Life is a Circus

[ryosukekoibito]

Author: ryosukekoibito
Pairing: Takanoo
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Brief use of alcohol, Consensual heavy petting between adults
Genre: Romance
Summary: The Takaki family circus is on the brink of disappearing, and while the addition of their newest act might not be enough to save them, he’s enough to put a smile on Takaki’s face.
Notes: This was written for alois_trancy, as a part of the je_united fic exchange! This was my first exchange, and it was an exciting experience! You should definitely check out all of the fantastic fics there (especially the absolutely gorgeous fic the amazing yomimashou wrote for me, Sweet Child of Mine)!



 "Another support strut for the diving board snapped this morning. They're saying if we don't get the whole thing replaced soon we'll have to get rid of the high dive act." Yui's pretty face was scrunched up with stress, and Takaki’s oldest sister stabbed harshly at her lunch as she made the report. The past few weeks it seemed like these family lunches had brought nothing but more bad news, and while usually Takaki liked the time spent in his train car with his brother and sisters, recently he'd caught himself almost dreading it.
 "Will it be safe for tomorrow?" Takaki asked, concerned. While he didn't know what they would do with the extra twenty minutes of show time if their high dive act didn't go on, he didn't want anyone getting hurt. They were his responsibility, he cared about their safety, and―if he was being quite honest with himself―their tiny little family circus couldn't afford to pay for any emergency room visits. They were barely breaking even at every stop they made, and at this rate it simply wasn't enough. One big expense would be all it took to break them.
 "For tomorrow it will be. But it's just a temporary fix; I don't know if we can keep it up like this." She sighed.
 We have that new act―the man with his dogs; what's his name?" Yuma supplied, the youngest sibling looking hopeful. "Maybe he could take that time."
 "Inoo." Takaki supplied. Yui nodded.
 "Maybe. But the high divers would be out of a job, and honestly we need all of the acts we can get." Yu, the second oldest, sighed, shaking her head.
 "This is the third major piece of equipment we've jury rigged in the last month, and the big top tent has been leaking when it rains again." She glanced over at Takaki, eyes wide with concern. "If we don't figure something out fast, the Takaki Family Circus isn't going to be around for much longer."
 "We'll figure something out." Yuma declared, putting down his fork and reaching for one of his juggling pins, fingers running along its glossy side. It was a nervous tick, the teen's optimistic words not comforting anyone.
 "We have to." Yu's pretty face was full of determination. "We don't have a choice."
 "Right." Yui nodded. "Besides, Chinen, Yu and I are nearly done with our new routine. It's going to be killer."
 "And Keito's been working with the cats a lot. He says he should have them able to do that thing with the hoops in about a month." Takaki reminded them. They all fell into silence, the table tense.
 "Now we just have to do it." Yuma murmured. Takaki sighed, running one hand through his long hair.
 "Yeah." He paused. "Family meeting over. Let's get to work." They all filed back out of the train, dispersing. Takaki sighed, taking in the striped tents and the familiar sounds of his friends and family going about their day, preparing for the show the following morning. As the oldest son, his parents had bequeathed the family business to him before they'd died. The circus was their life, the only life Takaki and his siblings had ever known, and he was now the ring master. He had always been enigmatic they had told him, a charm to him that made him likable. He'd used to believe them. Now, when the stands were barely half full, he wondered if those words had just been flattery.
 He headed in the direction of the animal enclosures, telling himself he really should check in and see how Keito was doing. Their lion tamer Keito had come to them a few years before―a quiet man with a strange accent―he'd quickly become irreplaceable. His cats were some of the gentlest, most loyal creatures Takaki had ever seen in their business, and the main lion―Yuto―would do just about anything for his master. Takaki had faith that Keito would be able to get his great cats to perform as planned, and if he was honest with himself he knew he didn't need to check in on Keito. But with any luck, Keito and the lions wouldn't be the only ones in that direction.
 Inoo Kei had joined their little band of misfits only about ten days before, and Takaki had found himself frequenting the animal enclosures more and more ever since. It had been a long time since they'd had a new addition to the crew, and Inoo―and his five teacup poodles―had been taking up a lot of Takaki's thoughts ever since the young man had joined up.  It wasn't long until he found Inoo, his presence announced by a sharp, high pitched yapping, a small brown poodle bounding up to Takaki, stopping about a meter away and barking incessantly at him. Takaki froze; the little dog wasn't going to attack him was it?
