Sweet Deal

Chapter One: Just Business

Boruto

"Wait a moment,"

I paused midstep and looked over my shoulder. My sister's doctor caught up to me, expression as unreadable as it always was. A part of me was grateful for that and another part was annoyed. I never knew if the words coming out of his mouth would be good news or bad news. Visiting hours were over and I was about to head home, but it seemed this conversation might take awhile.

"Is everything alright?" I asked mainly out of habit although there was that sense of concern underneath.

"Well . . ." He trailed, speaking at a lower volume once he reached me. "Despite your situation, I'm afraid things have built up to the point where it can no longer be ignored by the hospital. Your sister's bills continue to grow and with the little you have contributed . . . legally, we can no longer be so understanding. You'll have to make a dent in what you owe to prove to the board that the hospital will get their money. Otherwise . . ."

I swallowed hard and dropped my gaze to his black and polished shoes. It wasn't really a surprise, I knew this was coming. I had received hundreds of letters over the years reminding me of my debt, of the medical bills that kept me up at night with stress and hopelessness. It was scary how fast the money mom and dad had left us evaperated. Working two jobs wasn't enough and I didn't have the education to apply somewhere that paid a lot of money. Once again I was struck with the regret of dropping out of school, but I didn't have any other choice at the time. I had other expenses looming over my head and I couldn't . . . I was running out of options and time. I was lucky to make it this far.

"I understand." I told him, sounding steadier than I felt. I had idea what I was going to do. "How long do I have?"

"A week at most. The details should have already been mailed to you."

I didn't look up to see if his expression had changed, if he was upholding that air of professionalism or letting some of his humanity peek through. It honestly didn't matter to me as long as he kept Himawari breathing. I nodded my head before turning to leave, tired of the sterile smell here, tired of the cold white walls. I needed to get home and rest before my shift started at the bar. A bus took me over halfway back to my place, but I had to walk the rest of the distance. The neighbourhood I lived in wasn't exactly safe and it's reputation was pretty horrendous. It was on the side of town most people avoided and others sought because of the cheap accommodations. The stares here were less judgmental and more appraising to determine your threat level.

If you looked like you would handle yourself, the people around here saw it as a challenge. Although you didn't want to look weak either or else people saw you as easy pickings. I learned to live and breathe in between those two categories: head down, taser ready and body on high alert. I was only mugged once or twice a month. My pace was fast but not hurried as I walked along the sidewalk and around the prostitutes working the streets. The front of my building was a hot spot for those types of services, but I wasn't complaining. I would rather deal with pimps over drug dealers and gang members anyday. I went straight inside my apartment building and took the stairs up to the third floor.

The hall was full of noise and the smell of liquor, but it didn't follow me inside my apartment. I locked the door behind me before I took my shoes off. Then I padded into the living room of my small home, not surprised to find a pair of troublemakers snuggled on the couch. I sighed as I joined them under the blankets and didn't pay any attention to whatever trash they were watching.

"How many times have I asked the both of you to stop breaking in here?" I muttered at my neighbors. If they wanted a key then all they had to do was ask, but instead they chose to pick the lock. "You'll make other people think it's easy to rob me."

"We missed you." Hōki whined, laying his hand over my head. "How's Hima?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "The same. No changes, good or bad."

"And how are you, cinnamon roll?" Inojin asked, rubbing my back.

The two of them were around my age and had lived here longer than me. They taught me plenty of survival skills, possessing the knowledge and know how to protect themselves. Their small stature and soft personalities didn't show the hardships they had been through and they were a lot tougher than they seemed. Hōki always had the lower part of his face covered in a mask, dark brown hair braided and deep blue eyes ever observant. Inojin kept his blond hair tied back in a ponytail, icy blue eyes full of affection. The two watched out for me and treated me like family since the day I first moved in. I didn't know their stories, how they ended up here and what they experienced in the past. That was somehow an unspoken rule between us. Neither of them asked about my history either and it kept our relationship free of complications.

