7.) Rumination

Toru stood outside, leaning against his light blue Tesla Roadster, arms crossed with a scowl on his face waiting for Kaya to walk out of her apartment. He's already been waiting for nearly 15 minutes, if not for the fact he'd heard Kenji leave sometime near 3 AM he wouldn't have left the building without her in tow, but when she looked at him with pleading eyes asking for space to get ready for the day he couldn't help but to comply, his heart breaking for her.

When he heard the door close he stood straight up and opened the passenger door of his car for Kaya, who stopped in her tracks and just stared at him blankly. "Why are you still here?" She asked, not quite meeting his gaze. "I've been waiting to give you a ride of course." He replied with a fake smile, hoping to cheer her up a little. Kaya looked at him in disbelief. "Don't you want a shower or something before work?" She asked him with surprise evident in her voice.

Toru walked over to her and placed his hand gently on the small of her back, guiding her towards the car. "I'm skipping the shower this morning, one day won't kill me. Seeing you to the office is a higher priority." He told her softly. Kaya nodded her head, staring off at the car and holding tears back from falling. She said nothing, just held onto Torus's hand as she sat into the car and looked ahead as he closed the door. He came around and got into the car, frowning to see she hadn't buckled up yet.

"Safety First." He reminded her gently, Kaya turning her head to look at him. She nodded her head softly, a single tear falling from her eye as she reached behind herself and buckled herself into the seat. Toru looked at her a moment longer before also buckling himself in, then put the car into drive and headed towards the office. The drive was spent mostly in silence, other than the occasional sob from Kaya followed by a concerned hum from Toru.

When they arrived at the office, Toru was relieved to see that the parking lot was empty, wanting to get Kaya into the office and settled before anyone saw her, unsure if she meant to not cover her neck or simply forgot in her distraught state as she got ready this morning. Toru silently followed Kaya up to her office, pulled her chair out for her, scooted her up to her desk, then told her he would go put on the coffee and be back in a minute. He picked up her Delta Sigma Pi mug and left the room.

Kaya picked up her phone, taking a deep breath before opening the camera. She looked at the markings around her neck and pushed back tears from falling as she moved to get a decent angle, snapping a picture of herself wearing a fake smile in her office, dressed and ready for the day. She sent the picture to Kenji with the message, 'miss you already' then sat the phone back on the desk, thinking about all the promises she made to Kenji the night before to save not only her engagement, but also her career.

Toru knocked at Kayas door, bringing her out of her thoughts and she gave him permission to enter. He gave her a bright fake smile as he entered, sitting her mug down in front of her. Kaya looked at the mug of coffee, dreading tasting it, but not wanting to be rude picked the mug up and sipped it tentatively. Her eyes widened in surprise as she drank it, Toru giving an apprehensive look.

"I'm not sure I got it right exactly, I only saw you do it once." He told her apologetically. Kaya shook her head at him, "No, it's good. Like I'm not sure what you did, it's even a little better than I make it." she smiled at him, Toru's heart pounded to see her smile for real for the first time since before he left her yesterday to go back to Atlanta. "I remembered your homemade creamer bottle so that part was easy. You didn't really measure when you did it so I had to guess, it's about 3 cream and 2 sugars. It's how I used to take mine when I still used cream." He informs her happily.

Kaya nods, taking another sip. "Why did you stop taking cream?" She asked curiously. "Because the person who used to make it for me isn't able to do so anymore. I don't like store bought creamer, so I stopped using it all together. Haven't had cream in my coffee since September 22nd, 2015." He told her, his eyes sad and his smile weak, yet genuine. Kaya looked at Toru softly, getting the impression that the person who made his cream used to make his tea.

"Would you like to try some of mine?" She asked gently, reminding herself not to touch him. Toru looked at her, his heart warming that she was offering him something of her own accord just to be kind, rather than from southern hospitality. "I'd love to." He told her, lifting her mug and taking a sip from it, not caring that some of her lipstick came up from the mug onto his lip. He hummed softly, eyes closed and face towards the ceiling, the slight hint of hazelnut mixed with vanilla making him feel as if he'd returned to a simpler and happier time in his life.

"I hate to say this, but I think yours might be even better." He told her, his voice soft and low and his gaze somewhere far away. "Then you're welcome to use mine anytime." She told him with a smile, heart soaring to see him look so peaceful just from tasting her coffee. She picked the mug up and took a drink, humming happily at the taste and thinking she needed to start using his recipe rather than just blindly pouring and sometimes finding she overdid her cream or sugar, sometimes both.

Toru smiled sweetly at Kaya, trying to keep his eyes away from the marking around her neck and the lingering desire to ask about them. Each time he looked he wasn't sure all of them were love bites, and he knew if he found that to be a fact rather than a suspicion he'd likely kill Kenji and therefore decided to leave well enough alone. While he had no problem spending his life in prison for riding the world of an asshole who would treat the woman he says he loves that way, he couldn't stand the thought of upsetting Kaya with his actions.

