[FIC] Neku's Misadventures: Redux (Chapter IV)
Title: Neku's Misadventures: Redux
Authors: takatohedgehog and kohakutenshi
Ratings: MA+15 for this chapter (it's not outright NC-17 - just one scene - so I think that's the appropriate rating), for Neku and Sakuraba's potty mouths
Warnings: sex in later chapters, profanity
Summary: Neku's Misadventures rewritten. A freshly crowned Conductor, Neku is sent to Shibuya no. four-ninety-one to protect Yoshiya - a popular stripper and counterpart of Joshua - from Sakuraba - a counterpart of his own who is going around killing Joshuas for unknown reasons.
Chapters: Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III
"Easy does it..." Masuoka opened the door to Yoshiya's apartment, gently helping his friend inside, grocery bags hanging off his arms. The dark-haired boy frowned a little, afraid for Yoshiya and at the same time willing to protect him. Hell, Hanekoma-san had made sure his strippers were armed just in case they were taken as hostages. "You going to be okay, hon?"
"No..." he whined as he was helped inside. Neku would be furious and he was waiting for the maelstrom of anger and yelling that would come his way for what had happened. Well...what hadn't happened really...but...what could have- "Oh, fuck...whatever," he muttered aloud and then turned to kiss Masuoka as familiar as always. "I'm sorry for troubling you."
"No trouble at all, hon," he purred, giving Yoshiya's butt a squeeze, then lifted his head and noticed Neku standing in the entrance to the small hallway, tapping his foot. Masuoka smiled and ruffled Yoshiya's hair. "You need anything, I'm just down the hall, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Yoshiya whispered, giving a weak smile as he watched his friend leave. He turned to Neku and then immediately darted to the kitchen to throw himself into the food. "Omelette?"
Neku watched Masuoka leave, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Yoshiya go to the small kitchenette, walking over there with his hands on his hips. "Where were you?" he asked, though he wasn't yelling like Yoshiya had feared. His brow furrowed into a frown. "I was worried."
"I...went shopping...for food..." Yoshiya said slowly, cracking a few eggs as he began to make omelettes. "I didn't have anything after last night and we need to eat..."
The redhead sighed and walked over, leaning against the bench. "You could have at least woke me up and told me where you were going." Neku ran a hand through his hair, showing he was still tense after the lack of Yoshiya for over an hour. "I had no idea what happened."
"Nothing happened!" Yoshiya squeaked and the milk spilled from the cup as he slammed it down on the counter. "Oh, damnit!"
He walked around the counter and wrapped his arms around Yoshiya's shoulders, hugging him. "I'm sorry...I'm just happy you're safe."
Yoshiya leaned on the counter and closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to touch Neku's. "He was there. I'm sorry, Neku," he whispered, "but he was there and I talked to him and he didn't hurt me. He was hungry and he bought noodles and I freaked out after. Masu-chan found me crying and brought me home. I'm just so...overwhelmed. I'm not...I'm not good with this stuff."
"It's okay," the redhead said, ruffling Yoshiya's hair a little with a small smile. "As long as you didn't get hurt."
"Don't kill him," Yoshiya's voice was so incredibly soft that it blended in with the sizzling of the egg in the pan.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him to be honest, and I don't know if I can kill him," Neku said with a soft sigh, leaning against the corner of the bench as he looked down at the floor. His hands came together, fingers interlocking as his face furrowed in confusion. "I...shit..." He ran a hand over his face.
"Neku...you can't see the power inside of your soul...can you...?" Yoshiya flipped the omelette closed once the ingredients were inside and he pressed it down. "Your power is large and bright...like the sun eclipsed. Your Composer is covering it as if he's scared...I can feel him like a cloud. Constantly hovering. But don't worry. I'm sure he does it out of caring."
"If my power's so big, then why do I feel like I can't live up to anyone's expectations?" the redhead asked, scratching the back of his neck as he placed a hand in his pocket.
Yoshiya smiled and leaned close to him, pressing his lips to Neku's as he curled a hand around his neck. "Stop scratching there. You'll cause a rash."
He blinked at the kiss, a little surprised before he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I kinda picked up the habit after hanging around Mr Hanekoma for a while."
"We need to practice, remember? After breakfast, I'll give you a nice blowjob," Yoshiya said, returning his attention to the eggs as if talking about mundane things like the weather or the colour of his shirt.
Neku blanched a little at the concept, shoving both his hands into his pockets. To talk about such a thing so casually...Yoshiya must be incredibly used to it being normal conversation. "I guess. Didn't you want to visit Neku?" he asked, not thinking about whether or not saying something like that might upset the little stripper.
"We will. A blowjob won't take too long. You're young and a virgin, right? Your father-" Yoshiya paused and gave him an odd look.
He frowned at the odd look, then scratched his cheek. "Uh, yeah. What about my dad?"
Yoshiya flushed and set the omelette out on a plate, cutting it in half before moving one half to another plate. "Did he ever play with you as a child?"
Neku blinked at the question, wondering where it had come from before he shook his head, leaning away from the bench. "Dad was never home."
'Oh," Yoshiya whispered. He took the plates and smiled brightly, covering his upset with a layer of cheer. "Let's eat! You'll need your energy if we're going to break through that cute innocence of yours!"
The boy Conductor had to wonder what was with the question as he moved out of the way for Yoshiya, moving over to the coffee table and sitting down on the bed/couch, pursing his lips together before he nibbled on the lower one.
"Do you want a little rice with your omelette? It would take a little longer but..." Yoshiya trailed off as he carried the plates to the coffee table and set them down. He knelt on the side of the table and gazed up at him sweetly. "Neku...I'm sorry. I was just making conversation. My Neku and I were...well...the way we met...our fathers were best friends and colleagues."
He blinked a little before he shook his head. "No rice is fine," Neku replied, picking his plate up off the coffee table and setting it in his lap before he frowned at the way Yoshiya talked. It was as if... "They...they did...things?"
Yoshiya twirled a lock of hair and smiled nervously. "They called it playtime. Poppa and Sakuraba-sama...touched us. Neku tried to fight back the first couple of times but they learned the quickest way to make him stop was to make me cry."
Neku shuddered a little at the thought. He'd thought he was lucky enough to see his dad once or twice every six months because of his work, but... "I'm sorry." He knew it mightn't mean much, but it was the only thing he knew to say.
"Oh...it's all over with now. Poppa...poppa bought us things...when it was over...he...he tried to make it better...we...we never went without...and...and he was always sorry...but...Sakuraba-sama...was so mean...he...he hurt Neku..." Yoshiya lowered his gaze, "he hit Neku...and once put him in the hospital...and...then...then came the time...he....he didn't come...and...they found out..."
Yoshiya's voice cracked and he whimpered. "Neku...Neku got shot...and...everyone knew..."
Neku could only imagine what that must have been like. He'd seen things like child molestation charges and court cases on TV but had never thought about it seriously before. He placed his plate on the coffee table and got up off the couch, walking around it to kneel next to Yoshiya and placed a hand on his shoulder, offering his support and encouragement silently.
"Everyone at school...they were so mean to me..." Yoshiya said, confused. He was finally talking about it after so long. The only other person he had told was Hanekoma-san, and that had been when he had interviewed for the position at the strip club. "They made fun of me...and so I dropped out. I found out people liked it better when I could do things for them. So I made money. That's what the books are."
Yoshiya smiled up at Neku and patted his hand. "It's okay, Neku. I'm okay. Everything was great. I walked the streets, then got a job with Hanekoma-san, then became a Reaper."
"If you don't mind me asking...how did you die?" He remembered the page from the other night, the splotches of blood on the page, but he couldn't be sure for certain...
