Rating: PG-15-ish (hinted-kink-content)
Author's Notes: Um, the only part I feel good about is the small outburst of Taki, which really isn't that much. Still, it felt good to vent.
Well, I don't have much else to say... More Ma-kun in this one. Less Taki. More K/Sakanou smut. Touma and the psychiatrist make an appearance and oh hell you don't want to know what I did to Touma. (I apologise, I don't know what came over me and if I could erase the whole Touma scene I'd gladly do it. But, you know... I don't want to and yes that didn't make any sense) Oh and tasteless zaniness, don't forget that. Everytime I get somewhere angsty the zaniness will pop up in the most inappropiate places. Just a little warning.
Oh, just a little note on why K refers to Sakanou as dear Sakanou. The horrific truth is that he's an American. I can't seem to write his lines with a hint of Japanese in them. So instead of the usual infamous '-chan' suffix I opted for the 'dear -name-' instead.
Words... - thoughts
"Words!" - Mr. K's perfect Engrish
Happy reading now! Again Many Thanks for BETA-ing Tex!
FAMOUS OBSESSION
by Omakase Shimasu
Chapter 2: P For Pathetic
The car ride back to the apartment was loud --- loud voices, soft j-pop music in the background, and boisterous laughter. Seeing Ma-kun --- Matt --- unwind after so long... It took some getting used to.
The past four days, mostly, had been spent in uncomfortable silence, hours crawling by so slowly they seemed like days, in retrospect. The three of them --- Ma-kun, Ken-chan and himself --- had had far too much to talk about: ASK's demise and Taki's foolhardy actions, to name two. Still, none of them seemed crazy about getting it out in the open. They had decided to take it slow. Settling in and finding jobs had been first priority.
Ken-chan had gotten hired pretty quickly --- a friend of a friend kind of deal, but nothing shady. Everybody knew Ken-chan wouldn't get involved in shit like that. Paycheck wasn't much, but none of them really expected more than minimum wage. Couldn't be picky now... Ken-chan seemed glad with the job, though.
Ma-kun, armed with a smile and sparkling karma, followed soon after. Although Taki still couldn't see Ma-kun, of all people, tending a bar in downtown Tokyo, the blond didn't seem to care. He had confessed, the second night on the job, that he had begun to enjoy the buzz of people around him.
Taki leaned his head against the cool glass of the window. Whatever... He was... glad Ma-kun had joy in his work. His lips moved into a bitter grin. Fore and middle-finger splayed against the glass next to him. He remembered how mad he had been at them both that night. How bitter he had felt. They were-- had been -- ASK. ASK! How could anything feel as good as ASK had felt? If Ma-kun and Ken-chan had so much 'fun' in their work, then where did that leave him? To rot away at home, forever being confronted with harsh reality, as the seconds of his life ticked by, his mind running circles even when he tried to shut it all out --- the voices, his conscience, common sense, thoughts, needs?
Taki had tried, really he had. That first day of job hunting, it had taken only three quarters of an hour for him to understand how terribly and foolishly he had underestimated the might of Seguchi Touma. Touma was God and no one ever defied God. It had taken only three outright straight-to-the-face rejections. Gentleness didn't matter, it only served to fuel Taki's rage.
His fingers itched, craving the feel of a small, white cylinder. His lungs ached for their poisoned death.
It had always been Taki's dream to become famous. He knew he could sing from the first time his mother had dragged him to singing class. She had had an obvious obsession with image, and had believed that after-school activity served to improve it. Her husband couldn't have cared less about anything in general.
The road to becoming a singer hadn't been easy, not by a long shot. Stress and sacrifice had become part of his life. Smoking and poisoning his body was one of those sacrifices, at least, until he had achieved that spot on the stage. Thanks to Seguchi Touma, Taki had left his cigarettes behind. The blond had been taken with the slightly rougher edge to his voice, but further pollution had been out of the question. So, for the better part of a year, Taki had quit smoking.
