![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: A Momentary Lapse of Reason
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
andrew_in_drag
Pairing: Kaoru x Toshiya
Rating: mature
Warnings: sex, swears
Chapter: 2/??
Previously: 1
Synopsis: When it comes to healing broken hearts, Toshiya is a professional. Good-looking and charming, he makes his living by gently helping the jilted to go on with their lives, whilst steadfastly refusing to settle down himself. Boasting a one hundred percent success rate, Toshiya is sure his method is flawless - until he meets Kaoru, a lonely academic who, despite Toshiya's better judgement, starts to get under his skin...
CHAPTER TWO:
The anxious, earnest note in Die's voice had let Toshiya to assume that the man would have an appearance to match; evidently, that was not the case. He scanned the café for some sweet-faced, shy young man, but the only male sitting alone had bright crimson hair that hung slightly longer than most men wore it, framing his pale and handsome face attractively. Looking at him, Toshiya trusted Die instantly; he looked like a man whose face had never learned to lie. His eyes, Toshiya could see, were an open book to whatever he was feeling, and on that precise day and time they were shadowed with worry.
It was for that reason alone that Toshiya cleared his throat and tentatively asked, "Die?"
The redhead's face lapsed into an easy grin and he unfolded his body from his chair awkwardly, dipping into an embarrassed little bow.
"You must be Toshiya," he stated familiarly, "Thanks for coming. Normally I..." his face fell a little, and after a moment's hesitation he continued brusquely, "I wouldn't normally do this. But I'm desperate."
He sat down, looking ill-at-ease. Now that Toshiya was closer, he could see that Die's pale face and shadowed eyes might have been through lack of sleep. He was as tall as Toshiya and perhaps just a shade too thin; Toshiya sat down quickly, feeling guiltily healthy and worry-free.
"Why don't you start," he said kindly, "From the beginning?"
Die's smile showed Toshiya the sweet-faced boy he had been searching for. Reaching for an already half-empty bottle of coke, Die took a fortifying gulp and prepared to tell his story.
"It all started," he began after a thoughtful pause, "When my best friend Kaoru and I went away to college. From the start it wasn't really my kinda place; I wouldn't even have gotten in if Kaoru hadn't helped me study." Die smiled fondly. "He did his degree in ancient history. Anyway, we were both dirt poor, so when we got a flat we had to find a third person to split the rent. We were so desperate, we took in this guy we didn't even know - friend of a friend, he was. Had some big long name, but everyone just called him Kyo."
Die took a meditative sip of his drink.
"He was great, nice. I liked him. He wasn't really my usual type of person, but then, neither was Kaoru. They were both more intense and thoughtful. Harder to get to know, but worth it once you did, you know? Kyo spent most of his time writing poetry, and was even quieter than Kaoru. Not reserved in the way Kaoru was; not shy, just quiet." Die sighed. He seemed surprised to see that Toshiya had taken out a neat little black notebook, and was taking notes with a flourish.
"Anyway..." Die continued a little uncertainly, "In my second year, I dropped out of college. Not smart enough." He flashed Toshiya a grin, "I stayed on at the flat, though, and got a full-time job instead. But, guess what, with me away all day...their relationship changed. Me not being there probably forced them to talk to each other for once. And in the end, they became a couple."
A steaming cup of green tea landed in front of Toshiya with a reserved thunk, punctuating Die's sentence perfectly.
"So, I didn't care. I mean, I was glad for them! They were both really happy, even for two people like that - I mean, they don't really show their emotions much, those two. There were just all these little signs that they were really, I dunno, really content. They didn't want me to move out, and neither did I; it didn't feel any different there. Wasn't awkward. I was still Kaoru's best friend and all, and Kyo liked me well enough."
He took a deep breath and another slug of his drink, seeming to gain strength from the sugary liquid.
"Anyway, time went on..." he made an awkward hand motion to indicate the passing of the years, "And they stayed together. Kao does something important with, I dunno, old bits of pottery and stuff, and he's writing his phD. Kyo released a poetry book." He raised an eyebrow, "Weird old stuff, but what do I know about poetry? Anyway, the point is, I thought they were happy! They moved in together; they were like a real married couple, but one day, Kaoru got home..."
Toshiya realised that he was holding his breath. He took a sip of tea and made himself relax.
