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the fairies told her
one-shot
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The girls were running around in the usual fervent manner that came with each evening, the work-girls were getting into their kimonos and dolling themselves up while the others cleaned and fixed the rooms up ready for the customers. It was always this way once the sun began to set, many of the women only got a few minutes to themselves after awaking before they had to get straight back into work.
Like many of the other work-girls, Yura sat up in the attic in the girls' shared dressing room getting ready for the evening. She coated her face with powder and drew on an elaborate eye-line before painting her lips a bright cherry red; different girls painted their faces differently but Yura preferred to go bolder, done so mostly to frighten off the weak-willed men but also she believed that despite the nature of their line of work a woman was allowed simple pleasures.
Yura finished the final touch-ups and pulled on her beautiful indigo kimono gifted by a wealthy regular customer before heading downstairs. Being one that appreciated a quiet start to the day in solidary Yura was up earlier than most of the other work-girls, she passed by a few younger girls on the upper floors who were still cleaning and the girls gave her sheepish smiles as she walked by, Yura patted their heads lightly and whispered for them to hurry before the Madam caught them.
After stopping by the kitchen for some light breakfast Yura calmly made her way to the front of the brothel where she found the Madam scolding two girls who were apparently too slow about cleaning and preparing the viewing box. Unbeknownst to the her Yura stood behind the Madam as she roared and peeked inside the box to see the young girls looking terrified; one of them met her eyes and Yura sent her a cheeky smile that brought a brief spark of amusement to her face. The Madam instantly caught this and turned around to whack Yura over the head.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?" the Madam huffed as she fixed the sleeve of her kimono that had shifted out of place when she raised her arm. "Yura, you are far too lenient. You must consider your position better."
"And that is?" Yura dropped her smile but the mischievous look remained on her face. "I have no interest in whatever you have planned for me, Madam."
"You do not have much choice in the matter, dear girl," the elder woman shook her head. "Whether you like it or not you will become an oiran in a few years' time and you will play your part."
Yura was about to retort when the Madam hushed her first as she already knew full well what the young girl was going to say, they have had this conversation dozens of times and each time she has failed to convey and convince Yura the magnitude of their need for an oiran. It was crucial for their brothel to receive a higher status if they had any hope of surviving through the war, with a prized oiran they would surely attract and service the elites that would provide them the much needed protection. Their situation has been dire since the war began, while they are still under the protection of the shogunate their capabilities have been pushed to its limits and all their men conscripted into fighting on battlefields. The brothel has had to make do with servicing any they could get, soldiers, ronin and even the rare amanto that came along; while the latter two were technically enemies to the state they have had no choice but to serve anyone willing to pay then use that money to hire their own muscle, though the Madam has had no qualms with welcoming ronin since she had been from a samurai family herself and saw no reason to refuse the brave men fighting for their country.
After the girls arrived downstairs they entered the viewing box one by one. Yura followed in last and sat in her usual spot in the centre near the back where she sat on a well-padded cushion, one of the perks of being the favourite. As usual the first moments were filled with chatters but they eventually went silent after the lanterns up front were lit and the curtains were pulled aside revealing the men on the other side. The girls dropped their smiles and readied themselves for the evening to truly begin.
While the other girls were instructed to interact with potential customers, Yura always quietly and avoided meeting the eyes of any man, the Madam has always told her that she was different from the other girls, that her attention was reserved for only the men that could pay for her. Though instructions aside there has always been a certain air surrounding the girl, it was how the Madam picked her out from the other girls and began to pay special attention to her, her looks and attitude were what initially got her a reputation around the district.
"Yura-chan!" a group of soldiers wolf-whistled at her, grabbing onto the bars of the box and tried to reach out to the girls. The others shifted out of the way with discomfort and Yura sent them a sharp look of disapproval which only fuelled the men's lust until eventually the guards came by and took them away.
