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puss_nd_bootsTitle: The Camera Eye: The Quitters Club
Chapter: Installment 80 overall in The Camera Eye series. Links to previous installments can be found here.
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, 69, tattoo/piercing worship
Pairing: Tatsuya (DIAURA) x Ruiza (D)
Disclaimer: DIAURA is property of Ains, D is property of God Child Records, Codomo Dragon is property of BP Records, I own the story only.
Summary: Tatsuya has never risen above a bit player in videos, and he's ready to turn his back on the adult film industry for good. Little does he realize a group of filmmakers have plans for him – that involve someone else who nearly quit the business.
Notes: Yes, the reference to Kisaki Exes Club is because Ruiza, Jun and Jui have all been associated with Kisaki in some form or another – Ruiza through Syndrome, Jun through Phantasmagoria and Jui because Vidoll were launched by Matina/Under Code.
In the adult video industry, there were your superstars, your regular stars, your up-and-comers . . . and your utility players.
The latter group were the actors that directors always knew they could rely on to play smaller roles. They were the clerks in the hotel scenes, the desk sergeants in the police dramas, the co-workers in the office romances. Sometimes they got sex scenes of their own – usually playing against an up-and-coming actor. Most of the time, their roles were purely non-sexual.
Tatsuya had gotten himself a reputation as one of the most solid utility players in the industry.
He'd been with Eros Films almost as long as Yuuki and Yo-ka had, and he'd been in more videos than either of them. He played whatever role a director needed him to play – although, due to his look, those usually fell under the heading of “boyish types.” (The rookie cop, the rookie teacher, the guy hired for the office just out of college . . .)
Sometimes, he even did behind-the-scenes work. He'd gotten very good at being an assistant sound man. He'd even worked his way up to head sound man on a few videos – including Swashbucklers, where he'd also been a random pirate.
Eventually, though, it grew old. He was always hoping for a big break, for a director to take a look at him and see him as something other than, well, Random Guy Who Delivers Four Lines. It didn't happen. Indeed, Uruha seemed to be increasingly interested in using his skills as a sound man.
So, it seemed that his hopes of being a porn star were fading . . . and it was looking likely that he was headed for a career doing sound. But if I'm going to be a sound man, he thought, do I really want to be one in the adult video industry all my life? Or . . . do I want to do more?
As it turned out, he knew someone who could help him transition to working behind-the-scenes in mainstream film. An old friend in high school was working for a film production company as a publicist. Not a particularly big or prestigious company, mind you – their specialty was fluffy teen comedies, the kind that flooded the theaters during school break periods, turned a quick profit, and then vanished from sight.
But it was the mainstream. And so, he met that particular friend for drinks one Friday night.
“Sound men?” the freind said. “Believe me, we are ALWAYS looking for good sound men. The directors keep saying their sound guys get poached by TV all the time.”
“Does it matter if my resume consists entirely of working in, well, porn?” Tatsuya said.
“If you did a good job on it? Or the titles you worked on had any prestige at all? They won't care what kind of film it was,” the friend said.
“Um . . . what if the last film I did sound on was the biggest selling all-male adult production of the last 12 months? And the biggest-budgeted Japanese gay porno of all time? And it had an actual script?”
“Then you could write your own ticket, my man. I'll talk to the bosses on Monday. No, wait, I'm not going into the office Monday, have a doctor's appointment. Those always take forever. Tuesday, then.”
“Thank you,” Tatsuya said. “Thank you so much. This is the life boost that I need.”
It was settled, then. He was going to go to Uruha on Monday and turn in his resignation. It was time to admit that he was never going to be a leading man – and start building the kind of career that he could tell his parents about. He suddenly felt very confident. This was going to be good. This was going to be very good.
Little did he realize that his life was, in fact, about to make a change in direction – just not the one he originally counted on.
* * *
When Codomo Dragon took on the assignment of making a video for Ruiza, they were intimidated at first – even though Uruha had promised them that he was going to supply them with great material to be their starting point for the script. “We've scored an incredible remake,” he said. “You'll see! And you can take it in your own direction!”
At first, they were expecting the head producer/director to give them a Western gay porn to remake – much like Kiryu Video had transformed the American video Disco Cowboy into Kabuki Disco and gotten themselves a Best Video award for their troubles.
They were surprised as hell, therefore, when they were handed . . . a het/lesbian porn series?
“It's called Blonde from Beyond,” Uruha told them. “It's about an alien who comes to Earth to learn about human sexuality. They've done six volumes of it so far.”
“That's a lot of learning,” meN-meN said.
“Well, they have different plots, of course,” Uruha said. “The first volume was just about Vivi – that's the alien's name – exploring the planet and exploring various men and women. The second one had her running away from alien hunters, the third had two more aliens from her planet arriving to try to find her, the fourth had her becoming a porn star, the fifth had her using her star money to open a sexual travel agency for other aliens. The sixth video, though . . . that one was interesting. It was a reboot of the original with a different actress playing Vivi, and there was a plotline where she ended up falling in love with a university student who's involved in a UFO research project. And it's the plotline of the reboot that I got the rights to remake.”
“So . . . we're remaking it with Vivi as a guy?” Kana said.
“Bingo,” Uruha said. “Your basic premise is that Vivi's overlords on their home planet have learned all about male-female and female-female sexuality through her adventures in the first five volumes of the series. But there's one spot missing in their education – male-male sexuality. So they send another beautiful blond, this time male, to find out all he can about male sexuality.”
“And that's Ruiza,” meN-meN said.
“Yes. So, take that premise, and the idea of him developing a relationship with the student, and just run with it. Do whatever you want to do.”
“Oooh!” Hayato said. “I can see it! We have Ruiza crash-land on Earth! Big special effects shot! And then he crawls out of the wreckage of the spaceship and the student guy finds him! And he gives him a place to stay! And then Ruiza starts making his way around the campus screwing students and professors alike! And then he goes clubbing and screws more guys! And then maybe they can bring in the UFO hunter thing from the second film and they're on his trail but he seduces one of them and then they leave him alone and then he finally gets together with the student guy and they fall in love and we end this thing with a long and hot scene between the two of them and then Ruiza deciding to stay on Earth for good! And we dress him in, like, this sparkly catsuit when he's first onscreen! Something really alien-like! And then we . . .”
“Down, boy,” meN-meN said. To the others, he said, “You get any of that?”
“I think so,” Kana said. “Alien crash-landing . . . and alien hunters in there somewhere . . . and a clubbing scene . . .”
“We HAVE to have a club scene,” Chamu said. “That's kind of becoming our trademark.”
“And . . . um . . . a big love scene at the end?” Kana said.
“I . . . think his idea might work,” Yume said. “If we can remember it all.”
Fortunately, Kana was able to take the screenplay of the original and the ideas Hayato had spouted and fashion a script that got the approval of both their head producer and their star. They asked Ruiza who he might like to have them consider for the various men the alien had sex with throughout the course of the film, and the majority of the parts were filled up quickly – including roles for Hayato and meN-meN.
One role remained to be cast, though – the student who became the alien's sidekick, and eventual lover. “I'll leave the choice of his actor up to you,” Ruiza said. “Just let me meet with the guy first to see if we have chemistry.”
And so, on the same Friday night that Tatsuya was talking about getting out of the adult video business, the Codomo Dragon crew sat around tossing about names – and coming up with nothing.
At first, they considered some Hot Guys of the Moment – Subaru, Mahiro, MiA – but that idea was quickly deep-sixed. They didn't want Ruiza to be overshadowed in the finale scene. Next, they considered using someone who had never been in videos before – but none of them had the appetite for a lengthy audition and screening process, especially since it would take precious time away from filming.
And then, meN-meN had a brainstorm. “What if we used someone who's experienced in videos . . . but isn't a star?”
“What do you mean?” Kana said.
“I mean, we get a guy who's one of the bit players, right? Someone who's usually playing supporting roles. You know, like Shoya, or Izumi, or . . .”
“Or our own Yume?” Kana said.
“I don't think I want that part,” Yume said, quickly.
“Come on!” Hayato said. “Who wouldn't want to be with Ruiza? The guy is hot as hell!”
“It's not that!” Yume said. “I don't feel like I'm ready to play a lead!”
“He's got a point,” Kana said. “When you count pure dialogue scenes, without the sex? This part really is the second lead. His role is as big as Ruiza's own. We need a real ACTOR – who's willing to get down and dirty with Ruiza.”
“Maybe that's what we do!” Hayato said. “Hire a mainstream actor! You know, one that has a lot of experience, but hasn't got the right roles yet? You could find one who'd be willing to do a porno, right? That's how we got Mahiro, isn't it? Mahiro was in horror films. Well, horror films aren't exactly mainstream, but they're not porno! The bottom line is that he was doing something other than – well, what we're doing. And he came to us! And now he gets down and dirty with all kinds of guys, and he's a star! So we could do the same thing all over again! We could . . .”
“I think I like meN-meN's idea better,” Chamu said, quickly.
“I do, too,” Kana said.
“Good,” meN-meN said. “It's settled.”
“Awww!” Hayato said. “But my idea was good!”
“Finding a mainstream actor willing to do porn might be an even more daunting task than hiring a complete newbie,” meN-meN said. “This idea is workable. The guy would be experienced AND know what he was getting into.”
And so, they had their target type of actor. The only question was, who?
* * *
By the time Monday arrived, they were no closer to the answer. They'd spent the weekend sifting through countless videos, paying attention to the bit players. The problem was, after awhile the actors all seemed to run into each other.
“Nobody seems to pop,” meN-meN said. “They're all sort of . . . there.”
“They're not supposed to pop,” Chamu said. “They're wallpaper to make the star look good. Some of these guys might have star potential, but I don't think we'd be able to tell unless we met them in person.”
The decision was made to ask Uruha in person if he could recommend anyone he'd worked with. The director instructed them to come down to a warehouse where he was shooting a crime scene for the sequel to Tomorrow Never Dies.
“You've got a few minutes to talk to me, guys,” Uruha said when they arrived. “We're wrapped up here, but I just got word we have the next location across town in about an hour – and we won't have it for long.”
The group outlined their plan for casting. Uruha liked it – but he couldn't give them any recommendations on the spot.
“Don't really have time to think about it,” he said. “Let me do the next scene, and then I'll sit down and give it some thought and I'll text you a few names.”
He rushed off, leaving the directors standing in the warehouse, watching him go.
“Well, that was . . . unproductive,” meN-meN said.
“Total waste of time,” Chamu said. “I wish he'd told us that he didn't have any time before we came down here.”
“Hey, you know how it is!” Hayato said. “We're filmmakers too, you know! Locations change at a moment's notice! A second's notice, even! One minute you think you're doing one thing, and poof! On to something else, without warning! So we shouldn't give Uruha a hard time! We should . . .”
“Excuse me?” said a voice behind them. They turned – to see someone who looked vaguely familiar. He had wavy brown hair, a boyish look, a lovely set of eyes . . .
“Someone at the office told me I could find Uruha here,” the newcomer said. “I want to give him this letter.” He held up an envelope.
“Uruha's gone,” meN-meN said. “He went to another location.”
“Oh.” The man looked disappointed. “Is he coming back?”
“Here?” Chamu said. “No. And we're not sure where he went, either. What is it – is it important?”
“Well, I was going to give him this letter of resignation,” the man said. “I'm, well . . . thinking of getting into mainstream film. This isn't doing it for me anymore.”
“No?” meN-meN said.