 "Dai-chan! Get back here you idiot!" a voice called, and Takaki looked away from the dog to see Inoo Kei running toward them, four identical black poodles in his wake. He scooped the little brown one up, holding it up to his face and saying "You don't see Yamada acting like that do you? Yamada's a good dog, not like you; you're rotten." The black poodles sat in a ring around their owner as Inoo scolded the brown one, and it wasn't until Inoo had set the brown poodle down that he turned his attention to Takaki, looking up and smiling, his full pink lips curling up and his bright eyes crinkling at the edges in a cute way, and Takaki found himself smiling back as he asked, only half-joking
 "Will you have them under control for the show tomorrow?" Inoo scoffed.
 "My dogs were made to perform. Maybe you just don't know a good thing when you see it." his voice was light, flirtatious even, and Takaki raised his eyebrows, challenging. Inoo turned his attention back to his dogs, and with a flick of his hand they all went running back the way they had come. Takaki fell into step beside him, the two following the dogs at a slower pace, and as they walked Inoo asked "So, what brings you to this edge of the circle, ring master? Here for the company, or more professional reasons?" Takaki chuckled, kicking at the dirt with one foot, the bottom of his shoe scraping the ground.
  "A bit of both." He admitted. "I was going to see how Keito's coming with that hoop trick, but you're welcome to keep me company." Takaki hadn't gotten a chance to spend much time with Inoo yet, and the casual flippant nature of his tone was surprising, but Takaki found that he liked it, the playful light in his eyes drawing him in, relaxing him. Inoo grinned, and nodded.
 "I could waste a bit of time with you." He conceded, and Takaki shook his head bemusedly, the two falling into a small silence as they headed toward the lions' train car. "Keito introduced me to his cats." Inoo told Takaki. "He sleeps in there with them sometimes, did you know that? I know that Dai-chan sleeps in my bed sometimes, but that's not the same thing. I mean, if they get bored they could eat him like that." He snapped his fingers, emphasizing just how quickly the lions could rip Keito to shreds. Takaki shrugged.
 "I don't think Yuto would ever hurt Keito; at least not on purpose. And the others were all raised by him, he's the closest thing they have to a mother." His statement was backed up when―as they came upon the lions' area―they found Keito sitting with his cats, his back leaned up against Yuto's broad side, one of the young lionesses head in his lap, two more within arms reach. They were purring, the rumbling sound loud, blanketing out all other noise. It was a sight to behold, and Keito smiled when he saw them, moving to stand and greet them, but one of the cats reached out, one big paw hooking around his waist, and the message was clear: cuddle time wasn't over.
 Instead Takaki and Inoo made their way up to the bars keeping the lions in their enclosure, close enough to talk to Keito, exchanging pleasantries and getting into a long discussion about how the lions were taking to the new trick. Inoo and Keito took over after a while, Takaki listening, interested, as they swapped training techniques. Eventually however, Keito declared that he had to run the current routine with his cats, and the three of them went to their separate ways, Inoo calling after Takaki as he left
 "Just you wait and see! My dogs are spectacular! Tomorrow watch, and be amazed!" Inoo declared theatrically, and Takaki laughed, hoping desperately that Inoo was right.
 Takaki had nothing to worry about. Inoo and his dogs were the crowd favorite the next day. Children loved how cute they were, Inoo's routine capitalizing on that factor, while including enough complicated tricks to pique the adults in the crowd's attention too. His segment was met with thunderous applause, and in the weeks to come―as they moved from city to city―word must have gotten around, because ticket sales rose exponentially. It wasn't going to be enough to keep them going, but it was enough to replace some old equipment that had been on its last leg, and to take some of the worry lines off of Yui's face.
 In the past Takaki usually hung out with Hikaru, their main juggler, or Keito during his free time, but as the weeks went by he found himself spending a good deal of time with their newest recruit, spending late nights with Inoo in his train car, drinking and joking and flirting. Inoo was nothing like anyone Takaki had ever met, beautiful and smart, and capable of saying things Takaki would never even think of. Inoo was flirty and fun, and Takaki felt like they might have a special relationship; he knew that―if for no other reason than the frequency with which Inoo starred in his dreams―Inoo was special to him, but he wasn't sure Inoo reciprocated. Inoo could be hard to read, frustratingly so.
