Summary: Riku Karada is a law-graduate and a new corporate attorney. He is hired by co-president of Erops, Sora Kayaki, to defend him from being sued by his partner and co-president, Xemnas. Riku Karada never takes anything seriously and is only serious in the court. Sora, on the otherhand, is an emotional wreck outside the office, and sometimes in. Both have the book smarts, but when it comes to life, they've just begun to figure it out. But what is the cheerful president hiding about his partner and what is Riku's
Ardor
Prologue
an intense feeling of emotion ; eagerness, passion, or enthusiasm
He had practiced it for countless days before the meeting. It was the typical hand-shake, introduction, and then straight down to business procedure. It was the type of thing law-school didn't teach you and something common sense provided. All those special techniques and skills you paid a plethora for didn't come in use until way afterwards when you had already nailed the job. And what was the fun in that?
"Riku Karada, right?"
Dressed in a rather stylish black suit was a man around six feet. Give or take an inch. Unruly silver hair was slicked back with hair gel (much to the man's disdain). Piercing emerald hues gave the bland, black-and-white outfit a sudden intense jab of color. The color of the man's eyes matched the tie perfectly. Regardless of his prestigious appearance, the man carried himself quite differently. The whole way up to the vice president's office he had been nearly dancing and singing with praise for himself. And flirting with anything on two legs. He did a lot of that.
The silver-haired male, who was addressed as Riku, set his suitcase down by his feet. The man, who appeared in his early twenties, took a seat in an available chair. In fact, he looked twenty to be exactly, which was a bit unsettling. Wasn't law-school a lot more than a few years?
Riku laced his hands together oh-so-charmingly in his lap as he offered a greeting-like smile towards the person in the chair. To his surprise, the person who sat in it was younger than him. Riku scrunched his nose up involuntarily at the discovery. The co-president of Erops is younger than me? The hell? Riku shifted a bit in his seat as he stared at the teenager. He had gravity-defying chocolate locks for hair and picture-like blue eyes. He looked like he was fifteen, but Riku knew that was a fallacy.
"You don't realize how nervous I am," the brunette murmured, holding his head in his hands. Riku arched an eyebrow curiously at the co-president, trying to figure him out. He seemed professional enough. Maybe the kid was just incredibly smart. "Being sued by your best friend isn't a settling feeling…"
"Uh-huh…" Riku answered, uncertain what to say.
That was when the brunette peered at Riku, making eye-contact. At once the brunette straightened up and extended his hand across the desk in way of greeting. "I'm sorry." He cleared his throat, "My name is Sora Kayaki, co-president of Erops. As you probably heard from my secretary's email … my friend, the other president, is suing me for everything I'm worth and threatening to take the company under his wing because he thinks I'm too immature and incapable of handling this kind of reasonability."
Riku blinked and then nodded to show he was listening.
"And we've been friends for ten years and I just don't get why he's doing this to me! This company is all I have! I.. don't have anything outside of my job and without this I won't have any money!" the other rambled, shaking his head in disbelief, "So that's why I need you." Sora peered at Riku briefly, looking like a nervous-wreck, "You can help me prevent Xemnas from taking away everything I've worked for."
"Sounds like a nasty case," Riku stated honestly, looking sympathetically at the brunette, "But I'll take it." My first actual corporate case and it's with a guy who's an emotional wreck. Oh great. Note to self; don't let him talk during the court meetings and such. He'll just ruin it and there goes my pay.
"Thank you!" Sora grinned and arose from his seat due to excitement. "You're the only person who's said yes!"
"You've.. Interviewed others?" Riku asked slowly, not liking where this conversation was headed.
"Oh gods, yes!" Sora was like an open book, and Riku could see why the man's friend might want him off the presidential seat. Sora cleared his throat and blushed a light tinge of pink. "I mean, yeah. Everyone I've asked turned the offer down."
"Any particular reason?" Riku prodded, emerald eyes focusing on the brunette. He's actually quite cute. Maybe he's actually a great president but his friend takes advantage of him. Huh…
"They say I'm too young to understand business," Sora grumbled and took a seat in the chair, something furtive and unsaid flickering in his blue hues. "But I run this insurance business with my best friend and it hasn't gone bankrupt yet. And my dad taught me everything I know so I don't see why people doubt me." Sora slightly frowned and shook his head in dismay, "M-maybe I should resign…"
This guy is an emotional wreck … great. "Nothing will be solved from that," Riku stated smoothly, fidgeting in his seat just a bit.
"I guess you're right. I just want people to know I'm not just a little kid with big dreams! I try to act professional! I've gone to college and everything, and I graduated high-school early just to pursue my dreams! So I don't get why people think I'm just another pretty, hopeless face…" Sora murmured leaning against his head in a bit of resentment towards himself.
"I don't-" Riku began but was cut short by his employer's rant.
"I can't even get a boyfriend! All the guys think I'm straight and all the girl's think I'm gay…" Sora buried his face into his hands once again. "And I don't mind the girls thinking that, but for the guys!" Sora grumbled in distaste, adorable blue eyes filling with grief.
"Sir-" Riku tried to interrupt again. Why is he telling me this? Do I look like I care? Heh… Wait. He's gay? Oh… That's interesting. Maybe … Hmm…
"I'm sorry I'm telling you all of this but no one ever listens to me and I'm paying you and-" Sora took a deep breath before standing up. He leaned down against the desk and exhaled sharply. "-maybe you can try and help me get me back on my feet before I lose everything?"
