#rinmakoto

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Let Me Move On

Pairing: Makoto Tachibana/Rin Matsuoka

Summary: Makoto is a businessman who has a rather boring life. Until he meets Rin, a prostitute, who has a depressing life. Makoto, being the caring person he is, wants to help Rin.

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Chapter One:

I never thought meeting someone on the street would change my entire life.

-

-

On November  18th, the day after my 23rd birthday, the day went by fairly slow. Being a businessman had never been exciting, and never would be. The fairly slow day passed on with fairly slow hours, along with fairly slow minutes, followed by fairly slow seconds. Finishing a pile of paperwork every other hour did not keep me occupied nor make time go by any faster, instead my mind wanted to wander into the world of fantasy, of which I could never have. The clock in the corner of my computer indicated that I had about a half-an-hour before my eight hours of the day ended; I sighed heavily and stared out the window of my office avoiding my paperwork and waiting for the time to come around.

I was 23, what was I doing in a business office? I should be in college doing stupid things with stupid friends. Well the answer is surprisingly simple, followed by a complicated story.

The business, simply put, was my father’s business. Emphasis on ‘was’. He had passed away two years prior leaving the business in my hands. Of course, I had recently turned 21; had just started college, was going to go into creative writing, maybe get a teaching degree, too, I had always loved kids and of course writing. Then the news came, my father was shot whilst giving a speech on how to improve the world (which is what the company was based on, helping homeless shelters, sending food to in-war countries, etc.). You see, my father’s company was loved by many and hated by few, yet the ones who hated the company were also crazy and did whatever they could to stop us from doing what we wanted. My father never minded, though. He was a kind man and was always pleased just as long as one person was pleased as well. (You could definitely say my father lived by the phrase “haters gonna hate”)

Anyways, so when news got out, he had left the company to me, I couldn’t simply turn down the family business, so I dropped out of college and that’s the story of how I got where I am today. I wouldn’t call it depressing, like others would, simply because I knew others had it worse than me. It was sad, but not as sad as other things.

I checked my watch and the thirty minutes had passed. I stood up, a little too fast, causing my vision to blur slightly, siting for eight hours straight would do such things. Sighing heavily I gathered my belongings and headed to the elevator of the office to bring me to the lobby of the building.

I didn’t own a car, I liked ‘keeping the world green’ as some would say. Usually, I biked, though it was getting colder as winter came along, so I opted to taking the bus. I checked my watch, realizing a little too late that I was going to get to the bus stop a moment after the bus actually arrived.

“Makoto?—“  The voice came from a distance but I knew the voice.  “Hey Makoto!—“ It was not a good thing.

I did not dare glance back and continued walking as if I hadn’t heard him. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Nagisa, he was actually a good friend of mine, we had graduated from the same high school; but Nagisa was somewhat of— how do you say—chatterbox? No matter what you said he would just keep running his mouth like there was no tomorrow. Somehow he would keep finding new topics to talk about, it amazed me. Someone should give this kid a medal.

He was actually here very late for his usual schedule, he worked here in the mornings and at some sort of bar in the evenings, what he did at that bar, I had no idea and no intention to ask.  Just my luck he would be here when I was running late.

If I had been some other person, I would’ve dashed off and if Nagisa cared so much about the conversation he’d run after me, but I was me. And with being me comes with not wanting to be rude. Being rude has turned into a OCD problem, if I don’t stop and pick up something an elderly person or a child has dropped then I worry about it the whole day, did they ever get it? Did they hurt themselves trying? All adding up until I’m rocking back and forth in the corner of my apartment. Well, the last part was exaggerated, but the rest is true. Same goes for when people want to speak with me, which was currently happening.

Sighing silently I turned around and faced Nagisa. “Hey, Nagisa.” I forced a smile.

“Did you see Rei on the news?” Rei was Nagisa’s boyfriend, he was also a friend of mine, once again having graduated from the same high school. He was some sort of mathematician who was studying to become some sort of an engineer, what type? Once again I had no idea and had no intention of asking.

“No, what happened?”

“Well, they were doing some sort of experiment at his university that he was really involved in and it ended up blowing up,” Nagisa laughed, slapping his knee. “He had to explain on the news, his hair a disheveled mess and he had stuff all over his face,” He was holding his stomach now, still laughing the night away. “And I was like ‘yup! That’s my boyfriend for you!’”

