Title: Stuck in a Daydream
Summary: AU. A prostitute who fell in love with a rich man. Oneshot.
Warnings: Angst. Romance.
Genre: Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort.
A/N: My head hurts. I can do math. Ouch.
Takaba Akihito counted his money as it sat spread out on his bathroom counter.
He wore a slight face of disapproval as he separated the coins one by one, just to make sure he wasn't missing anything. When he saw that everything was there and counted for, he frowned, scooped his money into is palm and made way to the back to his bedroom where a box sat on the nightstand. Takaba opened the container and gazed at the rusted coins that rested at the bottom. He sighed and placed the coins in his hands inside the box, then closing it, he turned around and returned to the bathroom where he showered, brushed his teeth, combed his hair and got dressed for work. That day he dressed simple, sporting a nice black dress blouse, black slacks and the only dress shoes he had.
Takaba didn't have time to eat any breakfast, and it wasn't like he had any food to begin with. His boss, or panderer, had instructed him to show up to work early, nicely dress and cleanly shaven. At the time, he didn't give Takaba all the details, or Takaaba simply wasn't paying attention, but he remembered the older man telling him that business was going to be different this month. Takaba supposed this much was true as his boss had actually given him a sheet of paper with an address written on it, rather than instructing him to stand idly by some street corner.
Presently, that small sheet of paper rested in Takaba's hand as he had just taken it from his room drawer. Much to his dismay, he saw that the area still resided in Shinjuku, but not an area Takaba was used to. He was actually quite curious, and almost excited to go to this place. If this was a different situation, Takaba would've actually looked forward to it, at least in a positive way, however, that was just a silly day dream. It was the same as always.
The only thing Takaba had to look forward to was more money in his box so he could actually make a suitable breakfast.
OoOoOoOoOo
Takaba didn't have trouble finding this building at all. It was pretty hard to miss.
It towered over many establishments in Shinjuku giving it an obvious appearance. Upon entering, Takaba gathered that it was a upsacle hotel that catered mostly to the wealthy class. He had already seen the crowd of men who had entered, checking their reservations and all wearing suits. As he made way to his designated area, he saw how the lot of them stared at him; their lustful eyes stuck to him like glue to paper.
Takaba didn't really mind the stares anymore as his boss had told him long ago, the more men that stared, the more money he was bound to get. And while that wasn't always true, Takaba learned to somewhat 'appreciate' those lust filled glares.
The young prostitute made way to the front desk and like he was instructed, asked for Mr Irochi. The front desk woman rose an eyebrow as she handed him a room key. She stared at Takaba for a while, watching his every move while he headed to the elevator. He could still feel her glare on him even after the two doors had shut.
Those were the stares that actually affected Takaba. The judgmental ones.
Yes, he knew he was a prostitute and society's view on him was rather harsh, but many times he wished that people actually took the time to learn his story, rather than judging him right off the bat. After all, it wasn't like Takaba wanted this life. He didn't have a choice in the matter back then, as his uncle, his only living relative was sick. He needed money to pay for his bills and prostitution seemed to be the only thing that would give him enough. And after his uncle had long died off, Takaba still didn't have a choice.
He had already sold his body to the devil. There was no way he could get it back.
OoOoOo
Takaba had arrived at Irochi's room or suite and unsurprisingly, he spotted many of his panderers prostitutes all dressed nicely, well at least some of them. Others were dressed rather revealing and shameless, leading Takaba to believe that these young males were being auctioned off that night.
Takaba had heard from clients that it was an honor to be auctioned off but he knew the real story. In short, in order to be auctioned off, you had to do something terribly bad, so bad that Irochi didn't want you any more, or you had to be outstandingly gorgeous, so gorgeous that someone would pay well over your worth to get you. Thank God for Takaba, he wasn't overly gorgeous nor was he a trouble maker. He was just regular ol' Takaba. Regular ol' Takaba who got little to no money with any client he served.
Takaba checked in with Mr. Irochi and the man seemed mildly glad to see him. Takaba had to admit that his panderer looked somewhat handsomethat night, sporting a nice tuxedo and for once in his life, his hair was slightly combed back, though Takaba wondered how long that would last.
