May the gods bless the broken road

He barely slept, he could barely think. The only thing rushing through his mind was her voice ringing through his ears on repeat again and again. He listened to her breath, the night he had gotten so close to truly tasting her. The contented sigh that escaped her lips when she couldn't create the words to speak, the feeling of her fingers running through his hair and scratching his chest as he would kiss her neck. When he bit down on her neck, he would hear an gasp as the pain would surge through her, but yet she didn't push him back.

He could barely breath as he would remember that night. He had done similar acts before, but they didn't even feel a momentary bliss. But even without the final act, he had felt a lasting blissful sensation rush through him just by thinking about it. As he lay in his bed, his sleep was restless, to the point that he finally decided to rise from it. He would walk through his home, reveling in the fact that he was able to sleep completely in the nude once again, the only downside to staying at Asuka's home.

His free body was slightly cold, but burning hot at the thought of his Asuka, and think of her he did. He went over to the altar, where he would partake in his blood rituals for the first time in a while. There was much about his routine that he was struggling with maintaining. He hadn't seen his clients in three days, and they had been trying to find him as of late, he hadn't been performing his blood rituals, and his body was feeling all out of sorts because of it. It had been two days since he had last tasted the sweet taste of blood, and he was craving it.

As he walked through the village towards the bar, knowing that he was basically arriving the moment it could be considered evening. He thought of what he was going to say to her, but the thought of her sweet blood, the very blood he tasted that day they went on that string of missions. He remembered licking her hand clean from the blood that had pooled in her palm, how sweet it was. A shiver would shoot down his spine as he shook for a moment in pure bliss.

He would focus his thoughts on the task at hand, to speak to the woman that said that she loved him. He arrived at the Drunken Kage, and he saw that she hadn't arrived just yet. He was concerned that he was far too early, but he sat down at a booth anyway, and he stared at the front door, and he would quietly contemplate just what he was going to order, what he was going to say, how he was going to react when he would see his beloved walk into the bar, there were so many thoughts rushing through him. But at the same time, there was a calm that pushed through it all. He had began to think on his feelings towards her, and he felt that he had an idea of just what his feelings were about her.

Was it love? Did he truly love her? Did she actually love him? Like as someone more than just a simple good friend. Did he love her more than a good friend? He had to. There was no doubt that he had to... right? Why would he feel so strongly about her yesterday if he didn't? He was confused. But he knew one thing, he wanted to be in her presence once again.

WC: 614

Morning would quickly come for Asuka as she slept hard throughout the night. Her brain and body were exhausted from the stress she had recently been under, and finally were feeling a bit better as she awoke. Thankfully that morning she wasn’t needed at the bakery, so she had time to figure out what she wanted to say to him. For the first time in months, Asuka skipped breakfast as she spent the majority of her morning staring up at her ceiling as she collected her thoughts. She was no longer mad at him, but instead still felt a deep sadness as she thought about his words potentially being a lie. Why would he lie to her about something so serious though? It wouldn’t make sense for him to toy or mess with her in this situation, also the look in his eyes as proclaimed his admiration of her seemingly held no malice behind them. She knew for now she would have to simply take his word for it and hope that she wasn’t being played.

Why did she tell him she loved him? She partially regretted it seeing as he potentially didn’t feel the same for her. The other part of her felt relieved that he now knew how she felt about him truly. He may not believe it, but Asuka always had feelings for him. She was completely devastated when he apparently disappeared, the first few nights she often cried herself thinking of where he could be, she was nearly crushed by the thought of never seeing him again. The day she had gotten adopted she remembered arguing with her parents about being able to visit her friends at the orphanage. They wanted her to stay away from both Akira and Zansu, but she would refuse completely. She had always seen Zansu as a loving big sister who was always there to comfort her when needed.

Akira on the other hand had always stood up for her, protected her, and often sung to her to help her fall asleep when she was having issues resting. Something about being in his presence made her feel safe and secure as if nothing in the world could touch her with him by her side. She had always tried to make him feel important to her in the hopes that he’d see her as more than just a friend, but to her, he seemed uninterested in it. He had always been a very physical person, often wrestling with Zansu and any others who would attempt to go toe to toe with him. However, with Asuka, he seemed to always use a gentle touch and would check on her to make sure she was alright. Akira had always treated her like most of the women he interacted with regularly, as far as she knew at least, so that’s why she previously didn’t realize how he actually felt about her.

Soon she would climb out of bed, deciding that she would attempt to look her absolute best for this meeting. After taking a few hours to prepare herself, she would relax and collect her thoughts one last time before leaving her home. Admittedly she was rather nervous to face him, she felt guilty for how she had yelled at him and regretted even showing up to the spar in the first place. But what’s done is done and all she could do now was try to move forward. She didn’t want this to ruin their friendship, she just wished things could go back to normal. Though she knew this needed to happen sooner or later, the longer she bottled up her emotions the worse they seemingly became.

