I have returned ladies and gentlemen! And just to let you all know, as soon as I got through my 'stage' this was the first thing on my list. Of any piece of fanfiction I've ever written, this one has become my favorite. I updated this fic first because I got lots of little love notes from wonderful readers and reviewers telling me to take my time to rest and not worry about writing. This new chappie is dedicated to all those people! I love you guys!

And so Aoshi and Misao meet again! Yay! But what will happen...well you will have to read to find out. All I can say is it's gonna get a little rough out there...hehehehe

OMG and I have super fantabulous news! Well, not for you guys, but for me...It's my birthday in a few days! September 8th baby! And I just cannot wait cuz I am hopefully getting awesome shit such as a new MP3 playa and the Maroon 5 cd, which I have been pining for since I heard 'This Love' on the radio. And believe you me, I spend many hours listening to the radio in hopes that 'She Will Be Loved' or another of their songs comes on. Obsessive? Well, I did have to listen to those guys again one time before I wrote this chappie, so they were kinda my inspiration...yes I WILL SHUT UP NOW!

Well you all are probably bored with my ramblings...so just read dammit!

Luv always

Sephiress

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Chained by Sephiress

Chapter 4) What Do You Want?

The glowing red numbers on the digital clock was serving as a ruthless annoyance for the liquid gold eyes of the wolf man, the scarlet lights seeming as bright as the streets of Vegas. It was late, well past midnight, and the pile of papers and folders seemed no less foreboding then when he had started. Grant you, Saitoh had only been working for an hour and a half, due to the field work he had been assigned earlier.

Damn that Shinomori.

If there was ever a bastard that could put you in your place more then Saitoh himself, it was Mister Aoshi Shinomori. He was a grade A asshole, using every bit of silent cunning he possessed to make you follow his order, no matter how grimy the job. Once you were signed into his company, you might as well sell yourself to the devil, cause there ain't nothing to live for after that. Sure the pay was better then normal and it kept you off the streets. But the boss man tolerated nothing but perfection, and if you screwed up, you'd find your sorry behind jobless faster then you could say 'but Shinomori-san...'

And God forbid some poor soul got fired by the heartless prick, they'd never be able to find a job in Kyoto again. Shinomori Technologies Inc. had connections to hell and back. So if you're an enemy of the company, you're pretty much screwed over in the city.

Welcome to STI, welcome to the haven of Satan.

So what on earth was Saitoh doing working for Kyoto's coldest businessman? Unfortunately, the wolf had just been transferred to the city through the police. He had been working in Osaka for the police department for a few years as an officer, but with rumors of some nasty crime in Kyoto, he was onto the train in an unexpected rush.

But the Kyoto force didn't exactly roll out the welcome wagon for new folk. The snobby upscale officers looked down on Saitoh Hajime, not acknowledging the success printed on his record. And if anything, Saitoh did not respond well to his critics, openly vocal or otherwise. Within a few weeks, a number of officers were pulled out of the field due to broken limbs and other mangled parts, courtesy of master wolf himself.

Thus the reason he had quit the police department and settled for a private service. Luckily, his reputation from Tokyo preceded him, and there was never a lack of clients. And so when Shinomori-san had called up for his assistance, Saitoh had seen no point in denying the lovely payment included.

However, within the first few meetings with his new patron, Saitoh found his assignment, and boss, to be more then he bargained for. If he had been described as difficult, Shinomori was damn near impossible. Everything was his way or the highway, no second thought about it. Saitoh had ended up pulling out every trick in his book to comply with the demands of "Aoshi-sama". Whenever the two would discuss the finer grains of the assignment, there was no once of respect of warmth in either of their tones. And while brick after brick of tension and loathe was laid, Hajime Saitoh vowed to himself never to work for anyone named Shinomori again.

And at the same time, Saitoh felt an even greater pity to this person Shinomori was so intent on tracking down. What was her name...?

Oh yeah, Makamachi Misao: Age 24, lives with female friend in an apartment in downtown Kyoto. Parents died in car crash at age four, custody granted to her grandfather...blah blah blah. Saitoh didn't really give a rat's ass about this chick. She was what the boss-man wanted, that's all he knew.

