For Real
*(2/6)
By Sakata Ri Houjun
~****************~
Shawn Hane glanced over his shoulder at the dark paneled door of the Phoenix Advertising, Inc., boardroom and smiled. He wondered what Mr. Issac Ido's expression would have been like if he'd known that while he was going on about fungicide, he'd actually been more preoccupied by thoughts of his hair. More specifically, a curiosity about what he'd look like if it were longer. Even more specifically, how it would feel scattered over his own warm flesh.
He gritted his teeth and groaned inwardly. He had no business wondering about such things. Issac Ido was as far removed from him as he was from the earth's core, and every bit as unattainable. In spite of that, Shawn couldn't quite squelch the idea that had exploded in his brain when he'd overheard the exchange.
How could a human being not believe in romance? That part of the conversation more than any other had him completely confounded.
"Hey, Tommy," he called out to the man who was seated ramrod-straight behind a massive maple desk.
Thomas glanced up. "Yes, Shawn?"
Shawn sauntered over to the desk and perched himself on the edge. He saw Thomas frown at his action, but pretended he didn't. "What was all that about in there?"
Thomas's gaze rose from Shawn's knee to Shawn's face, his expression indifferent. "What was all what about in there?"
"That stuff about a party. And Mr. Ido not having a date." He paused a moment before adding, "He actually doesn't believe in romance?"
Thomas dropped his gaze back down to the keyboard of the computer before him. "I'm sure I haven't the vaguest idea what you're talking about. Obviously you weren't listening while you were eavesdropping."
Shawn smiled. Touché. "Oh, come on, Tommy. You can trust me."
Thomas began to type vigorously and ignored Shawn.
The red head sighed. "Okay, never mind. I just wanted to let you know that he's not the only one in a bind. I'm going to be at the Parmentier Masque myself, you know."
That seemed to get Thomas's attention, although he did a good job at hiding it. His fingers on the keyboard only faltered a moment. "You?" he asked.
"Don't sound so surprised," Shawn responded wryly. "I am, after all, the owner of a thriving business, even if it's not one located in Manhattan. But I'm going to be doing the landscaping for the event as well."
Thomas stopped typing and turned to look at him again, and, immediately, Shawn felt uncomfortable with the scrutiny. For some reason, Thomas seemed to be sizing him up for something, and Shawn didn't like it one bit.
"What?" he asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
The other man's dark eyes narrowed more, as if he were trying to look through Shawn and into his very soul. However, before he could answer the question, the door to the boardroom opened and Issac exited.
"Thomas-" he began. But he halted when he saw Shawn seated so familiarly on the other man's desk. "Oh. Mr. Hane. You're still here."
"Just leaving," he said as he jumped up again. "But I'll come back Thursday to spray."
He nodded. "Fine."
"Tommy," Shawn said, bobbing his head toward the other man in farewell. "Loosen up."
Thomas raised his eyebrows in what could have been any number of responses.
With one final glance at Issac that inevitably became a long, lingering assessment of everything, Shawn lifted two fingers to his forehead in salute and made his way toward his tools. Taking care of office plants really wasn't a part of his job, but he always insisted on tending to the Phoenix account himself. Not just because it was one of his most lucrative, but also because Issac Ido was just too good to be true.
Issac was the kind of man who seized some one's heart with both fists without even realizing his strength. For seven months, since taking on the account at Kenji's suggestion, Shawn had tried to garner enough nerve to ask the man out. But every time he came within two feet of him, the question dried up in his throat. Today had been the first time he'd touched him. And all he could do now was replay that one brief caress in his mind over and over.
He had been every bit as soft as he'd thought he would be. Softer still. And now it was going to be even more difficult for him when he saw him again. Because that single, simple touch just made him want the man all the more.
Trying to pretend he didn't notice that was still in the room, he gathered his equipment and looked around for his assistant, Kenji. Unfortunately, the guy was nowhere to be found. Of course, that was nothing unusual. Kenji Nakama had a way of making entrances that drove Shawn nuts.
"Knock knock, buddy."
Shawn nearly jumped out of his skin before spinning abruptly around. As if his thoughts had conjured him up, Kenji stood immediately behind him, crowding his space. He was the same height and build as Shawn. His dark green eyes were lively, and a bandanna held his outlandishly dyed hair back from his tanned face.
"Dammit, Kenji, do you always have to do that?"
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"Sneak up out of nowhere like that and pull that dumb routine. You scared the shit out of me."
Kenji laughed, a rich peal of delight. Past Kenji's shoulder, Shawn noticed Thomas jerk to attention. The prim man stared at Kenji with his mouth agape, as if he had just been hit in the back of the head by a rock. But when he saw Shawn watching him, Thomas quickly dropped his gaze back to his computer screen.
"Good." Kenji said when his laughter subsided, bringing Shawn's attention back around. "You need to keep on your toes."
"How can I not be with you around?"
The other man smiled but said nothing more. Together, the two of them collected their equipment, rode down to the first floor in the freight elevator, and packed everything away in the dark green van scrolled along both sides with the words Divine Mountain Landscaping, Inc.