We were friends, we took care of each other and shared our troubles, but the present was all that was important to us. "I'm fine . . . just need to sort out all these bills. The usual." I responded, but ultimately told them what was going on. "I have a week to figure this shit out or else they'll send Hima home."

"A week?" Hōki gasped, fingers digging into the back of my hair. "Like… a hundred?"

"A week as in seven days." I grumbled. I was calm on the outside, but inside I was trembling. The gravity of the situation was getting to me and I was doing my best to keep it together.

"But . . . they can't do that." Inojin protested. "It's not as if you aren't giving them any money at all."

"They can do whatever they want." I said bitterly. I didn't matter if my sister was sick, they would kick her out all the same. Money . . it always came down to money. The one thing I always lacked.

"No!" Hōki snapped, sitting up with a huff. "I'm not gonna lay down and take this!"

Inojin was quick to agree. "Yeah! We've got to do something!"

I smiled at them but shook my head. We were all struggling, I couldn't and wouldn't ask them to do any more than they already did. Breaking into my apartment so I wouldn't be alone? That was true friendship right there. "I have to find that letter the hospital sent among all the bills . . . maybe if I get another job . . . I have to find something that pays more." There were a number of things I promised myself I wouldn't do, but at this point . . . "Any suggestions?"

"Um…" Hōki picked at my shirt with his fingers, looking at me thoughtfully. "Well… there's been this one thing that I have been considering."

I gave him my full attention, not expecting him to know a job with the kind of paycheck I was looking for. "What is it?"

"Now, don't go getting all judgemental." He pouted, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his pajama bottoms. "It may sound a little out there, but it's actually pretty smart and easy if you ask me." Hōki took a moment to pull up an app and then showed it to me. It looked like any ordinary dating app. "There are requirements, like screening for STDs and stuff, but this app is full of men looking for cute guys like us… to pay us…"

"It's basically an upscaled and more sophisticated version of prostitution." Inojin stated without holding back. He was the shier one of the two, but his mouth was just as feisty.

"Inojin!" Hōki gasped. "It's not… okay, maybe a little. But some of these men don't require much and they're willing to pay a lot! I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to disappoint you two, but I have an interview with one of them… two days from now."

Inojin reached out to hold the brunette's hand. "Don't be silly, I'll love you no matter what."

I hummed in agreement as my mind started to race. We didn't have the luxury of being picky forever, especially me. Sooner or later I would have had to go down this road . . . and as long as Himawari was taken care of, I would do it. All three of us were just trying to survive. The only disappointment I had was in this fucked up world and the assholes who were in it.

"How does it work? What do I need to do?" I asked, decision already made.

"You just make an account, pretty up your profile and wait. You will start receiving interests from men who are looking for what you can offer. I've already gotten several hits, but this is the first one that I felt I could agree with everything they want. I just hope… they fuck me like they mean it."

Sex . . . when was the last time I had it? High school? Ever since my parents died and I had to drop out, my time was devoted to working and taking care of Himawari. Stress and fatigue had killed my sex drive and I wasn't sure if I was even good at it anymore. Still, I doubted I would find a better alternative and I couldn't afford to wait. I let Hōki download the app on my phone and retreated to my bedroom to get some sleep before I went to work. The bar opened at nine and I was there until five in the morning, coming home to shower and get ready for my second job. I went in at six and got off at two in the afternoon. Somedays I would go visit my sister after and others I would eat and crash. Today however, I didn't do either of those things.

I ransacked my place to find that letter from the hospital and then investigated the app from last night. It was laughable, the amount of money the board wanted me to get within a single week. They were setting me up for failure and yet I couldn't complain. For years I've been behind on payments and most would say I was a lost cause, unable to pay it off within my lifetime. Even when my parents were alive we had our struggles. I didn't know what it was like to have money, to be rich and successful. I might not be that smart either, but I would outsmart these medical bills. I wouldn't settle for anything but the best for Himawari. She was more than worth it.