Again it had taken only a few simple words, a bloodied proposal, to take up the bad habit, at least one Marlboro pack always gracing his person, either at home or out on the streets.
"So, if you guys are managing Bad Luck, how come you're here?"
Ma-kun's voice cut through the haze of memories and thoughts. Taki still hadn't gotten an answer on that one yet. His hand brushed automatically through his hair, the gesture passing by without further thought.
K's sober voice was low and penetrating, a calming, soothing contrast to the storm it had been a while ago. "Like Sakanou said before, we are here as Aizawa-kun's escorts." He paused for a moment, steel orbs gazing straight ahead. "Seguchi Touma's orders. Bad Luck is on leave, until further notice." His eyes strayed from the road as he stared into the rear-view mirror, straight at Taki. The younger man froze on the inside, but struggled to keep an indifferent front. "Due to personal reasons. You understand."
Silence hung in the air, the soft music and purring of the engine heavy and loud all of a sudden. It stayed that way for some time, until Sakanou, quiet until that point, whispered, "ASK..."
The litany you've lived your entire life, give it up
Treat yourself to the better man, break the surface
Don't--
"Stop..." God, his voice was hoarse. Scrape throat, try again. "Stop." His eyes found Ma-kun's. "Turn it off." Please...
"Taki..." Ma-kun wanted to protest, Taki saw it in the other's eyes. And, for the barest of moments, Taki hoped, with a fiery passion, the blond would. Would just come out and say it --- scold him, yell at him, hit him, anything! But the moment passed, and Ma-kun hadn't done any of those things. Instead, he turned and reached a hand out to the car-radio's power button.
K's hand on his arm held him back. Taki tensed.
"Ojisa--"
"Don't, Matt."
Ma-kun looked at his uncle, but the tall blonde didn't meet his gaze. "K...?"
"A-anou..." Sakanou fidgeted next to Taki. It was clear he didn't like the current situation any more than the other occupants of the brown sedan. "W-w-w-w-wouldn't it b-be b-b-b-better if--"
"Running away from problems won't get you anywhere," K began, his voice cutting like steel through the air. "No matter how hard you try, you will never escape your demons. And even if you do, they'll haunt you 'till your death. Don't push and don't pull. Accept. Accept what you have become and learn from your mistakes." With that, he released Ma-kun's wrist. The younger blonde rubbed at the sore spot absently.
K caught Taki's gaze in the rear-view mirror. Chips of blue crystal met furious, brown orbs, so dark they could have been mistaken for black. "...Learn, dammit." Afterward, his gaze returned to the road. Taki could do nothing but boil in his rage as his own voice drilled into his mind, over and over again.
The music stayed on, and no one said anything else for the remainder of the trip.
Once the sedan had pulled up in front of the apartment complex, Taki didn't waste time exiting the vehicle. He didn't wait, even when Ma-kun yelled after him. He just slammed the door shut and began a brisk pace toward the large building. He didn't want to hear... didn't want to see... didn't want to feel. Shit! Fuck Mr. K and his frigging fairy-tale karma stories! Who gave a flying fuck about that?!
Elevator. Second floor, he needed to be on the second floor, and the button that would take him there was just begging for a good smack-down. Taki smashed it with his fist, putting all his strength into the blow, but the pain did nothing to calm him. The slide-door wasn't fast enough. It grated on his fragile nerves. He gave it one good kick, which only seemed to delay the process, and made his foot sting angrily. GOD! He fucking wanted to scream!
"Taki!"
Through a haze, Taki saw Ma-kun reach the door to the complex just before the elevator slid shut. His breathing came in long, angry pants, his chest heaving. A low chuckle escaped him before he could force it back in his throat. There was nothing funny about anything that had happened, yet he wanted to laugh --- laugh so hard his stomach would hurt, laugh until he couldn't hold anything in anymore, laugh, scream, kick and cry. He wanted pain.
Slowly, he slid down the elevator wall. This time, a sob escaped his traitorous lips, a sob so pathetic he could only think, Prick! Pathetic... man. That's what I've become... Pathetic... He buried his face in his upraised knees, encircling his legs with trembling arms.