“No. I, well . . . aren't getting the roles, not good ones, anyway, and I'd rather work behind the scenes in real film. So . . . I guess I'll find out from the office where Uruha went. Thanks!” He turned to leave.
“Who was that?” meN-meN said.
“He was in those videos I watched . . . I think,” Kana said. “But we would have noticed him. He seems . . .”
“Charismatic?” Chamu said.
“Something like that,” Kana said.
“He had the look for the character, that's for sure,” meN-meN said. “He had the wide-eyed student thing down.”
“Too bad he's going to submit a letter of resignation, right?” Hayato said. He paused . . . and then said, “Letter of resignation? That means he's leaving the company!”
The group looked at each other. At that moment, they experienced the kind of synergy that comes with working as a team for a long time. They knew. They just KNEW they were all thinking the same thing.
They took off at a tear, determined to chase the young man down before he got away for good.
* * *
Tatsuya pulled out his phone. It figured that Uruha wasn't there. It just FIGURED. He wanted to make this fast, easy, painless. And now . . . it was going to be a pain, wasn't it?
Fine, he'd dial the office and find out where the director was now. And he'd get it over with, take a deep breath, and get ready to start his new life.
He'd gotten three steps out of the warehouse when he heard the running feet. He stopped. Was that some kind of human stampede? Was something wrong? Was someone being chased by . . .
“STOP!” A voice behind him yelled. “WAIT! Don't go to Uruha! Please! We want to talk to you!”
Were they talking to him? Well, they DID mention Uruha. But who . . .
He was suddenly surrounded by the men he saw in the warehouse – the ones who had told him Uruha wasn't there. Okay, THIS was weird. “Um . . . can I help you?”
“You're what we've been looking for!” Hayato said. “We're making this video, see? And it's got a part for a guy like you and it's opposite Ruiza and it's a leading role and we think you'd be great for it! Well. it involves getting it on with Ruiza but who wouldn't want to get it on with Ruiza, right? So, yeah, we thought we'd talk to you and . . . mmmph . . .”
The hand over his mouth belonged to meN-meN, who usually didn't resort to silencing Hayato like this, but the situation definitely called for it. Letting their potential star slip away wasn't an option.
“We're the Codomo Dragon collective,” meN-meN said. “We're doing an all-male remake of Blonde from Beyond – the straight porno. We want to talk to you about the possibility of a lead. It's mostly dialogue, only one sex scene, and that scene is with Ruiza. It's subject to the two of you having chemistry, of course.”
Tatsuya stood there with his jaw hanging open. “Are you KIDDING me?” he said.
“Why would we kid you?” meN-meN said.
“This is a prank, isn't it?” Tatsuya said. “Someone put you up to it. It's not real!”
“Why wouldn't it be real?” Chamu said. “We make films. We want to put someone in this latest film who's not used up – someone who's experienced, but still a fresh face to most viewers. You have the look for the character.”
“But . . . nobody has ever offered me anything like this before!” Tatsuya said. “That's why . . .” He looked down at the letter of resignation in his hand.
“That's why we literally chased you down before it's too late!” meN-meN said. “We want you in our film, can't you see? Give us a chance. Talk to us . . . and let us arrange a meeting with Ruiza. Please. We'll call him here and now.”
Tatsuya started at them. This was so . . . strange. So sudden. So out of the blue. And right when he was ready to resign. Did he trust them? Did he toss aside his shot at a new life . . . on a gamble?
If I take this and it doesn't work out, he thought, I'm going to feel like a fool. But if I don't take this? I'm going to be left stewing in what-ifs, aren't I? I'm going to be doing sound on fluffy teen comedies and wondering if I would have really had a co-starring role opposite Ruiza . . .
“Call him,” he heard himself saying. He was doing it. He was taking the gamble. He just hoped, for his own sake, it was going to work.
* * *
This was insane, Tatsuya thought. It was surreal. It wasn't happening. He'd slipped into an alternate universe, right?
Just this morning, he was checking the precise wording of his letter of resignation, making sure he'd dotted every I, crossed every T and not burned any bridges. And now, he was sitting in a corner booth at a bar not far from where he'd been chased down by the Codomo Dragon collective, looking over the script they wanted him to star in and waiting for his co-star.
The role wasn't like any he'd played before. It had actual substance. It was a three-dimensional character. There was actual relationship development with Ruiza's alien character. The final sex between them actually came from the heart.
It was, quite frankly, the kind of thing he'd wanted since he joined Eros. And he was fully expecting it to be ripped from his hands, to have someone pop up from behind the booth he was sitting and yell, “HA! Gotcha! It's all a joke, and we've got it AAAALLLL on video!”
But minutes went by, and no jokester popped up. And now, the door was opening and a blond beauty was striding toward his table. Yes, that was most definitely Ruiza. He'd know that face everywhere – he'd seen his videos, from Mad Tea Party – the Alice in Wonderland porn parody that had established him as a star – to Desired, his swan song at Hard Candy. He was far shorter than he looked on film, to be sure – but that didn't diminish his allure one iota.
“Hi!” he said, walking up to the booth. “I'm Ruiza.” He bowed. “Nice to meet you.”
“I'm Tatsuya.” He stood up so he could bow back. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“I got a call from meN-meN raving about you,” Ruiza said. “He thinks you're perfect for the part. They all do. In fact, he said they literally chased you down the street.”
“Well, not quite down the street, but they did chase me,” Tatsuya said. “I was going to see Uruha. They caught me before I could.”
“You should trust those guys. They know what they're doing,” Ruiza said. “This is a good script. A very good script, in fact. But then, I would expect nothing less from them.”
“Didn't you request that they make a film for you during the JAVAs?” Tatsuya remembered the incident vaguely – it kind of had gotten buried in all the fuss over Subaru getting a blank envelope when he tried to present an award.
“I didn't request it, not really,” Ruiza said. “I was trying to talk to the press about going indie – I'd just left Hard Candy and decided I was going to kind of freelance. And then Hayato suddenly came up to me gushing and wanting a selfie, and I told him how impressed I'd been with Sodom. I wasn't lying. That film . . . it kind of rekindled my enthusiasm for the industry. And, well, things kind of happened from there.”
“Rekindled?” Tatsuya said. That surprised him. Ruiza was a bonafide star – had been for years. He didn't have the kind of no-recognition issues Tatsuya himself had. Quite the opposite. Why would he get bored with the industry?
“I was this close to quitting.” Ruiza held up a thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart. “This close. And I mean the industry as a whole. I was done. I felt like a commodity, not a person – something to market. And I hated seeing the better parts going to guys who . . .” He stopped. “Never mind. I'll get the drinks. What do you want?”
“Sapporo,” Tatsuya said. A commodity? He couldn't imagine a studio treating anyone like Ruiza like a commodity. You'd think they'd treat their star like gold.
“I'll be right back!” Ruiza said. He got up and sprang for the bar, and when he came back, he was trailed by a waiter bearing a pitcher and two glasses on a tray. “This is my companion for the evening, Tatsuya-san,” Ruiza told the server.
“You know him?” Tatsuya asked the waiter.
“Ruiza-san has been hanging out here a long time,” the waiter said, putting the pitcher and glasses down. “Ever since he started working with Hard Candy. And I have to say he's been looking happier lately than he has in eons.”
“That's because I got away from Hard Candy,” Ruiza said, sitting back down. “I'm working with much better people now! I just finished a miniseries for them, and they're golden. Absolutely terrific.”
“That's right,” Tatsuya said. “You were in that thing with Yo-ka, weren't you? The royalty series?”
“And it was a blast,” Ruiza said. To the waiter, he said, “Thank you, Hiro! I'll let you know when we need a refill.” The waiter bowed and left the table, and Ruiza turned his attention to Tatsuya. “So,” he said. “Let's talk about you.”
“There isn't much to talk about,” Tatsuya said.
“Of course there is!” Ruiza said. “What have you done in the industry?”
“That's what I mean. I've been a utility player all this time. Small roles here, small roles there. Plus, I learned sound – I did sound on Swashbucklers. But all that wasn't adding up to very much. I'd hoped I'd get some decent roles, but, well, I never did. And so, well . . .” He took a swallow of his beer. “When they stopped me, I was on my way to give Uruha my letter of resignation.”
“Resignation?” Ruiza said. “Really?”
“Yes, really. It was all written out. I have a friend who was going to get me a sound job in mainstream film. I decided, well . . . it was time to move on.”
“Oh, my God, they really did catch you just in time, didn't they?” Ruiza said.
“With probably minutes to spare,” Tatsuya said. “If Uruha had been there, and I had gotten to him before they did, I wouldn't be here right now.”
“We have that in common, don't we?” Ruiza said. “We both very nearly quit the industry.”
“But . . . why did you quit?” Tatsuya said. “Or nearly quit? You said you were unhappy about Hard Candy.”
“How much do you know about that company?” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya thought a moment. “I know Jui and Jun left there in a hurry to form The Diamond Mine,” he said.
“They're very good friends of mine,” Ruiza replied.
“And I know Kiryu Video was affiliated with them at one point,” Tatsuya said. “And Mahiro, in particular, seemed happy to leave there.”
“That's because Hard Candy is run on favoritism and nepotism,” Ruiza said. “It's pretty much a big casting couch. Guys who sleep with producers get the better scripts and better roles. It's been going on for years, even though everyone is in denial about it.”
He paused. “And usually, when you find out the truth, you're too entrenched to leave. You're under contract. Jun and Jui were smart – they signed shorter-term contracts. I signed a long-term one because I was wearing HUGE rose-colored glasses at the time.”
“You were a star, though,” Tatsuya said. Did Ruiza sleep his way to the top? Not that it would be unusual in the industry as a whole – it just seemed foreign to him, coming from ethical companies like PSC Productions and Eros Films.
“Yes, I was,” Ruiza said. “I came there when I was a model. I didn't get a lot of fashion work – I was too short. I heard about Hard Candy from one of the photographers I worked with, and I thought I'd do it short-term until I figured out what I wanted to do next – sound familiar?”
“It's how every one of us started out,” Tatsuya said.
“And then, well, I got involved with one of the producers,” Ruiza said. “Romantically involved, that is. His name was Kisaki. He pretty much wore all the industry hats – writer, producer, director, actor. Like the Codomo Dragon guys. He was a really big deal within the company. He made me feel special, and he said he was going to make me a star. So he got me the lead in a really good video – Mad Tea Party. Next thing you know, I'm Newcomer of the Year. Then my first video got a sequel – Wonderland Savior – and then other producers in the company wanted to work with me. That's when I signed the long-term contract. And it was all great until Kisaki dumped me flat.”
“What?” Tatsuya said. “Why?”
“Because he's a serial dater,” Ruiza said. “He'll pull a guy in, convince him it's true love, then get bored with him and move on to the next pretty thing. He's been through a lot of actors. A LOT. Jui and Jun and I have a private joke that we're all members of the Kisaki Exes Club – because we all got burned by him. And once I no longer had Kisaki's protection, other producers started hitting on me. I turned them down - I didn't want the same thing to happen again.”
“I don't blame you,” Tatsuya said.
“But because I wasn't one of the favored ones anymore, I didn't get the good scripts,” Ruiza said. “I got junk. Sex scenes with a minimum of story to tie them together. But I had to keep making the videos because of the contract. I got disillusioned – and I vowed that when my contract ran out, I'd turn my back on the industry for good. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I thought I'd rather wait tables than do that kind of crappy porn again.”
