked whether he had been successful yet. “I have just started,” he answered truthfully. “It’s been a while, so I am struggling.”

“These days, they don’t have much to offer unless you’ve got a high degree,” the owner said.

“There’s definitely some truth in what you say,” Daniel smiled. “But I won’t give up so quickly.” Of course, the image of having an apartment, a normal day-job and enough money to get by was very appealing. It was thanks to William that he had been able to push himself to finally trying. Yes, living in the brothel wasn’t the worst thing and his work wasn’t either, but it also didn’t bring satisfaction. He didn’t share William’s perception that whores were less worth than the normal human being and he also didn’t agree with Roger on everything, but he was a person who liked compromising. William had become a lot calmer lately which was an appreciated move, while Daniel had certainly tried to see them as friends and nothing more than that. Sure, there was room and William was handsome, but the story he had learnt about his dead lover was a shot to the heart even though it had been a long time ago and he hadn’t had anything to do with it. There was no way he would ever be able to understand how William must have felt and that was fine to him, because he really didn’t want to know. He wasn’t as tough as the blonde, at least in his opinion, and he didn’t think he would have gotten out of such an experience completely sane. Maybe William wasn’t completely sane, that was nothing he would know, and also nothing he would ask, though at least when it came to handling the daily life, William succeeded in taking care of himself and others. That, too, was a very attractive feature. He had listed the other before what he liked about him and the list was expanding. It was one-sided, but that was fine.

 

A girl came to talk to William and ended up handing him a business card. He looked sceptical, though that didn’t mean a lot because the blonde was usually either sceptical or uninterested. “What did she say? What’s with the gym in the afternoon hours?” Daniel asked curiously. He was always interested in seeing other people’s progress.

[-Hideki-]

There was a rather cynic grin tugging on Rex’s lips when the other stated that his ambition would lead him to victory one day. The blond man didn’t think of himself as overly ambitious, at least not in the sense that it usually was connoted. He didn’t care for getting rich or famous. That meant literally nothing to him. He did what he did out of conviction; his values were what motivated him, what created the urge to be useful and to get up again, that caused his ambition and determination. And victory? Could he still truly gain that? Even if he triumphed in the end? Hadn’t he already suffered his fatal defeat and was now more like a shadow striving for justice before he could rest? The confidence with which the other declared that though made it amusing to him. The amusement on his face was turned into a questioning look though when the other man mentioned a song he apparently reminded him off that Hutson had never heard of. “Never heard of it.” The security man said. “Is that some of this hip hop or Rn’B trash? That’s not music. It doesn’t deserve to be called that or to stand next to music in a record store. It’s worse than pop. It should be frowned upon and labelled what it actually is and that’s certainly not art or music.” He said merely because the name of the creator sounded a little like that could be the genre, the one genre he despised the most. He’d rather listen to pop songs for a year than hip hop for an hour and that meant something because he already couldn’t stand pop music. When someone started to rap he wanted to shove a gag ball into their mouth immediately. He just couldn’t stand it at all and deemed it uncivilised and toxic to any decent society.

 

“I appreciate it.” The former military man told the other with a firm nod when Daniel had mentioned that he’d help if his help was needed and he actually did. Maybe it was surprising but it was an upright and honourable gesture for someone who considered himself ones friend to be there and to help out when need be. Rex loathed false friends who only saw their own benefit and were there when the sun shone but left at the smallest shower of rain. When the blue eyes behind the sun glasses peered at the slim brunette male he realised how differently he looked at him and he saw him by now. This man had somehow managed it that he didn’t see a morally corrupted and degenerated whore but a normal person with, yes, a shit ton of weaknesses but also likeable traits in him. And the more time they spend the more the higher the number of likeable traits rose. Daniel, in the past two days, had demonstrated, that he had some will to change in him, that he wasn’t as content with his situation, not proud of what he had become as the blond man had initially interpreted his behaviour as. And if he wanted to get back on track, to become a respectable part of society again the security guard would help him out. Sure, he’d drill him too maybe but it would just be in his best interest.

 

Rex rolled his eyes so hard that he was lucky that they didn’t stay like that when he heard the man say that ‘weird’ was subjective but he didn’t comment on this and just listened to what the other had to say. He was a little dumbfounded when the man told him that the bloke in the library apparently had wanted to know whether he preferred KFC over McDonalds. “You should have said that you’d never eat at either because they are a part of an evil plan by trying to intoxicate the western world and by making our people fat, unhealthy and lazy.” Hutson said, grinning, letting out a snorting laugh. “That’s what Roger would have said and I wonder how the guy would have reacted.” The blond was rather amused at the scenario on his mind, imagining some old weird library owner getting almost yelled at by Roger who held a passionate speech about the conspiracy of fast food chains. He then got more serious again though. “It is weird indeed. I think that guy has a screw loose. You should look for a more reasonable employer.” The former Major General advised.

 

With a shake of Harrisons hand and a nod into the direction of his granddaughter he said his goodbyes and left the bar together with the brunette, looking at that business card. He turned to the shorter male when he inquired on said card and what Amanda had told him. “She apparently got to know a fallen off grace Wharton graduate who had worked for some Corporations executive board in her gym and thinks this person might be what I am looking for.” The blond said. “Even if that’s true and that lady is what Amanda said I highly doubt she’ll be interested in working for me.” He expressed and sighed, showing Daniel the card with the name on it. “But since Harrison’s granddaughter suggested this, I’ll go and look for this woman. Although I doubt anything will come from it.” He stated, pulling out his phone shooting Roger a message to meet him in front of that gym in the afternoon. “If you want you can come along too.” He offered while texting Roger whom he had offered he’d employ and include in the building up of the business if he was to actually do it under the condition that raging Roger stopped drinking completely and wouldn’t abuse his medication anymore, otherwise he’d be out sooner than he could count to ten. And Roger, who’s biggest wish was to be useful and needed and have a purpose again had said yes to all of that. He’d call everyone a fascist who tried to argue he shall not do that but if he actually got a perspective other than another painful and wasteful day he was willing to quit his unhealthy behaviour on his own. Rex had too told the man he needed to be polite to the costumers and should not yell at them or lash out, the young man had said amen to that too but this Hutson wasn’t so sure the other would actually be able to handle.

 

“So where is that club you’ve got the next interview at?” the blond man asked, still standing in front of Harrison’s. “And regardless if you get the job or not we have to have you move out of that brothel. Staying and living there after your shift isn’t helpful.” He added, thinking of whether the owner of the apartment building he lived in would immediately let Daniel move in after ICE would get them and send them back to where the hell they had crawled out of, the rent for that month he had gotten from those illegals after all. While he was thinking a broad middle aged man, shorter but older than Rex, with a red beard was walking towards the bar. “David!” Rex exclaimed surprised because the other had not written anything in response to him still. The man looked up into his face and shook his head. “Do you really want to do that? I don’t think you should. A normal security company, alright but this idea of yours is madness even if Roger is all for it, or maybe that is an indicator for it being madness. You and Roger, you need professional help, both of you!” the suspended policeman who looked like he hadn’t slept for a second that night said to him, then he sighed. “Well, at least you took my advice and moved on, going on a date again.” he nodded into Daniel’s direction and Rex opened his mouth but didn’t get to say anything because the man addressed Daniel. “I’m David. If you bear with him, we probably get to talk sometime. But now I need a drink, I just permanently lost my job.” David said and rubbed his eyes that were hurting because he had not slept. “Shit, man, wait!” Rex got rather concerned but David already disappeared in the bar.