Upon her arrival, Asuka would take a deep breath before opening the door. She’d scan the room and quickly make eye contact as they noticed each other's presence. As he gazed at her he’d see her that she was pretty dolled up. She wore a short dark red kimono that was close to the same shade as his eyes. Black and white floral print decorated the entire outfit, also black lace could be seen around the entire bottom, stopping about halfway down her thigh. A thick black band would be wrapped tightly around her waist, purposely attempting to enhance her already curvy body. The material looked to be made out of a silk-like texture that lay comfortably against her clear skin. Her hair was partially pulled back into a loose ponytail, the rest of her hair would lay flat against her back but would bounce slightly as she walked. She also appeared to be wearing just a little bit of makeup, just a touch of mascara and a bit of gloss that made her lips look shiny and a bit pinker. Around her the air was filled with the scent of freshly picked roses, and her chakra should he look at it was back to its cloud-like texture.

After giving a brief wave to the bartender she would walk over to his booth and present herself to him. She was back to her normal shy demeanor, seemingly without a hint of anger or malice towards him. Once the distance between the two of them was closed she’d bow at him before giving him an empathetic look. If he stood and attempted to hug her, she would welcome his embrace with open arms. She missed the secure feeling of being in his grasp, and over the past few days apart from him she found herself wanting to be in his arms once more.

Asuka would soon slide into the seat across from him and sheepishly look around the bar. She would notice a middle-aged woman staring at the two of them for a few moments, but wouldn’t think too much about it. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but didn’t want him to be turned away by the overwhelming amount of affection she felt towards him so she would attempt to start the conversation out on a pleasant note. She tried to engage in a bit of small talk but clearly, there was more she wanted to say, and was having a difficult time deciding how to say it.

After some pleasantries were exchanged, Asuka couldn’t help it anymore and could feel herself becoming a bit panicked as her heart began to race. She would allow him to talk first if he had something to say, but if not she’d speak up.

”Akira... I.. I just want to say I’m sorry for how I handled this situation. I should have just voiced my concerns instead of blowing up on you regarding the whole Zansu thing. I know we’re not together so I have no right to have been that cruel to you, but it really hurt me to see the two of you wrapped up together like that. I hope you can forgive me for acting so brash, in the future I’ll try to handle it better.”

Tears would begin to well up in her eyes as she apologized to him. She knew that he was probably going to continue doing as she wished and that it was going to just be something she had to deal with. Asuka couldn’t fathom that he’d give up being so affectionate towards others, just because she seemingly had feelings for him. Part of her hoped that he would simply reject her and tell her that he didn’t see her like that so she wouldn’t have to endure the pain of seeing others dote over him. The other part of her begged for him to leave it all behind, change his ways, and be happy with just her, though she knew this was unlikely.

WC:1288

He waited there for about an hour, and his breathing would continue to hasten every time someone walked through the door. He made sure to dress as nicely as he could today. He wore his freshly pressed black shirt, buttoned only halfway. He had a silver and black vest with a textured pattern going across it. He had tight-fitting black pants that hugged his figure firmly, with an ornate crimson pendant held along with a golden chain. His tattoos on his neck were visible, along with teeth marks on the soft part of his neck, just beside his throat, a scar from a past night and a more aggressive client. His hair was brushed to perfection, as it cascaded down passed his shoulders.

He had a singular beer bottle before him, and he had barely touched it in the entire time that he had been in the establishment. He wasn't truly one for alcohol, unless he was asked by a client. He liked to keep control over his body, and alcohol was an easy way to lose it, so he would generally just have one in front of him to keep people from asking about why he was just sitting around at the bar. Of all days that he didn't really want to talk to others, tonight was that night.

A woman would walk up to him, and Akira would immediately begin to shrink into the booth. The woman sat across from him and began asking him where he had been. Akira tried to explain to her that he was going through some rather difficult times and he would try to get back with her as soon as he could, but she wasn't having any of it. She demanded that he live up to his end of the bargain and be at her house later that night. He would tell her he would try as he saw Asuka beginning to walk into the room. He would tell her to please leave the booth, and she would, but glaring at both he and Asuka as she walked up to the booth.

He would nervously stand up, bow towards her and when she stood there for just a moment longer, rather than immediately going into the booth, he rushed in towards her for a hug. She would gladly accept him and a spark of joy filled his heart once again. He would catch the woman still looking at them, even if no longer glaring, there was malice filling her face as she watched what was unfolding.

Akira would motion for her to take a seat at the booth, which she would do. He would not be able to contain himself when he saw what she was wearing, not only was his heart weak from seeing her, but so were his knees at the sight of such immaculate and perfect beauty. He would sit at the booth as well, in the seat across from her, and he would simply stare into her pale and beautiful eyes.

The conversation would begin with small talk, which normally he was exceedingly bored of. Small talk was one of the things he would do with clients, but he hated it. But when he spoke with Asuka, everything she said seemed interesting and wonderfully put together, always stimulating for him. When she spoke, however, he could tell that there was more that she wanted to say. So he would find her hand on the table and place his on top of her's, if she would allow. If she did, then he would squeeze her hand gently, "Asuka. I can tell there is more you want to say and I can tell you that I've been sitting here for more than an hour in a desperate attempt to figure out what that is. So please, you can speak your mind freely."

Her words became more panicked, but retaining their splendor as they did come from the most beautiful mouth in all of Kumogakure. She would apologize for how she handled the situation, and a sigh of relief would escape his mouth as a wave of the same feeling washed over his body and mind. He thought she was coming here to simply tell him that she couldn't be around him any longer. He was so prepared to try and fight that notion, but his concerns for that were washed away when she continued to speak.

