Disclaimer: Based on characters and situations created and owned by Kazuya Minekura. No profit.

Take the stairs.

A simple instruction, if one knew where one was going, block letters on a scrap of paper on the bottom of a box with a lock combination carefully changed before redelivery - an invitation that won't be ignored.

Nii glances at the clock on the nightstand as he tugs a shirt from the closet and begins gently crushing the fabric in his hands. (Not nearly as much as he would for work, just enough to take the edge off the fabric.) He's calculated very carefully the minimum possible time between his exit from the lab and the arrival of his expected guest; depending on previously obtained information, new research that might be required and travel time, eight o'clock is it. It's precisely seven fifty-seven when he slips his arms into newly adulterated sleeves and pads out of the bedroom on bare feet.

Running a hand through still-damp (and pomade-free, thank fuck) hair, he pushes the last of the buttons home and slips in behind the bar to pour himself a drink. It's going to be interesting to see just how quick the guy is, between figuring out the lock on the box and tracking down Nii's address - not to mention getting around the hotel's security measures. Still, it's a pretty low bar to clear for the trade-off, and they both know it. The knock comes just as he tosses the empty can into the trash, and he smirks.

Three minutes past eight. Oh, well done, ducky.

He leaves his drink and trots across the living room to open the door, leaning his hip against the edge with a grin that even feels slightly slimy to him, but that's wholly expected by now and so he doesn't bother to dial it down.

"Well, well..." Nii says, all mock innocence, "what a surprise."

Tenpou's clearly come straight from the lab, dark hair disarranged (as if the mullet isn't bad enough, for fuck's sake) habitual little skew to the tie that Nii would bet his life the guy never wears if no one can see him, lab coat replaced by a rather dramatic black trench coat. Good look, really. He holds still for an appraising glance, amused by the amusement he sees in Tenpou's eyes, the sceptical eyebrow.

"Not as much of one as you're pretending, at any rate." Tenpou glances down the hallway, then past Nii, shoulders tight. "Can I come in?"

Taking a half-step back, Nii gestures into the room, and Tenpou brushes by. Nii turns as he closes the door, watching Tenpou stride in, look around, taking in the relatively small space where Nii lives. Okay, so maybe the coat's not so great; it covers too much.

"Nice place," Tenpou says conversationally, and Nii can't help but snort softly at the nicety. "You left early this evening, you know."

Nii slides hand into pockets, smirking as he saunters toward Tenpou. "Really? I'll have to have a talk with me about that." He tilts his head, a soft tsk, "I'm such a slacker."

That gets him a thoroughly solemn nod. "You might want to be more concerned abut the hours you do spend at work. You'd disapprove of the things you do." Tenpou sweeps his gaze over the room again, and the term casing leaps to Nii's mind; when he looks back, Tenpou visibly relaxes, giving the distinct impression of uncoiling, a new edge thrumming in the air between them, and Nii has to suppress a grin. Lab rats don't move like that. "I took the stairs, as instructed," Tenpou finishes, his tone expectant.

"Prophylactic measure," Nii grins, not even trying to hide his amusement. "For your protection, of course. Drink?"

"Please. And was that an inventive line, or do you think I need protecting?"

Heading back to the bar, Nii shrugs, reaching for a decanter as he rounds the end. "Take your pick." He glances back up at Tenpou as he puts the bottle down and reaches for water, guessing that Tenpou won't touch it neat. "But you've been a very bad boy, and I don't think you'd want rent-a-cops to be your undoing." Tenpou nods approval at the water - another one right - and Nii picks up the tumbler and his own and heads back, holding the whiskey out for Tenpou.

"Why would I have anything to fear from rent-a-cops?" Tenpou asks, rather more pointedly than he should, for ostensibly having no answer to the question. He's good, but a bit too easy to set sideways, too circumspect not to give himself away when he's poked. That's all right, there'll be plenty of time to desensitize him, if this goes off well.

"You don't," Nii drawls into his glass, "now." He takes a sip of his juice, giving Tenpou a calculating look. They could dance like this all night with Tenpou so wary that he can't move, and as much as Nii might enjoy that, it's hardly the point of the meeting. He shrugs to himself, reasoning that since he's really the one with nothing to lose here, he can afford to give a little. "The cameras in the stairwells are mine, so we're still the only ones who know you're here, yeah?"

