[narrative] i want to outrace the speed of pain for another day
Sato Masami is rarely seen without Tanaka Yasushi, and for good reason. She is his beloved, though he has never felt the need to marry and likely only will if the need for an heir presses on his mind. As it is, she is nearest to him, always - women are rarely offered status in the Yakuza, and while Masami is certainly not counted amongst Yasushi's kobun, she is given a higher status than some believe she deserves, as a kept woman. She wears the Tanaka crest proudly and the members of the Tanaka-gumi know that if one were to cross her, they would be crossing their leader himself. She is beautiful, intelligent, untouchable, a rarity and an enigma. Even those not in the clan know better, without knowledge of her status - while Tanaka is a common name, it is so rare for the average Japanese person to wear their crest openly and on a daily basis that it is better to be safe than sorry.
Most people know who she is though, even when she is alone. Those kept on a gang leader's arm are hard to miss.
There is a certain softness to the way that Yasushi treats Masami that no one else ever sees. When they are alone, as they are now, his defenses are down and while he is rarely romantic, there is no lack of affection. While the Tanaka-gumi is Yasushi's life and soul, Masami is his heart. Yasushi is situated on a sofa in the apartment they share - larger by far than some - wearing simple jeans for once and she is next to him, cheek on his bare shoulder. It's summer and her dress is short and airy, a light blue that brightens her eyes. He bought it for her on a whim, going into a store personally and picking the correct size by sight. The storekeeper had been impressed, and not only because the leader of the largest crime family in the area had been the one to do it.
She'd been delighted with it as soon as he'd presented her the box, and now she wears it when she gets the chance - it's hot out, and that's good enough reason for her. Her long hair is tied up in a messy bun and one of his arms is wrapped around her, fingers coursing up and down one bare arm. He's tattooed, but mostly on his back and easily enough covered with even a t-shirt. A phoenix, blue with flame. Her fingers trace the lines of it when they're in bed; but now his back is pressed into the cushions and there's no need to move so instead she traces some of the silly little tattoos on his arm with her eyes, ones he'd gotten as a teenager with little meaning. It's enough.
Yasushi's second in command - an older man by name of Takahashi Minoru - is taking care of the business aspects today, and they've an entire afternoon of nothing but each other. There is a cat, somewhere - he is Masami's, named Aki - the kanji she uses means 'Sparkle,' and Yasushi supposes it's a fitting enough name for the cat. He'd brought him home for her on Christmas - as cliché as it is - after finding him on the sidewalk. Snowflakes in his fur had made him seem to glitter in the light, and she'd named him on first sight. He's grown now, no longer the tiny, shivering kitten that took to the leader of a crime syndicate like a fish to water - or a cat to fish, for that matter.
But their feline companion isn't important right now - Masami shifts a little, her long hair done up in a messy bun with strands falling over her face, to peer down - he's slouching - at her lover with a smile.
"We have today, Yasushi," the words fall from her lips like water.
He can't help but smile in return - a faint thing that for all the world is like other men's grinning. He sits up more, cupping her cheek with a hand and urging lips to her jawline, light. "We have today and tomorrow and the next, Masami. I'm not wont to go anywhere."
The day passes in idle words and touches.
In the evening he's still on the sofa, a laptop atop crossed legs and she's in the kitchen, cooking something or other - he doesn't remember what - while he looks over the books and a few business propositions. He has men to do this for him, but he's a workaholic and he can't help himself. Masami had sighed and slid off the sofa so soon as he'd reached for the computer, but she understands, in the end.
He wants to get into gambling - open a casino, front it with... a hotel, a restaurant, something, to hide it from the police. He's just not sure yet, and none of the ideas that have been proposed strike him as... well, he thinks they're all shit. A few hours pass - he picks at the food and some part of his mind knows that it tastes good, but for the most part he has tunnel vision and the food goes cold. He feels and returns her good night kiss, thinks nothing of it until a few minutes later the damn cat jumps onto his lap with a loud, protesting miao.