When she said that they were not together, he couldn't help but feel a sadness come upon him. He had never been in a true relationship, so why would he feel this sadness? He was beginning to piece it all together, and now he felt ready to tell her what he felt. She would then apologize for her actions, and that she would try to handle it better in the future.

It was a mixed bag of emotions when she was done speaking. He felt happy that she didn't come here to tell him to leave her alone forever, but he was sad that she was currently beginning to cry as she spoke and he knew that he was what caused it. He would put his other hand on top of her hand, or try to grab her other hand in his as he began to respond.

"My darling Asuka. I have never been in a relationship. Not one that was exclusive, anyway. I have always been the man to be with several at once, and I had never planned for any of that to change. I realize now that these open relationships were to fill a void within my heart that I never realized was possible to fill. On top of that, I never felt like I was worthy of being loved, especially not by a woman such as yourself. In short, you deserve far more than someone like me, darling."

His eyes began to wet with tears, the same as her, and his face would be filled with sorrow. "Trust me when I say darling, I would want nothing more than to simply be with you day in and day out. To hold you through the night, to hold you through the day. I want to be the shoulder you cry on and the hand that wipes away your tears." A tear would roll down his cheek as he continued, "But I am tainted, tarnished you understand? The things that I have done, the things I do bring me to such a level that someone who easily reigns as the village's most beautiful woman, in both body and soul, would be so sad to stoop to."

He would stop for a moment, and he would take a breath. "But... That being said, darling. You are the woman I think about, no matter what I am doing or who I am with. You are in my mind from the moment I wake, to the moment I lie in bed, and you have been for so long. The days that I would sing you to sleep in the orphanage were the only positive moments I had in that dreaded place, and when you were adopted, it tore to pieces knowing that I wouldn't get to see you from morning to night any longer. If I'm honest, it killed everything inside of me that cared for my future. Now I know that wasn't a great choice. But it's the truth, my love." More tears would start rolling down his face, covering his cheeks with tears.

He would look across the table, staring at his beloved Asuka's face for what felt like the last time. He memorized each angle in her face, the curves around her eyes, her gorgeous nose that fit so perfectly on her face. He would await a response, but he was terrified of what she would say to his version of reality. He prayed that she would claim it false, to say that she loved him through it all, but he knew that he wasn't truly worthy of love, especially from someone such as Asuka. So he would await the judgement from the white-haired darling that sat across from him.

WC: 1358
TWC: 1974

Asuka would allow him to take her hands in his as she gazed into his eyes. As she finished speaking he would inform her that he had never been in an actual relationship. This surprised her as she often thought that with the overwhelming amount of women he interacted with, that he would easily find himself in one. She shared the sentiment however, though a few men in her life strove for such a relationship with her, she often found herself attempting to let them down gently. He would then admit to being in multiple at once, which she found herself less surprised at. While growing up together there were a few times when other girls would attempt to befriend her but realistically they were using her to try to get closer to him. Her heart would break as he admitted that he didn’t feel as if he was worthy of being loved in the first place, especially somebody like her. She hated that he felt this way and wished that he could see the man she knew him to be.

She’d flip her hands over so that their palms were touching, and using her thumb she’d rub the tops of his. He would continue on by proclaiming that if he could, he would remain by her side day in and day out. All she could ask herself was why not? If that’s what he truly wanted, all he had to do was ask her and she’d never leave his side since she also wanted nothing more than to be near him. A tear would travel down his cheek as he explained that he was “tainted” and that it’d be sad for her to “stoop” to his level. She would shake her head as she completely disagreed with this notion. The tears that were beginning to flow from her eyes would stop as her sadness switched to concern for the man she cared so deeply about.

He’d take a moment to breathe, but Asuka wouldn’t speak up yet and allowed him to continue uninterrupted. She was stunned to hear that she was on his mind regardless of where he was or found himself. Did he truly think of her as often as she thought of him? He would then mention their days at the orphanage together, the many nights she had fallen asleep happily in his company. She knew he had some rather horrific memories of that place, he had been treated far worse than she had.

Asuka had always been a bit of a pushover, so it was hard for anyone to genuinely be upset with her due to her need to please those around her. Akira on the other hand had always been a bit of a rebel, at least in her eyes. It was something she envied about him, she wished to throw caution to the wind and so as she pleased but found herself often returning to her true “people pleasing” self when conflict arose. He then admitted to her that the day she had been adopted, it had mentally destroyed him. She didn’t realize that day had such a ripple effect on his life, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that her lack of presence in his life had potentially caused him to pursue a more dangerous path.

He would end off his proclamation by calling her “my love” and her heart would skip a beat. He often called her various pet names, but nothing that carried the same amount of emotional weight. Her face would redden but she would attempt to maintain her calm demeanor, not wanting him to feel the anxiety within her. She would pull her hands from his and attempt to wipe the tears from his face if he allowed, then would offer him a comforting smile as she gazed at him with an enamored expression.

Feeling that it was now her time to talk, she would think for a moment about what to say. Though not wanting him to be left in suspense she would quickly speak up once more. Instead of her normal timid voice, she instead spoke in a serious but still calming tone.

”For all the things you believe you’ve done wrong, there's a million things you’ve done right. Not once in my life have I seen you as tarnished, or something broken that needs fixing. I don’t care about what you’ve done Akira, I care about who you are in this moment. If all you want is to be beside me, then I ask that you do it. I would love nothing more than to wake up beside you every morning and fall asleep with you each night. Regardless of how you feel about yourself if you cared for me as much as you say, you’d allow yourself to at least try to be happy.”