He flinched, one hand instantly flying to the other wrist. "Ah...w-w-well...I....I...couldn't...I let Neku die..."
So...as he thought. Neku squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"Forgive me...Neku...I wanted to look for him...I could see but...I couldn't see very well. So I thought if I could look on the other side..." Yoshiya sighed and looked at his omelette. "We need to eat before it gets cold, Neku."
"Right." Neku pulled his plate from across the coffee table towards him, along with his fork and cut into it, leaning over the plate and bit into it, chewing and swallowing. "Mmm...good," he said, breaking the current wave of conversation.
"I'm a good cook. I told Sakuraba-san I could teach him to cook but he got all pissy and said he liked instant noodles. I think he was lying," Yoshiya giggled and began munching on his own omelette. "He's so silly. I think he's a cutie, to be honest. He acts so tough and 'oh, don't touch me' but to be honest I think that's what he needs. He started to say 'master wouldn't let him' cook or something. So I think he was a servant."
"I don't know..." Neku chewed on another bit of omelette, swallowing before he continued to talk. "It's hard to imagine someone like him as a servant," he admitted, cutting a third bit of his omelette off from the rest.
"True. Though it might be fun-" Yoshiya coughed as he tried to swallow a bite of his own, catching on his words.
The redhead reached around him and thumped his back before rubbing his shoulders. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah..." he swallowed and coughed again. "I was just thinking...that uhm...well...I was being perverted is all."
Neku laughed at that, popping the piece of omelette into his mouth with ease as his hand left Yoshiya's back after rubbing it again. "I'm not surprised somehow."
Yoshiya giggled and turned to Neku, pausing as he saw a bit of egg on Neku's face. He smiled, seeing it as the perfect opportunity. "Don't be afraid, Neku."
"Afraid?" The redhead blinked, turning his head to look at the stripper.
He moved to kneel directly in front of Neku, his fingers brushing over the contours of Neku's face and lips, his eyes and back down to his mouth again. Yoshiya's eyes fluttered slowly shut as he leaned in, mouth parting as he took advantage of Neku's inexperience to slide his tongue over the softness of those perfect little lips. His arms curled around Neku's neck and one hand slid into the still limp hair that was mussed from the night's sleeping.
The hand on his face took him by surprise, making him blink in confusion before he jerked a little at the tongue across his lips. Neku could feel his heart beating faster by the second, leaning back slightly but unable to pull away thanks to the hand in his hair and the arm around his neck. His lips parted in a slight protest as he leant back on his hand, his eyes still wide.
With the sudden parting of Neku's lips, Yoshiya found a weakness to exploit. He giggled softly, tongue sliding into Neku's mouth once, twice, and again. Yoshiya looked up into Neku's eyes and pressed against his chest. "I want it to be comfortable for you. Not the floor, but the couch."
He nipped at Neku's throat and his collarbone, fingers sliding between his legs. "Please get comfortable, precious."
"U-uhm..." Neku was hesitant to comply, his stomach churning and his heart continuing to beat a fast pace. The fingers between his legs and the nip to his throat and collarbone made him jump slightly, fingers splayed out behind him before he swallowed deeply and moved, if only to get away from Yoshiya for a moment, moving back to the couch.
"It makes you sick, doesn't it?" Yoshiya whispered, his face a mask of serenity and calm. "To be touched? To be kissed and caressed? You want to run. To throw up. To escape."
"It's...it's just weird, that's all." Neku gave a nervous little laugh, sitting against the couch with his hands on the cushion underneath him before he scratched the back of his head. "I've...I've never done anything like this before, so..."
"I know. If it weren't for the fact that this Shibuya uses sexual energy for strength...I wouldn't do it to you. But..." Yoshiya turned away. "I value your innocence, Neku. I wouldn't take it if there were another way. But if you are to save Joshua-san. If you are to stop Sakuraba-san and make him better...then...you have to learn."
"I suppose so." It was just...he never dreamed of losing his virginity like this. Neku couldn't deny that he was feeling something warm down there and he closed his eyes before opening them again, smiling softly. "Teach me."
"I shall," Yoshiya giggled and rose slowly, twisting his body in a dance as he tried to tease Neku further. He slid his hands down his body with quiet moans of pleasure and catches of soft breath, and he whimpered as he moved to kneel on the couch next to Neku. "I will give you the best, deepest, hottest blow job you have ever and will ever have."
Neku's fingers dug into the couch a little in anticipation, watching Yoshiya's little teasing dance with a pink blush slowly creeping across his cheeks. The most embarrassing thought crossed his mind in that Joshua could pop up any moment, just like he did last night. He shifted himself so his legs were around Yoshiya, feeling as though it was more comfortable that way.
There was a slight pause, a gentle touch to Neku's thigh, and a whispery apology. Yoshiya tilted himself down, his mouth pressing to the cloth of Neku's shorts. He nudged the fabric with his nose and nuzzled it with a half-caught moan, as if hidden within the package was a treasure he wanted more than anything. "Please..."
Neku's elbows shifted so they were braced by the armrest of the couch that he was leaning upon, watching with slightly parted lips. He felt something shift in his pants, his stomach becoming warm as his fingers gripped the blankets underneath him. His breath became slightly warm, his cheeks reddening as a chill ran down his spine and through his blood.
"Oh...haven't you...ever...masturbated?" Yoshiya pressed a hand to the little swell to massage it slowly with undulating rhythm, up and down. "You know, in the bathroom or after a long night of homework?"
Neku could only shake his head, shifting a little as he felt his cock beginning to rise in his pants. "N-no...never...never thought about anything like that before..."
"So cliché. What are you, some comic book hero or video game character?" Yoshiya laughed and pulled the zipper down tooth by tooth. He then popped the button and parted the shorts as if opening a present. "Oh, Neku, you shouldn't have~."
The redhead bit his lower lip when he saw himself standing at attention, the cool air of the room (and possibly Yoshiya's breath) making him shiver. "Oh, haha. What? A guy isn't normal unless he masturbates?"
"Oh, Neku...of all of us...Joshua-san, Sakuraba-san, and my own Neku...you are the most normal of all of us. Never think otherwise, my sweet, sweet Conductor." Yoshiya whispered, his hand touching Neku's cheek. "Please...please never think that you are anything but a beautiful, wonderful person."
Sometimes, Neku had to wonder if Yoshiya was sincere when he said things like that, or if he was just saying it because he was so used to giving people compliments they probably didn't deserve. He smiled a little. "Thanks."
Yoshiya smiled and nodded. "And I'm not just saying it because you need to hear it, I'm saying it because it's true. Now spread those legs and take a deep breath. I'm going to suck on you like a Popsicle."
The boy Conductor obeyed, steadying himself by taking hold of the armrest of the couch that was behind him, opening his legs a little more. His stomach was doing flip flops but he managed to keep it down.
"Hey there, little guy," he giggled and tickled the head of Neku's cock before circling his finger under the foreskin, peeling it back. Yoshiya's tongue licked his lips and he tilted his head, his expression dark and dangerous. There was a glint in his eyes of something far more powerful than anything the stripper had shown before, but it was clearly Yoshiya's own power.
Neku was about to protest that his cock wasn't small before he squeaked at the touch, hips bucking involuntarily. He saw the look on Yoshiya's face, suddenly slightly scared but trusting him wholly.
Yoshiya sighed and his wings unfurled, tiny and cute, from the middle of his back to his elbows. They were small even for Reaper standards, but the intricate designs in the whirls and bends made up for the size. His mouth fell to Neku's cock and he began to suck on the head while his teeth nibbled the foreskin as gently as possible.
