AN: I finally managed to finish this oneshot, it seriously took longer than I thought it would. It also became longer than what I thought it would be. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to Ashida for betaing.
And I still don't own Finder Series.
*******VF*******
Unworthy
The old woman held her cane with her right hand as she walked out to her car. The metal of her cane's handle felt cold in her hands from sitting in the air conditioned car on the long ride from Kyoto. She had stopped along the way in comfortable yet tasteful inns to rest for the night before continuing the journey that led her to Tokyo.
She enjoyed these little road trips, they gave her much needed reprieve from temple life, and gave her time in the world she had abandoned, yet missed some times. How a Kyoto yakuza's daughter ended up marrying into a family managing a temple still surprised her. After all, it was not exactly what she thought she would be doing with her life when she was young, but love did strange things to people and despite her father's constant complaining, she married right out of high school to a shrine keeper's son.
She was currently thinking about how she rather enjoyed these unscheduled visits. It was a pity she had taken almost three years to come back to Tokyo, but she simply had not seen a need to, things had been going well for him so she just waited for him to come to her. Now though, she had a bone to pick and someone she wanted to meet, so she had packed her things and hit the road.
She knew they were scared of her, and to be honest, she liked it. Which was part of the reason why for the past ten years, all her visits had been unscheduled, it kept them all on their toes, him included. Also, she did not appreciate getting kidnapped the last time her visit was known to his employees. Somehow word of her arrival had gone out, and one of his rivals had decided to kidnap her upon arrival to use against him. The man clearly had no idea who she was, she was not a woman to take lightly. They all had looked at her tired body, weathered by age and all they saw was a weak old woman. It worked in her favor though and she hunched over herself shaking her hands in pretend fear, until she was presented like a gift to their leader.
They still searched her for weapons of course, they just did not know all her tricks, and as soon as she was close enough to the man, she had stabbed him in the kidney and pulled out a gun. One hour later he had come to collect her and everyone in the room was already dead. To this day they still wondered where the hell she hid her weapons, and the notion made her chuckle a bit. She was an old bag of bones alright, but this bag of bones had tricks a plenty.
This visit, she would try not to kill one of his employees though, she kind of felt bad for him having to replace five of them after her last visit but when she thought about how incompetent they were, she suddenly didn't feel that bad about it. Incompetent people where simply not fit to stand next to him, but she would still try not to get too trigger happy.
The old woman parked her car on the side of the street, stretched, and took her cane. She walked just fine without it and didn't really need it but she liked to pretend she was weak. People acted more like themselves when they thought they were stronger than her, and it helped her judge character. That, and she rather liked having the concealed blade in the cane as close to her as possible. As soon as she spotted the main door, she hunched up and pretended to be as weak as a person her age should be and directed her steps toward it.
There was a man at the door she did not recognize, he gave her an odd look as she walked up the steps and she immediately did not like him. With a sigh, she stepped onto the landing before the door and smiled at him, indicating with her hand to let her through. He did not move from the door, he had never seen her before so he took one look at her and decided she was too old to be important enough to be let in.
"It's a members only club."
"I know."
"Can I see your membership card then?"
"Don't have one, don't need it."
"Everyone needs a card to get in."
"Everyone but me, I assure you."
"Madam, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises." He said.
The young man had tried to hold her arm to lead her away and that simple fact made her so annoyed she wanted to beat the life out of him. But she had promised herself she would try her hardest to not kill his employees this time, so instead she opted for hitting him in the face with the metal handle of her cane –yet another reason she liked to carry it. The man tried and failed at using his arm to protect himself from her attack, and she did not stop hitting him until she had broken something, his nose being the thing that broke first.
Being informed about a commotion at the door, Suoh was the first to come see what was happening along with four of his men just in case there was a threat that needed to be put down. Upon arrival at the door, he was met with a short old woman and a bloodied guard standing against the wall holding his nose. He took in the old woman and his face went pale at once, it was clear he did not expect to see her. The guard, who had not managed to stop his nose from bleeding, was about to say something when Suoh shot him a glare and bowed to the old woman. He did not understand why his boss was not getting rid of the crazy old bat but was instead bowing to her until his boss spoke.
"Asami-sama, welcome back. I apologize for whatever happened here. This man is new and was not aware of you."
"Thank you Kazumi, would you be so kind as to accompany me to see him?"
"Yes, of course." He said as she wrapped her arm around his.
The guard understood then and his throat suddenly closed in fear. He had tried to manhandle the big boss's relative.
Suoh escorted her into the building and led her toward the elevator to the office levels as he texted Kirishima to make him aware of the situation at the door, as well as the boss's guest.
'I will have to get rid of the new employee.' He thought with a sigh.
The woman next to him was quiet as she walked with him, she made Suoh very uncomfortable, always had and always will.
On a different floor, Kirishima had just received Suoh's message and very literally ran to Asami's office, getting lots of confused and speculating looks from the employees in his way as he unapologetically shoved some of them to the side when they stood in his path.
The secretary gave two quick knocks on the door and entered even before being acknowledged, which caught Asami's attention right away, that and the fact that he was breathing frantically. He took in three big gulps of breath before attempting to speak and then delivered his news.
"Asami-sama, I have some really bad news." Said Kirishima, his hands were shaking as he stood before his boss.
He knew that for something to have his secretary in such a state, it had to be very serious and he dreaded asking, thinking that Akihito had gotten himself in trouble again.
"What is it Kirishima?"
Kirishima took a couple of calming breaths before speaking.
"Your grandmother is here."
Asami visibly paled and shifted uncomfortably in his leather chair. The last time the woman had come to visit it had been a horrifying experience for him and everyone working for him. Looking at Kirishima, he realized the man had more to say and secretly he wished he did not have to ask.
"What did she do?"
"She broke the nose of one of the new employees with her cane when he tried to prevent her from entering the club."
