Gorgeous Carat fic: Destiny, part 1
Title: Destiny, part 1
Characters/Pairing: Ray, Florian
Rating: M (overall rating for this series)
Notes: Thank you to my wonderful beta reader Gayle
Disclaimer: Gorgeous Carat = You Higuri's
Summary: A Gorgeous Carat re-write starting at the end of the manga's
first story arc.
Note: I call this my anti-"Fate" story because it's lighter, though
it still contains some angst.
They drove towards home mostly in silence, with Florian's head turned
towards his side of the car. The blond was almost motionless, with his
hands placed carefully on his thighs and his back straight. The
unnatural stillness unnerved Ray enough that he made small attempts at
conversation, all of which fell flat. He finally gave up and
concentrated on getting them away from the ruins of the Rochefort
ancestral castle, back to the comforting bustle of Paris.
It was twilight when Ray stopped at a brightly lit inn. Without a word
he climbed down from the car and stretched, glad for the chance to
move. He turned and watched as the expressionless blond crossed in
front of the vehicle to stand at his side. Those amethyst eyes were
startling against skin that was paler than usual.
"I'm too tired to drive anymore tonight," Ray lied smoothly, leading
the way into the building. The lobby was simply decorated but clean
and welcoming with a wooden counter for registration and two doorways,
one on the left leading into the pub and one on the right leading
towards the guest rooms.
Ray nodded to the hostess who greeted them and requested rooms for the
evening. He kept an eye on Florian who was standing as unobtrusively
as possible beside the wall. Several moments of discussion later, he
finally paid for the only available room and motioned impatiently for
Florian to join him.
They followed the hostess through the right-hand doorway to the
stairway at the end of the hall. One flight up they stopped mid-way
down the hall. The hostess unlocked the door then turned and handed
Ray the key.
"Shall I send dinner for you, sir?" she asked politely, her eyes
flicking only briefly towards Florian before returning to Ray. They
had attempted to wipe away the worst of the dust and grime from their
skin and clothing but neither of them were at their best.
"Please. Two of the house special." He was about to dismiss her, but
added, "Tea and dessert as well as brandy, then we're not to be
disturbed again. My companion requires rest."
"Of course, sir." The pleasant, stout woman nodded briskly and bustled
away to see that their dinners were prepared. Ray led Florian into the
room and closed the door. He barely glanced at their surroundings, not
caring about the small sitting area with its well worn armchairs and
knick-knacks. He was more interested in tending to his troublesome
companion.
"The bedroom and bath are in there. Go clean yourself up before
dinner. You'll feel better."
Florian obeyed in silence, carefully removing his soiled jacket and
vest and draping them over the stiff-backed chair near the bed. He
ignored Ray, who stood in the doorway watching, and strode into the
bathroom, closing the door firmly.
Ray waited until he heard the water running before he removed his own
dusty, dirt-streaked jacket and dropped into a chair. He was suddenly
exhausted and indulged in a wide yawn, letting his head fall back
against the cushioned seat back. He hated the thought of spending the
night and part of tomorrow in his dirty clothes but they didn't have a
change of clothes or even a toothbrush between them and all the shops
would be closed by now.
Left alone with no distractions, Ray's mind wandered back to the
Rochefort castle and the unpleasant surprises it held. The loss of the
diamond was a disappointment, of course, but it could have been a much
greater loss. Without assistance he never would have found the secret
passage in time to free Florian. The blond would have suffered the
same fate as his aunt and uncle whose corpses weren't likely to be
found for years, if ever.
Pushing that thought firmly aside, Ray shifted, turning his gaze to
the bathroom door. He was suddenly aware of what he wasn't hearing. A
moment of hesitation, and Ray was on his feet moving quietly towards
that door. He listed carefully and still heard nothing. It was only
when he pressed his ear against the door that he heard the soft sounds
of weeping. He'd been expecting tears all afternoon, and the tension
of waiting for them, had worn away his patience.