Tears poured out of his eyes and Taki was helpless to stop them. Pathetic.
Fuck, Taki! Ma-kun yanked the door open and didn't waste time trying the elevator. Instead, he skidded down the hall and rushed up the stairs, taking them three at a time.
Dammit, but Taki had looked ready to kill. His eyes... Ma-kun was sure he had seen a red haze covering them. He had only seen him like that once before. Way back when... Ma-kun shook his head. No time to reminisce. He reached out for the railing to help him sling his way up the third flight of stairs.
When he reached the second floor, the elevator was still halfway up the first floor. Chest heaving, Ma-kun waited with bated breath, right fist clenched around a small piece of paper.
Before he could dash out after the hotheaded singer, K had held onto his arm. "What?" he had snapped, only afterward regretting his tone of voice.
K hadn't seemed to mind as he had ruffled his hair a bit, a familiar grin in place. "Call me if you need anything," was the only thing he had said, before thrusting his telephone number into his nephew's hand.
Sakanou had nodded, a reassuring, but still nervous, smile gracing his lips. "Good luck, Matt-kun."
Firmly holding on to the piece of paper, Ma-kun had nodded in determination. "I--"
"Now GO ON! Don't keep the poor S.O.B. waiting!" He was thrown out of the car without preamble and, before he could get his face out of the concrete, the vehicle had vanished from sight. Good ol' Uncle K for you.
The elevator announced its arrival with a soft ding, not loud enough to overcome the sound of Ma-kun's panting.
The door slid open, and Ma-kun could only stare.
Taki was crying. Crying. Ma-kun had never seen him cry before. At least, not like this. Taki was a mess. Something within Ma-kun erupted, seeing Taki, arrogant high-an'-mighty prick Taki, like this --- curled in a ball, bawling his eyes out, helpless and defeated. He felt fury. He felt unreal. The only time he had ever come close to seeing the younger man like this had been when Eiri had found out about Taki's plan to sabotage Shindou's career.
Before the door could close on the sight before him, Ma-kun forced his hand against the steel barrier, halting its progress. Pause. Taki knew he was there, right? Ma-kun closed the distance between them and slowly crouched down in front of the dark figure. The only colors visible were slightly reddened skin of a hand and a flash of the young man's favorite purple dress-shirt.
Some things never change...
Struggling to keep his hand from trembling, Ma-kun reached out and stroked dark bangs aside to splay fingertips against soft skin. Taki felt cold, but strangely warm to the touch. "Taki..." He could only bear to whisper the name in the silence, which was broken by uneasy sobs.
The younger man clenched his fists tighter together, holding the fabric of expensive black slacks in a death-grip.
"Taki..." Ma-kun repeated softly, leaning closer and caressing the skin under his fingertips. To others, Taki looked unapproachable. The air of arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude served as a barrier between the dark-haired singer and the rest of the world. But Ma-kun knew better. He had known Taki long enough to see the younger man craved physical contact, just not exremely so.
"Pathetic, Ma-kun..." A small cough wracked the trembling body.
Ma-kun frowned, "Taki?"
Taki looked up with a sniff, rubbing the heel of his right palm in his eye to expel any tears from his face. Tracks of light fluid traced paths from those eyes Ma-kun loved so much to the singer's chin, where they disappeared. "Pathetic. That's what I am, Ma-kun." Another sniff and a shaky hand through thick, black bangs. "P for Mr. Pathetic." A bitter little smile curled glossy lips.
"Sleepy-eyes..." Ma-kun breathed. His tone was fond, his eyes smiling. It made his Taki scowl. Sleepy-eyes. It had become a personal nickname among the three. One Ma-kun was fond of, even though it irritated the living hell out of the dark-haired singer. He traced a finger along Taki's left eye. Several smudges of eye-liner came away with the gesture. "Prima Donna. Drama Queen. Bitchy pain in the ass. It's all you, Tachan. But never pathetic."