Why he wanted her was the real question. Shinomori had been very lacking in his personal details to this woman. The only slight hint to their connection was the sour look on Aoshi's face whenever her name was said. Curiosity nagged at the detective, but that wasn't his area so he left it untouched.

And so as the minutes turned to hours, Saitoh's posture began to slouch. A long-fingered hand came up to rub at his normally predatory eyes. Oh what he wouldn't give to light these papers into a massive blaze and return home to Tokio's side. He truly did miss his old life in Tokyo, the traffic of Kyoto industry blaring in Saitoh's tired mind.

Speaking of blaring, Saitoh clapped his palm over his forehead as the shrill noise of his cell phone alerted his dazed senses.

"Hajime Saitoh, Private Detective."

"Hello Saitoh-san."

The corners of Saitoh's mouth tweaked up at the familiar voice.

"My name is Saitoh Tokio and I would like to report a missing person."

Laughter threatened to spill out of the detective's mouth at the seriousness of his wife's tone. What was his little minx up to?

"Well Tokio-dono, can you tell me the name and any possible whereabouts of this missing person?" Saitoh spoke with the same business tone he gave to all his customers, though the expression on his face was quite the contrast.

"His name is Hajime Saitoh, and he is supposed to be in his bed next to his annoyed spouse. I am afraid he has been kidnapped by a horde of his clients."

A hearty chuckle escaped Saitoh's lips at her choice of words. Oh what a little wise-crack his wife was. Had it not been for Tokio's sense of humor, he doubted this woman would have the patience to deal with his own devious personality.

"Kidnapped eh? I suppose that is one way of putting it Miss."

An irritated huff was heard from the woman on the other end, though a sliver of a laugh could be heard in her voice.

"Yes, kidnapped. By that God-awful Shinomori man." Another chuckle escaped Saitoh's lips at the similarity of their thinking patterns.

"So Tokio-dono, what kind of payment would you be willing to give if I could get this 'Hajime Saitoh' home in less then an hour?" Saitoh listened amused as Tokio could be heard cursing in the background. Sweet Kami, he would have to punish her for her language one day.

"I would reward you with NOT sleeping on the couch tonight, dearest." Her voice was sugar coated sweet, the venom beneath hidden none too well. Saitoh leaned back in his chair and laughed openly at her. How he missed her...

"I was being perfectly serious Hajime! It would be wonderful if you were home ONCE before I fall asleep." Saitoh could almost see the angry pout on her lips, and had he been with her, he would have loved to kiss it off her face.

"And Tokio, why do I get the feeling that if I were home, you would not have me doing much sleeping anyway?"

The blush that was on her face would have been priceless to watch, but her sputtering was a good enough consolation.

"Oh that is so IT Hajime, you are sleeping on the couch tonight."

Saitoh heard a 'click', signaling she had hung up on him, and upon turning off his phone, he allowed himself another full laugh. His little wife was in for it when he returned home, which he deemed now as a good enough time. He didn't even give the rest of his paperwork a glance as Saitoh turned off his computer, grabbed the briefcase as the foot of the desk, and scurried out of his office.

Oh yes, she would be in for it.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

A set of ocean-blue eyes were wide to the point of popping out of their sockets, the pupils taking in the sight before them. The moment his voice reached Misao's ears, she knew tonight would change her life forever.

He was dressed oddly casual for a business man, a set of semi-loose black sweatpants hanging low on his waist. A long sleeved black shirt hugged his torso nicely, a strange kanji placed over where his heart would be. The beige trench coat he wore over the black ensemble looked rather out of place, but then why did he care?

His facial expression was a mixture of amusement and cockiness at her reaction to him, Misao's own face looking surprised and more then a bit angry. Aoshi had clearly caught her off-guard, all her attention being focused on training that had, oddly enough, been fueled by the same man. He looked at her with dominance in his eyes, though she was a child to his mature superiority.

Misao snuck a second, more focused glance at his frame, and internally smirked at the symbol on his chest.

It read: Master.

How utterly appropriate.

"It's rude to stare Miss Misao."

