"What about you?" Asami responded, as usual, by asking a question, without answering.

"You play with me, lie to me, and yet you say I am yours. What does all that mean anyway?" Takaba's expression was one of hurt mixed with anger.

Asami took the last of the tumbler of whiskey, downed it, and set the glass on the table. He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, cupping Takaba's chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"It means, Akihito, that I have gotten rid of my other…..fuck toys, as you so eloquently put it, and I didn't lie to you. I kept certain things from you to protect you."

"But you treat me like a child!"

"Only when you act like one," Asami smirked.

Takaba again lowered his eyes, "Even in bed. I am a man too, you know?"

"No. You are a natural submissive and there is nothing wrong with that in bed. As far as you being a man, well, what I see is a young man with a career that he loves and the ambition to strive to be the best with his given talent. I admire that ambition and drive you have for your work, though I do not like that you take such risks with your life. Have I stopped you from doing that?" Asami saw Takaba about to say something but continued on, "No, I saved you when you were in danger but never demanded that you stop what you are doing. Go ahead and do your job, but know this, I will always be near to protect you if the need arises."

Takaba turned tear filled eyes to Asami, "So your saying….."

"That you belong to me, yes…..that I will do everything in my power to protect you, yes…..that you are mine…..yes."

Asami crushed his lips to Takaba's at the same moment that the tears spilled from the young man's eyes. The kiss was demanding and rough but that was their way.

But even though your words were touching, you never said I love you, Takaba thought while having his mouth plundered by Asami's tongue.

Takaba finally pulled back, "I'm sorry…you know, for just leaving like that."

It was then that he noticed Asami was completely dressed even though it was late in the evening. Whereas Takaba was sore, tired, and a disheveled mess, Asami was 100 percent put together from his shiny shoes to his slicked back hair.

"Are you going somewhere?" Takaba asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Yes. I have a business meeting."

"Now?" Takaba asked incredulously.

"Yes now." Asami smirked and walked out of the room.

"Hey!" Takaba yelled toward the open door, "You can't just leave me here like this! Asami! Damnit!"

The room was silent and Takaba didn't know how long he simply sat there on the bed, dazed. There was an en suite bathroom and he at least had the sheet to cover himself with if he got up so he went to shower.

Wrapping a huge fluffy white towel around his waist, Takaba crept out of the room. He was in an apartment. He observed the layout of the place, the woodwork and trim, and the view from the window in the living room.

His conclusion: he was in Asami's building, just not in the penthouse. At the front door, Takaba's hand stopped half an inch from the knob. He had no doubt that there was a guard outside the door and he couldn't very well escape in just a towel. Damnit! He can't do this to me! I need to find out what is going on with the senator. Oh shit, my camera! Did Asami see it? Did he erase the memory?

Takaba looked around frantically in every room and every corner of the apartment hoping that his clothes, backpack, and camera would turn up, but in the end, there was nothing.

He was suddenly too exhausted to be angry anymore so he found the well-stocked kitchen and made himself something to eat before returning to the bedroom and quickly passing out.

You are a natural submissive and there is nothing wrong with that in bed. As far as you being a man, well, what I see is a young man with a career that he loves and the ambition to strive to be the best with his given talent. I admire that ambition and drive you have for your work, though I do not like that you take such risks with your life.

Asami's words plagued his restless sleep until the sun was peeking through the crack in the curtains and he yanked the blanket over his head.

Takaba's own inner demons were rearing their ugly heads. I love him, I know I do but…..a submissive, the woman, for all intents and purposes, in a relationship with another man? And that man, who only said that I belong to him.

Takaba's chest tightened in pain. Then the heat began deep inside of him as he thought of Asami's touch. Only Asami provoked that kind of deep intense sexual arousal from his very core. Is that really what he wanted? Even though Asami said he was a man in his eyes, Takaba didn't feel like much of one.

He sat up and the first thing he noticed on the empty chair that Asami had been sitting in was his backpack and his clothes folded on top.

After dressing, Takaba turned on the TV and froze with the remote still in hand. On the news channel was a photo of the senator with the scroll bar below reading senator caught in lewd act. Apparently his photos were enough and the cops wasted no time nailing the senator's ass to the wall, good!

Then the screen flashed to the federal building where Takaba saw Asami getting out of his BMW with Kobi. The younger man looked nervous but Asami appeared to be unruffled, confident as always. There was no kind of intimacy between them by their body language which relieved Takaba sone. But he was still pissed that Asami was with Kobi. He grabbed his backpack and left.

Takaba texted Kou to let him know the job was over and that he was back home. He had no more than set down his phone when Kou texted back.