Neku's breath hitched and his head tilted back, his eyes fluttering closed as his fingers clenched the armrest of the couch. Yoshiya hadn't even really started yet and already he could feel something happening down below. "S-shit..."
He hummed and arched to slide his mouth further down, angling his throat in such a way that Neku's cock slid into the tight hole without much effort. Yoshiya could feel the throbbing of Neku's flesh and the wetness of his precum on the tip. It was strange to do this with such an innocent little thing squirming beneath him. He hadn't had a virgin in so long.
Neku's eyes scrunched up and a small whine left his throat, feeling his wings unfurl and flare out from his back to arch around them. They throbbed, flickering between black, grey and white as they retracted and opened repeatedly, eclipsing the room in their length and size.
Yoshiya shuddered at the power surrounding them and he reached out, taking Neku's hand in his to pull it to his own wings. He pulled back enough to ask, "Please...touch my wings..."
Remembering the shiver that had run up his spine last night when Yoshiya had kissed his wings, Neku complied. He kept himself leant back against the armrest but slightly pushed himself up by his elbow, fingers beginning to trace the intricate designs of Yoshiya's wings.
He arched up with a feminine cry of pleasure. His body shuddering with need and want as he began to thrust gently, forgetting his work for the moment as he rubbed against the touches.
Neku blinked a little at the reaction to his rubbing, watching the little stripper curiously as he moved his fingers up and along Yoshiya's wings, curling the tip of his index around the upper curve before dipping down along to Yoshiya's shoulder.
"Uhn...!" Yoshiya whined and bucked his hips, unable to hold himself still at the pleasure curling through his body from his wings. "N-neku...that...uhn....oh-ohkay...n-n..not so much...ah....I...I can't focus...on you..."
"Ah, sorry." Neku flushed deeply and retracted his hand, shifting back a little into the corner of the couch be was leaning against.
"T-that's okay," Yoshiya laughed and his face was flushed as he took a deep breath, leaning back down over Neku's arousal. "You just have very skilled fingers, sweetie. I'll have to remember that when I'm riding your cock."
"R-ride..." Neku's blush curled a deeper red, wondering how that worked. His legs curled inward slightly at the thought, though he knew that he needed this...'training'...
"Shh, I won't do it until you're ready, Neku." Yoshiya lapped at the head of Neku's erection with the rough of his tongue and he pumped at the base with his fingers. He curled his other hand under Neku's sac and rolled the knuckles over it, massaging the warm flesh.
The redhead let out a sharp cry, his wings spreading out behind him as his legs quivered. His head dropped back behind his shoulders, eyes closing as his face seemed to heat up more. One of his hands left the couch arm it was gripping to wander into Yoshiya's hair, caressing it softly.
Yoshiya's eyes were smiling as he looked up at Neku. He could feel the strength in Neku's soul increasing as he synced with Shibuya's music. The wings he bore were large and lovely, and Yoshiya longed to be blanketed by them one day while Neku took him on his back. Fucked him rough and hard. Pressing him into the mattress while he dug nails into his shoulders and begged for release. Yoshiya whimpered as he drove his mouth down and up, down and up, and then swallowed around the head of Neku's straining heat.
He could feel it...he was close...so close... Neku gave a warning of a sharp tug of Yoshiya's hair, telling him he was about to release.
His hand came up to curl around Neku's as if to tell him it was okay. He was a whore, after all. This was what his mouth was used to. He swallowed again, lifting and sliding, lifting and sliding, and swallowing in such a rhythm that even he couldn't keep up. He could feel Neku tighten and he urged it on with a nudge to the skin between cock and entrance, driving his fist into it.
With a sharp, shuddering sound coming from his mouth, Neku came, wings spreading wide as his head tilted back, a cold shiver curling through his blood as his eyes squeezed shut.
Yoshiya gasped and gagged as he swallowed and choked on the come, trying not to lose it on the couch. He made a strange, strangled sound as he gathered what he could and wiped up what fell with his hands before hurrying away to the bathroom. The sound of vomiting soon followed, and then a quick, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Neku came down from his high rather quickly and leaped off the couch, following Yoshiya to the bathroom where he knelt beside him, brushing hair away from his face and holding it back. "Don't be silly. I'm sorry. It's kinda my fault..." He bit his lower lip, rubbing soothing circles around Yoshiya's shoulders.
"I...I usually....I usually wait to...but...I...I didn't want to make a mess...cause...it's my house..." Yoshiya giggled nervously, "I'm sorry...I was being selfish...I thought I could handle it but...then it started to fall on the couch!"
The redhead blinked a little, then smiled softly. "It's okay to be selfish," Neku said, wrapping an arm around Yoshiya's shoulders gently. "And that was...well..." Mind blowing, to be honest, but he couldn't find words to come out of his mouth.
"It felt good, didn't it? I saw your wings." Yoshiya turned, moving to hug Neku. "They were glowing. Oh, Neku. You're so strong. So very powerful."
Neku frowned a little before wrapping his arms around Yoshiya in return, tucking his head into the crook of his neck. "If I'm so strong, then why do I feel...like I can't handle this?"
"Because you don't believe in yourself," Yoshiya whispered, kissing his neck, "but I do. Please, Neku. Believe. If not for you, for Sakuraba-san, and for Joshua-san."
He pulled back, smiling softly before touching Neku's face. "I'm going to wash my face and brush my teeth. Then I'm going to make some things for Neku. You get cleaned up, too, okay?"
Neku thought that he meant he was going to make something for him and was about to protest before he realized he must have been talking about his Neku. He rubbed his head. This whole counterpart thing was confusing. "Okay." He turned his head away as he stood, placing his hands on his hips. "I wish Josh had given me a bit of warning...I would have packed if I'd have known I was staying for a while..."
"I have some clothes you can borrow. We're the same size almost. If it's not enough I can go shopping for you. You should have a Conductor account." Yoshiya flushed the toilet and turned to the sink to begin brushing his teeth and tongue. "Didn't...Joshua...give you...anything?"
"Not a fucking thing." Neku crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, looking a bit like a miffed cat. "Like he would anyway, the bastard. I swear he likes to watch me suffer."
"Did you look in-" Yoshiya paused to rinse his mouth out and swish. "-your wallet? There should be what they call the Underground Unlimited Gold Card in there."
The redhead blinked, then moved back out to the couch to pick up his pants, digging his wallet out from them. Flipping through the contents, he scowled when he saw it sitting there innocently. "Fucking asshole...not telling me anything..."
"Did you find it?" Yoshiya called back from the bathroom as he patted his face dry from a nice scrubbing with some peach facial wash.
"Yeah. I don't even look in my wallet much," Neku called in return, pulling the gold card out from its place and examining it. It looked exactly like a normal credit or bank card, with a few minor differences. He pursed his lips together and slipped it back into the pocket. He was SO going to scream at Josh when he got back home.
"Hooray! We can go to Lapin Angelique and the Gothic Corner later to get you some new threads!" Yoshiya laughed. "Then maybe a nice dinner! That'll teach him!"
Neku blanched a little at the shop titles, remembering the last time he'd stepped into Lapin Angelique in his world. Princess K had immediately set upon him with frills and lace, much to Shiki's amusement.
Speaking of Shiki... He pulled his cell phone out of his shorts, wondering if he could get reception back to his world from here...he should at least text her and the others so they didn't worry...knowing Josh, he didn't feel like they needed informing.
Yoshiya stepped out of the bathroom, naked aside from his frilly underwear, as he wiped at the moisturizer on his face with a towel. "Oh, you can't call them. There's no transdimentional cell phone towers unless you have a link to heaven. At least, that's how Hanekoma-san explained it to me one night."
