[fic] Lose Me - Eighth Cut ~Home At Last~
Title: Lose Me
Pairing: Jin x Kame
Rating: NC-17
Genre - Catch Me: AU, angst, romance, smut, drama, tragedy
Beta by: my cat. okay, seriously, nobody
Disclaimer: I don't own KAT-TUN, any of its members, any other JE people. I write this for fun and for other fans of these fine folks. But don't steal my plots, mmkay? I put a great deal of time into them except for when I'm randomly spastically spitting words onto a page. But I value those too...
Summary - Catch Me: A dramatic turn in his life throws Kame into Jin's college world. Almost immediately they notice an attraction, but they spend more time clashing than not.
Summary - Lose Me: Kame and Jin still have the occasional argument but mostly they live happily together. But when someone from Kame's past shows up, will the two be able to deal?
Warning: While "Catch Me" part is more towards the fluffy end of the scale at times, the other three parts have such things as drugs and murder and rape and all the fun parts of a bad neighborhood in a big city. Oh, and character death(s).
On my journal: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the akame_ Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the akame_fanfics Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the kattun_fanfics Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
A/N: Just as I promised, the next cut.
Lose Me
Eighth Cut ~Home At Last~
Despite Kame’s assurances that he’d be fine in the hospital overnight, Jin refused to go back to campus without him. He did step outside long enough to make a few calls, though.
Firstly he called Yamapi to tell everyone Kame was in the hospital overnight and that he was staying to keep an eye on him.
“Maji de?!” Yamapi sounded shocked. “Is he okay? What happened?”
“He just got sick, that’s all. It’s why I couldn’t find him. He stumbled somewhere and kind of collapsed. But I found him and I brought him to the doctor, so he’ll be fine.”
Jin could hear Yamapi’s sigh of relief. “So then you two are fine now?”
“Yeah, we’re good now. You know I’m just an idiot sometimes, getting worked up over nothing…” he answered. He really didn’t want the others getting too interested in specifics. That was Kame’s choice, but Jin thought he probably wouldn’t tell them either. “He’s just exhausted. Doc says he’ll be fine.”
After promising to deliver messages of well-wishing from the gang to Kame (was that Koki’s voice in the background shouting?), Jin took a deep breath and called Ueda. The phone rang for a while before he finally answered. “…Jin?” he heard Ueda ask in a tentative voice.
“Ueda.” All his anger rushed back to him in one big wave. “Before you say anything, we are NOT alright. We are nowhere NEAR alright.”
“… so, why did you call then?” It sounded like he had been crying. Jin hoped so.
“Kame’s in the hospital overnight and I’m going to stay with him.”
Ueda sounded alarmed. “The hospital? What did Ryo do to him?”
“That’s not your business.” Jin fought off the sudden urge to punch a wall (since the people he’d like to punch were inconveniently somewhere else).
Hesitation. Finally, “Then why did you call?”
“Kame doesn’t know we slept together. When he’s better, I’m going to tell him. But there’s one thing I won’t tell him. I won’t tell him about your suspicions and your choice to ignore them just so you could get a booty call.”
“Thank you, Ji…”
But Ueda was drowned out by Jin shouting into the phone, “You can shove your thanks up your ass! I didn’t do it for you! Just…” Jin had to take a deep calming breath before he could continue, “Keep your mouth shut, okay? Or I swear I will end you… Do you understand?”
“Are you…”
Growling, Jin repeated, “Do. You. Understand.”
“Yes, but…”
“Kame will be attending classes again on Thursday. You will get Ryo to drop out of or transfer to another time slot any class he has in common with Kame. You will get this done before Thursday. Understood?”
“How am…”
“Don’t know how. Don’t care how. Get it done.”
“But…”
And Jin hung up on him.
+++
The next morning Jin and Kame took a cab back to campus. After making sure Kame was settled in at their dorm room, Jin headed to his afternoon classes. He really wanted to stay with Kame, but the younger had insisted he go. “If you miss too much, I’ll have to teach you and we wouldn’t want that, right?”
On his way out that afternoon, he passed Ryo in the common room. Without breaking stride, he slugged the other, splitting his lip. Ueda was in the common room at the time but didn’t say anything, which suited Jin perfectly.
When he got back to the common room, he saw the whole gang (minus Kame) sprawled out. It seemed like they had been waiting on him. Jin sighed. They probably wanted more details. What should he tell them?
“Where’s Kame?” Jin heard from behind him. Ryo had some nerve, coming up to him like that. He balled his hands into fists so hard that his fingernails were biting into the flesh of his palm and did his best to ignore him even though he really wanted to punch him again.
“Yeah, is he out of the hospital yet?” Junno asked. Yamapi, on the other hand, took one look at Jin’s fists at his side and the slight body tremble of his barely-contained anger and gave him a confused look, then looked past him at Ryo.
“Why is he in the hospital?” Ryo again.
Jin, his words slow and very deliberate, asked “How’s the lip?”
Apparently Ryo took the hint, because he grunted and went down the hall towards the kitchen. Jin was almost disappointed. He really, really wanted to punch him again.
He wanted to make sure he was there before Ryo, just in case. And if Ryo did show up at their door… well, punching him again still seemed like a really good idea.
“Oh, um… yeah. But he’s sleeping. Or, he’s supposed to be, at least.”
Koki said, “I want to see him.”
“Yes, please call us when he’s up for company, won’t you?” from Maru.
Giving the peace sign, Yamapi added, “Take care of him for us or we’ll have to really hurt you. But tell him we said hello.”
And Jin scurried off to the room before anyone could ask him a question he really didn’t want to answer.
+++
Kame smiled from his chair when Jin entered the room. It felt so good to be with him again. If anyone could keep him safe, it was Jin.
But he still felt guilty. Jin was far better than what he deserved after all he’d put him through. But as his thoughts drifted in that direction, panic started to build. So Kame swallowed it all down and completely derailed that line of thought. Instead he focused on the kindness of Jin’s face and the big, goofy, concerned grin he was wearing.
“Pi-chan and the others said hi,” Jin told him, pulling a chair up beside him. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
Kame laughed. “I got bored. Plus, I was getting crumbs in the bed.”
“Well, at least you’re eating…” and Jin kissed him on the forehead again.
Kame thought he’d maintained composure pretty well but that kiss… suddenly he was crying. “Oh, Jin… I missed you so much. I’m so sorry!” He threw his arms around Jin in a fierce hug, almost pulling him from his own chair onto Kame’s.
