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Niko Matsuhita

0 · 4,243 views · located in New York City

a character in “You Were My Favorite Mistake”, as played by CharlotteV

Description

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GENERAL INFO
Full Name: "Nikolas Valentine Matsuhita. Yeah, I know, It's a fuckin' mouthful."
Preferred Name: "Niko. Just Niko. Nikolas is too damn formal."
Ethnicity: "Fuck if I know. Japanese according to my last name."
Birth Date: "March 3rd. Just another day."
Age: "Sixteen. Sorry baby, not legal yet."





ImageAPPEARANCE
Height: "5'9. Fucking call me short one more time."
Distinguishing Marks: He's covered in scars (from childhood accidents or fighting incidents), his ears are pierced, as is his tongue. He has two tattoos: Love on the side of his neck, Just Live above his heart.

Niko claims not to be anything to really look at. His black hair is cut down short, always in a messy disarray that he tends to hide under beanies or backwards caps. He has thick eyebrows, strong cheekbones, and a soft jawline. His eyes are chocolate brown, framed by a slant that hints at his ethnicity.

Not particularly tall, Niko is thin and lanky due to malnourishment and substance abuse. He hides his frames in thick sweaters and baggy pants often held up by belts or simply hanging too low on his hips.

Despite not being very muscular, Niko knows how to fight. What he lacks in strength he makes up for in speed.




ImagePERSONALITY
"Back the fuck off. You don't know me, stop trying to."
Niko, to put it simply, is a dick. At school he can be found in the back of a classroom, feet thrown up over his desk, muttering sarcastic comments under his breath. He spends half his time getting in fights or in detention because he has a tendency to run his mouth off to the wrong people. Granted, half the time, Niko doesn't even bother to show up to school. He skips more often than not, though his grades don't really show it.

For the most part, Niko's personality is incredibly contradictory. He spent the majority of his life fighting to stay in school, but rarely gives it even half of his attention. The words that come out of his mouth are usually meant to hurt, but it's a well known fact that under his shell, Niko is incredibly fragile and easy to break. He argues wholeheartedly that he's going to make something out of his life, but his reckless attitude will get him killed before he reaches twenty at the very least.

Niko has a crude sense of humor and is well known for his snide comments and misplaced sass. However, if someone takes the time to break down Niko's walls, there's almost a completely different boy on the other side. More soft spoken, quick to laugh and even quicker to fall in love, the real Niko is a dreamer who's worried about where his next meal will come from and how the hell he's going to make it after high school.

the one that got away


More than anything, Niko is stubborn to the core. He hates the idea that anyone can tell him where he's going to end up in life and expect to be right about it. He demands to be in control of his own fate, even if that lands him in an early grave. Maybe it's determination, maybe it's fear, but that stubbornness...it's not always in control.

He pulled away from the worst of his vices awhile ago...cut ties and walked off like it didn't hurt him. He tried to focus on his school, on his work, on making something of himself. But just when he thinks he's got away...just when he thinks he's going to be okay...this familiar itch starts up under his skin. And it's not always for the drugs.




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HISTORY
Relationship Status: "I'm not fucking talking about him."
Family and Friends: "Fuck."
Niko was a Safe Haven baby, dropped on the steps of Catholic Church just outside of the city, it's not something that he talks about a lot but is undoubtedly the source of his (selective) faith. He bounced through quite a few homes as a child -- church orphanages, a few boarding schools -- but has been in the same foster home now since he was thirteen.

Having made it to sixteen without being adopted, Niko is looking at just one more year of belonging to the system and living in a house with eight other kids. For the most part, he fades into the background, not a big priority to his foster parents and mostly a lost cause. He goes through bouts of doing his best to help out and disappearing for weeks at a time.

As each year ticked by, the more Niko's life seemed to go downhill as the statistics of being adopted dropped. Money disappeared, living situations dwindled, opportunities flew out the window. By the time he was in middle school starving to death became a very real possibility, and Niko began to really spiral for the first time.

Averagely smart, Niko knew from a young age that his grades would never get him anywhere. He was too distracted to ever focus on schoolwork, and studying was a theory never put to the test in his busy household. But Niko had one thing going for him: art. Naturally talented, he has poured his heart, soul, and every last coin into drawing and painting. It's his passion, his life, and at that time was his ticket to something bigger and better.

After his favorite art teacher pushed him to submit a piece for an art show, Niko not only won but was awarded with a scholarship to a prestigious school in the upper east end. For an hour a day he was surrounded by all the finer things in life and taught by the best art professors New York had to offer. And, for the first time, Peace Nathans.

Maybe it was the idea of a good-little-boy-in-trouble that caught Niko's attention the first time Peace walked into his art room with cleaning supplies and a frown on his face, or maybe it was the perfect good looks and growing sarcasm. Regardless, Niko was hooked from day one. It was only three days later that he made a move that tied them together forever. A night when the room had mostly cleared out, Niko couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, and Pearce's wallet was right there.

Looking back, it definitely wasn't his most brilliant of plans, and it ended up with him being caught anyway. Of course, Pearce had just ended up pulling out some money and giving it to him. Which ended with Niko shouting profanities about how Pearce should be sending his ass to jail, but Niko ended up in McDonalds that night, with a tray full of dollar menu food and the start of a new friendship.

Niko lost his scholarship a year later due to a suspension (that he claims wasn't his fault) and, eventually, lost Peace too as the older male transferred from middle school to highschool. Niko didn't even hear the other boys name again until he was a Sophomore in high school, smoking in dark alleyways and trying to get his hands onto something stronger. Word flying across the street was that Flynn Nathans was dealing the best shit, and that was a name Niko was pretty sure he knew. Three hours, a crumpled phone number hidden under his bed, and a prayer later Niko was reconnecting with his once best friend.