[♠[Rin]♠]

“Hm.” Daniel leaned in to study the business card William presented him. “But it sounds like a good idea. You won’t know if she’d like to work for you if you don’t try.” It was needless to say that because the blonde had already decided to check the gym for this Amanda anyway due to the simple fact that the girl who had given him this card was a friend’s granddaughter. Come to think of it, William’s social branches spread into various directions, yet it all led back to him somehow. All those people who knew him or whom he knew were different in personality and behaviour, but he managed to keep them close regardless. Daniel had always considered such a phenomenon a born talent. Keeping up friendships with people who differed in a myriad of aspects was complicated, at least he thought so. He himself hadn’t ever made that experience because he hadn’t had more than two close friends who had shared a number of hobbies and interests. Maybe patience and dedication were the key to keeping in touch with several people, but he couldn’t say for sure. There wasn’t a specific person at the brothel he was particularly close with because he hadn’t seen the need to form an everlasting friendship. He got along well with most people and he didn’t seem to appear unlikable to strangers, but that was about it. He knew that friendship was deeper than that. Politeness and kindness didn’t suffice.

 

William offered him to come along to the gym later whereat Daniel took a moment to mentally check if he would be able to come up with the energy needed. Though, it was quite the useless move because it was habit to go along with the ideas other people had, thus it was easy to agree. “Sure. I don’t think I’ve seen the gym’s inside before, that ought to be interesting. I assume you go there regularly?” It was hard to miss that William was well-built and trained. It was possible that he didn’t train on a regular basis but just by looking at him it was a thought that had swiftly hit Daniel’s head.

 

“It’s farther down the road, we need to pass the library again” he then answered, pointing down the street. “I think it’s a ten minutes’ walk or so from here. But don’t rely on that time measurement because my sense of direction is actually really bad.”

Before they could even move on though, another acquaintance of William’s approached them. His name was David, apparently. William greeted him heartily, but David didn’t look too good. Daniel furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement upon noticing the lack of sleep on the man’s face. He told William that he wasn’t fond of the idea for the company he was planning to found and that a normal security company would suffice. Nevertheless, he expressed faint happiness in seeing William moving on, tearing the conversation towards Daniel whom he considered the blonde’s date. It was still a surprise to Daniel that people just acknowledged him as someone closer than a friend to William right off the bat without asking first, which didn’t make him mad, nor did it make him glad, but it reminded him of how different he and Sebastian were. Of course, he wouldn’t mind going on a date with William, but that thought was rather selfish considering the sad ending William’s last relationship had had and that he was facing problems with moving on; needless to say that egoistic moves didn’t fit Daniel’s personality anymore since he had been taught better. At most, his conscience left a painful bite in his chest.

 

David introduced himself to Daniel, but it was kept short because he was in the need for a drink and the reason why followed instantly. Without another word David vanished into the bar. William called after him, but there wasn’t an answer coming back. Daniel worriedly looked over his shoulder towards the closing door of the bar. He didn’t know that man but seeing him so worn down was making him sad as well. He lifted his gaze to look up towards William. “You can go after him if you want to. I’ll meet you here again after the interview, okay?” he offered. He didn’t know if David knew Harrison as well or was meeting anyone else at the bar or if he was going to sit there alone, but the thought of taking William along when one of his other friends needed him more left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

[-Hideki-]

With a deep frown on his hard features Rex stared at the door one of his closest friends had just disappeared through without looking back at him and without answering him. It wasn’t like David losing his job for good was surprising to Rex. It had been inevitable although the man had just done his job. The protests, the violence of the protestors and the media attention to this whole incident had become way too intense for the police force to keep him. Actually the red head could consider himself lucky because he had just lost his job and hasn’t wrongfully gotten convicted back then. But he knew that to the former policeman it came as a shock. He had, till the end, believed that it’d all turn out alright. That this was a raging storm after which sunshine would follow. That reason would prevail. But reason had long been stabbed in the chest thirty times in a row and left to die bleeding on the floor. They lived in the age of madness, big theatre and drama, where the loudest and the most radical voices were the once heard!

 

“No.” Rex shook his head when the other suggested going to that club and the interview alone. “It’s obvious that he doesn’t want to talk to me right now.” the blond said. “He probably won’t say a word to anyone, just sit there, drink and think until he’ll go home. I know him.” The security man stated. “And I know that situation.” He added. Shit Rex had wanted to be alone as well when he had lost everything. The last thing he had wanted to do was to talk about it. And they probably wouldn’t talk about this much either. At least not right now. It was too fresh. David would need to process that he had been wronged and maybe he started to see Rex’s point and even if he wasn’t to come around like Harrison had said, not judge that he wanted to establish a paramilitary unit of vigilants in the shadows of his business. And maybe, well, maybe he the other would stick to his opinion that this was wrong and disapprove regardless.

 

“Let’s go.” He nodded into the direction they needed to go, silence between them for a while until the blond spoke. “He was a policeman.” Hutson told the other. “A decent one. Good guy.” He added. “Some thug was waving around a gun, threatening, he shot him to protect others people’s and his own life. The guy died. It turned out to have been a toy gun. Everyone went apeshit, called him a racist and he got suspended and had to move due to death threats towards him and his family.” The former Major General said, eyeing Daniel closely from the side, studying what happened on his face.

 

Proceeding on their way, the atmosphere felt kind of thick and dark by now, Rex jumped onto something the other male had asked before. “I go to the gym regularly. But to the one on the other side on the road, not the one Amanda goes to.” The blond told him. “It’s not that I’d like the gym and those steroid junkies who think they’re strong and tough because they look pumped but wouldn’t stand a chance in combat.” The blond said and his eyebrows narrowed. “But I have to stay healthy and fit somehow. And that’s what you gotta do I suppose.” He told him. The man had known that he had to find some way to stay trained as a citizen and this had been the only option he had seen, it was the most obvious one anyway.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Daniel watched the door of the bar for a minute until his gaze skipped back to William, who looked irritated for a moment. He refused to accept Daniel’s offer and explained that neither would David talk nor would he want to talk to anyone and that he knew what the felt like. Daniel could imagine, even though he didn’t know William’s story. He realized that he had slowly forgotten about it. Being with the other was enough apparently, it had somehow soothed his curiosity. “Okay,” he agreed and followed the security guard along the pavement. There was an uncomfortable silence lingering between them until the blonde decided to explain the case to Daniel. The prostitute narrowed his eyebrows in a thoughtful yet slightly worried manner. Obviously, he wasn’t someone who usually went against rules, especially when it came to the law. He was quick to step back and submit to specific demands, thus the story caused an uncomfortable pressure in his chest. He fully understood the frustration behind the event and that it had been a misunderstanding, but he didn’t see himself in the position to judge it nonetheless, let alone get angry about it. Anger wouldn’t solve the problem David had. Maybe he was focussing too much on the single individual instead of the situational context, though that seemed to be another liberalistic feature Daniel had. Hence, there was hardly anything he could say as a response. He wished David the best, but that sounded painfully simple-minded compared to what William had told him. People who did good deserved happiness in their life, in Daniel’s opinion, though why did he feel like if he said that it would trigger another political discussion?