As Shawn buckled himself in, Issac's words came back to haunt him, and he ground his teeth in frustration. The guy who watered the plants every Tuesday, he grumbled to himself. Evidently, that's all he was to him. Still, he couldn't quite forget the expression on his face when he'd circled his wrist with his fingers. For someone who didn't believe in romance, Issac Ido sure did have some starry eyes.
"So, you got a thing for the Issac guy, huh?"
Shawn's attention snapped to his companion, and he eyed Kenji suspiciously. "What makes you say that?"
He shrugged and gazed out at the rows of taxis and delivery trucks surrounding them. "I saw the way you were looking at him."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Hey, Shawn, it's no big deal. Everybody needs somebody. It's only natural."
"Not in this case."
"Because you're both men? Geez, what is it with people and their narrow minds these days?" he murmured.
"What are you talking about?" he countered.
Kenji sighed. "Nothing. What's the story with his secretary?"
"Thomas?" Shawn found Kenji's curiosity odd, but told him, "I don't really know him that well. Why?"
"Just curious." He smiled smugly.
"Are you going to ask him out?"
"Maybe. Why don't you ask Issac out?"
Shawn detected a quiet, but very real challenge in his friend's tone. And Shawn had never been one to turn away from a challenge. Well, not until Issac Ido, he reminded himself grimly. The realization just made him grow that much more irritable.
"Maybe I will," he told Kenji as he gripped the steering wheel fiercely. "Maybe I fucking will."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Thursday afternoon found Shawn exactly where he'd been Tuesday morning, in the Phoenix Advertising, Inc., boardroom, fondling palms and being ogled by Issac Ido. Because that's the only way he could think to describe the way he was looking at him from where he stood, framed by the boardroom door. The moment he'd approached him in his office some minutes ago, his eyes had gone all dewy again, and his body, one minute all ridges and angles had eased into a softer, more inviting repose. And the way he was looking at him now…
Shawn drew in a non-too-steady breath and held it, waiting impatiently to hear what Issac had to say.
"Is this going to take long?" he asked.
Depends on what you mean by the word 'this', he thought wildly to himself. But what he said was, "No. It shouldn't take very long at all."
"Because everyone's on his or her way out now," he pointed out unnecessarily, jabbing an index finger over his shoulder. Behind him, a parade of pinstriped personal was lined up in wait for the elevators. "I was under the impression that you were going to be here earlier."
"Well, I meant to be, but I got a little tied up this morning at the nursery. I've been running behind ever since."
"I really need to be leaving too," he added. "I, um, I have plans for the evening."
"I understand," Shawn told him, trying not to dwell on the fact that he had plans for the evening that obviously included someone other than himself. "I'll do this as quickly as I can."
Issac nodded, but said nothing more. Instead, he continued to stand in the doorway, staring at Shawn. His black wool suit, which he supposed was meant to be conservative and elegant, was actually about the sexiest thing he'd ever seen a man wear. All Shawn could do was wonder how it would feel to loose each button one by one and slip the garment leisurely away. Preferably by candlelight. Or moonlight. Or no light at all. Hey, he wasn't picky.
"Mr. Hane?"
Shawn forced himself to focus once again on the task at hand. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite remember just what that task was. "Hmmm?"
"You were going to spray."
"Yes. I was."
"So why don't you?"
"Because you're still standing here, and, like I told you the other day, this is going to smell kind of nasty."
Issac stepped away and began to pull the door closed behind him. "I'll just wait out here then, okay?"
"That's fine."
Issac closed the door behind himself and paused to catch his breath. Why, all of a sudden, did Shawn Hane fascinate him? He'd been coming to water the plants for months now, and he had scarcely noted his comings and goings. Now, out of nowhere, all he could do was relieve that one brief moment when he had held his hand, and wonder what it would be like for him to touch him like that again.
And then there were those dreams he'd been having for the last two nights. The kind that featured him and Shawn. Wandering mountain paths and bathing in hot springs. Kissing and hugging. Naked. That kind of thing. Just where on earth they were coming from was anyone's guess. Issac had never been to the mountains or to a hot springs of any kind, especially with a man. But one thing was for certain. Thanks to thoughts of Shawn, he had been completely unable to keep his mind in his work lately. And that just wouldn't do.
Ever since earning his Master's in marketing four years ago, Issac had quickly and effortlessly scaled the corporate ladder, reaching the top rung. He was one of the best in his field, well respected and much admired. Phoenix Advertising was a top ad agency, well on its way to becoming number one. It was all Issac had ever wanted in life, to be a professional success. Nothing else had mattered at all. Women, romance, and all the accoutrements that went with them, had never been a concern for him. On the contrary, he had gone out of his way to avoid romantic entanglements. Not only were they too time-consuming, but also he'd simply had no reason to want one.
Until Tuesday morning. Until Shawn Hane had curled his fingers around his wrist and gazed at him with those impossibly beautiful eyes. Now it was all Issac could do to remember that he had a job, let alone perform it to his fullest capacity, something that had once been his sole reason for rising in the morning. Instead, he spent his time behind his desk wondering was Shawn would look like naked. Wondering what it felt like to want another human being as badly as he wanted professional success. Wondering what it was that drew two human beings to a bond like that. And what it would be like to follow that wanting, to let it guide him through the process that led to its fulfillment.