Perhaps Florian would get it out of his system in private, sparing
them both some awkwardness. Not that he hadn't already seen the man's
tears - it was astounding, really, how easily Florian cried. Ray
couldn't imagine it for himself. In fact, he couldn't remember the
last time he'd cried…
The knock on the door was a welcome distraction and he hurried to open
it. Ray detested being maudlin.
"Thought you gentlemen might like to borrow a few things seeing as you
haven't any luggage." The proprietress bustled in with a small pile of
clothing and dropped it on the nearest chair. "Just some of my son's
old night clothes so they're nothing fine. Still, I expect they'll be
better than those dirty clothes for sleeping even if they are a mite
big." She held up a large nightshirt and Ray almost laughed. A mite
big was something of an understatement.
"Thank you," Ray said most sincerely. "My companion and I had some car
trouble and we're both the worse for wear."
"As I expected," the woman replied, bustling over to the fireplace
where she fussed with the low flames until they grew enough to ward
off the evening chill. "Those gadgets are nothing but trouble, I say.
Best to keep with a reliable horse." She turned back to Ray brushing
her hands just as Florian entered the room, redressed in his dirty
clothes, his hair damp from the bath. He was still pale, and his eyes
were red-rimmed and dull.
"Looking to catch a fever, you are. Best to warm yourself here before
changing. I'll be back right quick with your dinner. If you'll change,
I can take your things and wash them so they'll dry overnight." She
patted the chair and waited for Florian to sit before hurrying out the
door.
"Don't get comfortable yet." Ray said as the door closed. He handed
Florian one of the night shirts and a pair of drawstring breeches.
Florian took them without comment and retreated to the bathroom to
change. He returned minutes later walking awkwardly in the oversized
clothing, his own soiled shirt and pants, folded neatly, in his hands.
Ray watched Florian silently for a moment, then retreated to the
bedroom where he found one of the spare blankets in the chest at the
foot of the bed. He shook it out, inhaling the pleasant cedar scent
and carried it out to the sitting room where he urged Florian to stand
and let Ray drape the blanket around him loosely.
"I'll take my bath now. If dinner arrives, don't wait." He took the
other set of clothing and walked off, fully aware that Florian's mind
was still back in that castle rather than here with him.
Bathing quickly, Ray was dressed and waiting when the woman returned
with a young boy at her side. They were both carrying heavy trays
laden with food and drink. The woman fussed, setting out the plates
and simple flatware on the round table between the two armchairs. She
set the dessert and bottle of brandy on the shelf behind them along
with the teapot and cups.
"You are most kind, Madame." Florian gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"You can thank me proper by eating while it's hot, sirs." She gathered
up their soiled clothing and motioned the boy to leave the room. She
gave the place a quick glance before following, adding, "Set your
dishes outside when you're done so we won't disturb you. I'll bring
your clothes back with your breakfast at 8am. I'll be at the desk if
you're needing anything before that." With a nod of goodnight, she
left, closing the door firmly behind her.
The house special turned out to be savory beef stew, with thick-cut
vegetables that were firm and beef that was nicely tender. Ray
finished his to the last bite having missed lunch. Florian on the
other hand, spent more effort toying with his food than eating it.
When Ray set his spoon down, Florian did too.
"You must be hungry," Ray insisted, hoping to encourage him to try a
few more mouthfuls. He hadn't known the blond long, but they'd shared
enough meals that Ray knew Florian wasn't a particularly picky eater.
He took up one of the small crusty loaves and broke it revealing the
fluffy white center. "Try the bread at least. It's lighter on the
stomach for sleeping."
Florian didn't meet his eyes, but he did break his own loaf and tear
off a few pieces, which he ate without interest. His eyes remained
distant and somewhat unfocused and he had none of his usual energy.
When Ray's loaf was half gone, Florian pushed his bowl towards him
with a forced smile. "I'd hate to waste this. Would you…?"
Ray accepted the dish without comment and finished the stew and the
rest of his bread while Florian continued eating small pieces of his
own loaf without enthusiasm.