He paused. “And then, I started watching what other companies were putting out, just out of curiosity. I saw what Uruha was doing, what Codomo Dragon were doing. It was so much better than the junk I'd been putting out. And, well, I got an idea. I was going to go indie when my contract ran out. See if anyone else was going to hire me – especially the people whose work I admired. And if that didn't happen, I really was going to quit.”
“But Uruha came through,” Tatsuya said.
“I told Sparxxx, the blogger, about my plan,” Ruiza said. “I knew he'd put a bug in the ears of the right people. And sure enough, he put me in touch with Uruha, and I got hired for the miniseries when I was making my last video with Hard Candy. Ironically, they actually got me a good script for my last video with them. I guess it was my reward for putting up with their bullshit for so long.”
“That's one hell of a story,” Tatsuya said.
“So, here we are,” Ruiza said. “Two guys who nearly quit, looking at the possibility of co-starring in a major video together. Call us the Quitters Club.”
Tatsuya took a big drink of his beer. Yes, the co-starring thing was still just a possibility – and it was contingent on him having chemistry with Ruiza. Did he? Well, he liked what he'd seen of the other man so far, to be sure. He had a non-pretentious air about him and seemed to regard what he did as a craft, not just on-camera sex.
Could he see himself being intimate with this man onscreen? Oh, he surely could.
Over the next few hours, the two of them emptied the pitcher and got another. They fell into an easy pattern of casual conversation about people they knew, about the neighborhoods they were living in now, and about other places they liked to hang out.
“This bar is a great place if you want a quiet evening,” Ruiza said. “But if I want something a bit more lively? There's nothing like Club Wild Side.”
“What's that?” Tatsuya said.
“Right across the street.” Ruiza pointed with his glass. “See that pharmacy? It's above that – the fifth and sixth floors of the building. Fortunately, they're open only when the pharmacy is closed, or else the noise would rattle the customers. It's an LBGT-friendly club – you see all types together in there. Women with men, women with women, men with men. Very, very crowded during Pride.”
“It sounds . . . cool,” Tatsuya said. He usually wasn't the dance club type – he preferred rock venues for nights out.
“You want to come there with me tomorrow night?” Ruiza said. “We could meet up downstairs at 9 and go up there.”
“A date?” The words slipped out of Tatsuya's mouth before he had a chance to think about them.
“You could think of it as a date, yes,” Ruiza said. “We're trying to figure out if we're compatible – right?”
“Oh, sure!” Tatsuya said. “I'd be glad – no, not just glad, flat-out honored! – to be your date. Really.” He gave him a sheepish smile – and remembered that tomorrow, his friend at the fluffy-teen-romance production company was going to go to his bosses about him.
Shit, he thought. I have to tell him not to – at least, not now. I'm going to take the gamble on this – on this working out. And I'm going to put the resignation letter to Uruha in a drawer, and . . . we'll see what happens.
“Good,” Ruiza said. “Tomorrow, at 9. And if it works out? We tell Codomo Dragon that you're in.”
“Yes!” Tatsuya said. Please, he thought, whatever deity is listening? Please, please let this work out. Because if I don't have to? I really don't want to quit. Not really.
* * *
He arrived in front of the Club Wild Side building wearing an outfit he'd borrowed from Yuuki and Yo-ka. Well, the tight black pants were Yo-ka's. The black belly shirt with the leather straps crossing over the chest was Yuuki's. He imagined it was more of a full size shirt on the shorter man.
Tatsuya hadn't told his friends about his plans to quit – he'd figured that he'd wait until everything was finalized, he had a job offer from the straight movie place and the letter of resignation was in Uruha's hands. Now, he was glad he'd held out, since things had taken a turn for the better. Much, much better.
Tatsuya cast nervous glances up and down the street, hoping to God Ruiza wasn't going to be late, because he didn't want to explain to random strangers passing by why he was standing in front of a closed drugstore dressed like an extra in a music video. Fortunately, he saw a small figure rounding the corner – and he nearly fell on the sidewalk.
If Ruiza had looked good in casual mode – T-shirt, hoodie and jeans – he was absolutely stunning dressed up to go out. Especially considering that he seemed to have a high-fashion consultant. He had what looked like a blue waistcoat over a white ruffled belly shirt – which showed off a very fetching navel piercing. If that wasn't enough, he wore black shorts with garters going down to his boots.
“Hey, there,” he said. “Were you waiting long?”
“No,” Tatsuya said, trying very hard to keep his eyes on the other man's face, but it was a losing battle. If the sparkle of the navel ring in the dim lights wasn't going to distract him, then those thighs were. Holy shit, he thought, I'm doomed. “Um, I just got here, in fact.”
“You look terrific,” Ruiza said, leading him through a side door of the building. In front of them was a bank of elevators, and the directory clearly marked the fifth and sixth floors as Club Wild Side. Well, at least it wasn't a secret.
“You look ready for a red carpet,” Tatsuya replied.
“That's because this IS a red carpet look,” Ruiza said. “JAVAS, two years ago. Awards show outfits are great to recycle for a night out.”
“You actually buy your red carpet clothes?” Tatsuya said as the elevator arrived with a loud BING. “I mean, our people usually rent or borrow them, or buy them secondhand.”
“Hard Candy buys actors an outfit if they're nominated for an award,” Ruiza said as they stepped in. “I was up for Best Two-Person that year. Didn't get it, of course – PSC has had a lock on that category as of late.”
“We've had a lock on a lot of categories, in fact,” Tatusya said as they moved upward. “You'll probably have more of a chance of winning one next year.”
“It's not awards I'm interested in,” Ruiza said. “It's being happy. It's having a place where I can breathe.” The doors opened, and they stepped out. “Welcome to Club Wild Side,” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya looked around him. The entire place seemed to be made of glass – the mirrored walls, the sparkling bars and tables, even the trays that the waiters were carrying around. Swirling lights cast shifting colors onto gyrating bodies, mostly young, mostly beautiful, all well-dressed. True to what Ruiza said, they were dancing together in all sorts of gender combinations.
“Wow,” he said. “This is damn nice. It looks like a movie set.” He wondered if Uruha could get permission to film here.
“We'd better look for a table if we want any hope of getting one,” Ruiza said, taking his hand and leading him across the club. Tatsuya cast his eyes upward, where the DJ had his booth, looking down at the dancers like a king surveying his realm from the top of a mountain. The booth was surrounded by walkways with shiny rails, lined with glassed-in rooms.
“I'm guessing that's the sixth floor?” Tatusya said. “Where the DJ is?”
“The DJ and the VIP rooms,” Ruiza said. “It's where the rich people go when they come here – TV producers, top executives, idols, that kind of thing.”
Porn stars, Tatsuya figured, didn't count as VIPs. They did, however, warrant attention from the waiters, since once came up to their table right away.
“Ruiza-san!” said the wavy-haired blond in the gold shorts with matching suspenders – no shirt underneath. “Who's your hot date?”
“This is Tatsuya,” Ruiza said. “He's with the company I'm working for now.”
“On-camera, I hope!” the waiter said. “It would be a waste otherwise!”
“Well . . . sort of,” Tatsuya said. He didn't exactly want to brag about the fact that he was a porn industry utility player. It sounded so . . . boring.
“He's up for a pretty big role in my next video,” Ruiza said.
“Nice!” the waiter said. “Good luck with it!”
Ruiza placed an order for a pitcher of Sapporos – same as the other place they went to – and after the waiter left, he said, “This isn't exactly a place to come when you want to chill out, as you probably figured.”
“I'm not into chilling out tonight,” Tatsuya said. I'm into looking at you, he thought. Now that Ruiza was seated in a way that the navel ring and thighs were out of sight, he could focus on his face. But even that was more beautiful than ever, with his hair curled and his red lipstick making his lips look like sin itself.
“Then what are you into?” Ruiza said, a bit teasingly.
“Seeing what comes next, of course,” Tatsuya replied. Well, that sounded okay – right? It was certainly better than telling him he was concentrating on keeping his hands to himself.
The drinks arrived, and they tried to talk over the thumping music – commenting on the décor (after a careful look around Tatsuya realized most of the things here were made of chrome and leather, not glass) and what other people were wearing. It wasn't easy, though – and being constantly distracted by his companion made it even harder for Tatsuya.
Halfway through their second beer, Ruiza said, “Do you want to dance?”
“I don't dance much,” Tatsuya replied.
“In a place like this, nobody expects you to be a pro,” Ruiza said. “Just jump around to the beat and you'll be fine.”
Well, fortunately he did have a strong sense of rhythm, so at least he wouldn't embarrass himself that way.
He let his date take him by the hand and lead him onto the dance floor. Those thighs and navel ring were in sight again, weren't they? He watched those legs move as they propelled the smaller man across the dance floor, so wonderfully shapely, so inviting of touches and kisses and . . .
“HEY!” said the large man that Tatsuya had just run into. And that didn't go very well, did it?
He found himself bowing so low his head almost scraped his knees. “Sorry!” he said. “I'm so sorry! Really, I'm sorry!”
“It's okay,” Ruiza said, gently pulling Tatsuya away. “It's his first time here, he's a little overwhelmed.” He pulled Tatusuya into a corner of the floor, and said, “No harm done, right?”
“I guess,” Tatsuya said. He looked around him – he was out here, he might as well start dancing, right? He began to bop his body a bit, shifting back and forth to the music, and then getting a little looser, a little more free . . .
Ten minutes later, he realized he was actually having a good time. He was just doing any motions that came into his head, letting his arms and legs just go with the music, and trying to keep pace with what Ruiza was doing. Because he wasn't taking his eyes off the other man. He just seemed so free, so comfortable with himself, the very epitome of sensuality.
I could do this video with him, he thought. I could SO do this video with him. The question is, would he want to do it with me, too?
They ended up on the dance floor for quite some time, coming back to the table when they felt they needed a rest and some drinks, then returning to the floor again. At one point, Ruiza leaned back against Tatsuya as they were dancing, his beautiful bottom pressed against Tatsuya's crotch, and Tatsuya thought he was going to lose it.
Oh, God, he thought. I want this, don't I? I want this for real – not on a dance floor, but the two of us alone . . .
He realized he'd stopped moving – except for his knees sagging. Ruiza suddenly turned around and looked at him. “Are you okay?” he said.
Tatsuya nodded, hoping to God he didn't have any visible evidence of how excited he just was, because that would be embarrassing as hell.
“Come on, let's go into the men's lounge,” Ruiza said. “I need a break for a few minutes, too.”
The lounge was, indeed, a full lounge – there was an anteroom with chairs, couches and many, many mirrors before the actual bathroom. And it was in this area they found themselves after using the facilities, with Ruiza bent over toward one of the mirrors, fixing his makeup.
“You know,” he said, “I'm really glad now that I didn't quit. The industry, I mean. Hard Candy I have no regrets over.”
“Because of the new projects you're doing?” Tatsuya said.
“Part of that,” Ruiza said. “But mostly because I feel like I'd lose a piece of myself if I quit. I mean, I didn't realize until now how much of me is wrapped up in being a porn star. In fact . . . I think it's part of my identity. I really do. If I stopped being Ruiza the Porn Star before I was truly ready to retire, there would be such a hole in my heart that I think I'd never get it back again.”
“I don't even know what my identity is,” Tatsuya said. “At least as far as the industry is concerned. I guess I never got a chance to develop it.”
Ruiza finished with his makeup, turned toward his date, and said, “I could help you find it, you know.”