 

Eventually, Daniel remained indecisive. “This sounds a little minimalistic, but I hope he’ll get better and that something he considers good happens to him.” William then told him that he did go to the gym on a regular basis, though he visited the gym on the other side of the bridge. The woman whose business card he had been given apparently went to the gym located on this side. Daniel felt relieved because of the change of topic. “What about cooking?” he asked. “Working out isn’t everything. You could simply eat healthy and keep your figure for as long as possible. You would have to cut beer and put alcohol to a minimum, but otherwise it’s not that hard.”

 

They reached the club after another ten minutes. A pale, slim girl with shoulder-length, straight, brunette hair was standing outside, holding a cigarette in between her index and middle fingers. She was dressed in a leopard-patterned crop top and high-waist jeans shorts which went well with the black ankle boots. She was blowing out the smoke the moment she noticed the two figures approaching the club. Her azure blue eyes framed by thick coats of kohl liner and mascara stuck to William and Daniel upon noticing that the duo slowed down as they were coming near the entrance. At first, her delicate eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Hey, we’re closed until five pm.” However, as she looked the duo up and down, she seemed to remember something. “Oh. Are you the guy who’s got an interview here?” she asked Daniel. Her eyes skipped over to William. “Got a bodyguard with you? We won’t kill you and bury you somewhere in the forest, don’t worry.”

“Sounds promising,” Daniel chuckled. The girl grinned. “At least you’ve got humour. And who’s this?” The girl pointed towards William, before she took another deep pull on her cigarette. “You wanna come in, too? You don’t look like someone who’s here for business. Could offer you a glass of whiskey, if you’re up for it. Got a new row of bottles this morning and a whole shitload of boredom.”

She finished the cigarette and stubbed it on a metallic ash tray fastened on the outside of the club’s window. Then she fished out a wad of keys and unlocked the door.

 

The club didn’t look like a place to party in the bright daylight. The floor was covered with black tiles, the walls were painted in a light brown tone and the ceiling was entirely black as well, which made the room look smaller. Tall, orange lamps were hanging down from the ceiling. The bar counter stretched along the wall on the opposite side of the door. It was made of wood and had a few high chairs fastened on the ground in front of it. Wide shelves filled with different alcoholic bottles were located behind it. On the left side were a few tables with chairs that had space for seven people. On the left side there was a DJ counter surrounded by beat boxes and colourful lights which were turned off right now.

The girl pointed to the door right next to the bar. “What time did you agree on for the interview?”

“Twelve,” Daniel responded.

She pulled out her phone and checked the time. “You’re early, but nobody’s here anyway. Go through that door and follow the corridor. It’s the second door on the right.”

“Thank you.” Daniel nodded, then smiled up to William. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Saying this, the brunette passed the girl by and went through the door.

“Alright, Mr. Smith,” the girl said, walking behind the counter and crossing her arms on the dark wooden surface. A grin formed on her lips. “What would you like?”

[-Hideki-]

Upon learning David’s story Daniel appeared deep in thought to the security guard for a moment and thus the response was rather surprising and actually disappointing. “Minimalistic?” he didn’t quite understand how the other meant that. “That’s what I’d call your answer but not that situation.” He expressed clearly not quite sure what to make or to think of that standpoint that was none.

 

The other however seemed to have an opinion on Rex’s visits to the gym almost every day and what the blond man had said about the gym and what the other man suggested amused him and made him grin at the brunette man. “I can’t cook.” He told him and that was most certainly true. “My mother always said I’d find a decent woman and she’d cook good meals for me everyday... She also chased me out of the kitchen. Not only me though, my dad too.” the blond added still grinning thinking about this ‘And look how that turned out...’ he thought.

 

“Even if I could cook....” what was pretty farfetched, “This is not about keeping my figure. I don’t care as much about my figure and looks as you apparently think. It’s about health, vitality, strength. And you won’t built muscle and keep muscle from food alone. You won’t get stamina from food alone. You have to exercise.” He told Daniel. “But we already know that you’re all about keeping your facade polished.” He couldn’t help but to say this since he remembered their conversation where the other had told him that he had been on a strict diet to stay slim.

 

After some more minutes of walk they arrived at the club, a woman who was dressed in a way and pulled off an attitude that Rex’s lady mother would have found incredibly indecent would have never approved of. Looking at that young woman he could almost hear his mother’s rants about how women these days dressed like whores and behaved like ungodly sluts. How they were poor caricatures of womanhood and degraded themselves that this was not how a lady, a decent woman should act and be.

 

The blond man remembered it well. He had driven his mother to the market and she had seen a group of women Rex’s age - back then young women in their twenties - and she had been irritated again. About the short skirts and the cleavage, offended by the sight, grabbing Rex’s lower arm pointing out that their boobs were about to fall out and that she could see the nipples. It had been quite entertaining to the former soldier.

 

Even when his mother had looked at him worriedly and had clung onto his arm telling him to promise her he’d not bring such a woman home to her to marry and that he shall get himself a decent, proper, protestant Christian woman who was fit to be the mother of her grandkids. And the blond had assured her, promised her he’d not bring such a girl home and that they weren’t his type and he wasn’t a fan of falling out tits. His mother had been relieved and it had been the truth too. Just that Rex generally didn’t like tits and his type were, well, men!

 

The woman now actually seemed to remember who they were although she stayed rather sassy. When she assumed – more or less correctly – that the blond was the other’s bodyguard he was tempted to jestingly say ‘No we’re dating’ for a moment because that had been what everyone else until now had taken the freedom to assume but he didn’t say anything, just nodded when she invited him inside as well following Daniel and that woman.

 

The club was nothing special. He had seen worse and better but in the end it didn’t matter because he just didn’t like clubs to begin with. “Good luck.” He told Daniel before the other man disappeared and he was left with that woman.

 

Raising an eyebrow when she referred to him as ‘Mr.Smith’ for whatever reason she had to do so and no clue as to why he apparently was supposed to find this funny, he sat down at the bar, his blue eyes scanning her when she asked him what he wanted. “Give me that whisky.Thanks.” He told her in his deep bass voice shrugging his shoulders, examining her.

[♠[Rin]♠]

“Yes, I meant my answer, not the situation,” Daniel responded. They switched over to the lighter topic, whereat William grinned as he told the brunette he couldn’t cook. “Oh,” the prostitute said, then he chuckled. He hadn’t taken that into consideration. “I can cook averagely. I can teach you.” William told him that it wasn’t about his looks but stamina and muscles, probably strength too. He also let him know that he assumed Daniel saw the appearance of a body as a prior factor, which he couldn’t deny. “True. Gotta admit that. But you know, I’ve heard that a sixpack isn’t happening when you aren’t on the right diet! But, I don’t want to change you anyway, so I am not being entirely serious here.” He didn’t mind what William looked like. Of course, he was handsome, but he appreciated many aspects of his personality as well and a trained body or a slight potbelly didn’t weigh as much as personality traits. Appearance was part of the whole package and there were indeed limits, though at the end of the day, Daniel had settled down to the idea of having someone to be with and feel comfortable and loved.

