Legal Drug Fan Fiction ❯ The Chains That Bind ❯ The Overbooked Birthday ( Chapter 2 )

Legal Drug : The Chains That Bind - Chapter 2

 

Summary: Kazahaya's past and present collide for his 18th birthday, as dangers unfold that even Kakei and Saga can't see. Only Rikuo can save Kazahaya from a family reunion, and finally get intimate with Kazahaya in the bargain - more intimate than Rikuo had bargained for. First chapter of the Chains That Bind story arc.

 

Disclaimer: I have no rights to Legal Drug, of course. This was my first attempt at a fanfic.

 

 

Chapter 2 - The Overbooked Birthday

 

“Practice morning kiss?” Rikuo said half-jokingly, handing cornflakes over Kazahaya's shoulder at breakfast. He kept it light, easy for the other boy to also joke off if he didn't welcome the advance. But Rikuo kept his face within kissing distance while he asked, so it was easy for Kazahaya to accept lightly, too.

 

“WHAT!? Pervert before breakfast?!”

 

I'll take that as a no… Rikuo sat down hard and glowered at Kazahaya, wishing he'd brought his newspaper to the table, but too stubborn to go fetch it.

 

“Don't just pretend you didn't say it! What the hell was that? Itadakimasu!” Kazahaya dug vehemently into his cornflakes.

 

“It was a joke. Just offering to help you again with your kissing practice. Thought I'd try being friendly. Don't bite my head off.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Kazahaya's big eyes stared at him, annoyed and completely innocent.

 

“What do you mean, what am I talking about?” Rikuo flushed dark and his eyes narrowed. “I'm talking about helping you with your kiss-a-pear project last night.”

 

Kazahaya's stare just turned more puzzled. “You, helped me, kiss…a pear? Is this, um, supposed to make sense?”

 

Rikuo's dark flush began turning ashen. He whispered, “Quit kidding around, Kazahaya. You remember kissing me last night.” He made it a flat statement, but realization was beginning to dawn.

 

“EWWW! DID NOT! What are you saying?!?”

 

Rikuo swallowed, hard. “Forget it. Just kidding.” He made his very best effort at a dark smirk. “Just jealous of your pear.”

 

The pieces came together. Kazahaya didn't fall asleep in my arms. He passed out after kissing me, the way he passes out after a strong vision. He didn't respond to my kiss, he lived it - from my side. Then, on his side….

 

Oh, hell. He wasn't even there.

 

-oOo-

 

“Good morning!” Saiga boomed jovially, grabbing Kazahaya around the waist from behind for a hug. Kazahaya squirmed away as usual.

 

“Sleep well?” Kakei inquired sweetly of Rikuo, who'd barely slept at all the past three nights.

 

The chimes rang on the shop door and they quit their banter, Kazahaya and Kakei wandering off to work. The guy who'd walked in was around 20, dressed in black leathers and chains. Perhaps in deference to the oppressive August heat, the jacket was zipped down to his navel, with nothing underneath except some necklaces of knotted black leather and silver ornaments. Not an ounce of fat anywhere, muscular chest and abs rippling, and spiked hair tipped with blond.

 

“Scenic. Pity no rent there,” Saiga commented softly to Rikuo, eyes as always hidden behind dark sunglasses. “Diversion?”

 

Rikuo pretended not to hear him. He walked over to the customer and asked if he needed help, doing his best to pose and openly eye the other man's body. After an animated discussion, in which the two young men didn't keep their hands entirely to themselves, the customer left.

 

“What the hell was that!?” demanded Kazahaya, shrilly.

 

“That was my date for tomorrow night,” said Rikuo, as coldly as he could manage.

 

“That was not your date for tomorrow night,” corrected Kakei. “Tomorrow is Kudo-kun's birthday. We're working the store all day, then celebrating at night as a family. You'll have to reschedule. Absolutely.”

 

“But,” said Kazahaya, “I have a date tomorrow night, too.”