 Despite Inoo's mysterious nature Takaki held onto hope that perhaps those flirty giggles meant more than appeared on the surface. At least, he did until one morning when he woke up early and saw Inoo sneaking out of Hikaru's train car. It was dawn, the sun still hidden behind a great hill in the east, and Takaki had squinted, leaning forward to make sure he was seeing things right as Inoo-hair mussed and clothes rumpled-had clambered out of the juggler's train car and set off at a slight jog across the dewy grass toward his own living quarters. Something harsh and upset and angry pitted itself in Takaki's chest as he watched Inoo, and he knew then that it was going to be a miserable day.
 He spent the day trying to ignore his feelings, and subsequently, ignore Inoo, but Inoo seemed to be everywhere. Takaki went out of his way, taking unusual routes to his destinations, eating his meals at different times than he regularly did, in an attempt to keep away from Inoo, and yet it seemed whenever he turned around Inoo was there, smiling at him as if nothing had changed. He was more upset than he'd expected to be. He'd thought that they'd had something special. He'd thought that Inoo had cared about him, and yet-if he was off, having sex with Hikaru-then that obviously wasn't the case. He felt betrayed, and it was hard to keep his emotions in check when Inoo was everywhere.
 That evening they had a show, and despite his best efforts Takaki couldn't seem to focus. He made mistake after mistake, his mind drawing pictures-pictures of Hikaru and Inoo together-that distracted him and riled him up, and as soon as the show ended he made for his train car. He was ready for an escape, and he had a bottle of whisky with his name on it waiting for him in his bedside table drawer. Yet when he pulled open the door he found Inoo sitting there in his car, on his bed, the dog trainer obviously waiting for him. Why couldn't he just leave Takaki alone?!
 "Get out."
 "Sorry, I can't do that." Inoo's voice had a playful tone to it, and it only served to anger Takaki more.
 "Get out of here now!" He crossed the room, grabbing Inoo by the collar of his spangly performance costume, jerking him up so that he was standing, not lounging on Takaki's bed. He had no right to be here, no right to just let himself in and act like he belonged here, in Takaki's life like this. Inoo stared at him with wide eyes, obviously surprised by the rough handling, but he didn't back down, instead asking
 "What the hell is the matter with you?" Takaki huffed, shoving Inoo away and going over to his bedside table, pulling out that bottle of whisky and taking a swig from it, the alcohol burning as it rolled down his throat. He sat on his bed, hoping that the cold shoulder would do what the demanding hadn't, and Inoo would leave, but the other man didn't budge, instead just standing there, looking at him. "Tell me." Inoo said, and Takaki rolled his eyes.
 "You don't actually care; why should I tell you anything?"
 "I don't―what, what they hell are you talking about?!" There was a pause, and the silence stretched out between them, tension raising with every passing moment, before Inoo said "Quit sulking and talk! You’re acting like a child." Inoo's voice was gaining a shrill quality that Takaki had never heard before, and he glanced up to see that Inoo was now visibly upset, his big eyes wide with confusion and hurt, his full lips quivering, and it caught him off guard. Why was he acting upset? This was his fault! Takaki's anger bubbled over, and he set his bottle down, whirling on Inoo.
 "You're such a little liar! You flirt and act all cute and pretend to care about me―you make me think that we have something, something special―and then you go behind my back and you fucking sleep around with other people!"
 "Sleep around? What are you talking about?" Inoo looked affronted and confused, and Takaki pursed his lips, letting out a sharp exhale.
 "Don't act like you don't know. Hikaru! You had sex with him didn't you?!" Inoo jerked back at the accusation.
 "No. You're being crazy!"
 "Don't lie! I saw you! I saw you sneaking out of his car this morning!" Takaki stood back up, whirling to face Inoo head on, his hurt fueling his words. Inoo's face was all scrunched up and red with emotion, and he was giving Takaki a look that almost made him feel bad for the things he had said. Almost.
 "You saw me, and you just assumed that I had to have had sex with the guy?! I couldn't have fallen asleep during a card game, or passed out after one too many drinks?" Takaki sputtered in response, not thinking of a good comeback fast enough, but still too angry to admit that he had been hasty in his conclusion. But Inoo wasn't finished, asking "But why do you care?! Why do you give a fuck who I do and do not have sex with?!" He was yelling back properly now, his delicate hands formed into fists.
 "But you'd made me think―!"
 "You don't own me! You don't have any right―!"
 "You drive me crazy, you know that!" Inoo snorted indignantly at Takaki's declaration.
