Entry tags:

akame, au, multi-chaptered, pricele$$ love

PRICELE$$ love - Chapter 4
Title: PRICELE$$ love
Author: Aisu & Kuriimu
Rating: PG13 for now
Pairings: Akame
Disclaimer: We don't own Akame.
Summary: Jin's a crowd-pleaser; always adapting his personality to suit others, trying to uphold his family name by keeping up false pretenses. He's sick of people sucking up to him and pretending to be his friend when all they want is a connection to his social status.

Kazuya's a realist; he hates people who are 'fake', or rather, aren't true to themselves, and it makes him sick watching them live their day to day life as a constant lie.

When the two meet at a goukon for the first time, their personalities clash. While Kazuya's ready to leave in a heartbeat after the event, Jin can't help but linger behind lost in his thoughts. He had never met anyone like Kazuya before. Maybe he was just what he needed to help him escape his world of lies.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3


Jin was sitting through his last lecture of the day. It was scorching hot outside, and the open windows didn't aid the problem at all due to a lack of breeze.

"How can people stay awake through this crap..." Jin sighed as he tapped his pen against his notebook, the cap flying off in some random direction without his knowledge.

Though Jin hadn't noticed the missing cap, you could be sure that his classmates did. The second it became airborne nearly half the class rushed to retrieve the object, hoping they would be the one to return the lost item and possibly have a chance to converse with the oh-so-famous son of Akanishi.

Jin's father owned one of Japan's most successful record labels, not fully taking flight until approximately five years ago. Before that, Jin had lived the life of your average kid. However, once things started picking up and Nishi Records became a household name, his life became anything but ordinary.

Making use of his peripheral vision and seeing the struggle over the pen cap, Jin rolled his eyes. "You can NOT be serious..."

"Ne~ Akanishi-san," someone Jin didn't recognize was reaching their hand out to him, an object in hand.

"Eh?" Jin answered back half-awake, his pen finding its way into his mouth. "Ah, thanks." he adorned a fake smile as he accepted the cap.

When class was dismissed for the day, Jin quickly stood and made his way out the door, slipping the pencap into a garbage bin along the way.

Five years of acting under false pretenses. During those five years, Jin had started to spin a web of lies. With each day, it would grow larger than the last. With each day, his burden became that much heavier to bear. He wanted to get away from these people and off of school grounds as fast as he could. He needed to get his mind away from this giant mess of lies he had created around himself. He just needed to get away.

"A freaking pen cap." Jin spat as he slammed his car door shut and pulled out of the parking lot after evading the mass of students he had to deal with on a regular basis.

"You're late." Kazuya stated matter-of-factly when Jin knocked on his door, letting him into the room.

"Traffic..." came Jin's one-worded response as he sat on the empty bed, his books falling to the floor.

Making his way around the bed, Kazuya took one of Jin's textbooks into his hand. "Psychology..." he mumbled as he flipped through the pages, stopping to scan over various sheets of paper that were carelessly placed throughout random pages; many of which were graded papers revealing low marks.

"You don't have a roommate?" Jin asked as he leaned back on his hands surveying the room for a second time.

"So what is it that you need help with?" Kazuya asked without acknowledging the other's question.

"Ignoring me? Geez. He's really set on just helping me study. I thought I could use this as a chance to get on good terms with him..." Jin thought as he stared at the younger boy, "Oh well. I can play his game." he concluded before continuing his one-sided chat, "You didn't seem like a person that would have a roommate." he waited for a reaction, or at least some sort of response to show that the other knew he was there.

"You must really be an idiot to score this low." Kazuya smirked looking at one of Jin's assignments.

"Oi~!" Jin shouted snatching the paper away. "This is why you're supposed to be helping me, not insulting my intelligence." he retorted as he realized he lost to Kazuya's game. "Damn..."

Kazuya turned around and strolled over to his bed, taking a seat across from Jin. "I was trying to. You keep trying to change the subject, if you hadn't noticed."

"I just had class not too long ago, I'm not up to studying just yet." Jin explained.

"Then why didn't you plan a different time?"

Staring at the other in silence, Jin furrowed his brows, "...Are you sure you don't hate me?" he questioned.

