Disclaimer: I do not own My Boss, My Hero or anything associated to it. If I did, Makio would have gone for Jun like any fangirl could have pointed out.
A "My Boss, My Hero" fiction.
Not Invincible
Jun sat in the back of his English Literature class in complete boredom. It was one of those classes he would have greatly dropped; the professor was this tweedy little man who obviously didn't speak great Japanese, so the only one really getting anything from this class was an American exchange student who didn't speak Japanese that well either. Jun sighed for what seemed like the millionth time in that past hour. He wished he were back at Makki's house right now. He would even cheerfully put up with any of his bad moods or Kazu's "aniki" obsession if only he could stop listening to his challenged professor butcher the Japanese language.
He snapped to attention as the door opened loudly. Turning with the rest of the half-asleep class, he saw Mikio briskly enter without so much as a polite "excuse me". Obviously, from the way he was blinking and stumbling on in English, the professor was just as surprised as anyone else.
"Sakaki-kun," the English literature professor began hesitantly. "It's not like you to interrupt a class-"
"I need to borrow Sakurakouji-kun for the remainder of the class, if you don't mind," Mikio interrupted, completely ignoring the tiny professor. Jun frowned in surprise. Why was Mikio-san being so rude? Makio was the rude one of the two, not Mikio.
Not even waiting for a reply from the teacher, Mikio beckoned Jun over. "Sakaki-kun-" the professor tried again, but Mikio cut him off elegantly.
"Professor Smith, this is really of the utmost importance and I do not have time for you to write him a permission slip or some such nonsense. Sakurakouji-kun, please hurry to gather your things and come with me." He said this all with that creepy polite smile on his face: the one that made people think he was polite no matter how rude the actual words were.
Jun grabbed his bag and followed the briskly walking Mikio out the door. He glanced back at the last second and saw his professor still struggling to wade his way through Mikio's complicated phrasing and almost laughed aloud.
His laughter died immediately as he looked back into Mikio's face. No hint of the smile remained. It had morphed into a deep frown etched in worry.
"Onii-san has been shot."
He felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Jun's eyes widened and his breathing hitched in disbelief. "What?" he asked numbly.
"Makio. He was shot while trying to negotiate with the Shinjuku Black Hawk (1) gang. I don't have any details but I offered to bring you-"
"Makki has been... but that's impossible." Jun's hands were trembling violently now and he dropped his school bag. "He can't-" Mikio put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.
"Sakurakouji," he said firmly, commanding all the younger boy's attention. "We have to hurry. We're going straight to the hospital."
Jun nodded stiffly and allowed himself to be tugged toward the ominous black limousine Mikio had come in. All he could think of as he sat in the car was how much it reminded him of a hearse.
Kazu was waiting for them when they arrived at the hospital. He was absolutely serious- the usual boyish light gone from his features, and poorly concealed tear tracks ran down his cheeks. He bowed in traditional yakuza style to them both. It was only with slightly less vigor than usual.
"I was told to take you to Aniki's room."
Mikio nodded and pulled Jun along with him. He wanted to see Makio, but at the same time, Jun as afraid. What if Makio wasn't all right? What if he never saw his huge smile again or heard him curse at Kazu again? He could already be dead for all Jun knew. And he didn't think he could handle that. Makio was a force of nature in his life: a sturdy constant that never seemed to change or die no matter what. Jun did not want to see him if Makio had already died. Makio had to be invincible in his mind; never cold and lifeless.
"Hurry up," Mikio murmured as he once again tugged Jun out of an elevator and down a hallway. It was full of somber looking yakuza men. More than one looked to be holding back tears. More than one was covered in bruises.
"What happened?" Jun heard Mikio ask. It was like he was speaking through a tunnel; Jun was too much in shock to hear him properly.
Kuroi stepped foreword immediately. He was covered in bruises and there was a bleeding cut on his cheek, but he didn't seem to notice. "The entire meeting was sour to being with. Shinjuku's men were simply waiting for an excuse to get him and they all brought guns. Illegally. They shot off a few rounds first and Waka shouted at us to run. We didn't even think, we just did as he ordered. The master threw the table at them and we all escaped but they shot him in the side before he even had a chance to throw a punch. Then the police showed up and the Shinjuku guys scattered. Currently, he appears stable, but is unconscious due to blood loss."
"You just ran?" Mikio said in clipped tones; sounding more dangerous than any of them had ever heard him.
