Contract

Chapter Eleven

-Snooping-

Natsumi was laying flat on her back on one of the living room couches, reading one of the many books she had brought with her. She was in the middle of a fantasy, back in ancient times when an angel had come down to earth to slay a dragon, which incidentally she was falling in love with.

She sighed contently, closing the book and setting it down on the coffee table before sitting up and looking around. It was early in the afternoon, and she had already worked out, gone for a swim, and had lunch. So what else was there to do?

She got up and looked around the living room, deciding to explore. She had given herself a tour when she moved in, but she didn't really get a chance to look around. So she started, taking in every room with great detail. As she moved around the house, she noticed it was bare. Not that there wasn't furniture, since then entire house was done professionally. But there were absolutely no photos anywhere.

Not of his father, or of anyone else in his family. When she thought about her house, there were pictures everywhere. Of her mother and her friends, her and her brother, and of their family. She just found it odd. When she did find one, it was one she had put up. She frowned, did he really not like his family that much? She went upstairs then and into his study. There was a frame sitting on the desk, so she walked over and picked it up, seeing the smiling faces of both Akito and her brother.

They looked so happy, it was actually the only picture he had. She set it back down and tapped her chin, heading back downstairs and going into one of the spare rooms she had put her excess items in. She pulled down a box and searched through the photos inside. It took a while, but she finally found the one she was searching for.

She stood and hurried out of the room, setting the photo down on one of the side tables. "I'll be right back Henry! Just running to the store!" she called, leaving the house. She wasn't gone long and when she came back she took out a beautiful silver frame. She took the picture and put it in, smiling down at it.

After she threw the bag away, she went back upstairs and set the frame on the other side of his desk and clapped her hands together. "Perfect." She said, glancing down and seeing a manila folder sitting on the desk. Curiosity getting the better of her, she sat down in his chair and picked up the folder.

She looked over the contents, finding a medical report and a few pictures. She set it down and leaned over the photos, spreading them out and examining them. "Hm." She tapped her chin, picking up a picture. Suddenly she heard the door open and then Akito's voice, talking to Henry. She hurriedly pushed all the papers and pictures into the folder and righted the folder.

She ran to the door and turned off the light, closing it as quietly as she could. She turned around and screamed, slamming right into Akito. "Oh God! Akito!" she went wide eyed, her hand moving directly over her racing heart.

He raised a brow and looked down at her. "Hm, not exactly the situation I pictured you exclaiming that, but for now it will do." He said. Then he frowned slightly. "What were you doing in my study?" he asked.

She blushed from embarrassment at being caught and from his words. "Um, nothing." She lied quickly, trying to move around him.

"Natsumi." He said, crossing his arms, the action pulling his dress shirt tighter over his shoulders, making his muscles more defined. "If I have learned anything over the past weeks that with you, it's that it's never nothing."

"Or it's always nothing." She replied smartly, holding up a finger of protest.

"Meaning that it's something." He retorted, gently grasping her finger in his hand.

"Or meaning that it's really nothing." She said, sounding strained as she tried to pull her finger from his grip.

Akito gave her a pouty look, though it was obvious that he was still playing with her. "Natsumi," he said lowly, leaning closer to her. "Do I need to coax the real answer out of you?" he said.

She arched a delicate brow, giving him a curious look. "Isn't that what lawyers are supposed to do?" she asked smugly.

"Hmm." He said, pursing his lips as he gave her a contemplative look. "I might have to use unconventional methods." He warned, bringing up his free hand and placing it on the space where her jaw connected with her neck.

She tried to control her reaction, but her heart skipped a beat. "Like?" she asked nervously.

"Like," his thumb began to rub the smooth skin beneath it. "Physical torture." He leaned closer to her so that his lips were next to her ear. "Tell me, Natsumi, do you think you could handle it?" she shivered as his breath ghosted across her flesh.

"Of…of course I can," she breathed out, swallowing hard. "I sleep in a bed with you every night and do nothing don't I?"

He chuckled, brushing his nose against the side of her head. "That is because I do nothing to you, little flower." He said, nipping her earlobe lightly.

She closed her eyes, trying to remain calm and slow her heartbeat. It felt as if it might pound right out of her chest. "Dinner should be ready soon…" she said in attempts to make him stop his antics that were making her knees feel just like Jell-O.

"Henry will inform us when it is." He said, beginning to trail nips and licks down the column of her throat, enjoying the fact that she was allowing him to touch her so intimately. He could feel her heartbeat from her throat and she was desperately trying to grab something in her mind to make him stop. If he didn't, she didn't know what would happen.

"Th-those pictures…they're harassment aren't they?" she jumbled out before she could stop herself.

Akito froze in his ministrations, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh before opening them and pulling away from her, releasing her from his grasp. "And so the real answer reveals itself." He said, trying not to let his disappointment in the ruined mood show.

She looked up at him, almost looking ashamed that she had disappointed him. "I'm sorry…I didn't…they were just laying there, I didn't go in there to read them I promise."

"I am not upset with you Natsumi." He said. "But yes, they are."

"So you're doing a rape case?" she asked, shrinking down a bit for fear he would snap, since he seemed to be the passive aggressive type. "Why do you have those pictures? You know…if it's anything medical…I could always take a look at it."

