Hi there everyone! Hydra is back with another Rikuo/Itaku fic.
This time it's an AU where everyone is a human in the Edo era. Itaku is an honest worker by day yet he transforms into a wanted prostitute by night. Rikuo is heir to a wealthy but slowly weakening yakuza family. What happens when the two meet?
Read on to find out!

Yoshiwara Kaleidoscope

Edo era, Tokugawa Period – Yoshiwara* District, Alleyway

It was disgusting, but he could only take it silently if he wanted the money. His mouth was filled with a large, twitching cock slicked with saliva and precum, the wet smell increasing his tendency to gag. The man above him (he forgot the name) was grunting and groaning with undisguised pleasure, pushing his cock into the small hot cavern relentlessly.

It was disgusting, but he had to do it. So he moaned through the gaps of his mouth, swirled his tongue around the cock sensually and tried his best to breathe through his nostrils. He brought his hand up to caress the other's balls lightly only to have them swatted away roughly. Hmm, you like dominance don't you? Want yours to be obedient. So he dropped his attempt and concentrated on the moaning. He could feel the cock twitch even more.

After a few more moments, the man could take it no longer, releasing his sticky seed into the mouth with loud groans. He however, took in all of it and made a show of swallowing. Drips of semen trailed down his chin, he wiped them off with the edge of his sleeve.

"Thanks a lot kid. I'll be sure to come back next time." said the man. He threw a few koban* to the whore in the alleyway.

He said nothing, pretended to accept the money gratefully and watched as the man disappeared into the melting crowds of the town. Slowly, he dusted himself off and went in search of the nearest water source through the back roads. He needed to get that disgusting taste out of his mouth.

~.~.~.~

He had a name. Takui. But that wasn't his real name now was it? No, that was just his 'stage' name. A name to be groaned out as hundreds of different men used his mouth or penetrated his body. It was name used for catcalls and the butt of jokes. Takui, the whore. That's who he was when he used that name.

But his other name, his real name meant something entirely different to him altogether. Itaku. With the name Itaku, he was an honest worker who helped load and unload things from the cart, who sometimes helped the shopkeepers with their business. As Itaku, he had many comrades whose names he is proud of mentioning. Awashima who helps chop firewood even though she is a girl, Amezo who fishes in secluded rivers due to his disfigured appearance, Reira and Yukari who work in a sweets shop, Dohiko who farms in the mountains.

Takui had no real friends he could count on, just his voice and his body. Takui would roam the alleys of Yoshiwara at night to see if he could nab a lucky customer who was bored with the bodies of women already. He would hitch up his yukata, slide one part down his shoulder as if drunk, remove his bandana and muss up his dark hair. Other than that, all he had to do was make sure his eyes caught the light right to glow amber and stand sexily.

That was it, nothing to it.

But it was disgusting.

~.~.~.~

He has been warned, many times before. Both as Itaku and Takui. Awashima and Reira especially would try to stop him from going on his nightly hunts, try to convince him that the money he made during the day would be enough. It never was enough though, Yukari is sick, always coughing and the job Awashima takes on doesn't yield much. Even Amezo and Dohiko, their jobs depend on chance and the weather. Itaku never abandons his friends.

Takui hardly gets warned about anything, since the men who come to him only want the pleasure of sex. The lady oiran* who calls herself Kejorou is the only one who occasionally spots his wandering around the back roads and shoots him a word of caution. It is also thanks to her that Takui attained a map of all the hotspots in Yoshiwara, so he knew exactly where to goto find prey. She is a beautiful lady, that Kejorou. Busty and elegant, just as most men want it. But her heart seems to have been pining for a certain someone else.

Tonight, he would go on a hunt again. The money made would definitely help compensate for the rising costs of living and all of them could save some money for a rainy day. He took out his purse* and counted the koban he had inside. Not enough to survive for two months, and not enough to buy Yukari's medicine. He needed to make more money.

He stowed the small bag in the folds of his yukata before heading out to the streets.

~.~.~.~

It had rained that evening, so the ground was slick with mud. His sandals and tabis were already dirty, he was quite soaked to the skin. Damn, I should've brought an umbrella! He shielded his amber orbs from the rivulets of rain, scanning the brightly lit streets. There were hardly any customers at all. He cursed in his mind again. Of course there wouldn't be many customers on the streets. It was raining for god's sake! No one checks the alleys at this time.

Dammit! He punched the wall of the nearest building. How the hell am I supposed to make money in this situation? Unsatisfied with his catch of the day, he continued to search for willing customers through the back roads and alleyways, hoping to bag at least one more person.

As the rain pelted down onto his skin, he suddenly felt a rough hand shove him from behind, landing him face first into the mud. Caught by the surprise, he didn't react fast enough and the assailant, no assailants, were on him. One of the sat on him, twisting his arms behind his back as he furiously tried to wriggle free. The other was holding a knife, right in front of his face while another began touching his body, slimy hands everywhere.