This time, though, Pearce was all grown up. His little-boy-in-trouble changed to good-boy-gone-bad, his pre-teen cuteness turned into rugged good looks, his sarcasm polished out to dripping wit, and he began taking care of Niko in a completely different way than when they'd been boys. One too many trips down roads better left untraveled, and Niko was in far too deep.

Their relationship could really only be described as a tornado. They hit the ground running with each other, and it only spiraled from there. Niko became wrapped up in everything that was Pearce, and soon began craving not only the drugs...but the man himself. They had it good, for awhile, and then Pearce got possessive.

Niko pretended to hate it...pretended he didn't like the idea of being something someone could own...but the truth was, he loved every minute of it. The first time Niko left, it was because he was scared. Scared of the things he was feeling, scared of the future he was craving. And he went in a trial of destruction and harsh words.

He came back two weeks later.

The second time it was because he refused to enter an art show. Although he knows he's good, Niko became incredibly self conscious about his work with age, and only shares it with people who are close to him. The same art teacher who entered him years ago did it again, though this time behind his back. For the second time in his life Niko won, but this time he threw a fit. And was met with the words: "You could really do something with yourself if you'd stop pumping poison into your body."

Since then, Niko tried to cut ties with Pearce Nathans and the services he supplies. But the itch in his skin isn't just from missing the drugs...and the truth is, he might not be able to stay away.

Besides, he did all his best paintings high.



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GALLERY
Italy ||
S T A T U S
Inactive || Alive

So begins...

Niko Matsuhita's Story

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Niko fought the smirk that tried to curl up on the edges of his lips, shaking his head slightly as he lifted his hand back up to inhale more smoke. It burned his lungs a little, a reminder of how long it had been since he'd let himself indulge, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He let it out through his nose before letting his head roll down, staring at Pearce through his lashes. "Three times...or four...I can't really remember...Lost count."

He lets the joint slide out of his fingers when Pearce takes it, follows it's path form his hand to the man's mouth with his eyes, watches Pearce take a practiced hit and something in his stomach pulls, white hot and telling him you can handle another round...go for it...

Pearce is in his space suddenly, and Niko feels his mouth drop open obediently, feels warm smoke curl inside of his mouth, chased away by Pearce's tongue. He only pulls away when he has to, let's the smoke fall out of his mouth, and then he's moving.

He drops his knees on either side of Pearce's hips, places one hand against the wall over the man's head to hold himself up, steals the joint back with his free hand. He takes a long drag then leans forward, lazily pushing Pearce's mouth open before exhaling.

He could do this forever. All day, all night. Fuck and smoke and never leave. It would be enough for him, for the rest of his life. Just as he's pulling away, sighing out of pure ecstasy, Pearce's phone goes off. And his whole world shatters.

"Ignore it," he begs, dipping his head down and pushing his face into the space where Pearce's neck meets his shoulder. "Please."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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There's a give and take in their fucked up relationship. Pearce is the dominant one, clearly, and he's the most possessive one, more protective. That's the taking part, and he's very good at it. But there's a certain amount of give too, like when he knows that Niko's body is exhausted, that he wants to but physically can't, and Pearce gets on his knees for him. Or after sex, when they're still riding the high, and Pearce takes his time worshipping the body of the boy he calls his. There's certainly enough times when Niko takes control away from him too, when his back is pressed to the bed and Niko's hands are splayed on his chest while he rides him, or when Pearce is chasing release and Niko's telling him to slow down, pulling him away from the edge and making him work for it. They're fifty shades of fucked, but they have something that works, and it's good.

Niko's straddling him and he's kissing him and there's nothing more that he'd like to do than buck his hips and drive up into him, go another round and smoke another joint, fuck all night and just forget about the rest of the world. He's as disappointed as the kid is when his phone rings, and a large part (winkwink) of him is tempted to ignore it and keep doing what they're doing. The more rational part of him knows that he needs to pick up the phone, because he has a shit ton of drugs stuffed in drawers in his kitchen and he has to get rid of them somehow. "Désolé, aimer." Sorry, love. I wish I could stay here with you for forever. I'm sorry I can't. Pearce reaches over to snatch the phone off the table, greeting the caller with an irritated, "You have the worst fucking time man." Then there's some mumbled yeah's, and a place is picked out, and he's hanging up and tossing his phone across the room as if it's the reason he has to leave.

"Come with me." He finds himself saying, halfway through getting dressed, the "regular" already put together and sitting on the counter. "Come with me, and then we can come back here and start all this over again," his voice is lower this time, he's moved back into Niko's space, it'd be hard to miss how desperately he wants him to say yes.

That's how they end up downtown, outside the closest bar to the public high school. He doesn't take the bike, preferring to use his car for deals, since it's hard to hide drugs in a vehicle that has no interior. Not to mention he has important cargo other than that. There's a girl with Asher as Flynn approaches, internally shedding the skin he's been wearing for the past hours with Niko and falling back into his role of Flynn Nathans. "You got the cash?"


If everyone could check out OOC that'd be awesome! <3

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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"Désolé, aimer."

Sorry. He probably was, Niko supposed, since he was getting pet-names out of the ordeal, but that didn't mean Niko had to be happy about it. At least Pearce didn't have to get up, search for their fallen clothing to find his phone. So Niko let himself drop down against the futon, lay his head somewhere on Pearce's thigh and finish off the joint as the man spoke into the phone.

He let out a soft chuckle at the irritated voice Pearce answered with, blowing smoke up at the ceiling and watching it curl into the air. The conversation was short and sweet, more mumbled agreements than anything else. Then there's a click, and Niko sees the phone fly across the room. "Really?" he snarks. "Because it's the phones fault?" But honestly, how much can he complain? If it wasn't for Pearce's job, they would have never been here.