Tenpou makes a small, amused sound, finally letting go enough to grin at Nii. "I suspect I have more to fear from you than the rent-a-cops in any case." Nii doesn't bother trying to look innocent this time, returning the grin. "Interesting combination you chose for the box."

"It was difficult to find," Nii admits, his voice betraying a bit of admiration for the fact, and he cocks an eyebrow. "Now, why would an innocuous lab rat go to such trouble to hide his birth date?"

"Maybe I don't like pointy hats?"

"Ah...I thought it would be the singing."

"Or the little things that go honk," Tenpou chuckles with a wince. He takes a slow drink of his whiskey, eyeing Nii over the rim of the glass. "So what else did you look for, then?"

Nii considers him for a long moment, leaving the question hanging in the air between them as he turns to grab his smokes from the coffee table, setting his drink down there. He can feel the need to know what Nii might have found out rolling off the guy, and that's just fine. They've waited five months for this; he'll survive a few more seconds. Shake out a smoke, locate matches, strike, light, and all the time Tenpou watching him like a fucking hawk. He straightens to face Tenpou again, the grin gone.

"Mainly, the reason you planted maggots in my gut and expected me not to feel the wriggling."

That does it, Tenpou subsiding completely. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

Nii narrows his eyes for a second, calculating, and he supposes that's the required shovel of shit. He grins manically around the cigarette dangling from his lips. "Then I guess the words 'kill switch' won't mean a thing to you."

Tenpou nods slowly, putting his own glass on the table as well. "Well, I suppose I should skip the bullshit and move right on to negotiations." Nii fancies there's a rueful edge to the tiny smirk Tenpou gives him, and that's more gratifying than it should be. "I wouldn't have taken this up, if I'd anticipated you." A crease appears between Tenpou's brows for a second. "Or...perhaps I would. In any case, there's no point crying over successful surveillance."

The correction makes Nii chuckle, pleased that he's decided to knock off the dumb act. It's fucking annoying. "Oh, I do hope so," Nii purrs, looking Tenpou over with even less than his usual negative-value of tact. "You're the most fun I've had in ages." Contrary to popular response, Tenpou seems to enjoy Nii's little appraisal, even leaning back a bit to let him get a better look.

"Yes, your colleagues do leave something to be desired in that area." Tenpou wrinkles his nose, and the effect, Nii has no doubt Tenpou would be enraptured to hear, is rather adorable. "And some others." Tenpou exhales a slow breath, reaching into a pocket for a pack of cigarettes; the leisure of his movements would be a neat turning of tables, if Nii was inclined to give a shit about waiting. "How soon did you begin to suspect?"

Nii barks a laugh at the characterisation of the pencil-necks as his colleagues, but leaves it at that with a shrug. "Does it matter?" Tenpou gives him a look, and he sighs, reminding himself that they have to have at least a little foreplay, or Tenpou's not going to be satisfied. "Faced with Me Lite? Immediately. Three weeks to be sure, three more for you to lay the eggs, and one to write and insert a tracking parasite." He smirks at Tenpou around the smoke between his lips. "You really should have been less interesting than Tetris."

"Yes, well, that's terribly difficult to accomplish," Tenpou returns dryly, "and if I'd known I'd have to try, I'd have asked for a larger payment. Which, by the way, I've already had to divide in order to account for you." Nii's beaming doesn't seem to impress Tenpou, who quirks an eyebrow in a vaguely sceptical kind of way and takes a drag of his smoke. "Thirty percent," Tenpou says firmly, "paid into a bank account of your choice. Discreetly, of course. I wouldn't want to compromise your...'sweet little deal here', as you once described it."

Plucking his smoke from his mouth, Nii eyeballs Tenpou as obviously as possible, considering that. "Thirty percent of an unspecified sum, which you'll no doubt at least double after paying me and before handing over a fucking thing, all nicely wrapped up with a pretty little bow to cover my ass." He pauses for a moment, tilting his head and giving Tenpou a saccharine smile. "I'd be insulted if I gave a fuck about money, or who sees my ass."

The image clearly amuses Tenpou, who bites his lip with a soft snort. "Well, I thought about a half-million or thereabouts would interest you, but apparently not." Tenpou mirrors Nii's tilt of the head, frowning a little. "I do wonder why."

Nii laughs outright at that, suddenly very certain that Tenpou's never run into an issue that bribes couldn't fix, before Nii. "Houtou Corporation's fist line of defense against people like you is to pay people like me entirely too much money." Shrugs, smirking. "It's a good system, except for the 'people like me' part."