“Mou….” Jin slid his arms around Kame as well. “Told you it wasn’t your fault, didn’t I? Shh…”
Jin kept saying that. He said that yesterday in the hospital. He said that this morning before he ran off to class. He said it now. But Kame couldn’t help it. He felt responsible. It was his body, after all… right? Didn’t that make it his fault? And Ryo had said…
“Maybe… maybe you’d be happier with Tat-chan…?” Kame said hesitantly, still sniffling.
Kame could feel Jin’s whole body tense in his arms and at his back he could feel Jin’s hands, slightly trembling, tighten into fists. “I was going to… give you a few days to get better. I wasn’t hiding it, I swear. And… and… I wouldn’t have done… if I had known. I thought I lost you!”
Kame looked him eye-to-eye. It felt like he was searching for something.
“I was hurting and he was there. I’m so sorry, Kazuya…” But then he unclenched and let the tension out before answering in a playful voice, “Besides, there’s no way I could be happier with him. Not possible. He’s not you. Kazu-chan beats Ueda every time!"
It did hurt. It hurt when Ryo first told him (well, a lot of things hurt then) and it hurt now when Jin confirmed it. But he could understand it and he was just too weary to hold a grudge over it. Let it be the past, then, and he would try to forget what Ryo said.
He stayed in Jin’s arms for another minute or so and then went back to eating. And when he was done with that, at Jin’s insistence, he got back in bed. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, especially when Jin crawled into bed with him and held him as he closed his eyes.
+++
After Kame fell asleep, Jin carefully slipped out of bed. He had business to attend to. He had to get that tape and destroy it before Ryo had time to plot anything else.
Unfortunately, the only way he could think to get it involved breaking in when Ryo wasn’t in his room. And the only way Jin could think to get him out of his room was to have Ueda do it. Asking favors of Ueda at the moment… that just didn’t sit right at all.
But Jin would do anything for Kame and he needed his help now, so Jin swallowed his anger. Grabbing his cell phone, he stepped out into the hallway so he wouldn’t accidentally wake Kame.
After a few rings, Ueda answered. “Moshi moshi…”
“I need your help.”
“… I thought you were mad at me.”
“Yeah, I still am. But I need your help. You’re the only one who can do this.”
There was a momentary pause from Ueda and then, “What do you want me to do?”
“I need Ryo out of his room. Now. For at least fifteen minutes. More, if you can manage. Can you ask him to meet you somewhere and keep him busy?”
“Why do you need Ryo out of his room?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Ueda snorted. “Not my business but you still want me to do it?”
“Nobody else can do it, not without a lot of questions.”
Ueda sighed. “I never had a chance, did I?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing…” A pause, then Ueda continued, “I’ll text him now. When I can’t hold him any longer, I’ll text you a heads up to let you know he’s on his way back.” Another pause. “Can I come see Kame when I’m done?”
“We’ll talk about it after. Just do this for me. For Kame…” and he hung up.
Jin waited around the corner in the hall to Ryo’s room. Once Ryo exited and walked out of sight, he walked quietly and purposefully to the door. He hoped it wasn’t locked. He didn’t think he could break it down, though he’d sure as hell try if that’s what it took.
Luckily, it wasn’t, so he slipped inside…
… only to be greeted by a voice, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Oh, no… Jin felt like a complete idiot; he didn’t even think about Ryo’s roommate! “Wait, wait! It’s not what it looks like! I’m not here to steal stuff or anything like that. I just…”
“Just what?”
And what, exactly, should he say? Completely at a loss, he admitted, “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“Well, I just got back. So, you ARE a thief, then?”
“No no no, I just need to get something Ryo has.”
The roommate said, “That’s kind of what a thief does. I’m going to get security…”
“Please, wait! He hurt my Kazu-chan; I just need to get this stuff so he can’t anymore. Please! I don’t have a lot of time before he comes back,” Jin begged, bowing very low. “Please?” Still bowing, he looked up at the roommate.
“Kazu-chan?” Ryo’s roommate stopped mid-stride, a curious look on his face. “I don’t suppose you’re after a folder?” He walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and pulled a folder out of a drawer.
“Folder? Let me see…” He handed it to Jin and, sure enough, “Kazu” was written across it. A quick glance show pictures of Kame and Ryo, together. Either a third party was involved, taking pictures, or these were screenshots from the video. Either way, why would Ryo need them? Wasn’t the video threat enough? “Please, please tell me you didn’t look in the folder…”
Sporting a sheepish expression, he said, “Not on purpose, no… This is kind of embarrassing… it was on top of the TV and I accidentally knocked it off and the pictures kind of went everywhere so I put them back in the envelope and put it in the desk drawer.”
“I swear, if you tell anyone about these…” Jin growled.
Scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, the man said, “Why would I tell anyone? I don’t even know who this is. I just know what’s written on the folder.”
“What about the tape? Is it still in the player?”
“I don’t know anything about a tape. But I haven’t used the TV since I got back, so it might be.”
Jin didn’t want to press play to check for sure (he didn’t want Ryo’s roommate to see it but, really, the main reason was that he was afraid to see it himself), but the tape in the player had no label so he decided to take it, just to be sure.
“Don’t tell Ryo I was here. I won’t be back to bother you.” Jin started to walk out, but then he stopped. “Er… Look. Sorry for barging in here uninvited and all.” Suddenly his phone vibrated in his pocket.
That had to be Ueda. “Oops, gotta run. Ryo’s on his way back.” One last look towards the roommate, “And I was never here, please?”
And Jin left. He raced through the halls as fast as he could back to his own room.
And, as if the evening wasn’t eventful enough, he arrived at the room to find the door open… because Ueda was in there, sitting in a chair by the bed, chatting happily with a sitting Kame.
Jin took several deep calming breaths before stepping into the room. “Oi, Kazu-chan, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“I am. I’m in bed, aren’t I? Look, Tat-chan came to see me!” Kame pouted playfully, but suddenly his entire expression changed. He looked almost panicked?
“Kazu…?”
It seemed like Kame was not far off from hyperventilating. Ueda quickly asked, “Kame? Kame? What’s wrong?”
“… is that…?” Kame had a death-grip on the blanket.