Pearce pulled himself up eventually, and Niko let out an annoyed sigh as he was suddenly alone, cold, with only the dwindling edge of a joint left. Niko choked on smoke when Pearce spoke from across the room, tugging clothes on. "Come with me." He started to ask if Pearce was serious, but before he could the man kept talking.

He doesn't agree until Pearce is in his space, eyes begging him, and Niko's lips curl into a smirk before he leans over, steals a kiss, and pulls himself out of bed.

So that's how he ends up in Pearce's car ten minutes later, faded blue beanie pulled over his messy hair, baggy jeans haphazardly on, sneakers untied, too-big sweater hanging off on his shoulders, showing a myriad of bites and bruises sprayed across his collarbone and up his neck.

He smiles to himself as he rests his head against warm leather, watching the city roll by out the window. Pearce's car was a thing of beauty, worth more money than Niko would ever be able to wrap his head around, and it almost looks out of place in this part of the city. Almost, but not quite. Because people driving these kinds of cars are offering something that everyone wants.

He knows the bar they pull up to, out of reputation more than anything, but Niko keeps his illegal-little-ass in the car when they pull up. He rolls the window down, folds his arms over the edge and rests his chin there, watching the whole thing go down. Pearce is in business mode now, back tense, an air of don't-fuck-with-me around him that Niko has seen put into action more than once.

He recognizes the buyer from school, though he doesn't remember his name. Ash, something. A senior. He was attractive, not particularly Niko's type, but attractive. Tall, thin, covered in tattoos Niko could easily see the appeal of, with a dangerous smirk that meant his bad-boy aura wasn't just a look.

There was a girl with him. She looked familiar too, but Niko couldn't place her. She was all legs that went on forever, curves in the right places, luscious brown hair. She didn't look like she belonged with him, but Niko recognized the look on her face. He was her addiction, even if she didn't know it yet.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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Lynnie kissed his neck, catching Asher off guard as he listened to Flynn. He chuckled into the receiver at the other teens words, trying to focus on what the guy was saying and not the distraction that the girl who was pulling on his jacket emitted. Finally hanging up the phone, Ash looked down at Lynnie, her elbows propping her up.

He let his finger trail over the spots on his neck where she had kissed him. The trial her lips had left almost burning his fingers. He dropped his hand, choosing to rest it on her hip instead.

Ash's light blue eyes met Lynnie's, and even now without her meaning to, she was staring at him in with such an intensity, it felt as though she could vaporize his soul. He tried to hold the same stare, but knew he could never match hers, raising an eyebrow he tired not to smirk.

"Katelyn." He mumbled into her ear hoping the sound of her other name, the one that she seemed to hate, would put more of the addictive daggers in her eyes.

"Now you're 100% sure you want to get out of here, I wouldn't want your boyfriend getting jealous."

As the words your boyfriend left his mouth he couldn't help but put a little venom into his words. He couldn't say he actually hated the guy. Hell without his love for Lynnie she wouldn't be with him right now, actually scratch that she still probably would be. If there was one thing he knew about Lynnie for sure, was that she was as wild and crazy as the harsh wind and just as hard to control.

Asher looked up, watching as Flynn's car pulled into the parking lot of the bar. He stepped away from Lynnie, meeting Flynn halfway.

"You got the cash?" Flynn asked.

Asher quirked an eyebrow in response. "Don't I always?" He reached into his pocket, pulling out the cash. He handed the wad of bills to the brunette, taking the drugs in exchange. He turned to leave and return to Lynnie when he saw the boy.

The brown eyed teen was leaning out the window, his chin resting on his crossed arms and his interesting chocolate eyes watched them. The kid's black hair was shoved under the beanie messily, yet perfectly and effortlessly framing his face and bringing out his best features. Ash's eyes traveled down to the bare skin that was showing due to the sweater hanging off of his shoulder. He could see the bruises and teeth marks that lined his skin. Ash couldn't help the half smile that found its way onto his face. He could sense it from the mysterious teen, the same thing that had made him notice Lynnie. Of course not as strong, but enough, more than enough.

Ash didnt bother to glance over his shoulder at the girl who had captivated him moments ago, deciding to make the decision of staying.

"So do you want to get a drink?" He asked keeping his eyes locked on the teen's in the car, for the life of him Ash couldn't remember his name. After a moment of staring the kid down his eyes flickered to Flynn's a sign that he was also including him in the invitation. Ash's blue eyes then returned to the strangers and he strode over to the car.

"So what's your name?" He asked resting an arm ontop on the car and leaning down so his face rested a few inches from the kid's.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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Pearce is different when he's alone with Niko. He's not quite that kid he was back in middle school, but he isn't Flynn Nathans with him either. There's a sort of peaceful balance between the two, some of the best and worst qualities all mashed together. It makes him bearable to be with, he imagines, because Flynn Nathans isn't a fun guy. Pearce is rough and tough and sarcastic asshole all rolled into one, but he isn't half as bad at the cold, hard person that he transforms into when he's with a client. That's the kind of persona that's gotten him where he is now though, without it he would probably still be doing half-assed deals in empty school hallways. Pearce had become a thing of the past up until Niko had come stumbling back into his life, dredging up memories of a past him that he rather would have forgotten. But he had found he couldn't be "Flynn Nathans" with Niko, the annoying little shit didn't let him. He didn't bother trying to break down his walls, he dug a hole right up under them and joined him. Niko didn't let him be cold and stoic.

That's why he didn't bring Niko to work with him, not to mention that it could potentially be dangerous and it looked unprofessional. That's why he wished Niko had stayed in the fucking car with the window up so he hadn't been forced to let Flynn break and Pearce show through the cracks.