 

William didn’t seem to react either positively or negatively at the girl greeting them. He wished the brunette good luck when he left for the interview, which Daniel responded to with a smile. “Thanks.” After he had left, the brunette girl was left alone with the security guard. “Coming right up,” she said as he chose the whiskey. She turned around to grab the right bottle and the corresponding glass, put three ice cubes in it and then filled one third of the glass with the golden-brownish liquid. “Enjoy. It’s on the house.” She set the glass right in front of the man. “Let me know if it’s good.” Apparently, she followed a specific stereotype of a bartender, or maybe it wasn’t a stereotype at all; she took a few steps to the side and started to organize some glasses on the lower counter underneath the wooden one which she was taking out of boxes standing on the ground. Silence lingered in the room aside from the faint noises the glasses made when being set on the counter surface. The girl let William sit there in peace, though she seemed open to any conversation anytime.

 

Almost fifty minutes passed until Daniel finally returned. He opened the door to the club hall, stepped in and closed it softly behind himself. Tiredness was obviously tearing on him, but he didn’t seem to mind it too much. With a relieving sigh he accompanied William at the counter. “Hey. I am done here. We can go now if you want.”

The girl behind the counter looked up when Daniel’s gaze met hers and a grin formed on her lips. “We’ll see if you return.”

The prostitute laughed lowly. “I guess so.” His eyes quickly skipped back to the security guard. “I was told I am going to receive an answer next week. Are there any other places aside from the gym you might want to go to?” Now that he was already outside, and having dragged William along, he felt like the security deserved something in return. Maybe he would just offer him a massage or a cooked meal again. He couldn’t read William well, he wasn’t sure what the blonde liked or disliked, and Daniel was someone who was fond of giving something back.

[-Hideki-]

Rex grinned when the brunette man admitted that he was about the looks adding to it that he had heard that a six pack wasn’t happening if one wasn’t on a proper diet. The blond man knew that. And the hilarious truth was that he had always had defined abs without even trying to achieve them. It had been a natural occurrence of his life-style since a really young age. Admittedly his diet nowadays wasn’t good in the sense of balanced but it didn’t make his body harbour fat tissue which would hide his muscle. “True. Whether the abs are visible or not depends on the body fat percentage. So you gotta have a diet that is low in fat and carbohydrates.” The blond pointed out amused. “Since I basically live on protein bars, protein drinks and eggs and the occasional trash foods because one doesn’t have to cook for those my muscle are visible.” The security man said although Daniel should know this as he had seen him shirtless that one night in the motel. Unlike David’s! David had decent muscles and was strong as hell but he also ate a lot of heavy dishes his wife cooked for him and that he now that his wife had temporarily left to hide from left-wing and identitarian terrorist groups he was either eating out or calling the delivery guy and thus had a higher body fat percentage and looked in combination with the muscle extremely bulky. It further amused him how the shorter one told him that he liked him the way he was and wasn’t trying to change him. “Lucky me!” He said in a jesting tone of voice finding that whole conversation rather amusing.

 

In the club he took a seat at the counter and observed the young woman in the revealing attire pouring him the whisky. “Thanks.” He muttered when the woman handed him the glass on the house and the former military man took it down in one gulp. “It’s good.” He stated putting the glass back on the counter, his blue eyes behind the sun glasses taking in the club. It was small and plain compared to the one that had hired him after the petrol assistant debacle which had turned out to be a cesspool of drugs, full intoxications, hook-ups and prostitution and illegal activities which Rex had hence reported to the police. His eyes narrowed as he was watching around the hall. He couldn’t tell what type of club this was, what clientele they had and what would be going on when it was crowded at night. However if it was a club similar to the one he had worked in it would not help Daniel out of the garbage, it might as well make him go down another spiral to the bottom of society.

 

“What kind of club is that? Does it have a theme?” he asked the woman in a serious, hard tone of voice that sounded like an interrogation. “What kind of people are primarily celebrating here? What is the average age? The target demographic?” he demanded to know. “What is your policy on illegal drugs?” Rex wanted to know his icy eyes scrutinising her from head to toe.

 

It took a long time until the brunette returned. Suspiciously long for an interview for such a job. The former soldier however nodded when the other man returned to the bar with a tired but relieved expression on his face, telling him that they could go. Hutson stood from his seat and said “Bye.” To the woman behind the bar and he stepped outside with Daniel who asked him if he wanted to go somewhere else prior to the gym Amanda was going to where they were supposed to meat that Dr. Wendy Anderson. “No.” he answered the other man. “I want to go to the gym first and get that over with.” He told him walking next to the brunette, eying him from the side.

 

“What impression did you get of that club?” he wanted to know. “Do you think it’s decent?” he asked. “Have you talked to the owner? Does he seem like a law abiding citizen?” it at this point shone through that he was concerned. Concerned about what the other would get into would he work there. Daniel would certainly not be hired as a security guard and the club that Rex had worked for had shown him enough also in regards for the people working for it. It had been a disaster from a moral and legal standpoint. Shady, sleazy and that was exactly what they were trying to get the prostitute out of. Rex for one didn’t trust that club. Maybe due to the way this woman had dressed or because he didn’t like clubs, clubbers and the whole atmosphere surrounding them in addition to his experiences working for one!

[♠[Rin]♠]

The barkeeper rose a delicate eyebrow at the question, clearly not having expected some kind of interrogation in an empty club in the middle of the day. Eventually, though, she didn’t seem reluctant to give simple answers. “It’s a little hard to say,” she truthfully told him. “Do you know the bar around the corner thirty metres down the street? It was originally our competitor, more or less, we opened ten years ago. The bar, on the other hand, has been here since, I think, 1997. Anyway, when we opened, their costumers would sometimes check out our offers, but the years passed and people grew out of loud and modern music. Long story, almost no sense: The customer range split; the older people are going to the bar and the teenagers and young adults come here. It’s died a little down, though, because we’ve had a few problems with teenagers sneaking alcohol in here, given that we sell alcohol at the age of 21. It just varies who’s coming here and the theme is, as you said it yourself, pretty plain and hard to get. Our DJ gets to choose what he plays, so we can’t have a strong single appearance.” She put a clean glass back underneath the counter and nodded towards a sign that was fastened to the wall in between the back counter and the rows of bottles and glasses above. It read simple sentences which covered the law, forbidding drug consumption, violence, theft, and so on. “At least not inside,” she added, however. “Drugs are mostly consumed outside in front of the club. Our security is having a hard time keeping it under control, but at least when we catch someone trafficking here inside, the police gets informed. Doesn’t mean it works all the time, and the cops have gotten pretty tired of coming here, but hey, a job is a job. In fact, the major problems aren’t meth, LSD or cocaine, it’s the drugs some adults try putting in the drinks of teenagers. You’d think a security camera’s a great invention, but in a club filled with people, it’s more of a burden than an advantage.”

 

After Daniel and William left the club, Daniel asked the security guard whether he wanted to go somewhere else, but William declined, which meant that they had a bit of free time before the woman he wanted to meet would be there. Also, Daniel was instantly bombarded with a few questions he had somehow expected, but at the same time he hadn’t. The taller man hadn’t been so interested in the library. The term ‘law-abiding’ made it clear why instantly. He could see that a club was a potential place for various illegal practises, though he didn’t have any experience with it. The clubs he had gone to as a teenager and adult had been almost luxurious and therefore either unofficially trafficking without the police knowing it or as clean as an opera hall. “I am not so good at judging places,” Daniel admitted. “The owner was polite and friendly, but we didn’t talk about the law per se, just about the club’s rules. Can’t say if the club is really all clean.” He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and gently crossed his arms in front of his chest. “It’s a new day, I could get a different newspaper brand and check the job offers there.”

