To Make A Difference...
Author: emmachase
Requested by: Nobody
Title: To Make A Difference...
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, some fluff.
Pairing: OkaJima
Summary: Keito, the head of a charity foundation, finds his own way of saving someone
Keito sighed as he set aside yet another portfolio onto an ever growing stack of sighs and groans. For the last four hours he had been in his office, sipping on coffee and the occasional cup of tea. Each proposal hung in his mind and he felt himself being ripped to pieces.
“Okamoto-San? I’m going home now…” Keito looked up, a pale white face stared back at him from the door.
“A-Ah… thanks Keisuke, yeah… I’ll see you tomorrow…”
“Don’t stay too long….”
“Y-Yeah…” Keito chuckled and he waved goodbye.
A clock on his desk showed it was already seven in the afternoon, but he knew that before he left, it would show a time much later.
Another sigh came with the plop of another folder upon the pile of choices. It had been only four years since he opened his charity. He had given control of his family’s company to a board of trustees, ensuring that he kept the major controlling shares. With that he resolved to give away the money his family would have squandered, at first it was only 30 million, but now with the success of the past year, and the positive view it gave the company, the trustees gave him almost triple that.
“Who…am I supposed to give them to…?”
The cup of tea in his hand provided no more warmth anymore, and his eyes finally relaxed, staring at the skyline in Tokyo. The stack on his desk called to him, and he busied himself with sticking the smaller stack through the shredder. He knew that tomorrow would bring its next slew of proposals from all needy causes, but his eyes were beginning to ache with reading and he couldn't bring himself to finish the last 20 proposals on his desk. Grabbing his coat he swung it around his shoulders, he had never felt so old and worn out. Turning out his lamp, he smiled bitterly as the clock dimmed from sight and its hands pointed out it was 11 at night now.
He walked out of his office, and shivered a little as the cold winds whipped around him. Slowly he walked towards his house, a small place near his office. The rest of his family always insisted that he lived in the family house, a few minutes out of the city. But living in such a palace like home didn't suit him, and he couldn’t feel the same sense of warmth he felt in a smaller home like his.
“HEY!” Keito looked up from the sidewalk. A man stood just outside a lit store, while a boy no younger than himself ran out, carefully holding onto two or three pastries. As Keito watched the boy ran past him, his tattered outer clothes swept behind him in the air. The man was cursing up a storm by now and Keito sighed, walking up to the man. A few pats on his back calmed him down.
“Sometimes, people resort to desperate measures… “
“Yeah but that kid stole from me!”
“Because he didn't have any other choice… it’s already so late, and you know if you hadn’t sold them, you would have thrown them out right?”
“I guess… “ The man nodded along, his anger melting.
“Then maybe… when it’s late at night, and you’re closing your bakery, why don't you donate them to the hungry at night..?” Keito smiled as he clutched in his hand a few bills he had produced from his wallet and gently rolled it into the man’s hands.
“T-This is too much!” The man exclaimed, but Keito smiled and shook his head.
“Just something to help you help them.” And he chuckled as he walked off again, it was always this feeling he loved, helping someone in need. Helping someone with his own two hands, not sitting behind a desk reading proposal after proposal.
Dropping his keys into the small bowl, Keito plopped down on his couch, his entire body groaned as it settled in, only to be pried up again when he decided he should change first. By the time he finished changing out of his work clothes, Keito dropped downstairs again, gathering a small bowl and cereal for his dinner. The TV flickered on and he settled against his couch as his favorite show came on for a late night re-run. Sipping from his glass of water, he fell asleep there, like he had every night since his paperwork nightmare began.
---
The next morning Keito jumped awake as his phone began ringing, it was already 20 minutes past when he was supposed to wake up and he nearly bolted out the door, his tie still undone around his neck. A bagel somehow managed to stay in his mouth the entire run down to his office, and he was grateful that he had remembered to buy the flavored ones rather than plain.
“Keisuke! Why didn't you call me!?”
“You didn't leave here until 11 again, and I know how tired you are..”
“Yeah well… I don't want to be given special treatment, if everyone here has to be here by 8:30, I want to get here by 8:30, even if I’m the boss.” Keito panted, sitting down at his desk again and opening his laptop. In a way he was grateful to Keisuke, he did his best to take care of him, and he always thanked him for it.
At precisely 10:00, a flood of proposals came into his office along with the schedule for today’s meetings.
“We are here to save god’s children, they all deserve a warm bed, a home, and a meal”
Keito nodded as the pastor of the organization thanked him
“Every child deserves to have their dying wish granted, their life is cut too short, and we want to make sure they live their time to the fullest.”
Keito teared up as he read through the portfolios of the presenter’s cause.
“Our nation’s great contributors have worked themselves to the bone, advancing for our greater good, but we show our thanks by allowing them to fall into poverty. All our elderly deserve care and medicine so they can live the rest of their lives in peace.”
Keito bowed his bead at the elderly man who thanked him in the way only a grandfather can.
His smile that he wore during the day began to wear thin again, and he was so grateful Keisuke had scheduled only four visits that day. The last of them being after lunch, which he intended to make the fullest of.
Grabbing his coat again, Keito stumbled his way into the small café that shared his floor and ordered a small bowl of soup with a sandwich. Biting into the sandwich, Keito paused now, recalling the boy who had run past him the night before. He remembered how hard it had been. The Okamoto family wasn't always such a well-to-do family, they had worked their way up to build an empire, and maybe that was part of why Keito felt so inclined to help the less fortunate. Because he had been less fortunate himself, and he hoped that he could make the difference that he himself had been lucky to come by. Setting down his sandwich he suddenly feel hungry anymore, and he decided to use the last 40 minutes of his lunch on a walk to clear his head and get some air.
“I might as well, if I’m going to be cooped up again…” He sighed, pushing the door open to the world outside. He walked towards his house again, not really sure where to go, and trying to remember if he had forgotten anything he needed at home. Yet as he walked, he found the same boy who had stolen the bread from the bakery standing just a few feet ahead of him, staring at the bakery yet again and he froze.
The daylight cast a new light on his features, a gentle glow appeared upon the boy’s pale white skin, and he shone wherever the small specks of dirt on his body broke apart. His clothes had been reduced to a thinly worn t-shirt covered with a small long-sleeve overshirt that had its lower half in tatters. And around his waist, a pair of very worn out jeans were held up by a belt that at one point was black, but now was grey with discoloration and loose with wear.
“Hey!” Keito called, and the boy looked at him, his brown eyes struck him and he felt his entire body shudder. Before he could say anything else, the boy bolted in the other direction.
“Wait!” Keito called as he gave chase and followed the boy through turn after turn. After a while, Keito finally laid a hand on the boy’s back, and he gave him a gentle tug, which sent the boy flying back into him. He was so light, and from the look on his face, he was so tired, and so under-fed.
“Wait… I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to do anything to you…” Keito assured gently, setting his hand on the boy’s and taking his hands off his jacket. He could tell that the boy didn't trust him, and his legs twitched as if he were ready to bolt at any moment.
“Y-You’re hungry right? Here, take this, sorry it’s got a bite out of it, but it’s only one small bite and the rest of it’s there…it’s all I have on me right now….” Keito offered his plastic wrapped sandwich and he grinned as the boy shamefully accepted it.