I forced a laugh, “That’s really funny, Nagisa—“

He wasn’t finished. “Then, when he got home, I refused to let him see any of it, he got really mad and said if I didn’t let him see it then he wouldn’t have se—“

“I got it, continue,” I knew that if I let him say the word ‘sex’ then he would end up going into detail about Rei and his sex life, which I frankly didn’t want to know about.

“— Anyways, so I didn’t want that so I let him see and he freaked out doing his whole ‘but it’s not beautiful!’ act,” he made hand motions, mimicking Rei. “Said his classmates told him he looked like a superstar,” That got him laughing again. “So I told him maybe if we did the do that he would feel better, and that’s how that night ended.”

This story had no significance to anything, it angered me but I didn’t say anything, simply because I was a nice person. I’m not even trying to be egotistical about it; I was generally characterized as a nice person.

Finally working up enough courage, I spoke up. “Hey, um, Nagisa, I need to get going. I have a bus to catch…”

“Oh, sorry! Talk to you later then.”

I smiled and walked off, when I was at the door he called behind me. “Hey, Makoto! You should come drinking with Rei and me some time!”

I turned around and waved, calling back, “Will do!” Before heading out the building.

-

-

The walk to the bus stop was cold; I had to remind myself to start bringing jackets with me to work. My hands were freezing; I cupped and blew into them as I walked. I turned the corner, bus stop now in view and… The bus was just leaving…

“Crap…” I whispered to myself.

A three mile walk was now the only option, unless I wanted to call a cab, which I didn’t. Why? Because I always had bad experiences with cabs.

The walk didn’t start off so bad, it was when the night winds decided to settle in that I silently cursed myself for not owning a car. It got even worse as I entered the main part of town, it was nine o’clock, time for the weirdo’s to come out and the normal people to go in. Not that weirdo’s are weird, it’s good to be a little weird, these people are just on… a different level of weird?  

I shifted through my bag, looking for gloves I probably didn't have.

"Hey."

Thinking they weren’t calling me, I continued going through my bag.

"Dude, I’m talking to you."

"Huh?"

He shuffled over to me from the shadows of an ally-way, tattered clothing was hanging loosely around his body, you could see the grunge of it from even where I was standing.

"Can you hide me?"

"What...?"

"Hide me, ya know, from people?"

He was now in full view; he had maroon colored hair, which was layered to about his shoulders, some falling in his face. It was rather nice to look at.

"What kind of people...?" I asked skeptically.

"No time to explain, I'll tell you later."

The man was limping slightly, so I took it as he may be in some sort of medical trouble. I searched the streets in front of me, looking for a hotel that should be somewhere around here.

“If you’re looking for the hotel, I’ll tell you now that that would be the first place they look.”

I sighed heavily, who was chasing this dude, anyways?

It was a bad idea, I knew it was, but there was still a chance even though I disliked it a lot. “Is there time to wait for a cab?”

“How fast can a cab get here?”

“I know some people who can get here pretty fast.”

The man I had yet to learn the name of checked his surroundings and pointed. “We should be able to wait in there for the time being, call them up and tell them to step on it.

-

-

We were waiting in a McDonalds. Once again, being the nice person I am, I offered to buy him something to eat. Which he took at full cost and ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, I was lucky he didn’t point to a Red Lobster or something.

Carrying the tray over to the table the maroon haired guy had picked, I sat down and he dug in.

“That was way too expensive for fast food…” I muttered to myself.

“What was that?” He said through a mouthful of fries.

Sighing heavily, I sat back in my chair, “Nothing, nothing.”

“That’s what I thought.” He smirked and went back to his food.

Over the next minute we sat there in an awkward silence, awkward on my part, at least. Small talk was the only option and I prayed to any god up there that he was good at it.

“So, what’s your name?” I asked quietly.

“Rin.”

It was surprisingly easy to get out of him.

“Last name…?”

He, now ‘Rin’, laughed into his words. “That’s a privilege you’ll have to work up to. Now tell me yours.”

“Um, Makoto.”

“’Um,’ what an interesting name.”

“What are you? Twelve?” Who was this guy? How old was he? He didn’t look much older, nor younger, than me.