Oh, God . . . the look in his eyes. Was that interest? Was it desire? Did he mean that he wanted Tatsuya to be his co-star?
“The thing is,” Ruiza said, starting to run his fingers slowly up Tatsuya's arm, “the more time I spend with you, the more I think you're a diamond in the rough. You're someone the industry has overlooked. You shouldn't be overlooked any more. At all. And if you're in the video with me . . .”
Tatsuya just stared at him. It was happening, wasn't it? Ruiza wanted to co-star with him. Ruiza was attracted to him. And he found himself saying, “Do you . . . like me?”
“Of course I do,” Ruiza said. “And I want to get to know you better.” He leaned over toward Tatsuya. “A lot better.”
Tatsuya's eyes darted around. There were a couple of guys walking past them, toward the bathroom. They were paying no notice – apparently, two guys on the verge of making out in here was a typical thing. He found himself closing the gap with the other man, and then those soft, red lips were on his . . .
He thought his heart was going to explode. This was what he'd wanted since he first laid eyes on Ruiza, wasn't it? He deepened the kiss, pulling the smaller man closer, and he felt Ruiza respond, opening his lips and brushing his tongue against Tatsuya's . . .
They leaned back, both breathing heavily. They both knew that if they kept going, they'd be engaging in conduct that wasn't exactly appropriate for a club bathroom. “I don't live far from here,” Ruiza said. “It's walking distance, in fact.”
That was the invitation Tatsuya was looking for. “Let's go,” he said.
He linked hands with the smaller man, the two of them rapidly headed for the door together.
* * *
Just two days ago, this was the last place in the world Tatsuya thought he'd be. He'd been despairing, ready to quit, typing up that letter of resignation . . .
And now he was naked on a bed covered in satiny materials, with their club finery scattered on the floor around him, and candles casting flickering lights on everything, and the most beautiful man he'd ever seen lying beneath him, head tipped back, allowing Tatsuya to kiss along his neck.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing and feeling. There was warm, silken flesh against his lips as he moved his head downward, slowly, kissing in a line down his new lover's chest, exploring every bit of him with lips and tongue . . .
He bent over, taking the nipple in his mouth and sucking gently, running his tongue over it, feeling Ruiza stir beneath him. He opened his mouth wider, taking in more, thinking that all he wanted to do was please him, that he'd do anything this man wanted or needed.
Feeling breathless, he kept kissing downward, over his belly, headed for that incredibly sexy navel ring, which seemed to shine in the candlelight like the treasure of some ancient realm. He ran his tongue slowly over its perimeter, feeling Ruiza shudder under him . . . so, he thought, it's true that piercings make skin sensitive?
He leaned over, taking the bit of metal in his teeth and tugging it lightly, and he heard Ruiza moan a little, which made him lick around it again, while his fingers slid downward. When he encountered the erection, he began to stroke it gently, running his fingers up and down its length.
“Fuck, yes,” Ruiza gasped, and Tatsuya stroked it faster, exploring every bit of it, running his palm slowly from base to tip. Why did every bit of him feel so good? Every bit of this cock seemed finely sculpted, as if it were specifically made for pleasure.
His mouth was still teasing the piercing, licking around it and tugging on it, and his fingers stroked faster, and Ruiza was moaning loudly, arching up toward him, and he was starting to feel droplets of precome . . .
He moved back up to kiss Ruiza's lips. “Are . . . are you ready to come yet?”
“No.” Ruiza kissed him again. “There's more that I want to do. Get on your hands and knees . . .”
That wasn't a request he was expecting – and he realized they hadn't discussed top and bottom yet. Not that he had a preference. He let go of Ruiza, getting in the position that was requested . . .
He felt the other man lean over him, kissing his neck, one hand reaching around his chest, finding a nipple and starting to caress it, gently, teasing it into a hard peak, then running back and forth over it. Tatsuya let out a soft moan, a slow warmth spreading through his body.
Ruiza's other hand reached around his belly, his fingers running along Tatsuya's erection like Tatsuya had done to him. His touch was feathery in some spots, firm in others, brushing lightly over the tip, then rapidly stroking the shaft, seeming to play his new lover like an instrument.
Tatsuya gave up trying to follow the movement of the other man's fingers and just surrendered to the pleasure, leaning his head back and moaning loudly, thrusting into Ruiza's hand as the other man stroked faster . . .
He felt Ruiza's cock rubbing against his ass, sliding into the cleft but not penetrating, the almost-but-not-quite just adding to the excitement, the naughty thrill. He moved his hips faster, thrusting against his lover, pumping his cock against the other man's hand.
Tatsuya was aware that he was moaning loudly, and crying out the other man's name, and moving faster, feeling that hardness sliding against his bottom, those fingers finding every sensitive spot and rubbing against them . . .
He suddenly felt his body stiffen, feeling like he was perched on the edge of a cliff, and then it burst through his whole body, a long, intense wave of white-hot ecstasy. He sagged forward, his face against the satiny material of the bedspread, panting, feeling that cock still thrusting against him, hearing Ruiza moaning louder . . .
The moan became a loud shout, and Tatsuya felt hot wetness splatter on his ass. It felt like a blessing to him.
Ruiza sagged against Tatsuya, and he leaned his head back and kissed the blond with passion. This hadn't been just sex – it felt like a minor miracle. He thought he was completely spent, that he had nothing left to give . . .
Except that less than an hour later, he found himself on his back on the mattress, head lifted, tongue exploring the length of Ruiza's erection, while the other man bent way over him, mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking him firmly.
Tatusya lifted his head a bit more, taking the head of his lover's hardness in his lips and sucking it while his hands moved over the other man's ass, squeezing it gently, feeling how shapely and firm it was.
Ruiza moved down on him further, enveloping his lover in velvety wet heat, pulling back slowly, then moving down rapidly, his fingers moving further down, running over Tatsuya's balls, caressing gently – which just made Tatusya suck him faster, his fingers running up and down over the shaft.
And then, Ruiza's finger moved to the flesh between his lover's erection and his entrance, pressing lightly, then moving, then pressing again . . . and stimulating his sweet spot. Tatsuya suddenly let his head fall back, crying out. It was the most unexpected pleasure he'd ever felt.
Ruiza kept doing it, sucking him while caressing his prostate, and Tatsuya could do nothing but moan and writhe and surrender utterly to this man, to his ministrations, to the two forms of pleasure he was giving him at once, the soft wetness and the sharp stings of ecstasy. It was building in him so fast, intense feeling that was making him writhe and moan and sweat and clutch at that satiny bedding.
And then there was a swipe of the tongue over the head accompanied by a firm caress to his prostate, and he suddenly cried out, “Coming, I'm coming, I'm . . .” That dissolved into a loud, wordless cry as he arched forward, coming all over his lover's beautiful face, yes, Ruiza had pulled back far enough to take a pop shot . . .
He fell backward, gasping, and he watched Ruiza move over him so he was straddling his shoulders. He raised his head, and Ruiza moved so he could thrust into Tatsuya's mouth, and Tatsuya began to suck him eagerly.
Ruiza moved his hips faster, mouth-fucking his new lover, giving him all that he could take, and Tatsuya accepted in all eagerly, sucking harder and faster, as Ruiza's breathing got faster and harder and more intense . . .
And then the blond pulled away and let out a sharp cry, and Tatsuya felt the wonderful hot wetness on his face. He flicked his tongue out to catch the droplets, before Ruiza shifted to lay beside him, kissing his lips, the combined come smearing over both their faces.
Tatsuya leaned against his new lover, gasping and clinging to him, knowing that any question of “chemistry” was settled. They had it – to spare.
Oh, God, yes, he'd have sex with this man in front of the cameras. He'd have it in this bed and in the shower and on his couch. He'd make love to him in a love hotel or in the middle of a field. He'd take this man wherever, whenever, however he wanted.
He was smitten. Absolutely head-over-heels. And best of all, he could see potential for an actual relationship here as well.
Ruiza raised his head and kissed him. “That was worth waiting for,” he said.
“Waiting?”
“I've been waiting since the moment we first met,” he said. “You really are the kind of person I didn't realize I needed in my life. Sweet, unspoiled, and at the same time, savvy about the business. And sexy. Really, really sexy.” He kissed him again. “You're staying the rest of the night, I hope?”
“I'm going nowhere. Nowhere at all. Until tomorrow. We have to tell Codomo Dragon we're doing the video together.”
“We're definitely doing the video together,” Ruiza said. “I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a video so much.”
The two of them snuggled together. Tatsuya closed his eyes. “I am so glad I didn't quit,” he said.
“You were meant not to,” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya silently thanked whatever kami or ancestor had been looking out for him. He was going to get the lead role he'd coveted his whole time in the industry – finally. And just when he'd been on the very verge of handing in his resignation letter, too. It was ironic, in a way.
But more importantly, he'd met someone he was greatly looking forward to knowing better – someone who'd come damn close to quitting himself. A double miracle.
Hopefully, he thought, something more comes of this than an impromptu Quitters Club.
* * *
Several weeks later, the Codomo Dragon collective walked into Uruha's office. They'd just uploaded the master file of what was to be released as Blond From Beyond – Male Edition to the main company FTP site, and they were awaiting the boss's reaction.
“Come in,” Uruha said. “I just finished watching it, and . . .”
“And?” Kana said.
“It's incredible. Beyond my expectations. It's distinctly YOURS – and Ruiza is fantastic. More breathtaking than he's been in years. And that last scene – oh, my God. How the hell did you end up pairing him with Tatsuya?”
“Just an idea,” meN-meN said. “We wanted to give a shot to someone already in the company who had been underexposed.”
“Because they're going to melt monitors,” Uruha said. “The chemistry is EXPLOSIVE. Absolutely explosive. They looked like they'd been waiting for each other their entire lives. We're putting him into whatever video Ruiza does next, for sure. If they keep up like this? This might be the next Yoshiki and Sugizo waiting to happen” - referring to one of porn's most legendary pairings.
“We thought it was explosive, too!” Hayato said. “Honestly, the energy in the room when we were filming that last sex scene? It nearly burned down the walls! They went at each other as if we weren't even there, and that's the best possible kind of sex scene! Hell, I nearly came from directing it! They're the best pairing we could ever ask for! We're going to be putting them together in everything we make with Ruiza in the future, because he loved us and we loved him and we're definitely going to be working together again, and . . .”
A hand covered his mouth. It seemed that meN-meN was doing this more and more lately.
“We're pleased with the end result,” meN-meN said. “Completely pleased. And we hope you are, too.”
“Beyond completely,” Uruha said. “Congratulations, gentlemen. We'll start additional publicity for this right away – because it deserves it.”
He picked up the phone to call their publicist – and then, he was going to contact every blogger he knew. The Ruiza/Tatsuya pairing had to be seen to be believed – and he wanted to make sure that as many people as possible saw it.
Meanwhile, as Uruha was burning up the lines, his new star was burning something else. Tatsuya stood in the kitchen of his apartment, over the sink, watching his resignation letter to Uruha slowly being enveloped in flames.
It was a ritual he'd promised himself he'd do, and now that it was happening, he felt free. Free of his disillusionment, his feelings of wanting to give up. And when the man who was currently dozing on his bed woke up, he was going in there and making them BOTH feel glad that they didn't quit the industry.
He had a happy future ahead of him – both in terms of his renewed career and his growing relationship with Ruiza. Not quitting, it seemed, was the best thing either of them had ever done.