"...And Kyo was standing there. He had this ring Kaoru had given him, like an eternity band or whatever, and he just took it off and gave it back. Just stood there and broke Kaoru's heart. Just like that."
And with that, Die rocked back in his chair, draining the last of his coke and peered interestedly towards Toshiya's notebook.
In every consultation that Toshiya had ever held, all had the same format. In the first half, the client talked, telling their story and appealing to Toshiya for help - something which he found embarrassing, for wasn't he going to help them anyway? In the second half, Toshiya talked; real things, concrete things. He asked questions. He gathered data.
"Was there any particular reason why Kyo left?" Toshiya asked, summarising all that Die had told him in a set of neat bullet points. Die merely shrugged.
"Said he just didn't feel like Kaoru loved him enough. Now, this is the couple who'd been together for, what, nearly half their lives! And with never even a hiccup! I mean, small arguments, but they always made up. Both were stubborn, see. But Toshiya, that relationship meant the world to Kao."
"And what are they both doing now?"
Die screwed up his face.
"Kyo moved out. He's living with some new boyfriend, or something. Kaoru just..." Die shook his head, "I'm scared, Toshiya. It's like the centre's just fallen out of his world. He's a sensible guy but it's like he's just...stuck! He stays in al the time, in that house they shared - Kyo's stuff is still everywhere, for fuck's sake - staring into space or pretending to watch TV. He only gets out when he works. I have to tell him to shave; I mean, some days he can't even make it out of his bathrobe. I go around and he's so grateful to have me there, but I'm just...not what he needs, you see?"
Yes, Toshiya saw. He'd been seeing situations like this for the past seven years.
"Alright," he said soothingly, "Well, you did the right thing by calling me. I'll handle everything." He smiled comfortingly and took a small breath. "About my fee..."
"I'll pay anything," Die said, widening his eyes seriously.
"I charge ¥7000 per day—"
"Per day!"
"Not inclusive of any additional expenses - gifts for him when it's necessary, dates, travel, that sort of thing. It gets to be a lot of money, Die. That's ¥7000 for every day I see him. This is a difficult, time-consuming job." He took a smooth sip of tea, "And I am the best."
"Yes," Die mumbled, mollified, "Yes, of course." He sat up straight, "Well, that's fine."
He sounded so sure so suddenly that Toshiya felt dubious.
"Are you certain that this is what you want? And that you can afford it?" he checked desperately. Die's face seemed to harden slightly with determination.
"Cash or cheque?" he asked brazenly, staring Toshiya right in the eye.
He had to hide a smile.
"Either is fine," he assured him. "Payments will be settled at the end of each month. Over the next few days I'll draw up a contract and mail it to you in duplicate; please sign both and send one copy - one - back to me. Promptly, please. I've retrieved your mobile number from my caller ID. All I need now is a picture of him and somewhere I'm likely to come across him."
And with that, Toshiya sat defiantly back, leaving it to Die to explain that Kaoru could often be found at the library, or sometimes at the record store near his house. In the back of his throat, Toshiya found he was making a soft, vibrating, humming noise, not all that dissimilar to a purr.
A/N: 1. I have realised that, when I write about Die, I always seem to mention his eyebrows. See if you can spot his eyebrows throughout this fic. It's like a game that you can't help but win.
Author:
andrew_in_dragPairing: Kaoru x Toshiya
Rating: mature
Warnings: sex, swears
Chapter: 2/??
Previously: 1
Synopsis: When it comes to healing broken hearts, Toshiya is a professional. Good-looking and charming, he makes his living by gently helping the jilted to go on with their lives, whilst steadfastly refusing to settle down himself. Boasting a one hundred percent success rate, Toshiya is sure his method is flawless - until he meets Kaoru, a lonely academic who, despite Toshiya's better judgement, starts to get under his skin...
CHAPTER TWO:
The anxious, earnest note in Die's voice had let Toshiya to assume that the man would have an appearance to match; evidently, that was not the case. He scanned the café for some sweet-faced, shy young man, but the only male sitting alone had bright crimson hair that hung slightly longer than most men wore it, framing his pale and handsome face attractively. Looking at him, Toshiya trusted Die instantly; he looked like a man whose face had never learned to lie. His eyes, Toshiya could see, were an open book to whatever he was feeling, and on that precise day and time they were shadowed with worry.
