Sex, money and a bucket of paint

Paring: Asami x Takaba

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: smut, yaoi, paint, possible OOCness

Note: This is an AU story written for the Yamane Ayano Career Fest, at LJ, with the intention of filling the following prompt:

38. Asami hires Akihito's company to paint his house. Akihito is the poor soul assigned to the job. Asami decides he wants more than just his house painted.
Additions: obnoxious neighbors, cats, ladders

Beta: eveshka (Thank you!)

Serinji will continue this fic and turn it into a multi-chap :)

"Modern ambiance and spacious rooms; we will make this home sleek and effortless!" Aichi, the interior designer, waved his hands as if painting the image in his head for his employees, like doing so would make his vision for Asami Ryuichi's house come to life. His overly dramatic tone spoke of wonders and the men and women listening to him were all used to his original behavior and ideas. Though why he insisted on putting on this show for every client was beyond them, it's not like they didn't know the plans already. They've been getting ready for this project for weeks after all. "A house for a chic king with darkened oak floors. Colors like black, white, silver and we will use wood and stone for that hint of nature to breathe life into it," he continued his tirade, wandering from one side of the large, empty, living room to the other.

Asami, the customer himself, was regarding Aichi with an unreadable expression. Dressed smartly in a dark suit with a gray shirt and a black tie, with a hand in his pocket and a half smoked cigarette between his lips, he managed to look relaxed yet intimidating at the same time. It was his dark eyes and poker face that made the employees feel like they were under close scrutiny and yet the few women, and a man or two, couldn't stop staring at his handsome features, torn between fascination and discomfort.

The interior designer stopped in the middle of the room and readjusted his fashionable glasses with thick, black frames that looked too big for his long and narrow face. Most people suspected he only wore glasses because it was currently trendy. "Yes... I have a good feeling about this," he concluded and turned towards Asami." We would like to start immediately, if that is all right with you sir." His thin lips stretched into a smile yet he didn't receive one back from his customer.

"I have faith in your business Aichi-san. Go right ahead, I won't get in your way." Asami didn't even move a muscle, yet was relieved that the man would, hopefully, end his nonsensical rambling and actually do some work.

Aichi clapped his hands together and bowed to his customer like some gleeful monk. "We at Decorum appreciate your kind words sir," he turned to his staff and his expression changed to that of a businessman. "You all know what to do; take your positions and let the show begin!"

Takaba barely suppressed his snort and moved to follow some of his colleagues to the other rooms that were to be painted. His boss seemed to believe that this was a theater instead of basically a painting and construction company, fancy titles or not. He zipped up his dark blue coverall and checked with his superior that he had the information right. Takaba had just been hired and was desperately in need of this job for the money and so making any type of mistake was out of the question. Each room would be painted differently which meant that it was important to know which room was which and what colors went with it. The guy, Asami, sure lived in a huge apartment all alone. "Maybe he's making up for something," Takaba snickered to himself and opened the can of white primer paint.

Aichi was running around and keeping an eye on his staff to make sure they did everything right. His reputation was on the line after all, and Asami Ryuichi wasn't a man to be taken lightly. One small flaw and Decorum was doomed, and so was Aichi. The very idea of having to work as a busboy at a sushi restaurant, like he did as a young man, brought tears to the man's eyes. So he was strict and easily angered, and that made the workers edgy. Takaba had found a way to keep his good mood though, by sticking earphones into his ears and listening to music while he painted the bedroom. Yet even that didn't keep out Aichi's rather shrill voice; "I want this maison to say Welcome home Your Majesty, and the chambre à coucher to scream: Here sleeps a mighty beast ready to devour!" And with that comment meant for whoever was listening, the interior designer left the master bedroom and went to bother some other unfortunate soul. Next to Takaba, another painter rolled his eyes and Takaba grinned.

As promised, Asami didn't bother the staff and had in fact planned to leave while they worked on his upscale apartment. There was no reason for him to linger and the smell of paint and sound of occasional hammer was something he could do without. Asami had scheduled a meeting with a possible client in an hour and left without a word, glancing at the people working before the door closed behind him. He was an arts dealer and had made his first sale at the young age of fourteen. It had been a trinket but with the use of his natural skill for words and sense of economic worth, he had managed to sell the thing for three times its value. And just before celebrating his eighteenth birthday he had already made a fortune. Things had only gotten better since and now he was ranked as one of the richest men in Japan and was also well known abroad in the art and auction world, with connections spanning across the globe. He had, however, decided to purchase a condo in Tokyo and cut back on his travels. He wanted to focus on business closer to home.