“Whats your name?” The boy shook his head
“It’s okay, you can tell me, I promise I wont turn you in or anything. I just. I want to be able to talk to you…I promise.” He reassured, and the boy paused eating and looked at him with those same striking brown eyes.
“Yuto.” He said quickly, before turning back to the sandwich that was rapidly disappearing in his hands.
“Yuto, here, take this okay? Go get yourself cleaned up, and… would you consider coming to this address tonight? Maybe… for a little dinner?” Keito offered one of his business cards.
“What is this?”
“I-It’s not my home address I promise! It’s my office, I just… I wanted to have dinner with you, to help you.”
“I don't want your pity… I’ll figure out a way to make it all work myself.” Yuto said solemnly.
“But until you do figure it out, wont you just let me help you a little? And if it still bugs you, you can always pay me back when you do figure it out.” Keito smiled, and Yuto nodded again his face even more shameful.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with accepting a little help, do you understand me? Sometimes, all it takes is a little someone to come along and help you on your way to being something more than you can dream of.” Keito said giving Yuto a pat on the back, the winds swept through the boys and Keito felt the boy beside him shiver.
“Here, take this too, and stay warm okay? I’ll see you later tonight, no strings attached I promise.” Yuto felt a coat surround him, it was a little too big for him, but it was warm, and the silken lining caressed his skin, a feeling so different from his usual stiff overshirt. Staring as Keito walked away, Yuto bowed his head slightly, and whispered a quiet thank you.
Keito couldn't focus the rest of the day, his stack of papers stayed in the same place on his desk, and the clock that always kept him company seemed to betray him now, always reminding him that no matter how long he listened and how long he read over the reports, it had only been twenty minutes, and time dragged by so slowly now. For the last half of his workday, he had been thinking about the boy who had thanked him, and given him a look with such pure eyes. He felt almost lost as he remembered them, the depth they had pierced him and he was entranced.
Finally, it was six again and for the first time that entire month, Keito packed up early. He grinned happily as a sense of lightness swam through his body and he waved goodbye to Keisuke before squeezing into the elevator.
At the lobby, he began to look out the windows towards the streets and try as he might, he couldn’t find Yuto. Frowning, he sat down on one of the lounge chairs and sighed as he waited patiently, sure that the boy would come. The small clock on Keito’s phone signaled the passing of time each time he checked it, 6:10, 6:15, and finally 6:30.
“I guess…. He’s not coming….”
The last dying rays of sunlight streaked themselves across an open blue sky, tinting everything a brilliant shade of orange, and all in an instant faded to a dull yellow. Keito sighed and stood up, he turned to make sure he hadn’t dropped anything and made for the door. Only, as he moved, he noticed a small flash of color, just barely lit by the sun’s last ray. He froze on the spot, causing a man behind him to bump into him.
“S-Sorry.” He bowed, before re-focusing his attention. There just on the other side of the clear glass stood a Yuto, so different from the one before. His delicate features were highlighted in a pale white light as the lamps came on in the street. Now, his skin was a soft white and his messy hair lay straight, resting gently with a single lock just barely covering his eyes. Yuto walked with a timid stride, inching forward with his head down and eyes focused on some invisible object in his hands.
“Yuto!” Keito called, stepping out of the lobby and before the boy.
“H-Hello.” Yuto bowed
“Oh… so you have some manners….” Keito chuckled as Yuto gave him a shameful look and he quickly retracted.
“I’m joking.. really… I’m joking!” Keito felt awkward now as he reached out and placed his hand on Yuto’s shoulders.
“Yuto, let’s go to dinner okay? What would you like to eat?”
“A-Anything.”
“Are you nervous?”
“N-No..”
“Then why are you stuttering? Are you regretting coming? Why did you come?” Keito asked, both concerned and curious.
“I…. I’m just cold, and I came to give this back to you.” He held up Keito’s coat from earlier that day and the older boy smiled as he took it and thought for a moment, before he slid it around Yuto’s shoulders, buttoning it closed.
“I think, I want you to have it.” He said, taking a step back to see a very handsome Yuto and nodding his approval. He offered his hand now, and was so happy when the other boy held out his own and they clasped.
They walked in silence, mostly because the questions Keito would ask, Yuto would only nod or shake his head, discouraging him from asking anything further. Instead, he settled for just holding Yuto’s hand as it pulled him along the buildings that usually greeted him on his way to and from work.
“Yuto… you know… you can talk to me, I don't bite…” Keito smiled a little, trying to ease the other’s concern, or… whatever it was.
Keito picked a small restaurant and sensing how shy Yuto was, requested one of the smaller tatami rooms which could offer some privacy.
“Yuto… just pick…. Anything from the menu, anything you want…it’s okay..” Keito encouraged still, and he could tell that Yuto was just overwhelmed with the menu choices and he held back a chuckle when the boy’s hand landed on a random item and the waitress nodded.
“Yuto, why did you come? Really?” Keito asked.
“It couldn’t have been just to return the coat…” He continued
“Are you going to say anything to me the entire night?”
“I… I don't know… I don't know the answers to any of those questions…I don't know why I came here, I don't know what Im doing here. I only know that I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn't come here…”
“Yuto what happened? Why are you living like this?” Keito put his hand gently on his companion’s hand.
“I just…. I don't have a choice…. My family was already struggling, and I couldn’t add to that…. So I left, and I didn't tell them where I went.”
Just then the food arrived and Keito smiled politely as the waitress asked if there was anything else they needed. The moment she left, he got up from his seat and sat down beside Yuto, and just wrapped his arms around him.
“You’re so brave…” He said, feeling somewhat relieved when the boy fell into him embrace.
“It’s been two months already… and I didn't know what to do… I couldn’t get a apartment or any real food on the small salary I made, so I-I had to steal it… a-and…” Keito shushed him and held him closer, he could tell Yuto was on the verge of tears, and talking any longer would only make it worse.
“Yuto… it’s okay…. Really…. It’s okay…. C-c’mon, lets not thing about it anymore okay? Not tonight. Here, this is what you ordered isn’t it?”
After a few minutes, Yuto calmed down enough for him to eat, and Keito was more than happy to order a few extra plates that seemed to pique his interest. His favorite of those being a small delicacy called basashi.
“Just go ahead and eat all you want okay?” Keito nudged playfully, and he smiled to himself, happy that he had grown closer to Yuto. Over a slightly melted ice cream cake slice, Yuto told him of his family, a small one of his parents and a younger brother, he told him of his ambitions, to be a musician, and he told him of his troubles, the ones that have haunted him since he left.
“Do you… regret leaving?”
“No.”
Keito was a bit taken aback by how stern the reply was.
“Why?”
“Because, without me, Im sure that they’re having an easier time. Im the oldest, and I have to take care of myself, so my parents can take care of my brother.”
And with that, Keito fell silent, in awe of his friend’s resolve.
Dinner came and went, and before he knew it, the pair stood outside and Yuto bowed gratefully. Truthfully though, Keito didn't mind paying the bill, he loved seeing the bright grin on the boy’s face and the small hop in Yuto’s step when he turned to leave.
“Wait! W-Where are you going to go tonight?”
“Back home…”
“Home?”