"Go usher her in before she kills my employees again."
"Yes sir."
****VF****
His grandmother was ushered in by Kirishima, she smiled to him in thanks before turning to Asami. As soon as she turned her back from the secretary, Kirishima shuddered like he had just seen the scariest thing on earth, which Asami surmised was not necessarily too far from the truth.
Currently she sat on a comfortable chair in his office, sipping some tea and looking him in the eyes as if searching for something. She just sat there for ten whole minutes and the weight of her gaze - which was much like his except for the light brown eyes - was beginning to feel like someone had sat a building on his shoulders, and was with every second that passed, adding houses on top of it.
In his mind, he was dissecting the thousand reasons he had come up with to try and explain why the woman was here. It had been less than six months since he had, as far as anyone was concerned, 'gone on a business trip' to Kyoto and stayed there a whole week. As smart as he was, Asami just could not come up with a plausible reason for his grandmother to come visit when they had seen each other not too long ago. He knew there had to be a reason, that woman never made a move without something behind it. Unless she just really wanted to see him, but they had seen each other twice this year so that was not it.
Asami was beginning to wonder when it had started to get hot in his office, when his tie seemed to have gotten so excruciatingly tight. He avoided looking at those knowing brown eyes before him as much as he could, and every time their eyes met, he felt yet again like an insect under a microscope. His grandmother always gave him a new perspective as to what it felt like for the countless men who had sat before him through the years and felt under his gaze the same way he was feeling right now.
Asami gathered his wits and met the brown eyes with his own golden ones, he would not flinch, he would not look away from her or she would consider him weak… unworthy of being in his position. Five minutes passed in deathly silence as they both stared into each other's eyes, a battle of wills to find weakness in the opponent. Slowly a smile formed on her lips, and he saw pride in her eyes, she nodded almost imperceptivity to him and he let out a breath, with it left much of his tension.
'This woman will always be able to humble me. No matter how high I have risen she can always make me feel like a child seeking for approval.'
He was about to finally ask what was eating at his mind when she spoke.
"You know Ryuichi, it is most irritating to be stopped at the door by a moron in your employ. You should really be more careful when selecting who works for you, or at least make sure they know not to stand in my way."
"Forgive me grandmother, the idiot was a new hire and had not been briefed about you yet. It was my oversight, I did not expect you would visit this year since you had not come to Tokyo on the last three."
"But you should always expect me Ryuichi, knowing I like to keep you on your toes." She said, beaming his trademark smirk in his direction, it was rather unsettling to have all his weapons pointing at him. At least now he did not squirm under her gaze like he used to when he was a child.
"I will be sure to keep that in mind for future reference."
"I know by now you are wondering about the reason of my visit Ryuichi. Would you like to know what it is?"
"You know you never need a reason to come visit, my doors are always open to you regardless. If there is a particular reason though by all means do tell me. I will make sure that things go smoothly with whatever business you have to see to while you are here." He said calmly while his mind screamed 'God yes! It has been killing me for the last thirty minutes.'
"Funny you say that dear, since I shall be staying at your home for as long as I am here and was hoping you would be open to it." She said, smiling at him.
Asami swore he had heard wrong, at least he hoped to heaven he had heard wrong. She wanted to stay at his condo, where he was currently living… his home, where Akihito was also currently living. Had he been a person just like everyone else, right at this moment, Asami Ryuichi would be freaking out.
"Are you sure? Wouldn't you be more comfortable at a five star hotel? You can stay at my private suite and enjoy its luxuries, it would be more comfortable than my condo."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I want to stay with you dear. That is, if there is no problem with it. Is there a problem Ryuichi? Is there a particular reason you do not want your dear old grandmother, who is in the last years of her life to stay with you and spend some quality family time together?"
The woman was a menace he decided, she was not above guilt tripping him, despite the fact he knew quite well that she could probably out live him if she set her mind to it. He really did not want her to cross paths with his lover, God only knew how horrible that could go. But he could not say no to her or she would know he was hiding something.
"Of course there is no reason at all to impede you staying in my home. I would be delighted to spend some time with you."
"Good then, I shall go take a walk around the premises while you finish up with your work and then we can go together in… shall I say… one hour?"
There was no way he could finish all his work in one hour, but he knew she was not really asking but telling him they would leave at that time, regardless of what he thought. Kirishima would just have to stay at work late today and finish all his paperwork for him.
"Yes, one hour should be just what I need."
"Great, I would hate to impose on you." She said smirking at him.
He gritted his teeth and replied with a low "Of course you would."
Asami watched his grandmother stand slowly from her chair and walk toward the door. She was not even halfway through the office and he was already pulling out his phone to call Kirishima and inform the secretary he was to get Akihito out of the penthouse and keep the boy away from home, as well as the club for as long as the most unfortunate visit lasted.
He was about to press the call button when the door opened but before she crossed the threshold, the old woman turned around and with narrowed eyes, delivered the most unexpected and terrifying of sentences with a 'don't think you are getting out of this' look.
"By the way Ryuichi, I expect to meet this so called lover of yours when we get there."
He was sure his blank expression was set firmly, but she knew him enough to see past it, Asami thought he must have had a surprised expression on his face because the woman was chuckling at him as she turned around once more and walked out to let him ponder on the revelation.
'That's why she came, she knows about Akihito… but, how much does she really knows? And how did she find out?'
****V****
As soon as he had left the woman at his boss's office, Kirishima ran down the hallway toward the office shared by his three assistants. He entered the office and after huffing a couple times, met the curious eyes of the two women and one man who worked directly under him.
"Send a memo to everyone and inform them that Asami-sama's grandmother will be here for an indefinite amount of time so they must act accordingly. Hopefully this way we can avoid a repeat of last time's unfortunate events."