 "You're doing just fine with the crazy on your own, you short sighted, nosy-"
 "I'm falling in love with you!" The words burst raw and honest from Takaki's lips in a rush, and his emotions were so pent up that he didn't even notice he'd confessed until Inoo froze, mouth hanging open for a moment, before the other man said
 "What?" Embarrassed Takaki turned away, taking a deep breath and running a hand through his hair. Inoo crossed the small train car, grabbing him by the shoulder, pulling him around so that they were eye to eye. "Really?" Takaki looked up, refusing to meet Inoo's eyes, his gaze instead somewhere above them, but he nodded. "Oh thank god." Inoo's words were a sigh of relief, and he gave Takaki no time to process the implications of his words before leaning in, his lips meeting Takaki's own. The kiss was hot and needy, all tongue and teeth and want, and Takaki froze in shock for a moment, before endorphins flooded his system, and he leaned in, kissing back. This, this was what he'd been wanting, and it felt even better than he'd thought it would.
 At first it was all he could do to keep up, but he pulled Inoo in, hands in the other man's hair and on the small of his back, and just closer. Inoo's arms snaked around his shoulders, and when Takaki pulled away for air Inoo laughed, giggling in an endearing way, the cute action offset by heavy breathing and the way his eyes glanced down at Takaki's lips. It was only a momentary pause, Takaki grabbing Inoo by the waist and turning, maneuvering him so that they were sitting on the bed and pressing their lips together again. Inoo's full lips were working wonders, sending tingles down his spine and enveloping him in endorphins. Takaki had never kissed like this before, Inoo's body working with his in a way that felt like they belonged like this. It was addicting, intoxicating, and he didn't want to stop. But one thought was enough to pull him back for just a moment, to ask
 "So wait...you didn't sleep with Hikaru?" Inoo snorted, as if the notion was ridiculous, one of his hands slipping under Takaki's shirt.
 "No. Now come here, you." That was all it took, Takaki leaning back in, happiness coursing through his veins. The making out lasted for hours, Inoo eventually pulling away and bidding Takaki a reluctant goodnight, informing him that he simply had to go back to his own car and check on the dogs.
 The next day turned out to be one of the best Takaki had had in a very long time. He woke up early, feeling more alive, more optimistic than he had since the circus' trouble had begun, and he practically skipped to the food tent for breakfast, a smile blooming on his lips when he saw Inoo's familiar figure at the end of the food line, his poodles in a mass around his feet. Inoo turned to find a place to sit and Takaki waved, jogging to close the space between them, the dog trainer smiling and waving back. When they got close enough to talk Inoo giggled as the little brown poodle started yapping at Takaki, standing in front of his master as if to protect him.
 Takaki paid the little dog no mind, leaning in and putting a quick kiss on Inoo's lips, and the giggles stopped, Inoo kissing back, and when Takaki pulled away he found that the other man had a brilliant blush painting his cheeks a cute pink. It was charming, and it made Takaki smile, as he said
 "Good morning."
 "I'll say." Inoo muttered, before gesturing to a table and offering "Join me for breakfast?" Takaki's smile only grew, and he nodded.
 "I'll be right there. Wait for me."
 "Alright. Be careful, I've heard that the scrambled eggs are deadly. Watch out." Inoo joked, winking before he wandered off in the direction of the empty table he'd gestured to earlier, his dogs on his heels. Takaki watched him go for a moment, before stepping into the breakfast line himself. He'd just reached the toast however, when Yu ran up, grabbing him by the arm and saying
 "Yuya, family meeting. Now." She didn't give him a chance to do anything, pulling him out of the line and away from the food-and from  Inoo-before he could get out any protest but a bewildered
 "Hey!" She didn't pause, didn't slow for a moment, just dragging him back out of the food tent and toward Yui's train car, her fingers digging sharply into his arm, a light in her eyes that confused him. She was being insistent, but her expression didn't indicate that she was angry, which would have been his first guess considering her behavior. Not that he had any idea what he could have done to deserve this harsh dragging, and he felt his temper flare at the rough treatment, yanking away from her and asking sharply "What the hell?!" She whirled on him, not really explaining, just saying
 "C'mon, you have to see this. Now." Her voice was filed with something that sounded an awful lot like anticipation, or perhaps hope, and it did nothing but bewilder him further.
