Savior

Kenta

I spent the rest of the day tracking down the rest of the leads. Oddly things were starting to point back to the gay bar.

“Yeah, the owner was complaining that one of the customers keeps roughing up his escorts.”

I frowned listening to the bartender as I sipped at my coke. No rum, unlike Suke. Can’t stand the stuff. This guy was pretty good. I didn’t put the flourishes into my pouring like he did. Maybe if I did I’d get better tips. Or tips at all. Reiko was about the only person that fucking tipped me.

“Got a name?”

“Nah, you know how they are about client confidentiality.”

“What?”

“Confidentiality, you know . . . privacy?”

“Oh . . . yeah that makes sense.”

He shook his head at me a strange look on his face and went back to wiping out glasses. “Anyway, if you need info that bad you should talk to the escorts.”

“Fuck no.”

“What? You got something against fags?” He raised an eyebrow at me and I almost laughed in his face.

“No. Not exactly.” I set my drink down looking at it for a moment. “You heard anything about a guy named Obuchi?”

He set the glass down carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Word has it that he made parole.”

“Yeah I’d heard that too. Anyone saying anything?”

“Not yet but . . . he was only out of juvie for a month before he violated his parole last time.”

I grunted. I knew that much. “Yeah, he went to the big boy prison after that.”

“What’s your connection with him?”

I picked my coke up and took a long slow drink before setting it down and looking up at the man. “He was my cell mate in juvie.”

“Oh . . . Oh! Shit man I had a buddy whose son was in with you guys. Oda? He said that fucker had a sadistic streak, tried to rape his cellmate and got stabbed. That wasn’t you . . . was it?“

“It wasn’t like that.” Better lie now or my rep was shot to hell and back. “We didn’t get along and I ended up in isolation after a fight with him. The stabbing part’s right.”

“Shit man.” He shook his head focusing on the pitcher he was filling with beer. He handed it off to a waiter and looked back at me. “So what are you doing out here? Don’t like your new job?”

“Huh?”

“The bodyguard thing.”

“Oh, no that’s easy. The band is fun. They are the biggest fucking dorks you’ve ever met for being rock stars. It’s all the crazy ass girls that get on my nerves. Sometimes I think being a yakuza is safer.”

He laughed at that and we talked for a bit longer about nothing much. I’d just finished my coke and was getting ready to pay when his eyes narrowed as he looked up and over my shoulder. I instantly tensed, my hand sliding down to my hip, my fingers brushing over the sheath were my knife was hidden. He slowly inclined his head while at the same time moving away from me.

“You might want to move.”

I spun around, crouching low. An arm swept through the air where I had been just a second ago. I had a quick glance at a dark suit with a white shirt. Lashing out I slammed my fist into his side. He fell back but there were three more waiting. Four dark suits and then I spotted the cream colored suit behind them. Shit. Another gang? But who? No time. I side stepped a lunge but that brought me within range of the other guy. I blocked the punch and landed one of my own. He grunted and staggered back crashing into a table.

“Oi!!! Take it outside shit heads!”

Like there was time for that. Who the fuck were these guys? Most gangs knew better than to just attack a Kobayashi. I dodged a fist while knocking down a kick aimed at my stomach. Shit! These guys weren’t fighting fair. At this rate . . . fuck! I tried to move back but the bar was in the way. A foot slammed into my chest and I bounced off the bar and directly into a punch. Shit that hurt, my back throbbing as I tried to take a breath. Flinging up an arm, I tried to block the next punch only to realize too late it was a distraction as I was tackled from the side. Stars burst all around me as my head cracked against the bar. After that I didn’t feel a whole lot, just vague impressions of movement and the sound of voices. Then someone was hauling me up and I blinked several times realizing I was being drug outside. Fuck! I tried to pull away and to my complete horror I was bodily picked up and thrown over someone’s shoulder, a bony shoulder that cut into my stomach and made breathing even more difficult.