Jin looked down. In his anger at finding Ueda in the room, he’d completely forgotten the tape in his hand. Practically running to his desk, he shoved the whole lot, tape and folder, into a drawer and then went to sit next to Kame on the bed, opposite from Ueda’s chair. “Don’t worry about that, nee?” And he gently pried the blanket out of Kame’s nearest hand. He took that hand with both of his own. “Nee?”
Ueda shot him questioning eyes but he studiously ignored them. What part of “not your business” was he having trouble with, anyway? He’d already done enough damage. Why was he even here? Had he said anything to Kame about…?
No, he couldn’t have. Kame was smiling and having a good time when Jin walked in. Ueda had told him nothing.
If it made Kame smile, he would just swallow his anger down. After all, that was the decision he made, watching over Kame at the hospital.
+++
Kame focused on the feel of Jin’s hands on his for a moment. It really did help. He didn’t mean to overreact; it’s just that seeing the… evidence… so unexpectedly… And now he’d alarmed Tat-chan and didn’t know what to tell him.
“I’m okay. I’m okay.” He gave a small laugh. “I didn’t mean to worry you two.” Then, to Ueda, “Maybe Jin is right. I should probably get some rest. I… just… thank you, okay?”
Because that’s why Ueda had come. He wanted to apologize for what he did with Jin the other day. He didn’t want it to get in the way of their friendship. He promised never to do it again, even if Kame and Jin fight again in the future. Truth of the matter was, Kame thought Ueda’s apologies sounded a little desperate, even though what Ueda had done was not nearly as bad as what he himself had… really, if anyone should be apologizing, it was him and not Ueda.
And Kame really did want to stay friends. So he’d accepted the apology and put it all behind him.
Ueda nodded and, after giving an odd look to Jin, left.
Kame watched Ueda walk out. As soon as the door closed, he laid back, rolling on his side to face Jin.
“Why were you thanking Ueda?” Jin asked him.
“He came to apologize to me.”
“Apologize?”
“You know… for sleeping with you…? When I…” but he couldn’t say it, so instead, “That is, when we were fighting the other night?”
Jin kicked off his shoes and told Kame to scoot over. Kame did. Jin crawled into bed with him and they both lay there, holding hands and gazing lovingly at each other. Jin murmured softly, “Oh, right. Well, his kisses must not be memorable like yours are. I still remember our first kiss…”
Kame laughed, and this time it really and truly was a heart-felt laugh. “When you came home with that girl? That wasn’t just our first. It was also our second kiss, too.”
“Because you kissed me back. Not my fault.”
“Of course it was your fault, Bakanishi. You tasted so good that I had to try again. Completely your fault.”
“Well, this one is your fault then.” And their lips met in a slow but amazingly sweet kiss. Kame closed his eyes and let himself feel it and enjoy it. When the kiss finally ended, Jin let go of Kame’s hand and pulled him in closer, putting his arm around his waist while allowing Kame to snuggle up to his chest. Taking in a deep breath, Kame could smell Jin’s scent and it helped him relax better than anything else either of them could have done. They lay there wordlessly for a while.
When he felt like he could ask without freaking out, Kame pulled back just enough to be able to look at Jin’s face. “About the stuff in the desk…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to take it off campus during our free day tomorrow and set it all on fire. That should take care of it.”
Kame nodded slowly and put it from his mind. Jin said he’d handle it, so Kame didn’t have to worry anymore. He didn’t even bother asking how Jin had gotten them. He was just grateful.
Yawning, he snuggled back up against Jin’s chest and went back to sleep.
+++
By the next day, Kame was incredibly restless and no amount of arguing from Jin could convince him to stay in the dorms while Jin went off-campus to burn the stuff. So Jin grudgingly allowed him to tag along.
He supposed it was only right that Kame get came along. Maybe it would give him something he needed, something that Jin couldn’t give him. What that could be, Jin had no idea. It was just that there were little things, here and there. Odd reactions. Extra tension Jin could feel in Kame’s body when he held him. An overall jumpiness he didn’t have last week.
Jin hadn’t asked Kame exactly what had happened. What he knew was bad enough and he didn’t want to put Kame through the ordeal of reliving it to tell him the rest. Not that he wasn’t curious. Maybe it was best that he didn’t know, though. He was already seriously considering putting Ryo in the ground… and, if he was totally honest with himself, even though he believed Kame when he said he didn’t want it, every now and again it hurt somewhere deep within him. Either way, it really was best to put it behind them.
So after breakfast, Jin put the folder, tape, some lighter fluid, and a matchbox into his sling bag and the two of them headed off campus.
After following Jin for a while, Kame said, “Jin? Hey, isn’t this the way to…”
Smiling, Jin said, “You recognize the path? We only went here once! And it was almost dark!”
“A memorable once…” Kame blushed.
“I like that I can still make you blush,” Jin smiled. His Kazu-chan really was both beautiful and adorable. Jin wondered how he ever got so lucky as to not only meet him but to have been given a chance to win his heart.
But, on to business. “I think it’s a good place to destroy this stuff. Somewhere nobody will ask questions. You’ll be comfortable there, at least for part of the day.” It was, after all, the place where they made love for the first time. They hadn’t been back since then but the memory of that night was precious to both of them.
When they got there, Jin grabbed a stick (he really should have thought to bring some kind of shovel… but, then again, where would he have found one? He was lucky to have found the lighter fluid as it was) and used it to dig a hole near the concrete wall. He dropped the envelope in as it was. As for the tape, he violently pulled the ribbon out before throwing it in as well. Dousing the lot of it with the lighter fluid, he snatched up the matchbox.
But Kame grabbed his hand before he could open the matchbox. With trembling hands, he took the matches away from Jin. Lighting one himself, he held it over the hole for a moment before dropping it in. The folder caught fire immediately and the casing of the tape started to warp. Fortunately, Jin had dug the hole rather deep, so the flames didn’t come up too high.
For a moment, Kame just sat there, open matchbox still in hand, staring expressionlessly at the flames. Then it was like something snapped in him. He started frantically lighting more matches, throwing them into the hole one after another, his whole body shaking. His breathing became erratic and tears were falling from angry, hurt eyes.
“Kazu-chan? Kazu!” Jin cried out, alarmed. “Stop! Stop! It’s burning! Okay? It’s burning!” He took Kame by the shoulders and turned him gently towards him and away from the flaming hole. He went to take the box of matches from Kame’s hand.
Unexpectedly, Kame jerked his hand away and slapped Jin hard across the face. Jin momentarily froze in shock while Kame went back to throwing lit matches into the hole. He was still crying.
