gala_apples

Title: Everything In Its Place
Pairing: Ray/Gerard
Rating: R
Wordcount: 1071
Summary: It took Ray a while, but he finally figured out the best way to sell himself.
Disclaimer: This is a non-profit, non-commercial work of fiction using the names and likenesses of real individuals. This fictional story is not intended to imply that the events herein actually occurred or that the attitudes or behaviors described are engaged in or condoned by the real persons whose names are used without permission.


There are three sorts of prostitutes. Ray knows because he’s had a chance to experience them all in the last year.

Street whore was his first. He has lots of memories of being pressed against a brick wall in a grimy back alley, of wondering if he dared try to convince his pimp he didn’t need eighty percent. The smell of gas would sink into him, and he had hated how it wouldn’t go away, more than he hated the smell of other men’s come and sweat.

He’d moved on from streetwalker as quick as he could. He’d found a pimp with more interest in working inside. With that move Ray was officially a callgirl. Or boy, as it was. It worked a lot like a cattle auction. He stood on the stage and showed off, and people would bid for the chance to bed him. Degrading, of course, but prices for a night were much higher than what he’d get the corner, and the entire point of sex with strangers was to collect money.

At some point though safety became first a concern, then a priority. Generally speaking, the more money a John is willing to pay, the weirder or more painful a thing he wants. No one pays a few grand for a blowjob. The house was a sort of lounge for the ugly and otherwise needful to sit in, When James said he was getting out of the life, Ray thought he could join him. Get a normal job, maybe share an apartment. They both ended up in a House.

It’s not that bad, being a House whore. It has far more security, at least. Madame screens out the most violent and insane Johns and Janes. Ray’s not really allowed to leave, but everything he could want is here anyway. He’s got his own room and tv and internet connection, books and a guitar, everything he used to have before he pawned it for another month’s rent. He just has to earn it by attracting the clients that sit in the lounge, or at the bar. And there are incentives to make more than base level; cool electronics, and special requests in the kitchen, and sex toys. If Ray does well a few nights in a row he can really rack up prizes.

When he’s not in his own room, Ray’s in the lounge, waiting for someone to want him. It’s a bit like some insane sort of secondary school dance, looking pretty and hoping to be chosen. Ray can approach, but it’s always up to the customer to choose among the dozen posturing men and women.

The lounge is decently full tonight. Most nights they have some sort of bridal shower at some point, for the bride with more liberal friends. Ray likes those customers. Usually they just want a straight up orgasm, some oral or PIV. Sometimes it’s not even that, he might get a request for a strip tease or to suck the bride’s toes. Right now though the crowd is mostly male, and nearly all return customers. The ones Ray recognises are into rough sex. With that in mind, he leans against a wall and arches his arms behind his head to show a body that can withstand any sort of game the client wants. He can make a good statue until someone decides to approach.

There’s a man across the room staring at him. Not full blown ‘aren’t your eyeballs getting dry’ staring, but little glance, half hidden by his hair. If it wasn’t being done at a brothel Ray’d characterise it as innocent. Cute. As things are, it must be just a shy first-timer. Ray breaks his stance to

“Hi. I’m Ray. What do you like to be called?” It’s one of the methods Madame insists they use. If a client wants to use a protective nickname that’s their choice.

“Oh. Uh. I’m Gerard.”

“Well hi, Gerard. I noticed you were looking like you want to talk to me. You want to go to my room for a bit?

With first-timers you’re supposed to get seductive. Make sure they don’t decide to run away before they’ve bought a service. Ray can't quite manage seduction, some combination of his higher pitched voice and his burly body makes sultry impossible. But his potential clients never walk away, and that’s what really matters.

“Um. Yes?”

Once they’re relocated Ray strips down. It’s hardly a time consuming affair. A wonderfully worn pair of jeans tossed in the corner, the red g-string following shortly after. He never wears a shirt into the lounge. He takes a step towards his client and presses himself against the fully clothed form. He looks into Gerard’s eyes and licks his lips. Gerard unconsciously mirrors the movement.

You’re supposed to figure out subtly if the client is a top or a bottom, and go from there. Ray’s not particularly good at subtle either. He bends in even closer and murmurs in his ear “do you want to fuck me, Gerard?”

Gerard freezes, momentarily terrified. That’s okay, Ray has a plan for that. Ray’s dealt with shy clients before. Shy to a point at least, a person can't be that shy if they’re willing to walk into a brothel. All shy people have one thing in common; they still want to have sex.

He moves his face past Gerard's, momentarily ignoring the tingle he gets from their skin touching. His tongue darts out to lick Gerard's earlobe and then he whispers "If you don't tell me what you want I'll have no choice but think you want nothing.”

With that motivating comment, Ray backs away from his client and leans against the wall. He poses in the same position, figuring that that’s what attracted Gerard to him in the first place.

“Can you jerk off? I want to watch.”

Ray smiles as sultrily as he can, and grabs onto his cock. He gives a slow pull. It doesn't do much for him, but Gerard isn't to know that. All he can see is the sensuality, and that’s all Ray wants for him. Maybe a year ago he would have laughed at someone paying for something they could get for free online, but now he knows better. People need what they need, and Ray is willing to give them whatever that is, as long as he gets money for it.