"I'm sorry," Florian whispered, unable to keep up even this small
pretense at sociability. "If I could be excused?"
"In a moment," Ray countered, motioning for him to remain. Ray rose
and took up the bottle of brandy and one of the mismatched glasses,
pouring a measure and swirling it for a moment. Deciding it was ready,
he handed it to Florian. "To help you sleep."
Florian nodded and accepted the glass, despite the fact that he didn't
care for brandy. He drained it in one go and made a face as he set
down the empty glass. "Thank you," he said quietly as he rose,
hesitating beside Ray on the way to the bedroom. He reached out
tentatively and touched Ray's arm lightly. "For everything today.
Thank you." Florian lowered his head and left the room, leaving the
blanket he'd been wrapped in draped across the chest at the footboard
before pulling back the covers and crawling into bed, his back to Ray.
He stayed that way even when Ray finally climbed into bed beside him
more than an hour later, having set out the dishes and finished half
the brandy. He'd placed the chair so his back was to the bedroom, but
had spent much of his time listening for sounds from the other room.
Finally conceding it was a lost cause, he readied himself for bed.
Ray didn't really expect to sleep. He wasn't the soundest of sleepers
at the best of times, but the day's excitement and the brandy helped
and he drifted off almost as soon as he settled into the comfortable
bed.
He slept so deeply that it took him several long moments to realize
what had woken him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing a handful of
Florian's hair and jerking his head up. With the other hand he pulled
the borrowed breeches up to cover himself. He was still half-hard and
it was awkward, but he managed without loosening his hold on the
blond.
"It's why you bought me, isn't it?" Florian's face was red but Ray
wasn't sure how much of it was anger, and how much was embarrassment.
He loosened his grip and watched as Florian sat up, not bothering to
straighten his clothing. The red hadn't faded, but now Ray could
clearly see the conflicting emotions in those coveted eyes.
"Why else would you want me? You could have demanded what little of
value we had left. What other use would you have for someone like me?
I'm not your intellectual equal, nor social, now that I've been sold.
I have no skills, no prospects, what else could you possibly want?"
"Well I certainly don't want you for a whore. Especially one who
doesn't know enough to save his attentions for when I'm awake." Ray
pushed himself out of the bed, setting a rapid, agitated pace as he
moved back and forth, his mind working furiously to produce a logical
explanation for his anything but logical reactions to Florian. "What
were you thinking anyway, doing that while I was asleep?"
Equally agitated, Florian climbed out on the other side of the bed and
began to pace as well. He clenched and unclenched his hands as he
moved, as if fighting an internal battle. Finally he stopped and
turned to Ray, his posture one of surrender. "I was practicing." He
seemed to be concentrating on a point on the wall behind Ray, but he
kept talking. "I've never... I mean, I've heard others talking. Some
people talk too much when they've been drinking. So I've heard...
details. But it's usually about a woman and man so I..." He finally
looked directly at Ray. "You were sound asleep. I thought I could try
a few things, so that when you wanted me to... do that... I wouldn't
disappoint you and..." He broke off suddenly turning his head away.
"...be sent away."
Before Ray could react, Florian continued, his body tensing, his fists
clenched hard enough to make his knuckles white. "At least as your
whore I have food and a place to sleep. If you sent me away... I'm not
naive enough to think I'd be any better off than any of the others who
have nothing to sell but themselves."
He raised his chin a little, a small act of defiance, as he lifted the
hem of the large sleep shirt, exposing his chest and the still-healing
lash marks. "Punish me as you see fit. But I won't apologize for being
what you've made me."
Ray clenched his own fists in irritation. It was the middle of the
night, dammit. He was not having this discussion now. He stomped
around the bed and yanked Florian's shirt down, covering the welts.
"We'll talk about this in the morning. Now get in bed and keep your
hands, and other things, to yourself." He pushed Florian down onto the
mattress and tried to ignore the blond's wide-eyed confusion. Instead,
he stomped out into the sitting room and finished the brandy.