 

Kakei and Saiga turned and stared at him.

 

“With the girl in the green high school uniform, with the cute bouncy short hair and the green hair ribbons…” Kazahaya's voice dwindled off.

 

Kakei put his arm around him and said, “How…sweet! But, of course you need to reschedule, honey. I've already made plans, and it's really too intimidating for a first date, for the girl to meet your family.”

 

“But - “

 

“Reschedule. Absolutely.” Kakei's voice took on a hard edge, and his hug got firmer and less friendly. “My treat. Shabu-shabu in Roppongi. And your surprise birthday present!”

 

Saiga winced at the magnitude of the bribe - Kakei had not intended to treat all four of them to shabu-shabu in upscale Roppongi, at a price tag of around $300. Plus a birthday cake… No doubt Saiga was doomed to bake that, in the August heat, to save money.

 

“Really?!?” cried Kazahaya. “Well, OK. I'll postpone my date. I'm sure she'll understand. A surprise?”

 

“Yes, a surprise.” Kakei patted him fondly in relief.

 

“Have fun without me,” said Rikuo.

 

“Himura-kun -“ Kakei began.

 

Saiga cut him off, pulling Kakei away from Kazahaya. “I'll take the son, Mom, you handle our daughter,” Saiga said softly in Kakei's ear.

 

Kakei glowered at this outworn joke, then realized that Kazahaya was staring at the retreating Rikuo in shock, about two steps from tears. And sighed. “You're right… And don't call me Mom,” he hissed, and made a quick vicious grab at Saiga's crotch as they parted.

 

While Saiga trooped after Rikuo, Kakei turned to Kazahaya, and crooned, “Don't worry. We'll all be together tomorrow night for your birthday.”

 

“He doesn't have to come if he doesn't want to! That guy…that guy Rikuo was with…is he, safe, you think?”

 

Kazahaya was getting closer to tears. What the hell is this? I'm jealous? I'm disgusted? And my date…was I trying to make him jealous? That's crazy, jealous of a guy, and a guy, and trying to make a guy jealous of me, or rather, of my date, and… And it's my birthday! And he'd rather go…do what? What will he do with that scary-looking guy… And the two bedrooms. Not clearing out? Could he bring someone like that home on my birthday? In the other room?!?

 

“Mmm, don't you just love shabu-shabu?”

 

“Um, yeah.”

 

“Your favorite, isn't it? And what kind of cake would you like, sweetie?” Kazahaya was staring at the spot where Rikuo and Saiga had disappeared behind the shelving. “How about cheesecake, with strawberries on it?” That made Kazahaya's eyes track to Kakei. “But I don't know if I should give you any hints about your surprise…”

 

“Oh, no, Kakei-san! I love surprises! And, um, strawberry cheesecake would be awesome!”

 

“You do have the young lady's phone number so you can reschedule?” Kakei asked solicitously. He was confident that Kazahaya's date would never happen with the cute girl with the bouncy green ribbon.

 

“Oh, sure. She'll understand. It's - Wow, Kakei-san, shabu-shabu and cheesecake, that's so rich! You guys take such good care of me!” The tears finally did brim over, but on Kakei's shoulder, masquerading as gratitude for an extravagant birthday treat.

 

Meanwhile, in the aisle with the household paper goods, Saiga handled the “son”.

 

“Look, it's this simple, Himura-kun. Kakei says you have to eat with us.”

 

“And I told you. I'm eating something else.”

 

Saiga snorted. “Grab his clone another day at any adult bookshop. Don't make this difficult. Kakei says, and I'm supposed to be handling you.”

 

“Handle yourself. Or have Kakei make himself useful.”

 

“It's Kudo-kun's birthday.”

 

“Yeah, and my birthday's in November. I saw your face when Kakei trotted out the shabu-shabu-in-Roppongi plan. Would he even pay for burgers and fries for my birthday?”