Yuto explained that he had recently gotten a small place, and he awkwardly tried, and failed, to divert Keito from wanting to see it. Keito held onto Yuto’s hand tightly as they walked for almost half an hour to a small run down building on the north end of town. It wasn't much, and going in, Keito winced as the stairs groaned and felt as if they would crack at any moment beneath him. A small green door with a simple number nine attached to it stood before him now, and Yuto sighed as he pulled out a small key that was just as scratched and discolored as the number on the door. A slight turn of the key opened a door so loose, Keito doubted he really needed the key.
“Yuto…”
“It’s not much… but it’s all I have…” Yuto said, as he dropped the small bag he had on him onto a dust covered floor.
“Yuto…”
“I-I know it’s not clean yet, and t-that's why I didn't wan-“
Yuto froze as Keito’s hand reached out and grasped his wrist. A firm squeeze made him tense up.
Keito was horrified at the condition of the place, the run down walls and a window that seemed to be crusted shut with some substance only the rats knew, were what Yuto had so loving called a home. This was all he needed to see, and he felt disgusted.
“Yuto, we’re going.” He said sternly, and the boy in his hand yelped as he felt himself be pulled forward slightly when Keito grabbed his bag, and then backwards as Keito stormed out, dragging him along.
“W-Wait K-Keito where are we going?!” Yuto asked urgently, feeling himself being hustled down the stairs that led to his “home” and out the door of the building.
Keito flagged down a taxi and gave the address to the driver. They flooded down the street, arriving at Keito’s house in a few short minutes.
“Keito… what is this place?” Yuto asked, his brown eyes were wide in awe as he stared at the small but ornate design of the building.
“This…. is your home… our home.” Keito said with a sigh.
“B-“
“That place is not fit for anyone to live in. Until you find a place that’s safe, you’re staying here.” Keito said, and it was only in that moment he realized how he was treating Yuto, and he quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed. With one hand he firmly grasped the slender boy’s wrist again and pulled him through the gateway and to the door. A quick deft motion of his hand produced keys that opened the way to a warm and waiting household. Yuto walked in and Keito set his keys in the bowl beside the door.
“Would you…. Mind, staying with me?” Keito asked, only now beginning to feel unsure of himself.
“I…” Yuto looked around, Keito’s large coat rested loosely on his frame, the sleeves flaring out as he turned.
“T-There’s a guest bedroom! O-Of course.” Keito offered quickly, and Yuto made a cute little gesture with his nose and nodded.
Their living situation settled, Keito quickly set about throwing covers over the guest bed, pulling out clothes that Yuto could use for pajamas, and gathering a spare toothbrush, towel….
A little while later, the two boys were sitting on the couch, two twin glasses of water rested on the coffee table in front of an ignored flickering TV screen while the pair sat with their legs drawn up, talking.
Yuto expressed some curiosity about, as he put it. “How can you afford all this?” And Keito had never had such an easy time telling someone about himself. The small alarm clock that Keito had moved from his bedroom to the couch living room signified it was already well into the early morning, but they didn't care. For however much effort Keito put into preparing the guest room, they never used it. Somewhere during the night, Yuto had fallen asleep, his head resting gently on Keito’s arm. The older boy hadn’t the heart to wake him, and instead drew the blanket around them, laying Yuto down gently so he was flat on the cushions.
---
Keito woke up the next morning to the sound of his phone ringing on the table beside him. He frowned as the clock read 8:00 in the morning, a full half an hour later than he had intended to be up. Moving to fetch his cell phone, he froze, feeling a weight on his arm that he hadn’t be conscious of until now. Yuto’s eyes were shut, his lips gently parted as the soft sounds of his breathing escaped. Just as he didn't have the heart last night, Keito didn't have it now, and he smiled gently as he carefully grabbed his phone before it could wake the boy up.
“Keisuke…?”
“Okamoto-San, it’s already 8:00, I’ve got your first meeting at ten, would you like me to keep it or push it back?”
Keito pondered for a moment, a slightly stirring Yuto crept into him again, and he felt a tingly feeling as Yuto’s back pressed into his chest and the boy snuggled in his warmth.
“You know…. Keisuke… I don't think I’ll be coming in today.”
“Yes sir” Keito could tell his assistant was relieved and wasn’t the least be surprised when he eagerly told him he would take care of the appointments.
For a few moments, Keito rest his head again, laying down upon the soft couch that had never quite felt so warm and welcoming as it did in that moment. He felt that tingly feeling come again as he closed his eyes and imagined the boy that was sleeping just a breath away from him.
But his moment of solitude didn't last long. A small tick in Yuto’s leg and a small yawn escaped signaling he was beginning to wake. Gently, Keito sat up, not moving his arm until the boy had lifted his head and almost with cat-like grace stretched his body out. When his eyes began to focus and he looked around Yuto almost jumped up as he realized where he had spent the night, and who he had spent it with.
“I-I’m sorry!” He said quickly as Keito’s eyes flared with surprise at the sudden outburst.
“Whoa whoa, it’s okay! It’s okay! Calm down….”
“I-It’s already so late! A-And you have to be at your job!”
“I already told them I wouldn’t be coming in today.”
“W-Was it because I’m here? I - I can leave the house if you want, I understand, with… there being so many valuables in here and you just meeting me and all I-“ Yuto blathered on until he noticed Keito shaking his head
“Yuto, no, it’s not because I don't trust you to be alone in my house….. it’s because… I wanted to spend time with you… if you’ll let me.”
“B-But your job…”
“You know one good thing…. About being the boss, is that I can actually set my own hours…” Keito winked as he stood up, he turned, heading for the stairs to his bedroom and his morning routine, but he felt Yuto’s hand clasp around his wrist.
“But… your job… its important…you help… other people.” Yuto said quietly, his head slightly ashamed.
“I help other people…. Yes, but… sometimes, I have to help myself too…and right now.. I just want to spend some time with you…”
Keito sighed as he realized how guilty Yuto must have been feeling, and he sat them down on the couch, throwing aside the small blanket that still lay on the cushions.
“I know it’s crazy…. And I know it’s hard to believe… but last night.. I talked with you for what must have been hours and I didn't notice it, I felt something… different… something that I hadn’t felt before…a-and this morning… I woke up and I saw you…. And I thought… how… cute you were… and how much I….wanted to be with you… and it all happened in a night…. Just one night!” Keito began chuckling as he realized how desperate he must have sounded.
Yuto said nothing, his head still down and his mind processing it all.
“It all happened in one night… doesn't that mean anything? I feel closer to you…. Than I do with all my family, and just now… when I saw you sleeping… I… really… I just wanted to…” His roller coaster of emotions kept coming as Keito felt years of pent up loneliness come out in full force. Those four years he had devoted to the charity he realized hadn’t done him any favors, and instead, it had rendered him speechless. Giving himself fully now, Keito nervously clenched his fists.
In a single movement, he swung his arms around Yuto and hugged him. Through all this, the younger boy never moved and never spoke a word.
It wasn't until Keito stepped back, that Yuto looked up, his eyes a little red from what was a losing battle against tears.
“Yuto.. I’m sorry, I… said too much.” Keito turned again to leave the room only to feel the same hand clasp around his wrist. Only this time, Yuto hugged him back.
The conversation stopped there, as neither boy knew just how to phrase their thoughts.
Regardless of what the words may have been, Keito understood and put his hand on Yuto’s.
“If you feel… guilty…. Then how about this… come to work with me, then I can be with you, and still do my job…. Okay?”