Asher was an attractive guy, there was no denying that. Even his type, and maybe in the past he would have pursued it if he had thought the kid swung that way. Though he was always the dominant one with Niko, he had no shame and no problem getting under someone if that's what they preferred. He was the same age as him, probably only a few months younger than Flynn, but he was still in high school and in his head, that made him a kid still. Not that any of that mattered, it wasn't like he had any morals anyways, he was fucking a sixteen year old (since he'd been fifteen, technically) and dealt drugs to fourteen year olds.

He took the money at the same time he handed over the drugs, not finding it necessary to count the cash then. Ash was a regular, someone Flynn trusted enough to wait until he got in the car to start checking the bills. That wasn't to say he still wouldn't kick his ass if he was trying to short him, though. Up until now he has no idea that Niko is leaning out of the car behind him, but the moment he sees Asher's gaze flick from his to something in the background, he's all too fucking aware. Every part of him tenses, similar to the way it did when he saw the bruise on Niko's cheek this morning, and he had to restrain himself from stepping in the way of his view. He barely hears the question, which probably wouldn't matter to Asher anyways since it's so clearly aimed at Niko, he's so focused on the fact that he's moving now and he's going towards the car.

"Get the fuck back into the car, Niko." He's made it to the vehicle without even realising he'd moved, not caring one bit in the world that the kid hasn't actually gotten out of the car, he's just hanging out the window, but that's enough and he doesn't want him close enough for Asher to touch. "He's underage, dipshit, couldn't get in there if he wanted to." That's a blatant lie, this particular bar wasn't really known for it's strict policy on not serving minors alcohol. He's slid into the car now and without thinking he pulls Niko to him, hand on the back of his neck as he crushes their lips together, but his gaze never leaves Asher's. He's screaming mine without saying a single fucking word. After he's done publicly staking his claim he's smirking, and his fingers find the window control so he can start shutting it. "Until next time, Asher." And they're gone.

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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For some reason, she could feel her blood starting to boil as she stood up from the hood of the car, where Asher had just left her like roadkill, for some kid hanging out the side of that car that pulled up.

After Asher bought his drugs, she watched him walk towards the kids, almost fighting himself to stay with her, it seemed like. He asked them, the two guys, if they'd wanted to stay for a drink, upon which the 'Pearce' guy fiercely replied that his partner was underaged, and smacked their lips together.

Lynnie bit her lip hard. This was the first time that Asher even tried to not be with her. Was it possible that he'd found something even more unreachable than her? Or was she being a psychotic.. whatever she was to him. Sex toy, whatever.

She looked at Asher, watching the car as it drove away. She huffed, her arms crossed as she got in the car.

"I'm leaving, with or without you." She stated, ready to hop over and hotwire the damn car if she had to. Lynnie sat in the passenger seat, her bottom lip being bitten on hard, and her legs were uncrossed, pressing against the floorboard. Why was she getting so... upset that he was showing interest in something else?

Maybe these feelings she thought she had... were actually there. Maybe they've been screaming at her this entire time, and she'd played it off through a cloud of smoke..

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Having someone focus on him always made Niko uncomfortable. He'd spent too much of his childhood hiding from prying eyes, too much time at school trying to remain unnoticed before he landed his ass in detention again, so when there was a gaze on him...Niko felt it before he consciously realized it.

Niko's eyes jumped from where they had been glued to Pearce's ass for the good last minute to the kid buying drugs. Usually, Niko would check behind him, make sure there wasn't someone else who had caught an attractive guys eye, but no...no, Ash was definitely staring at him.

"So do you want to get a drink?"

Niko's eyebrows shot up, smirk slowly appearing on his face, because damn that was ballsy as fuck. Even if the invitation was extended to Pearce. The older male was walking toward the car then, steps confident, arm dropping on the top of Pearce's too-fucking-fancy car before that attractive face was way too close to his own.

Pearce was gunna kill this guy.

"Get the fuck back into the car, Niko."

Ah, there it was. Niko chuckled softly, meeting the blue eyes staring so intently at him and winking before he lets his arms slide away from the window, falling back into his seat easily. His gaze follows Pearce's every move, the way he stalks around the car and into the driver's seat a little too angrily.

There's a hand on the back of his neck and Niko falls into the kiss with practiced ease, lips locking with Pearce's in a way that make his insides jump and his pants feel a little tighter. It doesn't last long, just enough to get the message across, but when Pearce pulls away Niko dots a few quick kisses against the underside of his chin before sitting in his own seat, each one a promise of only you, baby. Only you.

And then they're gone.

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans Character Portrait: Lynnie Marks Character Portrait: Asher Peterson
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Flynn roughly kissed Niko, no gentleness anywhere in sight. The drug dealing brunette kept his eyes locked with Asher's, causing a grin to spread across Ash's face.

The boy was his. Ash had received the message nice and clear, getting the message was a different story.

Asher watched the two through interested eyes as the captivating teen planted quick kisses on the underside of Flynn's chin. It was obvious he felt the same way. He waited for the boy to give him some sort of acknowledgment, like he had done before when he winked, but no, the teen didn't even spare him a glance. It was almost if he had forgot that Asher still stood beside his window. Ash ran a hand through his hair, even more interested in the boy who hadn't even spoken a word.

"Until next time, Asher." Ash gave Flynn a smirk and stepped say from the car to avoid greeting his feet run over. "Is that a promise? " Asher asked, but doubted he Flynn had heard it between rolling up the window and speeding off. Asher watched the car go, the thought of the younger teen who hadn't even bothered to answer his question, and the older one who seemed ready to rip his head off making him watch the car until it completely disappeared from view. He stayed in place, but in his mind he had chased after the car. Asher had just found another thing he wanted.