Chapter: Installment 80 overall in The Camera Eye series. Links to previous installments can be found here.
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, 69, tattoo/piercing worship
Pairing: Tatsuya (DIAURA) x Ruiza (D)
Disclaimer: DIAURA is property of Ains, D is property of God Child Records, Codomo Dragon is property of BP Records, I own the story only.
Summary: Tatsuya has never risen above a bit player in videos, and he's ready to turn his back on the adult film industry for good. Little does he realize a group of filmmakers have plans for him – that involve someone else who nearly quit the business.
Notes: Yes, the reference to Kisaki Exes Club is because Ruiza, Jun and Jui have all been associated with Kisaki in some form or another – Ruiza through Syndrome, Jun through Phantasmagoria and Jui because Vidoll were launched by Matina/Under Code.
In the adult video industry, there were your superstars, your regular stars, your up-and-comers . . . and your utility players.
The latter group were the actors that directors always knew they could rely on to play smaller roles. They were the clerks in the hotel scenes, the desk sergeants in the police dramas, the co-workers in the office romances. Sometimes they got sex scenes of their own – usually playing against an up-and-coming actor. Most of the time, their roles were purely non-sexual.
Tatsuya had gotten himself a reputation as one of the most solid utility players in the industry.
He'd been with Eros Films almost as long as Yuuki and Yo-ka had, and he'd been in more videos than either of them. He played whatever role a director needed him to play – although, due to his look, those usually fell under the heading of “boyish types.” (The rookie cop, the rookie teacher, the guy hired for the office just out of college . . .)
Sometimes, he even did behind-the-scenes work. He'd gotten very good at being an assistant sound man. He'd even worked his way up to head sound man on a few videos – including Swashbucklers, where he'd also been a random pirate.
Eventually, though, it grew old. He was always hoping for a big break, for a director to take a look at him and see him as something other than, well, Random Guy Who Delivers Four Lines. It didn't happen. Indeed, Uruha seemed to be increasingly interested in using his skills as a sound man.
So, it seemed that his hopes of being a porn star were fading . . . and it was looking likely that he was headed for a career doing sound. But if I'm going to be a sound man, he thought, do I really want to be one in the adult video industry all my life? Or . . . do I want to do more?
As it turned out, he knew someone who could help him transition to working behind-the-scenes in mainstream film. An old friend in high school was working for a film production company as a publicist. Not a particularly big or prestigious company, mind you – their specialty was fluffy teen comedies, the kind that flooded the theaters during school break periods, turned a quick profit, and then vanished from sight.
But it was the mainstream. And so, he met that particular friend for drinks one Friday night.
“Sound men?” the freind said. “Believe me, we are ALWAYS looking for good sound men. The directors keep saying their sound guys get poached by TV all the time.”
“Does it matter if my resume consists entirely of working in, well, porn?” Tatsuya said.
“If you did a good job on it? Or the titles you worked on had any prestige at all? They won't care what kind of film it was,” the friend said.
“Um . . . what if the last film I did sound on was the biggest selling all-male adult production of the last 12 months? And the biggest-budgeted Japanese gay porno of all time? And it had an actual script?”
“Then you could write your own ticket, my man. I'll talk to the bosses on Monday. No, wait, I'm not going into the office Monday, have a doctor's appointment. Those always take forever. Tuesday, then.”
“Thank you,” Tatsuya said. “Thank you so much. This is the life boost that I need.”
It was settled, then. He was going to go to Uruha on Monday and turn in his resignation. It was time to admit that he was never going to be a leading man – and start building the kind of career that he could tell his parents about. He suddenly felt very confident. This was going to be good. This was going to be very good.
Little did he realize that his life was, in fact, about to make a change in direction – just not the one he originally counted on.
* * *
When Codomo Dragon took on the assignment of making a video for Ruiza, they were intimidated at first – even though Uruha had promised them that he was going to supply them with great material to be their starting point for the script. “We've scored an incredible remake,” he said. “You'll see! And you can take it in your own direction!”
At first, they were expecting the head producer/director to give them a Western gay porn to remake – much like Kiryu Video had transformed the American video Disco Cowboy into Kabuki Disco and gotten themselves a Best Video award for their troubles.
They were surprised as hell, therefore, when they were handed . . . a het/lesbian porn series?
“It's called Blonde from Beyond,” Uruha told them. “It's about an alien who comes to Earth to learn about human sexuality. They've done six volumes of it so far.”
“That's a lot of learning,” meN-meN said.
“Well, they have different plots, of course,” Uruha said. “The first volume was just about Vivi – that's the alien's name – exploring the planet and exploring various men and women. The second one had her running away from alien hunters, the third had two more aliens from her planet arriving to try to find her, the fourth had her becoming a porn star, the fifth had her using her star money to open a sexual travel agency for other aliens. The sixth video, though . . . that one was interesting. It was a reboot of the original with a different actress playing Vivi, and there was a plotline where she ended up falling in love with a university student who's involved in a UFO research project. And it's the plotline of the reboot that I got the rights to remake.”
“So . . . we're remaking it with Vivi as a guy?” Kana said.
“Bingo,” Uruha said. “Your basic premise is that Vivi's overlords on their home planet have learned all about male-female and female-female sexuality through her adventures in the first five volumes of the series. But there's one spot missing in their education – male-male sexuality. So they send another beautiful blond, this time male, to find out all he can about male sexuality.”
“And that's Ruiza,” meN-meN said.
“Yes. So, take that premise, and the idea of him developing a relationship with the student, and just run with it. Do whatever you want to do.”
“Oooh!” Hayato said. “I can see it! We have Ruiza crash-land on Earth! Big special effects shot! And then he crawls out of the wreckage of the spaceship and the student guy finds him! And he gives him a place to stay! And then Ruiza starts making his way around the campus screwing students and professors alike! And then he goes clubbing and screws more guys! And then maybe they can bring in the UFO hunter thing from the second film and they're on his trail but he seduces one of them and then they leave him alone and then he finally gets together with the student guy and they fall in love and we end this thing with a long and hot scene between the two of them and then Ruiza deciding to stay on Earth for good! And we dress him in, like, this sparkly catsuit when he's first onscreen! Something really alien-like! And then we . . .”
“Down, boy,” meN-meN said. To the others, he said, “You get any of that?”
“I think so,” Kana said. “Alien crash-landing . . . and alien hunters in there somewhere . . . and a clubbing scene . . .”
“We HAVE to have a club scene,” Chamu said. “That's kind of becoming our trademark.”
“And . . . um . . . a big love scene at the end?” Kana said.
“I . . . think his idea might work,” Yume said. “If we can remember it all.”
Fortunately, Kana was able to take the screenplay of the original and the ideas Hayato had spouted and fashion a script that got the approval of both their head producer and their star. They asked Ruiza who he might like to have them consider for the various men the alien had sex with throughout the course of the film, and the majority of the parts were filled up quickly – including roles for Hayato and meN-meN.
One role remained to be cast, though – the student who became the alien's sidekick, and eventual lover. “I'll leave the choice of his actor up to you,” Ruiza said. “Just let me meet with the guy first to see if we have chemistry.”
And so, on the same Friday night that Tatsuya was talking about getting out of the adult video business, the Codomo Dragon crew sat around tossing about names – and coming up with nothing.
At first, they considered some Hot Guys of the Moment – Subaru, Mahiro, MiA – but that idea was quickly deep-sixed. They didn't want Ruiza to be overshadowed in the finale scene. Next, they considered using someone who had never been in videos before – but none of them had the appetite for a lengthy audition and screening process, especially since it would take precious time away from filming.
And then, meN-meN had a brainstorm. “What if we used someone who's experienced in videos . . . but isn't a star?”
“What do you mean?” Kana said.
“I mean, we get a guy who's one of the bit players, right? Someone who's usually playing supporting roles. You know, like Shoya, or Izumi, or . . .”
“Or our own Yume?” Kana said.
“I don't think I want that part,” Yume said, quickly.
“Come on!” Hayato said. “Who wouldn't want to be with Ruiza? The guy is hot as hell!”
“It's not that!” Yume said. “I don't feel like I'm ready to play a lead!”
“He's got a point,” Kana said. “When you count pure dialogue scenes, without the sex? This part really is the second lead. His role is as big as Ruiza's own. We need a real ACTOR – who's willing to get down and dirty with Ruiza.”
“Maybe that's what we do!” Hayato said. “Hire a mainstream actor! You know, one that has a lot of experience, but hasn't got the right roles yet? You could find one who'd be willing to do a porno, right? That's how we got Mahiro, isn't it? Mahiro was in horror films. Well, horror films aren't exactly mainstream, but they're not porno! The bottom line is that he was doing something other than – well, what we're doing. And he came to us! And now he gets down and dirty with all kinds of guys, and he's a star! So we could do the same thing all over again! We could . . .”
“I think I like meN-meN's idea better,” Chamu said, quickly.
“I do, too,” Kana said.
“Good,” meN-meN said. “It's settled.”
“Awww!” Hayato said. “But my idea was good!”
“Finding a mainstream actor willing to do porn might be an even more daunting task than hiring a complete newbie,” meN-meN said. “This idea is workable. The guy would be experienced AND know what he was getting into.”
And so, they had their target type of actor. The only question was, who?
* * *
By the time Monday arrived, they were no closer to the answer. They'd spent the weekend sifting through countless videos, paying attention to the bit players. The problem was, after awhile the actors all seemed to run into each other.
“Nobody seems to pop,” meN-meN said. “They're all sort of . . . there.”
“They're not supposed to pop,” Chamu said. “They're wallpaper to make the star look good. Some of these guys might have star potential, but I don't think we'd be able to tell unless we met them in person.”
The decision was made to ask Uruha in person if he could recommend anyone he'd worked with. The director instructed them to come down to a warehouse where he was shooting a crime scene for the sequel to Tomorrow Never Dies.
“You've got a few minutes to talk to me, guys,” Uruha said when they arrived. “We're wrapped up here, but I just got word we have the next location across town in about an hour – and we won't have it for long.”
The group outlined their plan for casting. Uruha liked it – but he couldn't give them any recommendations on the spot.
“Don't really have time to think about it,” he said. “Let me do the next scene, and then I'll sit down and give it some thought and I'll text you a few names.”
He rushed off, leaving the directors standing in the warehouse, watching him go.
“Well, that was . . . unproductive,” meN-meN said.
“Total waste of time,” Chamu said. “I wish he'd told us that he didn't have any time before we came down here.”
“Hey, you know how it is!” Hayato said. “We're filmmakers too, you know! Locations change at a moment's notice! A second's notice, even! One minute you think you're doing one thing, and poof! On to something else, without warning! So we shouldn't give Uruha a hard time! We should . . .”
“Excuse me?” said a voice behind them. They turned – to see someone who looked vaguely familiar. He had wavy brown hair, a boyish look, a lovely set of eyes . . .
“Someone at the office told me I could find Uruha here,” the newcomer said. “I want to give him this letter.” He held up an envelope.
“Uruha's gone,” meN-meN said. “He went to another location.”
“Oh.” The man looked disappointed. “Is he coming back?”
“Here?” Chamu said. “No. And we're not sure where he went, either. What is it – is it important?”
“Well, I was going to give him this letter of resignation,” the man said. “I'm, well . . . thinking of getting into mainstream film. This isn't doing it for me anymore.”
“No?” meN-meN said.