Neku looked at Yoshiya with a raised eyebrow before sighing and throwing his cell phone onto the couch, beginning to pull on yesterday's shorts. "Damnit..." He buttoned up his shorts before reaching for the top he'd worn and slipping that on as well. "I don't think Josh needed to worry about Sakuraba killing him...at this rate I'll do it myself."
"We have an unmaxable credit card and a full day of fun in which to use it. C'mon, Neku," Yoshiya teased, poking him in the stomach. "Let's go out and see Neku, then we can shop all day, then we can eat, then we can come back and have lots of sex, then we can go to a movie and eat some more, and then we can have more sex."
Neku playfully swatted at the hand poking his stomach, then a red flush curled along his cheeks again. "You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"
"No?" Yoshiya smiled wickedly and slapped Neku's bottom before skipping away to his bedroom to get some clothes. "Just wait here and I'll get dressed! If you want, make Neku a bento for me, please!"
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Most people thought the cemetery to be a sacred place. Others thought it was spooky and barely ventured in there while most people came here to pay their respects to the dead. Sakuraba had ventured into many a cemetery before, when he had been alive and after death. Even in this dimension, his mother's grave was in the same place, though it wasn't his mother who was nothing but bones under the concrete. He leant away from the wall he had been leaning against, taking hold of the cigarette between his lips and exhaling smoke, flicking ash away from it before his eyes travelled to the one next to it. So this was where this dimension's Neku was buried...
The sound of sandals on gravel echoed up the path of the cemetery, followed by that of heavy sneakers. Yoshiya's voice was low and soft as he explained that Neku didn't need to come close if he didn't want to, that he would take care of everything if he wanted to stay away. "It's probably a little creepy anyway, right?"
"Just a little," Neku admitted, hands in his pockets as he watched Yoshiya carefully, looking around the graveyard. "I never thought I'd be visiting my own grave. What is this? A Christmas Carol?" he tried to joke, grinning a bit.
Yoshiya smacked him in the arm and shook his head before pausing as he noticed someone standing near his Neku's grave. "Oh. We have visitors. That's nice. Did you bring an offering, too?"
He wouldn't let him disturb his visit. He refused to let Sakuraba ruin what might be his last visit with his beloved Neku.
Neku stepped ahead of Yoshiya a little, keeping his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face that was met by an equally cold look as Sakuraba brought the cigarette back to his lips. "...Roses. Mom always liked roses, I remember that much. I figured this world's version would be the same." In a way, he was paying respects to his own mother as well.
Yoshiya smiled and knelt down, setting the little bento down near Neku's stone. He then took the bottle of water he had and poured it out, offering prayers to the gods. "Oh, Neku, this must look so strange..." he whispered, looking up at the two glowering counterparts. "Dear God, this must look very strange. Sakuraba-san, please don't look so constipated. Neku, stop glaring. We should have enough respect of the dead to be civil until we walk outside the gate."
Sakuraba spluttered a little but pursed his lips together and looked away, fingers wrapped around his cigarette as Neku came closer, hands still in his pockets before he looked away as well and to Yoshiya and the grave.
He giggled and patted the stone, brushing away any dirt or loose grass and weeds.
"I might be coming to see you soon, Neku. If only for judgement." Yoshiya sighed and leaned down, pressing his cheek to the marker, his eyes tearing over as he shivered. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you from him. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry I couldn't make things right for you. I'm sorry I could make him stop. I'm sorry he...he did those things to you...and I know I could never gain your forgiveness. Please...please rest...please be happy...Neku. Please be happy wherever you are. I love you so much..."
Pathetic. Sakuraba's lip curled in a snarl of disgust and he crossed his arms over his chest, hand still curled around his cigarette. "Please. You don't fool anyone." Neku shot him a look, telling him to be quiet but he shrugged, leaning away from his post against the wall behind him.
Yoshiya sniffled and stroked a hand over the stone before standing up, turning to Sakuraba, and slapping him hard across the cheek.
His head remained where the slap had left it, looking at the boy out the corner of his eye, his gaze cold.
"You have no idea what we had to go through together as children! Being used against each other like we were! How dare you stand there and treat my feelings as if they were no more than ashes on the ground! I loved my Neku. I loved him so much it killed me to lose him and I don't care what you do to me so long as you leave this Neku alone." Yoshiya was shaking so hard that his legs were threatening to buckle and his arm was outstretched as if to shield Neku. "I won't lose another one of you again. I won't. I refuse. Please. Stop this, Sakuraba-san. Stop this madness!"
"Hmph." He was unimpressed by the little slut's speech, turning his head back around and raising his hand to his mouth again, flicking the butt to the ground and snuffing it out with his boot. Sakuraba placed his other hand in his pocket as he tilted his head. "You have no idea. You think you went through Hell, little slut?"
"I doubt I suffered what you did," he said, voice shaking as his anger left him. "Forgive me for my outburst but you shouldn't judge all Joshuas based on one. After all, how do you know everyone of your mothers were the same? You brought this one red roses, but I know the family who comes by here brings her yellow ones. We're all different, Sakuraba-san. We're not going to hurt you like he did."
Sakuraba scowled deeply, taking another cigarette from his back pocket and lighting it before slipping his lighter back into his jacket. "You know nothing," he sneered, his eyes closed, his face twitching as memories came flooding back and he raised a hand to his head. Something stirred inside and he growled under his breath before winking out of existence.
"Goddamnit!" Yoshiya screeched, stamping a foot. He turned to Neku, exasperated. "What the hell is his problem that he has to keep running every time? Doesn't he see I want to help him?"
"I think his problems run deeper than just being helped," Neku said, his arms crossed over his chest before he ran a hand through his hair. He'd noticed something in Sakuraba's eyes at that last moment, a haunted look Neku had never seen before. "A lot deeper." He turned his attention to Yoshiya, placing a hand on his arm.
"But...I want him to know...it's okay..." Yoshiya whispered, his voice soft. "That...that we're not all bad..."
"I don't know if anything can make him see," the redhead said, equally soft as he wrapped his arm around Yoshiya's shoulder, holding him close. He kissed Yoshiya's forehead. "I think you got things the wrong way around. I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you," he teased, poking his nose.
"Sorry..." Yoshiya giggled at the kiss. "I'm not much to protect. I'm just an overused whore. I bet if you leaned really close, when I'm being fucked, I squeak like a rusted hinge."
Neku laughed a little at that, then smiled and ruffled Yoshiya's hair. "I think you might end up getting through to him...it depends on whether or not he actually wants the help."
"Hm..." Yoshiya nodded in agreement and started to walk from the cemetery. "Neku, do you want to go shopping? I think we need to get you something cute for your final battle. No hero wears what you're wearing right now. You need something with buckles or zippers and with lots of leather and straps. And boots. Definitely boots."
"What makes you think that?" Honestly, Neku couldn't imagine himself in those types of clothes, and he scratched the back of his neck. Then again, with what Sakuraba wore...
"I just think it might look cute. You two squaring off in mid-air above the Scramble while I try not to get caught in the middle... oh! It makes me hard just thinking about it!" Yoshiya shivered in his pink sweatshirt and grey stirrup pants, not caring much for fashion on his days off. He went for blending in due to popularity. "But if you don't want to, that's fine. We could always practice some more."
Neku rose an eyebrow at that, but kept quiet, a little used to Yoshiya's antics by now even though he'd only known him for a day. "Well, I do need more clothes...I can't keep borrowing yours."
"And you need to teach Joshua a lesson, right? Shopping spree~" Yoshiya giggled. "After all, when's the next time you'll get to go shopping in a dimension that's not your own? We've got different shops."