Jin couldn’t believe his Kazu-chan had actually slapped him.
“Kazu, stop it!” Again, Jin turned Kame towards him and went for the matchbox. Kame didn’t slap him again but he seemed determined not to give up the matches. After a brief struggle, the whole box went flying, spreading unlit matches all over.
“They all fell… They… they’re on the ground…” Kame shoulders slumped and he started crying harder.
Jin pulled Kame to him, stroking his hair while he sobbed into Jin’s shirt.
“Please, Kazu-chan. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what you need. How can I make you happy again?” Great. Now Jin was crying too. But he really didn’t know what else to do and obviously what he was doing already wasn’t enough.
Despite his sobs, Kame somehow managed to say, “I’m s-s-s-sorry I slapped y-y-you. D-d-didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay,” Jin sniffled, “You hit like a girl.” He laughed, hoping Kame would as well.
“Do not…” and to Jin’s great relief, a bit of laughter did creep into Kame’s voice. He was still crying but it wasn’t the desperate sobs wracking his whole body anymore, at least.
Truth of the matter was, it really was a solid slap. The whole side of his face was probably red in the shape of a hand. Even so, Jin replied, “Oh, yeah. Just like a girl.”
“Want me to do it again then?” Kame was pouting, trying to wipe away his tears. He was meeting with limited success though, because he hadn’t actually stopped crying.
“Don’t be like that, Kazu…” Jin teased. “It was just a joke…” A pause and a sly grin. “…just like your slap was!” He snickered.
“Mou…!” Kame pushed him. Jin could have stopped him but he was just happy Kame had almost completely stopped crying. So he rolled back with the push to lie on the grass, pulling Kame along with him so they could both look up at the beautiful blue sky.
“Kirei da ne…” Jin whispered to Kame.
“Hontou ni…” Kame whispered back.
“I wasn’t talking about the sky, Kazu-chan.” Jin reached over and gently brushed the palm of his hand against the far side of Kame’s face. Kame turned his head to look him Jin eye-to-eye. Jin tried to put everything he felt into that gaze, hoping that Kame could see it. He wanted Kame to know just how loved he really was.
“Neither was I.”
With a big, goofy grin, Jin said, “If I’m so beautiful, why aren’t you kissing me yet?”
To Jin’s utter delight, a smile crept onto Kame’s face as he replied, “Because I’d melt and then what would you do?”
He remembered! All this time later and Kame still remembered what Jin had said to him! Jin’s heart almost skipped a beat as he responded with Kame’s previous line, “I’d melt with you, baka…”
And just like that first time those words were spoken, they kissed. Jin would have liked more, but Kame was supposed to be resting still so instead, they lay there holding each other, looking for shapes in the clouds while they waited for the fire burning in the hole to die.
When it finally had, Jin shoved the dirt back in, right over the ashes and the melted plastic. The two of them gathered up all of the fallen matches they could find and went back to campus and the dorms.
+++
The first thing that greeted them when they got back to the dorm common room was the loud boom of Yamapi’s greeting. “Oi, Jin, there you guys are. Where have you been hiding Kame all this time? We went by your room…”
And Kame was practically run over by Yamapi, Junno, and Koki in their eagerness to see him. Maru stood but didn’t fling himself quite so hard while Ueda just waved from the couch. He could hear Jin scolding the whole lot of them but Kame was happy, holding onto the thought that at least he could say he had true friends that cared about him and that he cared about.
He had no idea what they were saying because they were all talking at once. He couldn’t help himself - he just started laughing and once he had, he found he couldn’t stop. Moreover, he didn’t want to. He just laughed and laughed and enjoyed it.
“Sorry, Jin. I think we broke your boyfriend!” Koki laughed, poking Kame in the ribs. “How ya feeling, Turtle?” But then he suddenly pulled his hand back, asking, “Eh, you’re not contagious, are you?”
“Oh, yeah... Deathly contagious. You’re all going to die!” Kame poked him back, still laughing. Rumblings from his stomach interrupted him. “Hmm, I’ll be right back guys. I’m gonna get something to eat from the kitchen.”
“I’ll bring you something. You stay and play catch-up,” Jin told him and then took off smiling towards the dorm kitchen.
Kame plopped down on the couch next to Ueda. Some discussion about going out for karaoke started, which sounded like a great idea to him. He was supposed to be resting, he knew… but, karaoke was practically resting, right? It felt like ages since he’d last gone, anyway.
But then, a voice behind him made him freeze. “Karaoke? Sounds fun. Can I come?”
It was Ryo.
It was Ryo!
Kame was vaguely aware of his friends nodding in response but he was still frozen in place. He couldn’t even bring himself to turn around to see Ryo standing there. His heart started to race and his chest felt tight, almost like he couldn’t get enough air.
He had to get out of there. He had to get out now!
Without a word, he stood and bolted to his dorm, ignoring the confused calls of his friends. Once he got to the room, he locked himself in and sat with his back against the door. He wasn’t crying but it really felt like his heart might explode and he couldn’t breathe. He started rocking back and forth.
What was he going to do? Thursday he would be going back to class. That was the day after tomorrow and Ryo’s was in one of them. He usually sat pretty close to Kame, so there would be no way for him to escape Ryo’s scent. Then there would be no way to force down the memories. He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. Just couldn’t…
+++
Ueda watched as Kame fled, almost tripping over him in his haste to vacate the couch. While Koki and Junno went to get Jin, Yamapi and Maru ran after Kame.
Kame running off right after Ryo entered couldn’t be a coincidence. Just what had Ryo done to him? Ueda was absolutely convinced there was more than just drugging him and that, whatever it was, it was why Kame ended up in the hospital.
What had Jin said? Back to class on Thursday?
How was he ever going to get Ryo reassigned?
Well, he supposed, there was one way, loathe though he may be to use it… Sighing, he stepped outside the dorm building and made a call on his cell phone. After being shuffled around from one underling to another, he finally made it through to the company president. “Otou-san? I need a favor...”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The story continues:
Ninth Cut ~Peace In Passing~
A/N: So, what do you think? How long can Jin stay mad at Ueda for keeping his mouth shut? Do you think Jin's justified or is he overreacting or is it misplaced blame that really should be directed at himself? Will Ueda succeed at his task? Will Kame tell the others what happened to him? Is Ryo done or is he hatching some new scheme? I'd love to know where you think this is heading, my valued readers!