::end part 1:::
Characters/Pairing: Ray, Florian
Rating: M (overall rating for this series)
Notes: Thank you to my wonderful beta reader Gayle
Disclaimer: Gorgeous Carat = You Higuri's
Summary: A Gorgeous Carat re-write starting at the end of the manga's
first story arc.
Note: I call this my anti-"Fate" story because it's lighter, though
it still contains some angst.
They drove towards home mostly in silence, with Florian's head turned
towards his side of the car. The blond was almost motionless, with his
hands placed carefully on his thighs and his back straight. The
unnatural stillness unnerved Ray enough that he made small attempts at
conversation, all of which fell flat. He finally gave up and
concentrated on getting them away from the ruins of the Rochefort
ancestral castle, back to the comforting bustle of Paris.
It was twilight when Ray stopped at a brightly lit inn. Without a word
he climbed down from the car and stretched, glad for the chance to
move. He turned and watched as the expressionless blond crossed in
front of the vehicle to stand at his side. Those amethyst eyes were
startling against skin that was paler than usual.
"I'm too tired to drive anymore tonight," Ray lied smoothly, leading
the way into the building. The lobby was simply decorated but clean
and welcoming with a wooden counter for registration and two doorways,
one on the left leading into the pub and one on the right leading
towards the guest rooms.
Ray nodded to the hostess who greeted them and requested rooms for the
evening. He kept an eye on Florian who was standing as unobtrusively
as possible beside the wall. Several moments of discussion later, he
finally paid for the only available room and motioned impatiently for
Florian to join him.
They followed the hostess through the right-hand doorway to the
stairway at the end of the hall. One flight up they stopped mid-way
down the hall. The hostess unlocked the door then turned and handed
Ray the key.
"Shall I send dinner for you, sir?" she asked politely, her eyes
flicking only briefly towards Florian before returning to Ray. They
had attempted to wipe away the worst of the dust and grime from their
skin and clothing but neither of them were at their best.
"Please. Two of the house special." He was about to dismiss her, but
added, "Tea and dessert as well as brandy, then we're not to be
disturbed again. My companion requires rest."
"Of course, sir." The pleasant, stout woman nodded briskly and bustled
away to see that their dinners were prepared. Ray led Florian into the
room and closed the door. He barely glanced at their surroundings, not
caring about the small sitting area with its well worn armchairs and
knick-knacks. He was more interested in tending to his troublesome
companion.
"The bedroom and bath are in there. Go clean yourself up before
dinner. You'll feel better."
Florian obeyed in silence, carefully removing his soiled jacket and
vest and draping them over the stiff-backed chair near the bed. He
ignored Ray, who stood in the doorway watching, and strode into the
bathroom, closing the door firmly.
Ray waited until he heard the water running before he removed his own
dusty, dirt-streaked jacket and dropped into a chair. He was suddenly
exhausted and indulged in a wide yawn, letting his head fall back
against the cushioned seat back. He hated the thought of spending the
night and part of tomorrow in his dirty clothes but they didn't have a
change of clothes or even a toothbrush between them and all the shops
would be closed by now.
Left alone with no distractions, Ray's mind wandered back to the
Rochefort castle and the unpleasant surprises it held. The loss of the
diamond was a disappointment, of course, but it could have been a much
greater loss. Without assistance he never would have found the secret
passage in time to free Florian. The blond would have suffered the
same fate as his aunt and uncle whose corpses weren't likely to be
found for years, if ever.
Pushing that thought firmly aside, Ray shifted, turning his gaze to
the bathroom door. He was suddenly aware of what he wasn't hearing. A
moment of hesitation, and Ray was on his feet moving quietly towards
that door. He listed carefully and still heard nothing. It was only
when he pressed his ear against the door that he heard the soft sounds
of weeping. He'd been expecting tears all afternoon, and the tension
of waiting for them, had worn away his patience.