She paused for a moment and removed her hands from his face as she noticed a waitress walking over to them with her regular drink in hand. Asuka hated to admit it but she often found herself here on the nights she didn’t have to work the next day so she had grown to be friends with some of the workers here. Thankfully the waitress seemingly noticed their emotionally charged exchange and after placing the cup in front of Asuka she would wander off once again. Now with her attention back on Akira, she would continue speaking if he allowed her to do so.

”It hurts me to know how little you appreciate yourself. You’ve done so much for me, since we were young I have consistently relied on you for emotional support. Even now, you pay so close attention to my needs and desires, I truly don’t think my life would be the same without you in it. You mean so much more to me than nearly everyone else in my life, I just wish you could see that.”

Asuka picked up the glass the waitress had placed in front of her and took a rather large sip, she knew that if she was going to get through this night she would need a bit of a confidence booster.

WC 1036
Total WC: 2324

The rain began come down in Kumogakure, it's soft collisions on the roof of the bar provided a somewhat soothing atmosphere to the tense conversation that they were having. As he spoke, he would turn her hands over, having their palms press against each other. His heart would race at the feeling of her soft thumbs rubbing against his hands. As he spoke, speaking his truth about how he viewed himself, and her in relation to his status, she seemed to disagree with the words he spoke. He knew that she was kind, she always was, but she had to understand the differences between them both.

When finished speaking, the last words to escape his mouth were the words, "my love." This seemed to have an effect on her. Her face would redden as she heard the name. He was concerned for a moment, worried that he had crossed the line by calling her such a thing. He would begin to panic, feeling the need to apologize for using such language towards her. But he would bite his tongue for now. The words were out there, and he just had to trust that he didn't crush his chances of saving their friendship.

Her hands would break away from his, but only to come closer to his face. She would caress his face, and his breath would hasten. He could barely breathe when she was touching him so gently, it brought his mind to a different place. He had been touched gently so many times before, but it was only when she would plcae her hands on him that he felt like his entire heart was going to explode. His stomach would churn, and eyes would flutter softly. Her touch was a drug to him, and he couldn't help himself but to partake any chance he could.

It was then that she began to speak to him, her sweet, soft voice would float across the air like a soft melody, and the words she spoke were filled with love and affection. She spoke on how she viewed him as not being broken, or needing to be fixed. Her words would bring him back to reality, after he had floated away from her touch. His eyes would focus on what she said, and his heart would begin to pump faster and faster. Her words enveloped his soul, soothing every ache, every pain seemed to melt away from his jaded heart.

She spoke of the idea of waking up and falling asleep beside each other every day was something that she would love, his eyes would widen even more. He would clutch her hands with a firm grip, but still gentle, not enough to hurt her beautiful and perfect hands. A waitress would be walking over to their table, and she would pull her hands away from his face, causing him to follow her hands slightly, begging for her touch again, feeling as if his own soul was attached to her hands as they departed.

He would not even look at the waitress, he was too busy staring at his darling Asuka. She would turn back to him, but her face was more concerned and serious, making him feel as though he had done something wrong. She spoke about how much he had done for her, something that baffled his mind. Did she truly feel that he had done something for her? When she had gave him the ultimate gift of all, a reason to live. Certainly he couldn't have provided anything of similar weight.

She said that her life wouldn't be the same without him in it, and he couldn't have related to the statement more. He would be in shock at this moment, not sure of what to say, not sure of how to react. His love, his darling sweet Asuka had confessed to him that she loved him the day before, and now she was saying that she would love to be with him when they wake and when they sleep. He had never been given such news that caused his very heart to explode and his soul to weep sweet tears of ecstasy. He would sit there for a moment and listen to the rain, it was beginning to come down more now, but his mind was focused on her words.

When he finally gathered the ability to speak, he would stutter for a moment, barely being able to bring the words forth from him mouth, in a breathless sort of way he would finally coax the words out enough for them to be able to be heard. "Asuka. Words escape me. I had never known you felt in such a way about me. Now that I hear your words, they seem almost as if I am dreaming. For that is the only place that I could imagine such words be spoken." He would breathe deeply for a moment, trying to control the emotions raging inside of his body.

"My love. I care so deeply for you.  Deeper than I had ever cared for anyone else in my life. You bring me such joy, but yet, you terrify me. I have never cared for anyone so much, and I fear if I was to become closer, then I would be liable for any undue troubles onto you. My world is fraught with rather sinful beginnings, there are secrets that I have held from you that I fear once you hear, you will abandon me. Which I would truly understand should you chose to do so. But. If you are willing to accept me as I am. Then I will meet you there as well." He would place his hands on her face across the table.

"If you truly mean the words you speak, my darling. Then I will willingly walk through the fires of whatever hell there may be in the world, if it means to be by your side and to truly have your love within my heart. There will be no obstacle that would be able to stand in my way. I will follow you into whatever depths this world may have, in this life and the next. Anything to be by your side."

He would have his face covered in tears at this point. He would lean back in his seat for a moment. "My darling I'm afraid I must freshen myself up. As much as it pains me to leave your side, I must away for only a moment. Do wait here for me. I will be right back." He would then stand up, walk around the table, and he would caress her face with his right hand, pulling her face closer to his own face, and he would press his soft lips against her cheek. When he pulled away, he would smile to her, and then he would walk away towards the restroom.