Pairing: Jin x Kame
Rating: NC-17
Genre - Catch Me: AU, angst, romance, smut, drama, tragedy
Beta by: my cat. okay, seriously, nobody
Disclaimer: I don't own KAT-TUN, any of its members, any other JE people. I write this for fun and for other fans of these fine folks. But don't steal my plots, mmkay? I put a great deal of time into them except for when I'm randomly spastically spitting words onto a page. But I value those too...
Summary - Catch Me: A dramatic turn in his life throws Kame into Jin's college world. Almost immediately they notice an attraction, but they spend more time clashing than not.
Summary - Lose Me: Kame and Jin still have the occasional argument but mostly they live happily together. But when someone from Kame's past shows up, will the two be able to deal?
Warning: While "Catch Me" part is more towards the fluffy end of the scale at times, the other three parts have such things as drugs and murder and rape and all the fun parts of a bad neighborhood in a big city. Oh, and character death(s).
On my journal: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the akame_ Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the akame_fanfics Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
On the kattun_fanfics Community: Catch Me, Lose Me, Find Me, Heal Me
A/N: Just as I promised, the next cut.
Lose Me
Eighth Cut ~Home At Last~
Despite Kame’s assurances that he’d be fine in the hospital overnight, Jin refused to go back to campus without him. He did step outside long enough to make a few calls, though.
Firstly he called Yamapi to tell everyone Kame was in the hospital overnight and that he was staying to keep an eye on him.
“Maji de?!” Yamapi sounded shocked. “Is he okay? What happened?”
“He just got sick, that’s all. It’s why I couldn’t find him. He stumbled somewhere and kind of collapsed. But I found him and I brought him to the doctor, so he’ll be fine.”
Jin could hear Yamapi’s sigh of relief. “So then you two are fine now?”
“Yeah, we’re good now. You know I’m just an idiot sometimes, getting worked up over nothing…” he answered. He really didn’t want the others getting too interested in specifics. That was Kame’s choice, but Jin thought he probably wouldn’t tell them either. “He’s just exhausted. Doc says he’ll be fine.”
After promising to deliver messages of well-wishing from the gang to Kame (was that Koki’s voice in the background shouting?), Jin took a deep breath and called Ueda. The phone rang for a while before he finally answered. “…Jin?” he heard Ueda ask in a tentative voice.
“Ueda.” All his anger rushed back to him in one big wave. “Before you say anything, we are NOT alright. We are nowhere NEAR alright.”
“… so, why did you call then?” It sounded like he had been crying. Jin hoped so.
“Kame’s in the hospital overnight and I’m going to stay with him.”
Ueda sounded alarmed. “The hospital? What did Ryo do to him?”
“That’s not your business.” Jin fought off the sudden urge to punch a wall (since the people he’d like to punch were inconveniently somewhere else).
Hesitation. Finally, “Then why did you call?”
“Kame doesn’t know we slept together. When he’s better, I’m going to tell him. But there’s one thing I won’t tell him. I won’t tell him about your suspicions and your choice to ignore them just so you could get a booty call.”
“Thank you, Ji…”
But Ueda was drowned out by Jin shouting into the phone, “You can shove your thanks up your ass! I didn’t do it for you! Just…” Jin had to take a deep calming breath before he could continue, “Keep your mouth shut, okay? Or I swear I will end you… Do you understand?”
“Are you…”
Growling, Jin repeated, “Do. You. Understand.”
“Yes, but…”
“Kame will be attending classes again on Thursday. You will get Ryo to drop out of or transfer to another time slot any class he has in common with Kame. You will get this done before Thursday. Understood?”
“How am…”
“Don’t know how. Don’t care how. Get it done.”
“But…”
And Jin hung up on him.
+++
The next morning Jin and Kame took a cab back to campus. After making sure Kame was settled in at their dorm room, Jin headed to his afternoon classes. He really wanted to stay with Kame, but the younger had insisted he go. “If you miss too much, I’ll have to teach you and we wouldn’t want that, right?”
On his way out that afternoon, he passed Ryo in the common room. Without breaking stride, he slugged the other, splitting his lip. Ueda was in the common room at the time but didn’t say anything, which suited Jin perfectly.
When he got back to the common room, he saw the whole gang (minus Kame) sprawled out. It seemed like they had been waiting on him. Jin sighed. They probably wanted more details. What should he tell them?
“Where’s Kame?” Jin heard from behind him. Ryo had some nerve, coming up to him like that. He balled his hands into fists so hard that his fingernails were biting into the flesh of his palm and did his best to ignore him even though he really wanted to punch him again.
“Yeah, is he out of the hospital yet?” Junno asked. Yamapi, on the other hand, took one look at Jin’s fists at his side and the slight body tremble of his barely-contained anger and gave him a confused look, then looked past him at Ryo.
“Why is he in the hospital?” Ryo again.
Jin, his words slow and very deliberate, asked “How’s the lip?”
Apparently Ryo took the hint, because he grunted and went down the hall towards the kitchen. Jin was almost disappointed. He really, really wanted to punch him again.
He wanted to make sure he was there before Ryo, just in case. And if Ryo did show up at their door… well, punching him again still seemed like a really good idea.
“Oh, um… yeah. But he’s sleeping. Or, he’s supposed to be, at least.”
Koki said, “I want to see him.”
“Yes, please call us when he’s up for company, won’t you?” from Maru.
Giving the peace sign, Yamapi added, “Take care of him for us or we’ll have to really hurt you. But tell him we said hello.”
And Jin scurried off to the room before anyone could ask him a question he really didn’t want to answer.
+++
Kame smiled from his chair when Jin entered the room. It felt so good to be with him again. If anyone could keep him safe, it was Jin.
But he still felt guilty. Jin was far better than what he deserved after all he’d put him through. But as his thoughts drifted in that direction, panic started to build. So Kame swallowed it all down and completely derailed that line of thought. Instead he focused on the kindness of Jin’s face and the big, goofy, concerned grin he was wearing.
“Pi-chan and the others said hi,” Jin told him, pulling a chair up beside him. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
Kame laughed. “I got bored. Plus, I was getting crumbs in the bed.”
“Well, at least you’re eating…” and Jin kissed him on the forehead again.
Kame thought he’d maintained composure pretty well but that kiss… suddenly he was crying. “Oh, Jin… I missed you so much. I’m so sorry!” He threw his arms around Jin in a fierce hug, almost pulling him from his own chair onto Kame’s.