BUSY? CAN I COME OVER?-KOU

SURE-TAKABA

An hour later, his doorbell rang. Waiting for Collins to answer it, he continued making a sandwich in the kitchen. Ususally, he could hear Kou talking before he saw him but not today. That was weird. When Takaba turned around with a smile, it froze on his face and the plate with the sandwich slid out of his hands to crash on the floor.

"Shit," Takaba muttered, the sound of broken pieces of the plate breaking him out of his trance.

Standing on the opposite side of the counter was Kou with a sheepish expression and a woman next to him.

"Hello, Aki," Stacey said softly.

Takaba Akihito was at a loss for words. Stacey was his only real relationship even though they did not consummate it over the four years they were together. She had left for Europe and had broken his heart. They had intended to wait until she came back, but she didn't. He got a Dear John letter six months after she had gone and it was over. During their four years together, they had had a yo-yo relationship, on again, off again. At that time Takaba had thought it was love.

Two hours and several beers later, Asami found Takaba, Kou, and a woman sitting out on the patio at Haruto's home. They were laughing and talking about old times. No one noticed Asami on the opposite side of the sliding doors taking in the scene.

"Oh Aki," Said Stacey as she came over and sat down right on his lap. Then she put her hands on his face, "I have missed you."

The strong buzz Takaba had going on had to be the reason he placed his hands on her hips as she straddled him, both looking into each other's eyes.

For Takaba, it was like time had stopped and reversed back to a simpler time, a simpler life. His mind chanted over and over; you don't want her. You want Asami. She is a woman and you need a man.

Pissed at the haunting thoughts, Takaba leaned up and kissed Stacey, hard. Suddenly, his hands were all over her and hers all over him. It was wild and basic carnal desire. Stacey had said she made a mistake letting Aki go and that she still loved him. Takaba, on the other hand, was testing himself.

He had a beautiful, sexy woman on his lap who clearly wanted him and that he cared for. He needed to know for himself if it was just that Asami made him mindless or if it was more.

Stacey and Takaba were lip-locked, touching one another frantically from the spark that had ignited, and Stacey was undulating on top of him. But just as quickly as it had started, that spark blew out for Takaba. He gently grabbed her upper arms and pushed them apart.

"Aki?" She said curiously.

"Ah Stacey, I misse you too. I really did, but….."

"You don't feel the same now," she finished for him.

"I'm sorry," he said watching her face turn sad but then she smiled.

"It's ok. I has been a long time. I knew I should not have expected you to wait for me, to still feel the same."

"I like you and we are friends but…..I am different now." He let her down gently.

She tilted her head, studying him, "Yes, you are. What is it Aki? What changed you?"

"I…..I…..I'm g-glad you came by," he covered what he had originally wanted to say. "Lets' hang out later, you know, like old times."

"Yeah, lets go to the club this weekend," Kou offered with a sympathetic look.

When Stacey had shown up at his house, he knew that Takaba and her had to see one another, that their issues had never been resolved. Now they had and Kou was actually surprised that Takaba had pushed Stacey away. Now his friend knew, without a doubt, that Takaba was in love, with Asami.

Kou glanced behind Takaba and saw Asami standing in the shadows but he didn't let on, just stood and said, "Well, we should go. We've taken up enough of your time today."

They said their goodbyes and Takaba walked them to the door. Asami was no where in sight when they came in from the patio, Kou noticed, but he knew Asami was waiting.

After the door closed, Takaba was suddenly pulled back into strong arms, his back against a solid chest. Immediately, his nerves came alive and his body shook.

"A…..sami," he whispered.

"Did you have fun, Akihito," Asami purred.

"How…..how long have you been here?" He asked, desperately trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Long enough." Asami stated.

Takaba felt the strong arms loosen and he turned around, looking up into Asami's eyes. They were not cold or angry, just filled with unrelenting desire.

"Did you see….." Takaba started.

"Yes."

"I can explain," Takaba said quickly.

Asami shrugged, "You don't need to. I heard you."

"So," he paused, looking curiously at Asami, "You aren't mad?"

Asami took a deep breath and rested his linked hands together on Takaba's lower back, staring down at him, "You have things to work out that I cannot help you with. So, work them out."

"I…..I think I did," he said softly.

"Good, because your father is gone all weekend and you and I are not leaving your room." Asami said, then picked up a bag that was by the wall on the floor.

He took Takaba by the hand and headed for the stairs when he heard Takaba ask, "What's in the bag?"

Asami tossed him a smirk over his shoulder and said, "You'll know soon enough."

Ok, as much as I love these two, everyone knows their roller coaster of a relationship (Takaba in danger, Asami rscues him, they have great sex, etc) so I am wrapping things up in the following chapters. Time to move on but this was a fun little story for me. I had no direction when I started it, I was just playing around and I hope that you have had fun with it too. Thanks for reading and reviewing.