The excitement that was now coursing through his body reminded him of the time he had gone straight up to Lynnie. Her boyfriend sat right next to her, the boy's stupid arm wrapped protectively around her, and Ash ignoring the boy, asked if she wanted to get out of there. Her boyfriend looked liked he wanted to murder him. Asher couldn't help it though, she had cast her spell on him the moment she walked through the door.

Ash quickly spun on his heel, retreating to the car to join the girl who had seconds ago threatened to leave him. He turned to her after closing the door behind him. The pissed look that was now etched into her face made Asher's eyebrows furrow as he tried to think of anything that could have riled her up. No thought or even consideration of the event that had just unfolded, factored into the things that Asher thought could have made her mad.

"What's the matter babe?" He asked sincerely, bringing his finger up to gently trace over the lip she was biting on with force. He took her chin bringing her face to his as he kissed her, an attempt at trying to make her release her lip. "Let's go back to my place. I have to warn you princess it's a school night and I might not be taking you back to your castle for a while." Asher teased her trying and wanting to see that smirk that fit her lips so well and made his skin itch. Sighing he unconsciously slipped his fingers though hers. He pulled off speeding towards his apartment.

"Want to talk about what's making you so upset?"

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Pearce was fucking steaming as they took off down the street. He wanted Niko as far away from that fucker as he could get him, because no one had a fucking right to get so close to him but Pearce, especially when they're asking him out for a fucking drink. Besides the way his knuckles were turning white as he gripped the steering wheel and how hard-set his jaw was, the tell-all sign that he was still out of his mind angry was that he had reached over and grabbed Niko's hand (albeit roughly but what can I say?). They weren't the hand holding type, unless you counted half-conscious moments after sex. When Pearce got angry, even if it was at Niko, this kids touch kept him from exploding. Not to mention it was just another way for him to keep reminding himself and Niko that he was his, and no one was going to fucking change that.

They hadn't gotten halfway home yet when Pearce pulled over, the car jerking suddenly to the side before disappearing down an alleyway. It was night outside and his windows were blacked out so he had no worries of anyone seeing them as he turned the engine off. "What the fuck were you thinking?" He growled, easily maneuvering the much-smaller boy where he wanted him, on his back with his knees bent. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." But wasn't his addiction with having the boy around the reason they had ended up in this situation? He made quick work of getting Niko's pants and boxers off, for once thankful for the loose-fitting jeans, because skinny jeans were a hell of a lot harder to get off. He started right above his knee, sucking hickeys into the sensitive parts of his thighs, nipping softly when he started getting annoyed by how much Niko would squirm. If he had thought the desire to claim him as his earlier was bad, this was a thousand times worse. His hands were holding his hips, pressing him down into the leather. He wanted to remind Niko why he was his, remind him how good Pearce could make him feel, how special he was. Niko knew he didn't get on his knees for anyone.

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Pearce was fuming. Niko could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, and maybe some part of him liked that a little too much. He always worried sometimes, when he showed back up at Pearce's door, that he wouldn't be let back in. Maybe Pearce was sick of him, couldn't stand the way Niko could wiggle out from under his grasp. But no. If anything, Pearce was more possessive when Niko came back.

Which was why the teen ended up with a smirk on his face, and Pearce's hand clamped around his. They didn't do the handholding thing. Pearce wasn't holding anyone's hands ever unless he was pinning them down. Except for a few times after too much sex and a desperate need for sleep, Niko didn't get this. And it was a little too tight, a little too demanding, but Niko let it happen, soothingly ran his thumb over Pearce's skin, trying to calm him at least somewhat so they didn't accidentally die on the way home.

Niko winced to himself. On the way to Pearce's apartment. Pearce's home. He couldn't let himself slip like that, not even in his own mind.

Normally when Pearce was this upset, Niko could slide up behind him, wrap his arms around the older males waist, under his shirt so he could touch skin, press kisses along the back of his neck. He'd whisper that he was sorry, nuzzle his nose against Pearce's temple. Eventually Pearce would either calm down, or turn around and pin him to the nearest surface.

But they were driving, so -

Niko didn't see the jerk coming, which in a car as expensive as Pearce's was went smoothly, but it still took him by surprise enough that his free hand flew up to the roof, grounding himself in his seat. They turned down an alleyway, dark enough that Niko could barely see anything, much less anyone see them. "Pearce-" he started, but Pearce was talking over him.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Niko's body moved easily under Pearce's touch, his back falling only slightly uncomfortably as Pearce jerked him wherever he wanted him. His jeans and boxers were off in almost one go, and Niko felt his heart stutter in his chest. "Pearce," he tried again, but the name broke off into a gasp as teeth nipped into his thigh. Oh, so this was a thing that was happening.

Niko squirmed. His back arched, his hips pushed up, he moaned, couldn't stay still, couldn't stay quiet. Pearce held him down, and somehow Niko hands ended up in the man's hair, holding on, holding himself together. Afterwords he pulled Pearce close, tugged him up so he could crash their mouths together, let his tongue chase the taste of himself.

He didn't get dominant often. Pearce loved it too much, and Niko was more of a giver anyway. But times like this were different. This time he was reassuring. Promising. Niko was his, and he didn't want to belong to anyone else.

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Pearce couldn't say no to Niko, and that was the problem. It didn't matter how many fights they had, it would never matter how many times he walked out that door, whether he was moaning his name or cursing it. None of that mattered because whatever Niko wanted, Pearce was compelled to give him. He had always prided himself on not getting addicted to the drugs he dealt, but in the end he was just like everyone else. Niko was his drug, and he was constantly dying for another hit. If Niko asked for an island, he's ask which one he wanted, if he wanted drugs, Pearce would be in the kitchen already. When he left... Pearce couldn't stop him. It all falls back to when they met, when the kid tried to steal his wallet, and instead of telling the teacher like he should have, he pulled what money he had out and gave it to him. All it took was one hit to get addicted.