“Mou….” Jin slid his arms around Kame as well. “Told you it wasn’t your fault, didn’t I? Shh…”
Jin kept saying that. He said that yesterday in the hospital. He said that this morning before he ran off to class. He said it now. But Kame couldn’t help it. He felt responsible. It was his body, after all… right? Didn’t that make it his fault? And Ryo had said…
“Maybe… maybe you’d be happier with Tat-chan…?” Kame said hesitantly, still sniffling.
Kame could feel Jin’s whole body tense in his arms and at his back he could feel Jin’s hands, slightly trembling, tighten into fists. “I was going to… give you a few days to get better. I wasn’t hiding it, I swear. And… and… I wouldn’t have done… if I had known. I thought I lost you!”
Kame looked him eye-to-eye. It felt like he was searching for something.
“I was hurting and he was there. I’m so sorry, Kazuya…” But then he unclenched and let the tension out before answering in a playful voice, “Besides, there’s no way I could be happier with him. Not possible. He’s not you. Kazu-chan beats Ueda every time!"
It did hurt. It hurt when Ryo first told him (well, a lot of things hurt then) and it hurt now when Jin confirmed it. But he could understand it and he was just too weary to hold a grudge over it. Let it be the past, then, and he would try to forget what Ryo said.
He stayed in Jin’s arms for another minute or so and then went back to eating. And when he was done with that, at Jin’s insistence, he got back in bed. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, especially when Jin crawled into bed with him and held him as he closed his eyes.
+++
After Kame fell asleep, Jin carefully slipped out of bed. He had business to attend to. He had to get that tape and destroy it before Ryo had time to plot anything else.
Unfortunately, the only way he could think to get it involved breaking in when Ryo wasn’t in his room. And the only way Jin could think to get him out of his room was to have Ueda do it. Asking favors of Ueda at the moment… that just didn’t sit right at all.
But Jin would do anything for Kame and he needed his help now, so Jin swallowed his anger. Grabbing his cell phone, he stepped out into the hallway so he wouldn’t accidentally wake Kame.
After a few rings, Ueda answered. “Moshi moshi…”
“I need your help.”
“… I thought you were mad at me.”
“Yeah, I still am. But I need your help. You’re the only one who can do this.”
There was a momentary pause from Ueda and then, “What do you want me to do?”
“I need Ryo out of his room. Now. For at least fifteen minutes. More, if you can manage. Can you ask him to meet you somewhere and keep him busy?”
“Why do you need Ryo out of his room?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Ueda snorted. “Not my business but you still want me to do it?”
“Nobody else can do it, not without a lot of questions.”
Ueda sighed. “I never had a chance, did I?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing…” A pause, then Ueda continued, “I’ll text him now. When I can’t hold him any longer, I’ll text you a heads up to let you know he’s on his way back.” Another pause. “Can I come see Kame when I’m done?”
“We’ll talk about it after. Just do this for me. For Kame…” and he hung up.
Jin waited around the corner in the hall to Ryo’s room. Once Ryo exited and walked out of sight, he walked quietly and purposefully to the door. He hoped it wasn’t locked. He didn’t think he could break it down, though he’d sure as hell try if that’s what it took.
Luckily, it wasn’t, so he slipped inside…
… only to be greeted by a voice, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Oh, no… Jin felt like a complete idiot; he didn’t even think about Ryo’s roommate! “Wait, wait! It’s not what it looks like! I’m not here to steal stuff or anything like that. I just…”
“Just what?”
And what, exactly, should he say? Completely at a loss, he admitted, “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“Well, I just got back. So, you ARE a thief, then?”
“No no no, I just need to get something Ryo has.”
The roommate said, “That’s kind of what a thief does. I’m going to get security…”
“Please, wait! He hurt my Kazu-chan; I just need to get this stuff so he can’t anymore. Please! I don’t have a lot of time before he comes back,” Jin begged, bowing very low. “Please?” Still bowing, he looked up at the roommate.
“Kazu-chan?” Ryo’s roommate stopped mid-stride, a curious look on his face. “I don’t suppose you’re after a folder?” He walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and pulled a folder out of a drawer.
“Folder? Let me see…” He handed it to Jin and, sure enough, “Kazu” was written across it. A quick glance show pictures of Kame and Ryo, together. Either a third party was involved, taking pictures, or these were screenshots from the video. Either way, why would Ryo need them? Wasn’t the video threat enough? “Please, please tell me you didn’t look in the folder…”
Sporting a sheepish expression, he said, “Not on purpose, no… This is kind of embarrassing… it was on top of the TV and I accidentally knocked it off and the pictures kind of went everywhere so I put them back in the envelope and put it in the desk drawer.”
“I swear, if you tell anyone about these…” Jin growled.
Scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, the man said, “Why would I tell anyone? I don’t even know who this is. I just know what’s written on the folder.”
“What about the tape? Is it still in the player?”
“I don’t know anything about a tape. But I haven’t used the TV since I got back, so it might be.”
Jin didn’t want to press play to check for sure (he didn’t want Ryo’s roommate to see it but, really, the main reason was that he was afraid to see it himself), but the tape in the player had no label so he decided to take it, just to be sure.
“Don’t tell Ryo I was here. I won’t be back to bother you.” Jin started to walk out, but then he stopped. “Er… Look. Sorry for barging in here uninvited and all.” Suddenly his phone vibrated in his pocket.
That had to be Ueda. “Oops, gotta run. Ryo’s on his way back.” One last look towards the roommate, “And I was never here, please?”
And Jin left. He raced through the halls as fast as he could back to his own room.
And, as if the evening wasn’t eventful enough, he arrived at the room to find the door open… because Ueda was in there, sitting in a chair by the bed, chatting happily with a sitting Kame.
Jin took several deep calming breaths before stepping into the room. “Oi, Kazu-chan, you’re supposed to be resting.”
“I am. I’m in bed, aren’t I? Look, Tat-chan came to see me!” Kame pouted playfully, but suddenly his entire expression changed. He looked almost panicked?
“Kazu…?”
It seemed like Kame was not far off from hyperventilating. Ueda quickly asked, “Kame? Kame? What’s wrong?”
“… is that…?” Kame had a death-grip on the blanket.