The three assistants visibly paled and began working as soon as the words were out of his mouth. One was typing a formal memo on the computer, the other was making phone calls to inform the heads of departments, and the last was sending a mass text/email. It was imperative that everyone was informed to stay out of the woman's way and not act in any way that might call attention to their competence.
Kirishima left the office once he saw his assistants were set on their task and walked rapidly down the hallway, there was a certain troublesome youth he wanted to make sure didn't come anywhere near Asami Yukiko. On his way out, he encountered Suoh who was just coming back from running an 'errand' for their boss and noticing the tension in his surroundings, asked Kirishima what was going on.
"The old devil is taking a look around. She is talking to Asami-sama in his office right now, so if you need to see him I would advise you wait."
Suoh's eyes widened as he processed this information, he looked around him as if expecting to see a catastrophe.
"I think I will spend the rest of my day in my office working on some reports." He said, but Kirishima knew what he meant was that he was going to spend the rest of the day hiding in his office.
"I have to go get the 'cat' out of the condo and take it to where it will not be in sight."
"Hm, good idea. That could be disastrous."
"I don't even want to imagine it."
Kirishima drove to Asami's penthouse like a mad man, he walked into the building and entered the elevator, pushing the button to Asami's floor several times. The elevator ride had never seemed this slow.
He ran down the hallway and entered the penthouse as soon as the door opened. Kirishima searched around for Akihito and found the boy sitting on the couch, reading some photography magazines.
His steps were long and purposeful as he walked toward the boy, he stopped before the blond and pulled the magazine out of his hands, effectively pulling Akihito out of wherever his mind went when anything camera related was in his hands.
"Oh, hey Kirishima. I didn't hear you come in."
"Takaba, prepare yourself."
"Why? What's going on?"
"You are going on vacation to one of Asami-sama's hotels, take your parents with you if you want or your friends. Take them both if it makes you more comfortable, but you are leaving Tokyo for an indefinite amount of time."
"Why? What did I do now? I have not done anything I swear and whatever you think I did I can assure you I didn't do it. I have been out of scoops for over a month, so there is no way whatever happened has to do with me."
"Takaba, you are leaving Tokyo even if I have to drag you myself."
"The hell I am! Why should I go anywhere when you have not even told me a real reason to do so?"
"There is… there are complications in Tokyo that need to be seen to and for your safety and Asami-sama's peace of mind, you need to be away from said complications."
Kirishima had pulled Akihito into the bedroom and was already haphazardly throwing clothes into a suitcase while the boy protested and pulled them out.
"I am not going anywhere until I know exactly what is going on."
Kirishima's phone went off, and recognizing the ring tone, he answered the call by the end of the first ring.
"Asami-sama?"
"Kirishima, where are you?"
"I am at your home sir, helping Takaba pack his belongings so he can spend some time at one of your hotels until the situation here is solved."
"Always anticipating my needs are you not?"
"I thought you would rather Takaba not get involved in this new development, so naturally I acted the way you would have ordered had you not been otherwise occupied."
"Fufu, sometimes Kirishima, I feel like I don't pay you enough. Regarding that matter, it is no use sending him away at this point. She already knows, and demands to meet him as well as to stay at my condo. Make sure a suitable dinner is delivered before we get there, we will be leaving within the hour."
"Hai, Asami-sama."
"Kirishima."
"Yes?"
"Make sure Akihito knows not to do something that may upset her."
"Of course sir, I will talk to him about it."
As soon as Kirishima had put his phone away, he was accosted by a myriad of questions from Akihito.
"Kirishima, what's going on? Why are you so pale all of a sudden? What did he say? For God's sake tell me something already!"
"Listen to me Takaba, if you never pay any heed to my words for the rest of my life as long as you listen to me this one time, I shall be content about it."
"Okay?"
"There is a very important guest visiting Asami-sama for an indefinite amount of time. She wants to meet you and will also be staying here for as long as she feels like it-"
Before he was done explaining, Akihito interrupted him.
"Wait, are you meaning to tell me that all this cloak and dagger shit is because some woman is visiting? And why the hell does she want to meet me of all people? While you are at it, do tell me why is she staying here? Did Asami suddenly run out of personal suites and all hotels in Tokyo also happen to suddenly be full?"
"Will you just wait for me to finish! Er… sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you is just I am a bit worked up about this whole thing."
"So who is this woman then? And why does she want to meet me?"
"Asami-sama's grandmother."
"Ah…" He said, it had not sunk into his mind yet. "Wait, his what?!"
"His grandmother, she wants to meet you. How she found out about you, or what exactly she wants I do not know. What I do know, is that she is not someone you want to mess with. She particularly dislikes people she considers useless or incompetent, as well as people who get in her way or those who displease her in any way. Try not to get yourself kicked out… or killed."
"You are joking right? Asami would not let her kick me out right, he certainly would not let her kill me. Right? Right?"
Kirishima did not answer, he simply just walked away and proceeded to call a food service company and order various courses for tonight's dinner.
Akihito was frantic and Kirishima was nervous, both of them spent what was left of their time cleaning the already clean penthouse and making sure everything – including Akihito – was presentable.
****VF****
"Are you ready to go, Ryuichi?" she asked, leaning against the door to Asami's office.
"Yes, we will leave as soon as Suoh brings the limo around. Your car has been put in the underground parking lot and you will be riding with me today. Your luggage is already in the trunk and things have been settled at home for tonight's dinner."
Right on cue, he received a text from his bodyguard informing him that the limo was at the door. He indicated with his hand that they should start heading out, so he led her to the waiting vehicle as she held on to his arm. She had had a bone to pick with Asami for months now, because she found out he had a steady partner for the past 3 years and had not told her. Why wouldn't he tell her?
'Maybe she is poor and that is why he is ashamed of her? That must be why he would not introduce her to me. Regardless of the reason, I am tired of waiting and want answers already.'
