Title: Happiness
Pairing: Atobe/Kabaji
Summary: He's not skilled at understanding his own feelings, only at understanding Atobe's.

A/N: This has been previously posted at my LJ, I just forget to post it here. Perhaps, there are some more Kabaji fans out there who appreciate a man of measured words ^^.

Kabaji's aware of how others in the company feel towards him.

He doesn't need to hear the whispered comments that follow his exit to know what they say.

He didn't earn the job, they whisper.

He doesn't try to persuade them otherwise, because he knows that they wouldn't understand. Each one of them is sure they would do a better job as Atobe's assistant…

…but Atobe doesn't need an assistant.

He doesn't need someone to work his Blackberry and follow him around at dinner parties reminding him of names of wives and children of important and influential people.

Atobe sat on the laps of influential wives and played with those influential children, and any attempt to change the settings on his Blackberry is likely to get someone fired.

This job is his job. Watching out for Atobe, making sure he eats enough vegetables, not allowing him to wallow or mope, it has always been his job. From the day they met.

Kabaji turns up at the hotel everyday, seven sharp. It is one of the many hotels owned by Atobe's family, and is also the hotel that his boss is currently living at.

Miki is at the door when he enters the suite. He gives in as the dog rolls over and gives the mutt a brief belly scratch. He found Miki in the park wandering about scrounging for food. He took the dog to the shelter, but they had no room for it, so he brought it back to Atobe.

'What is that?' Atobe asks reaching over the counter to pinch an apple from the bag that he's unpacking.

'A dog,' Kabaji replies moving the rest of the groceries out of reach.

'Are you sure?' Atobe slides into the barstool and adjusts his robe more securely. 'Doesn't look like any dog I've seen. Is it yours?'

Kabaji shrugs. 'I found him in the park. I thought you might like him.'

'Why would I like it?' He says tucking his feet under him. 'It's an ugly mutt.'

Kabaji is used to his tone of voice. 'You like me well enough,' he replies.

It's quiet while Kabaji organises a glass of juice and two slices of toast. He slides the plate across the counter to Atobe, who stops it with a finger.

'I was reading an article the other day about an inbred Dalmatian that turned on its owners and mauled two children… pure breeds don't always make the best companions.' He takes a bite out of his toast and chews as elegantly as it is possible, while still resting his chin upon his knee.

Kabaji doesn't comment. He spreads his toast with strawberry jam.

Atobe sighs and abandons his toast, only half eaten. 'What's my schedule?'

'You're leaving for Shikoku at eight-thirty to view the proposed location for the new resort. At two forty the meeting with JAS to discuss the tender for the Tokyo Sports and Aquatics centre. I've packed your presentation and laptop.'

Atobe nods thoughtfully, still observing the mutt curled up on the floor. 'What am I wearing?'

'Yves Saint Laurent suit…'

'Green or grey?'

'Grey.'

Atobe nods again, still watching the dog. 'Looks like a Shiba crossed with some kind of terrier… he has good blood.'

The dog wags his sickle shaped tail in reply.

'I packed your tennis gear.'

'Oh?'

'Murai Toshiko's played Nationals in school. You should invite him for a game,' he replies.

'Oh… What time?'

'The courts are booked for eight.'

Atobe's nose scrunches as he frowns and takes another listless bite of his toast. 'How do you even know he want's to play me?'

Kabaji smiles. 'I spoke to his secretary.' Atobe only grunts. 'Try make the game last. 7-4…'

'5-2,' he counters.

'6-3…'

'Sometimes I wonder who's in charge…' Atobe mutters.

He hears Atobe mutter something about three-nil, but doesn't comment.

'Well,' Atobe sighs getting down from the stool. 'If it's going to stay it needs a name and a bath… maybe a bed and other dog things.'

Kabaji nods in reply and waits until Atobe has closed the door to his room before pulling the dog food out of the grocery bags and placing them in the bottom cupboard.

He pauses to give the dog a rub behind the ears. 'Good boy,' he comments to no one in particular.

While Atobe is away during the day he does the personal accounts, supervises the cleaning and repairs, and manages Atobe's dairy; booking and changing appointments. At first Miki spends the days with him, asleep in the corner or out on the patio, and he walks him once in the morning when he arrives and again in the evening.

Until the day when Atobe decides to take Miki with him.

'How do think he'd go in the car?' Atobe asks as he pushes his bare feet underneath the dog to keep them warm.