Authors: takatohedgehog and kohakutenshi
Ratings: MA+15 for this chapter (it's not outright NC-17 - just one scene - so I think that's the appropriate rating), for Neku and Sakuraba's potty mouths
Warnings: sex in later chapters, profanity
Summary: Neku's Misadventures rewritten. A freshly crowned Conductor, Neku is sent to Shibuya no. four-ninety-one to protect Yoshiya - a popular stripper and counterpart of Joshua - from Sakuraba - a counterpart of his own who is going around killing Joshuas for unknown reasons.
Chapters: Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III
"Easy does it..." Masuoka opened the door to Yoshiya's apartment, gently helping his friend inside, grocery bags hanging off his arms. The dark-haired boy frowned a little, afraid for Yoshiya and at the same time willing to protect him. Hell, Hanekoma-san had made sure his strippers were armed just in case they were taken as hostages. "You going to be okay, hon?"
"No..." he whined as he was helped inside. Neku would be furious and he was waiting for the maelstrom of anger and yelling that would come his way for what had happened. Well...what hadn't happened really...but...what could have- "Oh, fuck...whatever," he muttered aloud and then turned to kiss Masuoka as familiar as always. "I'm sorry for troubling you."
"No trouble at all, hon," he purred, giving Yoshiya's butt a squeeze, then lifted his head and noticed Neku standing in the entrance to the small hallway, tapping his foot. Masuoka smiled and ruffled Yoshiya's hair. "You need anything, I'm just down the hall, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Yoshiya whispered, giving a weak smile as he watched his friend leave. He turned to Neku and then immediately darted to the kitchen to throw himself into the food. "Omelette?"
Neku watched Masuoka leave, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Yoshiya go to the small kitchenette, walking over there with his hands on his hips. "Where were you?" he asked, though he wasn't yelling like Yoshiya had feared. His brow furrowed into a frown. "I was worried."
"I...went shopping...for food..." Yoshiya said slowly, cracking a few eggs as he began to make omelettes. "I didn't have anything after last night and we need to eat..."
The redhead sighed and walked over, leaning against the bench. "You could have at least woke me up and told me where you were going." Neku ran a hand through his hair, showing he was still tense after the lack of Yoshiya for over an hour. "I had no idea what happened."
"Nothing happened!" Yoshiya squeaked and the milk spilled from the cup as he slammed it down on the counter. "Oh, damnit!"
He walked around the counter and wrapped his arms around Yoshiya's shoulders, hugging him. "I'm sorry...I'm just happy you're safe."
Yoshiya leaned on the counter and closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to touch Neku's. "He was there. I'm sorry, Neku," he whispered, "but he was there and I talked to him and he didn't hurt me. He was hungry and he bought noodles and I freaked out after. Masu-chan found me crying and brought me home. I'm just so...overwhelmed. I'm not...I'm not good with this stuff."
"It's okay," the redhead said, ruffling Yoshiya's hair a little with a small smile. "As long as you didn't get hurt."
"Don't kill him," Yoshiya's voice was so incredibly soft that it blended in with the sizzling of the egg in the pan.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with him to be honest, and I don't know if I can kill him," Neku said with a soft sigh, leaning against the corner of the bench as he looked down at the floor. His hands came together, fingers interlocking as his face furrowed in confusion. "I...shit..." He ran a hand over his face.
"Neku...you can't see the power inside of your soul...can you...?" Yoshiya flipped the omelette closed once the ingredients were inside and he pressed it down. "Your power is large and bright...like the sun eclipsed. Your Composer is covering it as if he's scared...I can feel him like a cloud. Constantly hovering. But don't worry. I'm sure he does it out of caring."
"If my power's so big, then why do I feel like I can't live up to anyone's expectations?" the redhead asked, scratching the back of his neck as he placed a hand in his pocket.
Yoshiya smiled and leaned close to him, pressing his lips to Neku's as he curled a hand around his neck. "Stop scratching there. You'll cause a rash."
He blinked at the kiss, a little surprised before he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I kinda picked up the habit after hanging around Mr Hanekoma for a while."
"We need to practice, remember? After breakfast, I'll give you a nice blowjob," Yoshiya said, returning his attention to the eggs as if talking about mundane things like the weather or the colour of his shirt.
Neku blanched a little at the concept, shoving both his hands into his pockets. To talk about such a thing so casually...Yoshiya must be incredibly used to it being normal conversation. "I guess. Didn't you want to visit Neku?" he asked, not thinking about whether or not saying something like that might upset the little stripper.
"We will. A blowjob won't take too long. You're young and a virgin, right? Your father-" Yoshiya paused and gave him an odd look.
He frowned at the odd look, then scratched his cheek. "Uh, yeah. What about my dad?"
Yoshiya flushed and set the omelette out on a plate, cutting it in half before moving one half to another plate. "Did he ever play with you as a child?"
Neku blinked at the question, wondering where it had come from before he shook his head, leaning away from the bench. "Dad was never home."
'Oh," Yoshiya whispered. He took the plates and smiled brightly, covering his upset with a layer of cheer. "Let's eat! You'll need your energy if we're going to break through that cute innocence of yours!"
The boy Conductor had to wonder what was with the question as he moved out of the way for Yoshiya, moving over to the coffee table and sitting down on the bed/couch, pursing his lips together before he nibbled on the lower one.
"Do you want a little rice with your omelette? It would take a little longer but..." Yoshiya trailed off as he carried the plates to the coffee table and set them down. He knelt on the side of the table and gazed up at him sweetly. "Neku...I'm sorry. I was just making conversation. My Neku and I were...well...the way we met...our fathers were best friends and colleagues."
He blinked a little before he shook his head. "No rice is fine," Neku replied, picking his plate up off the coffee table and setting it in his lap before he frowned at the way Yoshiya talked. It was as if... "They...they did...things?"
Yoshiya twirled a lock of hair and smiled nervously. "They called it playtime. Poppa and Sakuraba-sama...touched us. Neku tried to fight back the first couple of times but they learned the quickest way to make him stop was to make me cry."
Neku shuddered a little at the thought. He'd thought he was lucky enough to see his dad once or twice every six months because of his work, but... "I'm sorry." He knew it mightn't mean much, but it was the only thing he knew to say.
"Oh...it's all over with now. Poppa...poppa bought us things...when it was over...he...he tried to make it better...we...we never went without...and...and he was always sorry...but...Sakuraba-sama...was so mean...he...he hurt Neku..." Yoshiya lowered his gaze, "he hit Neku...and once put him in the hospital...and...then...then came the time...he....he didn't come...and...they found out..."
Yoshiya's voice cracked and he whimpered. "Neku...Neku got shot...and...everyone knew..."
Neku could only imagine what that must have been like. He'd seen things like child molestation charges and court cases on TV but had never thought about it seriously before. He placed his plate on the coffee table and got up off the couch, walking around it to kneel next to Yoshiya and placed a hand on his shoulder, offering his support and encouragement silently.
"Everyone at school...they were so mean to me..." Yoshiya said, confused. He was finally talking about it after so long. The only other person he had told was Hanekoma-san, and that had been when he had interviewed for the position at the strip club. "They made fun of me...and so I dropped out. I found out people liked it better when I could do things for them. So I made money. That's what the books are."
Yoshiya smiled up at Neku and patted his hand. "It's okay, Neku. I'm okay. Everything was great. I walked the streets, then got a job with Hanekoma-san, then became a Reaper."
"If you don't mind me asking...how did you die?" He remembered the page from the other night, the splotches of blood on the page, but he couldn't be sure for certain...
