[fic] The Things We Can't Control - Chapter 101 ~The Tape~
Title: The Things We Can't Control
Author:
prettyorianna
Pairing: Akame. Others to be added later.
Rating: NC-17.
Genre: crime drama au
Beta by: my cat Gemma. 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: Two criminals with vastly different styles meet by chance one day. They immediately clash but is that all they'll ever be? How much is fate and how much choice? And how will their meeting change the world around them?
Author's Note: Merry Christmas!!
BANNER BY DESHISORABA and it is pure awesomeness!!
Warning: This gets graphic often occasionally, containing at the very least foul language, character death, nefarious crimes, rape, etc etc.
The Master Posts:
On my journal - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
On the akame_ Community - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
On the akame_fanfics Community - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
On the je_kamenashi Community - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
On the kattun_fanfics Community - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
On the jin_fics Community - The Things We Can't Control Master Post
Chapter 101 ~The Tape~
When Jin and Kazuya got downstairs to the parking lot, Koki was leaning against the side of the Taurus. He had a spoon in one hand and was looking back and forth the two of them. He was probably looking for anything less than ecstatic happiness in Kazuya eyes and wasn’t going to stop glaring at Jin until he was sure it was there.
Jin still remembered the threat but he couldn’t believe the man actually brought the spoon with him.
“One happy Kazuya as promised?” Jin said, a bit unsure. They had that fight about the tape but they made up. So the fight didn’t count, right? Koki wouldn’t gut him with the spoon over just that…
Hopefully.
The truth of it was, he wasn’t really scared of Koki. He’d never been afraid of someone just because they could beat him up (at least, not since he was little) and there was no way Koki would win against him if it came down to it anyway. But he liked Koki so he’d play this game.
When Kazuya noticed the spoon, he just laughed. “The date was horrible. Is your spoon properly sharpened?”
“KAZU!” Jin shrieked. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend was throwing him under the bus like that! “You didn’t have any complaints ten minutes ago when I had you on the dresser!”
Koki’s eyes went wide with horror. “Oh, my poor ears…” He shook his head. “Thanks, Jin. I’ll never get that minute of my life back. Is that why he’s limping? No. No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know…”
Kame, on the other hand, was blushing furiously. Without another word, he shoved Jin into the backseat of the car.
When Jin reached out to pull him in behind him, Koki stopped them. “Oh, no. I’m not listening to the two of you make out the whole way back. Kame, you’re in the front.”
Kame giggled and Jin just melted. But he didn’t let it show. Instead, he pouted, complaining to Koki, “But Jinjin wants his Kazu.”
“Jinjin? God, did he talk like that the whole time?” Koki rolled his eyes as he said it. “You had him all to yourself for almost an entire day. Don’t be greedy!”
Jin looked to Kazuya but Kazuya would have none of it. “Despite the… ah… dresser, I’m still mad at you. That was completely reckless and you’re lucky to be alive.” Though his tone wasn’t that angry.
Koki’s gaze snapped from Kazuya to Jin at those words and there was a faint trace of murder in those eyes. “What did you do?”
“Uh… Maybe sorta kinda might have went behind Kazuya’s back to go see Yasu two nights ago?” Jin scratched the back of his head nervously.
Out of anything Jin could have said, it seemed Koki was expecting that the least. “You… What… why… what?”
As he climbed into the front passenger seat of the car, Kazuya said, “We’ll talk about it back at the church, with everyone. And you…” Kazuya turned in his seat to glare at Jin, “better come up with something to tell everyone else to discourage them from following in your foolish footsteps. The last thing we need is one of the young ones emulating you.” But then his eyes sparkled and Jin realized the man wasn’t actually mad at him despite what he said to the contrary.
If Jin didn’t know better, he’d think Kazuya was intentionally riling up Koki as a way of teasing the both of them…
When Koki turned around to back the car out of the parking space, the brief look he shared with Jin said he wasn’t the only one to realize it, either. Hmm, this might have promise! He could plot something with Koki to get back at his Kazu-love for teasing the two of them.