While he was in the restroom, the middle-aged woman would stand up and approach Asuka. She sat down in the booth with her across from the table and she would have a sinister look in her eyes. "You know, dear. That man isn't what he seems to be. He may say that he cares about you, he may seem like the perfect man. But it's all an act. He has been performing this little facade of his for years. He has a wait list for women that want to be with him, you know? That man has been with so many women in this village, it's almost impressive if it wasn't so vile. If you cared for yourself at all, young lady. You should steer clear of that man. He's nothing more than a whore. He will act like your dream man, until he's had his fun with you. Then he'll use you, throw you to the curb and never speak to you again. Trust me, you wouldn't be the first, and you certainly won't be the last. If you don't believe me, how about you ask him about his little black book. Bet you he will know exactly what you're talking about."

She would leave the table when she heard the bathroom door open again. Akira would begin walking back across the bar room and begin approaching the same booth that they were in just a moment ago.

WC: 1370

Asuka would place the glass down after taking a sip of her drink, then would return both her hands to his if he allowed. He would speak of how much he cared for her, and once again called her “my love.” Though he hadn’t quite told her that he loved her, it was obvious he was walking a fine line. Then he would reveal that he was afraid of showing her who he really was, and he was terrified that she would abandon him. This was the farthest thing from the truth, if she was planning on no longer wanting to be around him, she would have stopped seeing him years ago. She knew he had his issues, but just like he had accepted hers, she openly welcomed his. Asuka wanted more than anything to help her dear friend reach his goals, regardless if she was exclusively with him or not. She would shake her head once more, attempting to convey that she wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing.

Akira would move to caress her face, and she would lean in slightly, allowing him to do so. He then continued speaking, his honied words conveying a sense of loyalty. She believed him as he spoke of being by her side until the end of their days, and then after that as well. If he was trying to trap her in this moment she was definitely falling for it. Before his hand left her cheek, she’d grab his wrist gently then move his palm a bit closer to her mouth. Gently she’d kiss the inside of his hand repeatedly, hoping that this would reassure him just a bit.

After pulling away from her and leaning back slightly, he would excuse himself from the booth before she was able to think of a response. She’d watch as he stood, walked over beside her, and attempted to caress her face. Happily, she’d allow him to do so, and after offering her a gentle kiss on the cheek a content sigh would escape her lips as she reveled in the feeling of his lips pressed up against her cold skin. After pulling back and offering a smile to her, she would watch him walk off in the direction of the bathroom.

A heavy sigh would escape her lips as she now realized that she had been slightly holding her breath throughout the conversation. She’d quickly finish off her drink as she noticed the middle-aged woman that she had seen glaring at them previously had begun to approach their booth. Asuka placed the empty glass on the table beside her, and she gave a bit of a confused look to the woman now sliding into the seat across from her. She had no idea who this woman was, and as she attempted to introduce herself the woman would sharply cut her off.

The woman looked to have a sinister look about her that Asuka would quickly clock. When not happy and cheerful, Asuka had quite an off-putting resting face that could be seen as “mean” looking. She glared at this woman as she explained that Akira wasn’t who he seemed to be. Asuka knew this, she had always known that Akira had more going on in his life than he told her about. However not wanting to pry, she never really pushed him for too many answers. The woman would go on to explain that his affectionate words were simply a ruse and that once he no longer found Asuka interesting, Akira would drop her and move on to his next.

Her jaw clenched as the woman began to talk about him being a “whore” and that the acts he performed were vile. She could feel the anger towards the pitiful woman in front of her, but also the deep sadness as she listened to the womans words. Were they true? He seemingly had been saying all the right things, how many times has he had this exact conversation before? Asuka would clock the statement about the little black book, but wouldn’t mention it to her. She had seen him a handful of times write something down in a small book he frequently carried on him, but she had just assumed it was for simple note-keeping. Yet again she felt foolish as she struggled with the information now presented to her. Not being able to stand another word of this woman's nonsense, Asuka would angrily stand from the table after leaving a bit of ryo for the drink that she had. As she walked away from the woman Asuka would hear her chuckling to herself as she also stood. She’d snap her head around to stare down the woman once again, who now looked happy with herself.

Asuka walked right up to her, now standing nearly face-to-face with the woman. The meek, timid voice she normally used was now replaced with the cold, emotionless tone she had used with him during their spar.

”Are you saying all this because it’s what happened to you? From your looks, you seem to be well-used. Is that why you have to pay somebody to spend time with you because nobody freely would give you their attention? Listen hag, if you ever approach me or him ever again, I’ll beat you so badly that you’ll hardly remember who you are. Have a good rest of your evening won't you?”

Asuka would then give the woman a sarcastic bow before turning and walking towards the door. She needed to get out of the bar, she needed to think about what she was going to do moving forward. In all honesty, she was upset, crushed even that all this time he had been lying to her about his recent activities. She needed to ask him more questions, but she didn’t want to face him anymore. As she made her way to the door she could hear the heavy rain pouring down onto the street and she wished it would stop. With a deep sigh, Asuka would open up the door, and make her way outside.