Jin looked down. In his anger at finding Ueda in the room, he’d completely forgotten the tape in his hand. Practically running to his desk, he shoved the whole lot, tape and folder, into a drawer and then went to sit next to Kame on the bed, opposite from Ueda’s chair. “Don’t worry about that, nee?” And he gently pried the blanket out of Kame’s nearest hand. He took that hand with both of his own. “Nee?”
Ueda shot him questioning eyes but he studiously ignored them. What part of “not your business” was he having trouble with, anyway? He’d already done enough damage. Why was he even here? Had he said anything to Kame about…?
No, he couldn’t have. Kame was smiling and having a good time when Jin walked in. Ueda had told him nothing.
If it made Kame smile, he would just swallow his anger down. After all, that was the decision he made, watching over Kame at the hospital.
+++
Kame focused on the feel of Jin’s hands on his for a moment. It really did help. He didn’t mean to overreact; it’s just that seeing the… evidence… so unexpectedly… And now he’d alarmed Tat-chan and didn’t know what to tell him.
“I’m okay. I’m okay.” He gave a small laugh. “I didn’t mean to worry you two.” Then, to Ueda, “Maybe Jin is right. I should probably get some rest. I… just… thank you, okay?”
Because that’s why Ueda had come. He wanted to apologize for what he did with Jin the other day. He didn’t want it to get in the way of their friendship. He promised never to do it again, even if Kame and Jin fight again in the future. Truth of the matter was, Kame thought Ueda’s apologies sounded a little desperate, even though what Ueda had done was not nearly as bad as what he himself had… really, if anyone should be apologizing, it was him and not Ueda.
And Kame really did want to stay friends. So he’d accepted the apology and put it all behind him.
Ueda nodded and, after giving an odd look to Jin, left.
Kame watched Ueda walk out. As soon as the door closed, he laid back, rolling on his side to face Jin.
“Why were you thanking Ueda?” Jin asked him.
“He came to apologize to me.”
“Apologize?”
“You know… for sleeping with you…? When I…” but he couldn’t say it, so instead, “That is, when we were fighting the other night?”
Jin kicked off his shoes and told Kame to scoot over. Kame did. Jin crawled into bed with him and they both lay there, holding hands and gazing lovingly at each other. Jin murmured softly, “Oh, right. Well, his kisses must not be memorable like yours are. I still remember our first kiss…”
Kame laughed, and this time it really and truly was a heart-felt laugh. “When you came home with that girl? That wasn’t just our first. It was also our second kiss, too.”
“Because you kissed me back. Not my fault.”
“Of course it was your fault, Bakanishi. You tasted so good that I had to try again. Completely your fault.”
“Well, this one is your fault then.” And their lips met in a slow but amazingly sweet kiss. Kame closed his eyes and let himself feel it and enjoy it. When the kiss finally ended, Jin let go of Kame’s hand and pulled him in closer, putting his arm around his waist while allowing Kame to snuggle up to his chest. Taking in a deep breath, Kame could smell Jin’s scent and it helped him relax better than anything else either of them could have done. They lay there wordlessly for a while.
When he felt like he could ask without freaking out, Kame pulled back just enough to be able to look at Jin’s face. “About the stuff in the desk…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to take it off campus during our free day tomorrow and set it all on fire. That should take care of it.”
Kame nodded slowly and put it from his mind. Jin said he’d handle it, so Kame didn’t have to worry anymore. He didn’t even bother asking how Jin had gotten them. He was just grateful.
Yawning, he snuggled back up against Jin’s chest and went back to sleep.
+++
By the next day, Kame was incredibly restless and no amount of arguing from Jin could convince him to stay in the dorms while Jin went off-campus to burn the stuff. So Jin grudgingly allowed him to tag along.
He supposed it was only right that Kame get came along. Maybe it would give him something he needed, something that Jin couldn’t give him. What that could be, Jin had no idea. It was just that there were little things, here and there. Odd reactions. Extra tension Jin could feel in Kame’s body when he held him. An overall jumpiness he didn’t have last week.
Jin hadn’t asked Kame exactly what had happened. What he knew was bad enough and he didn’t want to put Kame through the ordeal of reliving it to tell him the rest. Not that he wasn’t curious. Maybe it was best that he didn’t know, though. He was already seriously considering putting Ryo in the ground… and, if he was totally honest with himself, even though he believed Kame when he said he didn’t want it, every now and again it hurt somewhere deep within him. Either way, it really was best to put it behind them.
So after breakfast, Jin put the folder, tape, some lighter fluid, and a matchbox into his sling bag and the two of them headed off campus.
After following Jin for a while, Kame said, “Jin? Hey, isn’t this the way to…”
Smiling, Jin said, “You recognize the path? We only went here once! And it was almost dark!”
“A memorable once…” Kame blushed.
“I like that I can still make you blush,” Jin smiled. His Kazu-chan really was both beautiful and adorable. Jin wondered how he ever got so lucky as to not only meet him but to have been given a chance to win his heart.
But, on to business. “I think it’s a good place to destroy this stuff. Somewhere nobody will ask questions. You’ll be comfortable there, at least for part of the day.” It was, after all, the place where they made love for the first time. They hadn’t been back since then but the memory of that night was precious to both of them.
When they got there, Jin grabbed a stick (he really should have thought to bring some kind of shovel… but, then again, where would he have found one? He was lucky to have found the lighter fluid as it was) and used it to dig a hole near the concrete wall. He dropped the envelope in as it was. As for the tape, he violently pulled the ribbon out before throwing it in as well. Dousing the lot of it with the lighter fluid, he snatched up the matchbox.
But Kame grabbed his hand before he could open the matchbox. With trembling hands, he took the matches away from Jin. Lighting one himself, he held it over the hole for a moment before dropping it in. The folder caught fire immediately and the casing of the tape started to warp. Fortunately, Jin had dug the hole rather deep, so the flames didn’t come up too high.
For a moment, Kame just sat there, open matchbox still in hand, staring expressionlessly at the flames. Then it was like something snapped in him. He started frantically lighting more matches, throwing them into the hole one after another, his whole body shaking. His breathing became erratic and tears were falling from angry, hurt eyes.
“Kazu-chan? Kazu!” Jin cried out, alarmed. “Stop! Stop! It’s burning! Okay? It’s burning!” He took Kame by the shoulders and turned him gently towards him and away from the flaming hole. He went to take the box of matches from Kame’s hand.
Unexpectedly, Kame jerked his hand away and slapped Jin hard across the face. Jin momentarily froze in shock while Kame went back to throwing lit matches into the hole. He was still crying.