Browsing the app for a bit, I realized a couple of things. There were proper terms for this kind of thing and the positions in the relationship. Of course I had heard the terms before, but I hadn't known this was what they meant. The ones with the money, the sugar daddies, would hire the ones that needed money, the sugar babies. What sugar had to do with anything was beyond me although there was obviously a daddy kink within this community. The way the app was set up in general was strange and spoke volumes about what was expected. None of the money bringers were messageable, all I could see was a short description and an offered salary amount that might or might not be negotiable. There wasn't even a picture.

As for the people like me, the descriptions were filled with what their limits were and what they were into. They stated how much they were looking for to earn and littered the rest of their profile page with pictures. The photos ranged from body parts to full body pics, most of them nudes. They were showing what they were selling. It didn't take a genius to see what this was, rich and most likely old men paying for young and predominantly pretty boys. This was going to be harder than I thought and I had a lot of competition. Glancing down at the hospital letter, I decided to hop to it. I started filling out my profile and hoped someone would bite, otherwise I was screwed. I put my first name and age before writing a small description.

I was fairly open, but wouldn't do anything that involved sharp objects and blood. Anything else was open for discussion and depending on what they wanted I would make my decision. My price was the exact amount I needed to pay by the end of the week. Any money given to me after that would go towards paying the rest of my debt. I didn't want to rule out too many things and lose possible catches, but I couldn't completely compromise myself either. The pictures were the hard part. I didn't own anything sexy, but taking nudes made me uncomfortable. I was probably going to be uncomfortable a lot so I supposed I had to get used to it. In the end I took some photos of myself in just a bathrobe on the bed.

I submitted my profile after that, going to sleep right after. I didn't want to sit and wait for a message that might not come. I was trying really hard not to think about what I would do if this didn't work out, I was fighting to keep a level head. Little did I know a message would be waiting for me when I woke up. It was much sooner than I expected and even though it was only one, one was all I needed. Strangely enough I clicked on the profile before reading the message. I couldn't help it, wanting to see who I was dealing with first rather than reading what he had to say. Ki was his name and the description didn't offer an amount, leaving the salary blank and up to my imagination.

He was particular, wanted a specific type and expected certain things. It didn't get into much detail and mentioned that the requirements would be discussed and finalized in a contract. I was taken by surprise by that, but didn't write off the legal measure as odd. They would need some way to ensure people didn't just run off and spend all of their money without getting what they paid for. The last part spoke of the position being full time, making my brow crease. I wasn't sure what that meant. I couldn't really learn that much from this app when it came to the rich buyers and could only hope the message was a bit more telling.

'Hello, Boruto.

I've taken an interest in your profile and think you could be a suitable match for me. If you are serious and can agree to my terms completely, you may call this number to schedule an interview.

Ki'

That was just as unhelpful . . . but I had gotten a stern vibe from it in the way he spoke. He wanted it his way or not at all, at least that was how it came across to me. Perhaps all the men here were like that seeing how they were the ones with the money. I didn't know if I could agree to his terms completely, I barely knew what they were in the first place, but I called that number. I had to work fast and move on if it didn't work out with this Ki fellow. When I ended up talking to a real secretary, the situation I was in began to sink in. I had to schedule an actual interview . . . for prostitution. Rich people. I would be around a completely different crowd, one I had never interacted with before. Now I was nervous.

The appointment was booked for the next morning at six thirty, right after my shift was supposed to start. I had a good relationship with my boss and she covered it for me, but I still had to work at the bar tonight. It was about time for me to get ready once I had everything straightened out and I was distracted all night by my thoughts. Should I act a certain way or just be myself? Was there a dress code? Would I be able to pull this off and give myself to a man that was probably twice my age? A part of me was unsure about the whole affair, but my resolve wouldn't shake. My sister came first, I couldn't hesitate or let my emotions get the better of me. I had to be strong.