 

Although he appreciated the concerns William had, Daniel was indeed still insecure and by far not stress-resistant when it came to pushing himself towards things he hadn’t done before. During his popstar career he too had had to work with stress tearing on him, but back then he had at least known how to do what he had to do. Right now, he was wandering around, searching for something he could do or learn, and within this dysbalanced state, torn between a job he was doing for a minimum wage and searching for a decent job, he was unsure what to do. He was well-aware that he had to sell himself to an employer, but if he reduced his persona to a list of talents, there wasn’t much to show, because he hadn’t discovered any other talents throughout his life. He could compose, write, rhyme, sing, play the guitar, the drum, the piano, the flute, dance – but what else was there? Accounting? He didn’t have a licence as an accountant. Cook? Not that well. There were several jobs that required a college degree which he didn’t have either.

 

As he tried to get that topic out of head, a random question hit Daniel’s mind instead. He turned his head to look back up at William with a smile. “I know you said you don’t cook and I guess you warm up most of your food, but do you eat sweets as well? I once tried baking and it was quite the fun, but I’ve never had anyone who wanted to eat all that.”

[-Hideki-]

What he had learned about the club from the young woman actually served the purpose of deconstructing some of his worries and concerns. From what was described to him it didn’t compare to the club he had worked for and it had a different target demographic as well. The club he had worked for hadn’t allowed anyone under the age of 21 to enter and they hadn’t tried to decrease drug abused but the owner was actually part of the drug mafia. For what it was worth the people in this club at least tried to keep it clean. That didn’t mean that Rex wasn’t irritated by the fact that they apparently didn’t manage to prevent any illegal business from going on in front of the club nor that the police had given up on the club and the area. It wasn’t surprising though. The police in the entire district had gotten cynical as they were fighting against windmills.

 

All of what he heard only encouraged Rex in wanting to bring back law and order into the district, to set up a paramilitary patrol that’d make happen what the police couldn’t and wasn’t allowed to do. The blond didn’t only have a strong sense of discipline he had always been in favour of law and order too. Sebastian had been the one to balance him out when the measures he advocated for got too invasive. The man would always cock his head to the side, raise an eyebrow and click his tongue on him going “Nah! I wouldn’t want that and you wouldn’t either.” What would he say about his security company and the patrol ideas? Rex didn’t know and Rex would never know because Sebastian had been taken from him. His checks and balances were raging Roger, David , old man Harrison and … he looked to the side….maybe this man, this whore, this obscenely liberal whore whom he had grown to feel protective about would become one also. Urgh, he was already protective about him, he’d rather not admit that ever, then again he probably didn’t do a good job hiding it. He never did when he got protective.

 

“Hm.” He grumbled when Daniel responded to his questions telling him that the owner had seemed polite, that they had talked the clubs rules, probably containing those the lady behind the counter had shown the former soldier, but that he couldn’t say it was entirely clean. “It’s not. They admitted they can’t stomp down all shady activities.” Rex told him. “Other than that seems to be fairly regular though.” the blond stated. “Unlike the one I worked for before I ended up protecting whores.” He informed him. “Nonetheless, buying the new newspaper looking what else is up would be a better option. Or…” the blond paused. “…you reconsider joining my project. You’d know that there’d only be upright, decent, functional people there…. And Roger… but deep down underneath the tin-foil hat facade … you know.” Hutson assured. Yes, this way he could bring the former singer back in line best.

 

As they walked through the dirty, damaged streets of the district, looked into the blank, drained expressions of the people, passed some thugs which the security man would have already liked to arrest because they were standing around looking suspicious and he was certain that if they searched they’d get aware of illegal activities of every single one of them, the brunette suddenly got back to the topic of cooking.

 

Rather confused he looked at him when he was asked whether he ate sweets too before being told that Daniel apparently liked to bake but had never found someone to eat what he’d bake. “If the people you were acquainted with all were like you, it’s no wonder. Considering that you told me that you’d not even dare to eat a slice of your favourite cake in fear of your bones not sticking through your skin anymore.” He commented and then shook his head. “But no, as I have told you before, I don’t have a sweet-tooth.” Rex let him know again. “If you’d bake something that wasn’t disgustingly sweet or that was savoury and salty, you could test your baking skills on me though.” The security man let him know with a slight hint of a smile.

 

It didn’t take too long and they arrived at Rex’s gym. “That’s my gym.” He said pointing at it and then he nodded towards the other side of the street. “That’s Amandas.” He said not quite understanding why those two cheap gyms were located nearly door to door. The atmosphere was supposedly different, or so he had heard. The one Amanda was going to was catering to female clients more as well while his gym, well, did not. They crossed the streets and in front of the entrance they could see Roger already waiting for them. “There you are? What took you so long? Did your girlfriend didn’t know what to wear? Got her period?” the man who was wearing the cowboy hat Rex had bought him said, grinning into Daniels face cheekily. And although he was as perky as always he seemed in a weirdly good mood. As though he had won the lottery, twice!

 

And as Rex examined him he could see a red sucking mark on the man’s scarred skin on his neck and now it was Rex who grinned what confused Roger. “You apparently had a good time with Kathrin. So much for her being a Chinese spy! You can thank me later.” He commented and blood shot up into raging Roger’s face colouring his scars weirdly. “What? No? Ming Ming was a hassle! She’s annoying and obnoxious and weird. And she is Vietnamese and not Chinese.” He stuttered. “Didn’t you say that it was all the same?” Rex made himself a fun out of it. “NO…What I meant was … I…. Shut up, you’re … a fag and your new boyfriend’s a hooker! That’s worse than sleeping with a Chinese… I mean Vietnamese!” Roger yelled and disappeared through the door in the gym blabbering something about who that Wendy chick was supposed to be and that it was probably a total waste of time while Rex couldn’t hold back a chuckle holding the door open for Daniel amused.

[♠[Rin]♠]

“That’s true,” Daniel answered as Rex offered him to work for him and for his company. That was an offer he wouldn’t like to decline, seeing as he trusted the blonde, but there was also something about it that gave him a hard time coming to terms with this idea. “I will gladly help you, but I feel like it’s an easy way, you know? Not that your plans are minor or that I don’t like them, I just think it would be another time in my life where I choose the easy path. If you don’t mind, I’d like to see what happens first and help you out whenever you need it.” Despite his age, Daniel still appeared to have a lot of insecurities and his self-esteem seemed to have decreased over the years after his career had ended so tragically. At this point, he was curious to see what he was still worth. He had smile however when Rex brought up that there would only be upright and decent people working with him. “I know,” Daniel said. “You’ll only get the best.” When Roger came up, the brunette shrugged his shoulders. “Roger is Roger. I take people as they are.” He didn’t see a deep friendship with Rex’s friend for himself, but that wasn’t the point. He would always be polite to others and because he wasn’t easy to provoke, he easily remained calm and collected. There wasn’t an overwhelming sense to defend himself or his reputation when other people spoke to him, he simply didn’t feel the need to. Those who liked him would stick around eventually and he would give them his everything in exchange. Friendship wasn’t for free, after all. It was about compromise and empathy.