"Oh Asami-san, it's been such a long time!" A woman exclaimed, interrupting the calm in the hallway as he waited to the elevator. He knew who the owner of that particular voice was without having to look and Asami turned reluctantly, his face neutral like always and not revealing his dislike. "I noticed you have been rather busy, and now that you are back you still are! My, do you ever take a moment off and just relax?" The woman giggled and batted her eyes at Asami.

There was no subtlety in her flirting and her unsuccessful tries to become something more than a neighbor with the extremely handsome man next door, which was more tiring than amusing. She simply could not help herself from mentioning to whomever was listening just how delicious Asami-san's buttocks looked or how his perfect lips wrapped around his cigarette. Asami had been unfortunate to accidentally overhear such comments when the women in the building gossiped. Not to mention, the sultry looks she would shoot his way and feign the innocence of a woman half her age. Asami found that he often had to restrain himself from doing something as childish as rolling his eyes at her or uttering a poisonous word to stop this woman that was old enough to be his mother from blatantly undressing him with her perverted eyes.

"Indeed it has, Kaji-san," Asami didn't move from his position by the elevator, set to end the conversation as soon as it arrived. The Kaji woman wasn't someone he wished to spend time with or even being seen next to.

"What have I said about that?! Call me Karen, or Ne-chan if you want," she giggled again and fixed her locks gently with her hand, her long pink nails looking like claws in Asami's eyes. In fact, she was dressed entirely in that dreadful color; sporting a soft overall and sandals with heels. If it wasn't for the diamonds around her neck and fingers, there would be no telling that she was a successful jewelry designer. Because she completely lacked taste when it came to clothes and shoes. And decent behavior.

"Kaji-san," Asami ignored her request, "You have to excuse me, I was on my way to a meeting. Have nice day." He cut her short with his words and the doors to the elevator slid open for him. The woman was about to protest and she was visibly disappointed that their conversation came to an end when the doors closed and Asami disappeared from her view.

After a couple of hours of hard work, the walls had been prepped and the first coat of paint was being applied. Takaba had always enjoyed working with his hands and had always known that a desk job was definitely not for him. To be able to work with paint, even in this form, was a bonus for the aspiring artist. Takaba's passion was art and oil painting and this job would help him pay for art school and not just rent. He hummed as he rolled on the paint on the wall, making sure it was an even coat and probably cared more about the outcome than the rest of his team.

Soon more and more people left for the day and the sun had already started to set, yet Takaba took his sweet time to finish and didn't notice the person observing him. Takaba, standing on a ladder, let the brush swipe over the nooks and crannies, making sure not to miss a spot. The way he moved the brush was almost loving, despite the fact that he was just covering a wall with some paint. There was no room to be creative and add colors or any kind of pattern yet that didn't stop the young man from liking it. Because in the end, he was working with paint and brushes. As far-fetched as that might sound to people, Takaba was enough of an optimist to appreciate even that.

Asami was back and leaning against the unpainted door-frame in his apartment. He had left his jacket and tie in his car and had been surprised that there was still someone left. He regarded the young man with some interest yet there was irritation humming in his veins. The meeting had gone fine, as expected; nevertheless, he had come back annoyed. Perhaps it was the Kaji woman and her incessant attention he neither needed nor wanted, or maybe it was coming back to what should be home but instead was now a working area. He had to stay at a hotel and deal with paper work so in other words; there wasn't much relaxation awaiting him. It was rare for him to be in what he considered a childish state, though it appeared that even someone as hardened as him had his bad moments. He was after all, only human, no matter the impression he gave and the poker face he usually wore. His state of mind made him stop and look at the young man at work, his eyes raking over the strong yet lean body and that further enticed him to find some way to relive his stress.

Takaba climbed down the ladder and turned around to find another brush and was startled to see their client standing there watching him in silence. Which was creepy to be honest but maybe that was how the rich made sure one did things properly? Whatever the man's strange reason might have been, Takaba laughed lightly at himself for getting scared and spoke to Asami, "Ah, sorry, didn't notice you Asami-san. This room will be finished soon as you can see. Things are going great," he flashed his boyish grin and hoped that would soften up the iron faced man.

"Is it custom for employees to work so late? Or are you actually enjoying yourself?"