"Moron..." Taki pushed the hand from his face and touched the spot where Ma-kun's fingers had lingered. His hand came away with more black, which irritated him. "I need to clean up." Having said his piece, he scrambled up, almost knocking Ma-kun over in the process. It made the blond laugh, rich and full, just like Taki liked to hear it. It was their way of closure.
"I told you so," Ma-kun winked as he, too, stood. "Prima Donna, ever since you were a kid." He couldn't help but ruffle his friend's hair playfully, which pissed Taki off enough to earn a vicious yank on his long, perfect, blond locks. "Eeeeeeeeeeegh! N-not the hair! TAKI!"
K was a man of action, as in, "gun-to-the-head" kind of action. No matter how insignificant the reason, he had that baby whipped out and ready for use faster than Shuuichi was when tripped on speed.
During K's latest outburst at Aizawa, Sakanou had been beyond relieved when the crazy American had had the good sense not to go for any weapons. Who knew what could have become of them? The man had been driving a car, after all. And no matter how many impossible feats K was capable of, the dark-haired producer was certain his heart wouldn't be able to take many more of them.
But... Sakanou couldn't help but turn a thoughtful gaze toward the handsome man sitting next to him. K-san is K-san... I would never want to see him change. Because it was that attitude, the air of danger and charisma exuding from the man, that had attracted Sakanou to him, in the first place. It was thanks to that attitude that the shorter man had been able to come to know him in a more personal sense --- far more personal.
He could feel his face heat up with the mental images, and quickly looked away. This only served to attract K's unwanted attention. Although he couldn't see the American's face, he just knew a smug grin had taken residence there. "You're blushing." God, K was oozing smugness all over the interior!
One of Sakanou's hands automatically moved to his tie. He fidgeted with it as he desperately tried to keep himself under control. "Y-y-y-yes." Smooth.
Not satisfied, K pressed, "What were you thinking about?"
"Ne, a-anou i-it's really nothing... really." Sakanou chuckled nervously, turning to face the tall blonde against better judgment. Of course, when K asked a question, he expected an answer. Reason enough to take out the heavy artillery. Before Sakanou could think better of his answer, he found himself staring down the barrel of an all-too-familiar-looking magnum. "AAAAAH! K-SAN!!! I concede-- I concede!"
K laughed as he put away his trusty weapon of persuasion. "I knew you would see it my way eventually, dear Sakanou."
The bundle of nerves that was Sakanou could only sag against the door in obvious relief.
Once the car and its occupants were settled again, Sakanou answered, his voice hesitant, "Anou... I was just thinking about Aizawa-kun... You were pretty harsh with him and-- well..." He looked at the knuckles of his fists as if they would be able to continue the little speech for him.
Fortunately, K got the message and nodded. "You're right. But he needed it. The boy didn't want to see, he needed someone to make him see. I made the first step. Now it's up to him to finish what he started. He needs help, but I'm not the one to give it to him." He paused, and Sakanou waited with bated breath. "It was harsh, yes, but that's life."
Sakanou nodded and leaned back against his seat. Once again, he was amazed with K's direct approach to things. He knew he would never be able to pull off something K would have all the ease in the world with. He had come to accept it as fact. He fingered his cufflink absently.
Unbeknownst to the dark-haired man, K leaned in closer, hands never leaving the steering wheel. He spoke softly, voice almost purring. "...Tell me off, dear Sakanou. Talk dirty, cuss at the Gods, swear like a sailor, make your grandmother turn over in her grave." He nibbled on the soft flesh of the perfect shell of an ear. "Make me come."
In record speed, Sakanou's head turned tomato-red before exploding in a cloud of white smoke. With the flick of a wrist and one cock of the gun, K had his sunglasses in place to behold the grand spectacle of glass exploding, relieving the car of a white cloud and its windshield. Survival of the fittest.
The window-less car proceeded to race across the abandoned highway, the loud laughter of a certain blond American thundering through the early evening sky.
Seguchi Touma steepled his fingers and rested his chin against them. "I see," he smiled, all too sweet and innocent. "It has been four sessions and still not a single peep. I must admit I'm impressed." Wide, all-too-innocent, blue eyes regarded the man across from him.
Tamuro Shinya, the psychiatrist assigned to Aizawa Taki, was a tall man with prominent features. A handsome man, by average standards, with short, purple locks and the most brilliant amethyst eyes Touma had ever seen. It only added to the charm, as he also had a pleasant personality, and was enjoyable company --- just one of the many reasons Touma favored the man above most employees.
"But..."
"It's not what you expected of me," Shinya said smoothly. He tilted his head slightly, "Is it not?"
Touma leaned back against the soft leather armchair, elbow propped against the arm, fingers touching his chin. "I was merely wondering about the cause of the holdup..." To be honest, he had expected results within a week.
A knowing smile played across the other man's features. He explained, "Things like baring one's mind and soul may never be rushed, lest the fruition of your result be less than satisfactory."
"Of course." Touma felt like he had been reprimanded by his father. It sounded like the things Father had said on the few occasions when scolding had been necessary. It was a melancholic feeling, but not too unpleasant.
Something must have shown on his face, because Shinya smiled apologetically and stood from his chair. "Excuse me. I never meant--"
"Ah, don't apologize, Tamuro-san, please," Touma stood as well. Although his length was recommendable, he was nothing compared to Shinya. So much like Him...
Still, Shinya shook his head in polite refusal. "It is late, I reckon we both need rest after the hardships of the day. Ne, Touma-kun?"
Touma's heartbeat was erratic. He could feel the insistent pounding against his chest. "A-aa... Tamuro-san."
Bowing, Shinya offered him another radiant smile. "Excuse me, Seguchi-san."
Touma fell heavily back against his chair, mind in a whirl, as the door closed quietly behind the tall man. Goodness...
It was not until the sun had descended that Touma left his office.
"Hmmm, you smell nice..."
"K... please, we're in the hallway."
"Let them see, dear Sakanou. Let them all see that I am with the loveliest--!"
Scuffle.
"Mmmph?"
"K, please!"
Grin.
"Mmm... Did I ever tell you, you turn the cutest shade of pink when I--"
Scuffle-tornado.
"Waaaaaah! I-do-not-want-to-hear-it-I-do-not-want-to-hear-it-I-do-not-want-to-hear-please-please-please-K--!"
A gunshot pierced the air and, a second later the door flew open, a white Sakanou-tornado flying inside and onto the floor with a muffled, "Eeeh?"
K, shotgun in hand, entered his condominium with a laugh. "Now that I have respected my dear Sakanou's wishes and allowed us privacy--" One eye quirked and he quickly kicked the door shut with his foot. "...it's time for some well-deserved K's Kinky American Noogie Time! Do not go anywhere, my dear Sakanou, be right back!" The blond was a blur of motion in an instant and out the main room.
The young brunette producer, no longer consisting of whirlwindy proportions, blushed like a virgin. He had spent enough time around K and his sexual cravings to figure out what the crazy American meant, and he knew it was in his best personal interest to make himself scarce --- real quick.
However, he wasn't fast enough. Just as he was about to seek refuge in one of the large condominium's shadowy corners, preferably, where K wouldn't find him until sunrise the next morning, the handsome American came barging in again. He held a large box, with the straight-to-the-point title, "K's Kinky American Noogie Time Toys" scribbled all around the contours, securely in his arms.
"A-a-a-a-anou... K-K-K," Sakanou stuttered, wide brown eyes glued to the box, which was... LARGE.
K grinned widely, his eyes gleaming as he took in the deer-in-the-headlights stance Sakanou had adopted. He loved it when Sakanou went virgin-mode on him. "Dear Sakanou, were you going somewhere? That was very naughty, trying to get away while I explicitly asked you not to go anywhere." He advanced.
Sakanou sputtered and inched back in answer. Well, it wasn't nice. But... it had been purely self-defense. In all honesty, no matter how good things could be, especially if a certain blond American hunk took the lead, nobody liked having to wake up the next morning to the explicit pains caused by... certain... toys. Not to mention-- A dead end. Sakanou looked up in terror, feeling the hard edge of a desk poking in the small of his back, his hands feeling for anything to use as a weapon. "K-K-K-K-K..."
K had other plans. Letting the box drop at his feet, he whipped out a lasso from behind his back. "Playing hard-to-get again, dear Sakanou. Two can play that game!" he laughed and began to swing the lasso like a professional rodeo-cowboy-clown. "Let the Games begin!"
Gasping, Sakanou fell back against the desk, his fingers coming in contact with the apparatus behind him --- the answering machine.
A beep. Then, "Uncle K, please if you're there pick up the phone, something happened! Taki... Just... You said I could call if I needed anything. Something happened and--... I- I gotta go."
By the time the message ended, the door had slammed shut, leaving the condominium empty.
To Be Continued
THE CHIBI-CORNER:
TAKI: I am dead, I just know it.
MA-KUN: So little faith you have, Tachan. In any case, if that IS the case you know I'd refuse to participate in this fic any longer. leer-XD-leer
TAKI: You are a fucking horndog, Ma-kun. And stop calling me that! Don't make me yank.
MA-KUN: ((holds hair securely out of reach)) Yes, ma'am. No ma'am.
K: I am not the hormone-induced sadist the author makes me out to be. ((sees Sakanou walk up to them)) ((XD-drool-combo)) Hubba-hubba-hubba... ((smacks self)) ...hubba-hubba-hubba--
SAKANOU: Title-explaining time people: ...well, there is nothing to explain is there? All the explanation needed is within the story itself. fidgets That... didn't fill up my time at all.
K: ((snaps fingers in mock-irritation)) Dangit. What rotten luck. ((rubs hands together)) Well, dear-Sakanou, since we seem to have extra time on our hands, why not make good use of it in ways of a--
MA-KUN&K: XD Foursome! ((laugh like only Japanese-Americans can))
TAKI: ((to Sakanou)) Let's take my car. It's faster and I just got a new air-conditioner installed.
SAKANOU: ((looks from nephew&uncle-duo to Taki)) That seems like a fine idea, Taki-kun.
BOTH: ((leave))
GUSH-GUSH-AND-ANOTHER-GUSH:
SAKANOU: ((smile)) Greetings, Silverone. As the first reviewer of this fiction, the author thought it appropriate to reward you with a 'little something' (Way too much time on hands at the moment ;). gestures to the side Hopefully it is to your liking.
TAKI&SHUUICHI: ((held at gunpoint by a smug K))
K: Smooch time, boys. ((sunglasses momentarily reflects sun)) And make it good.
SHUUICHI: Waaaaaaah! You're so mean, K! I don't wanna have to do anything with Droopy-eyes except for kicking his butt for what he did to Yuki! ((clasps hands)) Strong, handsome Yuki who came to my rescue when evil ol' Droopy-eyes was going to sabotage both our careers--
TAKI: ((small vein pops up)) My God, doesn't that hole in your face ever shuts the hell up? No wonder the blond man-killer can't stand you.
SHUUICHI: ((face swells up to balloon-ish proportions)) ((balls fists)) You take that back, Droopy-eyes! Yuki isn't a killer!
GUNSHOT: ((makes both singers startle the bejesus out of themselves and turn to irritated K))
K: I said. Kiss.
TAKI&SHUUICHI: But--
K: KISS!
TAKI&SHUUICHI: jump each other
SAKANOU: ((pops up in front of the two)) ((chuckles nervously)) K has a way of making people do things with a passion. Ehe. Ah, due to this the following images will have to be censored... since this is not NC-17 and can't be NC-17. Thanks for your understanding. Also, the author would like to express their thanks to all the others who've reviewed these two current chapters. It's greatly appreciated! ((bows)) Good day!