There's a moment when Niko is saying his name that he's terrified. Because he doesn't know if he's going to tell him to stop, he doesn't know if he's about to tell him to turn the car around and drive him back to the bar and leave him there. It's stupid, because the way Niko reacts to him shows him that that clearly was not the case, but he always has these fears. Since the first time Niko walked out his door and didn't come back a few minutes later, mumbling about how much he hated Pearce (but really, he loves him). He's afraid that he's going to get tired of him, that he's going to realize that Pearce isn't that great, that his only good feature is his money.

They're kissing afterwards, Niko's fingers still twisted in his hair, his jeans uncomfortably tight because he hasn't gotten off yet but for once he doesn't need to. He needs this, he needs the silent promise, he needs the reassurance that Niko is his and no one is going to change that anytime soon. There's a certain amount of control that Niko is taking, but Pearce gives it willingly, because in a fucked up way he trusts the kid. There's no one else in the world that he trusts more than him. One of his hands is pressed flat against the window behind Niko, holding most of his weight off the kid, and his other still is gripping his hip, but now his thumb is rubbing circles on the skin, and he's less holding him down than he is holding him close. He pulls away and he's breathing hard, and his heart is pounding and he can't-

He laughs. It's breathy, completely humorless and is over quickly. Niko's destroyed him, he's come completely undone and he's never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. He pulls away and searches a moment for the kids clothes before handing them over to him, and he runs his fingers through his hair and rubs his hand over his face, because he has no idea what's gotten into him lately. "Are you staying over tonight?" Pearce wants him to, but he wouldn't blame him if he wanted to get as far away as he could after today.

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When Pearce pulls away Niko thinks he should be thankful for it, because he can't breathe, and he's almost panting as hard as the other male is but that doesn't stop him from leaning up again, trailing his lips against any space of skin he can reach. The kisses are messy, sloppy, but that's not the point, not what matters, so he keeps it up until Pearce laughs and moves away completely.

It's as lonely being left as it always is, even if Pearce is literally within touching distance, Niko wants him all over him. Wants to bury himself and wrap his arms around him and stay there forever. Pearce hands him his pants, and Niko takes a moment to get situation, figure out how to pull them back on without opening a door. It seemed so much easier to get them off.

"Are you staying over tonight?"

Niko's head snaps towards Pearce, eyes searching for the right answer. Part of him wants to say no...to not let himself get so dependent already. Sure, he'd slept at Pearce's place before. Sometimes for weeks at a time. But should he...let himself get so wrapped up again? So lost he couldn't remember where he ended and Pearce began.

"Hell yeah," he mumbles, his mouth working before he's even completely made up the decision in his mind. He glances Pearce over for a moment, uses his chin to gesture towards the man's crotch, licks his lips before he asks. "So...you want me to take care of that now...or later?"

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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Pearce relaxes slightly when he gets an answer, because for once he hadn't been sure what it was going to be. He had just gotten the kid back today, he wasn't ready to lose him again so soon. This... thing they have is weird. They refuse to call it a relationship, but neither of them sleep with or see other people while they're together (and even when they're not, it seems). Niko practically lives at his place, but Pearce won't give him a key (though they've never actually talked about that one). Pearce refuses to say anything on the subject of feelings, but Niko is constantly throwing out the L word, when in reality it seems like they're quite the opposite... Sometimes he wonders, gets caught up thinking about it, and he hates himself. Because this kid shouldn't be on his mind all the time, he shouldn't be wondering what to get him for his birthday, or whether or not he needs a ride home from school. More importantly because he's young, and all he cares about are the drugs.

He surprises himself when he shakes his head to what Niko asks, reaching forward to twist the key and start the car. "I'm fine." He twists so he can look behind them, then pulls out of the alley and starts back towards his apartment. The entire time he's silent, and it's no longer the comfortable, blissful silence that he can share with Niko after something like that, instead it's Pearce slowly building his walls back up, because he needs to regain some sort of control and this is the easiest way for him to do it. They arrive and he's quick to jump out of the car, not waiting for Niko as he stalks back up to the house and shoves open the front door, leaving it that way so Niko can follow him in. He strips off his jeans and the shirt he's been wearing to leave him in similar boxer-briefs as earlier, these navy as opposed to black. After getting in bed he rolls over to his back and props his head up by crossing both arms behind his head so he can watch the other boy, the same way he always does. "You know where the joints are if you want another," he says, voice surprisingly calm. "Since I assume that's what you came back here for."

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"I'm fine."

Niko's eyebrows shot up, surprised, but he didn't push Pearce on the subject. Instead he settled back, rested his head against the window and watched the darkness outside. He could almost feel the walls going up, brick by brick, cutting Pearce off from him and filling the car with tension. The vulnerability was gone in seconds, replaced by something more familiar, but much more irritating.

His eyes closed as he took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, because he knew a fight was coming. How big, he wasn't sure. He tried to ignore it, ignore the way he knew Pearce was locking him out, little by little. Protecting himself, ultimately. Because they both knew Niko was the flight risk.

When they make it back Pearce is gone in a fury of slamming doors and harsh steps. Niko's still in the car, knee propped up, watching him go. There's a strong set to his back that's almost reminiscent to work mode, a defensive line in his shoulders. Niko sighs softly, lets his posture drop, and slowly follows the man inside.

The door's still wide open, there's clothes littered across the floor, Pearce is already in bed looking five shades of fucking delicious. Niko pulls his beanie off his head, about to toe his shoes off, when he hears Pearce's voice.

Anger shoots through his entire being, red hot and ready to pull him apart. "Fuck you," he snaps, a lot harsher than he actually means to. "You fucking, self-depreciating, shitwad." He's just staring at Pearce, one fist clinched, and the only thing he has to throw is his beanie. Which won't do shit, but he throws it at Pearce's face anyway just to make a point.

