Doppelgängers.
AN: Something else that's been bothering, so I wrote the first chapter, trying to go back to my older stuff after this, however, so this will be updated slowly.
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The first time he saw it, on a Monday morning as Kirishima was driving him to a business meeting in Ginza, Asami thought that perhaps his eyes were merely playing tricks on him, he was weary, he'd spent all night up with Akihito, teasing him until neither of them could take it anymore, and they both finally got what they wanted. They rarely saw each other lately, their schedules always conflicted at this time of year, so Asami made the most of their night, until morning.
It was only natural the object of his affections, his kitten, the reason he worked so hard to keep Tokyo on lock down, would be on his mind this morning. Well, he was on his mind every morning.
He brushed off the fact that he saw someone who looked exactly like Akihito, dressed in a rather well made business suit, dash into a boutique café with a cellphone attached to his ear, the image in his mind fading the further the BMW got away from the café, it was only a fleeting glance, easy to mistake one person for another when said person was occupying his thoughts.
.
He saw it again on Wednesday evening in Azabu, he was sitting alone in the limo that was parked at the curb, a Dunhill perched between his lips as he observed people come and go from the hotel lobby he'd just had a meeting at.
The individuals were all the same, going about their lives as if they had no idea who really controlled the city they called home.
He smirked as a wisp of omnipotent white smoke trailed from his nose and parted lips, there was one person in particular who knew he had Tokyo in the palm of his hand, but it was amusing, how that person obliviously had Asami in the palm of his hand.
Power balances were such a fickle thing, who knew it would take one blonde haired, wild eyed photographer to tip the balance.
The filter of his Dunhill was crushed between his lips as his gaze landed on a particular person exiting the building with a rather attractive woman on his arm.
The pair stopped at the entranceway, the man dressed impeccably in what looked like an Armani suit, the woman, a hostess, Asami guessed, hanging off his arm like an annoying bug.
Even if this was a job, there was no way Akihito could afford an Armani suit, the way the woman was touching him had his heckles rising as he continued to crush the cigarette in his mouth between pursed lips.
He was about the exit the limo, his angry hand ripping the door handle back, when he had a better idea.
He would ring Akihito and see what pathetic lie the blonde had for such an infringement. He should have known better by now, that no one else was allowed to touch his skin, not even for a job.
He sat back in the limo, his possessive eyes locked on the reason for his annoyance as the phone rung, in front of him, Akihito made no notice that his phone was ringing, Asami couldn't hear it from inside the sound proofed vehicle, but he knew the ring tone that Akihito set for him would be sounding, and Akihito knew better than to let it ring out.
The pair in front of him continued talking, he watched Akihito smirk, yes smirk, down at the coy hostess, the hazel eyes he knew well casting teasing promises, just like Akihito did to him when he played extra hard to get.
That look always drove Asami crazy, it sucked him in with the stubborn challenge voiced in that gaze, there was nothing Asami liked more than a challenge, but it was their game, his challenge, those eyes were only meant to look at him like that, it was a face only Asami was ever allowed to see.
His free hand was gripping the handle once more, moments away from getting out of the car and revealing that he'd seen it all, and that he wasn't pleased… but then someone answered the phone he was calling. Had Akihito lost it?
"Asami I can't talk long or I'll burn the food, what do you want?" no, he hadn't lost it, that was definitely Akihito, and that was definitely cantankerous kitchen noises he heard in the back ground.
Not the whoosh of cars going by on the city streets, or the hustle and bustle of Tokyo like he expected to hear in the background, that was because the Akihito before him was still talking to the woman, not a cellphone in sight. Huh?
"Akihito, where are you?" he asked, a little too urgently.
'Huh? I'm at home, why, did something go wrong, what's going on?" the questions were voiced so openly, a tint of suspicion and a note of concern, and laced all the way through with the honesty.
Akihito was such a bad liar it was easy to pick up, even over the phone.
He closed his eyes for a moment, willing order to his irrational thoughts, and then opened them again, to find the pair still there, Akihito was still there, right in front of him, but it wasn't, because he was definitely talking to Akihito, no question about it.
"Asami?" came the questioned, more concern than anything else now.
"Never you mind, Akihito, every thing is fine." He said, after a silent sigh.
"Whatever, the food is burning I have to go, are you home for dinner or not?" Akihito sounded irritated now, Asami chuckled as he pictured the annoyed glare he could practically see over the phone, it pissed Akihito off so much whenever Asami interfered with his cooking.
"Fufu, yes, I'll be home soon, don't burn the building down."
"Shut up, bastard, if I was gonna do that I would have done it ages ago, and made sure that you were in it."
Asami was left chuckling once more as the line went dead, so feisty.
The pair went their separate ways just was Kirishima exited the building, the Akihito that was not Akihito's back turned to his secretary as he walked off down the street, missing each other by a hairs breath.
Asami was already out of the limo by then, his secretary looking miffed at seeing his boss stepping onto the sidewalk.
"Asami sama?" his right hand man questioned.
"Kirishima, do we have Akihito's location?" he asked, it wouldn't hurt to check.
"He's been at the penthouse all evening, Asami sama. Is there something wrong?" Kirishima shifted nervously, true Akihito was still at the penthouse, but even from there he could still cause a riot.
Asami looked at the slender back dwindling down the street, sauntering with the confidence that Akihito didn't have to be wearing such a nice suit.
He massaged his closed eyes with thumb and forefinger, willing the tension that had been building away, before finally looking again as the figure turned around a corner. Akihito was still at the penthouse.
"It's fine, Kirishima, take me back to the penthouse."
He got back in the limo, looking at the corner where the man disappeared.
He could have sworn that that was Akihito. But Akihito was at the penthouse, Kirishima confirmed it, Akihito confirmed it, and Akihito was a terrible liar.
He still searched the house for an Armani suit in Akihito's size when he got home, only to come up with nothing, perhaps Akihito really was driving him crazy?
Once again he brushed the thought aside as he hopped into bed with the real Akihito that night, deciding that perhaps he needed to arrange a short break from work, a lack of Akihito. An intense need, a craving. Nothing more.
.
He was beginning to think it wasn't nothing more however, when he saw Akihito in a Prada suit the next day, sitting outside at a café in Shibuya at lunch time with a table of women, it was daylight, and it was definitely Akihito.
Asami was in the limo however, and as he made Kirishima turn the car around back to the café, Suoh in the front passenger seat confirmed that Akihito was at the editors office where he worked and had been all morning.
By the time the limo made its second pass outside the café, the table and its occupants were empty, leaving Suoh and Kirishima wondering at their boss's odd request to turn the car around, and leaving Asami feeling like he definitely needed some time off, and maybe a check up at the doctors.
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Saturday afternoon was the last straw, he was greeting a business associate at the airport, when he saw the suited Akihito, it looked to be Gucci today, greet another Akihito that had just come through the terminal gates across from him.
This one had glasses and a hipster beanie on, but those eyes were still the same, that soft shade of blonde and the brilliant white smile didn't lie.
Asami could recognize Akihito anywhere, and there were two, two, on the other side of the international airport terminal.
His business associate took that moment to arrive from his own flight however, and between the minuscule greeting that Asami gave him, distractedly he might add, and looking back to the two Akihito's, they had vanished from sight.
Asami spoke to the man, as his golden eyes scanned the building, to find absolutely no trace of what he'd seen only moments ago.
That was it, after the meeting, he booked a few days off and had a check up at the doctors, everything came back clear, he even had his eyes tested, he had perfect vision.
Asami diagnosed himself as suffering from Takaba Akihito deprivation, and the next few days off would definitely cure him of that.