Though they’d most likely forget it by the time Kizuna finished discussing the tape and its contents. And, well, if pressed he might - might, mind you! - admit he earned a little gruff from Kazuya for the trip into JDA territory.
Was it even right to think about stuff like that with everything that was going on? To play these little amusing games with each other with so much serious shit going down around them?
With a start, Jin realized those exact thoughts were what Plan Pamper Kazu had been all about. He made all this effort to ease Kazuya’s mind over it and yet here he was wondering the same thing. That meant he was probably being stupid to worry.
That, or he was wrong and Plan Pamper Kazu was nothing but window-dressing for a lie.
But it didn’t feel like a lie. And if Kazuya felt confident enough to tease the both of them like that, then Plan Pamper Kazu was a success, right?
Koki and Kazuya were happily chatting in the front of the car as Koki drove them all back to the church. Jin, on the other hand, was settling into some kind of daze. Thinking back on yesterday, he couldn’t keep the wide goofy grin off his face for all the memories they made.
When he held Kazuya in the bath and they just talked and talked.
When he teased Kazuya about the chocolate cake at the hotel.
When he gave Kazuya the ring and they made love.
Every shining moment of it, bathed in jasmine and strawberries and Kazuya’s unyielding light.
+++
When they finally got back to the church, Tesshi and Massu were standing in front of the entrance, leaning against the door. They were quick to inform Kame and Jin that all of Kizuna was gathered in the sanctuary and had been since Koki left to fetch them. Apparently they all wanted to know about… oh, what had Jin called it? Operation Please Kame… no, not please. Pamper, maybe? Well, whatever Jin was calling it, they wanted to hear about it.
On the one hand, it wasn’t really their business. It wasn’t gang-related and besides which, they had to listen to the tape and decide what to do after that. But on the other hand…
…he had a ring. And he wanted to tell everyone he cared about, all of his Kizuna family, how much he loved his new ring and how happy Jin was making him and how moved he was yesterday when they all presented him with the photo board and… and…
God, there was so much in his heart at in that instant and there were moments when it seemed surreal. Not the suffering - his father saw to it he was quite used to that! - but the rest of it felt more like a dream every now and again. It wasn’t like this was the first time, though. Ever since the twins took him in, he’d had these moments.
Kame smiled and told Tesshi and Massu to go ahead and that he’d be right there. To Koki he gave the instruction to find something to keep the kids occupied and then return to the sanctuary. Kame didn’t want the little ones listening to the tape of Papa K. He didn’t want to scare them and he didn’t want to have to explain things to minds ideally too young to understand.
As Kame went to follow Tesshi, Koki, and Massu, Jin’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Jin’s expression was hesitant which was unexpected. “S-shouldn’t you maybe listen to the tape first alone? He might say something you, um, don’t want…” and Jin stopped for a second, like he was searching for words a bit more carefully than his usual brunt way, “Well, it’s just, the mission you gave and what if he mentions… stuff? And tips off people and… uh...”
He hadn’t even thought of that. If there was a spy in Kizuna and it was mentioned without naming the spy, it’d turn member against member. The spy probably didn’t exist but still…
No, he was more concerned with the thought that Papa K might mention being his father.
But he couldn’t tell Jin that. What he could say was, “They don’t know I’m the one that blinded Papa K… it would be a bad way to find out.”
“You should tell them that yourself. First.”
Kame was torn but ultimately his choice came down to one fact: Kizuna was already gathered. “I’ll tell them but let’s go ahead and just play the tape for everyone. It’s not like I’d hide anything I heard if I listened first.”
It was a complete lie and Kame hated himself for telling it.
Maybe now was the time to just tell everybody the man was his father. Or at least tell Jin if not anyone else. He… he could do this! He could say it! Jin deserved to know it! “I…” but he choked on the words just like every time he tried in the past few days.
“What is it, Kazu-love?”
“N-Nothing. Nevermind. Let’s just go.”
For a moment it didn’t look like Jin was going to drop it but he did. Instead Jin offered to fetch the tape player.
Kame thanked him and made his way to the sanctuary. He was just in time to hear Koki explain to Reina and Hotaru that not every date makes a baby and that only girls have babies anyway. The glare he was sending Taisuke’s direction led Kame to believe he’d somehow put this ridiculous notion in the girls’ heads.