As strange as it seemed, Takaba and Irochi were actually friends. Irochi rarely ever got into relationships/friendships with his prostitutes, but Takaba was different, and Irochi had told him this many times. "You have a gift, and that's your wit. You're smart Takaba, if anyone is going to make it out of here, it will be you." He would say every so often, and Takaba liked to believe that, but the more he looked at it, the less it seemed like he'd ever free himself from the cruel vices of the underworld.
Takaba wanted freedom, but he needed money. He could very much escape now, but where would that end him up? Probably in another whore house with a merciless panderer.
OoOoOoOoO
"You have the penthouse tonight." Irochi spoke as both he and Takaba walked through the long halls of the luxury hotel. Takaba found himself staring outside of the large windows where he realized that it was snowing. He remembered that it was cold when he left the house but he had no idea it would snow.
"What's the occasion, Irochi?" Takaba asked, still looking outside the window. "Why are we here?"
"The owner of this establishment, a good friend of mine, has asked me to make his guests comfortable, and I knew what that meant automatically." Irochi replied, also staring at the snow.
"That makes sense...so I'm guessing there's going to be a lot of your people here?" Takaba itched on and Irochi nodded.
"So what's so important about the penthouse? Don't the best of the best reserve the penthouse?"
Irochi sighed. "Yes indeed."
"Why wouldn't you just get one of the other prostitutes to cover that client then? Why someone like me...get someone more attractive_"
"Because, Akihito, this man, Asami Ryuchi, is a millionaire. If you satisfy him tonight then you get paid the amount that I have charged for you, and trust me, it's a lot. He gives you that money, then you're out of here, for good." Irochi rubbed Takaba's back. "You can start over, become that photographer, start that family_"
There was a squeal from down the hallway causing both men to turn around and look. A small boy suddenly appeared, running for them, and nearly tripping over his feet. He didn't seem to be over a year old, yet he wore a nice crisp suit and has his hair neatly gelled.
"Wow..." Takaba muttered as the boy approached them. "Do we start off that young_"
The two fell silent when a man came into the clearing angrily speed walking after the little boy. He yelled something in a different language, Cantonese it sounded like, and the small boy stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.
The man, a very young man around twenty, was dressed nicely. He sported an Armani three piece suit and even carried a cane with him. His long hair fell down below his shoulders as he bent down to get the attention of the little boy and the little boy ran towards him.
Takaba watched in silence as the man lifted the child into his arm and stood straight, utilizing his cane. The young man looked at the little boy with a half caring half angry expression. He muttered something in Cantonese, and the boy laughed. The young man laughed as well.
As Takaba witnessed their interaction, he felt a bit of jealousy grow within his heart. It came out of no where, and at first, he couldn't really explain it. It just grew stronger with every word, blink of the eye, or touch that went on between the two. It was obvious to Takaba that they were related, and he would've assumed they were father and son, however this man was very young.
In the midst of his concentration, both the man and child walked away. The man gave Takaba and Irochi a kind smile before vanishing past the corner, with the boy still in his arm. Takaba found himself listening to the clank of the mans cane, and staring even long after they had gone.
"That's what you want, isn't it?" Irochi broke through the silence. "A family?"
Takaba nodded. "It's a silly daydream though."
"A day dream that can be reality." Irochi mused on.
Takaba smiled. "I hope."
OoOoOoOoO
Irochi had gone to the main lobby to visit some of his 'business partners', leaving Takaba the freedom to walk around the hotel as he pleased. However, he first decided to head back to the suite to check up on himself. He figured that the other prostitutes would be doing other things.
As he entered, he realized that most of the other young men still resided in there. Some were sitting with each other, counting money while others were fixing up their hair, making sure they looked nice. There was a heavy silence that fell within the room when Takaba entered and automatically, he felt all eyes on him.
