Gorgeous Carat fic: Destiny, part 2
Title: Destiny, part 2
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.
The morning was off to a poor start by the time breakfast arrived. Ray
was sore and miserable from the combination of too much brandy and too
many hours in an armchair. Sleep had been a lost cause for both of
them, and their nighttime argument had left awkward silence between
them.
The proprietress arrived promptly, but her fussing wore on Ray's
nerves and he had to bite his lip more than once to keep from snapping
at her. Instead he took his clean clothes with a gruff thank you and
retreated to the bathroom to dress, leaving Florian to deal with the
woman.
He lingered over his morning toilette, finally emerging to find a
subdued blond dressed and waiting patiently to begin his breakfast.
He'd already poured Ray's coffee and sweetened it as Ray preferred, a
small act that earned him a grateful smile.
Neither of them had much appetite for the heaping plates of eggs,
fried potatoes and sausage. They finished their coffee and left the
room, stopping at the desk to turn in the key and settle the account.
They thanked their hostess again and left the inn just before 9am.
Ray didn't attempt conversation, keeping his focus fully on his
driving. Not that it made Florian any more comfortable - Ray noticed
how the blond kept a grip on the seat, only letting go when they
stopped for fuel.
It was a relief for both of them when they pulled into the mansion's
long drive and Ray stopped the car. They had barely descended when
Laila raced out to demand where they had been. She barraged him with
questions as they left the car and walked into the house.
"Doesn't matter," Ray told her, making it clear he didn't want to
discuss it. Instead, he sent her off to ready his bath before turning
to Florian. The blond was standing quietly, waiting, his face
expressionless.
"Take a bath and get some sleep. I'll see you tonight at dinner." Ray
tried not to make the words a command, but he wasn't sure he
succeeded. Expression unchanged, Florian nodded and disappeared
upstairs.
When he appeared in the dining room promptly at 7:00 that evening, he
was as subdued as he'd been earlier. He behaved properly of course,
his manners impeccable as he took a small portion of food and ate, but
he made no attempt at conversation and Ray was in no mood to make the
effort himself. Florian hadn't lived there long, but each of the times
they'd dined like this, Florian had filled the silence with polite
questions and observations. He had amused Ray more than once with
unexpected wit or a canny observation.
"May I be excused?" were the first words spoken since they sat down to
dine. Ray frowned at the older man's half-full plate, noting how food
had been moved around to make it appear that more had been consumed.
It took several seconds to fight back the absurd notion of insisting
that he clear his plate. Instead Ray simply took a sip of coffee and
shook his head, no.
Patiently, Florian lowered his head and waited. Time dragged as Ray, a
bit spitefully he admitted to himself, lingered over his coffee. When
it became clear that Florian would remain uncommunicative, he finally
relented and dismissed him. Barely a minute later Laila arrived with
one of the servants to clear away the dishes.
"What's wrong with him?" she wanted to know. She was predisposed to
dislike the pampered little lord, if only because he'd caught Ray's
attention so easily. Still, she wasn't spiteful and didn't wish the
man any harm. And she did feel bad that he'd lost his home and his
mother along with the family's treasure.
"He's got too much time to think. Let him mope for the rest of the
day, but give him something to do tomorrow."
"Do? What would someone like him know about keeping up a household?
He's probably never done a day's real work in his life."
"Then give him a broom and have him sweep the whole place. I don't
care, just keep him occupied. I won't have him getting in my way or
acting the part of an ill-used heroine."
"The attic's in need of a good clean," Laila commented, more to
herself than to Ray. She smiled widely at the mental image of pretty,
proper Florian covered in dust and cobwebs. "He'll need work clothes,"
she muttered, having no intention of explaining to Ray why the blond's
expensive shirts and trousers might be covered in grime.
"Give him some of my old things then, just keep him occupied." Ray
waved her away and headed into his study for a few hours of reading in
peace.
He didn't see Florian until the next evening at dinner. The day had
been hectic with several appointments with new clients and errands
that couldn't be passed off to underlings. By dinnertime Ray was
hungry but still preoccupied. He was glad for Florian's silence and
barely registered how little the blond ate before spreading the food
around on his plate. When Florian asked to be excused, Ray waved him
off without hesitation.
It was nearly a week before things settled and by then Noir had a
mission to plan. He took his dinner alone in the study while he
researched in preparation for one of Noir's most spectacular missions,
procuring the fire-opal encrusted bracelet, Mermaid's Envy.
It wasn't until the day after Noir's successful acquisition that he
finally saw Florian.
"What's wrong with you?" Ray demanded without thinking, shocked by
both the man's pallor and his thinness. He was dressed in a set of
Ray's old clothes, which were too large for him, but that wasn't the
only reason the old belt was fastened on the smallest hole.