“Oi! What the hell are you doing?” That was the bartender. What did he care? Fuck this hurt. I couldn’t even find the strength to lift my head. It was pounding so hard it was making me dizzy. Then we were outside. The sudden brightness too much, I squeezed my eyes shut and just tried to breathe.

“He out?”

“Not sure.”

“Put him down here.” I was dumped on the ground and then propped against a wall. I really wished I could fucking snap out of it. I wanted to rip these guys apart.

“You sure this is the right guy? He’s kinda small to be-“

“No it’s him. See.” There were fingers on my arm and it was lifted, my sleeve pulled back. The small dragon tattoo on the inside of my wrist was the only one I had. “Kobayashi’s crest. He’s one of their enforcers. Boss’ description of him was dead on too.”

Boss? So it was another gang. I choked as water was suddenly splashed in my face. Oddly it seemed to snap me out of the daze I’d been in.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you fuckers.” I glared up at them, and forced myself to my feet, using the wall for support. There were five of them. Four dark suits and the cream. They all had their hair slicked back and dark glasses on. It was the police batons and brass knuckles that caught my attention more than anything.

Cream suit stepped forward and taking his glasses off looked down his fat nose at me. “We are just delivering a message. Stay in your territory and back off the questions.”

“Fuck you.”

He smirked at me. “No, I think it would be the other way around.” He stepped forward and before I could move had grabbed me around the neck. He slammed me back against the wall. “You will lay off or I’ll tell Obuchi where to find you.”

Something must have showed on my face cause he laughed. A low nasty sound. “Yeah . . . didn’t think you’d like that. He’s looking for you, ya know. You and that other fucker. Nishikido.”

I felt my eyes widen. Nishikido? A very different kind of weakness hit me and breathing was suddenly much harder than it should have been. Nishikido was the boy who’d ruled juvie as Sendachi, the only other person besides Ryuu that I’d ever been truly close to. We’d meet in isolation and over the three months had grown very close even though we’d never met each other face to face. Our single month together in the main cell block had been . . . hard in so, so many ways. Just thinking about him had my heart pounding. He was out? Nishikido Itsuki was out of prison.

Fat nose was still talking. “So, just stick to following around those fags you work for in that band and stop with all the questions.”

I grabbed his wrist and twisted sharply, ripping his hand off my neck. He yelped and had to turn to keep me from snapping his wrist. “They ain’t fags and if you know whose got it out for them you better fucking tell me before I break your fucking arm.”

“I ain’t telling you shit, cocksucker!”

I twisted harder and then with my foot shoved him into the two guys who were coming up fast. There was a short scuffle, too short and ended with me bleeding on the pavement. Fuck I was not having a good day.

***

“Kenta . . . come on man . . . Kenta! Shit!” What was Hayate so pissed about? “Fuck! Isao I’m going to need your help.”

I was being lifted. What the fuck was going on? I’d had enough of being carried around today.

“Shit Kenta you need to eat more. Never mind Isao, I’ve got him. Did you find his bike?”

“Yeah both tires are slashed and somebody keyed the shit out of the paintjob.”

“Fuck.” I got my eyes open.

“Finally!” Hayate was looking down at me his eyebrows nearly meeting over his nose. “Shit man, who fucked you up?”

“Put me the fuck down.” It hurt to talk, my jaw throbbing in time with my heart beat. I didn’t like that as soon as he put me down I felt like I was going to fall right back on my ass. “Some stupid gang thought they could imitate me.”

“You mean intimidate.”

I glared at Isao. Why did he always have to correct me? “Yeah whatever.”

“Intimidate you. Why?”

I shrugged and winced. My shoulder was sore too. Probably from slamming into the wall. “Guess they didn’t like me drinking in their bar. What the hell are you doing here anyway.”

“The bartender called Jiro, said you’d gotten taken down and drug out. He sent us over to check on you. Good thing we did. You look like shit, Arakaki.” I looked away from Isao feeling like he was looking right though me. “We’ll load up your bike in my truck and take you home. You got money for new tires?”