They rode in silence all the way to the condo, her mind had been working overtime, trying to figure out what kind of person her grandson was living with. What kind of girl would make him get serious and stop moving from one eye candy to the other the way he used to. She wanted to judge this person's worth and see if she was deemed suitable to bear the name Asami in the foreseeable future.
They exited the limo, she was once again holding on to his arm and Suoh walked behind them carrying her suitcase. They rode the elevator still in silence, Suoh was feeling tension the likes of which he had never experienced before, and quietly shifted from one foot to the other.
The blond bodyguard opened the door for his boss and Asami Yukiko to walk through, following closely behind them. Kirishima was already entering the living room to receive them, he quickly ran to both Asami and bowed to them.
Akihito was in the kitchen, setting the appetizers onto the plates Kirishima had helped select, but when he heard the voices coming from the living room he momentarily set them aside to go and greet Asami and his grandmother.
He gingerly walked toward the voices, not knowing what to expect. He saw the small old lady with the cane seconds before she saw him. Her eyes momentarily widened and her gaze moved from him to Asami and from Asami to him. Asami was conveniently ignoring his grandmother's momentarily surprised expression, and acted like she had not just glared at him like she wanted to murder him.
'I knew he had taken male lovers from time to time but I did not imagine the person he was to keep by his side would end up being male.'
She was angry that Ryuichi had chosen to be with a boy who clearly didn't know a thing about her grandson or the kind of darkness his life was infused with. Over all, she was angrier about the prospect of him not having children than about the so-called lover being a simpleton. She really was hoping he was finally ready to have a family, God knows she was ready to hold a child in her arms again. There had to be a reason for the boy to have lasted this long by Ryuichi's side, and really wanted to find out what made the boy so different.
Akihito approached them hesitantly and she gave a derisive snort when she saw his nervous semblance as he stood before her.
Asami moved to stand between them and addressed the woman.
"Grandmother, this is Takaba Akihito. Akihito, this is Asami Yukiko, my grandmother." Asami said, plainly pulling Akihito to his side.
"Yes, yes, Takaba Akihito." She said waiving her hand. "But Takaba Akihito what?" She was wondering why her grandson did not introduce the boy properly if he cared so much for him.
"What do you mean?" Asami really hoped she was not going to force him to state the obvious.
"Well Ryuichi, if I am Asami Yukiko, your grandmother, glasses over here is Kirishima Kei your secretary, blond behemoth is Suoh Kazumi your personal bodyguard and the man who lives down my street is Misakawa Teru the milkman, it is obvious that we all have a title as someone. So, since he seems to be living here and seems close to you, my question is, who is Takaba Akihito?"
"You already know the answer to that." Not wanting to go into labels he had not even discussed with the other person involved.
"And yet I still want to hear it from your lips, or is it that you are ashamed of the boy and don't want to me to be certain of who he is?" Her eyes stared at him with the intensity of a blazing inferno. It seemed like an eternity went by while they both stared at each other, neither wanting to give up.
Akihito really wanted to know what exactly the woman wanted Asami to say, he wanted to know if Asami was ashamed of him. Most of all, he really wanted to know what was his title in Asami's life, so he – for once – just stood quietly and listened to their conversation.
Asami gave a sigh before beginning introductions anew and his grandmother smirked at him in that very Asami like way, which had Akihito shuddering at the uncanny resemblance between them.
"Grandmother, this is Takaba Akihito, my lover."
"Now was that so hard?"
Kirishima and Suoh had been inching their way toward the door during the introductions, hoping to leave the place without calling attention to themselves, so they did not have to be part of whatever went on tonight. Without even turning around, she spoke to them and kept them from leaving.
"Where exactly do you two think you are going?"
"We thought you would like some privacy and would prefer to enjoy your dinner without us Asami-sama." Said Kirishima, trying to puzzle out in his mind how the hell she had seen them leaving when her eyes were focused on Asami and Takaba.
"I would prefer if you two stay and join us actually." She said looking straight into his eyes with a burning gaze.
"Certainly." They both answered and made their way once more to Asami's side.
Moments later, the five of them sat at the table and Asami's grandmother was bombarding Akihito with questions about his life, work, and family. The poor boy was sweating under her draconian scrutiny – she wasn't even pretending to be the weak old lady this time – and Asami just sat there ignoring his lover's plight, in fact he actually seemed like he was enjoying watching Akihito squirm in his chair.
Akihito felt like he was drowning and Asami was letting him flail around like a moron without any help.
'The smug bastard looks so amused. He could at least help me out with this interrogation.'
By the end of the night, Akihito felt so frustrated and so exhausted that he did not even know what to do with himself. He was also annoyed at Asami for letting him go through hours of excruciating questioning without any help or support.
He had let Asami know how he felt about the whole ordeal and had screamed a fair share of obscenities to the man until his mouth was shut by Asami's. He tried to resist but as usual, Asami had subdued his will and taken over, clouding his mind with kisses and touches. In the end, Akihito gave in but at least he had managed to convince the man that for the sake of decency, they should take their activities to the bathroom and have the shower on to mask the noises of their lovemaking, which lead to two rounds of very steamy shower sex and one round of bathroom floor sex, before they eventually made it back to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed.
****VF****
The old woman woke up early, it didn't matter that she had nothing specific to be awake for, she would always wake up early because years of doing so had made her body acclimate to early mornings and late nights.
It was unusual to wake up to the noise of Tokyo, but as a woman used to getting used to things and rolling with the punches, she quickly put it out of her mind and readied herself for the morning. There was the smell of coffee in the air, it was accompanied by the smell of cooking food and the sounds of quiet bickering. Yukiko walked quietly toward the source of the noise and smell, the kitchen, not because she was trying to sneak about – which she was not beyond doing – but because her straight though fast walk, when no one was watching, was graceful and quiet as a large cat.