He flinched, one hand instantly flying to the other wrist. "Ah...w-w-well...I....I...couldn't...I let Neku die..."
So...as he thought. Neku squeezed his shoulder. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"Forgive me...Neku...I wanted to look for him...I could see but...I couldn't see very well. So I thought if I could look on the other side..." Yoshiya sighed and looked at his omelette. "We need to eat before it gets cold, Neku."
"Right." Neku pulled his plate from across the coffee table towards him, along with his fork and cut into it, leaning over the plate and bit into it, chewing and swallowing. "Mmm...good," he said, breaking the current wave of conversation.
"I'm a good cook. I told Sakuraba-san I could teach him to cook but he got all pissy and said he liked instant noodles. I think he was lying," Yoshiya giggled and began munching on his own omelette. "He's so silly. I think he's a cutie, to be honest. He acts so tough and 'oh, don't touch me' but to be honest I think that's what he needs. He started to say 'master wouldn't let him' cook or something. So I think he was a servant."
"I don't know..." Neku chewed on another bit of omelette, swallowing before he continued to talk. "It's hard to imagine someone like him as a servant," he admitted, cutting a third bit of his omelette off from the rest.
"True. Though it might be fun-" Yoshiya coughed as he tried to swallow a bite of his own, catching on his words.
The redhead reached around him and thumped his back before rubbing his shoulders. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah..." he swallowed and coughed again. "I was just thinking...that uhm...well...I was being perverted is all."
Neku laughed at that, popping the piece of omelette into his mouth with ease as his hand left Yoshiya's back after rubbing it again. "I'm not surprised somehow."
Yoshiya giggled and turned to Neku, pausing as he saw a bit of egg on Neku's face. He smiled, seeing it as the perfect opportunity. "Don't be afraid, Neku."
"Afraid?" The redhead blinked, turning his head to look at the stripper.
He moved to kneel directly in front of Neku, his fingers brushing over the contours of Neku's face and lips, his eyes and back down to his mouth again. Yoshiya's eyes fluttered slowly shut as he leaned in, mouth parting as he took advantage of Neku's inexperience to slide his tongue over the softness of those perfect little lips. His arms curled around Neku's neck and one hand slid into the still limp hair that was mussed from the night's sleeping.
The hand on his face took him by surprise, making him blink in confusion before he jerked a little at the tongue across his lips. Neku could feel his heart beating faster by the second, leaning back slightly but unable to pull away thanks to the hand in his hair and the arm around his neck. His lips parted in a slight protest as he leant back on his hand, his eyes still wide.
With the sudden parting of Neku's lips, Yoshiya found a weakness to exploit. He giggled softly, tongue sliding into Neku's mouth once, twice, and again. Yoshiya looked up into Neku's eyes and pressed against his chest. "I want it to be comfortable for you. Not the floor, but the couch."
He nipped at Neku's throat and his collarbone, fingers sliding between his legs. "Please get comfortable, precious."
"U-uhm..." Neku was hesitant to comply, his stomach churning and his heart continuing to beat a fast pace. The fingers between his legs and the nip to his throat and collarbone made him jump slightly, fingers splayed out behind him before he swallowed deeply and moved, if only to get away from Yoshiya for a moment, moving back to the couch.
"It makes you sick, doesn't it?" Yoshiya whispered, his face a mask of serenity and calm. "To be touched? To be kissed and caressed? You want to run. To throw up. To escape."
"It's...it's just weird, that's all." Neku gave a nervous little laugh, sitting against the couch with his hands on the cushion underneath him before he scratched the back of his head. "I've...I've never done anything like this before, so..."
"I know. If it weren't for the fact that this Shibuya uses sexual energy for strength...I wouldn't do it to you. But..." Yoshiya turned away. "I value your innocence, Neku. I wouldn't take it if there were another way. But if you are to save Joshua-san. If you are to stop Sakuraba-san and make him better...then...you have to learn."
"I suppose so." It was just...he never dreamed of losing his virginity like this. Neku couldn't deny that he was feeling something warm down there and he closed his eyes before opening them again, smiling softly. "Teach me."
"I shall," Yoshiya giggled and rose slowly, twisting his body in a dance as he tried to tease Neku further. He slid his hands down his body with quiet moans of pleasure and catches of soft breath, and he whimpered as he moved to kneel on the couch next to Neku. "I will give you the best, deepest, hottest blow job you have ever and will ever have."
Neku's fingers dug into the couch a little in anticipation, watching Yoshiya's little teasing dance with a pink blush slowly creeping across his cheeks. The most embarrassing thought crossed his mind in that Joshua could pop up any moment, just like he did last night. He shifted himself so his legs were around Yoshiya, feeling as though it was more comfortable that way.
There was a slight pause, a gentle touch to Neku's thigh, and a whispery apology. Yoshiya tilted himself down, his mouth pressing to the cloth of Neku's shorts. He nudged the fabric with his nose and nuzzled it with a half-caught moan, as if hidden within the package was a treasure he wanted more than anything. "Please..."
Neku's elbows shifted so they were braced by the armrest of the couch that he was leaning upon, watching with slightly parted lips. He felt something shift in his pants, his stomach becoming warm as his fingers gripped the blankets underneath him. His breath became slightly warm, his cheeks reddening as a chill ran down his spine and through his blood.
"Oh...haven't you...ever...masturbated?" Yoshiya pressed a hand to the little swell to massage it slowly with undulating rhythm, up and down. "You know, in the bathroom or after a long night of homework?"
Neku could only shake his head, shifting a little as he felt his cock beginning to rise in his pants. "N-no...never...never thought about anything like that before..."
"So cliché. What are you, some comic book hero or video game character?" Yoshiya laughed and pulled the zipper down tooth by tooth. He then popped the button and parted the shorts as if opening a present. "Oh, Neku, you shouldn't have~."
The redhead bit his lower lip when he saw himself standing at attention, the cool air of the room (and possibly Yoshiya's breath) making him shiver. "Oh, haha. What? A guy isn't normal unless he masturbates?"
"Oh, Neku...of all of us...Joshua-san, Sakuraba-san, and my own Neku...you are the most normal of all of us. Never think otherwise, my sweet, sweet Conductor." Yoshiya whispered, his hand touching Neku's cheek. "Please...please never think that you are anything but a beautiful, wonderful person."
Sometimes, Neku had to wonder if Yoshiya was sincere when he said things like that, or if he was just saying it because he was so used to giving people compliments they probably didn't deserve. He smiled a little. "Thanks."
Yoshiya smiled and nodded. "And I'm not just saying it because you need to hear it, I'm saying it because it's true. Now spread those legs and take a deep breath. I'm going to suck on you like a Popsicle."
The boy Conductor obeyed, steadying himself by taking hold of the armrest of the couch that was behind him, opening his legs a little more. His stomach was doing flip flops but he managed to keep it down.
"Hey there, little guy," he giggled and tickled the head of Neku's cock before circling his finger under the foreskin, peeling it back. Yoshiya's tongue licked his lips and he tilted his head, his expression dark and dangerous. There was a glint in his eyes of something far more powerful than anything the stripper had shown before, but it was clearly Yoshiya's own power.
Neku was about to protest that his cock wasn't small before he squeaked at the touch, hips bucking involuntarily. He saw the look on Yoshiya's face, suddenly slightly scared but trusting him wholly.
Yoshiya sighed and his wings unfurled, tiny and cute, from the middle of his back to his elbows. They were small even for Reaper standards, but the intricate designs in the whirls and bends made up for the size. His mouth fell to Neku's cock and he began to suck on the head while his teeth nibbled the foreskin as gently as possible.