“22, actually, 23 in February actually.”

So he wasn’t very much younger than me, that didn’t mean he didn’t have an attitude of one, though.

The cab was taking too long for my liking, even though it had just been around ten minutes. Once again, I didn’t like cabs for a reason.

In due time the cab did come and we were in the back of a yellow car with a man with a star buzz-cut in the side of his head, whom I knew by the name of Goro Sasabe.

Rin hadn’t bothered to buckle his seatbelt, in which I took the liberty of reaching over and doing it for him. He smacked away my hand and I surrendered my hands.

“Woah dude, that hair due doe!” Rin pointed out.

“Oh, you like it? The other day Makoto was telling me about how “unofficial” it was.”

Rin nudged my arm. “Oh come on, Makoto, you got to admit it’s pretty cool.”

I forced laughter. “I guess so.”

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, every now and again Rin would ask a stupid question or make a stupid comment, in which Goro would always respond gladly to.

When we got to my apartment building I got out of the car and handed some money to Goro.

“Naw, kid, it’s on me. Talk to you later.” He patted my hand and I thanked him.

We waved to each other as he pulled out of the parking space.

“So, how do you know him?”

“He was my father’s best friend.” I smiled.

“’Was’?”

“That’s a privilege you’ll have to work up to.” I mocked his voice and everything.

“Using my own words against me, I see.” We shared an awkward laughter and stood out in the cold for a bit longer.

“So about this apartment…?”

“Oh! Right!” I could feel my face redden and I was thankful for the darkness of the night while I clumsily opened my bag and found my keys.   

-

-

I lived on the fourth floor of the Iwatobi Apartment Complex in 248B, Rin groaned every time he saw a new flight of stairs. The elevator was out of order and I frankly liked taking the stairs better, anyways.

Finally we came to my door. When I opened it up Rin practically fell in.

“I think you’re over-exaggerating a little bit.” I pointed out.

“Try a lot a bit.” He grinned.

Most of the time people didn’t come over to my house, it wasn’t a large apartment and I didn’t have much stuff, but Rin seemed to like it.

“Just… Make yourself at home, I guess.”

“Already have.” He smiled brightly as he kicked off his shoes, placing his feet on a worn-down coffee table sitting in the middle of my living room. Usually, I would’ve told anyone to take their feet off of the furniture, but he looked to happy and at home, I didn’t want to take that away from him.

After a few minutes of Rin complaining about the “lack of heat” in my apartment I ended up making us both a cup of hot chocolate. He asked if I had any marshmallows and I once again asked him if he was twelve. It got him to smile again and I took pride in my accomplishment.

Now we were both sitting on my sipping on hot chocolate with loads of marshmallows. He made comments on how I had practically nothing in this abomination I called home after a few I shot back.

“Yours much be so much better, huh?”

His smile dropped and his eyes drooped, staring intensely at a marshmallow floating in this almost-gone hot chocolate.

“I don’t have a home, actually.” After he finished his sentence his smile was back, yet I could tell it was fake.

“Where do you stay at night then?” I was very concerned.

“Anywhere, I guess. I don’t have too many friends, but the ones I do have don’t like me staying for more than a few nights at a time. Then sometimes when I have a little extra cash, which is very rare, I can stay a few nights in a hotel, but tonight I was just gonna… well… sleep.”

Before my mind could process any of what had been said I had already jumped off the couch and said. “Well you could stay the night here!”

Rin looked up with greatful eyes. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

And it was settled, the first night Rin was to stay overnight would not end up being eventful, but in a way it was. I learned about Rin, but I hadn’t told him anything in return.

-

-

We ended up watching cheesy cartoons that were meant for eight year olds. I didn’t mind and apparently Rin didn’t either.

“I never got to watch cartoons growing up, my family could never afford a television.” He had said

And I was all for having an excuse to watch all of my old favorite shows with someone. Watching cartoons with someone else just made them even funnier, you’re laughing at the show, and the other person’s reaction. Twice the fun.

We ended up drinking all of the hot chocolate I owned and Rin was more disappointed than I was when I told him I had run out of marshmallows. I asked if he wanted coffee, but he said coffee was for people who needed extra energy, which frankly he didn’t.