 

Saiga chuckled and chalked up a point in thin air. “But you know how your mother and I try to be fair… So, what's the issue, Himura-kun? Your hunky leather boy isn't going to outbid shabu-shabu. Make it easier on both of us -- just take the bribe.”

 

“I…can't. I need a break from all this togetherness.”

 

Saiga looked surprisingly alarmed by this lightweight entry into the banter. He leaned closer. “What gives? Did something happen between you two last night?”

 

“None of your business.”

 

“Maybe. Won't know until you tell me.”

 

“Just did. None of your business.”

 

Saiga leaned back and stretched an arm down the shelf behind him, toying with a price marker. “So… Alright. Too much togetherness. And the leather lad is…what? To you.”

 

“An antidote. The anti-Kudo.” Rikuo looked up into Saiga's black sunglasses. “I can't take much more of this without a break. Too much Kudo.”

 

Saiga exaggerated his shelf lounging. “You done venting yet? I'm getting bored.”

 

“I was serious. That time.” Rikuo paused to let Saiga respond, but Saiga just waited. “He's…” he began, but trailed off.

 

“Sexy?” Saiga suggested. “Innocent? Clueless? You want him but you can't have him?”

 

Rikuo flushed and looked away.

 

Saiga pursed his lips thinking. “OK, I can get that it's a bit frustrating for you.” Rikuo snorted. “But would you really want to be rid of him?”

 

Rikuo's head snapped up and around at that. “No.” Saiga kept staring at him, so he demanded, “Why?”

 

“Can't tell you that. Can tell you we need you tomorrow night. You might never find out why. Knock on wood, we might never find out why. But hey, Kakei is spending $300 for shabu-shabu. You can't pass that up. Drop the boy toy, come with us.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

“How'd it go?” Kakei asked, as Saiga rejoined him at the back of the store. Both their young workers were back to stocking and tidying shelves, avoiding each other.

 

Saiga made a feint for Kakei's crotch in retribution, and let his hand get captured. “…Not well,” he answered. At Kakei's raised eyebrow, he added, “He'll join us for dinner tomorrow, I think. But… How'd it go with you?”

 

“You're making strawberry cheesecake. What do you mean, `But…'?”

 

“I hope your slinky bracelet isn't too little too late.”

 

-oOo-

 

Rikuo slept like a log. He lay down in his clothes without eating dinner after work, and didn't wake until Kazahaya rolled him over Friday morning, Kazahaya's birthday. Kazahaya ended up making breakfast as well, as Rikuo stumbled groggily into a cool shower. The birthday boy was just about to work himself into a tantrum about this, Why am I doing an extra share of chores on my birthday? when Rikuo came up behind him in the kitchenette, and reached a small present around him.

 

“It's not much. Just wanted to get you something from me. There's something fancier later from Kakei and me. Sorry I overslept.”

 

Kazahaya broke into a beaming smile and spun around to open the present between them. He tore the wrapping paper apart, letting the pieces fly in the fan breeze. “Ooh, socks! Thank you, Rikuo!” He touched the gray fluffy spa socks in surprise. “Wow, these are so soft!” He stroked them along his jaw. “These are the softest socks I've ever touched! Thank you!” Snuggling socks, his face beamed as brightly as it had been before he'd opened the gift.

 

Rikuo looked away in embarrassment at this sock rapture. “Seems silly in this heat.”

 

“Not at all!” Kazahaya was clearly a generous receiver of gifts. “I was so cold when we met…. I love them! All of you are so kind to me - and you're in on a present for me later? Plus the shabu-shabu and cheesecake? Wow….”

 

“Yeah, well. Happy birthday. Um, let's eat.”

 

Kazahaya proudly wore his soft new socks to work, and showed them off to Kakei and Saiga, insisting that they pet the socks to appreciate their softness.