Takaba was taken aback how observant the man seemed, and that creept him out even more. Or rather, made him feel uncomfortable. Like he was on display and Asami was judging and mapping every single detail about him. "You sure have a sharp eye," he laughed though it was definitely forced this time. "I do like my job."

"Well I do have an eye for fine things," a sensual smirk spread over his face and his dark eyes felt like they were drilling into Takaba's very being, as if the man was learning every sin and every secret he had hidden within his soul.

Takaba's face heated up and he tried not to give into the weird butterflies in his stomach. "Yeah I heard about how you collect art," he changed the subject and wiped the excess paint off his brush on the side of the can.

Asami found that he liked the way the young man had reacted to his flirting and so he continued his teasing."Which is why my interest piques when I find something unusual." Indeed, he was interested and like most things in life that he found intriguing; he would get what he wanted in the end.

"Is it really that unusual to like one job?," Takaba smirked, a little annoyed with himself that he was in fact reacting to the man's words and hot gaze. He was here to do his job and not be seduced, which the Asami clearly was trying to do! There was no mistaking that hungry look for anything else.

A dark chuckle was an answer to his reply and Asami stepped closer to him, his strides slow yet determined, almost gliding over the paper covered floor. He looked out of place in the dusty and splotchy setting but none of that mattered because all Takaba could see was how that large and obviously toned frame was getting closer and his dick jumped in invitation. Nevertheless, he would be damned if he gave up so easily! "Should you really be here? I mean, you might get paint on your expensive looking clothes and-"

"Don't worry about me. What you should worry about is the paint on the wall," Asami interrupted him and leaned forwards when he was just inches away from Takaba who suddenly froze and expected some kind of touch or kiss. Yet none of that happened when Asami reached behind Takaba and he was so very close that all Takaba could see was the fine fabric of the man's shirt and smell the luxurious cologne he wore. Asami picked up a clean brush from the windowsill and straightened again. It was in that moment that the comment registered with Takaba and his brows furrowed in confusion.

"This room is in the wrong shade."

The words hit Takaba like a punch in the gut and his eyes widened in horror. Asami held up the clean brush, implying he had more work to do, and a practically sadistic glint in his eyes and light pull of his lips told the young man that he had been played and defeated. "I believe you got this room and the living room confused."

A blush crept up over his features and Takaba took a step back and searched his brain for a good explanation. He could lose his job for a huge mistake like that! Horror was exchanged for determination, "I will repaint this room right now and get it right this time, even if it takes all night."

Asami looked surprised and a little impressed for a split second before what appeared to be his default, neutral expression - a kind of mocking smirk and intense eyes - graced his handsome face again. "No matter how impressive your determination is, the fact remains you made a mistake and that will cost you." Asami came closer again and used the brush to tilt the young man's chin up and there was no doubt in what way Takaba was supposed to make up for it.

Takaba visibly swallowed and found that it was harder to breathe when the man was so close to him. Not to mention, how it affected his lower region and even though his pride screamed at him to push Asami away his body seemed eager to repent. "Uh, I-I don't have a lot of money," he tried but even he didn't believe his own words and he knew that he was stalling, "but I promise to compensate you-".

Takaba was cut off by Asami's lips on his and his body tensed on instinct and he dug his fingers smudged with dry paint into the man's shirt. A muffled protest was heard yet Asami paid it no mind and angled his head to deepen the kiss and wrapped his arms around the young man's lithe frame, not caring about any stains or dirt. That move and the heat coming from Asami put Takaba's senses in overdrive and he started to melt against the firm chest, accepting the kiss and the protest turned into a sigh. Asami's tongue lapped against the seam of his mouth and lips with the intent of diving into Takaba's mouth and the young man let him, his own tongue meeting Asami's. The man tasted of cigarettes and hints of alcohol but it wasn't unpleasant, far from it, and he proved to be talented with his tongue as well. Takaba on the other hand seemed to consist of all things sweet; a flavor Asami usually didn't care for yet now drank like a thirsty man. Yes, he was thirsty and hungry and Asami's arms tightened around Takaba with no intent of letting him go and only opened his hand to drop the brush on the floor.

The kiss ended and Takaba felt light headed and his cheeks were flushed and so where his lips. He licked them then began to move in Asami's arms, trying to break his hold. The man did loosen his grip just a bit but not enough to actually break the contact and watched Takaba struggle more with himself than with the arms around him. "Okay, well I can just go back to work now uh... painting a wall takes a while so..."