She reached the door to the kitchen and paused before fully entering, then took a step back to watch the scene before her without being spotted, after all, when discerning the behavior of animals in their natural habitat, it was always good to watch from an unseen vantage point.
What she had encountered was an image that had taken her back in surprise and made her raise a quizzical eyebrow. Ryuichi was leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in his hand and chuckling at Akihito's pout, while the boy pointed a spatula at him and waived it menacingly up and down. The boy was in the middle of a very comical rant about boundaries and propriety while guests were around, Ryuichi didn't seem to agree much with his opinion. They were the very picture of domesticity with playful banter, mocking remarks said without intention to hurt, teasing and retaliating, and more than one colorful word or suggestion.
The boy crossed his arms over his chest with a soft "bastard" and then turned away from Ryuichi to continue his cooking. He pulled Akihito to his side into a strong embrace and kissed him. Akihito fought the strong arms encasing him and the lips currently claiming his own, only to succumb to his own growing desires. Despite the fact that he kept claiming he did not want to be held, that he needed to pay attention to the cooking or the food would burn, he still gave in to Ryuichi.
It was a strange thing to be seeing her grandson in such a scene… with a boy. She blushed and decided she had seen enough for the moment, she would rather see how they act when they don't know they are being watched while they are not in the middle of tonsil tennis. She was turning around to walk away from their little display of affection when the smell of burning food made her enter the kitchen and clear her throat so they would let go of each other and tend to more pressing matters, namely saving the food from completely going to waste.
Asami had noticed her when she first approached the kitchen, he knew what she was up to, but seeing this as an opportunity to get her off his back, he pretended he did not realize her presence. He had known she was still there, listening and watching from around the corner, and still he just let himself be seen so she would not get in the way and make things with Akihito difficult.
She cleared her throat and Akihito pushed himself out of Asami's embrace and looked like a child caught with his hands in the cookie jar, his eyes wide and his face beet red.
The early morning proceeded with a very awkward breakfast that made Akihito want to run away and hide under a big rock, away from Asami Yukiko's knowing and judging eyes. The woman had those scrutinizing eyes, so much like Asami's, that it was not only creepy but uncanny.
He was glad when the woman announced she was accompanying Asami to Sion for the day and fought very, very, hard to keep his face from showing his relief.
The limo ride was filled with pleasant conversation. To any unsuspecting onlooker it seemed a very civil engagement of words, though under the surface it was like two alpha dogs were continually circling each other, trying to defeat the other using solely their commanding presence. In the front of the limo, Suoh and Kirishima were already feeling like the air was being sucked from their very lungs and the tension was crushing their bones, both of them agreed they hated these impromptu visits, as they only provided short time to try and contain events that though insignificant to anyone else, when in front of Asami Yukiko could become a catastrophe.
They asked and answered questions in a businesslike matter, neither of them saying what was really on their minds. It was a like a dance between them as their eyes collided again and again, asking and answering unspoken questions that did not need to be said out loud, avoiding niceties and other things neither of them were comfortable with saying, along with other unimportant topics.
Finally she decided to break the charade of their conversation and got to the point of what she really wanted to say. Asami already knew it was coming sooner or later and was prepared for whatever she had to say.
"I'm too old to play these mind games with you Ryuichi, so I will be frank and just tell you what I think."
"Isn't it what you always do, regardless of whether I want your opinion or not?"
She narrowed her eyes at him seeming to say 'watch your mouth when speaking to me' and he waived it away, unconcerned, making her release a throaty growl-like sound that made him sit straighter for a couple of seconds as it called upon many years of conditioning from his childhood that his body had apparently not forgotten. Pleased with herself and his reaction, she smirked triumphantly in his direction and it was his turn to assert his dominance, though for the sake of keeping the peace between them, he contained his own growl and any other hostile reaction to his grandmother.
"I assumed when I heard that you were seeing someone that it was a girl, or at least someone more worthy of you."
"I have been wondering how you found out."
"You mean you want to know who opened their mouth and told me after three years of you keeping it secret from me? Curious thing the media, you get used to seeing people go from one gathering and function to another, each time with a different arm adornment. Earlier this year I noticed only one person accompanying you to these functions, that model I know you have no interest in. Then thinking back about it I realized the adornments seemed to have decreased over the last two years and suddenly starting six months ago there is no one hanging from your arm in public. So I started to get curious about who caused such a shift in you, who could you care so much about that you would drop all others and only use a decoy when in public? I got tired of speculating and asked the only person who knows every single aspect of your life, though he confirmed my suspicions regarding you being serious with someone, he refused to tell me who or say anything about that person, no matter how much I coerced and pushed. He has grown harder to crack over the years if I may say so myself."
"So you intimidated Kirishima into telling you."
"I prefer to call it persuade but it's basically the same idea."
"Kirishima and I are going to have a talk about this later."
"Fufu, don't be too hard on him, you know he can't say no to me. But let's not deviate from our main topic shall we."
"Go on then."
"As I was saying, I mistakenly assumed you were seeing a girl, someone from a good family, certainly someone with good manners and some kind of fashion sense, but not a twenty something year old boy from nowhere who works as a criminal photographer. I have always known you occasionally engage in that kind of relationship when you find something interesting to play with –ah don't look at me that way, you should have already realized I knew – I must say I never expected you would be serious about any male partner… and here I thought perhaps you were ready to settle down and have children. I would have let it slide and not posed much resistance had it been a girl from a low class family. In fact, I thought that was why you were hiding your lover from me, because you were ashamed of falling for someone of a simple background. To tell the truth I would have preferred that be the case."
"Grandmother, would you please cut to the chase?"
"Fine then, since that is what you want I will tell you exactly what I expect of you. I want you to let the boy go, to cut him completely out of your life and choose a suitable bride. If you are unable to find someone, I am willing to find one myself. I want you to settle down and have a family with children I can spoil for as long as I am alive."