Yasushi starts, glancing at the clock and frowning at the time. "All right, all right," it's barely muttered as he shuts the laptop and sets it aside, gait a little stiff as he moves into the bedroom. She's waiting for him, as she always is - atop the covers, patient if not brooding about it. He smiles again and she moves to the edge to curl arms around his neck so soon as he's close enough - and the expression turns into a fleeting grin before he turns, falling to the bed and bringing her with him.
It's not long before they're as one - her nails digging into inked skin and his fingers tangled in her hair, fallen loose from its bun.
There's a faint, murmured "I love you," as his lips brush her ear, and it's enough.
Most people know who she is though, even when she is alone. Those kept on a gang leader's arm are hard to miss.
There is a certain softness to the way that Yasushi treats Masami that no one else ever sees. When they are alone, as they are now, his defenses are down and while he is rarely romantic, there is no lack of affection. While the Tanaka-gumi is Yasushi's life and soul, Masami is his heart. Yasushi is situated on a sofa in the apartment they share - larger by far than some - wearing simple jeans for once and she is next to him, cheek on his bare shoulder. It's summer and her dress is short and airy, a light blue that brightens her eyes. He bought it for her on a whim, going into a store personally and picking the correct size by sight. The storekeeper had been impressed, and not only because the leader of the largest crime family in the area had been the one to do it.
She'd been delighted with it as soon as he'd presented her the box, and now she wears it when she gets the chance - it's hot out, and that's good enough reason for her. Her long hair is tied up in a messy bun and one of his arms is wrapped around her, fingers coursing up and down one bare arm. He's tattooed, but mostly on his back and easily enough covered with even a t-shirt. A phoenix, blue with flame. Her fingers trace the lines of it when they're in bed; but now his back is pressed into the cushions and there's no need to move so instead she traces some of the silly little tattoos on his arm with her eyes, ones he'd gotten as a teenager with little meaning. It's enough.
Yasushi's second in command - an older man by name of Takahashi Minoru - is taking care of the business aspects today, and they've an entire afternoon of nothing but each other. There is a cat, somewhere - he is Masami's, named Aki - the kanji she uses means 'Sparkle,' and Yasushi supposes it's a fitting enough name for the cat. He'd brought him home for her on Christmas - as cliché as it is - after finding him on the sidewalk. Snowflakes in his fur had made him seem to glitter in the light, and she'd named him on first sight. He's grown now, no longer the tiny, shivering kitten that took to the leader of a crime syndicate like a fish to water - or a cat to fish, for that matter.
But their feline companion isn't important right now - Masami shifts a little, her long hair done up in a messy bun with strands falling over her face, to peer down - he's slouching - at her lover with a smile.
"We have today, Yasushi," the words fall from her lips like water.
He can't help but smile in return - a faint thing that for all the world is like other men's grinning. He sits up more, cupping her cheek with a hand and urging lips to her jawline, light. "We have today and tomorrow and the next, Masami. I'm not wont to go anywhere."
The day passes in idle words and touches.
In the evening he's still on the sofa, a laptop atop crossed legs and she's in the kitchen, cooking something or other - he doesn't remember what - while he looks over the books and a few business propositions. He has men to do this for him, but he's a workaholic and he can't help himself. Masami had sighed and slid off the sofa so soon as he'd reached for the computer, but she understands, in the end.
He wants to get into gambling - open a casino, front it with... a hotel, a restaurant, something, to hide it from the police. He's just not sure yet, and none of the ideas that have been proposed strike him as... well, he thinks they're all shit. A few hours pass - he picks at the food and some part of his mind knows that it tastes good, but for the most part he has tunnel vision and the food goes cold. He feels and returns her good night kiss, thinks nothing of it until a few minutes later the damn cat jumps onto his lap with a loud, protesting miao.
Yasushi starts, glancing at the clock and frowning at the time. "All right, all right," it's barely muttered as he shuts the laptop and sets it aside, gait a little stiff as he moves into the bedroom. She's waiting for him, as she always is - atop the covers, patient if not brooding about it. He smiles again and she moves to the edge to curl arms around his neck so soon as he's close enough - and the expression turns into a fleeting grin before he turns, falling to the bed and bringing her with him.
It's not long before they're as one - her nails digging into inked skin and his fingers tangled in her hair, fallen loose from its bun.
There's a faint, murmured "I love you," as his lips brush her ear, and it's enough.