 

Daniel jokingly put on a shocked expression when Rex spoke about his obsession with staying at a decent weight. “Are you calling me anorexic?” he asked, smiling. “Maybe I’ll find something less sweet. What about carrot cakes?” They made their way to the gym where Roger was already waiting for them. He was still wearing the hat Rex had bought him, which gave him a slightly childish look, but on the other hand it looked funny in a positive way. He was a free spirit for sure. Instantly, the man raged about them both being late and came up with various insulting excuses for them as to why. He looked Daniel straight in the face when he asked Rex if his ‘girlfriend’ had gotten her period, and the brunette narrowed his eyebrows, unsure as to how to answer. That was a topic he hadn’t ever gathered much information about, he didn’t know more than what he had learned in school, so there wasn’t a good come-back at hand. It wasn’t needed anyway, Rex instantly changed the topic to Roger having had a good time with Kathrin, who denied it. Rex found it amusing, he even laughed lightly, while Daniel gave a smile and a shake of his head. He thanked Rex for holding open the door and entered the gym with the men.

 

He didn’t know what he expected. It was a gym and he himself had gone to a private gym for years. Maybe it was that familiar smell or the sounds that triggered the memories he had, though the gym he had visited during his career had of course been bigger, modern, expensive and cleaner. Compared to the brothel, though, this building looked perfectly fine. “Do you know where exactly she could be?” Daniel asked Rex. “Or what she looks like?”

[-Hideki-]

“Amanda said she met her while she was destroying the punshingbag near the hall where the courses take place.” He answered when Daniel wanted to know if he had an idea where she could be and how she looked like. “So I’d say we go and start searching over there.” He suggested walking through the gym ignoring the terrible music that was playing. Not that his gym would play less horrible music. He knew why he always worked out with his headphones on.

 

They didn’t have to search for long as Roger had already found her – he had made damn sure to gather information about her on the internet before appearing at the gym – and was now hiding behind a post as though he was a creepy stalker. “What the hell are you doing.” Rex commented passing his friend straight away who mumbled something but followed along.

 

Wendy Anderson was tall for a woman, about as tall as Danial was, and she was ripped. ‘Talking about six-packs’ Rex thought since that had been subject of Rex’s and Daniel’s conversation before. The woman in the black sports-bra looked as though she could crush a skull like a nut; her facial features were strict and hard with small grey eyes. And while her hands in the boxing gloves were hitting the punshingbag mercilessly interchangeably with high and fast kicks, the long, peroxide blond hair that she had strictly braided back was swinging behind her, hitting onto her butt with every strike she placed against the leather bag, paying no mind to the other people in the gym.

 

“Dr. Wendy Anderson!” Rex’s deep bass voice sounded, drowning out the terrible pop-music. Hearing her name the woman gave the punshingbag another demonstrative punch, before she stopped it from swinging and turned towards them, swaying the blond braid like a whip, her small eyes scrutinising Rex. “What do you want? If you are from the fucking press you better piss off or I might forget myself!” she hissed at them like a rattle snake, punching her fists together. The frustration with the media she must have bottled up during the weeks of her scandal that had made her lose her job was seeping through her aggressive voice, the nasal wings of her small, thin nose expanding as far as they could.

 

“Do I look like a fucking journalist to you or what?” the security guard retorted and she looked him over and then towards the two other men. Some pretty-boy and what to her looked like burn victim who was trying to hide or distract from his face with a cowboy hat. “Not quite.” She admitted, pulled off the boxing gloves and threw them onto the ground, stepping closer, nodding her head into their direction. “So, who are you and what do you want?” she asked. “I am William Brix and I’ve got a job for you.” He told her and the woman busted out into a snorting laugh. “A job? For me? Darling I was part of the executive board of an international Corporation. I ran the bloody executive board of an international Corporation. I worked my arse off to get there and I refused to apologise for what I’ve said, I refused to take it back, refused to bend my bloody knee to their language and opinion police. I won’t be ‘cleaning’ my name. Not for the position I earned and had and not for whatever job you can offer me. “ the woman stated, pressing her index finger against Rex’s hard chest, before turning around about to pick up the gloves again.

 

“Good. The offer would be off the table would you apologise.” The former soldier spoke, clearly unimpressed by the act surrounding her words and the woman stopped in her motion, he had sparked an interest in her now. “Is that so.” She commented and turned back around. “I listen.” Wendy let them know, her iron coloured eyes peering at them as Rex began to explain the plan for his company to her. That he wanted to build a security company that would step by step make the city safe, clean from scum and nice again. Reciting crime stats and what was happening in the neighbourhood, referring to the words the woman had said that had gotten her fired and offering her to actually actively do something against it by working for the company, building a legacy if she was putting her abilities into the service of this company and he could see how her brain was working and how she was considering every side of it.

 

 

“I’m interested in the project.” She said. “But not merely as your bookkeeper. I can be more than that. I want to be more than that. We will run and build that together. I want to be your partner in this!” Anderson expressed and she wasn’t finished yet when Roger was chiming in. “No!” he declined. “No way!” he protested and turned to Rex. “You’re not considering that even for a second are you. To make this woman your partner? To let a woman run a security company with you? I wouldn’t even trust her with the bookkeeping job. We find a man more capable and better and not as damn entitled as her. She’ll ruin it! All of it! That’s what women do, they ruin things! Marriages, companies, your bank account, everything! It’s their purpose or something. Not to mention that no one would ever take a security company seriously with some woman as a head behind it.” Raging Roger raged and Rex raised an eyebrow looking at him shaking his head.

 

“Do you listen to yourself talk sometime?” he asked genuinely. “And have you ever thought that a woman, some femininity, might make us appear more friendly, unthreatening and digestible to the people? Ever heard of that phenomenon?” he asked and raging Roger looked at Wendy Anderson and then to Hutson. “Yeah but you gotta take an actual woman for that. One that’s pretty and cute and can maybe be the front desk lady and not that rigid dyke who looks like the female version of fucking Hulk Hogan!” he said and next thing the former Major General saw was Dr. Wendy Anderson’s hand closing around Roger’s collar, her teeth bared, her face close to his. “Don’t you call me a dyke ever again! I am not a dyke! I was at Wharton! I ran an empire! And who the fuck are you!? Who!?You hideous little shit?” she barked at him but let go of him.

 

Roger straightened himself. “I’m a history professor.” He said holding his head up high and Rex narrowed his eyebrows. “No you aren’t.” he corrected without thinking much. “I have an online class!” raging Roger yelled at Rex and the blond looked at him questioningly. “What’s that called? 666 historic events that never actually happened? 1001 lies the government wants you to believe? Or Why the African’s benefitted from the slave trade the most those ungrateful fucks?” he asked and Roger crossed his arms over his chest. “Haha, funny much….” He sulked.

 

Wendy Anderson took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “ I see. So the poor man’s Freddy Krueger over there is the one who burps out the idiotic things the others have to apologise for later.” The woman observed and she wasn’t wrong, Rex thought. “What did you call me? How low can someone sink. I am a war veteran. I fought for this country and you, you ugly Hulk Hogan lookalike compared me to Freddy Krueger. I’ve heard enough. I didn’t come here to be insulted. I’m leaving!” Roger stated, turned around and strutted out of the gym.