"I have never considered settling down and having a family and I won't change my mind just because it is what you want me to do. However I will be clear with you regarding Akihito, I will not let him go, not now or ever. He is mine and anyone who tries to change that will have to deal with the consequences of getting in my way. No one can replace him, I never kept anyone at my side longer than one night and after I threw them out when I was done with them, I never looked back. They were boring and dull and only served to momentarily calm whatever thirst I was feeling at the moment. Akihito is not dull, he is not boring and he has a fire in him that I can't help but want to see burn stronger and brighter. No, I am not giving him up, not for you or for anyone. Not even for him."
"Stop the nonsense and let the boy go, find yourself a woman!"
"No."
"Then keep the boy as a side diversion and make a family with someone more suitable."
"I refuse to do something I don't want to do just to make you happy, regardless of you being the one who raised me. Akihito is mine and I will never let him go, anyone other than him is not enough and is only a hindrance I will not subject myself to."
He defied her for the first time in his live and this was a shock she had not expected.
'What is so good about this boy that he would defy me so fervently?'
She was taken back by his words and his attitude and dropped the subject until she had more information to use that worked in her favor.
****VF****
Suoh and Kirishima had been forced to have dinner at Asami's condo for as long as Asami's grandmother was around, all week, dinner had been a very painful affair. She insisted that she wanted to keep an eye on the three of them and even went to Sion to instill the fear of God in the employees and check on their performance.
Thankfully, so far Kirishima was only going to need to replace two of the employees after the old woman left. She insisted that they must have dinner at 8pm every night and Akihito must cook a varied spread of foods without repeating the same dish during the week of her stay. She said that if Takaba was to stay by Asami's side, she needed to see that he would be able to take care of her grandson properly. For the first time since he had moved in, Akihito did not complain when Asami "suggested" he use his credit card and bought groceries at the place Akihito dubbed "the rich housewives' market."
She would stand behind Akihito and watch him cook, the woman practically breathed down his neck as she commented on his skills or according to her, his lack thereof. How a woman who was shorter than him managed to breathe down his neck Akihito still did not know, what he did know is that it was highly unsettling.
Many times he was about to explode at her in a long string of sarcastic remarks with pirate like insults, but before they left his mouth he bit his tongue and held them in. Every time she would give him the "Asami glare" and he did not dare say anything.
Despite what Asami had said in the limo when she first told him to get rid of Akihito, Yukiko was set on her idea that Akihito was just another meek toy and that eventually Asami would get tired of him. There was no way this boy who could not even stand up for himself when she was so obviously trying to rile him up, could last by Ryuichi's side.
After dinner that night, Akihito announced he was going to bed, because he had to work early in the morning the next day and needed to get some sleep. She had the nagging suspicion the boy was running from her after she so insistently pointed every fault of his from the moment she got through the door, and all through their dinner. Ryuichi had glared at her and tried to veer the conversation in another direction, but she needed to see what was so special about the boy and how such a pushover had managed to stay by his side for three years, so she had ignored her grandson and engaged in another long string of questions and comments.
'How long will it take for the boy to crack and run away crying?' She wondered as she watched him retreat.
She stayed talking with her grandson for a while before he too decided to call it a night. After Asami had gone to his room, she went to enjoy the breeze at the balcony and after ten minutes she left, directing her steps toward the guest room opposite Asami's room.
Asami's amused tone greeted her as he apparently teased Akihito and the boy responded with a quick smart mouth and cheeky attitude, though Ryuichi still managed to outwit him. She was momentarily startled by the words she heard through their door. From what she could gather, Ryuichi was trying to coerce the boy into something and the boy refused to give in.
"You know you won't be able to resist Akihito, you may as well give up."
"You bastard! I'm not just going to give in whenever you feel like it. I got shit to do in the morning and will rather get some sleep than risk not being able to walk properly."
"Do you now?"
"Yes I do… Asami, go away, I swear I will fight you tooth and nail if you come any closer. I'm not kidding. Oh shit, no, not that. Please not that! You are fucking an asshole! You know I hate it when you do that, you god damn bastard."
"I also know how you like it."
"Go to hell you annoying prick."
There was silence for a moment before the boy shouted again.
"You damn yakuza. That is so not fair!"
Seconds later, she could hear the shower going and continued on into her room. She slept through the night and woke up early as usual the next day.
'Today will be the day.' She said to herself that morning as she watched Akihito enter the dining room with breakfast and set it on the table. 'Today, I will definitely make the boy leave. He will not resist the offer I will make, his kind never resist the call of easy money.'
Asami was still in the shower when she approached the blond with her proposal. 'It's now or never.' She said to herself seizing the opportunity.
"Takaba-kun, how about you sit here with me for a minute. I have something I need to talk to you about."
She patted the chair beside her and hesitantly he sat down with a curious expression on his face.
"What can I do for you Asami-san?" He asked tentatively.
"I have a proposal for you."
"Okay? What kind of proposal would that be?"
"I want you to leave my grandson's side, quietly and without a trace. If you leave and never contact him again I am prepared to compensate you with a very sizable amount of money. You are not suitable to be by his side and I know what your kind like the most. It is money you want, power and status just like all the others before you. So I will give you what you want, you will leave and never comeback, you will never see him or talk to him, you will not approach him in any way and in turn you will live your life like a king with no worry about the future."
During this speech/proposal Akihito had gone absolutely cold. He was shocked by the woman's nerve, by her ludicrous proposal and by her assumption that he was just another of Asami's previously long parade of whores. Akihito was grinding his teeth, his hands were clenched on his laps and his face was red with barely suppressed anger. Finally at the end of her proposal he had stood up like his seat was on fire and faced the implied accusations with justified ire and indignation.