Tenpou blinks at him for a long moment, apparently turning that over with what he's come to know of Nii. "Did they think that would work? Paying you obscene sums of money, that is."

"And yet," Nii retorts with a grin that threatens to slide right off his face for the grease, "you offer me a merely pornographic amount."

"It's the form of the thing, you know," Tenpou says, grinning right back. "There are steps to the dance, after all."

"Ah, sorry...didn't mean to crush your tootsies." Nii hums a snatch of a waltz while Tenpou breaks into laughter, doubling over and covering his eyes with a hand. "Lead on, then."

It takes Tenpou a moment to recover, and laughter still vibrates in his voice when he answers, "My...tootsies are quite unaffected, I assure you." He doesn't seem to notice the way Nii beams when repeats 'tootsies', moving on as smoothly as he can. "Although, if you want to continue the dance, I suppose the next part is where I ask you what's stopping me from taking more extreme measures to ensure your silence."

As hard as he tries to strangle it off, a sound entirely too close to a giggle escapes Nii. He can't help it, really, he's been waiting for this bit, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet and grinning like a fucking maniac. "Oh, you know I've got backups and copies running off-site, with at least three different checkpoints requiring interface at specified intervals in order to not send all necessary information to the Proper Authorities." He takes a drag of his smoke, giving that a second to sink in before he gets to the point. "Of course, you might get away with it, but there's a whole other set ready to hit the kill switch on your little squirmies, just to fuck with your day."

Tenpou gives him a thoroughly withering look, which, considering Nii's unseemly glee, isn't surprising. "I do have to point out that it wouldn't make much of a difference to you at that point."

"It makes a difference to you, right now." Nii blinks at Tenpou, reining in his excitement a little. "What else have you got?"

"Well, money and threats have failed," Tenpou muses with a little shrug, "and given your general indifference to the covering of asses..."

"Oh, come on," Nii pouts at him, "it's no fun to quit before the game's over." He takes a half-step closer to Tenpou, the corner of his mouth curling up. "Try me."

Tenpou snickers at him, shaking his head. "Oh, I'd entertained the notion of tempting you with my irresistible charms, but..." He pauses to reach over and stub out his cigarette, then lifts his hands in a gesture of helplessness, "It seems I'm all out of options."

Nii watches Tenpou, listening to the obvious bait with a half-smile, licking his lips slowly. He remains quiet for a long moment, finishing his smoke and then crushing it out, taking a sip of his drink before he straightens with a slow grin. "Now, that's much more interesting than obscene amounts of money." Taking a long breath, he steps closer to Tenpou again, nearly enough to touch, inhaling the scent of him, the excitement and adrenalin edge that sharpens it, and it's just about killing him not to jump the fucker right now, but they're not done yet. He speaks quickly, quietly, wanting to get it out of the way, certain that Tenpou will take his cue, here. "If I let you go, I have to leave Houtou - not that I give a fuck, but I do get bored - so, I'll take forty percent of the new fee, partnership for future endeavours, and seal it with your ass, since mine seems to be moot for the moment." He tilts his head, raising an eyebrow with a tiny smirk. "Deal?"

Green eyes regard Nii for a long moment from under long lashes, a considering sound in Tenpou's throat as he reaches up to slide a finger, along the line of Nii's shirt collar. "Thirty percent of the new fee and you have a deal," Tenpou murmurs, and Nii restrains himself, suppressing a shiver at the touch, the excitement of the suspended moment thrilling in a way that he hasn't felt in...he can't even remember. He tilts his head in a kind of invitation to more, taking a second to wallow in the anticipation before they'll break to meet at the necessary mid-point.

"Thirty-five, one day only fire sale on genius."

Another thoughtful sound, tiny frown as the bastard slides his finger up around the curve of Nii's ear. "You do realise your ass is only moot for the moment." A filthy grin quirks Tenpou's lips as he adds quietly, "I may be tempted to put a bow on it, later." Nii chuckles low in his throat for the clarification - maybe a threat, but he doesn't think Tenpou's that short-sighted or unobservant - and lets his head fall back as Tenpou leans in to lick at the line his finger took, hot breath against Nii's skin. "Done."

"Oh, goody," Nii breathes, sliding a hand up into Tenpou's hair, "something to look forward to." Tenpou's teeth pinch his skin, but he doesn't resist when Nii tugs his head back and crushes his mouth in a rough kiss.