“Yeah. Just take me to Ryuu’s.”

I watched while the two of them got my bike loaded into the back of Isao’s Nissan. I was going to kill those guys next time I saw them. It was going to cost me the next months pay to fix my bike.


Ryuu

I couldn’t stop pacing. I could feel Sora’s eyes on me as he sat on the couch. Hayate and Isao had left about thirty minutes ago and Kenta was in my bed resting.

“Ryuu . . . he’s okay. He’s just a little banged up.”

“I know!” I flung my arms up in frustration. “He has a concussion though. He just goes out for a drink and five guys jump him? What the fucking hell?”

Sora shrugged, his voice soft. “It’s part of his job Ryuu. From what Iesada said it was a rival gang and he was on contested territory.”

“Its fucking stupid and you know it.”

“I’m not arguing with you about it Ryuu. You knew when you hired him that he hadn’t given up being yakuza.”

I flopped down on the couch next to him and crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s just so frustrating. I hate seeing him hurt and . . . something else is wrong. He’s even quieter than usual.”

“He did say his jaw hurt.”

I shot a look at Sora and he held up a hand. “Hey, I’m just saying. Maybe it hurts to talk.”

I slumped down, knowing I was pouting and not caring in the least. “We have a concert this weekend. What if he can’t work?”

“That’s not all you are worried about.”

I laid my head over on Sora’s shoulder, sighing. “No. I’ll go talk to him in a bit.”


I never got the chance. He didn’t wake up by the time I was ready for bed, so I just curled up next to him. When I woke up the next morning he was gone. There was a text on my phone telling me breakfast was on the table and that he’d be back in time for dinner. I figured he was trying to get his bike fixed. It was his only means of getting around. He hated taking public transportation. So did I for that matter. Buses are filthy. I sent him a quick text.

I’ll make dinner tonight.

One came back just as fast.

Don’t you fucking dare.

I laughed and typed out my response. My kitchen, means I can do what I want in it.

It took him a little bit longer to respond but I laughed out loud. God how I loved that man.

Jack off instead.

That actually sounded like a good idea. Maybe later. I had stuff to get done before I headed out with Sora to go get his birthday present. It was kind of hard to believe that he was going to be turning twenty-one in a few days. I was going to be twenty one next March. That made me wonder when Kenta’s birthday was. Had I already missed it? I would feel horrible if that was the case. I wondered if he was going to be nineteen or twenty. I honestly wasn’t sure. I’d have to go check his paper work. Some boyfriend I am. Can’t even remember his birthday. It took me thirty minutes to find his stuff. I really did not get Reiko’s filing system. June. Wow and he was going to be twenty. So he was younger. He sure as hell didn’t act it. My eyes dropped down the paper and I realized he had no emergency contact. None. No family. Nothing. It caused a soft pain in my chest. The only contact listed was a woman. A Takemitsu Shiori. The number was for a local parole office. His parole officer? That was his only contact? Why hadn’t he at least put Hayate or Isao was an emergency contact? Or even Daisuike? Or me . . . wait that wouldn’t work. If he was with me and there was an emergency that wouldn’t work. Still yet it got me to wondering, not for the first time, just why Kenta had went to juvenile corrections. From what Akira had told me, no one knew for certain. Not even Hayate and Daisuike. He flat out refused to talk about it.

Taking a deep breath, I blew it out softly and put the file back. It wasn’t like there weren’t things I didn’t keep from him. It just worried me. Who was this Rame person and why would he have been dreaming about him? From his reaction it had to be something bad. I gasped and clapped a hand over my mouth as a sudden thought hit me. I didn’t get to dwell on it as I heard the front door open.

“Hey Ryuu! You decent?”

I scrambled to my feet and trotted out to the hallway. “No, but you don’t care.” I grinned at Sora as he just shook his head.

“Go put clothes on Ito, you damn exhibitionist.”

“Meh, you’re just jealous you don’t look this good naked.”