"YOU! You damn old bitch! You come into our home with you questions, your constant criticism and now your accusations upon my character. You don't scare me! And I will not do as you please like a shaking mouse. I will have you know that I am not a dimwitted doll that remains with Asami because of his money or position. It may not have started that way but I am with him and will remain with him not because is what he wants but because it is what I want. It is what we both want and so long as it remains that way I will stay by his side. I do not care for his money, I have never wanted it and can't stand the idea of being treated like some pretty little mistress and you can expect my feelings in that particular matter will never change. I am not a whore and I don't sell myself no matter how much anyone offers me. So you can kindly take your money and your offers and shove them up your ass for all I care because I sure as hell will NEVER take them. Whether or not you think I am suitable to be by his side is of no consequence to me, I do not care about your opinion on the matter and I am pretty sure he doesn't either. It's not your decision to make so back the fuck up and leave us alone. He is mine and I'm not letting him go as much as he is not letting go of me." He huffed from the lack of oxygen caused by delivering his rant without taking a pause to breathe and threw her one more sentence before stomping away. "You can serve your own breakfast and shove it in your mouth. Maybe that will keep you from saying stupid shit."
He passed Asami on the hallway, the man was leaning against the wall with the most self satisfied smirk Akihito had ever seen. At that moment Akihito realized something, the answer to questions that had been bothering him since the woman first walk through the door: why was Asami not interceding for him when the old woman assaulted him with questions and criticism? Why wasn't him standing up for his lover and just chuckled lowly or smirked when the woman confronted him? Asami knew that he would eventually fly off the handle and explode at the woman the way he usually exploded at him.
Akihito was right, Asami had stepped aside and let the woman get on Akihito's nerves because he knows Akihito can defend himself and does not like to be treated like a greedy toy that is with him just for money or status. He knew eventually the boy would not be able to take it anymore and show his grandmother the inner fire that had managed to captivate him.
In the dining room, still seating on her chair and watching the path the boy had taken in his retreat, Asami Yukiko was taken aback and her mouth was literally hanging open. No one had ever talked to her in such disrespectful way.
'Well, the boy is apparently not as meek and unaware as he seems and not just a mindless toy for Ryuichi to play with. It seems he has a back bone after all as well as a rather filthy mouth. Maybe the boy has a chance. I will not make my decision about what to do with him just yet.'
****VF****
The fourth night of her stay, after yet another bout of shower sex, Akihito was resting his head on Asami's chest on their bed and asking Asami about his family. They had been talking for hours and even though he was tired, he still wanted to keep the conversation going. It was a rare thing for Asami to actually talk about himself and answer his questions, so he feared if he stopped talking, Asami would go back to his guarded self and not let him in again.
"Asami is the name of the family my grandmother married into, her only child was my father so naturally I bear my grandfather's name." He had said when Akihito asked about his last name.
"And what do they do?"
"He was the son of a temple keeper and took over after his father died. She stayed there even after he was gone and now my sister has taken over for him. I think my grandmother likes living there but not the lifestyle."
"Really? They are temple keepers?" Akihito was chuckling as he took in the information. "I must say Asami, when it comes to you, the apple fell reeeeaaaaally far away from the tree."
Asami's immediate response was a rumbling laugh, it was the kind of unguarded laugh he would only allow himself when alone with Akihito. He considered briefly if he should divulge more information about his past, if he should open up more and share some of his secrets with the young man in his arms. Finding no harm in it, considering their current circumstances, he decided to let the boy in a bit more into his life.
"Not as far as you think." He said. "My grandmother's father was in the same line of 'business' as me."
"So how come she married a temple keeper and not some big and powerful something or other to succeed her father in his 'business'?"
"You ask many questions Akihito."
"I'm pretty sure by now you know they won't be in the first page of a newspaper tomorrow so what's the harm in telling me?"
"I suppose you are right about that." He said chuckling. "She married the temple keeper's son because she fell in love with him and refused to give up on their relationship. I suppose you could say she refused to let him go. She is stubborn that way, doesn't want to let go of the things she considers hers."
"Well that certainly explains where you got that whole "mine" thing from."
"Possibly. It all ended up alright anyway, since I hear her father considered her too hot tempered and too trigger happy, he eventually gave up on her taking over and she agreed to let her younger sister take on what would have been her responsibilities, so her father allowed her a somewhat quiet temple life in hopes it would eventually cool down her head. Her sister married the son of a friend of their father, who was also in the same line of business, the marriage unified both groups and her husband took over."
"Is that why you had to start you own group? Because you could not inherit?"
"Partly, it was also because I was not made for a quiet life. Living and helping at the temple was not something I ever saw myself doing, but this, this I am good at. I left when I was still very young and worked my way to the top."
"I could not imagine you helping at a temple." Akihito had a pensive expression on his face as his hands made a trail back and forth from Asami's collar to his bellybutton as he tried to imagine Asami sweeping a long flight of stairs with big, grey, stone steps. The sole image seemed ludicrous to him.
"There are many things about me, things I have lived and gone through that I am sure you would never believe or imagine me doing."
"Will you ever tell them to me?" He asked hopeful.
"Perhaps, in time I will. Now go to sleep or I won't let you sleep at all tonight." Akihito cuddled closer to Asami and after a few moments of silence, he slowly drifted to sleep.
In a room across the hallway, lying on her bed still awake, Yukiko had heard them talk and laugh for close to four hours. She had first been surprised when she heard her grandson laugh so openly, so genuinely. It had been a long time since she thought he had encountered any kind of happiness. She began to think that perhaps the boy being with Ryuichi was not as bad as she initially thought. Perhaps the boy fulfills a very important role in his life and was not entirely without place at her grandson's side.
If the boy could bring some kind of happiness to Ryuichi's dark life, then maybe she would let him stay by his side. It was too early to make that decision though, she would have to watch how they interact with each other before she decided if the boy was worthy of staying. They continued to talk for close to half an hour more and though she could not make out their words their laughter and the dull sound of hushed conversation lulled her to sleep.
