Famous Obsession - Taki\'s Punishment

Rating: R (language & hints at kink)

A/N: Oh My God. Finished 25/04/04 22:50. I started at maybe 3 o\'clock in the afternoon. My neck hurts. And the plot hasn\'t gotten along much, I\'m afraid. Beware Cliffhanger ahead.

On the matter of reviews/reviewers, take a looksie around THE CHIBI-CORNER. (And Silverone (I just can\'t resist); I added a special something for my first reviewer! Again, you work way too fast, girl! ^ ^ I wanted to change the \'little something\' but decided against it for reasons even I\'m not sure about it. I just don\'t think I can do a better job at it. I\'ll leave things like Taki/Shuichi, Taki/Ryuichi in your hands, since you\'ve been doing a way better job at it than me ^ ^;;;. Keep up the great work, Silverone! Luv ya lots~!)

About the story. 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 talk about... 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 kwhatwhat 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.

Happy reading now! Again Many Thanks for BETA-ing Iry!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter will be divided in two parts. Sorry for the inconvenience but it can\'t be helped. ^ ^;;; I guess this chapter is too long to be uploaded as a whole. I\'ll have the second part up by tomorrow.





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FAMOUS OBSESSION

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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 Taki some getting used to.

The past four days had been mostly spent in uncomfortable silence, hours crawling by slow enough to make it seem like days in retrospect. In reality, the three (Ma-kun, Ken-chan and himself) had had far too much to talk about. Still, none of them seemed crazy about getting it out in the open. ASK\'s demise, Taki\'s foolhardy actions... They had decided to take it slow. Settling in and finding jobs had been first priority.

Ken-chan had been able to get hired pretty quick. A friend of a friend kind of deal. Nothing shady however. Everybody knew Ken-chan wouldn\'t get involved in shit like that. Paycheck wasn\'t mucut nut none of them really expected more than minimum wages. 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 than where did that leave Taki? 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 up the voices, his conscience, common sense, thoughts, needs?

Taki had tried, really he had. That first day of hunting for a job... 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. He 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 made him join singing class. After-school activity always served to improve your image. His mother had an obvious obsession with image. Her husband couldn\'t care less about anything in general.

The road to becoming a singer wasn\'t easy, not by a long shot. Much stress and sacrifices had become part of his life. Smoking and poisoning his body was one of them. 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 his voice had become, but further pollution was 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 grazing 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, calming and soothing against 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. \"NG\'s CEO Seguchi Touma\'s orders. Bad Luck is on leave, until further notice.\" His eyes strayed from the road, leveling them to 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 unbidden in the air, the soft music and purring of the engine heavy and loud all of a sudden. It stayed that way for quite some time, until Sakanou, quiet until that point, whispered, \"ASK...\"



~ --break the surface

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 . An. 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 either of those things, of course, instead turning and reaching out a hand to the car-radio\'s power button.

However, K\'s hand on his arm held him back. Taki tensed.

\"Ojisa--\"

\"Don\'t, Matt.\"

Ma-kun looked at the tall blond, his uncle, who 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, who rubbed at the sore spot absently.

K than caught Taki\'s gaze in the rear-view mirror. Chips of blue crystal met furious orbs of brown so dark they could have been mistaken for black. \"...Learn, dammit.\" Afterwards his gaze returned back to the road. Taki could do nothing but boil in his own rage as his own voice drilled into his mind, over and over again.

The music staid on and no more words were spoken for the remainder of the trip.

*****

Once the sedan had pulled up in front of the apartment complex, Taki didn\'t waste time to exit the vehicle. He didn\'t wait, even as Ma-kun yelled aftem. Hm. He just slammed the door shut and began a brisk pace towards 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 tales of fairy-tale karma! Who gave a flying fuck about that?!

Elevator. Second floor, he needed to be on the second floor. The button for the second floor was just begging for a good smack-down. With all his might, Taki gave it a good smack of the fist, the pain doing nothing to calm him down. 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, his foot stinging angrily. GOD! He fucking wanted to scream!

\"Taki!\"

Through a haze, Taki was just able to see Ma-kun\'s form reaching the door to the complex before the door 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 nothiunnyunny 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 wall of the elevator. 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 open the door and didn\'t waste time to try 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 baited breath, right fist clenching around a small piece of paper.

~ Before he could dash out after the hotheaded singer, K held onto his arm. \"What?\" he snapped, only afterwards regretting his tone of voice.

K didn\'t seem to mind as he only ruffled his hair a bit, a familiar grin in place. \"Call me when you need anything,\" was the only thing he said, before thrusting his telephone number in his nephews hand.

Sakanou nodded, a reassuring, but still nervous, smile gracing his lips. \"Good luck, Matt-kun.\"

Firmly holding on to the piece of paper, Ma-kun nodded in determination. \"I--\"

\"Now GO ON! Don\'t let the poor sob waiting!\" He was thrown out of the car without preamble and before he could get his face out of the concrete had the car vanished from sight. Good ol\' Uncle K for you. ~

The elevator announced it\'s 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 see the youngen lin like this had been that time not too long ago... 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 it in it\'s process. 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 the hand and a flash of the young man\'s favorite purple dress-shirt.

//Some things never change...//

Keeping his hand from trembling, Ma-kun reached out and stroked dark bangs to the side to splay fingertips against soft skin. Taki felt cold, but strangely warm to the touch. \"Taki...\" He could only bare to whisper the name in the silence, 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 may look unapproachable, the air of arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude serving as a barrier between the two parties. 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 wrecked the trembling body.

Ma-kun frowned, \"Taki?\"

A sniff and Taki looked up, 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 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 fondly. It made his Taki scowl. Sleepy-eyes. It had become a personal nickname among the three. One Ma-kun was fond of and irritated the living hell out of Taki. He traced a finger along the left eye, several smudges of eye-liner coming 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 Ma-kun had lingered at. 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. Their way of closure. \"I told you so,\" he 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. Action as in the 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.

When K had burst at Aizawa earlier, Sakanou had been beyond relieved to see the crazy American had had the state of mind (if he has one, that is) to not go for any weapons that time around. Who knew what could have become of them, since 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 towards 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 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 again. 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, it was oozing smugness all over the interior!

One hand automatically moved to his tie, taking to fidgeting 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 him 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, the barrel of an all too familiar looking magnum was introduced to his tear-stricken-face. \"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 it\'s occupants were settled again, Sakanou answered hesitantly. \"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 it was needed. The boy didn\'t want to see, he needed someone to make him see. I made the first step. Now it is up to him to finish what he started. He needs help, but I am not the one to give it to him.\" He paused and Sakanou waited with baited breath. \"It was harsh, yes, but that is life.\"

Sakanou nodded and set bagaiagainst his seatce ace again he was amazed with K\'s direct approach of things. He knew he would never be able to pull of 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 it\'s front window. 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.

*****

End of Chapter 2 Part 1



Again very sorry for the inconvenience!