As the evening progressed more and more of the girls disappeared from the box as they were each requested by customers and headed upstairs, it was not long when Yura was the last one left sitting in the box being leered at by perverts who were satisfied with just fantasising about her from a distance. It was an usual occurrence and she cannot exactly say she was pleased that she got nights off when her fellow girls were working nonstop because of the difference of their status, and it was moments like this when she had an inkling for why the Madam kept pushing her to become an oiran. Sure it would mean more work for herself but it would also greatly improve the lives and work environment for the other girls.
Yura grew tired of sitting in the same position with her knees tucked under her weight stiffly, she leaned to a side and shifted her legs to reposition her ankles and as she did so she heard some men cry out in excitement probably because this was the first time she has moved at all in the last two hours. Yura gave them a firm look before returning her attention elsewhere and to her surprise a group of young men had stepped towards the barred box. There were four of them and all were exceptionally handsome but in varying ways, she shifted her gaze over each of them and noted their young masculine faces but it was the shorted one on the end that caught her attention; he had a pretty face but wore an almost disinterested expression.
As she was sat quite a fair bit away she could not catch their hushed voices but they seemed to be discussing something between themselves quite fervently and she nearly smiled when the silver-haired one grabbed the short handsome one and began shaking him, and despite being man-handled quite roughly he still had his eyes on Yura.
"Well I've decided."
That voice… certainly was not expected.
Yura did her best to hold her blank expression but her eyes widened as she watched him shake off his silver-haired friend before turning towards the door of the establishment. The men he was with looked at him with disbelief before chasing after him, particularly the tall silver-haired one that was practically sprinting after his friend who had already disappeared inside.
For the first time in a long while she lost her composure and glanced down at her lap as she tried hard to listen for conversation that must be going on just in the next room, he did not look like he had much money so surely the Madam would turn him away… but no matter how hard she listened she could not hear a thing and Yura got more anxious with each minute that ticked by that she was not called out and they did not show up at the entrance again.
"Yura."
Finally there was a light knock on the small door leading out of the box, the wooden square door opened and the Madam's jewelled hand appeared waving for her to come out. Yura immediately stood up, ignoring the distress from the group of men outside as she ducked under and found herself standing in front of the man that had managed to make it past the red bars that no one has managed in months. Yura could not even hear the Madam's words as she stared at him in awe, he was taller than she expected and she realised he only looked small because his companions were much taller than an average man… well at least the silver-haired one he stood next to was.
"This is Yura, she is amongst the top three most sought out girl in our entire district and the first if you don't include the oiran," the Madam patted the girl's backside and Yura immediately lowered her head. "If you agree with the price she will be yours for the evening… one of yours…"
For the first time since she laid eyes on them Yura remembered what kind of position she was in, it was not her that was choosing but them and she had no say whatsoever. In her heart she was already set on the short handsome man with the deep husky voice but she could very well be spending her evening with one of his friends.
Again they seemed to be discussing it between themselves after placing themselves slightly further away from the women so they were out of earshot, there even looked to be a quick game of janken before they returned looking more determined than when they left. All of a sudden two hands shot up, it was the handsome one and the silver-haired one, both were watching her eagerly and seemed to be anticipating whatever that could come next.
Yura was in complete shock as she stared at them and her mouth dropped, though she felt a little excited knowing that the one she had eyes on wanted her too. She snapped out of her daze when the Madam cleared her throat and asked for their explanation.
"We could not decide so we want to let Yura-chan pick," the tallest one of them all with the head of curly brown hair laughed as he rubbed his neck. "Are there other girls available by the way? Yura-chan's ridiculously pretty but I'm not prepared to sacrifice my lunch money."
"There are still some you may find desirable, Sakamoto-san… if you are interested you should follow too, Katsura-san," the Madam pointed inside before sighing at the pair who stayed stood in front of Yura stubbornly. "At the mean time… Yura try to sort out Sakata-san and Takasugi-san… send whichever one you don't choose to me."
"Yes, Madam," Yura could hardly believe that the Madam was trusting her with this situation… or that she was in such a situation at all. She looked back at the men and nearly blushed when she noticed his intense gaze. "May… I ask for your names, please?"