Misao's gaze adjusted up from his attire, an annoyed expression crossing her features at the smugness of his tone.

Two could play at this game.

"I was merely noting the...attributes of your clothing Mr..."

"Shinomori. Aoshi Shinomori."

Misao could only roll her eyes.

"Alright, so I suppose it's MASTER Shinomori then, or Aoshi-SAMA." For a moment, Aoshi was confused at Misao's words, until he noted her stare rested on the symbol on his chest.

"Yes... Aoshi-sama. It sounds fitting." Her voice taunted him.

It was now Aoshi's turn to be annoyed. Misao's eyes prowled over him, making him feel like an animal in the zoo. She slowly circled around him, like a lioness on the hunt, her sharp eyes seeking out every detail. He could feel her move behind him, her footwork precise and smooth.

"Well, you might as well call me your 'Lord'. As you will soon belong to me, Makamachi."

The only warning Aoshi could have sensed was the sound of split air, as a kunai nearly grazed his left ear, only to be pinned in the opposite wall. A lock of his hair was embedded in the small knife, the strands that had been cut swaying from the gust of wind. Aoshi turned to look his attacker face-on, and for a moment, he had to remind himself that the fierce aqua eyes he stared into did indeed belong to the same woman he had berated on the phone.

"I belong to no one."

Aoshi had to internally grin at that. She had spunk, he would give her that. But this little spitfire was all emotions, never thinking about her actions before she launched. And that would most certainly be her downfall.

Misao's ocean eyes watched as Aoshi moved closer to her. He shrugged off the heavy trench without a care and let it rumple onto the floor. She was now able to see the confidence in his stride, looking much like a hunter approaching his game. Anticipating a fight, Misao raised her hands, kunai grasped between her fingers as she positioned into a defensive stance.

But she never saw it coming.

Between one breath and the next, Misao was suddenly pressed against the opposite wall, the man she had been watching pressed up against her. She could feel his hands at her wrists, his agile fingers knocking her kunai to the floor. Misao suddenly felt vulnerable, being unarmed and in such an uncompromised position. His strong hands moved up to press against her upper arm, his lower body pressed against hers so she would not have the option of using her legs.

"You belong to me now, Misao. The moment you crossed me, you signed your life to my name."

There was that voice again, that deep husky baritone that could send shivers racking through Misao's body. It was so unfair that he could use it to make her into jelly. Misao nervously rose her head to meet his eyes, their faces so close she could see between his jet bangs into the ice blue irises.

Good Kami, he was so beautiful.

For such a devious personality, Misao still found her breath knocked by him. As Aoshi held her, she could feel the play of muscles as he flexed them to better his grip. She was petite compared to him, her forehead only reaching to his upper chest. She could smell his cologne, mixed with a scent that was his and his only, creating a toxic aroma. The pesky bangs that covered his eyes looked as though they were make of spun silk, and Misao found herself itching to caress them. And then there was his eyes, made of blue ice and freezing her in the spot.

There was a silence hanging in the air, tension thickening by the second. After a few minutes, Misao licked her lips and spoke in a guarded voice, the false bravery thinly veiling the shakiness she felt.

"What do you want from me Shinomori?"

She had expected him to laugh mockingly at her question, look at her with superiority and demand her to turn herself in. Misao was practically positive all he wanted was the piece of his fortune she had stolen back. It wasn't uncommon knowledge that he was obsessed with his company, his money, and his future. The papers had always portrayed him as emotionless; a stone figure with a void for a heart. An ice-man if you will...

"You want to know what I want Misao?"

Misao gulped nervously as he looked at her with those frozen eyes. So cold, why was he so cold? Maybe he was hiding something, something deeper then the reporters and public could ever understand.

She nodded. She wanted to know.

His eyes kindled at her silent response. And suddenly, the whole atmosphere changed. Suddenly, they were no longer enemies, no longer opposing forces. Suddenly, they were just two people trying to read each other's next move.

And suddenly, he kissed her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Another cliffhanger! MWAHAHAHA... Ummm, should I just run now? I think I should before I am murdered. RUNS

Leave reviews!

Luv always

Sephiress