Eventually we didn’t have any topics come to mind so I let the question that had been bothering me since I bumped into Rin for the first time. “So, what, or who, is it that I’, supposed to be hiding you from?”

He stared at me for a moment before speaking.

"Well, I’m gonna go all out and say it all―"

"That would be helpful."

"Don’t be getting sassy with me," He snapped. "Anyways," He sighed. "I’m a prostitute. So these guys came, said they wanted the do, they were sketchy looking but they showed me the money. So ya know, shit happened, we fucked, then the douche refuses to pay me. So me, being me, punches him square in the nose and his "posy” comes up tries to hit me, but I was too fast for those bastards." he sat back and laughed silently.

"So they threw a rock at me and that is where I got this battle scar," he pulled down the part of the oversized shirt that was covering his right shoulder, revealing a rather harsh bruise. "This shit slowed me down a bit, until I turned a corner and came across your flawless being that was sent from the heavens to save me. Or at least that was my interpretation, not that I believe in any of that bullshit."

This was a depressing story, one little portion of his life was more depressing than my whole life put together. There was so many things I could’ve asked. Yet I decided to go with: “So you’re gay?” Without even thinking.

He groaned loudly. “That’s all you got out of that?”

I panicked. “No! It’s just, erm, that’s something that really stuck out to me! And I just sort of said that without really thinking…”

Good going Makoto.

Rin stood up and sighed. “So now that you know there’s a queer in your home, would you like me to leave?”

He was asking me if I wanted him to leave because of his sexuality. This had happened to him before. This had happened to him before.

His life, the small portion of it he had shared with me I got so much more from than he probably intended for me to pick up. But I did, and I wanted to hug the living crap out of him. Which I did.

I stood up and practically leaped into his arms. The tension in his body was noticeable from even looking, but I didn’t care.

“I’m so sorry, Rin.”

“What the hell do you have to be sorry for?” His voice sounded angry, but I could tell he wasn’t because he clutched onto me, accepting the hug.

“I’m so sorry you’ve been kicked out for your sexuality, you’re life, this little portion of your life you’ve shared with me, has been so much more complicated, more depressing than I could even imagine, I accept you Rin! I accept you being gay, I accept you for who you are,” Fitting the word ‘prostitute’ into this moment didn’t seem right. “I’ve been bullied for being gay, but never kicked out or anything! Just, oh god Rin, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

He tightened his grip onto me and I felt hot drips on my shoulder as he whispered, “Thank you, Makoto.”

We stayed like that for nearly five minutes until he pulled away. “Can I use the restroom?” His voice cracked.

“Of course, first door on the right next to the kitchen. You can even shower if you want to.”

He nodded his thanks and headed off to the bathroom.

During this time, I went into my room and picked out and outfit for Rin, one he could keep. The clothes he was wearing all had tears, and I’m 90% sure most of them weren’t intentional. I also took the time to tidy up the apartment. More than once we had spilled hot chocolate all over the ground. This was the one time I was thankful for hardwood floors.

Within half-an-hour Rin was out of the bathroom, freshly showered and back in his old clothes and towel wrapped around his head.

“No, no, no. Did you not see the clothes I hung on the door for you?”

“Those were for me…?” His eyes widened.

“Who else would they be for, silly?” I laughed and he grinned.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

The look of gratitude on his face was mesmerizing; I wished I could take a picture. Rin practically leaped back to the bathroom and was back from changing as quickly as I could sit down on the couch.

He plopped down next to me, staring at me for a moment.

“Do I have something on my face?” I wondered aloud.

“No, um, I just wanted to say thank you. For all you’ve done.” He looked flustered. It was cute.

I smiled at him and we sat together on the couch, and even though we had just known each other for roughly a few hours, the seating felt comfortable, and even familiar.

“Hey, Rin?” I spoke up after a few moments of comfortable silence.

“Yeah?”

“I could take you clothes shopping tomorrow, if you want.”

His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “For real?!” Rin’s expression dropped a bit. “Oh, but… I don’t really have that much money to pay for anything…”

“I’ll pay.”

The taken back look in Rin’s face was funny, I would’ve laughed if the time were appropriate.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“You can and you will.”

He sighed and murmured. “Fine, but only if you let me help you redecorate this atrocious apartment.”

“Deal.”