"N… nothing," Florian stammered, lifting a hand to his dirt-smudged
face and revealing a blister. Ray grabbed the hand and turned it over
to get a better look.
"Let me see your other hand as well." He waited and when Florian
didn't move fast enough he pulled the other hand up to examine it
along with its companion. Both palms were red and there were several
blisters.
"Laila!" Ray bellowed, his good humor fading quickly. When she
approached he directed her to look at Florian's hands, ignoring
Florian's protests. "Did you know about this?"
Laila shook her head, directing her annoyance at Florian. "Why didn't
you say something?" Before he could answer she turned to Ray and
quickly explained, "I didn't know. He's been working in the attic."
"Doing what?" Ray demanded of the both of them but interrupted before
they could answer. "Never mind. You," he directed his attention to
Florian. "Go upstairs. Laila will bring something to treat those." He
released Florian's hands and watched as the blond turned and walked
upstairs. When he was out of sight Ray turned back to Laila. "Why
didn't you tell me he wasn't eating?"
"He is," she retorted, then, under his hard gaze, she amended, "just
not very much." She shifted uncomfortably and met Ray's glare. "I've
tried to get him to eat more, but he just thanks me and then refuses.
What am I supposed to do? I couldn't tell you - you didn't need to be
distracted while you were planning."
"It's alright, Laila." Ray gave her an apologetic smile. He should
have expected something like this, but he'd been too caught up in
other things to even see Florian, a situation the blond had obviously
taken advantage of. Well, that was about to change.
"I'll handle it, Laila. Please tend those blisters and give him
something to make him sleep. He can have supper in his room tonight
but tell him I'll expect him at breakfast."
Laila nodded gratefully and rushed off while Ray went into his study to think.
At breakfast the next morning, Ray stirred sugar into his coffee and
frowned at the clock. It was ten minutes past the hour and Florian was
late. He took a cautious sip of the hot beverage and made a face -
he'd oversweetened it. Damn that blond and his constant distractions.
Thumping his coffee cup down onto the saucer, he yelled for Laila just
as she breezed in, carrying a noxious-looking potion in a glass.
"Whatever that is, I'm not drinking it," he told her before she could
say a word.
"It's not for you," she replied cheerfully. "Florian's not feeling well."
From the looks of the potion, it wasn't likely to make him feel better
but Ray refrained from telling Laila. Instead he reached for the
glass. "I'll take it to him. You can get me another coffee."
Laila frowned in confusion at Ray's nearly full coffee cup but didn't
argue. She handed over the potion and went off to do as Ray had asked.
As he climbed the stairs, Ray mentally reviewed the day's tasks and
decided they could all wait. It was better to straighten matters with
Florian now before things got any worse.
Arriving at the correct door, Ray knocked once and entered without
waiting. He frowned at the darkness and moved carefully to avoid
stumbling. Setting the glass on the nightstand, he drew back the
curtains and watched as Florian blinked up at him in confusion.
"You really are sick," he decided, reaching over to press a hand
against Florian's sweaty forehead. Definitely feverish. Looking at his
pitiful expression, Ray decided it would be cruel to insist he take
Laila's potion and set it aside for later.
"Sorry about breakfast," Florian whispered, his voice rough. Ray
picked up the pitcher of water from the nightstand but Florian shook
his head, no, so Ray set the pitcher down and took a seat on the edge
of the bed.
"Do you need a doctor?"
"No, it's just a cold. I'll be fine in a few hours." He didn't meet
Ray's eyes as he said this, a fact that Ray couldn't help noticing.
"I think it's more than a cold. Unless you always starve yourself like
this when you have the sniffles." It was intended to provoke and Ray
was disappointed when Florian didn't respond with more than an
apology.
"You know this calls for drastic measures." Ray reached into his
pocket and extracted a small, thick book. Opening it to the marker, he
motioned for Florian to move over, kicked off his shoes, and settled
back against the headboard preparing to read.
After ten mind-numbing minutes of French law Florian moaned and turned
onto his side. He shifted a few times but finally fell asleep. Ray
watched him for a moment, smiling in triumph. He lingered a few more
minutes, watching the older man sleep, thankful that the blankets
concealed this too-thin frame. That was a battle for later. For now
though… just as he was sliding carefully off the bed, Florian gasped
and sat up wide-eyed with fear.
Settling on the bed again, Ray pulled Florian into his arms and
murmured soothingly. Now it was impossible to ignore the man's
unhealthy weight loss. Setting aside his awkwardness, Ray lay back on
the bed and gently drew Florian down, letting him rest his head on
Ray's shoulder. Neither of them said anything, but Ray could still
feel Florian's rapid breathing.
Without thinking, Ray drew soothing patterns on the thin back and was
relieved to feel Florian relax. It took a long time for him to fall
asleep, and by then Ray was feeling the effects of his long, late
nights preparing for Noir's mission. Giving in, he let himself fade
into sleep.