I left the bar at five like usual and took an extra twenty minutes in the shower to rid myself of any lingering smells. Then I got dressed, choosing a pair of blue jeans and a black hoodie. I wore a hot pink shirt underneath, coming to the conclusion that it didn't matter what I wore. It would most likely be tailored to his personal tastes anyway if this interview went well. I was left with just enough time to do my hair and take the bus up town into a cleaner, brighter part of the city. I raised my hood further over my head the closer it got to my destination, feeling out of place. The buildings were so much larger and taller here and my nerves were skyrocketing when I got off the bus. I was in a whole new world.

The directions I was given were pretty straight forward, all I had to do was wait for the secretary I spoke with on the phone. I was waiting beside the street light at the bus stop for a few minutes before someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see a pink eyed man with sandy grey hair, a cup of coffee in his hand and a slight smile on his face. He was dressed in slacks and a button down shirt and looked to be a little older than I was. After confirming I was the person he was supposed to meet, he introduced himself as Kagura. I gave him a simple nod and kept my words to a minimum. Was I the only one who found this awkward?

Spared any horrendous small talk, I was led down the street and into a very posh building. It was painfully clear I didn't belong here and my palm were starting to sweat. Kagura took me to the elevator and up to the highest floor, the door to Ki's office an intimidating sight.

"Here, you take this." Kagura said as he passed me the coffee. "I suggest that you listen to everything the boss has to say and don't ever try to talk over him. You may wait on him inside his office, he should be here any moment."

I nodded again and was admittingly touched by the gesture. He was giving me coffee and advice.

"Oh and please, try not to stare." He smiled tightly at me.

That was an odd request, making me think Ki might be deformed or something. The secretary walked away after that and I took a deep breath before entering the office. I tried not to get overwhelmed by the sophisticated style and air of importance within the room as I quickly took a seat. I barely had enough time to get settled and drink a few sips of my coffee before the door opened behind me. I resisted the urge to turn, taking heed to the warnings I was giving. Regardless if I took this job or not, I didn't want to go around making enemies of rich and powerful men.

The door clicked shut and then the man in question walked right by me, rounding his rich looking mahogany desk and taking a seat. "Good morning, Boruto. I appreciate you being able to meet me so early."

I was taken aback by the gruff and deep voice and held my coffee cup a little tighter. "Good morning." I responded softly.

"You may look at me when you speak to me unless I tell you otherwise." He spoke, tone firm as if he wasn't pleased that I had yet to look at him.

I told myself to remain as impassive as possible before I lifted my gaze. This . . . this was nothing like I expected. Ki wasn't old, no, he was young and appeared to be a few years older than myself. Sharp grey eyes cut into me and a small tattoo sat under the left one. Black hair was shaped into an undercut, the shorter hairs underneath a contrasting blond. His black suit surrounded his larger frame perfectly and complimented his muscular stature. He was unbelievably handsome and I was completely thrown for a loop. Someone like him needed to pay for someone like me?

Something else was going on here, there had to be something about the seemingly perfect man in front of me that drove people away. Otherwise he wouldn't need to pay someone for sex. I was either very lucky or very unlucky, it was hard to tell. I looked away from him and tried not to let my cheeks redden. I was supposed to give myself over to him, share the same bed and please him at a moment's notice? It was a lot better than fucking an eighty year old man and yet way more embarassing. He was going to eat me alive.

"I assume that you wouldn't be here now if you weren't serious about this arrangement, so I expect you to pay attention and give me your complete honesty." He went on when I never responded.

"Yes sir." I said and took a couple sips of coffee, suddenly feeling parched.

Ki hummed deeply as he leaned back on his chair, finger tapping his lips pensively while he looked me over. "Are you aiming to hide from me by wearing such a big hoodie and even keeping the hood over your head—in my office?"

"No." I said and quickly lowered my hood. "I just like big hoodies." And hiding from rich people.