 "What's going on?! Yu!" She didn't respond, just turning back in the direction she'd been taking him and continuing on, leaving him standing there, knowing that he would follow her. He watched her go, confused and frustrated that he didn't know what was going on, before huffing and going after her. She didn't knock on Yui's door, just barging in, and Takaki followed, surprised to find that the other two siblings were already there, sitting close to each other as they poured over some pieces of paper in Yui's hand. When the door shut behind them Yuma looked over, eyes catching Takaki’s own, and he gestured for him to come closer, saying
 "C'mere, you've got to read this." His voice was high with excitement, and Takaki stepped closer, Yui reaching out and handing him the papers. It was a letter, the handwriting slanting and decadent, and it took him a moment for his brain to comprehend what had been written. It was from a woman, a wealthy widow, and she explained in great detail that she was a circus enthusiast, she had been ever since she was a small child, and now she was looking for a circus to endorse. She was looking for a circus that she thought was worthy, and once she had she was going to donate a large sum of money to it annually, to show her support and give back to keep the art of the circus alive.
 She seemed to feel very strongly about the subject, the letter long winded, but their circus, it seemed, had come to her attention, and at the very end of the letter she informed them that she would be attending their last show of the month. It would be then that she would determine if she thought they were worthy of a donation, and if she deemed them to be, she would write them a check immediately. It was signed Julie K. Takaki read over it, stunned. And then, not quite believing his eyes, he read it again. This was it. This was their chance. They could keep the circus going, they could survive, and all they had to do was impress this lady. A solution to their doomed situation had just fallen into their laps, and Takaki could barely believe it.
 "This...this is our ticket to―"
 "Stability, freedom, a peaceful night's sleep." Yui cut in, hope and excitement smattered across her face. Takaki nodded.
 "All of those things, yeah."
 "We have to impress her, Yuya. We have to get her to support us." Yu said, pointing to the name at the bottom of the last paper.
 "Do you think we can?" Yuma asked, uncharacteristically uncertain. "We only have three days." Takaki blinked in surprise at that last statement.
 "What?" Yuma pointed to the letter.
 "She said she's coming to the last show of the month...that's in three days." Takaki's eyes immediately went back to the letter, skimming over it, searching for the information, not wanting to trust Yuma to have remembered properly, wanting to believe that they'd have more time. But he was right. Three days. Three days before―in one way or another―their fate was sealed. It made his stomach churn with anxiety, but he nodded at his little brother.
 "We can do it." He assured his siblings, trying to be confident. "We have to."
 In the next few days the circus was abuzz with energy. Word had gotten out about the potential sponsor, and everyone seemed to share the Takaki siblings' anticipation and anxiety, the acts all practicing from dawn to dusk, everyone striving for perfection. Takaki was jittery with nerves, and―without an act to focus on improving―he found himself wandering the circus grounds, feeling useless and anxious and frustrated, the anticipation making the days seem to slow to a crawl. Yet somehow, before anyone seemed to be confident in their performance level, it was suddenly the night before the big show.
 Takaki was up late sitting in his train car, nursing a glass of whisky and trying not to think about the events of the following day, trying to pretend that the fate of his whole life wasn't going to be decided within the next twenty-four hours.  It wasn't really working, and he was relieved when there was a knock on his door. He pulled it open to see Inoo standing there, the dog trainer's lips curling into a cute smile when their eyes met, and the sight took the edge off of the nauseating anxiety threatening to overtake him. He let Inoo in, one arm curling around the other man's waist, pulling him in for a warm kiss. Inoo giggled a little as they pulled apart, and Takaki mused at how cute that was, asking in a teasing voice
 "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Inoo blinked, looking over at him through thick eyelashes, and he shrugged.
 "Just thought I'd come by and check on you...well, that and Keito's fretting was driving me a little nuts." Inoo conceded. He quickly caught sight of the whisky bottle sitting out on Takaki's tiny table, and he asked
 "Nervous?" Takaki shrugged, not really wanting to voice just how scared he was about the next day. Inoo raised his eyebrows at him, walking over to the whisky bottle and checking the level he contents were at. "Drunk?" He asked, and that question was much easier to answer.
 "Nope. Can't do tomorrow with a hangover; Yui would kill me." That too made Inoo giggle, and Takaki smiled bemusedly at him. "Are you drunk?"