Asami's hand caressed his cheek and lingered on his full bottom lip, still teasing and coaxing the young man to give into him. "You're going to have to try better than that. It has to dry and that takes even more time. You will inevitably screw up the work schedule." There was humor in his eyes but also lust and Takaba felt that wave of heat hit him again. "That costs more than a kiss."

His pride reacted to those words and Takaba became annoyed that the man was playing with him and thinking he could get away with it too. His face revealed his irritation and some of the dizzying heat ebbed away and Takaba was able to think clearly again. "Well aren't you sure of yourself. Do you think I'm going to just do whatever you tell me to, old man?" He smirked and challenged Asami, his gaze fierce.

This, however, had the opposite effect on Asami who chuckled instead of getting angry and apparently both accepted and approved of this challenge. "I'm guessing you really need this job and I could always have a talk with your superior about your work performance." That was a blatant threat and Asami wasn't the kind of man to shy away from such things if it produced the results he expected. "Or, I can help you get away with your little mistake. Up to you."

Takaba gritted his teeth, now officially pissed and his blue eyes became ice-blue. Though that too didn't faze Asami and his hand crept down Takaba's spine to his behind and let his fingers graze over it which elicited a gasp from the young man and some struggling. Asami's grip tightened around him again and he bent his head for another kiss. This time Takaba wasn't as willing to cooperate and that suited Asami just fine. That wicked tongue went passed his lips and Takaba whimpered, torn between his anger and desire that kept building up in his body. This was wrong on so many levels yet in the back of his mind he knew that if he wanted to keep his job he had to give in. Or at least, that was the excuse he told himself when Asami's scent invaded his senses and large, warm hands started to roam over his body.

He relaxed a bit yet his natural instinct didn't allow him to fully enjoy what was happening and he was still a bit reluctant to get down and dirty with the man who had hired him to paint his damned house! But the more time he spent in that scorching embrace, the more his resolve crumbled and Asami drew out a soft moan from him with the way he sucked on his tongue. Asami's other hand went down and joined the other one, cupping Takaba's round derriere and giving it a squeeze. That shot an intense current to Takaba's groin and made his knees buckle and he gasped far too loudly in his opinion, making him feel ashamed that he had made such a keen sound. Asami held him tightly and didn't let him fall but instead lifted him a couple of inches off the floor before maneuvering them both smoothly to lie down. It happened so fast Takaba barely had time to register that he had been standing and now he was lying on the bedroom floor under that beast of a man.

Asami was already working on getting Takaba's overall unzipped and distracted the young man with kisses and soft bites on his neck and shoulder and it did the trick because Takaba ended up tilting back his head to give him easier access instead of trying to push him away. Asami chuckled against his ear, making Takaba shiver from the warm air hitting his skin and that was when a hand started to shove at his shoulder, though it lacked conviction to actually make him move. "Ah- I haven't agreed to-to this!" Takaba was stubbornly holding on to his pride and objecting to what was about to happen yet his words didn't stop Asami.

"Seems your body disagrees." One quick movement and his fingers pressed down and rubbed Takaba's obvious bulge and received a gasp and jerk as pay for his effort. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." That mocking smirk was back on Asami's face and he continued his advances.

"What?! You can't just - Oh!"

Asami pressed his groin against Takaba's, letting him know how excited the young man made him and Takaba blushed. Asami's brow cocked, still wearing that smirk, and he pulled open the overall, revealing a smooth bare chest underneath it before licking a trail from neck to chest. Takaba gripped the man's shoulders and he actually stopped struggling and shivered when that wet tongue touched him. He didn't want this, this was wrong, this would get him into even more trouble and yet his body squirmed and demanded more, completely ignoring what his sanity was yelling. It felt so, so good. A couple of more well aimed licks, light bites and kisses and Asami unbuttoned the top of his own shirt yet didn't take anything off. Beneath him Takaba was breathing harder and his blue eyes sparkled with lust. Asami licked his lips, enjoying seeing the young men disheveled. Despite his words, Takaba was surprisingly honest if you took a moment and paid attention.

Takaba's was suddenly manhandled and the overall got pulled down until it was pooling around his thighs. "Hey! What the hell!?" He protested and felt pretty offended that the man treated him like some rag-doll. Takaba was then flipped over to lie on his stomach and Asami covered him before he had the chance to fight back.

"Your clothes are in the way I'm afraid," was the mutter he got back as a reply and then Asami's hands were spread on his back, long fingers tracing his curves and spine and Takaba shivered.