“No. I, well . . . aren't getting the roles, not good ones, anyway, and I'd rather work behind the scenes in real film. So . . . I guess I'll find out from the office where Uruha went. Thanks!” He turned to leave.
“Who was that?” meN-meN said.
“He was in those videos I watched . . . I think,” Kana said. “But we would have noticed him. He seems . . .”
“Charismatic?” Chamu said.
“Something like that,” Kana said.
“He had the look for the character, that's for sure,” meN-meN said. “He had the wide-eyed student thing down.”
“Too bad he's going to submit a letter of resignation, right?” Hayato said. He paused . . . and then said, “Letter of resignation? That means he's leaving the company!”
The group looked at each other. At that moment, they experienced the kind of synergy that comes with working as a team for a long time. They knew. They just KNEW they were all thinking the same thing.
They took off at a tear, determined to chase the young man down before he got away for good.
* * *
Tatsuya pulled out his phone. It figured that Uruha wasn't there. It just FIGURED. He wanted to make this fast, easy, painless. And now . . . it was going to be a pain, wasn't it?
Fine, he'd dial the office and find out where the director was now. And he'd get it over with, take a deep breath, and get ready to start his new life.
He'd gotten three steps out of the warehouse when he heard the running feet. He stopped. Was that some kind of human stampede? Was something wrong? Was someone being chased by . . .
“STOP!” A voice behind him yelled. “WAIT! Don't go to Uruha! Please! We want to talk to you!”
Were they talking to him? Well, they DID mention Uruha. But who . . .
He was suddenly surrounded by the men he saw in the warehouse – the ones who had told him Uruha wasn't there. Okay, THIS was weird. “Um . . . can I help you?”
“You're what we've been looking for!” Hayato said. “We're making this video, see? And it's got a part for a guy like you and it's opposite Ruiza and it's a leading role and we think you'd be great for it! Well. it involves getting it on with Ruiza but who wouldn't want to get it on with Ruiza, right? So, yeah, we thought we'd talk to you and . . . mmmph . . .”
The hand over his mouth belonged to meN-meN, who usually didn't resort to silencing Hayato like this, but the situation definitely called for it. Letting their potential star slip away wasn't an option.
“We're the Codomo Dragon collective,” meN-meN said. “We're doing an all-male remake of Blonde from Beyond – the straight porno. We want to talk to you about the possibility of a lead. It's mostly dialogue, only one sex scene, and that scene is with Ruiza. It's subject to the two of you having chemistry, of course.”
Tatsuya stood there with his jaw hanging open. “Are you KIDDING me?” he said.
“Why would we kid you?” meN-meN said.
“This is a prank, isn't it?” Tatsuya said. “Someone put you up to it. It's not real!”
“Why wouldn't it be real?” Chamu said. “We make films. We want to put someone in this latest film who's not used up – someone who's experienced, but still a fresh face to most viewers. You have the look for the character.”
“But . . . nobody has ever offered me anything like this before!” Tatsuya said. “That's why . . .” He looked down at the letter of resignation in his hand.
“That's why we literally chased you down before it's too late!” meN-meN said. “We want you in our film, can't you see? Give us a chance. Talk to us . . . and let us arrange a meeting with Ruiza. Please. We'll call him here and now.”
Tatsuya started at them. This was so . . . strange. So sudden. So out of the blue. And right when he was ready to resign. Did he trust them? Did he toss aside his shot at a new life . . . on a gamble?
If I take this and it doesn't work out, he thought, I'm going to feel like a fool. But if I don't take this? I'm going to be left stewing in what-ifs, aren't I? I'm going to be doing sound on fluffy teen comedies and wondering if I would have really had a co-starring role opposite Ruiza . . .
“Call him,” he heard himself saying. He was doing it. He was taking the gamble. He just hoped, for his own sake, it was going to work.
* * *
This was insane, Tatsuya thought. It was surreal. It wasn't happening. He'd slipped into an alternate universe, right?
Just this morning, he was checking the precise wording of his letter of resignation, making sure he'd dotted every I, crossed every T and not burned any bridges. And now, he was sitting in a corner booth at a bar not far from where he'd been chased down by the Codomo Dragon collective, looking over the script they wanted him to star in and waiting for his co-star.
The role wasn't like any he'd played before. It had actual substance. It was a three-dimensional character. There was actual relationship development with Ruiza's alien character. The final sex between them actually came from the heart.
It was, quite frankly, the kind of thing he'd wanted since he joined Eros. And he was fully expecting it to be ripped from his hands, to have someone pop up from behind the booth he was sitting and yell, “HA! Gotcha! It's all a joke, and we've got it AAAALLLL on video!”
But minutes went by, and no jokester popped up. And now, the door was opening and a blond beauty was striding toward his table. Yes, that was most definitely Ruiza. He'd know that face everywhere – he'd seen his videos, from Mad Tea Party – the Alice in Wonderland porn parody that had established him as a star – to Desired, his swan song at Hard Candy. He was far shorter than he looked on film, to be sure – but that didn't diminish his allure one iota.
“Hi!” he said, walking up to the booth. “I'm Ruiza.” He bowed. “Nice to meet you.”
“I'm Tatsuya.” He stood up so he could bow back. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“I got a call from meN-meN raving about you,” Ruiza said. “He thinks you're perfect for the part. They all do. In fact, he said they literally chased you down the street.”
“Well, not quite down the street, but they did chase me,” Tatsuya said. “I was going to see Uruha. They caught me before I could.”
“You should trust those guys. They know what they're doing,” Ruiza said. “This is a good script. A very good script, in fact. But then, I would expect nothing less from them.”
“Didn't you request that they make a film for you during the JAVAs?” Tatsuya remembered the incident vaguely – it kind of had gotten buried in all the fuss over Subaru getting a blank envelope when he tried to present an award.
“I didn't request it, not really,” Ruiza said. “I was trying to talk to the press about going indie – I'd just left Hard Candy and decided I was going to kind of freelance. And then Hayato suddenly came up to me gushing and wanting a selfie, and I told him how impressed I'd been with Sodom. I wasn't lying. That film . . . it kind of rekindled my enthusiasm for the industry. And, well, things kind of happened from there.”
“Rekindled?” Tatsuya said. That surprised him. Ruiza was a bonafide star – had been for years. He didn't have the kind of no-recognition issues Tatsuya himself had. Quite the opposite. Why would he get bored with the industry?
“I was this close to quitting.” Ruiza held up a thumb and forefinger a centimeter apart. “This close. And I mean the industry as a whole. I was done. I felt like a commodity, not a person – something to market. And I hated seeing the better parts going to guys who . . .” He stopped. “Never mind. I'll get the drinks. What do you want?”
“Sapporo,” Tatsuya said. A commodity? He couldn't imagine a studio treating anyone like Ruiza like a commodity. You'd think they'd treat their star like gold.
“I'll be right back!” Ruiza said. He got up and sprang for the bar, and when he came back, he was trailed by a waiter bearing a pitcher and two glasses on a tray. “This is my companion for the evening, Tatsuya-san,” Ruiza told the server.
“You know him?” Tatsuya asked the waiter.
“Ruiza-san has been hanging out here a long time,” the waiter said, putting the pitcher and glasses down. “Ever since he started working with Hard Candy. And I have to say he's been looking happier lately than he has in eons.”
“That's because I got away from Hard Candy,” Ruiza said, sitting back down. “I'm working with much better people now! I just finished a miniseries for them, and they're golden. Absolutely terrific.”
“That's right,” Tatsuya said. “You were in that thing with Yo-ka, weren't you? The royalty series?”
“And it was a blast,” Ruiza said. To the waiter, he said, “Thank you, Hiro! I'll let you know when we need a refill.” The waiter bowed and left the table, and Ruiza turned his attention to Tatsuya. “So,” he said. “Let's talk about you.”
“There isn't much to talk about,” Tatsuya said.
“Of course there is!” Ruiza said. “What have you done in the industry?”
“That's what I mean. I've been a utility player all this time. Small roles here, small roles there. Plus, I learned sound – I did sound on Swashbucklers. But all that wasn't adding up to very much. I'd hoped I'd get some decent roles, but, well, I never did. And so, well . . .” He took a swallow of his beer. “When they stopped me, I was on my way to give Uruha my letter of resignation.”
“Resignation?” Ruiza said. “Really?”
“Yes, really. It was all written out. I have a friend who was going to get me a sound job in mainstream film. I decided, well . . . it was time to move on.”
“Oh, my God, they really did catch you just in time, didn't they?” Ruiza said.
“With probably minutes to spare,” Tatsuya said. “If Uruha had been there, and I had gotten to him before they did, I wouldn't be here right now.”
“We have that in common, don't we?” Ruiza said. “We both very nearly quit the industry.”
“But . . . why did you quit?” Tatsuya said. “Or nearly quit? You said you were unhappy about Hard Candy.”
“How much do you know about that company?” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya thought a moment. “I know Jui and Jun left there in a hurry to form The Diamond Mine,” he said.
“They're very good friends of mine,” Ruiza replied.
“And I know Kiryu Video was affiliated with them at one point,” Tatsuya said. “And Mahiro, in particular, seemed happy to leave there.”
“That's because Hard Candy is run on favoritism and nepotism,” Ruiza said. “It's pretty much a big casting couch. Guys who sleep with producers get the better scripts and better roles. It's been going on for years, even though everyone is in denial about it.”
He paused. “And usually, when you find out the truth, you're too entrenched to leave. You're under contract. Jun and Jui were smart – they signed shorter-term contracts. I signed a long-term one because I was wearing HUGE rose-colored glasses at the time.”
“You were a star, though,” Tatsuya said. Did Ruiza sleep his way to the top? Not that it would be unusual in the industry as a whole – it just seemed foreign to him, coming from ethical companies like PSC Productions and Eros Films.
“Yes, I was,” Ruiza said. “I came there when I was a model. I didn't get a lot of fashion work – I was too short. I heard about Hard Candy from one of the photographers I worked with, and I thought I'd do it short-term until I figured out what I wanted to do next – sound familiar?”
“It's how every one of us started out,” Tatsuya said.
“And then, well, I got involved with one of the producers,” Ruiza said. “Romantically involved, that is. His name was Kisaki. He pretty much wore all the industry hats – writer, producer, director, actor. Like the Codomo Dragon guys. He was a really big deal within the company. He made me feel special, and he said he was going to make me a star. So he got me the lead in a really good video – Mad Tea Party. Next thing you know, I'm Newcomer of the Year. Then my first video got a sequel – Wonderland Savior – and then other producers in the company wanted to work with me. That's when I signed the long-term contract. And it was all great until Kisaki dumped me flat.”
“What?” Tatsuya said. “Why?”
“Because he's a serial dater,” Ruiza said. “He'll pull a guy in, convince him it's true love, then get bored with him and move on to the next pretty thing. He's been through a lot of actors. A LOT. Jui and Jun and I have a private joke that we're all members of the Kisaki Exes Club – because we all got burned by him. And once I no longer had Kisaki's protection, other producers started hitting on me. I turned them down - I didn't want the same thing to happen again.”
“I don't blame you,” Tatsuya said.
“But because I wasn't one of the favored ones anymore, I didn't get the good scripts,” Ruiza said. “I got junk. Sex scenes with a minimum of story to tie them together. But I had to keep making the videos because of the contract. I got disillusioned – and I vowed that when my contract ran out, I'd turn my back on the industry for good. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I thought I'd rather wait tables than do that kind of crappy porn again.”