“Okay…” came the response, in a tone Keito was sure was a mix of tears and bravery.
“But not before breakfast.” Keito insisted as he lifted Yuto’s chin a bit more.
A small breakfast with a few eggs, some cooked successfully, some ending up as black and burnt trash can decorations, with a small piece of toast and orange juice was all Keito could muster from his kitchen and he frowned as he offered a meager plate. Still Yuto ate heartily, and through it all, his eyes told Keito what his lips wouldn't. Through them, Keito had seen loneliness, despair, and frustration, but now they had gained such warmth, and with a smile, they beamed with joy. Keito couldn't help but smile and feel proud in knowing that it was because of him. Though Yuto never said it, he knew that the boy had to have loved him back, and he would wait for the moment he could hear those words.
After breakfast, the clock showed it was already 10 in the morning, and Keito quickly threw coats around Yuto and himself as they made a dash out of the house, laughing to themselves all the while. He ran up the small hill that he would usually have trudged over, and with Yuto in tow, he grinned as he turned around, teasing that he had reached the office first.
The slow elevator ride up to his floor was bearable now, as Keito felt Yuto’s hand wrap around his whenever someone would talk to him and he’d get nervous. But finally, the doors opened to a grand foyer on the floor that led to his office, and in bright letters sat the “Okamoto Charity Foundation”.
“O-Okamoto-San! I thought you weren’t coming in today!?” A panicked Keisuke bustled out of his desk to greet Keito.
“Keisuke… calm down… it’s okay. I wasn't planning on coming, but.. I did anyway…. And…. I’d like you to meet, Yuto.” Keito proudly introduced the boy who’s hand had a deathgrip on his own.
“Nice to meet you.”
“N-Nice to meet you.”
A short while later, Keito sat in his office, with a still nervous Yuto next to him.
“You know, you don't have to be so nervous.”
Yuto nodded and Keito settled for what he could muster out of the boy. Soon after that Keito felt himself being pulled out of the office by Keisuke again for an “emergency meeting” and try as he might, he couldn't escape.
When he returned however, he found Yuto sitting diligently where he had left him, and a small stack of the proposals he had been racking his brain over, each with small lightly annotated sticky notes sticking out from them.
“S-Sorry… I was… reading them and… “ Yuto blush as he set down the one he was reading, and Keito picked up the top proposal, glancing at the notes.
“Yuto…. You read…. All this? And you… wrote these notes?”
“S-Sorry! I just… it seemed like you had a lot of them to go through, and… I wanted to help you. You know, for all you’ve done for me, for last night.”
“Yuto…” Keito shook his head in amazement, a small grin on his face grew wider and wider.
“Yuto… run this foundation with me.” Keito said it bluntly
“W-What?”
“Run this foundation with me…”
“I-I cant! I-I couldn't….”
“Why?”
“B-Because… who’s going to let a street rat like me…. run a rich charity like this?”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because…. Im a nobody…”
“You’re my nobody…. And I hope… you’ll be more than that….” Keito said, setting down the proposal, and approaching a quickly shrinking Yuto. Whenever the slender boy showed this insecure side, Keito could feel his heart beat faster. He put his arm around Yuto again, and gave him a small kiss.
“Yuto… help me run this organization…. And in the process… get to know me… like I want to know you. Okay?”
“O-Okay.” Yuto nodded reluctantly, he was still unsure of himself.
In a surprise gesture, Keito leaned in and gently kissed him. The moment their lips parted their eyes met in a moment of clarity. Smiles formed on their faces as they both shyly looked away…
--- One Year Later---
The Okamoto Foundation is giving away it’s last two charity grants for this year. With the recent marriage of the Foundation’s head, Okamoto Keito, the charity organization has stepped up in its altruism. With the support of many of the Okamoto empire’s branches, as well as many other corporations, it’s safe to say, our world is well on its way to being a better place for all.
A reporter smiled as she turned the camera to a stage. The clock on the wall marked that it was now exactly four in the afternoon. The door opened to a smiling couple, standing proudly beside each other and so madly in love.
“Hello everyone, welcome to the Okamoto Foundation’s last press conference.” Keito spoke softly, his hands resting on the podium.
After the applause died down, Keito continued.
“With this foundation’s last two grants for this year, we’re proud to say that these two charities are close to home, and we’ve been debating on how much we want to give, thought we know that no amount could be enough. But we’re here today to present these two checks totaling no less than ten million in funds in the hopes that we’re getting one step closer.”
Again the applause roared and Keito barely had to volume to explain that Yuto would explain their choices.
“Not many of you know me beyond the face of this company,” Yuto explained as he stepped up to the podium
“But I wasn’t fortunate before I met Keito.” The crowd silenced now, all the eyes focused on the boy now.
“Only a year ago, I didn't have a home to go home to. I didn't have a place to go where I could be safe, where I could live and make myself into something I could be proud of. It was hard living day to day, having to scrape up enough money to pay rent on the months I could, and buying food on the days that the hunger was too painful to bear. And I’m so happy to say, that was when I met…. this one next to me.” Yuto smiled through his tears, pulling Keito closer.
“And he made my world a different place…” Yuto sniffled as Keito wiped away his tears.
“I was so glad, and so grateful, that I met him, and that he gave me a chance, that he gave me an environment where I could work, and make a difference. After working at this charity and its parent company, I worked to give money to my struggling parents, and today I made myself into someone I can be proud of. My youngest brother is well on his way through school, and my parents no longer have to worry about feeding us on a day to day basis. And it was all because there was someone there to help me. Someone to give me a chance.”
Yuto paused as he felt a sob almost pushing past his throat.
“I want to make sure, that everyone that needs it, gets that chance. It shouldn’t be so easy to end up homeless and struggling… and I hope what little we give today will help.”
Yuto walked over to one of the two cloth covered boards, and removed the covers, revealing a check for five million.
“I present this check to the Hope’s Homeless Help Fund, a place that helps in the fight against homelessness and sponsors families who are just trying to get their lives in order.”
A very grateful lady accepted the check and the media went wild with photos.
“And I present this check, to the Dream Foundation, an organization that will help aspiring children achieve their goals in life. A strong focus in educational programs for those who cant afford it, chances at opportunities normally reserved for the privileged suddenly become available to everyone, and counselors who will help our future businessmen, doctors, and lawyers.” Yuto smiled as he presented the check to a man in the suit.
Keito smiled as he stepped up behind the boy he loved and gently placed his hand on his shoulders. The representatives of each organization standing on either side of them while the media went mad with flashes and questions.
After an hour of questions and answers, Yuto and Keito retreated back to the private office on the top floor of the Okamoto foundation’s building. Yuto stared out the window as the press cars left and he smiled when he felt a pair of hands curl around his waist and Keito’s familiar scent appeared next to him.
“Do you feel like you’ve made a difference now?” Keito asked
“A small one…but it’s a start.” Yuto smiled, turning around to face his husband.
“Well…. Together… we’ll keep trying to make a difference.” Keito said happily, leaning in and kissing Yuto gently.
“We’ll keep trying….”
---
Ahhh this story came to me a while ago, but it was written in three parts (as Im sure you can notice by the way the writing changes a little) but hopefully it’s still…. Readable.…. With so many exams coming, I can’t keep up with my ideas! Just a little bit longer then I’ll be free to write! Don't forget about me!