Nii gasps a little as Tenpou's nails dig into his neck, biting at his mouth in reply, his gut tight with a wild kind of satisfaction for the one thing he's been denying himself through months of cat and mouse games. Tenpou's mouth tastes like whiskey and smoke, his body warm and lean against Nii's own, and he can feel the whipsnap as Tenpou lets himself go, fighting for control of the kiss. He releases Tenpou's hair, shoving at his coat with both hands as he steps forward, pressing Tenpou back toward the nearest wall, Tenpou wrestling with Nii's shirt as they move, a grin when his back hits.

"Oh, you've been waiting for this," Tenpou accuses him breathlessly as Nii pushes his hands away long enough to strip him of the coat, pleasingly quick to get back to it, afterward.

"You need better secrets, ducky," Nii laughs, a soft tremor running through him for Tenpou's teeth at his throat again, amused when he hears a button ping off a surface somewhere. "The whole fucking lab knows that one." One hand to yank at Tenpou's tie, the other slipping under cotton to scratch at his stomach.

"Do they? Hm." Tenpou's fingers finally manage to get rid of all the buttons, one way or another, his voice low as his hands slip under fabric, running greedily over Nii's chest and shoulders, pulling another shudder from him. "I did wonder...they seemed so surprised by me."

Yanking the tie open, Nii pulls it from around Tenpou's neck with a little triumphant sound. "You met me and didn't curl up like a dying spider or beetle off at high speed." The hand under Tenpou's shirt makes for his belt, while the other starts pushing buttons open. After a couple, Nii grins and slides his hand under the edge of Tenpou's shirt, yanking down with a practiced movement that sends half his buttons flying as the belt falls open. "And you kept not doing it."

The trick pulls a growl of approval from Tenpou, who arches against Nii's nails on his chest. "You don't intimidate me," he murmurs against the skin of Nii's throat, nipping him there. "And despite your best efforts, you don't make me run, either."

Nii growls, taking the blatant invitation of Tenpou's parting legs, all but crushing him against the wall with a hard roll of his hips, fingernails digging into skin as Tenpou rocks back against him with a moan. Fucking good, that. "Is that what you thought?" One hand slides down to tug Tenpou's pants open, slithering inside to take hold of his cock, pleased when Tenpou's hips hitch with the grip.

"So that-" Tenpou gasps as Nii bites at the thin skin over Tenpou's collarbone in retaliation for his throat, "wasn't your intent?" Nii licks at the mark his teeth have left, stroking Tenpou slowly, quiet sound of amusement, not quite a laugh. He tilts his head up to catch Tenpou's lower lip between his teeth for a second, groaning as Tenpou moves against him again.

"There are easier ways to see your ass, and no other reason to try."

Tenpou raises an eyebrow at him, but drops the point, turning his attention to Nii's pants instead, and it's Nii's turn to gasp for the feeling of Tenpou's hand wrapping tightly around him. Raising his free hand to rake Tenpou's shirt off one shoulder, he digs fingernails into skin there, and teeth hard into Tenpou's throat - more vengeance for the mark on his own - with a rough sound of satisfaction. Tenpou stiffens under the assault, but only for a moment, relaxing with a moan that sends a tremor down Nii's spine.

Nii shoves Tenpou's shoulder back against the wall, Tenpou struggling just enough to satisfy. He shifts a little to help Tenpou shove his pants down over his hips, and slips his hand down to Tenpou's ass. He rocks almost brutally against Tenpou's body, and fuck the arms in the way, he wants skin and friction, and five fucking months worth of keeping his distance crushed to dust.

Tenpou's mouth on his jaw, sharp pain there, then words panted in his ear, "Left pocket. Same combination."

The necessity of releasing the ass it took him so fucking long to get hold of strikes Nii as monstrously unfair, and he bites back a snarl. On second, thought, he figures at least that's the hand closest and gives in, tugging the box out with little regard for the integrity of Tenpou's pocket. He flicks the tumblers with his thumb, then the lid, snickering at the implications of the tiny tube of lube and the condom inside. "Fucking Boy Scout."

Tenpou's only response is to stroke Nii a little faster and kiss him hard, which is really all right by Nii, who bites at his mouth before pulling away exactly far enough to get the point across as he holds up the box. Tenpou shrugs and snags the stuff, huffing quietly as Nii finally releases his cock. The coy little smirk on him is hardly opaque, but Nii can't help but grin back at the bastard, tossing the box carelessly over his shoulder and reaching to take the lube and condom instead.