****VF****
By the fifth night, she found Akihito to not be a nuisance and actually quite entertaining in the way Ryuichi teased him. Against all odds, she had decided to give the boy a chance at being by her grandson's side.
In the days of her stay she had seen, even through his mask, that Ryuichi was indeed happy with Akihito by his side. She was currently contemplating the effect the boy also had on Suoh and Kirishima as well as some of Asami's men. Akihito seemed to worm himself into all their hearts and shine some light into their darkness. They were protective of the boy not only because the boy belonged to their boss, but because they wanted to be. He was even friends with the bodyguard assigned to him and after she had cornered the young bodyguard, he had said that Akihito was almost like a little brother to him. The young man also said that despite having to constantly chase him around Tokyo and having to deal with his antics, most of Asami's men would willingly step in front of a bullet for the boy, not because they had to, but because they wouldn't want to see the boy hurt.
Most of the men she cornered at Sion to ask them about the boy, even said that they had received a birthday card from the boy since they had known him and spoke of Akihito as being kind, spirited and caring if sometimes annoying and childish. All week she had been cornering people left and right, interrogating them about the boy who captured her grandson's attention. Basically, she had spent five days scaring the shit out of people to get any information she might need from those who were more acquainted with the boy.
Either none of the people she spoke with wanted to say anything bad about the boy or they genuinely liked him despite all the headaches he seemed to give them. At least the boy appeared to have become more cautious in his work and stayed out of Ryuichi's business, the boy's line of work would have been a problem but by all accounts they seemed to have found a way to work things out despite it.
One question remained though, if the boy made him happy and things were going well, why in three years Ryuichi never told her about Akihito? Why keep quiet if he was not ashamed of the boy? She pondered these questions for a while, before reaching a conclusion, he never told her not because he was ashamed, but because he was not ready to admit to what was going on, after all she had to practically force him to call the boy his lover. She was sure those two idiots themselves weren't even certain of what was between them.
At some point during her contemplation, she realized that somehow she had also started to like Akihito. She noticed that in some ways he reminded her of her late husband with his fiery attitude and his eyes burning with determination.
Yukiko chuckled at the revelation that Ryuichi had tastes somewhat similar to hers and perhaps that was why he was reluctant to let the boy go, she had also been reluctant to let go of the fire she found in her husband's eyes and ended up giving away all she had just to stay with him.
Reluctantly, she admitted there was nothing more she could do here and Ryuichi appeared to have things under control, so after mentally revising what she had learned, she decided to leave at the end of the week. She would let them figure things out.
****VF****
It was the end of the week and all males in the room were eagerly, yet unnoticeably, waiting for her to take her leave. They tried their best to make small talk over their dinner but as usual the tension in the air was just too high for conversation and eventually they all set into a quiet dinner interrupted only by the occasional clattering of silverware or glassware along with appreciative words regarding the food.
"Ryuichi, I will be leaving shortly." She suddenly announced at the dinner table and four pairs of eyes looked at her when she spoke.
As they sat in the dining room, Yukiko tried to think of a way to turn this situation to her favor. She may have accepted the boy but that still didn't mean she had to embrace the idea of not having great grandchildren to watch over for however long she still has in this world. As things looked, she would not be getting them from Ryuichi any time soon but she would be damned if she did not get those great grandkids from somewhere.
A thought formed in her devious mind, and a smirk formed on her lips as she tapped her chin in thought with her index finger. All sound died in the room as everyone's eyes focused on that malevolent smile, secretly they all prayed it had nothing to do with any of them.
She chuckled to herself, still lost in thought and her eyes looked distant, at least three pairs of hands twitched slightly. Still watching her, they all felt like someone sentenced to death waiting for the ax to fall. Then she turned to face them and it was like time had slowed down as she did so.
She searched their faces and her eyes moved from the golden eyes, to hazel, to black, to yet another pair of black eyes. They passed the golden eyes again and at last settled on the pair of black eyes in the room, that malicious smile spread on her face and both the bodyguard and the secretary gulped.
"Kazumi-kun, Kei-kun… I have watched you grow since you were children into talented and capable men. It practically makes me your grandmother too as I basically raised you along with Ryuichi."
She let the words hang between them, waiting for them to answer the implied question before continuing. Kirishima and Suoh had no idea what the right answer was, what did she really want to hear from them? The two looked at each other and shared a mutual 'I don't like where this is going' look. They knew they needed to give some sort of answer, so Kirishima took the lead and answered, albeit still confused.
"Yes?"
"You agree then… that you both are essentially my grand children?"
It was Suoh's turn to say something and taking Kirishima's lead answered in the same 'where is she going with this' tone.
"Er… yes?"
"Wonderful." She said with a purr and though it would have seemed impossible, her smile broadened even more. Suoh and Kirishima were starting to sweat profusely. "Well then, Kei-kun and Kazumi-kun, you are both getting married the last Saturday of this very month. I shall find you suitable brides by the end of this week and send you their information as soon as I have done so. Just to be clear, there is no getting out of this and I expect children by the end of the year. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go see a few old friends with marriable granddaughters and two weddings to arrange."
Suoh and Kirishima sat there, frozen in shock at the ultimatum. It would clearly take several minutes for both of them to process what just happened. Asami was just glad it did not include him and that all in all, his grandmother seemed to take his relationship with Akihito rather well. Akihito sat next to him with his mouth hanging open at the woman's words and feeling bad for Asami's most trusted men.
She left the condo, walking faster than a woman her age should, all the while thinking that maybe, after her grandson and the boy figured out what was between them, she would push them to adopt a nice baby boy with jet black hair and pretty eyes. Maybe she will give them five or six months to figure things out.
'Yes, that's what I'll do.' She thought. 'After all, the boy is not entirely unworthy.'
*******VF*******
I have no intention of continuing this oneshot but I do hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think.
Setsuna