Desire

Part 20 - hands off

**NOTE** This chapter DOES NOT contain smut

WC: 1303

Summary: Tamaki shows up at your work feeling hopeful when Kashi gets physical with you. 

Includes: plot/fighting

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"What's up"? Vicky watches you eye a customer from afar. It's Kashi.

"It's that guy again", you murmur to her. He's looking around: presumably for you. But you're with Tamaki now. And you're not about to ruin that. "Can you deal with him"? You nudge Vicky and she nods.

"Sure". You watch her shrug and walk over to Mr. Blue-eyes. He eyes her warily as she approaches but you don't care to watch the interaction, instead, going to ask Mike if he needs someone to cover for the pole dancer who was supposed to perform tonight.

Vicky comes up to you not even a minute later, saying that Kashi asked for you explicitly. She seems annoyed.

"Y/n, you have got to stop making them feel like they have a shot", she mutters to you. You smirk at her.
"Nah. I like it that way". You walk away from Mike –who also looks upset– to see your customer. He watches you walk over with a smile.

"Hey beautiful", he says. You suppress a frown.
"Hey".

"Was under the impression you didn't want to see me". His gaze locks on yours.

"I'm just busy y'know? High demand". You wink. He nods like he relates to your statement.

"You too busy to give me another dance"? He gives you one of those boyish smiles, a lock of his hair falling into his face.

"Kashi- I'm sure your intentions are pure. But I have a boyfriend". You look at him softly, begging internally that he can be normal about it.

"That's okay with me. I'm a pretty private man already". Kashi's warm smile looks a little more dangerous. You laugh lightly.

"I'm sorry honey...it's not happening". You turn to walk away.

Kashi bolts up from his seat and grabs your arm. "The fuck do you mean? Whores like you don't have boyfriends". His voice startles you. His grip scares you even more. What the fuck is happening?

Tamaki's POV:

The strip club is back to feeling non-suffocating. Tamaki walks in holding a bunch of fresh tulips and lilies, feeling a little nervous. He honestly hates your profession. And he feels like a shitty boyfriend for thinking that. But he does.

And when he walks in and sees you standing in front of a conventionally attractive, young, blue-eyed man he almost walks up to you and drags you away. Good old-fashioned social anxiety stops him from acting on that. He can't hear you talking but he can see enough. He can see the way you bite your lip and bat your eyelashes. It's the same stuff that worked –works– on him. And he despises it. His chest feels tight.

It's your job.

His eyes bore into you. You frown at the guy and, in response, the guy looks angry. He says something softly and you look uncomfortable. And all of a sudden, he's grabbing you, his grip tight-looking and rough. His eyes hold real anger in them. Tamaki's heart is racing as he sets the flowers down on the couch he's sitting on and gets up. He registers the man saying something emphatic.

And then he's pushing the man away from you before he can even think, making sure there's distance between the two of you.

"Tamaki"? You're surprised. But Tamaki's head feels like his brain is swimming in molasses. He watches the man angrily, fingers twitching. The man lunges at him, going for the face and hitting Tamaki squarely on his lip. Tamaki feels the tender skin split and he scowls. He vaguely hears you yell and knows he only has a couple of seconds before someone breaks up the fight or before your hot-headed self gets involved. He tackles the man to the ground, punching him in the face hard.

Hard.

"Don't fucking touch my girlfriend", he shouts as he feels strong arms pull at his shoulders. He gets up and refuses to meet your eyes as you look at him. He looks instead at the man on the floor. He looks pretty young but it's hard to tell with blood covering half his face. Tamaki's chest heaves and he can hear blood rushing in his ears. He hears your gentle voice vaguely. But the soothing sound is overrun with thoughts of disgust. He's supposed to be a hero. How could he be engaging in senseless violence? Why had he done that?

He feels your hand on his bicep as you guide him to where he left your flowers.

"Tamaki". Your voice is gentle. "I'm gonna get dressed but I'm coming back okay"? You leave and Tamaki looks over at the ground where the man should be lying. But he isn't there. Tamaki looks down at his hands. His left hand is smooth and clean but his right hand has another person's blood on it and bruised knuckles from where bone hit bone. He runs his fingers, blood and all through his hair, and buries his face in his hands. Blood from his lip runs down his chin. He can't do this. He can't date a stripper.

Then you're in front of him again with a towel and you're asking for his hands and he wants to get up and leave. He doesn't want to be taken care of. He doesn't want to be here. His head hurts. He gives you his hands.

The cloth is damp and cool against his skin. He takes the moment to meet your eyes. You look concerned and tired, focused on the task.

"I'm sorry y/n- I didn't mean-" his lip pulses with pain when he talks.

"No Tamaki- Thank you". Your tone is insistent. He's surprised.

"But I-" he starts to protest but you shush him.

"You kept me safe. It was going to get ugly no matter what. I'm glad you were here". You wipe off his knuckles gently, pressing a kiss to his the back of his hand when you're done. You fold the towel in half and press the fresh side against his lip, wiping the blood.

He reaches next to him for the flowers and stands up.

"These are for you". He extends them to you and you smile.

"Thank you, sweetheart". You take them and smell them and Tamaki feels alright again. He looks at you in your jeans and a pretty red shirt and he feels perfectly at ease. He feels the weight of your palm settle against his and hears your voice saying he looks good today.

He doesn't agree but he thanks you. He's wearing slacks and a grey sweater that his mom gave him as a birthday gift when he turned 22.

"How'd you know I like lilies"? You push the door of the strip club open and step into the fresh air.

"I didn't", he says with a small, sheepish smile.

"Good guess", you murmur, thumb absentmindedly running along Tamaki's hand.

"I feel bad about that guy", Tamaki says quietly, wanting to move on from the topic but unable.
"Don't. He had it coming. He came in when you and I were- not...together, and I might've given him the wrong impression. And he came back today saying stupid shit about how– it didn't matter if I had a boyfriend. And I- I guess I didn't let him down as easy as I thought". Tamaki's looking at you like he loves you.

"You did everything right y/n. You're right- he had it coming. I'm sorry". Tamaki squeezes your hand as you walk.

"I thought it was hot when you punched him". You say as you get to Tamaki's parked car. He opens the door for you.

"Oh yeah"? He sounds intrigued. Your face heats.

"Yeah. You had this really intense look. It was- flattering". Tamaki looks like his mind is racing. He bites his lip and nods.