“But I want a baby Kame!” Reina pouted as Koki tried to usher them out of the sanctuary with the rest of the children.
Taisuke, also pouting, replied, “We all want that…” causing most of the others to groan.
For a few minutes, Kame answered Kizuna’s questions about his date. He kept his answers vague mostly because the truth of the matter was that some things were meant to be shared only with Jin. They didn’t seem to mind except for Taisuke and Okura who kept pushing for details.
He really should have a talk with Taipi. The photo stalking was starting to bother Jin and the whole fanboy thing was starting to feel a bit excessive. At least Koki shut him up when he returned, finally allowing Kame the chance to change the subject. Okura was, as usual, silenced by Noriko.
“Moving on…” and he took a deep breath, “Papa K met with Yasu-san a few days ago as you mostly all know. Yasu initially offered to secretly record the meeting only to later call and retract that as well as ban Kizuna from JDA territory. Jin managed to get his hands on that secret recording, though it was in such a way that should never be repeated by anyone or you will face my wrath. If you even survive it in the first place.”
“When did he have time to get his hands on anything other than you?” from Okura.
Kame snorted. “That would be when you guys had him. Bakanishi here decided an unannounced, secret visit to a man who already said he’d shoot him was somehow a good idea.”
That shut everyone up. They didn’t even tease Jin about being called ‘Bakanishi’ when Jin showed up with the tape player even though they surely noticed…
It made Kame feel a bit better to know that they all realized what a stupid thing it was Jin had done. He wouldn’t worry so much about any of them doing the same.
“Now, I haven’t heard it yet and neither has Jin. I have no idea what will be said. But as I was talking to Jin earlier and, well, I have something that I want to tell you first. I want you to hear from me because though I told you Papa K has hated me for a long time, I didn’t really ever tell you why.”
This was it. He was going to tell them. He was going to tell them all of it.
“Koki, Tatsuya… I especially should have said something to you…”
His fear was screaming at him, telling him to keep his mouth shut. He’d be sent back to his father. Kizuna would hate him. Jin would abandon him. Everything gone. Everything.
The words still wouldn’t come so instead he decided to start with the easier stuff. The blinding. Start there. He stammered, “His.. his eye…” while looking to Jin for courage. His chest was tight. His own breath was strangling him.
Jin caught on to his difficulty pretty quickly, taking over. “Kazuya is the one who stabbed him in the-”
Screwing his eyes tightly shut, Kame forced his voice obey him. He interrupted Jin even though it was so rude and he’d lectured Jin on it more than once. “My father. He’s my father…”
Time stopped. He couldn’t see the reactions because he was afraid to open his eyes, but the silence spoke to Kizuna’s shock.
Koki was the one to finally break the silence. “Damn it, Kame! This is why you punish yourself? Do you honestly believe you’re responsible for him? That you make him the demon he is? You’re an idiot.”
“See, I knew you’d be m-mad at me…” He could feel Jin’s arms circle around him and pull him back against Jin’s chest but Kame still wouldn’t open his eyes. He could taste his heart beat and his mind was trying desperately to come up with some place he could go from here when the rest of Kizuna kicked him out.
Yurina said, “Seven years. It took him seven years to finally say it. I told you he would eventually. Pay up.”
There was some grumbling from Shuta and some gasps from the rest of Kizuna and then suddenly everyone was talking. Some were scolding Yurina and Shuta for not telling them sooner and some were marveling at he made even more sense now. Koki was still grumbling about his stupidity for blaming himself over something so meaningless (Koki’s word there). Jin was at his back whispering, “Peace, love. Peace. They don’t hate you. They would never hate you for it.”
Jin’s lips and breath tickled the rim of his ear as he kept whispering encouraging words and Kame could feel the fear slowly ebbing away. He was so sure they would all hate him for this. His father hurt so many people.
It took a while but the group calmed. Kame calmed. He opened his eyes. The world hadn’t ended after all.