 

-oOo-

 

Kazahaya and Rikuo took turns running upstairs to change before the drugstore closed that night, so they'd be ready for the restaurant jaunt to Roppongi. Rikuo put on a fresh black T-shirt and black jeans, and added earrings and a choker. Kazahaya must have borrowed an ironing board somewhere, because his button down shirt was freshly shiny with starch. His jeans and shirt were dark chocolate brown, the shirt with faint silver tracings on it. For once, his shirt was tucked in, accentuating his slim waist and broad shoulders. Taking his cue from Rikuo, he also wore a few black-and-silver chokers twined together and an earring. They both looked great.

 

Kakei wore his usual, save in finer fabric. The beige mock turtleneck was cashmere instead of bargain-store cotton-polyester. The tan pants were tropic weight wool instead of cheap chinos. Saiga's inevitable black jeans, black sunglasses, and bright white T-shirt, were made festive with a red rayon Hawaiian shirt, printed with cheerful beige and white palm trees and pineapples.

 

Kakei bade Kazahaya relax and work the register the rest of the day. His stack of index cards had grown to 60 kanji. Rikuo quizzed him - Kazahaya recognized them all correctly. But his character drawing was atrocious. Most of the index cards had his kanji crossed out and re-penned by Kakei. Between customers, Kazahaya practiced his penmanship. He took frequent breaks to suck a pear, or fondle his socks dreamily.

 

Rikuo just couldn't watch the pear practice anymore, and was fidgetting with already-tidy shelves to kill time. He learns fast. Or, well…he's usually lazy, but he learns well enough. If anyone had taught him, he would have learned his kanji. He couldn't have gone to school… He sucked his freshly brushed teeth. Watermelon mint… Don't think about it anymore!

 

Ten minutes before closing, Rikuo's hot leather-and-chains guy breezed in. He casually looped an arm around Rikuo and stuck a hand in his back pocket. A intimate whispered conversation ensued.

 

Kazahaya chomped down on a huge bite of pear, staring at this wide-eyed.

 

“Kakei-san, I'm gonna knock off, OK?” Rikuo said, taking off his apron and heading to put it away neatly behind the register counter.

 

Kakei looked alarmed. “Himura-kun, as I told you, we have plans for tonight. All of us. Together. You don't mind, do you?” he added pointedly to Rikuo's leather boy. “Another time. Today is Kudo-kun's birthday.” He tilted his head to indicate Kazahaya at the register.

 

“Well, I mind. Cheer up, you're saving $75 on dinner,” replied Rikuo.

 

“Himura-kun, you cannot go. The consequences will be…quite inconvenient.” Kakei's voice grew shrill.

 

Saiga laughed and threw an arm around Kakei. “Hey, more for us, right? Can't be helped, Ma.” Kakei glared at him and gnawed at one of two remaining fingernails on that hand.

 

Unconcerned, Rikuo's date selected a box of condoms and took them to Kazahaya at the register. “How much for the condoms?” he asked Kazahaya. Kazahaya rung them up, blushing furiously. “Your birthday, huh? Well, many happy returns. Maybe we'll see you later.” He tried making eye contact with Kazahaya, but the younger boy glowered at his pear.

 

“Kudo doesn't mind, do you, Kudo-san?” Rikuo said roughly. “We're together 24 - 7. A bonus present, you get rid of me for a few hours, right?” Rikuo's date walked out to wait on the sidewalk. Rikuo headed after him, but paused by Kazahaya, not meeting his eyes. “Happy birthday, really. I…will see you later. Have fun with the guys.”

 

“In November, your birthday,” Kazahaya hissed, “I'll remember this.”

 

“Will you? Remember?” Rikuo said, meeting his eyes briefly with the oddest look?

 

“What do you MEAN?!? OF COURSE I'LL FUCKING REMEMBER!!!” At point-blank range, Kazahaya easily hit Rikuo square in the mouth with his pear.

 

Rikuo reflexively licked his lips, and winced as he tasted the pear juice mingle with mint toothpaste. “Later,” he said, and stalked out.