Kabaji regards his boss momentarily. 'Fine. I take him with me on errands.'

'He's well behaved then?'

'Mm.'

'Sit, stay, lie down…?

'Yes.'

'He's turned out a nice red-brown colour hasn't he?'

'Yes.'

'A fine looking dog.'

'Very.'

'It's a nice collar you got him,' Atobe says, toeing the sensible soft grey collar with his foot. 'Does the leash match?'

'Mm,' Kabaji replies taking a sidelong look at his friend.

'I'd like to take him with me tomorrow. I'm stuck up at that rotten social my father's organised. I get half bored to tears at these things.'

'You'll need to clean up after him,' Kabaji comments.

'I know that,' Atobe replies with a scowl. 'I am capable of cleaning up after a dog, Munehiro.'

'Of course. I'll put his things together?'

Atobe nods, still in a bit of a mood, but happily rubbing Miki's tummy with his foot. As Kabaji leaves the lounge to retrieve an overnight bag for the dog, he glances back at Atobe's sudden laugh. Miki is licking his feet.

Atobe's back earlier than expected and he's in a foul mood. Kabaji chooses to say nothing that doesn't need to be said, and only agrees with each of Atobe's increasingly erratic demands.

He draws a bath for his boss having sent a member of the kitchen staff halfway across town in search of fresh abalone. An item that isn't on the menu at the hotel, but then Atobe surely knew that.

He sulks in the lounge chair, one hand resting on Miki's head, giving the little dog an absent pat every now and then.

When the bath is hot and steaming he adds Atobe's favourite oils and calls for him. He appears in the door, his silk yukata tied loosely about his waist, Miki close on his heels. 'I'll go' he says.

Atobe shakes his head. 'Stay,' he says allowing his robe to fall to the floor. Kabaji catches the silk before it reaches the ground and averts his eyes as Atobe sinks into the water.

Miki peers over the edge and Atobe splashes him playfully, causing the dog to bark and jump away.

'You'll spoil him,' Kabaji says sending the dog to his bed in the other room. 'Bad enough he sleeps in your room. He should be sleeping in the kitchen.'

'Spoilsport,' Atobe pouts. 'I need him in my room, else I'd be lonely…' Atobe sinks lower into the water allowing the water to close briefly over his face before sitting up again. 'This is nice Munehiro.'

He nods with a small smile. There's something about Atobe and baths. His mood can never help but be cheered by a bath.

'Am I ungrateful?' Atobe asks out of the blue.

Kabaji breaks his practice of not looking at his boss during bath time. 'Why do you ask?' he says with genuine surprise.

'Am I?' he asks sinking lower into the bath water, so only his head is above the water.

Kabaji reaches for the shampoo and pours a small amount into the palm of his hand. 'No. You're a good person, Atobe.'

Atobe sighs as he lathers the shampoo into his scalp, firmly rubbing his thumbs in steady circles.

'I'm not so sure Munehiro,' he says distractedly. 'What have I done that's so very good?'

'Miki.'

Atobe laughs, it's almost a choked sob. 'Miki? I would've never taken that mutt, not if you hadn't brought him to me.'

'All the same, you took him.' Gently he rinses water over Atobe's hair, washing out the shampoo. 'There are other things as well.'

'Like what,' he asks quietly.

'Sponsoring the local schools, hiring Takayami's sons, helping Saito's brother with his legal troubles… paying for Mukahi's funeral…'

'Gakuto,' he says softly. 'He needed a good name.'*

Kabaji nods. 'He did.'

'I was happy at Hyoutei. I miss it…'

'Me too.'

'You're the only thing I have left, Munehiro. You've stayed with me,' he says unsteadily.

'I wanted too.'

'I have a favour to ask.'

Kabaji is surprised as Atobe looks briefly away from him. 'Okay.'

'I want you to call me Keigo…'

'Ah,' he hesitates uncertainly.

'Just when we're alone. Please,' he says quickly.

Please. He's certain that Atobe has never uttered that word to him before.

'Okay,' he agrees.

Atobe smiles and relaxes back into the warm water. 'Because we're friends, right Munehiro?'

'Of course… Keigo. We're friends.'

He has to help Atobe to the bed where he falls asleep almost instantly. Kabaji has to shoo the dog off the bed.

'She called him a mutt you know,' Atobe murmurs sleepily.

'Sorry?'

'That bitch, she called Miki an ugly mutt.'