::end part 2::
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.
The morning was off to a poor start by the time breakfast arrived. Ray
was sore and miserable from the combination of too much brandy and too
many hours in an armchair. Sleep had been a lost cause for both of
them, and their nighttime argument had left awkward silence between
them.
The proprietress arrived promptly, but her fussing wore on Ray's
nerves and he had to bite his lip more than once to keep from snapping
at her. Instead he took his clean clothes with a gruff thank you and
retreated to the bathroom to dress, leaving Florian to deal with the
woman.
He lingered over his morning toilette, finally emerging to find a
subdued blond dressed and waiting patiently to begin his breakfast.
He'd already poured Ray's coffee and sweetened it as Ray preferred, a
small act that earned him a grateful smile.
Neither of them had much appetite for the heaping plates of eggs,
fried potatoes and sausage. They finished their coffee and left the
room, stopping at the desk to turn in the key and settle the account.
They thanked their hostess again and left the inn just before 9am.
Ray didn't attempt conversation, keeping his focus fully on his
driving. Not that it made Florian any more comfortable - Ray noticed
how the blond kept a grip on the seat, only letting go when they
stopped for fuel.
It was a relief for both of them when they pulled into the mansion's
long drive and Ray stopped the car. They had barely descended when
Laila raced out to demand where they had been. She barraged him with
questions as they left the car and walked into the house.
"Doesn't matter," Ray told her, making it clear he didn't want to
discuss it. Instead, he sent her off to ready his bath before turning
to Florian. The blond was standing quietly, waiting, his face
expressionless.
"Take a bath and get some sleep. I'll see you tonight at dinner." Ray
tried not to make the words a command, but he wasn't sure he
succeeded. Expression unchanged, Florian nodded and disappeared
upstairs.
When he appeared in the dining room promptly at 7:00 that evening, he
was as subdued as he'd been earlier. He behaved properly of course,
his manners impeccable as he took a small portion of food and ate, but
he made no attempt at conversation and Ray was in no mood to make the
effort himself. Florian hadn't lived there long, but each of the times
they'd dined like this, Florian had filled the silence with polite
questions and observations. He had amused Ray more than once with
unexpected wit or a canny observation.
"May I be excused?" were the first words spoken since they sat down to
dine. Ray frowned at the older man's half-full plate, noting how food
had been moved around to make it appear that more had been consumed.
It took several seconds to fight back the absurd notion of insisting
that he clear his plate. Instead Ray simply took a sip of coffee and
shook his head, no.
Patiently, Florian lowered his head and waited. Time dragged as Ray, a
bit spitefully he admitted to himself, lingered over his coffee. When
it became clear that Florian would remain uncommunicative, he finally
relented and dismissed him. Barely a minute later Laila arrived with
one of the servants to clear away the dishes.
"What's wrong with him?" she wanted to know. She was predisposed to
dislike the pampered little lord, if only because he'd caught Ray's
attention so easily. Still, she wasn't spiteful and didn't wish the
man any harm. And she did feel bad that he'd lost his home and his
mother along with the family's treasure.
"He's got too much time to think. Let him mope for the rest of the
day, but give him something to do tomorrow."
"Do? What would someone like him know about keeping up a household?
He's probably never done a day's real work in his life."
"Then give him a broom and have him sweep the whole place. I don't
care, just keep him occupied. I won't have him getting in my way or
acting the part of an ill-used heroine."
"The attic's in need of a good clean," Laila commented, more to
herself than to Ray. She smiled widely at the mental image of pretty,
proper Florian covered in dust and cobwebs. "He'll need work clothes,"
she muttered, having no intention of explaining to Ray why the blond's
expensive shirts and trousers might be covered in grime.
"Give him some of my old things then, just keep him occupied." Ray
waved her away and headed into his study for a few hours of reading in
peace.
He didn't see Florian until the next evening at dinner. The day had
been hectic with several appointments with new clients and errands
that couldn't be passed off to underlings. By dinnertime Ray was
hungry but still preoccupied. He was glad for Florian's silence and
barely registered how little the blond ate before spreading the food
around on his plate. When Florian asked to be excused, Ray waved him
off without hesitation.
It was nearly a week before things settled and by then Noir had a
mission to plan. He took his dinner alone in the study while he
researched in preparation for one of Noir's most spectacular missions,
procuring the fire-opal encrusted bracelet, Mermaid's Envy.
It wasn't until the day after Noir's successful acquisition that he
finally saw Florian.
"What's wrong with you?" Ray demanded without thinking, shocked by
both the man's pallor and his thinness. He was dressed in a set of
Ray's old clothes, which were too large for him, but that wasn't the
only reason the old belt was fastened on the smallest hole.
"N… nothing," Florian stammered, lifting a hand to his dirt-smudged
face and revealing a blister. Ray grabbed the hand and turned it over
to get a better look.