Sorry!
~Emmie
Requested by: Nobody
Title: To Make A Difference...
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, some fluff.
Pairing: OkaJima
Summary: Keito, the head of a charity foundation, finds his own way of saving someone
Keito sighed as he set aside yet another portfolio onto an ever growing stack of sighs and groans. For the last four hours he had been in his office, sipping on coffee and the occasional cup of tea. Each proposal hung in his mind and he felt himself being ripped to pieces.
“Okamoto-San? I’m going home now…” Keito looked up, a pale white face stared back at him from the door.
“A-Ah… thanks Keisuke, yeah… I’ll see you tomorrow…”
“Don’t stay too long….”
“Y-Yeah…” Keito chuckled and he waved goodbye.
A clock on his desk showed it was already seven in the afternoon, but he knew that before he left, it would show a time much later.
Another sigh came with the plop of another folder upon the pile of choices. It had been only four years since he opened his charity. He had given control of his family’s company to a board of trustees, ensuring that he kept the major controlling shares. With that he resolved to give away the money his family would have squandered, at first it was only 30 million, but now with the success of the past year, and the positive view it gave the company, the trustees gave him almost triple that.
“Who…am I supposed to give them to…?”
The cup of tea in his hand provided no more warmth anymore, and his eyes finally relaxed, staring at the skyline in Tokyo. The stack on his desk called to him, and he busied himself with sticking the smaller stack through the shredder. He knew that tomorrow would bring its next slew of proposals from all needy causes, but his eyes were beginning to ache with reading and he couldn't bring himself to finish the last 20 proposals on his desk. Grabbing his coat he swung it around his shoulders, he had never felt so old and worn out. Turning out his lamp, he smiled bitterly as the clock dimmed from sight and its hands pointed out it was 11 at night now.
He walked out of his office, and shivered a little as the cold winds whipped around him. Slowly he walked towards his house, a small place near his office. The rest of his family always insisted that he lived in the family house, a few minutes out of the city. But living in such a palace like home didn't suit him, and he couldn’t feel the same sense of warmth he felt in a smaller home like his.
“HEY!” Keito looked up from the sidewalk. A man stood just outside a lit store, while a boy no younger than himself ran out, carefully holding onto two or three pastries. As Keito watched the boy ran past him, his tattered outer clothes swept behind him in the air. The man was cursing up a storm by now and Keito sighed, walking up to the man. A few pats on his back calmed him down.
“Sometimes, people resort to desperate measures… “
“Yeah but that kid stole from me!”
“Because he didn't have any other choice… it’s already so late, and you know if you hadn’t sold them, you would have thrown them out right?”
“I guess… “ The man nodded along, his anger melting.
“Then maybe… when it’s late at night, and you’re closing your bakery, why don't you donate them to the hungry at night..?” Keito smiled as he clutched in his hand a few bills he had produced from his wallet and gently rolled it into the man’s hands.
“T-This is too much!” The man exclaimed, but Keito smiled and shook his head.
“Just something to help you help them.” And he chuckled as he walked off again, it was always this feeling he loved, helping someone in need. Helping someone with his own two hands, not sitting behind a desk reading proposal after proposal.
Dropping his keys into the small bowl, Keito plopped down on his couch, his entire body groaned as it settled in, only to be pried up again when he decided he should change first. By the time he finished changing out of his work clothes, Keito dropped downstairs again, gathering a small bowl and cereal for his dinner. The TV flickered on and he settled against his couch as his favorite show came on for a late night re-run. Sipping from his glass of water, he fell asleep there, like he had every night since his paperwork nightmare began.
---
The next morning Keito jumped awake as his phone began ringing, it was already 20 minutes past when he was supposed to wake up and he nearly bolted out the door, his tie still undone around his neck. A bagel somehow managed to stay in his mouth the entire run down to his office, and he was grateful that he had remembered to buy the flavored ones rather than plain.
“Keisuke! Why didn't you call me!?”
“You didn't leave here until 11 again, and I know how tired you are..”
“Yeah well… I don't want to be given special treatment, if everyone here has to be here by 8:30, I want to get here by 8:30, even if I’m the boss.” Keito panted, sitting down at his desk again and opening his laptop. In a way he was grateful to Keisuke, he did his best to take care of him, and he always thanked him for it.
At precisely 10:00, a flood of proposals came into his office along with the schedule for today’s meetings.
“We are here to save god’s children, they all deserve a warm bed, a home, and a meal”
Keito nodded as the pastor of the organization thanked him
“Every child deserves to have their dying wish granted, their life is cut too short, and we want to make sure they live their time to the fullest.”
Keito teared up as he read through the portfolios of the presenter’s cause.
“Our nation’s great contributors have worked themselves to the bone, advancing for our greater good, but we show our thanks by allowing them to fall into poverty. All our elderly deserve care and medicine so they can live the rest of their lives in peace.”
Keito bowed his bead at the elderly man who thanked him in the way only a grandfather can.
His smile that he wore during the day began to wear thin again, and he was so grateful Keisuke had scheduled only four visits that day. The last of them being after lunch, which he intended to make the fullest of.
Grabbing his coat again, Keito stumbled his way into the small café that shared his floor and ordered a small bowl of soup with a sandwich. Biting into the sandwich, Keito paused now, recalling the boy who had run past him the night before. He remembered how hard it had been. The Okamoto family wasn't always such a well-to-do family, they had worked their way up to build an empire, and maybe that was part of why Keito felt so inclined to help the less fortunate. Because he had been less fortunate himself, and he hoped that he could make the difference that he himself had been lucky to come by. Setting down his sandwich he suddenly feel hungry anymore, and he decided to use the last 40 minutes of his lunch on a walk to clear his head and get some air.
“I might as well, if I’m going to be cooped up again…” He sighed, pushing the door open to the world outside. He walked towards his house again, not really sure where to go, and trying to remember if he had forgotten anything he needed at home. Yet as he walked, he found the same boy who had stolen the bread from the bakery standing just a few feet ahead of him, staring at the bakery yet again and he froze.
The daylight cast a new light on his features, a gentle glow appeared upon the boy’s pale white skin, and he shone wherever the small specks of dirt on his body broke apart. His clothes had been reduced to a thinly worn t-shirt covered with a small long-sleeve overshirt that had its lower half in tatters. And around his waist, a pair of very worn out jeans were held up by a belt that at one point was black, but now was grey with discoloration and loose with wear.
“Hey!” Keito called, and the boy looked at him, his brown eyes struck him and he felt his entire body shudder. Before he could say anything else, the boy bolted in the other direction.
“Wait!” Keito called as he gave chase and followed the boy through turn after turn. After a while, Keito finally laid a hand on the boy’s back, and he gave him a gentle tug, which sent the boy flying back into him. He was so light, and from the look on his face, he was so tired, and so under-fed.
“Wait… I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to do anything to you…” Keito assured gently, setting his hand on the boy’s and taking his hands off his jacket. He could tell that the boy didn't trust him, and his legs twitched as if he were ready to bolt at any moment.
“Y-You’re hungry right? Here, take this, sorry it’s got a bite out of it, but it’s only one small bite and the rest of it’s there…it’s all I have on me right now….” Keito offered his plastic wrapped sandwich and he grinned as the boy shamefully accepted it.