"Ah," Takaba's voice came out thick and one of Asamis' hands came around to his chest to play with his nipple while the other traveled further down to tug at the waistband of his boxers. The man planted kisses on his neck and shoulders and Takaba's fingers curled and flexed, planted on the paper-covered floor and dust stuck to his skin. It was embarrassing how that old man was able to reduce him to a moaning mess. His underwear slid down and exposed his bottom and that was when Takaba snapped out of his daze. He had been with a guy before, yet it had been a while and it would probably be tricky if they went that far. He began to move and tried to sit up. "Wait, I can't."

Asami pulled out his wallet from his pants and took out a small package. "I promised to be careful with you, didn't I?" He purred though his voice revealed a hint of teasing. Takaba could hear the sound of a foil being ripped open and he did appreciate that, yet it still didn't calm him down. He glanced behind his shoulder and caught Asami unzipping his pants and pulling out his erection and the sight of it sent another jolt of lust through his body and it centered at his own hard length, making it twitch. Asami saw him staring and unrolled the condom down his erection slowly, putting on a show for Takaba. The young man had stilled and was no longer objecting.

The man draped over him and pushed his hips to press up against Takaba's entrance, settling between his legs and making it very obvious what would happen in just a moment. A part of Takaba, the young and horny one, became excited and practically swooned and desperately wanted him to go through with the promise. Yet his adult, logical mind was still hesitant. What if someone came back or found out? The whole thing was a very. bad. idea. But when Asami breathed into his ear and nipped on his lobe, the last of Takaba's restraint flew out the window and he found himself pushing back to meet Asami's hips. The man smirked, his lips still close to Takaba's ear. "Good boy," he praised.

In an overwhelming but very short, explosive moment Takaba had been entered and he gasped at the intrusion. It stung but wasn't as bad as he had expected. The lubrication on the condom most likely helped yet he closed his eyes and took calming breaths to allow himself to relax. "What was that about being careful?" he huffed accusingly. Asami hadn't been gentle but he did stop and allowed the young man to prepare himself before he moved properly. A minute went by and Asami started to push in at a slow pace, although that didn't last too long and soon he was as deep as he could be and each thrust rocked Takaba out of balance. Takaba's gasps and moans picked up and his hand shot out, knocking over a small can of paint and the liquid poured out over the, thankfully covered, floor.

Asami hummed in disapproval, "So careless..." His hips didn't pause though and he pulled at Takaba's shoulder so he would turn his torso then attacked his lips with a searing kiss. Takaba's fingers slid through the paint from the change of position and flew up instinctively to Asami's face. The paint smeared over the man's cheek in long streaks when Takaba's hand let go as the kiss ended, making him look like a warrior who had been painted for war.

The young man's widened for a second, unsure how the selfish beast would react to having his face covered with paint but then a stubbornness set into his eyes and he glared at Asami instead. "Told you might get paint on ya," he grinned cheekily. However, he hadn't expected Asami to look amused,

"So cocky for someone that's so eager to get touched by a man."

"You are the pervert that came onto me!" Takaba bristled.

"Are you going to pretend you didn't want this?"

"I didn't! I tried to-"

Asami's hand took hold of Takaba's length and stopped his grousing with a firm squeeze making Takaba jerk. He was hard and aching and no matter what words came out of his mouth his body deceived him by speaking of the opposite. "Lying doesn't suit you," Asami simply stated and continued to move in and out of the young man.

Now kind of irritated and frankly offended, Takaba tried bracing himself as much as he could yet the overall around his ankles and Asami's large body covering his made it difficult to grab a hold. The fact that they were on the floor didn't help either but at the same time, Asami had enveloped him in an oddly possessive and dominant embrace as he held him and moved in his own pace, so close and scorching hot against Takaba's back. All thoughts of giving back what he had been given suddenly vanished. There wasn't much for him to do now but to give into the pleasure when the man thrust and hit all the right spots. It made him dizzy and he vaguely realized that he had never felt anything this intense before and he could whine about not wanting it, yet in his very core he did. He had been always craving that feeling and it had taken someone as headstrong and egoistical as Asami Ryuichi for him to understand that and actually give it to him.