"Ahh," Kazuya's head reared back to look up at the ceiling, "Are you back on that again?"

Not getting a response from the latter, Kazuya realized that he was doing it again. Unconsciously, he was pushing the other away for some unknown reason while all Jin was trying to do was start a pleasant conversation. For Jin to fall silent was a rare thing, so in attempt to revive the chat Kazuya brought up an earlier question.

"What do you mean I don't seem like I'd have a roommate?" Kazuya inquired.

Noticing the other was finally trying to engage in friendly conversation, the corners of Jin's lips perked up, "You know... you seem to have... people problems."

Kazuya blinked while processing the information just given to him. Unable to take the light and joking criticism, he pointed towards his door with a wide smile, "You're right. I do have people problems. Get out."

Jin laughed at the reply, "And that's what I'm talking about..." he said under his breath. "I think we got off on the wrong foot when we first met," he started to say as he stood from the bed and walked over to Kazuya. "So... let's start over."

Smiling as he reached out a hand, Jin spoke, "I'm... Jin." he lamely uttered. "Shit... almost gave away my name."

Kazuya sat blinking up at the other, "That's it?"

"Well... uh..." Jin stuttered, at a loss for words as he was interrupted by Kazuya's laughter.

"That's a great introduction." Kazuya commented as he cracked open Jin's psychology book for a second time. "Sit." he ordered, pointing at a spot next to him on the bed. "If you think of sleeping, show signs of wanting to sleep, or worst case, actually fall asleep, I assure you it'll be your biggest regret."



"BREAK TIME." Jin announced as he fell back on Kazuya's bed, closing his eyes.

Kazuya raised a brow as he stared at the deadened figure. "You better pass your finals." he breathed.

It had a been a few hours since Jin had walked into his room. The sun was starting its daily descent as its rays poured in through the window dancing upon the walls of the dorm.

Since Kazuya had a moment to himself due to Jin's demand for a break, his mind wandered to the visit he had made to his parent's house earlier. When he had first entered, it was quiet as usual. No one replied when he announced his return. Glancing into various rooms of the house, Kazuya spotted a darkened figure resting in one of the bedrooms. Judging from the small frame, it was his mother. As he had approached her, she raised a hand to wipe at her face. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that she had been silently crying. Apparently, things at home had gotten worse. The couple rarely exchanged words with one another unless they were having some sort of argument.

"Had things always been like this?" he once thought before, knowing full well that they hadn't. They used to be your ideal family. They used to be the family everyone else wished they had. However, as time passed, the differences began to surface. Both wanted different things for the future and neither wanted to make the sacrifices required for the other. Unconsciously, Kazuya's eyes began to tear up as he recalled various family moments. It was all for appearances now. They stayed together for the sake of appearances, because what would other people think of the seemingly 'perfect' family just suddenly broke apart? The 'happy' couple divorcing and the son left to do what? This is why Kazuya hated people who put up an act. He couldn't stand to see people pretending to be what they aren't. Who you are in public should be the same person as the one behind closed doors, though at times Kazuya himself didn't exactly live up to this either. No one did, really. After all, you're only who you are when no one's looking.

"You're awfully quiet. Aren't you gonna at least yell at me to stop wasting your time and study or get out?" Jin asked, breaking the silence as he sat up.

"..." Kazuya was still in his own world, his gaze resting intently on the picture perfect moment that was his past.

Following Kazuya's stare, Jin looked onto the photo he had picked up days before. "Your family?"

Kazuya sluggishly nodded his head, showing a sign of response Jin was relieved to see so that he could now dismiss the idea that the other was igoring him.

"You guys must be really close, ne?" Jin asked, oblivious towards the expression Kazuya wore. The one that read, "Don't even pretend to know, don't make stupid assumptions just from one simple photo."

"Get out." Kazuya ordered in a soft, yet stern voice.

"...What?" Jin asked confused as he finally turned to look at his temporary tutor.

His eyes glistened, full of tears threatening to fall at the slightest hint of movement. Kazuya had a sullen look on his face as he pointed at the door, mimicking the motion he had made earlier.