Jin couldn’t believe his Kazu-chan had actually slapped him.
“Kazu, stop it!” Again, Jin turned Kame towards him and went for the matchbox. Kame didn’t slap him again but he seemed determined not to give up the matches. After a brief struggle, the whole box went flying, spreading unlit matches all over.
“They all fell… They… they’re on the ground…” Kame shoulders slumped and he started crying harder.
Jin pulled Kame to him, stroking his hair while he sobbed into Jin’s shirt.
“Please, Kazu-chan. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me what you need. How can I make you happy again?” Great. Now Jin was crying too. But he really didn’t know what else to do and obviously what he was doing already wasn’t enough.
Despite his sobs, Kame somehow managed to say, “I’m s-s-s-sorry I slapped y-y-you. D-d-didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay,” Jin sniffled, “You hit like a girl.” He laughed, hoping Kame would as well.
“Do not…” and to Jin’s great relief, a bit of laughter did creep into Kame’s voice. He was still crying but it wasn’t the desperate sobs wracking his whole body anymore, at least.
Truth of the matter was, it really was a solid slap. The whole side of his face was probably red in the shape of a hand. Even so, Jin replied, “Oh, yeah. Just like a girl.”
“Want me to do it again then?” Kame was pouting, trying to wipe away his tears. He was meeting with limited success though, because he hadn’t actually stopped crying.
“Don’t be like that, Kazu…” Jin teased. “It was just a joke…” A pause and a sly grin. “…just like your slap was!” He snickered.
“Mou…!” Kame pushed him. Jin could have stopped him but he was just happy Kame had almost completely stopped crying. So he rolled back with the push to lie on the grass, pulling Kame along with him so they could both look up at the beautiful blue sky.
“Kirei da ne…” Jin whispered to Kame.
“Hontou ni…” Kame whispered back.
“I wasn’t talking about the sky, Kazu-chan.” Jin reached over and gently brushed the palm of his hand against the far side of Kame’s face. Kame turned his head to look him Jin eye-to-eye. Jin tried to put everything he felt into that gaze, hoping that Kame could see it. He wanted Kame to know just how loved he really was.
“Neither was I.”
With a big, goofy grin, Jin said, “If I’m so beautiful, why aren’t you kissing me yet?”
To Jin’s utter delight, a smile crept onto Kame’s face as he replied, “Because I’d melt and then what would you do?”
He remembered! All this time later and Kame still remembered what Jin had said to him! Jin’s heart almost skipped a beat as he responded with Kame’s previous line, “I’d melt with you, baka…”
And just like that first time those words were spoken, they kissed. Jin would have liked more, but Kame was supposed to be resting still so instead, they lay there holding each other, looking for shapes in the clouds while they waited for the fire burning in the hole to die.
When it finally had, Jin shoved the dirt back in, right over the ashes and the melted plastic. The two of them gathered up all of the fallen matches they could find and went back to campus and the dorms.
+++
The first thing that greeted them when they got back to the dorm common room was the loud boom of Yamapi’s greeting. “Oi, Jin, there you guys are. Where have you been hiding Kame all this time? We went by your room…”
And Kame was practically run over by Yamapi, Junno, and Koki in their eagerness to see him. Maru stood but didn’t fling himself quite so hard while Ueda just waved from the couch. He could hear Jin scolding the whole lot of them but Kame was happy, holding onto the thought that at least he could say he had true friends that cared about him and that he cared about.
He had no idea what they were saying because they were all talking at once. He couldn’t help himself - he just started laughing and once he had, he found he couldn’t stop. Moreover, he didn’t want to. He just laughed and laughed and enjoyed it.
“Sorry, Jin. I think we broke your boyfriend!” Koki laughed, poking Kame in the ribs. “How ya feeling, Turtle?” But then he suddenly pulled his hand back, asking, “Eh, you’re not contagious, are you?”
“Oh, yeah... Deathly contagious. You’re all going to die!” Kame poked him back, still laughing. Rumblings from his stomach interrupted him. “Hmm, I’ll be right back guys. I’m gonna get something to eat from the kitchen.”
“I’ll bring you something. You stay and play catch-up,” Jin told him and then took off smiling towards the dorm kitchen.
Kame plopped down on the couch next to Ueda. Some discussion about going out for karaoke started, which sounded like a great idea to him. He was supposed to be resting, he knew… but, karaoke was practically resting, right? It felt like ages since he’d last gone, anyway.
But then, a voice behind him made him freeze. “Karaoke? Sounds fun. Can I come?”
It was Ryo.
It was Ryo!
Kame was vaguely aware of his friends nodding in response but he was still frozen in place. He couldn’t even bring himself to turn around to see Ryo standing there. His heart started to race and his chest felt tight, almost like he couldn’t get enough air.
He had to get out of there. He had to get out now!
Without a word, he stood and bolted to his dorm, ignoring the confused calls of his friends. Once he got to the room, he locked himself in and sat with his back against the door. He wasn’t crying but it really felt like his heart might explode and he couldn’t breathe. He started rocking back and forth.
What was he going to do? Thursday he would be going back to class. That was the day after tomorrow and Ryo’s was in one of them. He usually sat pretty close to Kame, so there would be no way for him to escape Ryo’s scent. Then there would be no way to force down the memories. He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. Just couldn’t…
+++
Ueda watched as Kame fled, almost tripping over him in his haste to vacate the couch. While Koki and Junno went to get Jin, Yamapi and Maru ran after Kame.
Kame running off right after Ryo entered couldn’t be a coincidence. Just what had Ryo done to him? Ueda was absolutely convinced there was more than just drugging him and that, whatever it was, it was why Kame ended up in the hospital.
What had Jin said? Back to class on Thursday?
How was he ever going to get Ryo reassigned?
Well, he supposed, there was one way, loathe though he may be to use it… Sighing, he stepped outside the dorm building and made a call on his cell phone. After being shuffled around from one underling to another, he finally made it through to the company president. “Otou-san? I need a favor...”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The story continues:
Ninth Cut ~Peace In Passing~
A/N: So, what do you think? How long can Jin stay mad at Ueda for keeping his mouth shut? Do you think Jin's justified or is he overreacting or is it misplaced blame that really should be directed at himself? Will Ueda succeed at his task? Will Kame tell the others what happened to him? Is Ryo done or is he hatching some new scheme? I'd love to know where you think this is heading, my valued readers!