"Get off me you bastards!" he cried but in vain. There was mud caked on his face and mouth.

The one brandishing the knife smiled weirdly. "Give us the money you whore. We know you have it on you." The one who was touching him began searching the folds of his yukata.

Takui desperately struggled against the strong hold on his back, wanting to get out of this situation as fast as possible. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about you pieces of shit."

A frown. Then a searing pain on his cheek which he realised to be a cut. "GIVE US THE MONEY! Give it to us you fucking bitch!" The one with the knife grabbed his hair, his face now to the sky. He saw the knife as it was coming down.

~.~.~.~

It had rained that evening and it was raining yet again. The skies opened up to bucketfuls of water spilling onto the muddy earth. In this rain, he walked alone. His aides were overzealous if he were honest to himself, yet he liked them anyway. He loved to be unaccompanied sometimes, the quiet was peaceful rather than the bright and noisy home he lived in.

More so when a street as busy and bustling as Yoshiwara would be quiet. The run-of-the-mill horny hagglers weren't here anymore, most of the courtesans have been bustled into their respective houses, attending to whichever stray or rich customer has booked them for that day.

The rain was a comfort as it pitter-pattered onto his red umbrella, sounds which could only be heard through the quiet of...

"GIVE US THE MONEY! Give it to us you fucking bitch!"

… Said it too soon.

My, my, it looks like someone is disturbing my leisurely walk.

~.~.~.~

Both Takui and Itaku wondered if this would be the last time he could use his pretty face for the sake of money or would he die here completely. He closed his eyes and waited for the blow.

For the blow which never came.

Instead, he heard shocked gasps and someone being manhandled with various shouts of obscenities. The man who was touching him stopped his actions and gave out a shout of anger. As Takui opened his eyes, the first sight which greeted him was red. The red of blood. Two men were lying on the ground, one clutching a severed arm screaming murder while the other was vomiting blood. A silver blade shone in the dark, stained with red.

Takui traced his eyes from the blade to its owner, an involuntary chill went down his spine. White locks with a dark underside, ruby red eyes with an intense gaze, dressed in a black yukata and a dark blue haori. He who cut the assailants. The man turned his eyes towards the one still on his back and pointed his katana in his direction. "Get off him, take your buddies and leave. Or else I'll cut you too." His voice was like ice in the rain.

The assailant jumped up immediately, nodded, grabbed his smaller two friends and limped off.

Takui watched them silently all the time. "Uh... Thank you, I guess..." he mumbled without facing his saviour entirely. He wondered if the chill from earlier on was from fear or admiration.

"Hmm? Ah, don't worry about it." said the man with ruby orbs. "They were ruining my walk anyway."

Walk? What the hell is he talking about? Takui wasn't interested enough to stick around and find out. His heart was still beating rapidly in his chest, he could still feel the pain in his wrists and cheek. That's right, my cheek. His hand came away bloodied as he touched the gash with the pad of his thumb.

"Oi. Are you okay?" Amber orbs met ruby ones. The man sheathed his blade and stepped closer. "You're hurt." He said it as a plain statement rather than phrasing it as a question. He knelt down onto the muddy ground, dirtying the hem of his yukata to face the other.

Takui felt uncomfortable, this man who had come help him and was now staring at his wound intently. "Don't touch me." he said when the man reached out a hand. "Thank you for you help. I have to get going." With that he got up slowly, trying to control his wincing as he battled the pain in his body. An arm snaked itself around his waist, holding him firm against a warm body. "Wh-what do you think you're doing?" Takui thrashed as much as he could in the other man's grasp. "Let go of me you ruffian!"

"My name is Rikuo. Nura Rikuo." stated the man as he pulled Takui even closer to him. "For one, you're hurt. So let's get you patched up somewhere first."

A blush was creeping up his cheeks, he just knew it. The back of his neck had already heated up too. Saying that he's not used to being this close to men is an understatement at this point, but there's just something about this guy... Something which screams danger and yet makes him feel protected at the same time. My brain is confused, that's it. "Che, I don't need your help anymore. Just let me go."

The man called Rikuo let out a breath of air. "You really are stubborn aren't you?" Of all the people he had to save today, it had to be a brat like this one. He let out another sigh as the man in his arms continued to demand to be left alone. Noisy, noisy, noisy. In one swift movement, he lifted the injured man up by his legs and body in the form of a princess carry. "Shut up will you? This is easier for me to carry you." he rebutted before another round of words were shot his way.

Takui was utterly baffled by the man's actions. Why help him? He wasn't worth helping at all. Most people in their right mind would leave such sketchy characters alone. He attempted to push himself down onto the muddy ground but the man, Rikuo, was having none of that. He kept a tight hold on him and began walking through the empty streets of Yoshiwara.

Notes:
Yoshiwara – famous red light district
Koban – a form of money
Oiran – highest rank for a courtesan
Purse – (used it because wallets weren't in style during that era)

Thank you for reading everyone! Hope you enjoyed it.
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Until the next chapter then.