'Oh?'

'I told her I'd sooner fuck an ugly mutt than an inbred like her… or something like that…' Atobe rolls over and Kabaji pulls the covers over his legs and up to his chin. 'Father's mad the party didn't go well… he wants me to marry her.'

'Oh.'

'Munehiro?'

'Yes.'

'I love Miki,' Atobe murmurs quietly grasping his hand tightly.

Kabaji settles on the edge of the bed, and pats Atobe's perfectly manicured hand. 'I know.'

'Can I tell you a secret?'

'Mm,' Kabaji nods slightly.

Atobe pulls on his arm. 'You need to come closer.'

Kabaji doesn't resist as Atobe pulls him down towards him. He doesn't resist when Atobe pushes his hand down to his erection, he only closes his fingers tightly around the silk covered erection and watches as Atobe lets a weak moan escape from between his lips. He's done this a couple times before.

'Is this the secret?' he asks lightly, giving Atobe's erection a firm stroke.

Atobe slaps his shoulder. 'Of course not,' he grunts.

Atobe beckons him closer. Kabaji follows until he's lying against his boss, their faces only inches apart. One hand propping up his head, the other gently rolling over Atobe's hardness.

Atobe leans into him, giving a little thrust into his hand, mouth wavering over his ear. 'I'm happy like this.'

'Like this?' he asks firming his grip on Atobe's flesh.

'Yes,' he gasps. 'And more… You, me and Miki… I'm happy like this.' Atobe closes his eyes briefly and rests on his chest. Kabaji barely hears his next words. 'Are you?'

He's never been asked before. He wants to think about it a bit longer. He's not skilled at understanding his own feelings, only at understanding Atobe's.

But he does want to kiss Atobe. To touch more of him than just his hardened flesh, to reach inside and touch him where others haven't… where others couldn't. Because they don't understand.

'Munehiro?' Atobe's voice trembles. 'Please…'

He's no good with words. What he thinks inside can never be translated by his words, but Atobe has always been able to hear what he doesn't say, what he can't say.

So he says nothing…

… but rises up to his knees and grasps Atobe by his silk clad hips and pulls him down the bed with a grunt. Then he dares.

Dares to part the silk, and bare his cock, the tip glistening and wet, and close his mouth over it as Atobe lets out a strangled cry of surprise.

He's always wanted to do this. To grab those hips and press them down, to run his hands over the swell of Atobe's arse.

Kabaji runs his tongue along the ridge of his cock and sucks down the shaft. Allowing his hands to wander over the cleft of his arse, to ghost over the tight opening, drawing a firm line along the perineum to grasp his balls, eliciting a fierce cry that forces him to press the hips back down into the mattress as Atobe's bitter taste floods into his mouth.

Atobe's hands clench desperately in his hair as he whispers unheard words.

He kisses his way up Atobe's body, all the places he's most wanted to, his hips, belly button, nipples, neck, until finally he can press their lips together, Atobe's arms wrapping hungrily around his neck.

'The drawer,' he murmurs wetly between kisses. 'They're in the drawer. Quickly, please,' he says working the clasp on Kabaji's pants.

Kabaji watches his face as Atobe straddles him, familiar with all his expressions, but sure he hasn't seen this one before. Trepidation, maybe.

'I'm happy, Keigo.' he says quickly, brushing his hand along Atobe's cheek then letting it drop to his thighs. 'We don't—'

The sensation of his prick pressing into Atobe halts all words. It's hot and tight and he is desperately fighting the urge to come when Atobe's hands grabs his tightly reminding him of what his job is, what his job's always been.

What he promised himself more than fifteen years ago.

Make him happy.

Atobe sits with his feet tucked up beneath him, eating strawberry jam on toast, while Miki attempts to fit in his lap. Atobe's hand drops to the dog's head and gives him a little scratch, causing the sickle-shaped tail to thump against his leg.

'I think the mutt needs a holiday…' he says picking up his coffee from the table. Kabaji doesn't comment, handing him a second slice of toast a sitting down on the couch beside Atobe. 'Miki likes the beach.'

'Fukuoka?' he suggests.

Atobe smiles slightly, 'I was thinking south of France.'

'That's pretty fancy for an ugly mutt,' Kabaji comments to no one in particular.

Atobe leans into him, wrapping an arm beneath his elbow and resting on his shoulder.

'Not for my mutt,' he murmurs softly.