Perhaps Florian would get it out of his system in private, sparing
them both some awkwardness. Not that he hadn't already seen the man's
tears - it was astounding, really, how easily Florian cried. Ray
couldn't imagine it for himself. In fact, he couldn't remember the
last time he'd cried…
The knock on the door was a welcome distraction and he hurried to open
it. Ray detested being maudlin.
"Thought you gentlemen might like to borrow a few things seeing as you
haven't any luggage." The proprietress bustled in with a small pile of
clothing and dropped it on the nearest chair. "Just some of my son's
old night clothes so they're nothing fine. Still, I expect they'll be
better than those dirty clothes for sleeping even if they are a mite
big." She held up a large nightshirt and Ray almost laughed. A mite
big was something of an understatement.
"Thank you," Ray said most sincerely. "My companion and I had some car
trouble and we're both the worse for wear."
"As I expected," the woman replied, bustling over to the fireplace
where she fussed with the low flames until they grew enough to ward
off the evening chill. "Those gadgets are nothing but trouble, I say.
Best to keep with a reliable horse." She turned back to Ray brushing
her hands just as Florian entered the room, redressed in his dirty
clothes, his hair damp from the bath. He was still pale, and his eyes
were red-rimmed and dull.
"Looking to catch a fever, you are. Best to warm yourself here before
changing. I'll be back right quick with your dinner. If you'll change,
I can take your things and wash them so they'll dry overnight." She
patted the chair and waited for Florian to sit before hurrying out the
door.
"Don't get comfortable yet." Ray said as the door closed. He handed
Florian one of the night shirts and a pair of drawstring breeches.
Florian took them without comment and retreated to the bathroom to
change. He returned minutes later walking awkwardly in the oversized
clothing, his own soiled shirt and pants, folded neatly, in his hands.
Ray watched Florian silently for a moment, then retreated to the
bedroom where he found one of the spare blankets in the chest at the
foot of the bed. He shook it out, inhaling the pleasant cedar scent
and carried it out to the sitting room where he urged Florian to stand
and let Ray drape the blanket around him loosely.
"I'll take my bath now. If dinner arrives, don't wait." He took the
other set of clothing and walked off, fully aware that Florian's mind
was still back in that castle rather than here with him.
Bathing quickly, Ray was dressed and waiting when the woman returned
with a young boy at her side. They were both carrying heavy trays
laden with food and drink. The woman fussed, setting out the plates
and simple flatware on the round table between the two armchairs. She
set the dessert and bottle of brandy on the shelf behind them along
with the teapot and cups.
"You are most kind, Madame." Florian gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"You can thank me proper by eating while it's hot, sirs." She gathered
up their soiled clothing and motioned the boy to leave the room. She
gave the place a quick glance before following, adding, "Set your
dishes outside when you're done so we won't disturb you. I'll bring
your clothes back with your breakfast at 8am. I'll be at the desk if
you're needing anything before that." With a nod of goodnight, she
left, closing the door firmly behind her.
The house special turned out to be savory beef stew, with thick-cut
vegetables that were firm and beef that was nicely tender. Ray
finished his to the last bite having missed lunch. Florian on the
other hand, spent more effort toying with his food than eating it.
When Ray set his spoon down, Florian did too.
"You must be hungry," Ray insisted, hoping to encourage him to try a
few more mouthfuls. He hadn't known the blond long, but they'd shared
enough meals that Ray knew Florian wasn't a particularly picky eater.
He took up one of the small crusty loaves and broke it revealing the
fluffy white center. "Try the bread at least. It's lighter on the
stomach for sleeping."
Florian didn't meet his eyes, but he did break his own loaf and tear
off a few pieces, which he ate without interest. His eyes remained
distant and somewhat unfocused and he had none of his usual energy.
When Ray's loaf was half gone, Florian pushed his bowl towards him
with a forced smile. "I'd hate to waste this. Would you…?"
Ray accepted the dish without comment and finished the stew and the
rest of his bread while Florian continued eating small pieces of his
own loaf without enthusiasm.