"I'm Sakata Gintoki," the taller one of the two raised his hand. Yura thought how befitting his name was with his curly silver hair and she smiled at him briefly as she sensed he was a kind person. "And this… is… Takasugi-kun~!"
Gintoki sang his name out in an almost patronising kind of tone as he grabbed the shorter man by the neck and ruffled his hhair until it was a mess, the man named Takasugi didn't take the gesture kindly and repelled Gintoki off before walking towards her and introducing himself properly. "My name is Takasugi Shinsuke… you may call me Shinsuke."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Shinsuke-sama…" she bowed slowly once before turning to Gintoki and doing the same. "And you Gintoki-sama…"
Gintoki swooned at the sight of a beautiful girl addressing him so formally that he did not notice that his chances were quite slim considering how there seemed to be a strange affinity between his friend and the girl. They have only met minutes ago but she seemed to be completely taken by Shinsuke… which was preposterous considering how much of a better catch he was… or so he thought.
"Ah, so… Yura-chan, who will you be choosing?"
"… My apologies… if you would permit it, I would like to be with Shinsuke-sama tonight," she looked slightly uneasy as she gave Gintoki an apologetic smile, and for moment he felt sorry for her knowing that he could only imagine what her life may have been like and if she had a chance to be with a man she liked than it was hardly a problem for him to lose to Shinsuke… that was until he saw the look on Shinsuke's face… so smug and laced with superiority. "Gintoki-sama if you head straight you will find the Madam and your friends."
Just like that Yura led Shinsuke up the stairs to find a spare room in the upper floors. As they walked down the corridor they could hear lewd sounds coming from the dimly lit rooms surrounding them, Yura paid it no mind as she found the last room on this floor empty. It was the largest room in the building so it was quiet and farther away from the others and it was the one usually reserved for Yura's wealther guests. One of the young girls on duty tonight, Mira, stepped in and politely asked if there was anything they needed. Shinsuke hardly looked at the girl but asked for sake an sent her away as he sat down and while Yura lit the candles in the room she watched him take his coat off and placed it aside as he surveyed the room. His eyes landed on the futon on the far side and his gaze lingered before he glanced over at her, his expression unreadable as he seemed to take in her appearance.
He found her enthralling, she had light hair and pale skin that seemed to make her appear to glow under the candlelight and her dark eyes that seemed hold softness he was unfamiliar with. Others could argue that it was because he has been away from women for so long being in constant battles but he would have found her captivating even if they had met under different circumstances before the war.
There was a knock on the door and Yura put out the candle she was holding before headed over to pick up the tray from Mira. She walked back over and gently palced it down in front of Shinsuke, she picked up the sake bottle as she sat beside him and carefully poured the cup with practiced hands.
"Thank you," he murmured as he picked the cup up and sipped its contents. "… Yura, are you from around here?"
"I'm from Kyoto," she smiled as she poured him another. Her response seemed to have gotten his attention as he looked at her face again, this time a gentler expression. "And you, Shinsuke-sama?"
"Just Shinsuke's fine…" he said as he dropped his gaze from her stunning features. "… I am also from Kansai but far from the capital."
She chose not to ask further as they were both aware of how painful the memories of their home prefecture were. The purge had decimated entire villages and it was probably better if they did not speak about it… especially considering that she was solicited for her specific services. "… Shinsuke-san, you need to relax a little…"
Yura shuffled on her knees until she was behind him and wrapped her arms around his lean chest as she leaned into his neck, she felt him jolt from the feeling of her warm breath on his sensitive skin but he closed his eyes when she slowly began to trail kisses down his neck. She smiled when she felt his shoulder loosen under her touch and she was able to unbutton the dark low-neck shirt without much effort, and soon she was sitting with her legs crossed to one side with Shinsuke's upper body rested on her lap as she caressed his body. She used her other hand to tilt his head backwards so she could land a light peck on the side of his mouth and when he did not object, Yura leaned down and completely captured his lips.
