Protection Money Part One
Title: Protection Money Part One
Author: Kyoko_godaikun
Pairing: Junno/Ueda
Rating: PG
Summary: It’s been a year since Ueda Tatsuya left Taguchi Junno. Ueda finds from the tabloids that Junno has a girl friend. Still Ueda knows he has to try and save Junno’s life.
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"I'll always love you." Taguchi Junnosuke had promised Ueda Tatsuya as he had put the gold chain around his lover's neck. "As long as you wear this, remember our love."
Ueda still wore the chain. It was a reminder of what he had lost. It had been a year and he still hadn't gotten over the man with the wonderful smile.
Ueda Tatsuya was at the gym. He trained hard every day. He had taken boxing training for a play, but he found that he really, really liked boxing. He spent several minutes taping his hands. Some people liked to use cloth wraps. But Ueda always liked to use tape.
After getting ready, Ueda locked his things in his locker. He turned to go into the gym, when he noticed the pile of tabloids on a table. He glanced at the first one. He couldn’t take his eyes off the headline. "Kat-Tun's Taguchi Junnosuke caught on secret date with a beautiful woman."
The photo of Junno holding hands with the woman made Ueda feel as if he was stabbed through the heart. He knew it shouldn't hurt the way it did, but his heart had other ideas.
Ueda found himself picking up the tabloid. He turned to the pages that showed Junno date with the woman. She was pretty Ueda guessed, but she wasn't Junno's type. Junno was gay. Ueda couldn't understand why he was dating a girl.
It hurt Ueda to know that his former lover had moved on. Ueda always hoped that they could somehow get back together.
The photo that really upset Ueda was the one that showed Junno kissing the woman. Ueda wanted to hunt down the woman and punch her. He wanted to tell her to get her hands off of Junno, that he was his lover
Ueda put the paper down. It had been a year, a very long year. His lover had moved on and found someone else to love. Ueda knew that day would happen, but he hadn't expected it to hurt so much.
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In the year since the break up Ueda had thrown himself into going to the gym. Working out took his mind off his love for Junno.
Ueda worked out alone. A year ago he would have had someone with him, someone who would have joked and make his work out easier. It was the anniversary of the break up. When to save the life of the one he loved, he was forced to leave him.
He thought of Junno as he trained. He still saw Junno in his dreams, telling him he loved him. Junno would be there the days after a rough boxing practice and the tape would tear the skin on his knuckles. Junno would help bandage them as he told Ueda a joke to make him forget the pain. Then they would go to the apartment they shared and Junno would show him what love really was.
Tanaka Koki came into the gym; he was all ready dressed to work out. He went over to Ueda. . "How's it going?"
"It's going," Ueda told him. "Have you met Junno's new girl friend?"
"Yeah, I know her." Koki put his bag down.
"Is she nice?"
"She's all right," Koki looked at him. 'Why do you ask?"
“It doesn’t matter.” He had to do something to get rid of the jealousy he felt towards Junno’s new girlfriend. If he couldn’t beat up Junno’s girl friend, he knew he could beat up some gym equipment. He went to the punching bag. "Hold the bag for me."
"Sure," Koki did as Ueda asked.
Ueda hit the bag as hard as he could. It felt good to release his tensions. He hit it over and over. Each hit even stronger then the last. His knuckles hurt, but still he pounded on the bag.
"Slow down!" Koki ordered. "Why are you so upset?"
"Junno has a girlfriend!" he almost screamed as he hit the bag so hard it knocked Koki backwards. "I hate her! I really hate her!"
"Tat-Chan he has a right to move on." Koki said calmly.
Ueda gave a yell and put all his strength in the last punch. He could hear the bag crack. His hand really began to hurt. He looked at his right hand. His knuckles were bleeding.
Koki went to his bag and took out a towel. He handed it to Ueda. "Junno isn't worth you hurting yourself."
"I know," He took the tape off his hands. He had torn the skin on his knuckles again. He knew the agency wouldn't be happy about it.
"If you love him this much, why did you break up with him?" Koki asked.
"What does it matter now? I've lost him." He wiped his knuckles off.
Ueda's cell phone ran a special ring. It was the ring that always struck terror into Ueda. He went to his bag and took out his phone. He read the text message. "You will meet me at the park near your house at eight tonight. Bring the money with you."
"What was that?" Koki said as he glanced at Ueda's phone.
"Nothing," Ueda shoved the phone back into his bag.
Junno had no idea the reason they really broke up. Ueda knew that he couldn't tell his lover the truth. That to save Junno's life they had to part. That Ueda gave almost all of his salary to Yakuza. They called it protection money. If Ueda didn't pay them, they would kill Junno. So even though Junno was no longer his lover Ueda would continue to protect the only man that he loved.