“Whats your name?” The boy shook his head
“It’s okay, you can tell me, I promise I wont turn you in or anything. I just. I want to be able to talk to you…I promise.” He reassured, and the boy paused eating and looked at him with those same striking brown eyes.
“Yuto.” He said quickly, before turning back to the sandwich that was rapidly disappearing in his hands.
“Yuto, here, take this okay? Go get yourself cleaned up, and… would you consider coming to this address tonight? Maybe… for a little dinner?” Keito offered one of his business cards.
“What is this?”
“I-It’s not my home address I promise! It’s my office, I just… I wanted to have dinner with you, to help you.”
“I don't want your pity… I’ll figure out a way to make it all work myself.” Yuto said solemnly.
“But until you do figure it out, wont you just let me help you a little? And if it still bugs you, you can always pay me back when you do figure it out.” Keito smiled, and Yuto nodded again his face even more shameful.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with accepting a little help, do you understand me? Sometimes, all it takes is a little someone to come along and help you on your way to being something more than you can dream of.” Keito said giving Yuto a pat on the back, the winds swept through the boys and Keito felt the boy beside him shiver.
“Here, take this too, and stay warm okay? I’ll see you later tonight, no strings attached I promise.” Yuto felt a coat surround him, it was a little too big for him, but it was warm, and the silken lining caressed his skin, a feeling so different from his usual stiff overshirt. Staring as Keito walked away, Yuto bowed his head slightly, and whispered a quiet thank you.
Keito couldn't focus the rest of the day, his stack of papers stayed in the same place on his desk, and the clock that always kept him company seemed to betray him now, always reminding him that no matter how long he listened and how long he read over the reports, it had only been twenty minutes, and time dragged by so slowly now. For the last half of his workday, he had been thinking about the boy who had thanked him, and given him a look with such pure eyes. He felt almost lost as he remembered them, the depth they had pierced him and he was entranced.
Finally, it was six again and for the first time that entire month, Keito packed up early. He grinned happily as a sense of lightness swam through his body and he waved goodbye to Keisuke before squeezing into the elevator.
At the lobby, he began to look out the windows towards the streets and try as he might, he couldn’t find Yuto. Frowning, he sat down on one of the lounge chairs and sighed as he waited patiently, sure that the boy would come. The small clock on Keito’s phone signaled the passing of time each time he checked it, 6:10, 6:15, and finally 6:30.
“I guess…. He’s not coming….”
The last dying rays of sunlight streaked themselves across an open blue sky, tinting everything a brilliant shade of orange, and all in an instant faded to a dull yellow. Keito sighed and stood up, he turned to make sure he hadn’t dropped anything and made for the door. Only, as he moved, he noticed a small flash of color, just barely lit by the sun’s last ray. He froze on the spot, causing a man behind him to bump into him.
“S-Sorry.” He bowed, before re-focusing his attention. There just on the other side of the clear glass stood a Yuto, so different from the one before. His delicate features were highlighted in a pale white light as the lamps came on in the street. Now, his skin was a soft white and his messy hair lay straight, resting gently with a single lock just barely covering his eyes. Yuto walked with a timid stride, inching forward with his head down and eyes focused on some invisible object in his hands.
“Yuto!” Keito called, stepping out of the lobby and before the boy.
“H-Hello.” Yuto bowed
“Oh… so you have some manners….” Keito chuckled as Yuto gave him a shameful look and he quickly retracted.
“I’m joking.. really… I’m joking!” Keito felt awkward now as he reached out and placed his hand on Yuto’s shoulders.
“Yuto, let’s go to dinner okay? What would you like to eat?”
“A-Anything.”
“Are you nervous?”
“N-No..”
“Then why are you stuttering? Are you regretting coming? Why did you come?” Keito asked, both concerned and curious.
“I…. I’m just cold, and I came to give this back to you.” He held up Keito’s coat from earlier that day and the older boy smiled as he took it and thought for a moment, before he slid it around Yuto’s shoulders, buttoning it closed.
“I think, I want you to have it.” He said, taking a step back to see a very handsome Yuto and nodding his approval. He offered his hand now, and was so happy when the other boy held out his own and they clasped.
They walked in silence, mostly because the questions Keito would ask, Yuto would only nod or shake his head, discouraging him from asking anything further. Instead, he settled for just holding Yuto’s hand as it pulled him along the buildings that usually greeted him on his way to and from work.
“Yuto… you know… you can talk to me, I don't bite…” Keito smiled a little, trying to ease the other’s concern, or… whatever it was.
Keito picked a small restaurant and sensing how shy Yuto was, requested one of the smaller tatami rooms which could offer some privacy.
“Yuto… just pick…. Anything from the menu, anything you want…it’s okay..” Keito encouraged still, and he could tell that Yuto was just overwhelmed with the menu choices and he held back a chuckle when the boy’s hand landed on a random item and the waitress nodded.
“Yuto, why did you come? Really?” Keito asked.
“It couldn’t have been just to return the coat…” He continued
“Are you going to say anything to me the entire night?”
“I… I don't know… I don't know the answers to any of those questions…I don't know why I came here, I don't know what Im doing here. I only know that I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn't come here…”
“Yuto what happened? Why are you living like this?” Keito put his hand gently on his companion’s hand.
“I just…. I don't have a choice…. My family was already struggling, and I couldn’t add to that…. So I left, and I didn't tell them where I went.”
Just then the food arrived and Keito smiled politely as the waitress asked if there was anything else they needed. The moment she left, he got up from his seat and sat down beside Yuto, and just wrapped his arms around him.
“You’re so brave…” He said, feeling somewhat relieved when the boy fell into him embrace.
“It’s been two months already… and I didn't know what to do… I couldn’t get a apartment or any real food on the small salary I made, so I-I had to steal it… a-and…” Keito shushed him and held him closer, he could tell Yuto was on the verge of tears, and talking any longer would only make it worse.
“Yuto… it’s okay…. Really…. It’s okay…. C-c’mon, lets not thing about it anymore okay? Not tonight. Here, this is what you ordered isn’t it?”
After a few minutes, Yuto calmed down enough for him to eat, and Keito was more than happy to order a few extra plates that seemed to pique his interest. His favorite of those being a small delicacy called basashi.
“Just go ahead and eat all you want okay?” Keito nudged playfully, and he smiled to himself, happy that he had grown closer to Yuto. Over a slightly melted ice cream cake slice, Yuto told him of his family, a small one of his parents and a younger brother, he told him of his ambitions, to be a musician, and he told him of his troubles, the ones that have haunted him since he left.
“Do you… regret leaving?”
“No.”
Keito was a bit taken aback by how stern the reply was.
“Why?”
“Because, without me, Im sure that they’re having an easier time. Im the oldest, and I have to take care of myself, so my parents can take care of my brother.”
And with that, Keito fell silent, in awe of his friend’s resolve.
Dinner came and went, and before he knew it, the pair stood outside and Yuto bowed gratefully. Truthfully though, Keito didn't mind paying the bill, he loved seeing the bright grin on the boy’s face and the small hop in Yuto’s step when he turned to leave.
“Wait! W-Where are you going to go tonight?”
“Back home…”
“Home?”