She felt him sigh against his lips and one of his hands reached around to hold her lower back, she was flushed when they pulled away and she was panting slightly while she took in his handsome face. "Shinsuke-san…"
Yura gasped quietly when he sat up abruptly and reached for the bottle, downing the whole bottle's contents in one go before pulling her towards the futon. Shinsuke set her down gently before crawling over her, his expression grew dark as one of his knees spread her legs apart hitching her kimono up higher as he drew closer towards her. She moaned slightly while he dipped his face into her neck, taking in her intoxicatingly sweet scent as he reached for the obi keeping her kimono tied together.
Shinsuke felt her hold her breath when his hand moved from her waist to the slip between the fabric and he knew there would be no turning back once he touched her underneath.
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Two hours later Shinsuke collapsed on top of her when they finally found their climax together. Yura panted breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his large shoulders and nuzzled against his glistening neck. Shinsuke slowly propped himself off of her and rested his head on a bamboo pillow and pulled her into a loose embrace, he was surprisingly warm after sex which she did not expect kindness at all after he'd been so rough with her in bed.
It was already well past midnight but Shinsuke did not seem close to falling asleep, she flipped herself around and lied on his chest as she studied his glowing face. She smiled when he exhaled deeply as he placed a hand between the pillow to cushion himself up so slightly so he could meet her eyes.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Shinsuke?" she asked quietly. The honorifics already long abandoned. "More sake, perhaps?"
"No… this is… perfect."
"Are you sure there's nothing more you want?"
"… Shall we talk then?"
"Talk?" she eyed him with amusement and he looked somewhat embarrassed being laughed at. "Sure… well there is no need to ask for permission. I'll do whatever you want me to."
"Right," he smiled back at her with a strange look. "I suppose you have to…"
"There is no need to sound so dejected… I didn't mean anything by that… and certainly not to trouble you," she smiled back. "… Is there anything you want to know?"
Shinsuke seemed to contemplate for a moment before asking about her childhood in Kyoto and he was surprised to hear that she was a geisha in training up until she was kidnapped then sold when she was fourteen. It was tragic but not the worse of the stories he has heard of the children from Kansai, in fact she may have been better off being absent when the purge hit Kyoto the hardest; there was no doubt she would have perished but then again she survived only to then become a prostitute… surely not that much better of a life.
"So you must be quite the sophisticated lady," Shinsuke humoured her and she laughed quietly as she shook her head.
"No, I was merely an apprentice. The lowest of the low, and not a very good one at that," she confessed with a nostalgic smile. "After three years and I still couldn't play the shamisen."
"How difficult could it be?" he rumbled with quiet laughter and she laughed along with him, daring him to have a go at learning if he ever had the opportunity. Shinsuke felt incredibly light, like his troubles have melted away and for a moment there seemed to be peace resonating in his mind… and it was all thanks to her; there was the sex but there was also her radiance, not any woman could have this effect on him and he longed to just lie here with her for eternity.
Yura's smile stiffened when she felt his hand caress her head, he ran his fingers through her silky locks down to her jaw and she closed her eyes when his thumb slid down her cheek. "… Shinsuke…"
"Do you often get customers who fall in love with you?"
"Yes."
"Customers who propose."
"Yes."
"Customers who vow to take you away from this place?"
"… Yes."
"And do you ever reciprocate those feelings?"
"… No," she smiled as his sudden dismal expression. "… I know better than to trust their words. I would have a life-time of waiting and despair if I let them fool me."
"… I see, you are right to believe that," he closed his eyes for a moment. "I shouldn't make you such promises either."
Yura felt her heart squeeze from his words and even though she did not say those sweet words she was used to hearing from her usual customers, she felt his sincerity of putting her feelings first. His words would have been promises unlikely kept. Yura rested her cheek against his chest as she felt slumber slowly taking over, her lips twitched into a smile when she felt his arm coil around her and she blinked back her tears as she wondered if she would ever meet another as splendid as he is again in her life.
"Thank you."
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Did a little rewrite to polish up this old one-shot
As usual hope you enjoyed ^^
I love reviews ;)