Toru stood slowly from his position on her desk and gave Kaya a small nod. "I have a lot to do today, but I'm going to check back up on you later. Maybe we can order-in lunch and sit in my office and eat together." He suggested hopefully. Kaya nodded at him, "What about Takeru and Hajime?" She asked. Toru shrugged his shoulders, "They are supposed to be here, but I don't know if they will be for certain. If they are, perhaps we can invite them to join us if you'd like." He told her. Kaya nodded her agreement and watched Toru walk out of her office, giving a small wave before he closed the door.

Kaya smiled softly at the door, before her face froze as she remembered how livid Kenji had been the night before. The look in his eyes when he came through the door last night terrified her, in the nine years she's known him, he'd never looked more dangerous. She chokes back a sob as she recalls the cold way he sat across from her on the couch, then rubs her wrist feeling his rough grasp when he'd stopped her from trying to reach out and touch him. The way his voice sounded when he told her to explain herself was detached and something she could live a thousand lifetimes and never want to experience again.

She thought about how he stared at her as though she were dog shit on the bottom of his shoe as she tried to tell him about going to lunch earlier in the day and that Toru had been making an effort to be better and asked her to put the past behind them and be friends. The way he sneered at her repeating the word friends made her feel as though she should run far away, but she fought back her fear as Kenji would never harm her.

He insisted that the photo he'd been sent didn't look like an interaction between friends and that she was clearly lying. She swallowed hard as it occurred to her that Toru still hadn't answered her calls and was on his way, and cursed herself for even calling him to begin with. She'd taken a deep breath, wanting to settle things with Kenji before Toru's arrival. She pleaded with him, telling him that she was only trying to comfort him as he looked upset about something and told him nothing happened.

Kenji stood from his place on the couch, towering over Kaya to yell at her, his face red. He told her she was a whore and a liar and that he should have known better than to try to marry her as his mother always said that God made women small like that as he knew they'd need to sneak around. Kaya felt tears falling from her eyes, desperately trying to think of anything she could say to prove her innocence. The thought suddenly occurred to her that Kaname had been at lunch as well and she begged Kenji to call him and ask him about the lunch himself.

Kenji looked at her mistrustfully for a moment, before his expression softened somewhat, thinking of how he could always rely on his former high school volleyball captain to tell the truth. He called Kaname, watching Kaya with a glare that told her she was expected to be silent as a church mouse. When Kaname answered he gave him a friendly hello, then asked him how he was doing before saying he'd heard from Kaya they'd had lunch with Toru and asked him how it went.

Kenji's expression started to soften as he listened to Kaname laugh about watching Kaya and Toru lightly argue their way to a truce. Kaname told him he wasn't sure if she would ever be a true friend to Toru, but he was glad that she was at least willing to try, if anything so there could be peace around the office without the CEO and CFO constantly being at one another's throats. Kenji faked a laugh and made up an excuse to get off the phone with Kaname, telling him that he'd come to surprise Kaya and just pulled up and would talk to him later.

Once off the phone Kaya swallowed hard, hoping he was satisfied now and would listen to reason. Instead he crossed his arms and gave her a displeased look reminding her that it dosen't explain the part where he'd already told her to stay away from him and she agreed to a friendship. Kaya started to panic and told him that Toru tends to do whatever he wants, regardless of what she says and it was just easier to agree. She pleaded with him to understand she just wanted to work in a more relaxed environment and hoped this would help.

Kenji thought about it for a moment, and realized she had a point. Plus, watching her beg and plead with him reminded him that she'd always been so submissive to him, putting him before anyone else, as it should be. He decided to ask her if she wanted him to accept the friendship between them, and gave a sick smile when she eagerly nodded, begging for him to let this go, reminding him that she loved him and had never had sex with anyone else and promised he'd be the only one her whole life before promising to do anything to prove it.

Kenji bent at the waist to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, telling her to prove it by not complaining about hickies nor trying to cover them up. He told her that he needed his mark to be on her if she planned to spend time around a man who's attempted to get her to cheat on him.He said it would be an easier pill to swallow if he knew for sure Toru knew she belonged to him and not to try to steal her away. Kaya felt her eyes prick up, Kenji always wanted to leave her covered in hickies and she always protested, saying it was unprofessional and would cover up the occasional one or two he'd leave when getting carried away.

Kaya closed her eyes as Kenji tore her out of her clothes, his mouth hungry and at her neck. He lifted her beneath the thighs and slammed her against the wall, pulling his hard cock from his pants and shoving it into her. Kaya wanted to protest he was being too rough, but was afraid he might think she was refusing his conditions for her to spend time with Toru and said nothing, instead holding back her soft cries as he fucked her hard, his fingers and nails digging into the flesh around her thighs.