"Very well." He sighed, dropping his hand as he continued to watch me. "You've read my profile, sorry I wasn't as specific as I could have been, but I figured for the most part, it would be easier to discuss things in person. I've gone over your profile. You don't have much listed in the things you won't do. Are you sure there's nothing else? Also, if you have any kinks, I need to know."

He had said he wanted the truth so I gave it to him. "This is my first time being a . . . a sugar baby. I wanted to know the details about this position before I agreed to anything." If there were any requirements I couldn't handle then I would simply walk away. "What are your conditions? And what exactly did you mean by full time?"

"By full time, I mean I require you to be available to me every day, every hour. You would need to move in with me if you agree. Of course, I'm a busy man and won't be using you as often as you may think, but when I want you, I expect you to be there. My conditions are simple. Other than living with me, I will need you to abide by my rules. Most of them, I can tell you would be able to follow just by looking at you. This includes personal hygiene and health."

Ki continued to stare at me, grey eyes wandering from my face every now and then and I couldn't decide where to look. At those striking and intimidating eyes, his gorgeous face in general, or at his large hand that moved from his face to smooth down his tie. It moved slowly, as if taunting me with the body hidden beneath those clothes.

I'd been asked not to stare, yet here I was.

"If you don't take care of yourself, I won't be pleased. You won't hesitate to pamper yourself and keep yourself up to my standards. You will be expected to submit to me, always. I won't tolerate complaints. Overall, I intend to spoil you, so I don't think you will have any problems. You will be expected to join me on my business trips and most outings. When it comes to sex, I will always be in charge. I'll take what I want and you will not complain. That means if I decide I just want you to suck me off and you don't get anything out of it, you won't say a word about it. Of course, it won't always be like that. I want to spoil you sexually as well, but regardless of what I want and when I want it—you will please me."

I resisted a squeak at his words and reminded myself to be professional about this, there was nothing wrong with what he was saying, that was the type of arrangement he was paying for. It certainly drove it home though and a part of me was doubting myself again. If I wasn't able to satisfy him, would I be tossed aside for the next sugar baby? I sipped some more coffee to calm myself and focus on the requirements. So far there hadn't been anything I had major problems with.

"I was surprised by your requested salary," he went on as he opened a drawer on his left and pulled out a large envelope. "I'm willing to offer you double that per month as well as see to everything else you need. Meaning you will live with me so your housing will be covered as well as your food. Any clothing or personal necessities as well. Really, anything you want. You'll have your own credit card and will be able to spend freely. I will require you to sign a contract and an NDA that states you will not discuss the nature of our relationship with anyone."

I almost spit out my coffee when he said he would pay double.

Ki opened up the envelope and passed me the stack of papers from within it. "I expect you to read this through thoroughly before you make any decision and, if I decide you're the one I want, I'll want a response in a timely manner. I will not hesitate to move on to the next candidate."

So if I didn't act fast someone else could steal the position right out from under me. It wasn't really a surprise, rich people didn't settle and I was on a time limit. "Alright, I'll let you know." I said as I picked up the stack of papers. Anything else I needed to know would be in the contract, but there was something else I was curious about. "How should I, um . . . how do you want me to address you?"

"Well that depends entirely on the situation. Read the contract. For now, Ki will do." He spoke in a tone that was almost smug.

I nodded and stood, knowing dismissal when I heard it. "Thank you for your time."

"We're not done here." Ki said lowly, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

My face flushed and I sat back down, wanting to pull my hood back over my head. "Sorry." Apparently I wasn't as good at reading people as I thought. Or maybe it was just him.

"That's okay. You seem nervous…" He mused, lips turning up at the corner the slightest bit.

I thought I was hiding it well. "A little bit."

"I'd be disappointed if you weren't." He said, reassuring me. "I haven't quite decided if I want you yet. Hard to tell with all those clothes you're wearing…"

Shit, he was already hitting on me. That counted, didn't it? Or was it normal in these types of situations? Would there be a physical examination? Hōki didn't mention anything about that, but he might not have known either. I kept quiet to see what he would do.