It was for that reason alone that Toshiya cleared his throat and tentatively asked, "Die?"
The redhead's face lapsed into an easy grin and he unfolded his body from his chair awkwardly, dipping into an embarrassed little bow.
"You must be Toshiya," he stated familiarly, "Thanks for coming. Normally I..." his face fell a little, and after a moment's hesitation he continued brusquely, "I wouldn't normally do this. But I'm desperate."
He sat down, looking ill-at-ease. Now that Toshiya was closer, he could see that Die's pale face and shadowed eyes might have been through lack of sleep. He was as tall as Toshiya and perhaps just a shade too thin; Toshiya sat down quickly, feeling guiltily healthy and worry-free.
"Why don't you start," he said kindly, "From the beginning?"
Die's smile showed Toshiya the sweet-faced boy he had been searching for. Reaching for an already half-empty bottle of coke, Die took a fortifying gulp and prepared to tell his story.
"It all started," he began after a thoughtful pause, "When my best friend Kaoru and I went away to college. From the start it wasn't really my kinda place; I wouldn't even have gotten in if Kaoru hadn't helped me study." Die smiled fondly. "He did his degree in ancient history. Anyway, we were both dirt poor, so when we got a flat we had to find a third person to split the rent. We were so desperate, we took in this guy we didn't even know - friend of a friend, he was. Had some big long name, but everyone just called him Kyo."
Die took a meditative sip of his drink.
"He was great, nice. I liked him. He wasn't really my usual type of person, but then, neither was Kaoru. They were both more intense and thoughtful. Harder to get to know, but worth it once you did, you know? Kyo spent most of his time writing poetry, and was even quieter than Kaoru. Not reserved in the way Kaoru was; not shy, just quiet." Die sighed. He seemed surprised to see that Toshiya had taken out a neat little black notebook, and was taking notes with a flourish.
"Anyway..." Die continued a little uncertainly, "In my second year, I dropped out of college. Not smart enough." He flashed Toshiya a grin, "I stayed on at the flat, though, and got a full-time job instead. But, guess what, with me away all day...their relationship changed. Me not being there probably forced them to talk to each other for once. And in the end, they became a couple."
A steaming cup of green tea landed in front of Toshiya with a reserved thunk, punctuating Die's sentence perfectly.
"So, I didn't care. I mean, I was glad for them! They were both really happy, even for two people like that - I mean, they don't really show their emotions much, those two. There were just all these little signs that they were really, I dunno, really content. They didn't want me to move out, and neither did I; it didn't feel any different there. Wasn't awkward. I was still Kaoru's best friend and all, and Kyo liked me well enough."
He took a deep breath and another slug of his drink, seeming to gain strength from the sugary liquid.
"Anyway, time went on..." he made an awkward hand motion to indicate the passing of the years, "And they stayed together. Kao does something important with, I dunno, old bits of pottery and stuff, and he's writing his phD. Kyo released a poetry book." He raised an eyebrow, "Weird old stuff, but what do I know about poetry? Anyway, the point is, I thought they were happy! They moved in together; they were like a real married couple, but one day, Kaoru got home..."
Toshiya realised that he was holding his breath. He took a sip of tea and made himself relax.
"...And Kyo was standing there. He had this ring Kaoru had given him, like an eternity band or whatever, and he just took it off and gave it back. Just stood there and broke Kaoru's heart. Just like that."
And with that, Die rocked back in his chair, draining the last of his coke and peered interestedly towards Toshiya's notebook.
In every consultation that Toshiya had ever held, all had the same format. In the first half, the client talked, telling their story and appealing to Toshiya for help - something which he found embarrassing, for wasn't he going to help them anyway? In the second half, Toshiya talked; real things, concrete things. He asked questions. He gathered data.
"Was there any particular reason why Kyo left?" Toshiya asked, summarising all that Die had told him in a set of neat bullet points. Die merely shrugged.
"Said he just didn't feel like Kaoru loved him enough. Now, this is the couple who'd been together for, what, nearly half their lives! And with never even a hiccup! I mean, small arguments, but they always made up. Both were stubborn, see. But Toshiya, that relationship meant the world to Kao."
"And what are they both doing now?"
Die screwed up his face.