Instantly she was completely soaked, the silky fabric of the short kimono clung to her body and would reveal her slender but curvy body underneath it. She wasn’t running, she knew if she did she surely would trip and fall so she decided to take it slow. As she got about 5 meters from the bar, her eyes began to well up once more and she began to sob. She didn’t want to believe the woman, but how could she not? If her words were true, then what else was he hiding from her? She thought she knew him so well, but clearly there was so much she didn’t know.

She’d cross her arms over her chest and would hold herself tightly as both rain and tears ran down her face. Her breath would quicken as well as her heart when she began to allow these thoughts to overwhelm her. When she was young, she was prone to having panic attacks but she hadn’t had one in quite a long time, though now she could feel it happening to her once again. Her body trembled as she continued walking, thankfully due to the rain the streets were empty so she didn’t have to hide her breakdown from anyone.

WC:1226
Total WC: 3550

As he entered the bathroom, he felt a sense of relief wash over him as he felt that this conversation was going quite well. He realized that he was constantly getting emotional and he was going to have to figure out what that was all about, but he figured it was just because of how strongly he felt towards his darling Asuka and just how powerful of a hold she truly had on his heart. When he was done wiping the tears from his face, he stared into the mirror for a few minutes. He wasn't sure if or how he was going to tell her about the true him.

There were still so much that she didn't know. She didn't know that he had been sleeping with women on a nightly basis, selling himself to the whims of lonely women, and sometimes men for the sake of their pleasure and for his money. It was a secret for secret business. He got their money, he got their secrets, but most importantly, he got their blood. It was beginning to become a source of payment for him. Something that he would slip into their ears when performing various acts with them. It was how he sourced his habit, his addiction.

He thought about the woman in the bar, she was one that would give him her blood on a regular basis. It was why she was so furious with him. She was one of his regular clients, and he hadn't seen her in a week and she was beginning to get ancy and angry towards him. "Certainly she wouldn't..." The thought struck him. A panic rushed through his body. He dried off his face, and he rushed over to the bathroom door. He didn't trust that damned woman, she was the petty type to be absolute sure of it. It was the part of his business that he hated. The fact that he had to trust on secrecy of his clients to keep himself under wraps. He knew that if he ever finally pulled the trigger and allowed himself to fall in love with Asuka, the woman that he had thought about for so long, that this would happen.

When he left the bathroom, he walked back into the bar room and he saw that Asuka was gone, nowhere to be found. The wretched woman that he had talked to before she got there, the same one that had been staring at them since Asuka had arrived, was smiling in the very booth that they were sitting in. "Fuck." It was the only word that he could find in his mind in that current moment. Her sinister grin now turned into a smile as she realized what she had done, right about the time that he realized too.

He glared at the woman, and he approached her. "I swear to whatever gods may be floating in the sky, if you have lied to my love Asuka!" He realized that he was yelling and people had stopped to stare. He leaned in and spoke more softly, "I will personally ruin your life. You forget who owns all of your secrets, every dirty and disgusting thing that you have requested behind closed doors. So if you are to ever approach my darling or myself, I will personally ruin everything you have ever dreamed of having, you filthy cow." He would rapidly turn around and rush out of the bar door.

He would look around in every direction, but she was nowhere to be found. "Damn it!" He would whisper in a panic. He frantically checked around the building, the rain now soaking every aspect of his being. "Asuka!" He would yell as he just decided to start running. He figured the place she would go was home, or at least that is what he had hoped. He dashed, every fiber of his body working in over drive. He had to catch up with her, he had to know exactly what she was told.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." He would repeat to himself as he sprinted through the vilage streets. It was only after a few minutes that he had found her. Suddenly his heart went from racing, to exploding. He was nervous, anxious, terrified, and pretty much every word that would describe panicking. He could see her slim form in her kimono was completely drenched as he neared her. "Asuka!" He would yell out to her. They were near her house at this point, only around the corner from her front door. He ran up to her. "Sweetheart! My beautiful Asuka. I know that woman likely told you awful things. I am so sorry that I wasn't there to help you with that situation. Truly I can explain anything that she would have told you."

He would begin to hyperventilate. He feared the worst, he feared that she now knew the truth about his nightly activities. His obsession with blood and how it had traveled to the desire of other's blood as well as his own. He worried that she now knew everything about him, and this was the beginning of his worst fear, her leaving him to rot alone.

He didn't know what he could say or do. He felt disgusted with himself. He was without words, but he was ready to throw himself at her mercy. To beg for her forgiveness and pray that whatever he could muster was enough to keep her from leaving him.

WC: 918
TWC: 4264

She was nearly home when she heard Akira calling out for her, she wanted to run from him and knew she would be able to outpace him if she tried. However, she instead froze and would slowly turn towards him as he approached her. The look on her face was similar to the one she had on just before the spar, emotionless and empty. Mascara could be seen slightly running down her cheeks a bit, and the pink lip gloss she had on seemingly had been wiped away. The panic in her heart remained, but it seemed as if she had been able to stop crying. Though now she seemed to be a husk of the person she was just a few minutes ago.

Asuka felt hurt like he had been lying to her for so long. She wasn’t upset that he had to stoop to such methods, and if anything felt sorry for him in that regard. However, she was upset because he had continuously hidden this part of himself from her for so long. Did she even know him at this point? She couldn’t tell the difference between his genuine self and the facade he used to interact with the world. It was starting to scare her, maybe she should have taken her parents' advice and broke contact with him years ago. That wouldn’t make her happy either though, she wanted to be with and near him every day but couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal from him.