"Kazuya," Jin immediately shut his mouth, noticing he had accidently let the others name slip out. He hesitated before deciding to continue seeing as how he couldn't change what had already been said anyways. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"GET. OUT." Kazuya repeated himself through gritted teeth, finger still aimed at the door, "NOW!" he shouted, the tears finally trailing down the sides of his face.

Not knowing what to do or how to comfort the other, Jin took up his belongings as he headed towards the door; Kazuya remained on his bed unmoving. Casting once last glance at the weeping boy, Jin quietly shut the door behind him, a frown dawning upon his face.

"How the hell did that happen..." Jin whispered to himself as his back leaned against the sniffling boy's door.



"You're LATE!" Pi exclaimed as Jin passed through the dining area of Kazen Cafe.

"That's not the first time I've heard that this week." Jin mumbled while rounding the corner of the counter.

Kazen was supposed to be an escape; a place without any deep thinking involved. With all the chaos that occured during service hours, the only thing you had time to think about was taking orders, and serving. At least, that's what Jin's original intention was when he decided to be employed there and help out his friend. Now it was just like most jobs people dealth with; inconvenient and stressful.

"The last thing I mentioned to Kazuya was about his family. Was that it? But I barely even said anything." Jin tried to make sense out of the younger boy's sudden outrage.

The time spent in Kazen went by treacherously slow. Seconds seemed like minutes, minutes hours, hours days. Just as Jin had started to think he was making progress in his relationship with Kazuya, it had all gone downhill within the same day. Now they didn't even talk unless it was absolutely necessary. Kazuya would constantly walk into Kazen with a neutral look on his face, but the second his eyes would accidentally lock with Jin's, his expression would sadden.

"It was definitely something I said that day." Jin concluded after enduring another eye-lock with Kazuya.



"Ooooi~" Pi called to his two co-workers the second their breaktime had initiated, "What's wrong with you two?"

Neither answered at first, but Jin didn't want Pi to think anything had happened, so he just came out with the first thing he could think of.

"I'm tired..." he said, though it wasn't exactly a lie. He had been tired, and his sleeping schedule wasn't functioning the way it usually did, hence his tardiness concerning work.

Pi then looked to Kazuya awaiting his excuse, but seeing that the other had no intentions of speaking up continued with his chastising, "I can't run this place with two mindless zombies, so there's no evening service tonight. Just go home and get some rest. Alright?!" he smiled as he gave a thumbs up; the smile immediately fading after getting no response from the latter two. Pi sighed, "I've already split the tips up on the counter. Don't forget to take your share before you leave, or I'll take it for you." he reminded before heading back to change; Jin and Kazuya following after.



Kazuya was the first one to leave the backroom, Jin the last.

"Oi, Jin." Pi's voice called from behind the counter after he had exited the backroom.

"Hmm?" Jin folded his apron and neatly laid it in a cupboard before leaving the room as the others had done earlier.

"Kame forgot his tips."

"Shouldn't you be taking them then?" Jin countered.

"Oi, oi, oi. I'm not that mean."

"I beg to differ." Jin thought. "He can just get them tomorrow."

"We don't have work tomorrow, baka. Don't you know the schedule by now?"

"If I take them to him though, he might tell me to just leave again..." Jin stared down at Kazuya's share of the tips. "I can just slip it under the door." he settled the internal argument before snatching up the white envelope. "I'll take them over to him, then."

"He must've been in a hurry. Do you know what's going on?" Pi casually asked, "He seems really out of it..."

"No idea." Jin answered back before stepping out into the summer heat. "Well, let's see how this one goes..."

>>Chapter 05

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A/N (Kuriimu): Basically, Aisu wrote this whole chapter by herself because I was lazy and she was on a roll. XD I'm just here to get it on LJ since Aisu's an LJ-noob and had to go to sleep. giving me the opportunity to rant all I want on our LJ XP I enjoyed reading this chapter, so i hope you guys did to. -applaudes Aisu-

Our 4th chapter already, those of you that have been following this fic and commenting, thank you~ <3 I know it's been going a bit slowly, but things are going to pick up real soon. Any comments?