"Take the pants off, there's a love," Nii purrs, holding Tenpou's gaze as he tears the package open with his teeth. Tenpou chuckles and complies, bending to pull his pants off, and Nii lets himself have a second to drink in the sight of him like this, dishevelled, clothing half-off and the rest askew, hair a little messed up in the back from rubbing against the wall. Fuck, but this is a far sweeter deal than anything he's had, even if he gets fucked for it, in the end. Well, he's going to get fucked either way; it's really just a matter of interpretation.

Nii turns his attention to the incredibly fucking annoying task of putting the condom on, pleased when he feels Tenpou's arm slide around his neck again. Squeezes the lube into his palm, dropping the tube when Tenpou's leg wraps around his hip, automatically hooking his free hand under it for support as Tenpou drags him in for another kiss. He slicks himself with fast strokes, impatient, and it shows in the vicious edge that creeps into the kiss. Releasing himself, Nii slips his hand between them, running slick fingers quickly over Tenpou's entrance as a precaution, pressing just enough to tease, eliciting a small, desperate sound. He swipes his hand over his pants to clear most of the lube off it, pressing Tenpou hard against the wall and grabbing his other leg, tugging him to lift it, as well. Tenpou's done this before - enough to know exactly how to wedge himself between Nii and the wall as Nii lifts him up. Stepping closer, supporting Tenpou's ridiculously light weight fairly easily, Nii reaches to position himself, breaking away and ducking to bite down hard on his throat as he leans back minutely, letting gravity do the work, groaning roughly around flesh as Tenpou sinks down onto him.

Hands clench tightly in his hair, legs around his waist, Tenpou's ragged little cry of pleasure/pain in his ear, and Nii's shaking with the force of pure fucking lust now. Maybe he should have been more careful, but Tenpou's a big boy, and could have stopped him any time. That he didn't is savagely gratifying. He stays pressed to Tenpou's throat for a long moment, listening to their mingled panting breath, giving them both time to adjust, caught in the sensation of Tenpou's body relaxing around him.

After a while, Nii shifts, sliding an arm around Tenpou's hips, bracing the other against the wall, pulling back to look at him with a wild grin that Tenpou answers with a matching one and a slow roll of his hips, and Nii's done holding back, slamming into Tenpou with all the pent-up desire of five months of look-don't-touch and settling into a hard, rough rhythm. Better than the lascivious promise of a moment ago, Tenpou manages to push back against his thrusts, tiny moans falling from him to mix with Nii's own. Nii's world shifts, narrows to this, effort, reward, the liquid heat of Tenpou's body swallowing him again and again, tugging him in, demanding more, constantly shifting to keep Nii's mind unbalanced as hell. It's fucking amazing, and he watches Tenpou as closely as he can, considering the distraction of what's happening to the rest of him, greedily taking in the colour suffusing pale skin, the shape of Tenpou's mouth with lips parted for his moans, the flash of taut muscle shifting with his movements, so beautifully fucking filthy it burns a little. Breath comes short and harsh, fingers digging into skin hard enough to bruise, pressing Tenpou hard against the wall to see the way his body jerks with Nii's thrusts.

Nii makes an incoherent sound that manages to convey deep displeasure at the loss of Tenpou's grip in his hair, but the trade off is worth it, Tenpou closing that hand around his cock instead, jerking himself off with frantic strokes. He bites at the thin skin of Tenpou's chest, watching him, drowning in moans and the enthusiastic writhing of his body. Sensation takes him over by inches, his own ragged moans and gasps reflected off Tenpou's body as his control begins to slip. He nips hard at Tenpou's jaw, then covers his mouth in a vicious kiss, swallowing those gorgeous little cries as he fucks him just a little harder.

Tenpou's breath gets even quicker, the colour in his skin deepening with the speeding of his hand on his cock, and fuck, that's a beautiful thing. Nii watches through eyes half-closed with the intensity of pleasure and lust, and he can see the way Tenpou's climax rips into him as much as he feels it, doesn't hear it in the breathless arching of Tenpou's body as come spills over his hand and onto his stomach. Instinct has him closing teeth on Tenpou's throat again, the stiffening of his body driving Nii that much deeper, muscles rippling around him and throwing him sharply over the edge with a low cry muffled by flesh.