 "Me?" Inoo asked, tone betraying his surprise. "Nope!" The words were said light and teasing, and he took a few steps closer, arms wrapping around Takaki's waist, pulling him in as he said, his tone much more sultry than before "So you don't need to worry about taking advantage." Takaki barely had time to even consider those words before Inoo's lips were on his own, more passionate than Takaki had been expecting, the other man pressing up against him, his long fingers weaving into Takaki's hair. Takaki pulled away for a moment, just to set his glass down and ask
 "What're we doing?" He wanted to make sure he wasn't going to cross any lines; this relationship they were in was still pretty new. Inoo smiled, and Takaki took that as a signal to let his hands travel under the bottom edge of Inoo's shirt, fingers brushing over the smooth skin of his lower back, as Inoo replied
 "Helping you relax." Takaki chuckled at that, leaning in and kissing Inoo with the same intensity Inoo had expressed previously, Inoo smiling into it, before things got more needy, tongues twining, Takaki biting at Inoo's bottom lip a bit, before trailing kisses down Inoo's throat. Inoo let out a little whimper as Takaki's teeth brushed over sensitive skin, and Takaki felt a wave of satisfaction roll over him at having figured out something Inoo liked, taking his time working back up Inoo's neck, before kissing him again. Inoo whined into the kiss, his fingers running through Takaki's hair and pulling him in closer, and he bucked his hips against Takaki's, rolling them forward, and Takaki could feel Inoo press hard against him for a moment, and knowing how aroused Inoo was just made Takaki even more so.
 He let his hands wander, cupping Inoo's ass and giving it a firm squeeze, pulling Inoo in closer, so that they were connected at the hips, and the pressure had a moan of his own falling from his lips, his breath catching in his throat for a moment. Inoo rolled his hips again, and this time Takaki moved to work his hips against Inoo's, their lips breaking apart, the kiss sloppy as their focus slipped from what their mouths were doing. Inoo looked amazing, his eyes hooded, long lashes brushing his cheeks, pupils blown wide with arousal, his plush lips even more pink and swollen than usual from the kissing, and Takaki reveled in it for a moment, overwhelmed by what was happening. Things were heating up faster than he’d anticipated, and Takaki pulled Inoo in closer, hands moving from Inoo's ass to instead up his face, Takaki kissing him fiercely as they rutted against each other, chests heaving, erections straining against their pants.
 It was then that he felt a hand on his belt buckle, Inoo pulling their hips apart enough to wrap his hand around Takaki's cock, the touch sending shivers down Takaki's spine, and he gasped against Inoo's lips. Inoo's breathing was heavy, and he leaned into Takaki's shoulder, murmuring after a few long, moan inducing strokes of his hand
 "Touch me too." Takaki nodded, and snaked his hand under Inoo's waistband, wrapping his fingers around Inoo's erection, the touch making Inoo visibly shiver, a sharp whine pitting itself into the back of Inoo's throat as Takaki began to move. It wasn't long before Takaki felt the tell tale pressure in his stomach, the buzzing tension rising to a breaking point, and he bit down on Inoo's shoulder as he came, shuddering tensely against the other man, his vision going white. Inoo worked him through it, the continued stimulation making his high last longer, and when he regained himself his grip was slack on Inoo's dick, his breathing heavy, his body pressed into Inoo's own, the other man practically keeping him standing.
 Inoo's hand wrapped around his own erection, cupping Takaki's, and they worked together, Inoo coming himself after only a few strokes of their hands. They fell silent, the two of them leaning against each other as they gained their composure, and after a moment or two Inoo asked
 "So, are you still nervous?" That made Takaki laugh, and Inoo pulled away from where he'd been resting his head on Takaki's shoulder, their eyes meeting, smiles on their lips.
 "You're the best." Takaki told him, Inoo's smile growing bigger in response.
"I know." He declared, and Takaki leaned in, kissing him again, this time more gently, slow and affectionate.
 "Let's get cleaned up." Takaki suggested, and they did, kissing and talking and giggling through the whole process, before collapsing into Takaki's bed, exhausted, endorphins still running through their systems.
 The next day in the few hours before the show Takaki's anxiety returned full force, but soon after the show began, he realized that he had nothing to worry about. The show was amazing. Keito's lions performed tricks Takaki didn't even know they could do, the jugglers had added in acrobatics to their routine, and the acrobats themselves never once touched the ground. Each and every act was on fire, everyone executing their stunts practically flawlessly, the crowd responding well, gasping and clapping and cheering as if on cue. Their hard work and dedication to the show had paid off, and Takaki was beaming by the end, no longer afraid, because no one could see that and say that the Takaki Family Circus wasn't worth their time or money. He was proud; he felt good. They had given it their all; they'd done all they could, and now it was out of their hands. Now it was up to Julie K. to decide.