 

Rex sighed and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose annoyed. “Wow… he’s fucking sensitive isn’t he.” Anderson found looking after Roger in confusion. “He doesn’t even know that he started it does he?” she asked. “He doesn’t see it that way. Roger sees things, differently. He’s just, Roger, you know.” Rex shrugged and shook his head, getting back to the original topic. “Listen, I planned to be the only commander of the company. I can promise you a high position but I wasn’t planning on getting a partner on board.” He told her and Anderson smiled.

 

“Then we got no deal. I’ll be an equal partner or I am not in, sorry.” She told him. “And hearing you calling yourself the commander of the company you could really need a partner, some help, someone who knows how to run a business because you probably don’t am I right? Of course I am.” The lady said. “Look, sharing the power also means sharing the responsibility and the financial risk. I have capital. A lot more than you I assume. I will invest my money into the company. I will be just as eager to see it succeed as you will.” Wendy promised. “I understand your scepticism. You don’t have to decide on that right away. We can meet up tomorrow. How about tomorrow afternoon at 3pm. You pick the place.” She suggested and Rex told her to come to Harrison’s bar, leading to him having to send her the address because she, unsurprisingly, had no idea where what was in the district as she just went into that gym to hide from the press and because she hadn’t been in her own house since weeks because there was always press and protestors around it.

 

Before they left Wendy turned to Daniel. “And who are you? You’ve been that quiet all the time. Will you be a member of the team as well?” she wanted to know from him.

 

 

After Daniel and him left the gym they found Roger sitting on the stairs of some run down house two hundred meters down the street. “You’re not thinking about her as your partner are you?” was what he immediately asked, jumping up from the stairs. “Not now Roger. I’ll meet her tomorrow at Harrison’s. Let’s grab some food and a drink now before Daniel and I have to go to work.” He suggested and raging Roger was actually quiet for a moment.

 

When they arrived at a small fast food place he told Daniel and Roger to go inside and choose a place for them, telling him that he’d follow soon, before he disappeared around a corner and pulled out his phone dialling the number he had saved for months. ICE! And while Daniel and Roger were probably, if they had chosen to do so, searching for a place in the restaurant Rex was finally reporting his neighbours to the ICE, telling them the times where they would certain find all of them at home, while also giving them the hint that if they searched the entire building they might stumble across more cases of their interest.

 

Feeling as content and good as he hadn’t in a very long time the security guard was then on his way back to the fast food place where he could tell Daniel that he got a new apartment now.

[♠[Rin]♠]

In the gym they got to get to know Wendy Anderson. She was obviously keeping her guard up due to the tragedy that had happened to her, but all in all she seemed on the same wave length with William. She seemed morally good, angered on the inside and very well in the position to take care of herself. However, despite her good and brave nature, she didn’t appear as likeable as one might think of a person of her title at first sight. Though, Daniel wasn’t someone who would appear impolite because of a subjective impression of her. The talk she and William had ended in a, let’s say, little conflict. They agreed to talk again, give each other some time to think about the facts that had been said.

Roger succeeded in starting a fight with Anderson, which wasn’t surprising to say the least, and he eventually left. Daniel had understood by now that he did have a serious problem with women.

At last, Wendy turned to the brunette. “Right now, I am just the extra help, if needed,” he answered truthfully. “Whenever and wherever.”

 

The brunette and the blonde left the gym soon after, picked up Roger outside and went to a fast food place together, though William stayed outside, telling the two to go and choose a table inside. There surely wasn’t so much time left until work would start. So, if anything, he was going to eat quickly. Despite being interested in cooking and baking, he wasn’t neither a big eater nor someone who necessarily enjoyed it. He ate to live, more or less, but decorating and making food look aesthetic did have something that he found intriguing.

Roger and he entered the place. Daniel’s eyes skipped from table to table until he found an empty one in a corner for four people. “How about over there?” he asked, pointing towards the spot. It was late afternoon; thus, the place wasn’t too full yet, but there were still limited spots to sit without having to share a table with other people. It wasn’t like Daniel to choose a lonely and shady spot, he was accustomed to crowds and meeting new people was delighting to him, though he knew that Roger was not like that and wouldn’t be fond of the idea of sitting next to either a group of teenagers, old women or families.

 

As soon as they had agreed on a spot to sit, Daniel suggested to wait for William to return before ordering at the counter. And although he was usually talkative, he found it a tad hard to come up with a topic to talk to with the man sitting in front of him. It was something he couldn’t exactly put his finger on. Maybe it was because of how different William’s friend was, though usually that didn’t appear as a hindrance. All he knew about Roger wasn’t enough to get a full picture of him. Starting any topic felt like starting a war. It was this moment in which he noticed that he hadn’t actually started a conversation with him before, all they had talked had been Roger asking questions and Daniel either answering or getting confused. The only exception had been him asking the Veteran in what zodiac sign he was born it, but that topic didn’t end well either. At least, Daniel didn’t want it to become an awkward silence, so he sat there and studied the weird looking paintings on the walls instead. They looked hand-drawn, but very well painted, almost as if a kid had made them.

As soon as William returned, Daniel straightened his back, ready to get up from his seat. “What would you like?” he asked with a smile. “I’ll go and order.” His eyes skipped back to Roger. “And have you decided on your order yet as well?” Finally, a neutral question to ask.

[-Hideki-]

The little fast food restaurant was well-attended. At least a lot better than Harrison’s bar was at that time of the day or at all! Thus he had to look around until he spotted Roger and Daniel sitting in the corner apparently not talking to one another at all. The place they had chosen was much to Rex’s liking though. He liked the corners in the backs of rooms the best as they provided the best overview as to what was going on in the room, to always be aware of the situation without having anything going on behind his back.

With huge steps he was approaching the table and as soon as he arrived the brunette was standing, smiling at him, asking what Roger and him would like to eat, offering to go and order.

 

“Not necessary! Sit!” the former Major General ordered Daniel before he turned around and clicked his fingers at a passing waitress in a tiny rose dress with a white apron to get her attention. “We’d like to order. If you’ve got the time.” He informed her and she nodded her dark haired head, smiling widely. “I’ll be right with you Sir.” She told him, disappearing with a tray full of dirty dishes. With a nod the blond sat down opposite to Daniel and Roger who didn’t have anything to say towards each other it seemed.

 

Hutson leaned over to Daniel a little. “You’ll come with me after work! Pack some of your stuff! I have cleared an apartment for you and the rent is already paid for this month. So you don’t have to worry about that.” the security guard said with a self-sufficient smile on his face. Damn did it feel good! Even better than throwing those bloody shoes into the garbage! It felt like the best and most meaningful thing he had done in quite a while and this act of heroism was only making him look forward to building up that company all the more. The experience felt like a small victory. He had doubted that there was something like that for him when he had mentioned it, feeling like all that he could ever achieve was revenge but no victory no more but maybe he had been wrong. Maybe he could still feel victorious.

 

“Let’s get back to that Wendy Anderson problem at hand.” Roger derailed and Rex sighed. “We have no probl….” he started but the other was not letting him finish. “I was thinking and I’d like to nominate my friend for the job. He is perfect for it….” Now he was cut off. “Which one? The bloke who thinks his country is a giant cheese cake and has declared his house his own independent empire and himself the emperor of it?” he asked because Rex certainly didn’t want any of Roger’s weird friends to work in his company. Roger’s quirks and his misbehaviour were more than enough already. “It’s a cheese-cake factory and he got …” raging Roger was cut off again. “Very convincing linguistic evidence, I know.” He said rolling his eyes. “And I didn’t even mean him. He has got enough to do. I meant Jake.” The other correct. “The Jake who was in prison for … what did he destroy again… ? No! End of discussion! Our company will clear the city off criminal scum, not hire them.” Rex stated and turned to Daniel.