He paused. “And then, I started watching what other companies were putting out, just out of curiosity. I saw what Uruha was doing, what Codomo Dragon were doing. It was so much better than the junk I'd been putting out. And, well, I got an idea. I was going to go indie when my contract ran out. See if anyone else was going to hire me – especially the people whose work I admired. And if that didn't happen, I really was going to quit.”
“But Uruha came through,” Tatsuya said.
“I told Sparxxx, the blogger, about my plan,” Ruiza said. “I knew he'd put a bug in the ears of the right people. And sure enough, he put me in touch with Uruha, and I got hired for the miniseries when I was making my last video with Hard Candy. Ironically, they actually got me a good script for my last video with them. I guess it was my reward for putting up with their bullshit for so long.”
“That's one hell of a story,” Tatsuya said.
“So, here we are,” Ruiza said. “Two guys who nearly quit, looking at the possibility of co-starring in a major video together. Call us the Quitters Club.”
Tatsuya took a big drink of his beer. Yes, the co-starring thing was still just a possibility – and it was contingent on him having chemistry with Ruiza. Did he? Well, he liked what he'd seen of the other man so far, to be sure. He had a non-pretentious air about him and seemed to regard what he did as a craft, not just on-camera sex.
Could he see himself being intimate with this man onscreen? Oh, he surely could.
Over the next few hours, the two of them emptied the pitcher and got another. They fell into an easy pattern of casual conversation about people they knew, about the neighborhoods they were living in now, and about other places they liked to hang out.
“This bar is a great place if you want a quiet evening,” Ruiza said. “But if I want something a bit more lively? There's nothing like Club Wild Side.”
“What's that?” Tatsuya said.
“Right across the street.” Ruiza pointed with his glass. “See that pharmacy? It's above that – the fifth and sixth floors of the building. Fortunately, they're open only when the pharmacy is closed, or else the noise would rattle the customers. It's an LBGT-friendly club – you see all types together in there. Women with men, women with women, men with men. Very, very crowded during Pride.”
“It sounds . . . cool,” Tatsuya said. He usually wasn't the dance club type – he preferred rock venues for nights out.
“You want to come there with me tomorrow night?” Ruiza said. “We could meet up downstairs at 9 and go up there.”
“A date?” The words slipped out of Tatsuya's mouth before he had a chance to think about them.
“You could think of it as a date, yes,” Ruiza said. “We're trying to figure out if we're compatible – right?”
“Oh, sure!” Tatsuya said. “I'd be glad – no, not just glad, flat-out honored! – to be your date. Really.” He gave him a sheepish smile – and remembered that tomorrow, his friend at the fluffy-teen-romance production company was going to go to his bosses about him.
Shit, he thought. I have to tell him not to – at least, not now. I'm going to take the gamble on this – on this working out. And I'm going to put the resignation letter to Uruha in a drawer, and . . . we'll see what happens.
“Good,” Ruiza said. “Tomorrow, at 9. And if it works out? We tell Codomo Dragon that you're in.”
“Yes!” Tatsuya said. Please, he thought, whatever deity is listening? Please, please let this work out. Because if I don't have to? I really don't want to quit. Not really.
* * *
He arrived in front of the Club Wild Side building wearing an outfit he'd borrowed from Yuuki and Yo-ka. Well, the tight black pants were Yo-ka's. The black belly shirt with the leather straps crossing over the chest was Yuuki's. He imagined it was more of a full size shirt on the shorter man.
Tatsuya hadn't told his friends about his plans to quit – he'd figured that he'd wait until everything was finalized, he had a job offer from the straight movie place and the letter of resignation was in Uruha's hands. Now, he was glad he'd held out, since things had taken a turn for the better. Much, much better.
Tatsuya cast nervous glances up and down the street, hoping to God Ruiza wasn't going to be late, because he didn't want to explain to random strangers passing by why he was standing in front of a closed drugstore dressed like an extra in a music video. Fortunately, he saw a small figure rounding the corner – and he nearly fell on the sidewalk.
If Ruiza had looked good in casual mode – T-shirt, hoodie and jeans – he was absolutely stunning dressed up to go out. Especially considering that he seemed to have a high-fashion consultant. He had what looked like a blue waistcoat over a white ruffled belly shirt – which showed off a very fetching navel piercing. If that wasn't enough, he wore black shorts with garters going down to his boots.
“Hey, there,” he said. “Were you waiting long?”
“No,” Tatsuya said, trying very hard to keep his eyes on the other man's face, but it was a losing battle. If the sparkle of the navel ring in the dim lights wasn't going to distract him, then those thighs were. Holy shit, he thought, I'm doomed. “Um, I just got here, in fact.”
“You look terrific,” Ruiza said, leading him through a side door of the building. In front of them was a bank of elevators, and the directory clearly marked the fifth and sixth floors as Club Wild Side. Well, at least it wasn't a secret.
“You look ready for a red carpet,” Tatsuya replied.
“That's because this IS a red carpet look,” Ruiza said. “JAVAS, two years ago. Awards show outfits are great to recycle for a night out.”
“You actually buy your red carpet clothes?” Tatsuya said as the elevator arrived with a loud BING. “I mean, our people usually rent or borrow them, or buy them secondhand.”
“Hard Candy buys actors an outfit if they're nominated for an award,” Ruiza said as they stepped in. “I was up for Best Two-Person that year. Didn't get it, of course – PSC has had a lock on that category as of late.”
“We've had a lock on a lot of categories, in fact,” Tatusya said as they moved upward. “You'll probably have more of a chance of winning one next year.”
“It's not awards I'm interested in,” Ruiza said. “It's being happy. It's having a place where I can breathe.” The doors opened, and they stepped out. “Welcome to Club Wild Side,” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya looked around him. The entire place seemed to be made of glass – the mirrored walls, the sparkling bars and tables, even the trays that the waiters were carrying around. Swirling lights cast shifting colors onto gyrating bodies, mostly young, mostly beautiful, all well-dressed. True to what Ruiza said, they were dancing together in all sorts of gender combinations.
“Wow,” he said. “This is damn nice. It looks like a movie set.” He wondered if Uruha could get permission to film here.
“We'd better look for a table if we want any hope of getting one,” Ruiza said, taking his hand and leading him across the club. Tatsuya cast his eyes upward, where the DJ had his booth, looking down at the dancers like a king surveying his realm from the top of a mountain. The booth was surrounded by walkways with shiny rails, lined with glassed-in rooms.
“I'm guessing that's the sixth floor?” Tatusya said. “Where the DJ is?”
“The DJ and the VIP rooms,” Ruiza said. “It's where the rich people go when they come here – TV producers, top executives, idols, that kind of thing.”
Porn stars, Tatsuya figured, didn't count as VIPs. They did, however, warrant attention from the waiters, since once came up to their table right away.
“Ruiza-san!” said the wavy-haired blond in the gold shorts with matching suspenders – no shirt underneath. “Who's your hot date?”
“This is Tatsuya,” Ruiza said. “He's with the company I'm working for now.”
“On-camera, I hope!” the waiter said. “It would be a waste otherwise!”
“Well . . . sort of,” Tatsuya said. He didn't exactly want to brag about the fact that he was a porn industry utility player. It sounded so . . . boring.
“He's up for a pretty big role in my next video,” Ruiza said.
“Nice!” the waiter said. “Good luck with it!”
Ruiza placed an order for a pitcher of Sapporos – same as the other place they went to – and after the waiter left, he said, “This isn't exactly a place to come when you want to chill out, as you probably figured.”
“I'm not into chilling out tonight,” Tatsuya said. I'm into looking at you, he thought. Now that Ruiza was seated in a way that the navel ring and thighs were out of sight, he could focus on his face. But even that was more beautiful than ever, with his hair curled and his red lipstick making his lips look like sin itself.
“Then what are you into?” Ruiza said, a bit teasingly.
“Seeing what comes next, of course,” Tatsuya replied. Well, that sounded okay – right? It was certainly better than telling him he was concentrating on keeping his hands to himself.
The drinks arrived, and they tried to talk over the thumping music – commenting on the décor (after a careful look around Tatsuya realized most of the things here were made of chrome and leather, not glass) and what other people were wearing. It wasn't easy, though – and being constantly distracted by his companion made it even harder for Tatsuya.
Halfway through their second beer, Ruiza said, “Do you want to dance?”
“I don't dance much,” Tatsuya replied.
“In a place like this, nobody expects you to be a pro,” Ruiza said. “Just jump around to the beat and you'll be fine.”
Well, fortunately he did have a strong sense of rhythm, so at least he wouldn't embarrass himself that way.
He let his date take him by the hand and lead him onto the dance floor. Those thighs and navel ring were in sight again, weren't they? He watched those legs move as they propelled the smaller man across the dance floor, so wonderfully shapely, so inviting of touches and kisses and . . .
“HEY!” said the large man that Tatsuya had just run into. And that didn't go very well, did it?
He found himself bowing so low his head almost scraped his knees. “Sorry!” he said. “I'm so sorry! Really, I'm sorry!”
“It's okay,” Ruiza said, gently pulling Tatsuya away. “It's his first time here, he's a little overwhelmed.” He pulled Tatusuya into a corner of the floor, and said, “No harm done, right?”
“I guess,” Tatsuya said. He looked around him – he was out here, he might as well start dancing, right? He began to bop his body a bit, shifting back and forth to the music, and then getting a little looser, a little more free . . .
Ten minutes later, he realized he was actually having a good time. He was just doing any motions that came into his head, letting his arms and legs just go with the music, and trying to keep pace with what Ruiza was doing. Because he wasn't taking his eyes off the other man. He just seemed so free, so comfortable with himself, the very epitome of sensuality.
I could do this video with him, he thought. I could SO do this video with him. The question is, would he want to do it with me, too?
They ended up on the dance floor for quite some time, coming back to the table when they felt they needed a rest and some drinks, then returning to the floor again. At one point, Ruiza leaned back against Tatsuya as they were dancing, his beautiful bottom pressed against Tatsuya's crotch, and Tatsuya thought he was going to lose it.
Oh, God, he thought. I want this, don't I? I want this for real – not on a dance floor, but the two of us alone . . .
He realized he'd stopped moving – except for his knees sagging. Ruiza suddenly turned around and looked at him. “Are you okay?” he said.
Tatsuya nodded, hoping to God he didn't have any visible evidence of how excited he just was, because that would be embarrassing as hell.
“Come on, let's go into the men's lounge,” Ruiza said. “I need a break for a few minutes, too.”
The lounge was, indeed, a full lounge – there was an anteroom with chairs, couches and many, many mirrors before the actual bathroom. And it was in this area they found themselves after using the facilities, with Ruiza bent over toward one of the mirrors, fixing his makeup.
“You know,” he said, “I'm really glad now that I didn't quit. The industry, I mean. Hard Candy I have no regrets over.”
“Because of the new projects you're doing?” Tatsuya said.
“Part of that,” Ruiza said. “But mostly because I feel like I'd lose a piece of myself if I quit. I mean, I didn't realize until now how much of me is wrapped up in being a porn star. In fact . . . I think it's part of my identity. I really do. If I stopped being Ruiza the Porn Star before I was truly ready to retire, there would be such a hole in my heart that I think I'd never get it back again.”
“I don't even know what my identity is,” Tatsuya said. “At least as far as the industry is concerned. I guess I never got a chance to develop it.”
Ruiza finished with his makeup, turned toward his date, and said, “I could help you find it, you know.”