 Shortly after the show had ended, he was by the animals, talking with Keito while he waited for Inoo to show up, wanting nothing more than to grab Inoo and pull him in for a kiss, when two of his siblings ran up, their costumes still on, makeup beginning to melt off of their faces from the heat and sweat, eyes alight and full of energy, and Yuma grabbed him by the arm, as Yu said
 "Julie's here! She said she wants to talk to us; she's waiting by your car." Takaki blinked at his sister in surprise, sputtering out
 "Here, now?!" They all nodded in unison. "Shit. Did she say what she wanted to talk about? Is it good news?"
 "No idea." Yu admitted. "But Yui is there, talking to her. If it is good news, we don't want to keep her waiting!" They raced across the circus grounds, and as they drew near Takaki saw the woman that just had to be her, talking with his older sister. She was a lady that looked to be in her early sixties, standing outside of his train car, her clothes and the way she carried herself all radiating an air of wealth. Seeing her brought some of that nervousness from earlier in the day bubbling back up his throat, but he walked over, smiling his most charming smile and offering her his hand.
 "Miss Julie, is it? It's a pleasure to meet you." He declared, trying to be charming, to be polite and likeable. She smiled at him, and he felt a little less jittery as he offered for her to come inside so they could talk properly, hoping that he hadn't left his underwear on the floor, or something equally embarrassing. The whole group of them squeezed themselves into his little train car, and around the table that most of the Takaki family meetings were held at, and Yu procured tea for their guest, everyone watching anxiously as she sipped from her cup, the silence heavy with anticipation. After a pause that seemed to last an infinite amount of time, finally, Julie spoke.
 "I've heard that you all are in a bit of a tight spot, financially." She said, fingers running over the handle of her cup. Her eyes met Takaki's, confident and-unless he was mistaken-almost sultry. He swallowed, taking a deep breath and folding his hands in front of him on the table, searching frantically for the right words. Polite words.
 "You've heard correctly, ma'am. We've worked very hard to impress you; your offer of sponsorship was a miracle. We don't want to let this opportunity slip through our fingers. This circus was started by my parents, it is a way of life-not only for my family-but for all of the others that have joined us and made us what we are today. We only hope that you have found us impressive." Her eyes met his, and she trailed one hand up his arm, giving his bicep a little squeeze.
 "Oh, you definitely exceeded my expectations." She told him, her voice definitely more than a little flirtatious. He felt her foot on his calf, and he jumped, startled by her advances. It didn't seem to shake her though, and she asked, her eyes hooded, her gaze pointedly sexual "But what will you do to persuade me?"
Takaki could feel his face flushing, could feel her foot traveling further up his leg, and he jumped to his feet, extremely uncomfortable with the situation that had unfolded.
 "I-I'm sorry, I―"
 "Can you give us a moment please?" Yui asked Julie, one hand grabbing Takaki forcefully by the arm. Their visitor nodded, and as soon as she had Yui dragged Takaki back out of the train car's door, and into the semidarkness of the outdoors, the sun beginning to set, their siblings following them out. As soon as they were alone she whirled on him, eyes fierce.
 "What are you doing? You're about to ruin this for us!" Takaki just blinked at her in surprise, sputtering out
 "B-but, she wants me to sleep with her in exchange for...for her money!" Yu scoffed at his indignation, asking
 "Do you really have a...a morality issue with it Yuya? You used to be willing to sleep with practically anything with a pulse, and none of us said anything, but now, now that it actually matters, you're backing out?" She did have a point; Takaki knew he had been rather promiscuous, starting in his early teens, and hell-if it would save their family business, their way of life-he would be inclined to just go through with it. There was only one issue. Despite any other flaws he might have, he'd always prided himself on his loyalty. He wasn't a cheater.
 "I'm with someone. I can't just go off and have sex with her; I have a boy...thing." All three of them were looking at him skeptically.
 "A boy-thing?" Yui asked, and it was clear in her tone that she didn't believe him. "Who?"
 "Inoo, the dog trainer."
 "Inoo? Really?" Yuma asked, looking surprised. "I thought he was with Hikaru." Takaki felt mildly offended at the statement, his frown becoming more set.