If he would have just been honest with her, she would have tried to help him sooner. He didn’t have to sell his body to make money, there was always plenty of work to be done but she could see how one would be enticed to do so. Her life didn’t feel like reality anymore, almost like these past few days were a dream she was begging to wake up from. She’d watch him as he closed the distance between the two of them, but she wouldn’t make any motion to draw closer to him.

He would quickly exclaim that he was sure that the woman had told her some awful things, and he was willing to answer any question she had. Though she was unsure if she even wanted to ask him any of the thoughts that raced through her mind. He probably would just lie to her like he had been doing for some time, then attempt to switch her focus to something else while showering her words of affection.

She continued to look at him with emptiness behind her eyes as she began to speak once more. Her voice was as equally cold as the glare she shot his way.

”Why didn’t you just tell me? How can you expect me to believe anything you’ve said to me when you’ve been hiding such a big part of yourself away from me? After all this time, how can I even tell myself that I know the real you when I don’t even have the slightest idea anymore? Also, what the fuck is in that little black book of yours?”

Tears began to well up in her eyes once again, her emotionless facade was now cracking slightly as her thoughts began chasing each other in her mind. She would allow him to finish speaking before once again addressing him, her voice now would be rather weak and not filled with the love it usually did.

”I’m not upset that you’ve been with multiple women, I don’t care about that really at all. What disappoints me is that you continue to think that I plan on exiting your life. Not once in my 23 years of life has that idea ever even crossed my mind. It pains me to hear that after everything we’ve been through together, you think I could even dream of leaving you behind.”

By now she was completely sobbing, she knew what she had to say but didn’t want his response to it. She thought that since he seemingly enjoyed his nightly activities, she would find her request to him, denied. Silence would hang heavy in the air between them as nothing else could be heard except the pouring rain that dotted the ground around them. After contemplating her next words carefully, she’d speak up if able to.

”If you intend to… to be with me, Akira you have to stop this! You have to stop the lying, the pretending, and hiding yourself from me. My heart can’t handle not knowing where we stand, and the thought of you laying with another woman when you should be home with me is killing me”

Tears continued to trail down her cheeks as she begged him to leave his old habits behind. Internally she chastised herself for bringing up such an idiotic idea. She’d gaze up into his eyes in an attempt to gauge his true intentions.

WC:828
Total WC: 4378

He finally caught up to her, and when she turned around, her face had all of the life sucked out of it. His heart would break at the sight of his darling Asuka, the woman that he truly cared for, the only woman in this entire world that had been able to snag his heart, having her joy sucked out of her. He knew it was because of him, and he hated it. He hated lying to her. He didn't feel like she wanted to know the dark truth about him, but now he had no choice. If he was going to save this, then he was going to need to come clean to her, no matter how painful it would be.

She asked why he didn't just tell her, and he knew the reason. He knew it was because he was terrified of what it would do to her, what it would do to them both and their friendship. She would speak that she didn't know the real him anymore, and she was right. To be honest he didn't even know what was real anymore, in the rest of his life, except for when he was with Asuka. That was the only time he felt... real. It was the only time he felt anything nearing the idea of joy and love. Love? Certainly not. He pushed the thoughts aside for the moment and conitnued to listen to her.

It was the next words, the very next question that caused his heart to rip in half. The black book. That little black book that housed every name of every client and their information. His eyes would shift rapidly, trying to think of anything that he could say to get her mind off of it. He thought of kissing her, but he knew that would blow up in his face. He could run away, but that would likely only sever their relationship completely. She would stop speaking, and allow him to respond, something he felt was even worse than her just yelling at him.

He thought for a moment, but he knew not to keep this question waiting. He would stop frantically looking at her, and he would breathe. Gathering his thoughts, he would respond in a calm and gentle tone, loud enough to be heard over the pouring rain. "Asuka," he began as he pulled out the black book in question and handed it to her. "This records every name of every client that I have had in the passed year. There are more like it, all filed away in my house." His face would be overcome with a defeated visage as he continued. "I've been selling my time and body to various villagers here in our village. Many of them I take on dates, many of them take me home, and some partake in rather..." He would rub the back of his neck, where some of the scars could be seen peeking over his collar, "particular endeavors. It was the only way that I saw someone like me could make money. It was something that I was good at. So it was the one thing that I allowed myself to do."

He would look into her eyes with a truthful demeanor. He was ready to finally come to her with honesty and the intent to allow her in to his inner circle. "I know you don't know what's real, that's largely because I have hidden it away from you. But I can tell you with the utmost honesty and sincerity that you bring out the real me. The reason why that woman was so angry is because I hadn't seen her in four days. My first night with you, the night that you had asked me to stay with you, was my last night seeing my clients. This has been the longest break I have ever taken in the passed few years. You have been my utmost importance, my complete focus in my life these passed four days, and I don't intend for that to change. If you want to know what's real. Well to be honest I don't quite know myself. I have been..." he would motion to his flamboyant look with a disgusted look on his face, "This for so long. A simple escort who always knows just what to say to get a woman, or a man, ready to be folded and molded by my hands. But these last few days with you have shown me how much of a fool that I have been."