"I'm not always your client, you know," Niko bites out. "There are fifty fucking billion drug dealers in this damn city, I could go anywhere I want. I come back for you, you pretentious ass wipe. Unless you're fucking every single illegal asshole that walks up to you with a smile on their face and a handful of cash."

He lets out a laugh he hasn't heard himself use for a very long time, low and humorless, before he's running his fingers through his hair and pulling on the short strands. "Fuck you," he whispers again, because his mind shuts off when he gets angry. He picks up his backpack before he even knows what he's doing, but he makes no move for the door. Not yet. "I can go. Is that what you want? Because, newsflash, you're the one that asked me if I was staying." He's silent for a moment, and then for good measure tacks on: "Bitch."

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Niko probably realises it before he does. Figures out that he's retreating back into Flynn Nathans, abandoning Pearce behind and becoming that person that doesn't give a shit about anyone, much less himself. But once he's there there isn't any going back, fuck, he doesn't even know if he wants to. Maybe this is it, maybe he's finally going to smarten up and get the fuck out of whatever this thing is. Because ultimately he wants to protect himself, why should he give a shit about this kid anyways, what the fuck does he mean to him? His entire life has been about him, about putting himself first, about getting whatever he wanted, about protecting himself. Then this kid waltz in and fucks everything up, but it doesn't have to be that way. He can fix that right now, he could tell him to get the fuck out and tell him to never come back, tell him to find a new dealer that lets him pay with his ass.

But this is Pearce we're talking about, and however much he denies it he's fucking addicted to Niko. His annoying little bundle of attitude. His. He watches as Niko has his fit, not at all surprised considering he had brought it on himself by saying what he did. He stays quiet, because interrupting him isn't going to do himself any good. That isn't to say he isn't going to shout back though, that his head isn't already filling with filthy fucking things to say to piss the kid off even further.

There was a beanie thrown at his face, but he'd tossed it aside without a second thought, because he knew it was just Niko's way of making a point. There's a moment when he seems to be making a decision, and then suddenly he's tossing his legs over the side of the futon and getting up, stalking closer to Niko with a hard-look as he decides exactly what to say to make this fucking hurt. "Not always my client, hm? What the fuck do you want me to treat you as then? My boyfriend?" He's nasty, spitting the word out sarcastically. "Excuse me, dumbass, but you're the one that's always leaving. You're the one that only ever comes back when he's ready for another hit. When you're too weak to do anything else." Pearce hates their fights, but at the same time he loves it. It gives him the same kind of high that he gets from drugs, he has that same thrumming underneath his skin, fueling him on. "And that's fucking hilarious, you know, because I haven't seen any cash from you in a long time."

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Boyfriend.

Niko jerks back so hard that if anyone had seen them they probably would have thought Pearce hit him or something. The word bounces around in his head more than once, sarcastic and angry, and Niko can't. He just can't. He shuts down for a moment, emotions reeling, tears building behind his eyes that he refuses to let fall, but they both know it won't last. Only long enough to let Pearce keep talking to him. Calm, collected, fucking dick.

And what hurts the worst is that Pearce is right. Niko's the one who leaves. Niko's the one who pushes it all away. Niko, Niko, Niko. It's all his fault, every nasty word that falls out of Pearce's mouth aimed to hurt. He deserves all of them. And he can't even argue because it's true. It's about the high. It's about how much he needs it.

He takes a step forward, close enough now he could kiss Pearce if he tried, but his eyes only narrow. "Ask yourself, you little shithead, just when I wanted drugs today, huh? the minute I saw you? Oh, no, that's not right. The second we got here? Nope. Still no." Niko's hitting him before he even realizes what he's doing, fists slamming into Pearce's chest, and the angle makes it weird. He's too close to do any real damage. It might hurt (he hopes it fucking hurts) but it won't leave a mark. "Before we fucked for hours? No!" He's yelling. When did he start yelling?

He shoves Pearce away from him, throws his backpack against the wall so hard he's surprised it doesn't dint. "I didn't ask for fucking anything until I was too damn far gone off you that I needed something to mellow me out!" Because of fucking Pearce and his fucking comments. About getting used to him being there, and Niko had wanted so bad and he couldn't. He couldn't.

He started pacing at some point, but by the time Pearce utters his last comment Niko throws his head back and laughs before he stalks across the room again and jerks his bag up. He throws stuff out of it uncaring: a textbooks smacks against the kitchen counter, a pencil sails across the room, his piece of shit mp3 player nearly hits Pearce...which may or may not have been unintentional.

He jerks something out from the bottom, comes back with more than one bill crumbled in his hand. "How much do I owe you? huh?" He's in Pearce's face again, counting off the numbers because he knows what he owes Pearce. He always pays him back, eventually. "Twenty? Sixty?" he only has seventeen dollars on him, which wasn't supposed to be drug money (under his bed back 'home' was where he kept that), but there are enough bills to make it look like more. He throws it all at Pearce, in his face, before backing off with mumbled curses as he kicks at his backpack again, because there's nothing else there that he could live with destroying.

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Character Portrait: Niko Matsuhita Character Portrait: Pearce Nathans
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There's a terrible ache in his stomach when he notices tears, and he wonders desperately if he's gone too far.

But no, a moment later he's back, the tears have disappeared like they were never there at all and Niko's shouting back at him, he's getting in his face and doing exactly what Niko does when he gets angry. The only way that they communicate is through fighting, it's the only time that important things are actually brought up, it's the only time they communicate further than sex and drugs. They have a serious communication problem that neither of them are willing to do anything about because apparently screaming at each other every other night is easier than just sitting down and fucking talking like regular people do. Both of them are terrified of anything between them becoming any sense of serious, so instead they rip these fucking wounds into each other like that's going to make anything better.