 "And how long have you two been together?" Yu asked, the question making him feel flustered. How was he supposed to answer that question? He and Inoo still hasn't technically defined their relationship...but he didn't want to say that, didn't want to make it seem less valid, so he decided to go for the best option. Their first kiss. But even then that was only-
 "A week." He felt like an idiot saying it aloud, and his siblings all scoffed.
 "Yuya, that's not even really a relationship. There's barely anything to it. Are you really going to let a freshly hatched crush ruin our lives, and take everything we have away from us? And hell, if you won't do it for us, do it for Inoo. He's depending on this circus staying in business to survive just as much as the rest of us. Do you really think that-regardless of how it happened-he'd be mad that you saved his livelihood?" Yu folded her arms over her chest, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "Don't be selfish."
 His sisters blatant disregard for his protests, and the cool manner with which she cut him down ignited a harsh anger in his chest, and he felt himself bristling, readying for a proper shouting match when Yuma put a warm hand on his shoulder, catching his eye, his little brother's wide uncertain eyes calming him down a bit.
 "Won't you do it Yuya? For us?" Yuma asked, his tone less harsh and forceful, more pleading. It was grounding, but it wasn't enough to make him change his mind. To make it feel okay.
 "Fuck this." He growled, whirling on his heel, ignoring the voices calling after him as he marched back up the steps and into his train car. Julie was still sitting where they'd left her, and when she looked up at him she smiled, victory in her eyes. She stood, coming closer as she said
 "Well? It's been a while since I've been persuaded by a man."
 "I can't, I'm sorry." The words burst from his lips in a rush, his heart pounding. "I'm kinda in a relationship and..." He trailed off, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked surprised, but it was only for a moment before she regained her composure.
 "That's too bad." She said, turning, as if to gather her belongings, and he felt a sinking dread in his chest. It was at that moment that Hikaru burst in, the juggler half naked, his costume pants low slung on his hips, top half completely bare. He was talking as soon as he crossed the threshold.
 "I need to borrow your shampoo. I know it's special, but I ran out of mine, and you still owe me from that thing with the pig farmer in February, and-" it was at that moment that Hikaru noticed Julie in the room, his voice dying in his throat, eyes wide as he realized that he was intruding in a major way. It was then however, that Julie spoke, turning to Takaki and declaring
 "He'll do." Takaki felt a wave of shock wash over him, a desperate spark of hope igniting in this chest as Hikaru looked back and forth between the two of them, eyes wide and confused. Julie raised her eyebrows, gaze on Takaki as she asked "Well?"
 "Can you-uh-give us a moment?" He asked, Julie giving Hikaru's muscular form one more up and down look before nodding.
 "A moment." She conceded, turning away.
 "Takaki, what's going on? Isn't she the sponsor everyone's been going on about?"
 "Yes and uh...I have something big to ask you." Takaki explained the situation as quickly and quietly as possible, and by the end Hikaru was staring at him incredulously.
 "So you're saying...you're saying that if I have sex with that woman, she'll fund the circus?"
 "Uh, that about sums it up, yeah." Takaki conceded, and Hikaru fell silent, face blank, obviously mulling over all of the information he'd just been bombarded with. He didn't have much time however, Julie calling over from where she'd retaken her seat.
 "Well?" Takaki could feel his heart in his throat, and he froze, unable to move as Hikaru met her eyes from across the room, before the juggler's face broke into a charming smile, and he crossed the room, offering Julie his hand and murmuring something in her ear. She smiled, standing, one hand on his bare chest. Takaki could feel an embarrassed blush creeping up his face, and as quietly as he could be slunk out of the train car, giving them some privacy.
 Takaki and Hikaru never discussed what had transpired that evening, but in the weeks to come the Takaki Family Circus received numerous generous checks from Julie, the circus able to replace or repair all of their equipment, and buy some upgrades. They were no longer in a financial pit, and it was a huge relief. She also sent lavish gifts to Hikaru regularly, much to his embarrassment, and to the amusement of Takaki. Takaki meanwhile asked Inoo to be his boyfriend properly, soon after the first check from Julie arrived, and to his delight the dog trainer said yes. The circus was saved, and he had a fantastic boyfriend. Despite the lifetime of gratitude he probably owed Hikaru, things were definitely looking up.

A/N: ALSO if any of you reading this are a fan of my Heisei Kumi series, I just wanted to let you know that starting next week I'll be posting a new small multi-chap that is a part of that series! It's from Shoon's POV, and it will be called Shoon's Greatest Pride. I'm pretty excited about it! So yes...I hope you are excited too!