Listening to the tape after that was a little anticlimactic and didn’t really tell them a whole bunch. Mostly it confirmed what Tatsuya had overheard before everything that happened to him. There wasn’t much to hear at first but eventually the sound of movement came. There were the normal hellos, or at least as normal as anything involving Papa K. Once that was out of the way, the two men got down to business.
Papa K started with, “It wounds me deeply that you didn’t think of turning to me in your time of trouble. One of your best fences attacked? Have you caught the man responsible?” He sounded amused more than anything.
Yasu responded with, “I fear the man responsible for this is beyond my ability to inflict justice upon him.”
So it was official. Papa K arranged that strike and Yasu knew it. There was no other explanation for the man’s tone just now. Yasu’s response seemed to just amuse the man further, though. “How sad! You know, with my help this will never happen again. Think of your future. It could get very bad very quickly. Something has to be done. I’m not even asking so much in return. Nipping this menace in the bud is a huge favor to you and all of JDA, after all.”
“Speak plainly,” Yasu said.
“I thought I was.”
There was a pause but finally Yasu sighed, saying, “Of course you are.”
Papa K continued with, “I think you’ll find JDA’s fortunes much improved if you set yourself against Kizuna. If I had to guess, I’d say the attack on your fence would never have happened if Kizuna could keep their problems and their leader to themselves.”
Great. Just what he needed Yasu to think.
“Kame-chan? He’s…” It was clear he wasn’t expecting this.
“Not who you think he is, I’m sure of it. You want me to speak plainly? You will either be attacked again and again by Sources Unknown without my resources to help prevent it or you will declare against Kizuna. They took some of your streets a few years ago, didn’t they? And you just let them. Don’t you think it’s time you did something about it? Got them back? Look, if attacking is too ambitious for JDA then that’s fine. But for as long as Kizuna can roam about JDA territory and for as long as you might be tempted to aid them and their whore leader, I can promise you will find no rest.”
A much longer pause but eventually Papa K said, “It would be a shame if *somebody*took out hits on your best men. I hear that the troublemakers you are dealing with have no qualms about that sort of thing.”
There were more sounds of movement. It seemed like Papa K was leaving, though he added one more thing before he was out of range of the tape recorder. “Choose your enemies wisely, Hayashi. Is that plain enough?” Then he was gone.
Yasu growled - Kame knew the man hated to be called Hayashi though he didn’t know why - and there was the sound of a door slamming. “Fuck! Well, there’s nothing to be done for it. KA-YU!! YOU!! Both of you, I need you now!”
A brief moment of static and that was it.
They talked about both Kame’s announcement and the contents of the tape for days but ultimately they moved on to other topics. They kept out of JDA territory entirely and Kame made them all promise to watch out for each other and to not leave the church alone. He had no idea when Papa K would get done with this phase of his plan but for the time being it seemed he was content with sending little mischiefs their way.
Yes, Koyama getting shot was a ‘little mischief’ too. Not that it wasn’t a big deal because it was. No, it was more the fact that Kame knew his father could do so much worse if he tried so Kame was forced to accept that the man was sending the bare minimum their way for the sole purpose of diverting their attention away from his dealings with the other gangs of the city.
They’d get his full attention eventually but until that time, they just had to support each other and keep their eyes open. More than once Kame overheard one member telling another that Papa was going to regret messing with them.
Why?
Because Kizuna together was stronger than any one man ever could be.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The story continues:
Chapter 102 ~How It Went Down~
A/N: Well, there you go. After this, time will move at a faster pace in the present!chapters for a while. But first we go back to the past. Will Kame find Yurina and Shuta before Yasu does? Stay tuned!
Oh, and I didn't plan for Kame to tell them he is Papa K's son. He just wouldn't behave until I finally sighed and said, "Okay, Kame. You tell 'em and then for the love of all that's holy would you please just play the damn tape? My readers are waiting!" But I realized that the only reason I was holding off on Kame admitting it to the rest of Kizuna is because Jin wasn't supposed to know until a certain scene. Except then Jin found out sooner and shot that all to hell. So, from a storyteller's perspective, it was fine for the rest of Kizuna to learn it now too.