"Let me see your other hand as well." He waited and when Florian
didn't move fast enough he pulled the other hand up to examine it
along with its companion. Both palms were red and there were several
blisters.
"Laila!" Ray bellowed, his good humor fading quickly. When she
approached he directed her to look at Florian's hands, ignoring
Florian's protests. "Did you know about this?"
Laila shook her head, directing her annoyance at Florian. "Why didn't
you say something?" Before he could answer she turned to Ray and
quickly explained, "I didn't know. He's been working in the attic."
"Doing what?" Ray demanded of the both of them but interrupted before
they could answer. "Never mind. You," he directed his attention to
Florian. "Go upstairs. Laila will bring something to treat those." He
released Florian's hands and watched as the blond turned and walked
upstairs. When he was out of sight Ray turned back to Laila. "Why
didn't you tell me he wasn't eating?"
"He is," she retorted, then, under his hard gaze, she amended, "just
not very much." She shifted uncomfortably and met Ray's glare. "I've
tried to get him to eat more, but he just thanks me and then refuses.
What am I supposed to do? I couldn't tell you - you didn't need to be
distracted while you were planning."
"It's alright, Laila." Ray gave her an apologetic smile. He should
have expected something like this, but he'd been too caught up in
other things to even see Florian, a situation the blond had obviously
taken advantage of. Well, that was about to change.
"I'll handle it, Laila. Please tend those blisters and give him
something to make him sleep. He can have supper in his room tonight
but tell him I'll expect him at breakfast."
Laila nodded gratefully and rushed off while Ray went into his study to think.
At breakfast the next morning, Ray stirred sugar into his coffee and
frowned at the clock. It was ten minutes past the hour and Florian was
late. He took a cautious sip of the hot beverage and made a face -
he'd oversweetened it. Damn that blond and his constant distractions.
Thumping his coffee cup down onto the saucer, he yelled for Laila just
as she breezed in, carrying a noxious-looking potion in a glass.
"Whatever that is, I'm not drinking it," he told her before she could
say a word.
"It's not for you," she replied cheerfully. "Florian's not feeling well."
From the looks of the potion, it wasn't likely to make him feel better
but Ray refrained from telling Laila. Instead he reached for the
glass. "I'll take it to him. You can get me another coffee."
Laila frowned in confusion at Ray's nearly full coffee cup but didn't
argue. She handed over the potion and went off to do as Ray had asked.
As he climbed the stairs, Ray mentally reviewed the day's tasks and
decided they could all wait. It was better to straighten matters with
Florian now before things got any worse.
Arriving at the correct door, Ray knocked once and entered without
waiting. He frowned at the darkness and moved carefully to avoid
stumbling. Setting the glass on the nightstand, he drew back the
curtains and watched as Florian blinked up at him in confusion.
"You really are sick," he decided, reaching over to press a hand
against Florian's sweaty forehead. Definitely feverish. Looking at his
pitiful expression, Ray decided it would be cruel to insist he take
Laila's potion and set it aside for later.
"Sorry about breakfast," Florian whispered, his voice rough. Ray
picked up the pitcher of water from the nightstand but Florian shook
his head, no, so Ray set the pitcher down and took a seat on the edge
of the bed.
"Do you need a doctor?"
"No, it's just a cold. I'll be fine in a few hours." He didn't meet
Ray's eyes as he said this, a fact that Ray couldn't help noticing.
"I think it's more than a cold. Unless you always starve yourself like
this when you have the sniffles." It was intended to provoke and Ray
was disappointed when Florian didn't respond with more than an
apology.
"You know this calls for drastic measures." Ray reached into his
pocket and extracted a small, thick book. Opening it to the marker, he
motioned for Florian to move over, kicked off his shoes, and settled
back against the headboard preparing to read.
After ten mind-numbing minutes of French law Florian moaned and turned
onto his side. He shifted a few times but finally fell asleep. Ray
watched him for a moment, smiling in triumph. He lingered a few more
minutes, watching the older man sleep, thankful that the blankets
concealed this too-thin frame. That was a battle for later. For now
though… just as he was sliding carefully off the bed, Florian gasped
and sat up wide-eyed with fear.
Settling on the bed again, Ray pulled Florian into his arms and
murmured soothingly. Now it was impossible to ignore the man's
unhealthy weight loss. Setting aside his awkwardness, Ray lay back on
the bed and gently drew Florian down, letting him rest his head on
Ray's shoulder. Neither of them said anything, but Ray could still
feel Florian's rapid breathing.
Without thinking, Ray drew soothing patterns on the thin back and was
relieved to feel Florian relax. It took a long time for him to fall
asleep, and by then Ray was feeling the effects of his long, late
nights preparing for Noir's mission. Giving in, he let himself fade
into sleep.
::end part 2::