"Come on now, don't be shy. I want to see you."

He wasn't expecting me to strip . . . was he? I put the contract and coffee on the edge of his desk before I shrugged off my black hoodie. He wanted to see what he was buying, I understood that, but I hoped he would let me get away with keeping the rest on.

"This is how you sell yourself to me?" He asked, cocking his right brow that had two hoop piercings on it.

I was confused for a second before I realized what he meant. He wanted a show . . . I was fucked. I wasn't prepared to do any seducing and it had been years since I tried to be sexy. What was I supposed to do, get up and sit on his lap? Was this going to affect my chances of getting the job? I told myself not to panic, but I was frozen in my seat.

"I-I . . . it's been a long time s-since I . . ." I stammered in an attempt to explain myself. "I can learn to do better?" He was going to send me packing, I was ruining my chance. "I can kiss you?" I quickly added.

Ki stared at me, blinking slowly and parting his lips as if to speak, but he didn't say anything right away. Instead, he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "As tempting as that sounds, I won't be touching you until you've signed the contract and the NDA. So please, just relax. I think I've seen enough. Go home, read it over. If I don't hear from you by tonight, I'll assume you're not interested."

The sudden time limit didn't escape my attention and I wondered what made him shorten the time so quickly. "Okay." I said and slipped my hoodie back on. At least I hadn't messed up too horribly and he still wanted me.

I gave him a parting nod before picking up the contract and coffee once more. He let me be on my way and I closed his office door with a soft click, a heavy breath escaping me. That was pretty intense. The conditions weren't terrible all things considered, although I had to read through the contract. I hoped there was nothing in it that spoiled this for me because I wanted to go for it. It was a generous arrangement, both the money and the housing. I didn't mind living with a stranger or offering up myself as long as my debts were paid. It was nice to know I wouldn't have to stress over anything or sleep with someone unattractive. Things would be easier on me, I wouldn't have to fake anything with an employer like that.

Kagura stopped me before I got in the elevator and I paused to listen to whatever the secretary had to say. "Hey! He… he was… he gave you his coffee?" Kagura gasped, looking at the coffee in my hand in shock. "I would have gotten two had I known!" His face paled and he was beginning to panic.

My eyes fell to the cup and then back to his face. "This is . . . but you . . . why didn't you say anything!" Hell, why didn't Ki say anything? Now I was starting to freak out as well. "I thought . . . oh god, now I've done it."

"Oh my god!" Kagura held his face and groaned. "It's okay, it's okay. I'll just run right now and grab him another. This was my fault. Sorry!"

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just assumed. Do you want me to get it?" I offered as an apology. The way he was acting, it was like he could get fired over this mistake. I didn't know Ki well enough to put it past him.

"No, really. I've got it! Sorry for the trouble." He smiled and patted my shoulder before dashing off.

I was still a little uncertain about it, but there wasn't anything I could do. I doubted Ki would want it now that I had already drunk half the cup. I got into the elevator and wondered if Kagura had gone back to explain the situation to his boss. That whole time and Ki hadn't said a word about it . . . I didn't know what to think. I started reading over the contract during the long bus ride home and gained a better understanding of my position. Judging off what was written and what he had told me, I was basically a 'paid for spouse'. The pretty thing that hung off his arm when he went somewhere and saw to all his sexual needs.

He wanted companionship, but not a relationship. This would be completely professional between us, this was nothing more than a business transaction. It shouldn't be too hard for me to do and I was willing. I didn't know much about this life, but I figured I wouldn't come across a deal as good as this again. I would have to quit both my jobs and I wouldn't get to see Inojin and Hoki as much . . . I might not be able to visit Himawari as much either. It was worth it as long as she was taken care of, that was all that mattered.

A/N:

Hello!

Here's another collab from Kana and I! We couldn't wait to start sharing because we're having a lot of fun with this story. XD

Thanks for reading, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this new story~