Oh, God . . . the look in his eyes. Was that interest? Was it desire? Did he mean that he wanted Tatsuya to be his co-star?
“The thing is,” Ruiza said, starting to run his fingers slowly up Tatsuya's arm, “the more time I spend with you, the more I think you're a diamond in the rough. You're someone the industry has overlooked. You shouldn't be overlooked any more. At all. And if you're in the video with me . . .”
Tatsuya just stared at him. It was happening, wasn't it? Ruiza wanted to co-star with him. Ruiza was attracted to him. And he found himself saying, “Do you . . . like me?”
“Of course I do,” Ruiza said. “And I want to get to know you better.” He leaned over toward Tatsuya. “A lot better.”
Tatsuya's eyes darted around. There were a couple of guys walking past them, toward the bathroom. They were paying no notice – apparently, two guys on the verge of making out in here was a typical thing. He found himself closing the gap with the other man, and then those soft, red lips were on his . . .
He thought his heart was going to explode. This was what he'd wanted since he first laid eyes on Ruiza, wasn't it? He deepened the kiss, pulling the smaller man closer, and he felt Ruiza respond, opening his lips and brushing his tongue against Tatsuya's . . .
They leaned back, both breathing heavily. They both knew that if they kept going, they'd be engaging in conduct that wasn't exactly appropriate for a club bathroom. “I don't live far from here,” Ruiza said. “It's walking distance, in fact.”
That was the invitation Tatsuya was looking for. “Let's go,” he said.
He linked hands with the smaller man, the two of them rapidly headed for the door together.
* * *
Just two days ago, this was the last place in the world Tatsuya thought he'd be. He'd been despairing, ready to quit, typing up that letter of resignation . . .
And now he was naked on a bed covered in satiny materials, with their club finery scattered on the floor around him, and candles casting flickering lights on everything, and the most beautiful man he'd ever seen lying beneath him, head tipped back, allowing Tatsuya to kiss along his neck.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing and feeling. There was warm, silken flesh against his lips as he moved his head downward, slowly, kissing in a line down his new lover's chest, exploring every bit of him with lips and tongue . . .
He bent over, taking the nipple in his mouth and sucking gently, running his tongue over it, feeling Ruiza stir beneath him. He opened his mouth wider, taking in more, thinking that all he wanted to do was please him, that he'd do anything this man wanted or needed.
Feeling breathless, he kept kissing downward, over his belly, headed for that incredibly sexy navel ring, which seemed to shine in the candlelight like the treasure of some ancient realm. He ran his tongue slowly over its perimeter, feeling Ruiza shudder under him . . . so, he thought, it's true that piercings make skin sensitive?
He leaned over, taking the bit of metal in his teeth and tugging it lightly, and he heard Ruiza moan a little, which made him lick around it again, while his fingers slid downward. When he encountered the erection, he began to stroke it gently, running his fingers up and down its length.
“Fuck, yes,” Ruiza gasped, and Tatsuya stroked it faster, exploring every bit of it, running his palm slowly from base to tip. Why did every bit of him feel so good? Every bit of this cock seemed finely sculpted, as if it were specifically made for pleasure.
His mouth was still teasing the piercing, licking around it and tugging on it, and his fingers stroked faster, and Ruiza was moaning loudly, arching up toward him, and he was starting to feel droplets of precome . . .
He moved back up to kiss Ruiza's lips. “Are . . . are you ready to come yet?”
“No.” Ruiza kissed him again. “There's more that I want to do. Get on your hands and knees . . .”
That wasn't a request he was expecting – and he realized they hadn't discussed top and bottom yet. Not that he had a preference. He let go of Ruiza, getting in the position that was requested . . .
He felt the other man lean over him, kissing his neck, one hand reaching around his chest, finding a nipple and starting to caress it, gently, teasing it into a hard peak, then running back and forth over it. Tatsuya let out a soft moan, a slow warmth spreading through his body.
Ruiza's other hand reached around his belly, his fingers running along Tatsuya's erection like Tatsuya had done to him. His touch was feathery in some spots, firm in others, brushing lightly over the tip, then rapidly stroking the shaft, seeming to play his new lover like an instrument.
Tatsuya gave up trying to follow the movement of the other man's fingers and just surrendered to the pleasure, leaning his head back and moaning loudly, thrusting into Ruiza's hand as the other man stroked faster . . .
He felt Ruiza's cock rubbing against his ass, sliding into the cleft but not penetrating, the almost-but-not-quite just adding to the excitement, the naughty thrill. He moved his hips faster, thrusting against his lover, pumping his cock against the other man's hand.
Tatsuya was aware that he was moaning loudly, and crying out the other man's name, and moving faster, feeling that hardness sliding against his bottom, those fingers finding every sensitive spot and rubbing against them . . .
He suddenly felt his body stiffen, feeling like he was perched on the edge of a cliff, and then it burst through his whole body, a long, intense wave of white-hot ecstasy. He sagged forward, his face against the satiny material of the bedspread, panting, feeling that cock still thrusting against him, hearing Ruiza moaning louder . . .
The moan became a loud shout, and Tatsuya felt hot wetness splatter on his ass. It felt like a blessing to him.
Ruiza sagged against Tatsuya, and he leaned his head back and kissed the blond with passion. This hadn't been just sex – it felt like a minor miracle. He thought he was completely spent, that he had nothing left to give . . .
Except that less than an hour later, he found himself on his back on the mattress, head lifted, tongue exploring the length of Ruiza's erection, while the other man bent way over him, mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking him firmly.
Tatusya lifted his head a bit more, taking the head of his lover's hardness in his lips and sucking it while his hands moved over the other man's ass, squeezing it gently, feeling how shapely and firm it was.
Ruiza moved down on him further, enveloping his lover in velvety wet heat, pulling back slowly, then moving down rapidly, his fingers moving further down, running over Tatsuya's balls, caressing gently – which just made Tatusya suck him faster, his fingers running up and down over the shaft.
And then, Ruiza's finger moved to the flesh between his lover's erection and his entrance, pressing lightly, then moving, then pressing again . . . and stimulating his sweet spot. Tatsuya suddenly let his head fall back, crying out. It was the most unexpected pleasure he'd ever felt.
Ruiza kept doing it, sucking him while caressing his prostate, and Tatsuya could do nothing but moan and writhe and surrender utterly to this man, to his ministrations, to the two forms of pleasure he was giving him at once, the soft wetness and the sharp stings of ecstasy. It was building in him so fast, intense feeling that was making him writhe and moan and sweat and clutch at that satiny bedding.
And then there was a swipe of the tongue over the head accompanied by a firm caress to his prostate, and he suddenly cried out, “Coming, I'm coming, I'm . . .” That dissolved into a loud, wordless cry as he arched forward, coming all over his lover's beautiful face, yes, Ruiza had pulled back far enough to take a pop shot . . .
He fell backward, gasping, and he watched Ruiza move over him so he was straddling his shoulders. He raised his head, and Ruiza moved so he could thrust into Tatsuya's mouth, and Tatsuya began to suck him eagerly.
Ruiza moved his hips faster, mouth-fucking his new lover, giving him all that he could take, and Tatsuya accepted in all eagerly, sucking harder and faster, as Ruiza's breathing got faster and harder and more intense . . .
And then the blond pulled away and let out a sharp cry, and Tatsuya felt the wonderful hot wetness on his face. He flicked his tongue out to catch the droplets, before Ruiza shifted to lay beside him, kissing his lips, the combined come smearing over both their faces.
Tatsuya leaned against his new lover, gasping and clinging to him, knowing that any question of “chemistry” was settled. They had it – to spare.
Oh, God, yes, he'd have sex with this man in front of the cameras. He'd have it in this bed and in the shower and on his couch. He'd make love to him in a love hotel or in the middle of a field. He'd take this man wherever, whenever, however he wanted.
He was smitten. Absolutely head-over-heels. And best of all, he could see potential for an actual relationship here as well.
Ruiza raised his head and kissed him. “That was worth waiting for,” he said.
“Waiting?”
“I've been waiting since the moment we first met,” he said. “You really are the kind of person I didn't realize I needed in my life. Sweet, unspoiled, and at the same time, savvy about the business. And sexy. Really, really sexy.” He kissed him again. “You're staying the rest of the night, I hope?”
“I'm going nowhere. Nowhere at all. Until tomorrow. We have to tell Codomo Dragon we're doing the video together.”
“We're definitely doing the video together,” Ruiza said. “I can't remember the last time I looked forward to a video so much.”
The two of them snuggled together. Tatsuya closed his eyes. “I am so glad I didn't quit,” he said.
“You were meant not to,” Ruiza said.
Tatsuya silently thanked whatever kami or ancestor had been looking out for him. He was going to get the lead role he'd coveted his whole time in the industry – finally. And just when he'd been on the very verge of handing in his resignation letter, too. It was ironic, in a way.
But more importantly, he'd met someone he was greatly looking forward to knowing better – someone who'd come damn close to quitting himself. A double miracle.
Hopefully, he thought, something more comes of this than an impromptu Quitters Club.
* * *
Several weeks later, the Codomo Dragon collective walked into Uruha's office. They'd just uploaded the master file of what was to be released as Blond From Beyond – Male Edition to the main company FTP site, and they were awaiting the boss's reaction.
“Come in,” Uruha said. “I just finished watching it, and . . .”
“And?” Kana said.
“It's incredible. Beyond my expectations. It's distinctly YOURS – and Ruiza is fantastic. More breathtaking than he's been in years. And that last scene – oh, my God. How the hell did you end up pairing him with Tatsuya?”
“Just an idea,” meN-meN said. “We wanted to give a shot to someone already in the company who had been underexposed.”
“Because they're going to melt monitors,” Uruha said. “The chemistry is EXPLOSIVE. Absolutely explosive. They looked like they'd been waiting for each other their entire lives. We're putting him into whatever video Ruiza does next, for sure. If they keep up like this? This might be the next Yoshiki and Sugizo waiting to happen” - referring to one of porn's most legendary pairings.
“We thought it was explosive, too!” Hayato said. “Honestly, the energy in the room when we were filming that last sex scene? It nearly burned down the walls! They went at each other as if we weren't even there, and that's the best possible kind of sex scene! Hell, I nearly came from directing it! They're the best pairing we could ever ask for! We're going to be putting them together in everything we make with Ruiza in the future, because he loved us and we loved him and we're definitely going to be working together again, and . . .”
A hand covered his mouth. It seemed that meN-meN was doing this more and more lately.
“We're pleased with the end result,” meN-meN said. “Completely pleased. And we hope you are, too.”
“Beyond completely,” Uruha said. “Congratulations, gentlemen. We'll start additional publicity for this right away – because it deserves it.”
He picked up the phone to call their publicist – and then, he was going to contact every blogger he knew. The Ruiza/Tatsuya pairing had to be seen to be believed – and he wanted to make sure that as many people as possible saw it.
Meanwhile, as Uruha was burning up the lines, his new star was burning something else. Tatsuya stood in the kitchen of his apartment, over the sink, watching his resignation letter to Uruha slowly being enveloped in flames.
It was a ritual he'd promised himself he'd do, and now that it was happening, he felt free. Free of his disillusionment, his feelings of wanting to give up. And when the man who was currently dozing on his bed woke up, he was going in there and making them BOTH feel glad that they didn't quit the industry.
He had a happy future ahead of him – both in terms of his renewed career and his growing relationship with Ruiza. Not quitting, it seemed, was the best thing either of them had ever done.