Kid, I'm not a therapist… then again… Oh what ever, he's obviously not caring about professionalism. So why should I? "You're cute," Riku offered with a gentle grin creeping onto his lips, hoping that some sort of 'positive feedback' about the brunette would brighten the co-president's spirits. Not like I care if he yells at me. He doesn't seem like the type who would turn me in for harmless flirting. Not like that other guy … oi. That man had a larger stomach than a freaking elephant.
Sora was at once taken back by the sudden compliment. His cheeks stained a light red as he diverted his gaze away from his attorney and down at his papers, "I'm… not cute," he muttered before adding on in a cute and blunt voice, "I'm definitely not cute!"
"And feisty, that's a plus," Riku remarked, the grin growing. He blushes easily, that's adorable. Maybe working with him won't be that annoying. As long as he doesn't go all rambling again. The things I do for money, I swear.
"Stop that!" Sora blushed and glared down at his papers, pretending they were the cause of his discomfort. Honestly, the brunette had no idea that Riku was nonchalantly hitting on him. And, of course, the dense brunette didn't realize that it was illegal if he started anything with the man. When it came to common sense, Sora lacked. When it came to book smarts and company issues, he was gifted.
Just a bit more. This is quite amusing. "And demanding too? Oh boy, you must be /awesome/ in bed." Riku flickered a look of amusement at Sora. Hey, if he can rant about his emotional problems, I can let out my sexual frustration. I bet he's a sucker in bed though. He looks like a virgin. Maybe he is… Hmph. Cute little virgin boss.
"I… think that you should stop that," Sora stammered, face as red as tomato. "You're… supposed to be all professional like the others!" Sora recovered quickly.
"The others didn't take your case," Riku replied with a sparkling smirk. "Don't worry, kid. I'm here to help you. Nothing else, and nothing more."
"Thanks…" Sora stared down at the floor, rocking back and forth on his feet, "I seriously thought you were being serious." A nervous laugh.
"Oh. I was."
"Eh?!" Sora eyes widened with alarm, "Don't you have… any morals?! Isn't it like … illegal to hit on your boss?!" Another stammer followed by a squeak. Riku wasn't sure why the squeak was there.
Finally catching on. Wow. He's really amusing. "I'm just complimenting you." Riku chuckled and then leaned back a bit, "I was planning on being all professional until you tossed in random things and made the conversation completely irrelevant to the problem." He chuckled once more. "Unless me being myself bothers you?" He arched his eyebrow.
"…You're really weird," Sora noted uncomfortably. "You're not taking advantage of me because I'm young, right? Or are you not taking me serious?" Sora stated defensively, blue eyes filling with a lingering sadness and anxiety and worry.
What's wrong with this kid? Can't he take a joke and harmless flirting? Nope… Oh well. Still cute. "I don't make a good first impression, huh?"
"Unless you think 'creepy stalker attorney' is a good impression, then no…" Sora stated slowly, watching his lawyer with the utmost concern. Was this going to be the man who was going to defend his life's earnings? Sora suddenly felt his stomach tie into knots. Riku was definitely taking advantage of him and poking fun at him because he was young and small and not macho like all the others bosses! That was it!
"Hm… not a handsome creepy stalker attorney? Disappointing." Riku faked a frown before chortling, "I'll take the case, I already stated that. I just wanted to test the waters, you know, see who I'm working with."
"Oh…" Sora blinked and sheepishly shrugged. "I've never had a reason to have an attorney before so I'm sorry if I come off as a novice. I've dealt with the ones here ... but none of them have ever been mine, you know? Never been sued before."
"It's not a rarity. You should see how some people handle me. They treat me like I'm at some sort of military camp. Other's treat me like their long lost best friend. Kind of creepy but I play along. It amuses me. And you, Mr. Kayaki, are the most colorful person I've ever had the pleasure of working with in my short time," Riku made known with that charismatic and flirtatious look.
"Haha," Sora laughed a bit before nodding, "Well … thank you."
"I should be going," Riku stated, arising from his seat. "I can't miss my soaps." Sora paled. "…joking." Riku laughed nervously. "Ahem, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Kayaki." He shook Sora's hand from across the desk and made his way towards the door with a smirk. He is such a pushover… Hmm … I wonder… Riku paused near the door and turned around. He promptly spun on his heels and made his way back to the standing brunette.
"F-forget something?" Sora asked.
Riku extended his hand through the hair, letting it rest on Sora's shoulder. Sora tensed and eyed his attorney. Riku's digits nonchalantly toyed with the ends of Sora's hair before the silver-haired male breathed out. "Like I said, It'll be my pleasure working for you," He lowered his voice to a whisper, "cutie." He added on. He tried to finish by kissing the brunette's cheek but Sora winced and maneuvered himself out of the other's grasps.
"Get off me!" Sora pouted, throwing his arms down, "I…I'll sue you for molestation if you touch me again!" Sora wagged his index finger at the other, his whole face completely drained of any color.
"…I'm your lawyer. How can I sue myself?" Riku asked and laughed, tossing Sora a smirk over his shoulder. "Call me if you need anything. Or when I can come and pick up the paperwork so I can get to work on the case."
And with that he made his way to the door again.
"Riku?"
"Hm?" Riku paused at the door, hand resting on the doorknob. I wasn't really expecting to flirt with my boss, but oh well. The kid's freaking adorable.
"How does tomorrow at Mango's sound?"
"Sounds like a date."
Riku purposely gave the other a flirty look before exiting the room with a wink. Sora nearly collapsed into his chair from shock. And the only thing running through both their heads was one sentence. Only one sentence after the rather chaotic and bizarre first meeting and business proposal.
What the hell was that?…