He considered her words, also noting how she had shrunk away from him slightly, and that made him frown. "Would you?" he asked. "I am not entirely certain with what I was told about the pictures."

She nodded, watching him back away and then head into the study. She followed him closely and stood at the edge of the desk, waiting for him to unload all his work supplies. He opened up his briefcase and pulled out some more documents, handing them to her. "This is a short summary of the case so far." He said.

"Ok," she took it and read through it, the room oddly silent for a while. She picked up the pictures and examined them closely, her brow furrowing. "Was she raped?" Natsumi asked, glancing up at him.

"No, although I believe otherwise. She took these pictures, but refused to take any tests, afraid of the repercussions that her boss would give her." He said. "He's the one that I believe did it, and the whole reason for the case."

She nodded, picking up one of the pictures of the woman's neck. "See, look here at these bruises, although faded, are absolutely caused by a hand. The way they are positioned, here." She placed it down, picking up a pen. "Ok, see look at this." She reached up and placed her hand around his neck, holding it tightly. She circled the area her fingertips were on his neck and then grabbed the picture, pulling out her phone and taking a quick picture. She showed him both and how the spots matched up almost perfectly. "She was held around the neck and seeing how the thumb bruise is the darkest, he was holding her while most likely raping her. More than seventy percent of women never report rape, even when they press assault charges."

Akito nodded. "I figured something along those lines happened. The case was originally based on assault charges, and has progressively been getting worse as the days go by." He looked at her. "Do you think you would be able to convince her to be tested? It would probably help us win, and maybe if she talked to a woman about it she would feel more inclined."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. I mean, isn't it illegal for you to let me see all this, nonetheless talk to your client?" she asked, tapping her fingers together.

"Not illegal, per se, but not recommended. People would think that you were lying for me, because of our engagement." He frowned slightly. "So how can we get this accomplished and still win the case?"

She sighed, thinking on it a bit. "Just talk to her and tell her that you were getting a massage from me and simply talked about your trouble. Say I'm a doctor and I insisted to see them, and I recommend that she get some tests done. Tell her I'm your wife, so she is still trusting of you, and if you really want, we can have her over for dinner so she stays confident. Then go with her to the hospital and make sure they examine the vaginal walls." She explained, "No matter how long, if it was really rape, there is always tearing."

He took out a pad of paper and wrote all of this information down, nodding as he did so. "Okay, I will." Then he looked back up at her, just staring at her face. It was really nice to be able to share what had been burdening him so horribly these past few weeks with her. He felt…lighter, somehow. "We should go downstairs for dinner. Knowing Javier, it is ready, and knowing Henry, he saw that we were in here and decided not to bother us."

"Probably." She nodded. "I'm starving anyways." She said, placing her hand on her stomach and walking out of the room.

Akito began to put everything away, deciding that he wasn't going to work on the case tonight after dinner. As he cleared off his desk, he saw something from the corner of his eye that made him pause. It was a picture that hadn't been there before, set in a silver frame.

In the picture stood him and Natsumi as kids, outside in her parent's garden. He remembered that day clearly, as it was when he had first met his now best friend, Toshiro. In the picture Natsumi had her arms wrapped around his neck, and was kissing him on the cheek. He had an awful blush on his cheeks, as it had been his first kiss so to speak, and he hadn't yet learned how to control his facial expressions well enough not to blush. He smiled at the sight of the picture, and of how thoughtful she had been in placing it there, for him to see every day.

He put down the files in his hands and rushed down the stairs, catching Natsumi's hand in his as she was entering the dining room. He pulled her to him, causing her to let out a startled noise, and kissed her thankfully on the mouth before pulling back and smiling into her surprised face. "Thank you for the picture." Was all he said before walking into the dining room, his hand still connected with hers, making her trail behind him as if she were in a daze.

He sat her down and then took his own, as dinner was set in front of them. "Miss Natsumi, is everything alright? You looked flustered."

"Huh?" she blinked looking up at Javier. "Oh yes. I'm fine." She blushed, quickly beginning to eat so she didn't say anything else stupid.

"Are you sure dear?" Akito asked, eating a bite of salad. "You seem rather flushed." He smirked knowingly at her.

She rolled her eyes and got some spaghetti in her spoon, flinging it at him. "Butthead."

He snickered and picked the strings off his shirt, not caring that it might possibly stain. "I don't think I've been called that since I was seven. And it might have been you that said it too." He told her.

"Oh it was. It was when you called me a raccoon and asked if Toshiro ate cotton candy and threw up on my hair." She said distinctly, continuing to eat.

He shrugged. "I only said that because I liked you and didn't know how to properly express those feelings." He said, twirling some spaghetti on his fork and eating it.

"Well that worked real well, didn't it?" she huffed, looking off.

"Why do you think I'm taking a different approach to it now?" he asked, sipping his water. Then he gave her a curious look and leaned towards her. "Is it working?"

She glanced back at him and sighed. "Is what working? Randomly kissing me all the time? Touching me at odd times? Holding me against you while we sleep? Bailing me out of jail? Making me dinner? Or doing yoga with me?" she arched a delicate brow and then smirked, taking a sip of wine. "Possibly."

He smiled, pleased with her answer. "Good." He nodded.

She smiled a bit and dinner continued as it usually did. After they finished, they decided to call it an early night and head to bed, since Akito would have a lot to do the next day.