Takaba gave one last shout and came hard, spilling on the floor under him and with Asami still buried inside, though the movements did not slow and with a couple of quick and hard pumps Asami shivered a little and climaxed as well, enjoying the feel of Takaba clenching around him. The young man rested his forehead on the floor, all strength leaving him and a chill tried to seep in his muscles yet Asami's heat kept it at bay. The man pulled out slowly, his fingers on the condom and removed the latex, tying it up and dropped it next to them then settled over Takaba once again, his chest on the young man's back. Asami kissed his neck and Takaba was starting to come down from his high, though his breathing was still labored. "You're heavy," he muttered and tried to hide the embarrassment that was slowly overcoming him again. "Don't fall asleep on me!"

Asami rubbed his nose gently behind Takaba's ear and blew air on his shell and the young man shivered. That was definitely his sweet spot. "Why are you blushing?" he changed the subject and teased him, knowing that it would make Takaba flush harder. And it did.

"Just get off me! You had your fun," Takaba wiggled and managed to break free by part stumbling, part rolling away from Asami. Although, it wasn't particularly graceful, especially since his overall was still tangled around his legs. Asami chuckled yet didn't mind getting one more look at the naked young man before Takaba finally pulled up his boxers and the uniform and began to resemble an actual painter rather than someone who had just been ravished. Though, one look at his sparkling eyes and ruffled hair and there was no doubt what he had been put through just a minute ago. Next to him, Asami looked infuriatingly calm and collected and had even tucked in himself at some point. He was resting on his elbow, on the floor, with his cheek against his hand and merely observed Takaba with a mysterious smile on his lips. He had dust and dried paint on his clothes and the streaks on his cheek Takaba had left, yet it did nothing but add a dirty sex appeal to his devilishly good looks.

Takaba belatedly figured out that the wetness on his back was the paint he had spilled and he got up from the floor, awkwardly since his butt was sore, and tried to wipe off the paint covering his entire backside and even hair. He heard snickering and his attempts only smeared the paint over his hands and arms as well and he shot Asami a dark look, scarcely restraining himself from sticking his tongue out or flipping him off. "Laugh all you want, you dirty old man! But I won't be working on your walls anymore, we are even!" He was angry, humiliated and achy and at this point didn't care about his work. He would figure out to pay for college some other way. Takaba zipped up his overall and limped to the door out with one hand supporting his lower back. Behind him Asami had followed and he didn't hear him approaching until he was literally looming over him with his height advantage. Was the guy really just some arts dealer?! He looked and behaved more like a gangster!

"And here I was looking forwards to seeing you painting my walls so earnestly, as if you were creating a painting," Asami whispered into Takaba's ear and stretched out his arm in front of the young man to unlock the door for him. Asami standing so close to his back made him hyper aware of his sensitive body and skin and it was like Takaba was expecting the man to pounce on him again. But nothing happened and the door slid open, offering him freedom.

And in the hall a certain Kaji-san was walking back to her apartment with her fat cat on a leash, after a nightly stroll and round of gossip no doubt. A smile appeared automatically on her face when she noticed that Asami's door opened, yet it faltered and stuck to her face unnaturally when she saw the sweaty and dreary young man so close to him and cheeks tinged pink. They were both covered in paint in one way or another and Asami appeared to look unusually relaxed. The Kaji woman was a lot of things, but definitely not stupid. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand and stared at the men in a strange mix of horror and fascination. Her cat meowed loudly and hissed at Takaba, seemingly sharing its master's negative feelings. Takaba was, yet again, embarrassed, something he appeared to experience a lot when around the beast of a man. But then he smirked and his eyes sharpened; this was the perfect opportunity for just desserts!

"Yes ma'am, it looks like your neighbor is a pervert. It's most regrettable," he knew he had really done it now, probably ruined his chance to ever get a job in town. But Asami had gotten under his skin and now he was determined to make him react with some other facial expression than that damnable, condescending smirk!

"How?- Wha-?... Oh, well, that does explain why he never swallowed the bait, so to speak," she giggled and like that all things were good in the world again. Though, the cat still eyed Takaba suspiciously. Kaji-san picked up her cat, which looked more like a giant, angry ball of fur than a kitty, and batted her eyes at Asami. "My sister's son is married to a man so if you ever want to stop by for tea then please do so, Asami-san. Or if you simply want to have a taste of something different..." she winked and opened her door and went inside, leaving one exasperated Asami and stunned Takaba behind.

"That little stunt and the can of paint you spilled will cost you. See you tomorrow," were the parting words from Asami Ryuichi and the door closed behind Takaba. The young man cursed Asami to the deepest parts of hell as he limped his way to the subway, while trying to pick out pieces of dry paint from his hair.

TBC by Serinji