 

“We’ll renovate the apartment inch by inch. I don’t know what those illegals did to it but since they lived in it, it won’t be worse than living in the brothel I assume.” He told the other. “I also respect your decision of wanting to find a job yourself instead of becoming a part of what I am trying to build up but you shouldn’t settle for just anything.” He said when the waitress reappeared. “What can I get you gentlemen?” she asked, smiling and after everyone of them had taken their order, Roger so much that Rex feared he’d probably feel sick afterwards, Rex’s eyes were following the woman who was whistling and swaying her hips before his gaze fell onto a sign on the window that said that they searched for waiters and kitchen workers. “How about that!” Rex said and pointed at the sign. “They don’t pay that badly and you’ll get a tip from the people too… well, not much in this district but if you start here and do a good job you can always work in a better restaurant later.” The blond suggested. Finding the idea of Daniel making or serving Hamburgers with some cheap toys to toddlers was much safer and more appealing than him working in a night club. This was honest work after all!

 

He turned his head towards Roger though when the man started to laugh. “Yes, I can totally see it.” The man said looking at Daniel. “I mean, you just gotta throw on a wig and you’d totally rock that little dress. No one will see through it when you shake your booty like that. I’d totally fuck you in that!” he commented and Rex barked at him. “Roger! Shut up!” but the man couldn’t stop laughing at what he was imagining, what was definitely not what Rex had had in mind at all when he had suggested that. “Sorry, sorry! I’d of course not fuck you because you’re his girlfriend and I won’t ever fuck my friend’s girlfriend.” He pretended to apologise, winking at Rex, doing the thumbs up. “Jesus Christ!” Rex shook his head.

[♠[Rin]♠]

Daniel halted mid-motion when William sat down and told him to remain on his seat. He told him of the apartment, that it was available now and that the rent of the month was already paid. Right after work he was supposed to accompany him to the building. “Okay, I’ll take a quick shower first, though, if that’s okay.” Usually, he would be dead tired after work and a few hours of sleep were always needed. The past few days had been tiring and the next, coming ones were going to be the same he could imagine. He still had mixed feelings about urging a family out of an apartment to get it, but he saw the reasoning behind it, that they had been staying illegally, if that was true, and probably not paying taxes either. The thought of suddenly being so close to the blonde was making Daniel feel uneasy on the inside, for a reason he couldn’t put his finger on. An apartment right next to him? He was used to having only a room next to other people, but that was different. When he thought about it, his thoughts sounded like the ones of a child, so he told himself to keep his cool instead of listening to insecurities.

“I understand where you are coming from, but…” Daniel was about to ask what kind of jobs William saw as fine, but in that moment the waitress came over to take their order. After she left, the security guard saw the wanted sign and instantly turned back to the brunette.

 

Daniel leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms gently over his chest. “A waiter.” He did have experience in doing that, after all he had helped out a lot in the hotel when it had started growing. He didn’t look too bad either, so he wouldn’t scare the customers away. It was worth a try, really. The night club hadn’t sounded so bad, nor had it sounded so good. The library experience had left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth somehow. “I’ll ask the waitress later on that subject,” he said. His emerald eyes skipped up towards a clock hanging on the wall. A few hours until opening time of the brothel. If he were to leave the brothel for a new apartment, he would have to take good care of it. Cleaning was the first thing that popped up in his mind. Repairing whatever was broken and what he couldn’t replace. Living in the brothel itself had indeed helped in that matter, he hadn’t exactly paid a rent monthly, just a room and electricity, and despite the wage he would get monthly considering on how successful he had been throughout the four weeks not being too high, he had at least been able to save money without having to buy many new things except for groceries.

 

Roger couldn’t hold back a few comments on William’s job idea. Daniel narrowed his eyebrows when he had to listen to what the other imagined in his head. “I am not that feminine, I promise,” he sighed. “Also, we told you, we are not a couple. And the other thing you like to talk about is really just a job for me. Let’s say, thanks for the compliment, if you mean it in any way, but I am not exactly seeking sex in any form or with anyone,” he matter-of-factly explained, then turned back to William. “Thanks for the help.”

 

As soon as the waitress brought the food, Daniel’s turned out as a minor dish of just six chicken nuggets, small fries and a cup of coke. He was quick to finish as well, even though he didn’t seem to eat that fast. His glance occasionally skipped over to the clock. This day had been going for long and despite the excitement to finish everything they still had planned, he couldn’t wait to eventually get some hours of sleep. It was surprising to him how full of energy William was, though on second thought it was obvious because he had a, been in the military and b, went to the gym regularly.

[-Hideki-]

Rex was pleased that Daniel wasn’t arguing over the apartment anymore and also wasn’t opposed to considering being a waiter over working in a night club. The blond man liked to think that he had convinced him about the apartment and the importance of ICE and keeping third world immigrants out of their nation but it also reminded him of how he had tried to call his cousin who worked for ICE but had not been able to get himself to do. Feeling heroic on one hand and like a coward on the other!

 

“Good.” He then remarked when the prostitute agreed to ask the waitress about the available jobs in the fast food restaurant, disregarding Roger’s remarks except for telling him to shut the fuck up, not addressing what the other had said anymore because in the end that was what Roger always wanted. He was seeking reactions. To get under people’s skin for a moment of laughter because his life was a devastating shitfest otherwise! But unlike Rex, Daniel gave him a reaction this time and the scarred lips of the man turned into a wide smirk, his eyes staring at the brunette amused.

 

However Rex’s attention was caught by what the other said rather than Roger’s self-sufficient grin. He wasn’t exactly seeking sex with anyone, was what Daniel had stated and Hutson raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you though?” he commented without much thought again just like he had automatically corrected that raging Roger was certainly not a history professor during the conversation with Wendy Anderson. While that was a definite fact though whether the prostitute was seeking sex was not that easily answered. The former soldier for one remembered very well that the other man had constantly been hitting on him though, day after day in the brothel. To the security guard it had been clear that the guy had wanted to have sex with him although he might have misjudged the motivation behind it. And that aside weren’t prostitutes technically seeking sex in general, like a construction worker seeking building lots and lawyers solicitors. Could someone whose job sex was honestly claim that he wasn’t seeking sex? Because without sex he’d not have an income after all.

 

“Why were you hitting on me a while ago then if you weren’t looking for sex at all?” the blond wanted to know and it made Roger, about whom Rex had forgotten in that moment, forget whatever comeback he had thought about and bust out into laughter. “Burned!” he slapped his hand onto the table laughing, pushing the cowboy hat back a little. “You’re into him after all.” He exclaimed, sitting in front of a shit ton of food that seemed impossible for a scrawny man like Roger to eat. “Professor, shut your mouth just once. It’s not about you.” Hutson said turning his blond head towards Roger who could see that he should better not push it any further. “I’m genuinely curious as to how you mean this.” The security man added, looking back into Daniels green eyes again.