 

Out on the street, his date inquired, “Is this a problem? Could catch you another time.”

 

Rikuo shook his head darkly and they headed for the train station a couple blocks away. Just as they were about to go in, a teen-aged girl came out in full kimono, traditional tabi socks and all. A decorative summer cotton yukata would have been an unusual treat for the eyes on an August evening, but full silk kimono, coming out of a train station, was downright odd.

 

Distracted by the outfit, Rikuo and date were halfway to their change of trains in Shibuya before Rikuo realized that the girl herself looked familiar, but he just couldn't place her. He shrugged it off. Maybe someone from high school, before Tsukiko and I dropped out. Seems like a lifetime ago…

 

-oOo-

 

Kakei closed out the register. He fastidiously cleared the counter of broken mechanical pencil points. Kazahaya's last several columns of penmanship practice featured torn paper and jagged lines, so he threw the practice paper away. That would be discouraging…

 

Saiga was outside closing the window gates, when a girl in bright yellow and pink kimono pushed into the store. Saiga trailed behind, trying to tell her they were closed. “Oh, I was afraid I'd missed you!! Kazahaya!” She fell into Kazahaya's astonished arms.

 

“Kei!?! What, why, how….” Kazahaya stammered.

 

Kei said softly, “Happy-our-birthday.”

 

“Pray introduce, Kudo-kun?” Kakei prodded.

 

“Ah, ah,” Kazahaya stammered.

 

“I'm Kudo Kei, Kazahaya's elder twin sister,” she explained, bowing shyly. “Kazahaya left without me…,” her voice caught. She turned back to her twin and caught his face in her hands.“We belong together, forever.” She kissed Kazahaya's mouth. “Mm, you taste like pear.”

-oOo-

 

No doubt his date believed he was showing off how cool he was to Rikuo. The condo, “mansion” in Japanese English, was huge, but trashed. Rikuo had accepted a beer for camouflage, knowing how rightfully nervous such partygoers were about people who weren't partaking. He held up a piece of wall not far from the small lake spreading around the beer keg in the kitchen. His date had disappeared upstairs with another guy for the second time. A girl twirled past him, giggling, voice way too high, tattoo on her breast of a mouth with tongue licking lips, a guy following her.

 

Tsukiko. He pretended to take a sip from the beer, to stave off further offers of stronger stuff. A real sip would have gagged him. Too many parties like this one… Tsukiko, spinning like a whirling dervish, sky high. She stopped twirling and pointed at some “random” guy, but always a “random” choice of someone who was carrying plenty of whatever drug she wanted next, needed next. Off to a bedroom, a corner, an alley, anywhere. She didn't care what guy. She enjoyed the sex. She craved the drugs. Always.

 

How many of these parties did I go to with her? Why? To protect her from herself? I would have if she'd let me. Why wouldn't you let me, Tsukiko? Are you at one of these parties now, somewhere in this city of 25 millions? Stoned out of your mind, spreading your legs on a soiled communal bed, for anyone with the drugs?

 

His left hand itched viciously. A strange red inverted V rash was drawn on the palm. Some kind of contact dermatitis - wonder what I touched? I was fine when I left the drug store. He searched his photographic memory for anything that could have possibly left two fine stripes of allergic reaction between there and here. Nothing….

 

But the effort brought back the memory of the girl in kimono, in full photographic recall. No, she wouldn't have been at a party like this. Maybe school…where else could it have been? Reviewing the memory in his mind, though, he remembered chains around her neck, chains on her wrists, jeweled rings on her fingers. Yet absolutely correct kimono and tabi, to every last intricate knot.

 

He frowned, and frowned harder as he pushed off a staggering girl who'd caromed into him. Her “date” of the moment grabbed and half dragged her up the stairs.