It was a given that the other prostitutes absolutely loathed him, and he didn't blame them. He was Irochi's favorite, he had a future ahead of him. The rest of the prostitutes had little to no future, in fact, a great majority of them were being sold. They usually called Takaba a 'kiss ass', and other terrible things. Anything that would make him feel bad about himself. At first, the insults really got to him, but now, Takaba just decided to ignore him, much to their dismay.
"Did you hear?" One said, as Takaba stepped in the view of the mirror. "I was listening to him talking to Irochi again. Takaba wants a family." There was a howl of laughter that went about the room. Takaba just shook his head and began to comb his hair back a bit.
"He's trying to ignore us." Someone whispered. Takaba could see in the mirror, that many of the prostitutes were pointing at him and muttering things. He just rolled his eyes and turned away. After that he left the room.
OoOoOoOoO
A few minutes flew by, and Takaba found himself strolling around the hotel corridors. He didn't have to visit his client until later that night which gave him a couple of hours of freedom.
As he walked around, he bumped into various people, peaked his head into a few business meetings and even ate a complimentary meal at one of the many diners. He had eventually bumped into Irochi again, and the panderer gave him a bit of cash to go 'shop around'. Takaba found himself visiting one of the various gift shops that the hotel had to offer.
It wasn't a mug, food, a shirt or anything like that that grabbed his attention, but it was a book. A book with a paper back cover and a red kite as it's featured cover image. For some reason, it drew Takaba in, and without really thinking about it, he purchased it.
After that, Takaba found himself sitting in what seemed like a small, vacant lobby. He had pulled up a chair at one of the tables and sat himself down. Then, he opened the book and began to read quietly to himself. It didn't surprise him that this book was in English, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed the English language.
He took a deep breath and read the first sentence. "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975..." Takaba found it ironic that this book's beginning setting took place in winter. Just a while ago, he had looked outside of the window and had seen large snowflakes falling down. Perhaps it was a sign. He continued on. "That was a long time ago, but it's wrong what they say about the past, I've learned, about how you can bury it_"
There was a giggle from somewhere in the lobby that disturbed Takaba. He expected it to be one of the prostitutes standing there, mocking him for reading, but as he looked up from his book, he saw a different crowd.
Nice suits, ornately dressed, tons of make up, cologne and perfume...yep, blue bloods, wealthy class, the rich men, and women. It was a group of them, three women all dressed in strapless short dresses and the men that escorted them, about five of them were dressed in suits. Takaba assumed they were all friends.
Trying to ignore them, he poked his head back into his book and began to read, and that's when trouble started. "He's one of those boys you know." One of the men spoke. "The prostitutes that Irochi brought."
"Oh quiet Sudoh." One of the women said. "Call him what he really is, a slut." Takaba chanced it and looked up from his book. "A prostitute."
"Azumi, I think he hears us." The man, Sudoh spoke.
"Look at him, pretending to read." Another man spoke, gaining Takaba's attention completely. He shut his book and stood up.
"Hey, don't get so upset, we were just passing through." Azumi spoke as Takaba turned to face her. He realized that she was latched on to the arm of a man in her group, a tall and silent man. If it was another day, another time and another situation, Takaba would've tried to spark a conversation with him as he was somewhat attractive. Well, that was an understatement, this man was gorgeous, at least in Takaba's opinion (and he was pretty sure that the majority could agree.). He sported a luxurious three piece suit, and an over coat. His arm was out in a way so that this woman, Azumi, could latch onto him like some leech. Instead of looking at that vile woman, Takaba decided to observe the man's face and features. He had sharp golden eyes and a perfectly sculpted nose. He had a harsh glare, yet at the same time captivating. His face gave him a very prestigious and youthful look. His hair was dark brown, and slicked back to perfection.
Takaba tried to tear away from this man's gaze, but he felt those metallic golden eyes on him, giving him a very inferior and uncomfortable disposition. He didn't mean to stare at this man, but he couldn't help himself. Now it seemed he made a mistake, but he wasn't going to stand there and be insulted like he was some illiterate idiot.
"I can read you know." Takaba spat, clutching the book in his hand. He realized what he said sounded a little stupid, but he didn't know any other constructive thing to say.