And he could understand none of it. Why the sudden fascination with something he'd never been interested in before? Why, out of nowhere, had this desire for…well, desire…been born?
"Issac, you're still here?"
Issac turned to find Thomas studying him with much surprise. He was shrugging into a trench coat, angling the collar up behind his neck as if he were already outside, trying to ward off the chilly spring breeze that still carried hints of winter.
"Mr. Hane is just finishing up," he said. "He and his assistant will be done shortly."
Thomas's expression grew inquisitive "Shawn's assistant is here with him?"
"Mm-hm." Issac looked around. "At least, he was here a minute ago. I don't know where he went. Oh, wait, yes I do. He said something about seeing to the plants in the Xerox room that he forgot about on Tuesday."
Thomas nodded, and then seemed to remember something. Pressing his fingertips to his forehead, he muttered, "Damn. I forgot to tell you that Mr. Malcolm called this afternoon while you were out. He wanted you to return his call before the end of the day. I apologize for the oversight."
"That's alright," Issac told him as he glanced down at his watch. "Malcolm never leaves his office before seven anyway. I still have time to reach him."
Thomas nodded again, and as soon as Issac was out of view, made his way briskly to the Xerox room. As promised, he found Kenji Nakama tending to a long row of cacti. Even though he had his back to the older man, and even though he didn't move, and even though he had entered silently, Thomas knew he was aware of his presence. And even though he was the one who had invaded his turf, Thomas decided to let Kenji be the one to speak first.
"I've never seen a cactus before coming here," he said without turning around. "They seem so uninviting when you first meet them. But despite the tough act they put up, they're very soft inside."
Thomas nodded. "I agree. Just like Tasuki used to be."
Kenji turned to gaze at him, his smile flirtatious. "What do you mean 'used to be'? He still is a hard-assed idiot. But Chichiri's the same way too."
"This time around, I'll agree with you," Thomas replied dryly. He crossed his arms defensively over his chest, as he always did when the conversation turned to the subject of his closest friend. "But I'm not surprised that you're here since you were the closest one to Tasuki."
"Kouran sends her best wishes."
Thomas ignored that and asked instead, "What are your intentions? Who sent you?"
"You know very well who sent me."
"Why?"
"Because you're not doing your job."
"Says who?"
"Says Suzaku." Kenji turned around to make his way across the room. When he stood nearly toe-to-toe with Thomas, he dipped a finger beneath his necktie and ran his thumb over the silky fabric. "Nice," he commented. "And expensive, I'll bet. But from what Genrou told me about you, you always did have good taste."
This time it was Thomas's turn to smile. "Jealous?"
Kenji shook his head slowly. "Not a bit. I'm not the one in deep shit here."
"I suppose that's meant to be a threat?"
Kenji released his tie and settled his fisted hands on his hips. His blue jeans and long-sleeved shirt were more than a little snug, and it was impossible for Thomas to ignore how attractive Kenji was.
"You were supposed to have helped Chichiri by now, Hikou," he told him. He should have found Genrou ages ago. Yet here he is, still in denial about himself and love in general."
"That's not my fault," Thomas countered. "I had no idea where Tasuki was until recently."
"Yeah, right under your nose. And how did he get there? Why yours truly took care of that little detail. Thank you very much."
Thomas made a face. "You never stop, do you?"
Kenji shook his head. "Nope. That would make me boring, and you'd hate that, wouldn't you? And I think that we need to collaborate in bringing Chichiri and Genrou back together. It is their destiny."
"Says who?" Thomas asked again.
"You know who says who. Suzaku."
"Remind me again what his interest in all this is?"
"Suzaku's the god of love, dumbass," Kenji reminded him. "Don't you think he's going to be a little concerned that his seishi aren't content? Don't you think he's going to do what ever it takes to make sure that Chichiri and Genrou find each other again? Ever since Genrou died, you saw how much it changed your friend."
"He lost his faith in Suzaku after that." Thomas nodded, remembering the sorrow his friend felt after being separated from his soul mate in that manner.
"Sure, they have good fortune and happiness as a side effect of being reincarnated seishi. But they're soul-bonded. Hikou… That's serious shit."
"Yes. I suppose it is." Thomas sighed wistfully and rubbed his eyes. "But I haven't the faintest clue as how to open up Houjun's eyes and notice Tasuki."
Kenji sighed too before adding, "That's why I'm here. You need help in bringing out some of the old Chichiri."
Thomas nodded reluctantly.
Kenji grinned and took the older man's hand in his own, twining their fingers together. "Lucky for you, Hikou, I have an idea."
He gazed down at his hand linked with the former bandit's, marveling at the odd heat that wound up his arm and through his chest, to settle heavily in his midsection. It was quite unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. For a moment, he could think of nothing to say. And finally, when he did speak, he couldn't entirely prevent the uncertainty that crept into his voice.
"Yes," he said softly, and he tightened his fingers around his. "I suppose that is lucky."