Neku's breath hitched and his head tilted back, his eyes fluttering closed as his fingers clenched the armrest of the couch. Yoshiya hadn't even really started yet and already he could feel something happening down below. "S-shit..."
He hummed and arched to slide his mouth further down, angling his throat in such a way that Neku's cock slid into the tight hole without much effort. Yoshiya could feel the throbbing of Neku's flesh and the wetness of his precum on the tip. It was strange to do this with such an innocent little thing squirming beneath him. He hadn't had a virgin in so long.
Neku's eyes scrunched up and a small whine left his throat, feeling his wings unfurl and flare out from his back to arch around them. They throbbed, flickering between black, grey and white as they retracted and opened repeatedly, eclipsing the room in their length and size.
Yoshiya shuddered at the power surrounding them and he reached out, taking Neku's hand in his to pull it to his own wings. He pulled back enough to ask, "Please...touch my wings..."
Remembering the shiver that had run up his spine last night when Yoshiya had kissed his wings, Neku complied. He kept himself leant back against the armrest but slightly pushed himself up by his elbow, fingers beginning to trace the intricate designs of Yoshiya's wings.
He arched up with a feminine cry of pleasure. His body shuddering with need and want as he began to thrust gently, forgetting his work for the moment as he rubbed against the touches.
Neku blinked a little at the reaction to his rubbing, watching the little stripper curiously as he moved his fingers up and along Yoshiya's wings, curling the tip of his index around the upper curve before dipping down along to Yoshiya's shoulder.
"Uhn...!" Yoshiya whined and bucked his hips, unable to hold himself still at the pleasure curling through his body from his wings. "N-neku...that...uhn....oh-ohkay...n-n..not so much...ah....I...I can't focus...on you..."
"Ah, sorry." Neku flushed deeply and retracted his hand, shifting back a little into the corner of the couch be was leaning against.
"T-that's okay," Yoshiya laughed and his face was flushed as he took a deep breath, leaning back down over Neku's arousal. "You just have very skilled fingers, sweetie. I'll have to remember that when I'm riding your cock."
"R-ride..." Neku's blush curled a deeper red, wondering how that worked. His legs curled inward slightly at the thought, though he knew that he needed this...'training'...
"Shh, I won't do it until you're ready, Neku." Yoshiya lapped at the head of Neku's erection with the rough of his tongue and he pumped at the base with his fingers. He curled his other hand under Neku's sac and rolled the knuckles over it, massaging the warm flesh.
The redhead let out a sharp cry, his wings spreading out behind him as his legs quivered. His head dropped back behind his shoulders, eyes closing as his face seemed to heat up more. One of his hands left the couch arm it was gripping to wander into Yoshiya's hair, caressing it softly.
Yoshiya's eyes were smiling as he looked up at Neku. He could feel the strength in Neku's soul increasing as he synced with Shibuya's music. The wings he bore were large and lovely, and Yoshiya longed to be blanketed by them one day while Neku took him on his back. Fucked him rough and hard. Pressing him into the mattress while he dug nails into his shoulders and begged for release. Yoshiya whimpered as he drove his mouth down and up, down and up, and then swallowed around the head of Neku's straining heat.
He could feel it...he was close...so close... Neku gave a warning of a sharp tug of Yoshiya's hair, telling him he was about to release.
His hand came up to curl around Neku's as if to tell him it was okay. He was a whore, after all. This was what his mouth was used to. He swallowed again, lifting and sliding, lifting and sliding, and swallowing in such a rhythm that even he couldn't keep up. He could feel Neku tighten and he urged it on with a nudge to the skin between cock and entrance, driving his fist into it.
With a sharp, shuddering sound coming from his mouth, Neku came, wings spreading wide as his head tilted back, a cold shiver curling through his blood as his eyes squeezed shut.
Yoshiya gasped and gagged as he swallowed and choked on the come, trying not to lose it on the couch. He made a strange, strangled sound as he gathered what he could and wiped up what fell with his hands before hurrying away to the bathroom. The sound of vomiting soon followed, and then a quick, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Neku came down from his high rather quickly and leaped off the couch, following Yoshiya to the bathroom where he knelt beside him, brushing hair away from his face and holding it back. "Don't be silly. I'm sorry. It's kinda my fault..." He bit his lower lip, rubbing soothing circles around Yoshiya's shoulders.
"I...I usually....I usually wait to...but...I...I didn't want to make a mess...cause...it's my house..." Yoshiya giggled nervously, "I'm sorry...I was being selfish...I thought I could handle it but...then it started to fall on the couch!"
The redhead blinked a little, then smiled softly. "It's okay to be selfish," Neku said, wrapping an arm around Yoshiya's shoulders gently. "And that was...well..." Mind blowing, to be honest, but he couldn't find words to come out of his mouth.
"It felt good, didn't it? I saw your wings." Yoshiya turned, moving to hug Neku. "They were glowing. Oh, Neku. You're so strong. So very powerful."
Neku frowned a little before wrapping his arms around Yoshiya in return, tucking his head into the crook of his neck. "If I'm so strong, then why do I feel...like I can't handle this?"
"Because you don't believe in yourself," Yoshiya whispered, kissing his neck, "but I do. Please, Neku. Believe. If not for you, for Sakuraba-san, and for Joshua-san."
He pulled back, smiling softly before touching Neku's face. "I'm going to wash my face and brush my teeth. Then I'm going to make some things for Neku. You get cleaned up, too, okay?"
Neku thought that he meant he was going to make something for him and was about to protest before he realized he must have been talking about his Neku. He rubbed his head. This whole counterpart thing was confusing. "Okay." He turned his head away as he stood, placing his hands on his hips. "I wish Josh had given me a bit of warning...I would have packed if I'd have known I was staying for a while..."
"I have some clothes you can borrow. We're the same size almost. If it's not enough I can go shopping for you. You should have a Conductor account." Yoshiya flushed the toilet and turned to the sink to begin brushing his teeth and tongue. "Didn't...Joshua...give you...anything?"
"Not a fucking thing." Neku crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, looking a bit like a miffed cat. "Like he would anyway, the bastard. I swear he likes to watch me suffer."
"Did you look in-" Yoshiya paused to rinse his mouth out and swish. "-your wallet? There should be what they call the Underground Unlimited Gold Card in there."
The redhead blinked, then moved back out to the couch to pick up his pants, digging his wallet out from them. Flipping through the contents, he scowled when he saw it sitting there innocently. "Fucking asshole...not telling me anything..."
"Did you find it?" Yoshiya called back from the bathroom as he patted his face dry from a nice scrubbing with some peach facial wash.
"Yeah. I don't even look in my wallet much," Neku called in return, pulling the gold card out from its place and examining it. It looked exactly like a normal credit or bank card, with a few minor differences. He pursed his lips together and slipped it back into the pocket. He was SO going to scream at Josh when he got back home.
"Hooray! We can go to Lapin Angelique and the Gothic Corner later to get you some new threads!" Yoshiya laughed. "Then maybe a nice dinner! That'll teach him!"
Neku blanched a little at the shop titles, remembering the last time he'd stepped into Lapin Angelique in his world. Princess K had immediately set upon him with frills and lace, much to Shiki's amusement.
Speaking of Shiki... He pulled his cell phone out of his shorts, wondering if he could get reception back to his world from here...he should at least text her and the others so they didn't worry...knowing Josh, he didn't feel like they needed informing.
Yoshiya stepped out of the bathroom, naked aside from his frilly underwear, as he wiped at the moisturizer on his face with a towel. "Oh, you can't call them. There's no transdimentional cell phone towers unless you have a link to heaven. At least, that's how Hanekoma-san explained it to me one night."