The men around the room looked ashamed. "Yes," Kuroi admitted, his eyes averted and downcast. "Sakaki-sama has already punished us. He says we should have been proud to take the bullet-"
"And so you should have," Mikio interrupted coldly, dismissing the yakuza with a rare glare.
"He's ok?" Jun finally spoke up, his face completely white and his voice trembling wildly.
"So it would seem," Mikio said, his smile back in place. The door to the hospital room opened and a doctor in white came out followed by Makio's father. All the yakuza in the room except Mikio bowed at once. The former yakuza boss glared at them as a whole; anger emanating from every fiber of his being.
"You should count yourselves lucky that my son is not dead," he said, his voice containing the most Yakuza growl that Jun had ever heard. Many of the men flinched and paled.
The man turned abruptly to Jun and smiled kindly. If he had not been so worried, Jun would have marveled at the mood swing. "You can go on in. He's not awake, but I'm guessing you still want to see him."
Jun nodded shakily and allowed Mikio to once again lead him into the room, trying to ignore Sakaki-san threatening his failure of henchmen in the hall.
Once inside, however, Jun needed no further prodding. Makki lay absolutely still on his crisp, white bed. A machine was hooked up to his arm and the steady beat of it partially drowned out the sound of his shallow breathing. His face was pale with a deep furrow between his brows and his mouth was set in a pained line despite being asleep. He hurried to the yakuza boss' side and grabbed for one of his hands instantly. The nurse hovering in the corner frowned in disapproval but didn't comment.
"Makki," Jun whispered. He didn't get a reply, of course. Makio was unconscious after all. He sat in the chair Mikio pushed up behind him without taking his eyes off of his best friend.
Mikio left shortly after whispering with the nurse and she too left. He vaguely heard her instruct him to hit the button beside the bed to call a nurse if something went wrong. He nodded but didn't answer back, too focused on his task of assuring himself of the warmth in Makkio's very alive hand.
The only noise in the room was Makkio's breath and the loud beep of the heart monitor. Jun found himself simultaneously loving and hating the sound. It was loud and annoying, but it assured him that Makkio was still alive despite his deathly pale features.
It was almost three hours later before Makio even twitched. Jun had not moved from his spot in that whole time, just holding Makki's hand in his and ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him. He wouldn't move until he was sure Makki was alright. The fierce yakuza leader looked so fragile to Jun as he opened his eyes and blinked around the room in confusion.
He finally noticed the smaller boy and rasped "Sakuranantoka" in a surprised way. "What-"
"It's ok," Jun said, his voice almost a sob of relief. "You're ok, I'll go get-"
"Jun," Makio said calmly from the bed. He tried to sit up several times but failed and then decided to just stay lying down. "What happened?" he asked, his voice strained and soft but stable. As always.
Jun recounted what Kuroi had said, holding back the lump that was threatening to form in his throat. "I just found all this out from Kuroi-san. Mikio just grabbed me out of class to bring me here." He trailed off. Makio nodded and sighed tiredly.
"I sorta remember it. Well, not after I threw the table anyways. Must have blacked out. I guess I'm just lucky that I didn't get picked up by the cops again," Makky said speculatively.
"And that you didn't die," Jun murmured shakily.
"What?"
"Nothing," He assured the gang leader. Makio frowned but didn't comment.
"Help me sit up," he demanded. Makio began to attempt to sit up again, so against his better judgment, Sakurakouji helped him, still self-consciously aware that his hands were trembling. He quickly turned away once Makio was settled in a dignified sitting position.
"I'll go get-" but again, Makio cut him off.
"That can wait." Jun turned in surprise to see Makio staring at him intensely. The gaze was grim and tinted with pain from the bullet wound, but still held concern. "Jun. What's wrong? You're shaking like a leaf."
Jun tried not to cry, he really did. But when Makio said his name like that, said "Jun" not "Sakuranantoka", his resolve broke and he sobbed. Just once, a heaving of his chest, but it broke the hold that he had on his emotions. "I- I..." he stopped and his breath hitched painfully. Makio pulled him down so that he sat within reach and wrapped his arms around Jun's small frame. If the position hurt at all, which it probably did, Makio didn't show it.
"What's wrong?" He asked again more quietly and with an amount of soothing grace that Jun did not think the fumbling, gruff Yakuza leader had.
Jun took a deep breath and buried his face in Makio's flimsy hospital gown clad chest. "I thought-- thought you m--might be d--dead," he sobbed brokenly. "Mikio-san d--didn't know if-- if you were--" he broke off, now crying too hard to explain further. Makio sighed loudly.
