AN: What is it with fanfictions? I sat down to write an (essentially) comedy-free romance story, and it somehow turned into this. Maybe I'm just an incredibly funny person. Maybe these characters are just too amusing for me to take them seriously all of the time. In any case, it's another romantic comedy from me, but not much like the others I've published so far.
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A faint knock at the door, and Raito looked up briefly before returning his attention to the papers on his desk. "Come in, Mikami," he called.
The door clicked open and the man entered silently, carefully shutting it behind him. With a slight smile at his lips he stood in front of his boss, watching his hands travel across the desk.
"Well?" Raito asked coolly.
"You always know when it's me at the door. I'm flattered," Mikami smirked and pulled out a chair. He sat down across from him, adopting a more comfortable position and slipping the folders he'd brought with him onto Raito's desk.
"I'm happy you're happy, Mikami. Now, what do you want?"
Watching his boss's face intently as he spoke, Mikami explained. "The client's mistress isn't happy about the sudden separation, and would like to speak with you about it immediately."
"Idiotic woman..." Raito muttered and put down his pen for a moment. "I'm not going to speak with her. On any terms. But you know that, Mikami. Why are you sitting in my office, taking up my time, wasting my words, breathing my air?"
"Ever the generous spirit, aren't we sir?"
"As generous as I can be when I've got a fool who can't understand that his mistress is going to have to stay quiet for as long as we're in negotiations over his divorce settlement." Raito scowled. "Can we get her a fruit basket or something? That should shut her up for a little while..."
"What do you think they're called once the man gets divorced? Is there a name for that? Not a mistress...but what?" Mikami mused.
"Actually no. Fruit is an awful idea." He shook his head.
"She becomes his girlfriend...? Maybe?"
"Ah, chocolate would be best. Get that woman some caramel chocolates; I believe she mentioned once that she had a soft spot for them," Raito said decisively.
Giving up on finding an answer to his own question, Mikami looked at his boss. "I think she actually said that she was allergic to those, sir."
"Even better," he replied shortly and turned back to his work.
Mikami didn't bother to hide his amusement, even when met with Raito's pointed stare. "The women must love you," he laughed.
"Huh. As my personal assistant you should know that better than anybody."
"I'm surprised they're not barring the doors already."
"I think we all are." Raito's hand paused mid-movement and he looked up at Mikami. "Remind me why you're still here?"
"That wasn't the only matter of business." Mikami adopted a more professional manner, and the smile disappeared from his face. Pulling out one of the folders, he began to flick through the papers inside.
"For one, your father called. He apologised for trying to reach you through work, but couldn't get you at home, it seems. He wants to know when you're going to be able to make your next visit home."
"I've got a free couple of days coming up in July, if you could note that I'll be unavailable then. I'll call him myself to let him know," Raito told him after some thought. "Was there anything else?"
"Well, he invited me to his and Sachiko-san's anniversary celebration. I think he might be trying to start something between your sister and myself," Mikami said conspiratorially.
Raito just stared at him for a few moments. "I will kill you."
"Fair enough." Flipping through some more papers, Mikami went on: "There were some minor issues with the authorisation of one of our older contracts, but Tashiro-kun and I can sort those out..."
"Please do."
"...and that's about all that you need to be concerned with. Ah, but-" Mikami hesitated, and then spoke with unusual seriousness. "I think you should pay a little more attention to your pet."
Raito straightened at this and met his gaze darkly. Neither looked away for several moments until Mikami stood suddenly and regained some of his earlier light heartedness. "But, that's just my humble opinion. If you'll excuse me, I'll stop breathing your air now." Collecting his folders, he smiled at Raito and left the room.
Not long after the door had clicked shut, Raito picked up the phone in front of him and dialled a number. "I hear we're getting lonely?" he said with a soft smile.
It was one of Tokyo's colder days, and the sky above Ginza was darkened. L looked up at it with some apprehension as he walked, his hands buried deep in his pockets for warmth. Despite the unpromising weather the streets were crowded with people, and as he was elbowed yet again in the side he found himself wishing he'd taken Watari's advice and stayed at home.
Hearing the muffled ring of his cell phone, L pulled it out of his pocket and held it to his ear. "I hear we're getting lonely?" came the ever-familiar voice at the other end of the line.
"Not so much as a hello, I see," he replied.
"You should be glad that I consider concern over your feelings of neglect to be more important than simple greetings," Raito reasoned.
L closed his eyes as he walked, risking getting pushed about by the people around him in an attempt to immerse himself completely in the comforting sound of his lover's voice. "If you'd given me a 'simple greeting' weeks ago there'd be nothing to concern yourself about in the first place."
"You're right, as ever. I just can't win to you." L could hear the smile in his voice and wasn't impressed by it. Understanding that Raito was waiting for him to keep up the conversation, he remained silent. Practically a minute passed when Raito's uncertain voice came from the phone. "I love you?"
"How wonderful for you."
"And I've missed you. I said that, didn't I?"
"Not quickly enough."
"Have I told you I want to hug you and touch you and kiss you breathless right now, and will be doing just that the next time we meet?"
L couldn't respond, and lowered his head a little unconsciously as his cheeks tinged faintly with red. At the other end Raito smiled to himself, realising only now how long it had been for the both of them to talk like this.
Reaching an intersection L looked around to make sure he was heading in the right direction, and Raito was surprised by the sound of rushing cars and chatting people. "Where are you?" he asked with curiosity.
"I'm in Ginza right now," L answered, trying to judge whether he'd be wiser to continue down a block or turn now, but distracted by the voice in his ear.
"...and why exactly are you in Ginza?" Raito said after moments of waiting for an explanation and not getting one.
Not paying full attention to the man on the line and feeling the sudden touch of cold water on the back of his neck, L touched it with his free hand. "Rain..." he murmured, looking up at the sky.
"Huh?"
"It's raining," L told him. "I'm putting the phone away now."
"Wait, you-" Raito broke off at the unhappy sound of the phone beeping in his ear, signifying the end of a call. He gazed at the receiver in his hand for a moment before smiling tiredly. Hanging up the phone, he went back to his paperwork.
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AN: Ah, Mikami. Having not really paid him much attention up 'till now, I had to do a whole lot of research to find out about his personality. And what did I learn? He's fanatical, a little bit obsessive-compulsive and has no real hobbies or interests. And he has glasses. And, somehow, I think I'm a little bit in love with him. :)