Neku looked at Yoshiya with a raised eyebrow before sighing and throwing his cell phone onto the couch, beginning to pull on yesterday's shorts. "Damnit..." He buttoned up his shorts before reaching for the top he'd worn and slipping that on as well. "I don't think Josh needed to worry about Sakuraba killing him...at this rate I'll do it myself."
"We have an unmaxable credit card and a full day of fun in which to use it. C'mon, Neku," Yoshiya teased, poking him in the stomach. "Let's go out and see Neku, then we can shop all day, then we can eat, then we can come back and have lots of sex, then we can go to a movie and eat some more, and then we can have more sex."
Neku playfully swatted at the hand poking his stomach, then a red flush curled along his cheeks again. "You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"
"No?" Yoshiya smiled wickedly and slapped Neku's bottom before skipping away to his bedroom to get some clothes. "Just wait here and I'll get dressed! If you want, make Neku a bento for me, please!"
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Most people thought the cemetery to be a sacred place. Others thought it was spooky and barely ventured in there while most people came here to pay their respects to the dead. Sakuraba had ventured into many a cemetery before, when he had been alive and after death. Even in this dimension, his mother's grave was in the same place, though it wasn't his mother who was nothing but bones under the concrete. He leant away from the wall he had been leaning against, taking hold of the cigarette between his lips and exhaling smoke, flicking ash away from it before his eyes travelled to the one next to it. So this was where this dimension's Neku was buried...
The sound of sandals on gravel echoed up the path of the cemetery, followed by that of heavy sneakers. Yoshiya's voice was low and soft as he explained that Neku didn't need to come close if he didn't want to, that he would take care of everything if he wanted to stay away. "It's probably a little creepy anyway, right?"
"Just a little," Neku admitted, hands in his pockets as he watched Yoshiya carefully, looking around the graveyard. "I never thought I'd be visiting my own grave. What is this? A Christmas Carol?" he tried to joke, grinning a bit.
Yoshiya smacked him in the arm and shook his head before pausing as he noticed someone standing near his Neku's grave. "Oh. We have visitors. That's nice. Did you bring an offering, too?"
He wouldn't let him disturb his visit. He refused to let Sakuraba ruin what might be his last visit with his beloved Neku.
Neku stepped ahead of Yoshiya a little, keeping his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face that was met by an equally cold look as Sakuraba brought the cigarette back to his lips. "...Roses. Mom always liked roses, I remember that much. I figured this world's version would be the same." In a way, he was paying respects to his own mother as well.
Yoshiya smiled and knelt down, setting the little bento down near Neku's stone. He then took the bottle of water he had and poured it out, offering prayers to the gods. "Oh, Neku, this must look so strange..." he whispered, looking up at the two glowering counterparts. "Dear God, this must look very strange. Sakuraba-san, please don't look so constipated. Neku, stop glaring. We should have enough respect of the dead to be civil until we walk outside the gate."
Sakuraba spluttered a little but pursed his lips together and looked away, fingers wrapped around his cigarette as Neku came closer, hands still in his pockets before he looked away as well and to Yoshiya and the grave.
He giggled and patted the stone, brushing away any dirt or loose grass and weeds.
"I might be coming to see you soon, Neku. If only for judgement." Yoshiya sighed and leaned down, pressing his cheek to the marker, his eyes tearing over as he shivered. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you from him. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry I couldn't make things right for you. I'm sorry I could make him stop. I'm sorry he...he did those things to you...and I know I could never gain your forgiveness. Please...please rest...please be happy...Neku. Please be happy wherever you are. I love you so much..."
Pathetic. Sakuraba's lip curled in a snarl of disgust and he crossed his arms over his chest, hand still curled around his cigarette. "Please. You don't fool anyone." Neku shot him a look, telling him to be quiet but he shrugged, leaning away from his post against the wall behind him.
Yoshiya sniffled and stroked a hand over the stone before standing up, turning to Sakuraba, and slapping him hard across the cheek.
His head remained where the slap had left it, looking at the boy out the corner of his eye, his gaze cold.
"You have no idea what we had to go through together as children! Being used against each other like we were! How dare you stand there and treat my feelings as if they were no more than ashes on the ground! I loved my Neku. I loved him so much it killed me to lose him and I don't care what you do to me so long as you leave this Neku alone." Yoshiya was shaking so hard that his legs were threatening to buckle and his arm was outstretched as if to shield Neku. "I won't lose another one of you again. I won't. I refuse. Please. Stop this, Sakuraba-san. Stop this madness!"
"Hmph." He was unimpressed by the little slut's speech, turning his head back around and raising his hand to his mouth again, flicking the butt to the ground and snuffing it out with his boot. Sakuraba placed his other hand in his pocket as he tilted his head. "You have no idea. You think you went through Hell, little slut?"
"I doubt I suffered what you did," he said, voice shaking as his anger left him. "Forgive me for my outburst but you shouldn't judge all Joshuas based on one. After all, how do you know everyone of your mothers were the same? You brought this one red roses, but I know the family who comes by here brings her yellow ones. We're all different, Sakuraba-san. We're not going to hurt you like he did."
Sakuraba scowled deeply, taking another cigarette from his back pocket and lighting it before slipping his lighter back into his jacket. "You know nothing," he sneered, his eyes closed, his face twitching as memories came flooding back and he raised a hand to his head. Something stirred inside and he growled under his breath before winking out of existence.
"Goddamnit!" Yoshiya screeched, stamping a foot. He turned to Neku, exasperated. "What the hell is his problem that he has to keep running every time? Doesn't he see I want to help him?"
"I think his problems run deeper than just being helped," Neku said, his arms crossed over his chest before he ran a hand through his hair. He'd noticed something in Sakuraba's eyes at that last moment, a haunted look Neku had never seen before. "A lot deeper." He turned his attention to Yoshiya, placing a hand on his arm.
"But...I want him to know...it's okay..." Yoshiya whispered, his voice soft. "That...that we're not all bad..."
"I don't know if anything can make him see," the redhead said, equally soft as he wrapped his arm around Yoshiya's shoulder, holding him close. He kissed Yoshiya's forehead. "I think you got things the wrong way around. I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you," he teased, poking his nose.
"Sorry..." Yoshiya giggled at the kiss. "I'm not much to protect. I'm just an overused whore. I bet if you leaned really close, when I'm being fucked, I squeak like a rusted hinge."
Neku laughed a little at that, then smiled and ruffled Yoshiya's hair. "I think you might end up getting through to him...it depends on whether or not he actually wants the help."
"Hm..." Yoshiya nodded in agreement and started to walk from the cemetery. "Neku, do you want to go shopping? I think we need to get you something cute for your final battle. No hero wears what you're wearing right now. You need something with buckles or zippers and with lots of leather and straps. And boots. Definitely boots."
"What makes you think that?" Honestly, Neku couldn't imagine himself in those types of clothes, and he scratched the back of his neck. Then again, with what Sakuraba wore...
"I just think it might look cute. You two squaring off in mid-air above the Scramble while I try not to get caught in the middle... oh! It makes me hard just thinking about it!" Yoshiya shivered in his pink sweatshirt and grey stirrup pants, not caring much for fashion on his days off. He went for blending in due to popularity. "But if you don't want to, that's fine. We could always practice some more."
Neku rose an eyebrow at that, but kept quiet, a little used to Yoshiya's antics by now even though he'd only known him for a day. "Well, I do need more clothes...I can't keep borrowing yours."
"And you need to teach Joshua a lesson, right? Shopping spree~" Yoshiya giggled. "After all, when's the next time you'll get to go shopping in a dimension that's not your own? We've got different shops."