 

A girl doesn't wear jewelry like that with a kimono, does she? So proper, so elegant, but not with that jewelry. Right? Or…oh, how the hell would I know. Girls don't in historical dramas. More like dangly stick-pins in weird waxed hair-do's, isn't it? He'd bet Tsukiko hadn't even known how to tie on a kimono. Who would have taught her? They didn't teach such things in prestigious schools or drug-drenched parties. Silence and loathing were all we learned at home.

 

The V on his hand itched maddeningly, and finally it hit him. Kazahaya! In a kimono, he'd look just like… Does he even have a sister?

 

He looked up and around him in panic. If the kimono clad girl were Kazahaya's sister…. Rikuo didn't know what Kazahaya had run away from. Just that it was bad enough that freezing and starving on the street was better. Just that Kazahaya wouldn't say a word about it, never contacted his family. Just that Kazahaya's family hadn't given him even the most basic education. And damn it, he had no idea where they'd gone to eat in Roppongi. If he skipped out now and went back to the apartment, he'd just find it empty.

 

Why the hell didn't I go for shabu-shabu and birthday cake? Yeah, it's nice and I'm not. But I don't belong here either. I'm one of them.Tsukiko and I both were. We were just here...for her drugs. Because she wanted to escape being our kind. Please let it be that she didn't escape to the grave…

 

He took out his cell phone and groaned. He'd set it to go to voicemail, expecting nasty calls or text messages from Kakei. True, enough, first up was Kakei.

 

Kakei, 7:54: Will talk tomorrow!

Saiga, 7:57: Meet shabu? Attached.

Saiga, 8:11: Call NOW. Trouble.

 

Saiga included directions to the restaurant in Roppongi. It was 9:30 - by now they were probably eating. Rikuo was maybe 45 minutes from Roppongi, and further from home. He tried Kazakaya's number, and went straight to voicemail. Same with Kakei's, no surprise there - Kakei despised people who answered cell phones in restaurants. Saiga…might have left his on, just in case. Saiga's phone rang once, twice, three times…

 

“It's Saiga. Where are you?”

 

“Private party, out past Shinjuku. Sorry, just checked messages now. Saiga-san, this may sound stupid, but…did a girl in kimono come into the shop right after I left?”

 

A long pause, then in an odd voice, “Yes. The four of us are just finishing dinner. Can't talk much now.”

 

“Is she…Kazahaya's sister?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…Is that OK?”

 

“Maybe not.”

 

“Need me?”

 

“As soon as possible.”

 

“Meet you back at my apartment? Or going somewhere else?”

 

“No, we're headed to a friend's place. It's his birthday.”

 

“I'll be there soon. You'll get there first.”

 

“Seeya then.” Saiga switched off.

 

Rikuo stared at the cell phone a moment, thinking. Saiga wasn't letting the others know who he was talking to. But, Kakei would have read his cell phone screen when he answered. So, he wasn't telling Kazahaya. “The four of us…” Oh. He wasn't telling Kazahaya or the sister, who's with them. It's “maybe not” OK? Kakei can read the future, and Saiga's the ultimate voyeur of the present. Shouldn't be any “maybe” about it. No…I'm probably reading too much into this.

 

He looked around for his date, with good intentions of spending a little sweaty quality time saying good-night - Kazahaya was with Kakei and Saiga, after all. Another 15-30 minutes couldn't hurt. He finally caught the guy's eye at the far end of the living room, one hand cupping a breast of a girl on one side, and the other clutching a boy's chest, both companions topless except for spiked leather chained collars, both appearing well under 18. Rikuo's date waved and started toward Rikuo, staggering half-suspended from the matched pair of zombie-eyed half-naked children.

 

Did we look like that? In revulsion, Rikuo shattered two whiskey glasses and an iPod in the disgusting threesome's path with his talent. In the ensuing confusion, he beat it out of there. No need to salvage that relationship….

 

You know, truth is, I like shabu-shabu and cheesecake. With my own kind. Yeah, I went to hell and back for Tsukiko, but not to take up residence… Kazahaya, please be OK.

 

-oOo-

 

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