"Do you read as much as you sleep around?" Azumi asked causing the group to laugh. Takaba felt his cheeks grow red in anger as he clutched the book even harder.
"That depends, but you should know all about 'sleeping' around. I've seen women like you, and that's all you like to do. We're one in the same right Miss. I think the only difference between you and I is that you pretend to have class." The woman's smile faded and the group became ever silent. Takaba chanced a stare at the golden eyed man and much to his surprise, the man looked slightly amused.
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" The woman asked, detaching herself from the golden eyed man's arm.
"Yes," Takaba replied. "I'm talking to you. That's not saying much." He smiled and squeezed his book. "I have some work to do, Miss, but I probably don't have to tell you twice what it is."
OoOoOoOo
It wasn't easy to get away from the group, as they had yelled even more hurtful things to Takaba (ableit the golden eyed man remained quiet). Usually, he didn't have a problem ignoring people who insulted him, but he mainly took fire from other prostitutes. Things were different when someone rich and well-to-do insulted Takaba. Sure he could throw insults until his throat went dry, but more than often, these people were right about him.
Takaba had eventually drowned them out, and had found solace in one of the many bathrooms where he sat on the ground, leaned up against the wall , and continued to read his book.
"Looking back on it now," Takaba began. "I think the foundation for what happened in the winter of 1975—and all that followed—was already laid in those first words." He itched his head and placed the book down. He wondered what the author meant by that.
He shrugged and took the book back within his hand. He continued to read until he reached chapter four. After that, he decided to walk around the hotel for another hour. He was kind of anticipating this night more so than he had any other. If what Irochi said was true, then maybe he really would be out of here. He could leave Tokyo and buy a home somewhere in the country.
He hoped this wasn't just wishful thinking, or another day dream that he'd have to pull himself out of. But it did seem to good to be true. It was like a reality that was within his grasp yet, it felt as if it would disappear between his fingers at any given moment.
OoOoOoOoO
After Takaba had showered sprayed himself and got dressed, Irochi had given him a room key to the penthouse. Takaba had made his long journey to the large suite without question. When he arrived to his destination, he made way to the bedroom and strange enough, no one was there.
Thankfully, Takaba had brought his book with him to keep him busy. However, he wanted to observe the room before he read, after all, it was a rarity for him to see a room like this. So he explored. He looked through the closet, the bathroom, and the drawers. Much to his dismay, he only found casual things, though the soap smelled pretty good.
His exploration ended when he chanced his luck and decided to look in a suit case that sat idly by the bed. Takaba quickly unzipped it and gazed at the contents within it. There wasn't really anything interesting that stuck out to him. The only thing that really caught his eye was a long silk red tie. He withdrew it from the suit case and ran it through his fingers. He brought the fabric to his nose and smelled the luxurious scent of expensive perfume and rich cigarettes.
"I assume you're enjoying my tie?" A deep voice cooed from the door way causing Takaba's eyes to shoot open. He dropped the tie , quickly stood and turned around. He hadn't even heard this man enter.
"I'm sorry..." Takaba stopped suddenly when he caught glimpse of the man who stood there, looking at him. It was the same golden eyed man from before, the same man with that group of rude people.
"Keep it." The man motioned towards the piece of fabric that presently lay on the floor. Takaba slowly bent down to pick it up. The man crossed the threshold and walked into the room, taking off his coat and undoing his own tie. He tossed both articles on a chair and hovered above Takaba. "So Irochi sent you?"
Takaba clutched the tie in his hand. "Yes, he did."
"I was expecting someone older." The man spoke in a deep voice. "How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen..." Takaba replied quietly. The man rose an eyebrow and advanced past Takaba. He walked over to the bed where he grabbed the young prostitute's book.
"You like to read?" He asked, flipping through the pages.
"Yeah..." Takaba replied a bit nervously as the man motioned him over to the bed. Takaba slowly sat down where he was instructed and just remained there for a while. The man continued to stand as he read the back of the book.
"I want you to read to me." He instructed as he tossed the book to an unsuspecting Takaba. The prostitute caught the paper back and opened it to chapter four where he stopped. The golden eyed man sat down on the bed next to him with his arms crossed.
"You're Asami?" Takaba remembered what Irochi had told him earlier.
"I am." Asami replied. "Do you mind telling me your name?"
"Takaba Akihito." Takaba replied without hesitation. "My friends used to call me Aki." The prostitute found himself facing this man, gazing at his features even more than he did before. As of now, Asami looked a lot more relaxed. His hair wasn't gelled up and he didn't have on his full suit. His sleeves were partially rolled up and the first few buttons on his blouse were undone. He looked a lot younger than before. In Takaba's opinion, Asami resembled a fallen angel, or a demon, either one was beautiful yet tempting.
"I'm assuming you don't have friends now." Asami stated and Takaba shook his head.
"I haven't seen my friends in forever." He sadly replied. "Sometimes I wonder how they're doing without me...how their family's are." He sighed and opened the book. "Do you want me to read still?"
Asami nodded and Takaba began to narrate each and every sentence. While he did so, he would cast a few glances towards Asami or look down at the red tie that rested in his lap. It felt strange, this whole situation, and he almost forgot what he was here for, what he was here to do. He wondered if this man even knew what he was. Well, of course he did...after all Asami did mention Irochi.
Takaba continued to read on and Asami continued to gaze at him. The young prostitute couldn't stop the blush that was forming on his face, and eventually, he started to trip on his words. Asami's gaze was making it nearly impossible for him to continue.
"Do I make you nervous?" Asami chuckled a bit. "It's fine, that's good enough."
Takaba breathed a sigh of relief and placed the book down upon the nightstand next to the bed. He assumed that Asami was going to quit his strange act and get down to business.
"I didn't mean to mess up." Takaba muttered. "I just_"
Asami had moved closer to Takaba and had taken hold of his chin. The two were now gazing into each others eyes. There was a pregnant silence that filled the room, planting itself in every space possible as it quietly witnessed the stillness between both males.
"I'm sorry, for earlier." Takaba shattered the silence. "For what I said to your friends."
"You didn't insult me." Asami replied. "So what do I care? Though I do commend you for your spark, and wit. Not a lot of people would've had the strength to stand up to Azumi." He smiled. "You're different."
"Different for a prostitute?" Takaba mused.
"I don't recall ever using that word, correct?" Asami inched closer to Takaba's face. The prostitute felt his heart beat faster and faster as he managed to speak.
"I...I just...I just thought..." He breathed as the business man's lips practically hovered above his. He felt a hand brush his cheek, softly, causing his heart to flutter just a bit more than before. Takaba slowly closed his eyes, as the business man leaned in. The softness of Asami's lips aroused Takaba to no end and before the young prostitute knew him, there was a heavy weight that bore down upon him.
He closed his eyes and faded into the darkness.
There was more to the story than this, but it has mature content. If you want to read the whole chapter, with the mature content, then you can check my Ao3! Anyway, I hope you like this little oneshot I've left on here!
So...how has your summer been? Just in general, have you guys been having fun? I've been...kind'a bored...I mean, yay. Anyway, disclaimers. I do not own Finder Series and the book Takaba was reading is Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. If you wanna get a good read, then you should totally check that book out!
BYE!
God Bless!
Happy Summer!
Another thing...it is so sad how ignorant humans can be. -_-
I was listening to a song cover by this girl, and she was really good. I later found out that she was trans , but I didn't think anything bad of her, she was amazing that's all that mattered. I scrolled down the comments and so many people were being little bitches! I am a religious person, and I can understand some people's reasoning, but seriously, telling someone they're going to go to hell because they're trans? I mean, come on...we're already called Hypocritical Christians and what made matters worse was that it was a group of Catholic's who bashed her! They made it clear that they were Catholic! People already think we're insane, I've gotten used to being called a Crazy Catholic, but some folks just give our religion a bad name. Anyway, as a fellow told me, I'm already going to hell for supporting LGTB. So oh well...
Anyway, you folks enjoy!