"Kyo moved out. He's living with some new boyfriend, or something. Kaoru just..." Die shook his head, "I'm scared, Toshiya. It's like the centre's just fallen out of his world. He's a sensible guy but it's like he's just...stuck! He stays in al the time, in that house they shared - Kyo's stuff is still everywhere, for fuck's sake - staring into space or pretending to watch TV. He only gets out when he works. I have to tell him to shave; I mean, some days he can't even make it out of his bathrobe. I go around and he's so grateful to have me there, but I'm just...not what he needs, you see?"
Yes, Toshiya saw. He'd been seeing situations like this for the past seven years.
"Alright," he said soothingly, "Well, you did the right thing by calling me. I'll handle everything." He smiled comfortingly and took a small breath. "About my fee..."
"I'll pay anything," Die said, widening his eyes seriously.
"I charge ¥7000 per day—"
"Per day!"
"Not inclusive of any additional expenses - gifts for him when it's necessary, dates, travel, that sort of thing. It gets to be a lot of money, Die. That's ¥7000 for every day I see him. This is a difficult, time-consuming job." He took a smooth sip of tea, "And I am the best."
"Yes," Die mumbled, mollified, "Yes, of course." He sat up straight, "Well, that's fine."
He sounded so sure so suddenly that Toshiya felt dubious.
"Are you certain that this is what you want? And that you can afford it?" he checked desperately. Die's face seemed to harden slightly with determination.
"Cash or cheque?" he asked brazenly, staring Toshiya right in the eye.
He had to hide a smile.
"Either is fine," he assured him. "Payments will be settled at the end of each month. Over the next few days I'll draw up a contract and mail it to you in duplicate; please sign both and send one copy - one - back to me. Promptly, please. I've retrieved your mobile number from my caller ID. All I need now is a picture of him and somewhere I'm likely to come across him."
And with that, Toshiya sat defiantly back, leaving it to Die to explain that Kaoru could often be found at the library, or sometimes at the record store near his house. In the back of his throat, Toshiya found he was making a soft, vibrating, humming noise, not all that dissimilar to a purr.
A/N: 1. I have realised that, when I write about Die, I always seem to mention his eyebrows. See if you can spot his eyebrows throughout this fic. It's like a game that you can't help but win.
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long long long comment u_u'
Date: 2012-04-09 12:58 pm (UTC)From:I didn't read the original of this one but, well, I like it ! I just wait the holy moment when Toshiya meet Kao (I call him like that too u_u it's funny XDDD)! I'm sure I'll love it, as ever !!! <3
Re: long long long comment u_u'
Date: 2012-04-09 03:00 pm (UTC)From:so thank you!
and yeah, Die's eyebrows just have a life of their own...xx
Re: long long long comment u_u'
Date: 2012-04-09 05:23 pm (UTC)From:Re: long long long comment u_u'
Date: 2012-04-10 10:59 am (UTC)From:Haha, okay, I sound crazy now.
Re: long long long comment u_u'
Date: 2012-04-10 04:38 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 01:34 pm (UTC)From:Ahh I love how professional Toshiya is in this (mostly because I kinda know what is gonna happen next).
Oh but how Die tells the story of Kaoru and Kyo is also quite heartbreaking because you can see how much Die cares for his best friend.
So now are we keeping an eyebrow count? lol! Unless you want me to put more serious comments ^^
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 02:58 pm (UTC)From:and thank you! I really like writing Die's dialogue. In my head he's just fun! xx
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 04:30 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 05:04 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-04-10 02:38 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 05:13 pm (UTC)From:I can't wait for the library-scene, my memories about the exact details faded a little bit, but I remember I liked the circumstances of their first meeting...
_______
Music: 東方神起 - Duet -winter ver.-
no subject
Date: 2012-04-09 09:30 pm (UTC)From:ahh, this is starting to go somewhere. i love how professional toshiya seems to be in this one, almost cold, just asking for details and analyzing everything in such a calculating way.
i feel already sorry for kaoru. and somehow i really feel sorry for die too, reaching the point of feeling so helpless since he couldn't help a dear friend.
and i can't really wait for next chapter, which will probably be the meeting between kaoru and toshiya
*o*
no subject
Date: 2012-04-10 12:34 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 11:08 am (UTC)From: