Sorry it took so long to update, with the end of the semester looming near it's hard to find time to sleep let alone write. I hope all the drama and fluff makes up for it. Thank you for your support!

Chapter 5

Akihito rolled to his side and groaned as he pulled the covers to his chin in a desperate attempt to retain the warmth radiating from his bed.

It had been four days since his interview with Asami and his mind was still reeling over the powerful man. He was terrified, and honestly a bit embarrassed, after the meeting and he was beginning to question if he had made the right decision in showing up at all.

Rolling once more back to his stomach, Akihito buried his face in his pillow and let out a sigh of frustration. Wallowing in bed all morning wasn't going to make a difference. His fate was sealed and he was going to photograph for that event whether he liked it or not, his pride wouldn't let him back down from the challenge the older man had obviously set.

I can always back out afterwards he thought to himself as he bit his lower lip nervously. He could say that he didn't think it was going to work out long term, that he was more into freelance work and didn't like to be tied down. Yeah, that would work.

Feeling a bit better about the situation, Akihito forced himself from bed and sleepily made his way into the kitchen, scratching his stomach through his thin shirt absentmindedly as he shivered at the cold air in his apartment, clad only in the thin material and a pair of boxer briefs.

It was getting colder by the day and Akihito knew winter was going to suck that year, however his thin wallet didn't allow for such luxuries as heat so he instead opted to go the "suck it up" route and try to ignore it.

Akihito was in the middle of rooting through his fridge for something to warm him up when he heard three hard raps against his front door. Glancing at the clock he realized it was only nine in the morning and he had to stifle a groan, wondering who could be up this early and what they would want at his apartment.

It wasn't until he was at the door that he realized his rent was due and he stopped in his tracks, wondering if he should risk the peep hole or just pretend he wasn't home altogether.

Three more knocks had him jumping back slightly and he came to the conclusion that whoever was on the other side of that door wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Rolling his eyes, Akihito tried to start thinking of a good excuse as he undid the latches for the lock and cracked the door open.

However it wasn't Akihito's short, constantly frowning, balding landlord. Instead his eyes met a broad chest and he slowly peered up to see the same large blonde man that had taken him to his appointment with Asami.

Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his disheveled appearance and lack of clothing, Akihito stared for a few moments before finding his voice, "Uh…hello?"

The man stared down at him for several seconds, his gaze leaving Akihito on edge as he felt the man take in every detail as if he were making mental notes of him. It was only a few seconds before the man finally spoke, his voice monotone and practiced, "Asami-sama requests that you are fitted by his personal tailor for his upcoming event. I was sent to ensure you are prepared for his arrival in thirty minutes."

Akihito blinked several times as he stared at the mountain of the man before him, embarrassment flushing his skin a slight pink as he realized he was inadvertently being made fun of. Of course the rich successful socialite would assume Akihito too crude to have his personal tailor in his home, wouldn't want to embarrass the great Asami Ryuichi of course.

Well, maybe he wasn't too far off, Akihito groaned as he looked over his shoulder and realized the state of disarray his apartment was in. Shaking his head he turned to the man once more, "Uh, yeah, no problem. I'll make sure everything gets cleaned up before he gets here." Moving to shut the door, Akihito was almost successful until a large foot blocked it from fully closing and the man, what was his name again, Suoh? Spoke once more, "Asami-sama has requested that I stay and ensure that the appointment is completed."

It was obvious to Akihito that the Suoh would rather be anywhere than stuck here babysitting him like an overgrown child, but he seemed determined to follow out the odd request from his boss.

Who the hell orders a hulking monster like this guy to watch a tailoring appointment anyways?

Realizing his efforts to stave the man off were futile, Akihito rolled his eyes and let the man enter his apartment. He began absentmindedly picking things up as Suoh awkwardly stood in the doorway, watching him.

Within ten minutes he had the entire living and kitchen space cleaned, it wasn't as if he was dirty, he was just too tired to pick things up sometimes.

Placing his hands on his hips and sighing, Akihito turned and looked at the blonde monster who looked extremely out of place in his tiny apartment and shook his head, any attempt to understand his being there out the window and began walking towards his bedroom, casually shouting, "I'm gonna go shower. Just…sit on the couch or something. Make yourself at home?" over his shoulder as he shut the bathroom door behind him.

He didn't have many guests over other than Kou and Takato, and they were practically family and made themselves comfortable without Akihito having to play host. Should he make tea? He wasn't sure if he had any food to offer. Shaking his head he stepped under the warm spray of the shower and quickly began washing himself, knowing he didn't have time to enjoy the scarce hot water.

When he finished washing himself and drying off, Akihito made his way to his closet and picked through his clothes, frowning as he looked through them. What did people wear to a suit fitting?

Frustration mounting, Akihito settled on a simple t-shirt and jeans, figuring the less clothing the better as he made his way into his living space to see Suoh still standing in his entryway.

Sighing and shaking his head, wondering if everyone who worked for Asami was that weird, Akihito went to the kitchen and decided that tea might be a good idea after all. He could use something to warm him up as he felt chilled to the bone after stepping out of the shower.

As he removed the kettle from the stove top, Akihito stretched up to reach the cupboard above his stove and pulled down three mugs, pouring the boiling water into them as soon as they were set on the counter.

Picking up two of the steaming mugs, he walked over to the guard who shook his head at his offering and glared slightly, "Y'know, this whole thing is kind of weirding me the fuck out. Why are you here anyways, do I need a babysitter or something to make sure I get fitted?"

Turning on his heel Akihito returned to the kitchen area to set the rejected mug back down, not hearing Suoh's exasperated sigh or his disgruntled reply of, "You and me both kid."

Asami sipped at the mug of steaming black coffee as he looked over reports at his desk. Setting the mug down, he signed his name on several documents and placed them to the side when he heard the signature knock of his secretary at the door.

Calling out a simple, "Enter." Asami continued to look over the reports until Kirishima was standing before him, bowing slightly in greeting.

"Asami-sama, the tailor has arrived at Takaba-sama's home and is currently taking measurements. I'll have a detailed report of the affair when he leaves."

Asami "Hnn'd" in response before setting the file in his hands down and leaning back in his oversized leather chair. "How is he fairing so far?"

"Not too badly, although he's got quite the temper and a rather short fuse. He snapped at the tailor when he first arrived due to a comment regarding the state of his home" Kirishima relayed as he recalled the short report from Suoh stating that Akihito snapped at the tailor for making a comment on his apartment, having called it "dreary".

Asami nodded and made a mental note to have his tailor replaced without even considering the context. For some reason the idea that the man had insulted the boy in some manner infuriated him to an undesirable extent of which he could not explain.

Trying not to dwell at the nagging feeling beginning at the base of his skull once more, Asami smoothly changed the point of conversation while still remaining on the same topic, "Who did you send to stand guard while the appointment was completed?"

Kirishima bit back a smirk, it crossing his face for a brief moment before it returned to its natural stoic rest and Asami narrowed his eyes as he watched his secretary.

"I sent Suoh sir." Kirishima said as monotonously as he could, obviously trying to keep his passive nature regarding the matter.

"Ah I see," Asami leaned back in his chair once more and picked up a pen from his desk, absentmindedly playing with it before speaking up once more, not looking at the man before him, "Kirishima, why is it that you sent my chief of security to stand guard at a tailoring appointment?"

Kirishima once more tried to hide his smirk and Asami's annoyance grew at the joke that he seemed to not be in on. Tapping the pen in annoyance as he watched his secretary, who hardly ever smiled, cover his mouth and chuckle, Asami snapped out, "What is it Kirishima? Don't make me order you to tell me."

Kirishima slowly stopped chuckling as he realized his boss' temper was rising and he composed himself quickly, clearing his throat before speaking, "Ah, Suoh volunteered sir." And Asami stared at him in shock, his anger completely forgotten as he caught the inflection in Kirishima's words. Shaking his head slowly as he leaned forward onto his elbows, pressing his clasped hands against his mouth as he remembered a time twelve years prior, a time Kirishima, Suoh and himself vowed to never speak of again, and tried to hold back a laugh while failing miserably.

Asami sat back in his chair and let out another low chuckle, shaking his head at the situation. It was rare for him to have these moments, however Suoh and Kirishima were the closest things he had ever had to having friends, having been with them since his teen years. They were his subordinates, of course, but they were also still the only two people to have ever watched Asami make a fool of himself when he was younger and even supported him during his rocky descent into the underworld of crime.

On the surface their relationship was completely formal, all business and no play, however on rare occasion Asami would indulge himself to drinks with the two men and set aside titles such as boss and employee and instead savor in the company of old friends.

Bringing the mug of coffee to his lips once more, Asami shook his head again and turned to stare out the large expanse of windows where clouds were beginning to roll in, thick and dark with the promise of storms and his mind drifted back to Takaba, who he assumed must be finishing his appointment by now.

As if reading his mind, Kirishima returned to his normal self and informed him that the tailor was now leaving and that Suoh would be returning to Sion immediately to give a report personally. Most likely to give grievance as well for the fact that he was stuck with the job in the first place.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Asami turned back to Kirishima and dismissed him, returning to the ever growing pile of paperwork before him before letting his mind wander to the blonde once more.

The fiery temper was obviously a persistent trait of the boy that Asami couldn't wait to continue toying with. The flames in his eyes when he got worked up did strange things to Asami's mind and body and he was curious as to what prolonged exposure would lead to.

If the incident in his office was anything to go bye, he was sure it would be enjoyable.

Akihito grumbled the entirety of the time the tailor was in his apartment, his annoyance levels off the radar from the moment the man stepped foot inside.

Of course he had immediately commented on Akihito's apartment, his voice dripping with condescension that made Akihito bristle with anger as he tried to remain polite and professional, knowing that the presence of one of Asami's men meant his behavior was most likely going to be communicated to Asami later on.

It wasn't until the man made another condescending remark under his breath as he began measuring Akihito's waist that he finally snapped at him, calling him a "Snobby jackass that he'd throttle if he didn't shut the fuck up and do what he was being paid to."

Akihito's raging temper kept him from noticing the shocked and slightly impressed look on Suoh's face. The blonde man had heard the boy had a temper but he hadn't expected an outburst like that and he suddenly felt bad for his initial assumptions regarding the blonde during his first weeks of surveillance.

The tailor himself had taken the hint and shut his mouth, quickly taking the measurements and leaving quickly, tossing the words, "Your suit will be ready tomorrow," over his shoulder before hurrying out of the apartment, most likely in fear Akihito would make good on his promise if given the opportunity.

Shaking his head, his anger hardly subsiding, Akihito stormed into the kitchen to clean up the tea he had made, mumbling under his breath about "ungrateful guests" and "wasting his good tea" on them.

Suoh cleared his throat before announcing that the suit would be dropped at the apartment tomorrow after it was completed before bidding him farewell and leaving without waiting for a response, deciding he did not want to become the new target of anger himself.

As soon as his apartment was empty Akihito leaned back against his countertop and tried to calm his frantic heartbeat and rising temperature. He knew he was upset about the comments but he couldn't quite place why it had cut him so deeply. Gripping the countertop, Akihito fought off a wave of nausea and closed his eyes as the room began to spin and he realized he must be close to blacking out, his breath suddenly beginning to come much more quickly as he tried not to hyperventilate.

It could happen if his emotions got to be too much and his body went into overdrive, and he tried to fight off the inevitable oncoming attack by counting to ten and trying to slow his breathing.

When the symptoms failed to subside and he realized it was going to happen whether he liked it or not, Akihito slowly let go of the security his grip on the countertop gave him from the fear of falling flat on his face and slowly made his way to the couch, leaning heavily on furniture until he reached his intended destination.

It was only a few moments after Akihito reached the safety of a soft landing before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward onto the cushions, completely motionless.

It was close to midnight when the tailor finally finished the suit for the bratty blonde kid he had fit earlier in the day.

His boss had contacted him, saying that the kid was a priority client that needed completed immediately. Some priority he turned out to be.

Grumbling to himself, the tailor began to pack his items to head home after the long night of overtime. His wife was most likely already in bed, exhausted from a day of chasing after their young son.

Letting a small smile slip, the tailor shook away his frustrations from the day as he thought of his beautiful family waiting for him at home. His boss knew of his new addition and had given him a healthy bonus to ensure his continued work in the face of a new child and he was forever grateful, the sum of money being enough to start a savings account for his young son as well as give his family enough financial cushion to buy a larger home.

As he stepped out of his small shop in a busy district, eerily quiet at the current time of night, the tailor locked the door and tightened his coat around him as he braced the cold on his walk home, thoughts of his family pushing him to continue the journey.

However the tailor was unaware that he wouldn't see his wife that night, that she wouldn't greet him with a sleepy hello and a chaste kiss. That he wouldn't sneak into the room of his sleeping son, place a kiss on his forehead and watch him dream.

He was unaware that he would not see the sun rise the next morning, and that he was being watched.

Akihito woke up the next morning and blinked slowly at the rising sun blinding him from his living room window.

Had he really slept almost twenty-four hours?

Shaking his head in disbelief, Akihito sat up slowly and gripped the cushions of the couch as the room spun around him and he tried to get a grip on himself. It wasn't unusual that he had a hard time coming to after a severe attack like the one he experienced, although he was still confused as to what had caused it.

He had been angry of course during his appointment, but not enough to warrant the type of reaction his body and psyche decided to give him.

Slowly the room came to a stop and Akihito carefully stood up and made his way to the bathroom, having not released his bladder in almost a day suddenly hitting him with full force as he desperately realized he needed to pee.

Moving to wash his hands when he finished, Akihito looked up into the mirror groaned at the large bags under his eyes, wondering how he still managed to have them despite his ridiculously long sleep.

Grumbling he made his way back into the living room and began to dig around for his cellphone, finding it buried under a cushion and slid the lock screen open.

He had several texts, mostly from Kou and Takato trying to talk him into coming out the previous night and chastising him for not answering. There was also one from Mitarai who asked what scoop he was following the night prior. Confused, Akihito answered him stating that he hadn't been following anything.

It was only a few moments before Mitarai sent a response, chastising him for trying to hog his information and stating that he had seen him walking down a dimly lit street around four in the morning. He himself had been on his way home from the bar and called out to Akihito but didn't receive a response and assumed he must have been on the job.

Akihito shook his head in confusion and realized Mitarai must have been drunkenly yelling at some poor guy who was most likely making their drunken way home as well.

Dropping the phone onto the small coffee table in front of him, Akihito let himself fall back onto his couch and slouched, wondering how he was so tired despite the obnoxious amount of sleep he had gotten.

Shaking his head he chalked it up to mental fatigue from the stress he must have put on his brain and decided it would be best to just get ready for the day and push through so as not to throw his system off any worse than it already was.

The tailor was good at his job, had a loving family, was an upstanding member of society and had no known enemies.

Therefore Asami could not understand why he was receiving news of his death from one of the men who had gone to pick up the tailored suit for Akihito. He had of course decided to fire the man yesterday, but it pissed him off to the ends that that opportunity was now lost to his death, at the hands of someone else.

Someone else who seemed to be making a habit of killing Asami's own intended targets. He didn't plan on killing the tailor, but he wasn't above breaking several bones to ensure his silence after years of service to the crime lord.

However there seemed to be a silver lining to this incident as the attacker had let himself be caught on camera. It was obvious to Asami that this kill was not as methodical as the others, he would have considered it to even be a random act of violence if it weren't for the obvious signatures left behind, or the way the man's mouth was slashed apart and the fact that his tongue was missing, seemingly ripped from his mouth and not cut. This was the first time a trophy had been taken and the corners of Asami's mouth turned upwards at the thought that he was playing cat and mouse with a serial killer. A serial killer with very passionate aggression for his victims that always seemed to correspond with Asami's own plans for torture.

It was almost as if he was being baited, taunted, as if the man was encouraging him to try and catch him, beat him to the intended victim and outdo him. He let himself be seen by the camera because he wanted to be seen.

He was showing off in his own way and Asami was extremely impressed.

Unfortunately he was unable to see his face and could only make out a lithe body coming up behind the tailor as he made his way up the street from his store and rendering him unconscious before quickly taking him back to his place of origin, using the unconscious man's keys to open the store and drag the man inside.

Of course he had been smart enough to shut off the security alarm, Asami wasn't surprised to find that the tapes from the store itself had been erased. He was daring but not stupid and knew that risking Asami seeing his face so quickly would end the game too soon. Much too soon.

Sitting back in his chair as he read over the report and looked through the bloody pictures of the scene, Asami wondered what connections the killer could have to these men that caused him to torture them so passionately, the fact that he ripped out the tongue of the tailor was evident that he had some sort of personal motivation behind doing so.

Shaking his head Asami wondered if he should let himself get so personally involved, it was most likely that the man would be caught within several weeks and would be a low ranking assassin attempting to play mind games with him that he would dispose of and completely forget. Yet Asami couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it, something about it he was attracted to and couldn't ignore.

Closing the file and setting it on the edge of his desk, Asami decided to move on from the violent topic and turned his attention to the preparations for the lounge opening in just a few day. Everything was ready and he was just finalizing the details, ensuring he was satisfied with the end result before agreeing to have it opened to the public.

Smirking as he looked over the guest list of those who had been invited to the opening, Asami couldn't help but let his mind wander to the blonde photographer he would be seeing in only a few short days.

He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was dying to see those eyes full of fire again and had to stop himself from showing up at the boy's apartment uninvited, knowing he wouldn't be able to control himself from taking the boy then and there if he did.

He was determined to make Takaba submit to him willingly, the thought of taming those eyes for himself only gave him a sense of excitement comparable to that he felt earlier when thinking of his new game with the killer.

Shaking his head and letting out a low chuckle as both men came to his mind and he remembered that at one point he had Takaba under suspect as the killer. What a ridiculous thought, the boy had a loud bark but was a bristling kitten in reality when backed into a corner, evident from their encounter earlier in the week.

However the two colliding thoughts led Asami to wonder if he was wrong to involve someone like Takaba in his lifestyle, knowing full well that the boy was a crime photographer at heart and most likely knew of his illegal activates to some extent. Then again, the boy hadn't brought it up during their initial meeting and Asami felt confident that he did not have to worry about the blonde attempting to turn him into a news story.

The boy was interesting and Asami couldn't wait to figure out the inner workings of his mind. Suddenly feeling very ready for the next two days to pass, Asami decided to make a plan to get to know Takaba all the better that night.

It was the day of the lounge's opening and Akihito was fumbling with his tie as he fidgeted in his new tailored suit, grateful the tailor himself had not delivered it.

Failing for the third time to tie it properly, Akihito was about to look up a tutorial on his phone when he heard a knock at his door and groaned when he realized someone must be there to pick him up for the event.

Rushing into the living room with the tie haphazardly around his neck, Akihito pulled the door open and looked up, not expecting to meet a pair of dangerous golden eyes and a deadly smirk.

Standing there in shock, the door wide open, Akihito quickly glared at the older man, heat rising to his cheeks as he remembered their last encounter and he mumbled a greeting before stepping back, inviting the older man into his home.

Asami continued to smirk at the reaction of the boy in front of him and accepted the invitation, taking the opportunity to survey the apartment himself.

He had seen in reports that the apartment was small and under furnished, hardly a suitable living space, but it was also evident Akihito was proud of his own space and tried hard to make it as much of a home as he could.

Watching the younger boy struggle with his tie, Asami stepped forward and grabbed it from Akihito's hands before murmuring, "Allow me." and tying it efficiently with ease, taking the opportunity when tightening it to bring his face close to Akihito's.

The scowl he received in return was the reaction he was hoping for and he smirked, stepping back before speaking up, "You clean up well."

Akihito glared in response to the compliment, if one could call it that, before adjusting his cufflinks and staring at the man, "Not to be rude, Asami-sama, but what exactly are you doing here associating with the photographer when you have an event to host?"

Asami just smirked at him and slipped his hands into his pockets, enjoying the look on the younger boy's face for a few moments before speaking, "How else are you supposed to arrive to the event than with the host himself?"

Akihito stopped what he was doing at stared at him in shock, what Asami said slowly processing, "You mean I'm riding to the event with you? In what, a limousine? You're riding to your prestigious snobby socialite event with the lowly photographer?" Akihito's words had more bite to them than he intended but he couldn't help the defense mechanism he had used since childhood, in reality he was just in shock that he would be arriving to one of the most talked about event of the year with the infamous Asami Ryuichi.

Asami laughed softly, a sound that soothed Akihito's ruffled nerves, much to his displeasure. Quickly grabbing his camera bag and assuring he had his cell phone and keys, Akihito stepped out of the apartment followed by Asami and locked his door. They made their way down to the limo where Kirishima was waiting and held the door open for them, smiling and nodding at Akihito who looked extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

The limo ride was silent as Akihito sat on the opposite side of Asami, who was sipping a glass of brandy and watching Akihito intently, that infuriating smirk still present on his face as he crossed his legs.

Akihito shifted uncomfortably in the plush leather seat and fiddled with the strap of his camera bag, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. However it only seemed to increase in tempo as he felt the limousine pull to a stop and the chatter of people outside of Club Sion waiting to get into the exclusive opening. Akihito was instantly grateful that he was the only photographer there that night as he was sure if his image was plastered all over the tabloids next to Asami Ryuichi's the next day that his friends and coworkers would never let him live it down.

Asami sat his glass down and reached over and to grab Akihito's hand and didn't give him the opportunity to protest as the door to the limo opened and people began to point and wonder what celebrity must be arriving in such style.

Smirking as he stepped out of the limousine, pulling a blushing and flustered Akihito behind him, Asami turned in front of the crowd and pressed his lips to the younger boy's ear intimately, murmuring, "You asked why I would want to arrive to such a prestigious event with you in tow, but my question is why wouldn't I want to arrive with the most beautiful person in attendance?"

Smirking at Akihito's dumbfounded expression, Asami squeezed the blonde's hand to encourage him to keep walking and led him inside past the waiting line full of questioning stares and already forming gossip about who the blonde man with Asami was.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I really struggled getting this one going for some reason, I know it's been kind of slow paced regarding the relationships between Asami and Akihito but it's going to pick up a lot in the next chapter so just be a bit more patient for me. Thank you for reading I'm glad that a lot of people seem to be enjoying the story!