“Short and hairy?”

“Oi! I’m not hairy!” I stomped my foot glaring at Sora, though I couldn’t help glancing down. I did have more hair than Kenta, but he didn’t seem to care at all. Though he didn’t like stubble, which I found rather cute. “And everyone is shorter than you. Giant strawberry colored freak.”

“Well if you are going to call names I guess I won’t share the food Gramps sent over.”

“Ah! Oh! Kenta left me breakfast!” I’d gotten totally sidetracked.

Over breakfast Sora and I discussed the upcoming concert and the set list. As always he was concerned about not overtaxing Hasu. The little guy put his heart and soul into drumming and sometimes his blood. Though after he’d passed out onstage during our tour we were a lot more careful about making sure he got breaks and didn’t play until he was too exhausted to move. Reiko got very -very pissed at me if I did more than two encores. Though, obviously the whole band had to agree to do them. Three was our absolute limit. Usually by the third time, we’d just come out and throw free stuff at the fans. Three is pushing it even for me. You put on an hour to two hour show and three encores can make it last another hour more, easy. That’s a fucking long night, as Kenta would put it.

Thinking of Kenta reminded me of something else. “Hey Sora . . . you know Kenta went to juvie, right?”

“Yeah I heard him and Akira talking about it. Apparently they went to the same one but just missed seeing each other, different cell blocks. Neither of them talk about it much.”

“Yeah, he um . . . kind of let a name slip the other day.”

Sora raised his eyebrows at me, the deep green eyes inquisitive. “Really? Good slip or bad slip, you seem kind of . . . upset about it.”

“Well . . . that was partly my fault. Sora . . . I-I’m afraid he got raped in juvie.” I went on in a rush seeing the shocked expression on his face. “He did say that something had happened, that someone had tried and he’d beat them up but . . . sometimes just the way he acts reminds me of-“

“Us.” I nodded seeing the pain simmering just behind Sora’s eyes.

“I’m sorry to bring it up Sora.”

He shook his head, the red hair whipping back and forth. “No, we both went through it. If he did too . . . then you know how to help, right? Or did you want me to talk to him.”

“I . . . I was kind of hoping you would. From . . . from what he’s said it was a gang . . . “

“Oh . . .” Sora looked down his voice soft. “I see.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry Sora.” I jumped up rushing around the table to grab him in a hug. He let me hug him for a moment before gently pushing me away.

“It’s okay Ryuu. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about it honestly.”

I sat back down, watching him intently. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah.” He nodded his eyes on his empty plate. “Just, if he was gang raped, there are a lot of other things involved. It’s not like what happened with you and Naoki.”

“I-I know . . . I was there, remember.”

His smile was so sad it broke my heart, tears stinging my eyes. “That had to have been so hard for you Ryuu.”

I shook my head quickly, wanting to banish those images. “It was horrible. Utterly and completely devastating, Sora. I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

He reached across the table and wiped the tear off my cheek. “You tried and that is all that matters, Ryuu. You are the best friend I’ve ever had. You’ve always been there for me. If you want me to approach Kenta about it I will. Therapy has done wonders for me and maybe he’ll benefit from it too. You know how much you improved after you went. Even after the stuff with Naoki. I promise it will help him if he goes.”

“I hope so. Sometimes he just seems so . . . lost and alone even when he’s right next to me.”

We spent the rest of the morning talking about less tragic subjects, which I was happy about. Sometimes those things needed to be discussed. I’d had a few people over the years ask why Sora and I had never got together, considering how close we are. It’s simple. I could never, ever do anything sexual with him. Not after what happened to him . . . to us. I love Sora, but he is more of my brother than anything. I wouldn’t have it any different.

He was playing a video game when Akira, Reiko and Hasu got in from school. Then it was time to practice. Honestly this was my favorite time of day, other than spending time with Kenta. To get to be with my friends and make music together, there is nothing better. Except sex with Kenta. Nothing came close to that.