When Kenji pulled out and dropped her to her knees, slapping his cock across her face, she opened her mouth slowly, her face tense as she thought about how much she didn't want him to cum in her mouth. She said nothing, he knew she didn't like it, the taste was always something that was unpleasant and left her gagging, but she also wanted him to feel like he was the only one who mattered to her again. Kenji grunted loudly as he came into Kaya's mouth and on her face, a sick smile caressing his lips as she gagged on his fluids and tried to push through to swallow it.

Kenji plopped down on the bed, putting his soft cock back into his pants with a smile on his face as Kaya stood and went to the bathroom to clean up from the mess he'd made all over her face and brush her teeth. Kaya came back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her head down as she approached Kenji on the bed, then stopped to go to her dresser. Kenji stood from his spot on the bed and removed his red flannel button down shirt, leaving his white tee on and handed it to Kaya, telling her to put it on, before a sudden pounding came at the door.

Kenji looked at Kaya to see a nervous and guilty expression take over her features before sarcastically saying he wondered who could be at the door. Kenji left the room and headed towards the front door as Kaya told him she hadn't invited him over and had been trying to call him and tell him not to come, as he said he was coming before just hanging up on her. Kenji sucked his teeth and continued his way to answer the door, his anger building in him.

The memories of all that occurred last night before Toru arrived found Kaya with silent tears falling from her face again. She was pulled from her spiraling thoughts when her phone pinged a message from Toru. "Takeru is here and helping me with my workload, Hajime will be here soon. Should I invite them to lunch?" Kaya smiled reading his message. She liked watching Takeru make Toru squirm, finding it funny. Hajime was kind and she found his friendship with Toru interesting. The thought of speaking with them both further was appealing, not to mention she could tell Kenji she wasn't alone with Toru. She texted back her agreement and sat the phone back down.

Kaya inhaled deeply, opening her laptop to pull up the financial reports and get down to work, no longer wanting to think about the events of last night. She failed immediately to take her mind off it when she saw her reflection on the black screen of her laptop. She thought of how much she'd pleaded with Kenji not to have sex with someone in the next room, or to at least close the door. She recalled the anger flaring in his eyes and his threats to leave, telling her she would never see or hear from him again if he left now.

Kaya shook her head as she thought about the way he'd slammed her onto the bed as she tried to think everything over, the half thought of wondering if her innocent interaction with Toru earlier in the day really warranted this much embarrassment and hardship on her part being replaced by the feel of his hands at her throat as he whispered harshly in her ear that it was time for her to shut up and be a good little whore for him and open her damn legs. Kaya stopped herself crying, unsure what Toru might do if he heard her from the other room.

Kenji buried himself into her again, thrusting hard with his fingers still around her neck. As he came close to his climax he pushed his weight off her to get a higher angle, his hand coming tighter around her windpipe. Kaya slapped at his hand, barely able to breath and he sucked his teeth, rolling his eyes. He hated that she couldn't handle him getting a little rough now and then, but he moved his hand anyway, leaning over and biting at her neck then sucking the spot to leave a deep purple mark. Kenji moaned and groaned louder than normally as he finished inside of Kaya, then rolled over off of her and closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

Kaya took a few breaths and got up, Kenji telling her he would be leaving early in the morning as she made her way towards the bathroom. He gave his reasoning as she'd proved to him that she still loved him and wasn't interested in 'the prick on the couch.' Kaya looked at her fiancé for a moment telling him she obviously didn't care about Toru that way as he was her one and only, then continuing into the bathroom so she could yet again clean up, not to mention grab the plan B she'd stashed in the bathroom for the next time Kenji didn't pull out.

True to his word, Kenji woke just before 3, causing Kaya to quickly halt her crying and pretend to be asleep, happy she knew how to cry without being loud. She held still as Kenji kissed the top of her head, despite the urge to cower away from him. The sound of him leaving the apartment helped her to finally relax and sleep took her over moments later. After spending much of her day in tears she sunk into a deep sleep, so deep she didn't even notice Toru checking on her through the still cracked door of her bedroom.

A knock on her office door caused Kaya to quickly dry her tears and bid the knocker to come in. When Toru opened the door she felt torn about all that had transpired just because she'd agreed to befriend him. On one hand, she hated him. This man took over her family's company and was selfish in so many ways. He'd sexually objectified her, and had a messed up moral compass. On the other hand, he was there for her immediately. Even the hint of her being upset caused him to rush to her side, no one had ever cared so much for her before.

She looked up at his soft smile, a small smile caressing her lips as well. She may have very nearly had her engagement called off, and he annoyed her quite a bit. But she realized she felt really thankful for him, and decided in that moment she would find a way to make their friendship work and get Kenji to understand there's nothing more going on. No matter what it took, she would be there for him, the same way he was there for her now.