Niko starts hitting him and it's more annoying than anything. It'd be too easy to just reach up and grab his wrists and stop him, but he lets him get his anger out instead. There might be bruises tomorrow from the repeated hitting, but it's not enough for it to hurt now. Though he supposes he deserves it, after all, he was the one who provoked him. He was the one who started this. This entire fight was his fault. Now the kid is yelling and he just has no idea, because everything that he's saying makes perfect fucking sense and makes everything else not. He didn't want anything, he never wanted anything until after. Not since the first time, before they started fucking. But Pearce has had himself convinced for such a long time that the only reason he comes around was for it... Niko pushes him away and he actually stumbles, unprepared for it. He drags his fingers through his hair again, frustrated, unsure. He hates this feeling.

He really starts to feel like shit when Niko gets out the money though. None of this was ever about the money, and every word hurts him, even fucking dollar bill thrown in his face is another part of him that's just shattered. Pearce gets quiet then, because he doesn't have anything mean left to say. He drops down and starts collecting the cash, only now realising he's still only wearing underwear, and remembers that originally the plan was to go to sleep. "It's not about the fucking money, Niko." After he gathers up all the bills he grabs the pencil and MP3, both of which had gone flying in his direction. "It's never been about the money." He grabs the backpack and shoves everything inside, before grabbing the textbook and then zipping it shut and setting it down. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm not trying to be a dick, today's just been fucking weird. It was great to have you back and I'd missed you but then with Asher, and just some part of me thought you were going to disappear again, and-. I'm sorry." He's not paying any attention to what he's saying, partially because he's mumbling it because he's embarrassed about it, partially because he's too fucking busy trying to give his best I'm-so-fucking-sorry-please-don't-leave expression.

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There's a silence that falls as each dollar bill floats slowly to the ground, and for a moment they're stuck there. The walls around Pearce slowly crumble, and Niko lets his rage fly out of him with each panted out breath. Pearce moves first, breaking the spell of nothingness, but Niko still doesn't.

He watches as the man kneels, gathers money off the ground, then his shitty mp3 player and maybe a pencil he didn't even remember throwing. There's a book in the kitchen Pearce goes for, putting everything Niko really has to his name back in his bag and zipping it shut before placing it somewhere. Niko watches it all, fists clenched, chest heaving, but he's calming. Slowly, he's calming.

The apology comes eventually, just like it always does if one of them doesn't end up storming out. "Asher wasn't my fault," he mumbles, and he can't help it. It's obviously not the source of the problem...maybe the trigger, tonight. But not the source. No, the source runs deeper than that. To a lack of communication and words left unsaid that should have been long ago.

It's the expression on Pearce's face more than the words that eventually move Niko out of his spot. He crosses the short distance between them slowly, and then his arms are going around Pearce's waist, fingers digging into his back, and he's pressing his face into the man's chest and holding on tight. He can't promise not to leave...because neither of them know if it'll last, and it just sounds like a good way to get hurt more. But he knows one thing. He's always known one thing.

"I fucking love you, jackass," he mumbles, pressing himself closer. "I don't know what it'll take for you to believe that."

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Pearce is all to happy to wrap his arms around Niko, to rest his cheek on soft black hair as he holds the smaller boy tight against him. This was how it always went, they fought, someone apologised, everything went back to normal- mostly. This was pretty mild, in his opinion. There were worst fights, fights that lasted longer, fights that drove Niko out of the apartment, fights that ended in things breaking. He supposes that if it wasn't so late and they weren't both probably exhausted from spending all day having sex, it would have been much worse. He's grateful for it too, because after a day like today, he really wasn't ready to lose Niko again. He was never going to be ready for the day he walked away and never came back, but tonight he needed him. Needed him in a way that was much different than their usual setup.

Niko says the words that Pearce has been waiting to hear all night and he smiles slightly, kissing the top of his head. "Me neither," he murmurs, dipping down so he can reach around the kids knees and pick him up bridal style. He walks them over to the bed and he very gently lays him down before crawling on top of him, resting all his weight on his knees and his hands, which was currently on either sides of Niko's head. "Kiss me?" There were too many layers of clothes between them (even if it was just Niko's sweatshirt) but he tried not to focus on it. That could probably fuck the rest of the night and Pearce wouldn't complain, but he knows Niko has school in the morning and frankly, he would enjoy just getting some sleep now. That doesn't mean they can't kiss though, or he can't help him get those few articles of clothing off before they pass out.

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Niko didn't realize how much he needed Pearce's touch until it was there, arms around him, heat seeping into him. He felt his body relax immediately, quicker than any drug could manage, and he thinks for a moment that he might not ever let go. He likes it when their fights end like this. Not in punches or or harsher words that lead to a door slamming and a very lonely bus ride downtown. This way they get to heal, and hold on.

He didn't realize how fucking exhausted he was until Pearce picked him, and suddenly not having to hold himself felt so wonderful that he was wondering how he'd managed to fight at all. The next thing he knows he's on the futon, sinking down into it like it's made out of clouds (which, honestly, it could've been), and Pearce is looking down at him, all soft brown eyes and pouty lips and gawdamn is he gorgeous.

"Kiss me?"

The request is something Niko is all too happy to comply with, and he smiles softly before slowly reaching his arms up and draping them around Pearce's neck, drawing him down until their lips are sliding together. The kisses are soft, lazy, nothing compared to what they're used too.

Pearce isn't gentle a lot, and Niko knows if he wants he can take control, heat things up. But he's so tired...so loose and done...that he'd have to just lay back and take it all, unable to give. But in Niko's opinion, he's fine with this.

He could say goodnight like this all the time.