Yuto explained that he had recently gotten a small place, and he awkwardly tried, and failed, to divert Keito from wanting to see it. Keito held onto Yuto’s hand tightly as they walked for almost half an hour to a small run down building on the north end of town. It wasn't much, and going in, Keito winced as the stairs groaned and felt as if they would crack at any moment beneath him. A small green door with a simple number nine attached to it stood before him now, and Yuto sighed as he pulled out a small key that was just as scratched and discolored as the number on the door. A slight turn of the key opened a door so loose, Keito doubted he really needed the key.
“Yuto…”
“It’s not much… but it’s all I have…” Yuto said, as he dropped the small bag he had on him onto a dust covered floor.
“Yuto…”
“I-I know it’s not clean yet, and t-that's why I didn't wan-“
Yuto froze as Keito’s hand reached out and grasped his wrist. A firm squeeze made him tense up.
Keito was horrified at the condition of the place, the run down walls and a window that seemed to be crusted shut with some substance only the rats knew, were what Yuto had so loving called a home. This was all he needed to see, and he felt disgusted.
“Yuto, we’re going.” He said sternly, and the boy in his hand yelped as he felt himself be pulled forward slightly when Keito grabbed his bag, and then backwards as Keito stormed out, dragging him along.
“W-Wait K-Keito where are we going?!” Yuto asked urgently, feeling himself being hustled down the stairs that led to his “home” and out the door of the building.
Keito flagged down a taxi and gave the address to the driver. They flooded down the street, arriving at Keito’s house in a few short minutes.
“Keito… what is this place?” Yuto asked, his brown eyes were wide in awe as he stared at the small but ornate design of the building.
“This…. is your home… our home.” Keito said with a sigh.
“B-“
“That place is not fit for anyone to live in. Until you find a place that’s safe, you’re staying here.” Keito said, and it was only in that moment he realized how he was treating Yuto, and he quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed. With one hand he firmly grasped the slender boy’s wrist again and pulled him through the gateway and to the door. A quick deft motion of his hand produced keys that opened the way to a warm and waiting household. Yuto walked in and Keito set his keys in the bowl beside the door.
“Would you…. Mind, staying with me?” Keito asked, only now beginning to feel unsure of himself.
“I…” Yuto looked around, Keito’s large coat rested loosely on his frame, the sleeves flaring out as he turned.
“T-There’s a guest bedroom! O-Of course.” Keito offered quickly, and Yuto made a cute little gesture with his nose and nodded.
Their living situation settled, Keito quickly set about throwing covers over the guest bed, pulling out clothes that Yuto could use for pajamas, and gathering a spare toothbrush, towel….
A little while later, the two boys were sitting on the couch, two twin glasses of water rested on the coffee table in front of an ignored flickering TV screen while the pair sat with their legs drawn up, talking.
Yuto expressed some curiosity about, as he put it. “How can you afford all this?” And Keito had never had such an easy time telling someone about himself. The small alarm clock that Keito had moved from his bedroom to the couch living room signified it was already well into the early morning, but they didn't care. For however much effort Keito put into preparing the guest room, they never used it. Somewhere during the night, Yuto had fallen asleep, his head resting gently on Keito’s arm. The older boy hadn’t the heart to wake him, and instead drew the blanket around them, laying Yuto down gently so he was flat on the cushions.
---
Keito woke up the next morning to the sound of his phone ringing on the table beside him. He frowned as the clock read 8:00 in the morning, a full half an hour later than he had intended to be up. Moving to fetch his cell phone, he froze, feeling a weight on his arm that he hadn’t be conscious of until now. Yuto’s eyes were shut, his lips gently parted as the soft sounds of his breathing escaped. Just as he didn't have the heart last night, Keito didn't have it now, and he smiled gently as he carefully grabbed his phone before it could wake the boy up.
“Keisuke…?”
“Okamoto-San, it’s already 8:00, I’ve got your first meeting at ten, would you like me to keep it or push it back?”
Keito pondered for a moment, a slightly stirring Yuto crept into him again, and he felt a tingly feeling as Yuto’s back pressed into his chest and the boy snuggled in his warmth.
“You know…. Keisuke… I don't think I’ll be coming in today.”
“Yes sir” Keito could tell his assistant was relieved and wasn’t the least be surprised when he eagerly told him he would take care of the appointments.
For a few moments, Keito rest his head again, laying down upon the soft couch that had never quite felt so warm and welcoming as it did in that moment. He felt that tingly feeling come again as he closed his eyes and imagined the boy that was sleeping just a breath away from him.
But his moment of solitude didn't last long. A small tick in Yuto’s leg and a small yawn escaped signaling he was beginning to wake. Gently, Keito sat up, not moving his arm until the boy had lifted his head and almost with cat-like grace stretched his body out. When his eyes began to focus and he looked around Yuto almost jumped up as he realized where he had spent the night, and who he had spent it with.
“I-I’m sorry!” He said quickly as Keito’s eyes flared with surprise at the sudden outburst.
“Whoa whoa, it’s okay! It’s okay! Calm down….”
“I-It’s already so late! A-And you have to be at your job!”
“I already told them I wouldn’t be coming in today.”
“W-Was it because I’m here? I - I can leave the house if you want, I understand, with… there being so many valuables in here and you just meeting me and all I-“ Yuto blathered on until he noticed Keito shaking his head
“Yuto, no, it’s not because I don't trust you to be alone in my house….. it’s because… I wanted to spend time with you… if you’ll let me.”
“B-But your job…”
“You know one good thing…. About being the boss, is that I can actually set my own hours…” Keito winked as he stood up, he turned, heading for the stairs to his bedroom and his morning routine, but he felt Yuto’s hand clasp around his wrist.
“But… your job… its important…you help… other people.” Yuto said quietly, his head slightly ashamed.
“I help other people…. Yes, but… sometimes, I have to help myself too…and right now.. I just want to spend some time with you…”
Keito sighed as he realized how guilty Yuto must have been feeling, and he sat them down on the couch, throwing aside the small blanket that still lay on the cushions.
“I know it’s crazy…. And I know it’s hard to believe… but last night.. I talked with you for what must have been hours and I didn't notice it, I felt something… different… something that I hadn’t felt before…a-and this morning… I woke up and I saw you…. And I thought… how… cute you were… and how much I….wanted to be with you… and it all happened in a night…. Just one night!” Keito began chuckling as he realized how desperate he must have sounded.
Yuto said nothing, his head still down and his mind processing it all.
“It all happened in one night… doesn't that mean anything? I feel closer to you…. Than I do with all my family, and just now… when I saw you sleeping… I… really… I just wanted to…” His roller coaster of emotions kept coming as Keito felt years of pent up loneliness come out in full force. Those four years he had devoted to the charity he realized hadn’t done him any favors, and instead, it had rendered him speechless. Giving himself fully now, Keito nervously clenched his fists.
In a single movement, he swung his arms around Yuto and hugged him. Through all this, the younger boy never moved and never spoke a word.
It wasn't until Keito stepped back, that Yuto looked up, his eyes a little red from what was a losing battle against tears.
“Yuto.. I’m sorry, I… said too much.” Keito turned again to leave the room only to feel the same hand clasp around his wrist. Only this time, Yuto hugged him back.
The conversation stopped there, as neither boy knew just how to phrase their thoughts.
Regardless of what the words may have been, Keito understood and put his hand on Yuto’s.
“If you feel… guilty…. Then how about this… come to work with me, then I can be with you, and still do my job…. Okay?”