"I'm sorry," Florian whispered, unable to keep up even this small
pretense at sociability. "If I could be excused?"
"In a moment," Ray countered, motioning for him to remain. Ray rose
and took up the bottle of brandy and one of the mismatched glasses,
pouring a measure and swirling it for a moment. Deciding it was ready,
he handed it to Florian. "To help you sleep."
Florian nodded and accepted the glass, despite the fact that he didn't
care for brandy. He drained it in one go and made a face as he set
down the empty glass. "Thank you," he said quietly as he rose,
hesitating beside Ray on the way to the bedroom. He reached out
tentatively and touched Ray's arm lightly. "For everything today.
Thank you." Florian lowered his head and left the room, leaving the
blanket he'd been wrapped in draped across the chest at the footboard
before pulling back the covers and crawling into bed, his back to Ray.
He stayed that way even when Ray finally climbed into bed beside him
more than an hour later, having set out the dishes and finished half
the brandy. He'd placed the chair so his back was to the bedroom, but
had spent much of his time listening for sounds from the other room.
Finally conceding it was a lost cause, he readied himself for bed.
Ray didn't really expect to sleep. He wasn't the soundest of sleepers
at the best of times, but the day's excitement and the brandy helped
and he drifted off almost as soon as he settled into the comfortable
bed.
He slept so deeply that it took him several long moments to realize
what had woken him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing a handful of
Florian's hair and jerking his head up. With the other hand he pulled
the borrowed breeches up to cover himself. He was still half-hard and
it was awkward, but he managed without loosening his hold on the
blond.
"It's why you bought me, isn't it?" Florian's face was red but Ray
wasn't sure how much of it was anger, and how much was embarrassment.
He loosened his grip and watched as Florian sat up, not bothering to
straighten his clothing. The red hadn't faded, but now Ray could
clearly see the conflicting emotions in those coveted eyes.
"Why else would you want me? You could have demanded what little of
value we had left. What other use would you have for someone like me?
I'm not your intellectual equal, nor social, now that I've been sold.
I have no skills, no prospects, what else could you possibly want?"
"Well I certainly don't want you for a whore. Especially one who
doesn't know enough to save his attentions for when I'm awake." Ray
pushed himself out of the bed, setting a rapid, agitated pace as he
moved back and forth, his mind working furiously to produce a logical
explanation for his anything but logical reactions to Florian. "What
were you thinking anyway, doing that while I was asleep?"
Equally agitated, Florian climbed out on the other side of the bed and
began to pace as well. He clenched and unclenched his hands as he
moved, as if fighting an internal battle. Finally he stopped and
turned to Ray, his posture one of surrender. "I was practicing." He
seemed to be concentrating on a point on the wall behind Ray, but he
kept talking. "I've never... I mean, I've heard others talking. Some
people talk too much when they've been drinking. So I've heard...
details. But it's usually about a woman and man so I..." He finally
looked directly at Ray. "You were sound asleep. I thought I could try
a few things, so that when you wanted me to... do that... I wouldn't
disappoint you and..." He broke off suddenly turning his head away.
"...be sent away."
Before Ray could react, Florian continued, his body tensing, his fists
clenched hard enough to make his knuckles white. "At least as your
whore I have food and a place to sleep. If you sent me away... I'm not
naive enough to think I'd be any better off than any of the others who
have nothing to sell but themselves."
He raised his chin a little, a small act of defiance, as he lifted the
hem of the large sleep shirt, exposing his chest and the still-healing
lash marks. "Punish me as you see fit. But I won't apologize for being
what you've made me."
Ray clenched his own fists in irritation. It was the middle of the
night, dammit. He was not having this discussion now. He stomped
around the bed and yanked Florian's shirt down, covering the welts.
"We'll talk about this in the morning. Now get in bed and keep your
hands, and other things, to yourself." He pushed Florian down onto the
mattress and tried to ignore the blond's wide-eyed confusion. Instead,
he stomped out into the sitting room and finished the brandy.
::end part 1:::