Nii squeezes his eyes shut as Tenpou's hand slides into his hair again, the sting and tiny restraint of his grip fucking perfection. Panting against the bruised skin of Tenpou's throat, he eases gradually with the excruciatingly slow waning of his climax. Lifting his head to claim Tenpou's mouth, he eventually comes to a halt, shaking a little in the aftermath of effort and overload of adrenalin. Tenpou pets him a little, the sensation oddly enjoyable, the tiny tremors he can feel running through Tenpou's body, even more so. Unfortunately, as light as Tenpou is, Nii's pretty convinced that his arm is going to fall the fuck off, if he doesn't put Tenpou down, no matter what the rest of his body says. Sighs as he does, thoroughly unimpressed, and Tenpou hisses as Nii's nails leave the deep creases they've left in his skin.

Tenpou drops a hand to his shoulder, smirking at him. "Much more enjoyable than putting bows on anything."

Nii nips at his mouth and grins, turning away to head to the bar and the garbage there, to deal with the aftermath. "Aw, and I was going to ask for one with sparkles."

A long moment of silence as Tenpou considers the request, but in the end he shakes his head, his voice firm. "Glitter is a non-negotiable limit."

"Damn, I was looking forward to that," Nii teases, grinning up at Tenpou from behind the bar.

Tenpou snorts, getting himself in something resembling order before he picks up his coat and slips a hand into the pocket for his smokes. He lights up quickly, giving Nii a long look as he exhales. "The data run ends in three days, yes?"

Nii nods, grabbing a decanter of vodka as he pads back out toward Tenpou, the idea of having a screwdriver right now tickling the fuck out of him. He pours some into his glass, then snags up his cigarettes from the table, unwinding completely in the familiar ritual of lighting one. Fuck, that's satisfying, he thinks as he eyeballs the mark on Tenpou's throat. "Yup. When's the deal?"

"Well, he thinks it's on Tuesday. So far." Tenpou gives Nii a conspiratorial little smile. "I'd say I have a week before I have to start thinking."

"You're going to have to stick around for a bit longer than you expected. No running off into the sunset."

"Now, why would you think I would do that?" Tenpou asks, theatrically wounded. "I did pay with my body to ensure I could complete my stint here...well, unmolested isn't strictly true." He grins, sharp, just a little malicious, "Besides, I wouldn't miss Hwan's face for the world.

Nii takes a sip of his drink, making a little face at the taste. One day, he'll either learn to like alcohol, or learn to quit drinking it. Shaking his head, he clicks his tongue quietly. "Hate to take that from you - hell, I hate to miss it - but she won't know a fucking thing. Things have changed, ducky. And it's not payment, if you plan to take it back."

"And why won't she know a fucking thing?"

"Because," Nii grins, "I fucking say so. Because it's no fun to let them figure it out before the end...but mostly because I'd be an idiot to trust you." He can see Tenpou's hackles rising at the evasion, but he settles soon enough with the rest, his expression resigned, by the time it gets to the trust bit. Right. Tenpou seems to consider that for a while, a tiny crease forming between his brows, and he heads over to the table to pick up his whiskey. After a long moment, he fixes Nii with a Look.

"...ducky?"

Nii hands over the most purely innocent look he can muster, though he's not fooling himself about just how effective it is. "Would you prefer sweetie?" He smirks into his glass, watching Tenpou assimilate that.

"See, now that might be enough to make having my day fucked with, acceptable."

His response to the threat (predictably, though Tenpou doesn't know it yet) is a delicious little thrill that trips down his spine, and he waggles his eyebrows at Tenpou. "That's why I didn't start there."

Tenpou tilts his head, studying Nii for a few seconds, then seems to gather himself, taking a deep breath before he dives back into Business. "I always thought that running off into the sunset was more of a third-date activity, anyway, but how long are we talking about, here?"

"I had hoped we'd get around to more than that," Nii pouts at him, setting out the invitation as clearly as he possibly can. "When the run ends and your little wrigglies have what you came for, I'll replace the original data with a mock-up, and change out the program for a dummy. The numbers are off by just enough to skew imperceptibly until the extrapolations get to huge runs - in about a year. Scheduled start on that is in two weeks, and the closer to that date I do the insertion, the better."

"Well," Tenpou drawls around his cigarette, "you seem to have had this planned out well in advance."

Nii smirks hugely at him. "No further than you. Now, how about another drink? I think I have some ribbon around here, somewhere..."