"I'm sorry," Makio said. His voice was soothing but remained at a normal volume. "That you were worried... but Jun, I'm yakuza. This could happen at any time, you know." Jun nodded, but his crying got even louder instead of quieting.
"I--I know, b--but... you-- you can't d--die," Jun gasped. He gripped the hospital gown tightly, his hands shaking with just the mere thought of Makio dying.
"I'm not invincible, Jun," Makio said quietly. "And I will take as many bullets as I need to for my gang." Jun looked up into Makio's face. He was dead serious.
"I... know," Jun mumbled, quieting somewhat under that look. He detached himself from Makio's shirt and tried to pull away, slightly hurt that Makio hadn't tried to reassure him in any way. It was what he needed. But Makio just laid his head on top of Jun's and wouldn't let go.
"I'm not dead yet," Makio whispered, running a hand soothingly down Sakurakouji's back. "And I don't plan on dying anytime soon, so stop crying and stop worrying about it." Jun once again nodded stiffly.
"You're not helping, Makki," he mumbled sulkily. After all, he was just getting over the shock of his best friend's near death experience. He felt Makio grin into his hair.
"I know."
They sat quietly for a while. The silence was comfortable in the way that only silence between friends could be. Makio continued to rub soothing circles on Jun's back and the smaller boy continued to hiccup quietly, the last of his tears drying on his face. The comfortable quiet was broken when Makio cleared his throat noisily.
"Anou... It might help to tell you that... I mean... It was nice having you here. When I woke up I mean. Much better than last time I passed out and the first face I saw was Kazu's." Jun looked up into Makio's face. The supposedly fierce Yakuza leader's face was completely crimson.
"What do you mean by that?" Jun asked uncertainly. Why was Makio blushing like the time he had tried to ask Hikaru on a date?
"Just that... well..." He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished in with a flustered twitch of his hands. "Never mind."
"No, really, Makki," Jun peered closer into the Yakuza man's face.
"Just that... well... It made me happy, really happy, when I woke up and you were sitting there. I was confused, but seeing you calmed me down a lot." His features took on a thoughtful, serious expression as he searched Jun's face. One hand was absently skimming across Jun's cheek gently. "I probably would have freaked out if you hadn't been here."
"But you're not scared of anything," Jun whispered, careful not to move or distract the man from his slow thoughts.
"Maybe," Makio muttered. His fingers became more purposeful, running over and behind Jun's ear to stroke through his hair. His face was concentrated and intense as he continued to stare at and seemingly evaluate his smaller friend.
"Makki?" Jun whispered questioningly. Makio's face was inching closer to his, but his usual reactions weren't kicking in. Usually when people got too close, Jun would back away. That was just how it was in Japanese culture. But he didn't move. Didn't want to move.
He didn't reply. Instead, he pressed his lips lightly to Jun's cheek where his fingers had been moments before. Jun froze. What was Makki doing? His mind jabbed him, telling him to pull away and scold the Yakuza leader for being too foreword, but the rest of him wouldn't move. All he was aware of was the point where Makio's lips touched his face, his breath warm.
"What?" he murmured distractedly. Makio didn't reply. Instead his lips ghosted once more over Jun's cheek and began to travel towards his mouth in light brushes. By the time Makio had reached his mouth, Jun couldn't help but respond. He hesitantly pressed back lightly, unsure and inexperienced, but gradually growing calmer. His instincts weren't telling him to resist and he felt warm and safe, so he decided for the moment not to protest. Makio's hand was tangled in the hair at the base of his neck and Jun allowed him to hold him still.
Suddenly, the door opened with a jerk. "Master! I thought I heard--" Kazu cut off as both Makio and Jun turned to stare. "--voices," the lackey finished lamely. An uncomfortable pause filled the silence. Makio still hadn't let go of Jun. "Master," Kazu continued slowly, a hint of jealousy tinting his voice. "What are you doing?"
"I was just... you know... uh..." Makio looked at Jun, who had hidden his face in Makio's chest once again. He looked back to Kazu and scowled, clearly flustered. "Don't ask stupid questions!"
Kazu backed up nervously bowing and apologizing. Jun just laughed.
As Makki let him go and Sakaki-san walked into the room, Jun smiled. Even if his relationship with Makio changed, it was ok.
At least he was still alive and well.
THE END
Author's notes:
So here is my contribution for all the My Boss, My Hero fans out there that agree that there is a lot more sexual tension between Jun and Makio than anywhere else in the entire dang show! Anyways, please review and let me know what you think. And don't flame please, you will be ignored on principle.