When he would finish and take a breath, Asuka would continue. She would say that she wasn't upset that he had been with multiple women, but she was disappointed with the fact that he felt that she was going to abandon him. She revealed that in her entire life, she had never considered that as an option. This was a fact that brought his heart a small semblance of joy, even in this charged moment between them. She began to sob even more so now, and he could feel his body break down too. He began to cry yet again, something that was becoming more common in his daily life with Asuka.

She would continue, and the words she spoke brought a violent mixture of joy, excitement, fear, and anxiety to his soul. She would tell him that if he intended to be with her, then he needed to stop the lies, the deceit that he had been living with these passed years. He was nervous as he felt so naked before her. All but one of his secrets of his daily life had been spilled. Would he spill the final one? He felt it too dangerous in this current moment. But she was asking for everything about him, and that was a big something. He hadn't been feeling right lately, he hadn't consumed blood in too long. His rituals were all out of sorts and he was starting to lose control of himself. But it was the word "home" that seemed to change his mind. "She truly believes that with her is where my home is." He would think to himself, confirming his next words entirely.

He would walk closer to Asuka, and if she let him he would place both of his hands on her face, gently caressing her. "Asuka. You are what makes me real. Every word I've spoken to you isn't a lie, it is the coldest, harshest truth I can bring out of myself. But I swear to you. To the gods above, and the demons that walk among us I swear to you. I will leave every aspect of my old life behind me. You will be my one and only and that will never change. I shall be yours entirely and you will never have to worry about me being away from... home.. and you again. Asuka," He would pause as he would take in a deep breath. "I love you."

The word was said, and he felt... good with it. His body was calm, his mind was steady. He had finally said a word that he had never said before in his life to another person and truly meant it. Now he had to stand there and wait, wait for what was to come to his revelations, and his life altering decisions.

WC: 1229
TWC: 5493

She’d watch as his demeanor changed from frantic to one a bit calmer and gentler. As he spoke he would pull a small black book from his pocket and hand it to her. She’d accept but wouldn’t open the book as she was too enraptured by his words. Unlike his normal way of speaking to her, he was seemingly genuine in every way and didn’t add anything that would cushion the impact of his words. He would openly inform her of his nighttime activities as she noticed a bit of the scarring on his neck. Was that how he had gotten all those scars? She had always assumed it was from training, or from messing with some of the wrong people.

Asuka grew angry, not towards him, but to those who decided it was alright to treat him so harshly. It hurt to think of all the suffering and trauma that he had endured, and he had gone through all of it alone. She wished that he had come to her about this sooner, maybe she could have helped at least ease the pain of isolation. As she watched him with a concerned look in her eye she couldn’t help but think of all the times he had been through such traumatic events. If he had as many little black books as he said he did, then there’s no telling how much damage had been done over the course of these past years.

He would gaze at her with a truthful expression on his face as he continued to speak with her. Akira would mention that it was his fault for her lack of knowledge about him, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about not noticing something wrong sooner. He would continue to explain that since the night they shared together, he hadn’t been seeing his clients. This brought her a bit of comfort but not enough to stop crying. She would look at him with a concerned expression as he seemingly looked disgusted by himself and mentioned that he was just a “simple escort.” As the words left his mouth she’d shake her head in disagreement.

She would then inform him of the choices before him as she pleaded with him to at least try to change his ways. Every fiber of her being yearned to be with him, to be able to hug and console him in this moment, but she knew if he decided to continue his activities she would need to start distancing herself from him. She’d watch as he closed the distance between the two of them and was a bit hesitant to allow him to touch her, however, she decided to let him and see where it would go. He then would gently caress her cheeks with both of his hands and look down at her with what she believed was a loving expression.

As he held her face, he would tell her that everything he had told her tonight had been the honest truth. Her heart would skip a beat as he swore to her that he would leave his old life behind if it meant creating a new one with her. She’d place her hands on his and rub them gently as he promised to be only loyal to her, reassuring her that she’d never have to worry about him being away from her ever again. He’d pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and then announce that he loved her as well. Her expression would change from crippling sadness to joy as she began to laugh slightly.

If he’d allow her to, she’d place her arms on his shoulders and interlock her fingers behind his neck as she pulled him down towards her. She would attempt to place her forehead up against his as she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Asuka was overjoyed to hear that he would at least try to see what could come of them being together and give up all that he had known for the past few years. After opening her eyes and pulling back from him slightly she’d attempt to give him a few kisses on the cheek as he often did to her when trying to cheer her up. If allowed she’d shower him with affection for a few moments before stopping and then looking at him with a loving expression once more. She’d speak up once more, her voice had returned to its soft and calming tone as normal.

”I love you too. I’ll love you for as long as you let me, and probably even after that. I was so afraid you’d refuse my request, but I’m overjoyed that you’ve decided to let me show you how great things can be. I promise you, with every fiber of my being, we’ll get through this together.”

As the adrenaline pumping through her body relaxed, she could feel herself growing cold and uncomfortable in the rain. She was eager to return to her home but wouldn’t move away from him just yet. While looking up into his eyes, locked onto his loving gaze, Asuka tilted her head slightly before speaking once more.

”Is that all that you need to tell me? If there’s more, now would be the perfect time to hear it, my love.”

She smiled up at him expectantly, though she hoped there wasn’t much more she was willing to deal with whatever he threw her way.

WC:920
Total WC: 5298