“Okay…” came the response, in a tone Keito was sure was a mix of tears and bravery.
“But not before breakfast.” Keito insisted as he lifted Yuto’s chin a bit more.
A small breakfast with a few eggs, some cooked successfully, some ending up as black and burnt trash can decorations, with a small piece of toast and orange juice was all Keito could muster from his kitchen and he frowned as he offered a meager plate. Still Yuto ate heartily, and through it all, his eyes told Keito what his lips wouldn't. Through them, Keito had seen loneliness, despair, and frustration, but now they had gained such warmth, and with a smile, they beamed with joy. Keito couldn't help but smile and feel proud in knowing that it was because of him. Though Yuto never said it, he knew that the boy had to have loved him back, and he would wait for the moment he could hear those words.
After breakfast, the clock showed it was already 10 in the morning, and Keito quickly threw coats around Yuto and himself as they made a dash out of the house, laughing to themselves all the while. He ran up the small hill that he would usually have trudged over, and with Yuto in tow, he grinned as he turned around, teasing that he had reached the office first.
The slow elevator ride up to his floor was bearable now, as Keito felt Yuto’s hand wrap around his whenever someone would talk to him and he’d get nervous. But finally, the doors opened to a grand foyer on the floor that led to his office, and in bright letters sat the “Okamoto Charity Foundation”.
“O-Okamoto-San! I thought you weren’t coming in today!?” A panicked Keisuke bustled out of his desk to greet Keito.
“Keisuke… calm down… it’s okay. I wasn't planning on coming, but.. I did anyway…. And…. I’d like you to meet, Yuto.” Keito proudly introduced the boy who’s hand had a deathgrip on his own.
“Nice to meet you.”
“N-Nice to meet you.”
A short while later, Keito sat in his office, with a still nervous Yuto next to him.
“You know, you don't have to be so nervous.”
Yuto nodded and Keito settled for what he could muster out of the boy. Soon after that Keito felt himself being pulled out of the office by Keisuke again for an “emergency meeting” and try as he might, he couldn't escape.
When he returned however, he found Yuto sitting diligently where he had left him, and a small stack of the proposals he had been racking his brain over, each with small lightly annotated sticky notes sticking out from them.
“S-Sorry… I was… reading them and… “ Yuto blush as he set down the one he was reading, and Keito picked up the top proposal, glancing at the notes.
“Yuto…. You read…. All this? And you… wrote these notes?”
“S-Sorry! I just… it seemed like you had a lot of them to go through, and… I wanted to help you. You know, for all you’ve done for me, for last night.”
“Yuto…” Keito shook his head in amazement, a small grin on his face grew wider and wider.
“Yuto… run this foundation with me.” Keito said it bluntly
“W-What?”
“Run this foundation with me…”
“I-I cant! I-I couldn't….”
“Why?”
“B-Because… who’s going to let a street rat like me…. run a rich charity like this?”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because…. Im a nobody…”
“You’re my nobody…. And I hope… you’ll be more than that….” Keito said, setting down the proposal, and approaching a quickly shrinking Yuto. Whenever the slender boy showed this insecure side, Keito could feel his heart beat faster. He put his arm around Yuto again, and gave him a small kiss.
“Yuto… help me run this organization…. And in the process… get to know me… like I want to know you. Okay?”
“O-Okay.” Yuto nodded reluctantly, he was still unsure of himself.
In a surprise gesture, Keito leaned in and gently kissed him. The moment their lips parted their eyes met in a moment of clarity. Smiles formed on their faces as they both shyly looked away…
--- One Year Later---
The Okamoto Foundation is giving away it’s last two charity grants for this year. With the recent marriage of the Foundation’s head, Okamoto Keito, the charity organization has stepped up in its altruism. With the support of many of the Okamoto empire’s branches, as well as many other corporations, it’s safe to say, our world is well on its way to being a better place for all.
A reporter smiled as she turned the camera to a stage. The clock on the wall marked that it was now exactly four in the afternoon. The door opened to a smiling couple, standing proudly beside each other and so madly in love.
“Hello everyone, welcome to the Okamoto Foundation’s last press conference.” Keito spoke softly, his hands resting on the podium.
After the applause died down, Keito continued.
“With this foundation’s last two grants for this year, we’re proud to say that these two charities are close to home, and we’ve been debating on how much we want to give, thought we know that no amount could be enough. But we’re here today to present these two checks totaling no less than ten million in funds in the hopes that we’re getting one step closer.”
Again the applause roared and Keito barely had to volume to explain that Yuto would explain their choices.
“Not many of you know me beyond the face of this company,” Yuto explained as he stepped up to the podium
“But I wasn’t fortunate before I met Keito.” The crowd silenced now, all the eyes focused on the boy now.
“Only a year ago, I didn't have a home to go home to. I didn't have a place to go where I could be safe, where I could live and make myself into something I could be proud of. It was hard living day to day, having to scrape up enough money to pay rent on the months I could, and buying food on the days that the hunger was too painful to bear. And I’m so happy to say, that was when I met…. this one next to me.” Yuto smiled through his tears, pulling Keito closer.
“And he made my world a different place…” Yuto sniffled as Keito wiped away his tears.
“I was so glad, and so grateful, that I met him, and that he gave me a chance, that he gave me an environment where I could work, and make a difference. After working at this charity and its parent company, I worked to give money to my struggling parents, and today I made myself into someone I can be proud of. My youngest brother is well on his way through school, and my parents no longer have to worry about feeding us on a day to day basis. And it was all because there was someone there to help me. Someone to give me a chance.”
Yuto paused as he felt a sob almost pushing past his throat.
“I want to make sure, that everyone that needs it, gets that chance. It shouldn’t be so easy to end up homeless and struggling… and I hope what little we give today will help.”
Yuto walked over to one of the two cloth covered boards, and removed the covers, revealing a check for five million.
“I present this check to the Hope’s Homeless Help Fund, a place that helps in the fight against homelessness and sponsors families who are just trying to get their lives in order.”
A very grateful lady accepted the check and the media went wild with photos.
“And I present this check, to the Dream Foundation, an organization that will help aspiring children achieve their goals in life. A strong focus in educational programs for those who cant afford it, chances at opportunities normally reserved for the privileged suddenly become available to everyone, and counselors who will help our future businessmen, doctors, and lawyers.” Yuto smiled as he presented the check to a man in the suit.
Keito smiled as he stepped up behind the boy he loved and gently placed his hand on his shoulders. The representatives of each organization standing on either side of them while the media went mad with flashes and questions.
After an hour of questions and answers, Yuto and Keito retreated back to the private office on the top floor of the Okamoto foundation’s building. Yuto stared out the window as the press cars left and he smiled when he felt a pair of hands curl around his waist and Keito’s familiar scent appeared next to him.
“Do you feel like you’ve made a difference now?” Keito asked
“A small one…but it’s a start.” Yuto smiled, turning around to face his husband.
“Well…. Together… we’ll keep trying to make a difference.” Keito said happily, leaning in and kissing Yuto gently.
“We’ll keep trying….”
---
Ahhh this story came to me a while ago, but it was written in three parts (as Im sure you can notice by the way the writing changes a little) but hopefully it’s still…. Readable.…. With so many exams coming, I can’t keep up with my ideas! Just a little bit longer then I’ll be free to write! Don't forget about me!
Sorry!
~Emmie