Asami stalked through the halls, his long purpose filled strides full with the intention of putting Akihito in his place once he finally reached back stage.

People down the halls, which led to the VIP balconies and sitting areas all cleared the way as the malicious air around the well known club owner was enough to give him an unimpeded walk all the way to the quiet corridors of the staff only section of the building.

Nearing the rooms directly backstage, he passed his men posted on each corner of a corridor, nights Akihito performed were always kept on a tight watch, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to sneak back stage to get a glimpse of the blonde.

There was a limited amount of people that Asami allowed beyond this point, and unfortunately the yelling and hooting he heard as he neared the last bend to Akihito's door told him that someone who was allowed was already here before him.

The show was done; Asami quelled his annoyance for now and rounded the corner to see four young men going crazy in the hall, well, three young men. Sudou was doing his best to get them moving into the back stage lounge so the men could do a security check before they could leave.

He was failing miserably.

"Holy fucking shit balls, Akihito! That opener, was that what you wouldn't show me all week?" the question was rhetorical as Koga, clearly sweaty and wet from dancing of his own, pulled Akihito into a brotherly embrace with a manic glean in his eyes.

Even through his irritation, Asami could appreciate the site before him, two sweat slicked DJs - it would be false to say that Koga wasn't attractive - and Akihito, who now had an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, visible with his hood pulled back.

As Koga let go, Asami saw Akihito's fully, his zip up vest undone all the way and exposing his shimmering body from waist to neck. The lighting tonight had been different, so it was the first time Asami truly got to see anything other than a black silhouette, and what a view.

A view that was interrupted by another voice that Asami heard for the first time only recently, "Fuck, that was rad, Akihito. I didn't want it to end!" a similarly damp, sweaty Ben Austin was shaking a now laughing Akihito by the shoulders in earnest, "lets keep it going at Koga's like we used to!" his Japanese was accented heavily, but the way he bounced on the balls of his feet and beamed at Akihito got the message of his excitement across more than enough.

"Haha, alright." Akihito smiled the affirmative, "I'll text arou-"

"Already done it!" Koga put in, the smile on the three DJs' faces was blinding as they all thrummed in elation, much too distracted to notice the arrival of Asami and his two men.

Another thing was happening that Asami hadn't seen before, the way Akihito interacted with other DJs without knowing Asami was watching.

They were like peas in a pod, vibrating with charismatic intensity as they talked about certain parts of a song, or jostling each other at a joke and laughing as one. Not once had Akihito ever been like that with him, the moment was short lived though, as Akihito announced he was going to get changed so they could go back to Koga's quickly, leaving the two DJs and Sudou in the hall.

"Asami sama." Sudou was the first to notice, his greeting snapping everyone's attention to him as the crime lord stopped in front of the three.

"Woah, Salami! Didn't see you there." Koga, who'd obviously had a little too much to drink, let the alcohol fuel his smart mouth even more. "What's the matter, your prisoner escape his ball and chain?"

It served to divert Asami's irritation from the blonde DJ to the black haired one, however. Koga always grated on him.

"Hey, Koga." Ben shot in, "isn't that the guy you said hello to earlier?"

Behind Asami, Kirishima and Suoh cringed at 'the guy' spoken so casually about their boss. Troublesome fucking DJs!

Asami stepped forward at this, holding his hand out in a business like manner, cold and detached so that he wouldn't grit his teeth in front of the person who touched Akihito so freely, and introduced himself to save Koga the trouble, since it was so hard for him apparently.

"Asami Ryuichi, I own this club and many others in Tokyo."

Ben flashed a genuine smile at this, displaying perfectly straight, white teeth, he laughed as he shook Asami's hand in a firm grip, "So Koga was just being a sarcastic bastard when he said no one, should have figured." Koga pouted at this, but Ben kept on, "I've heard your name, I think I have you down for the inv- mmmph!"

Koga's hand promptly smothered Ben's mouth with an audible slap, "Haha, sorry. This guy tends to ramble a little." Asami didn't miss the glare Koga shot in Ben's direction before he let the DJ breathe again.

Well, that was interesting.

The brown haired DJ seemed to catch on to whatever Koga was saying, and scratched the back of his head bashfully, "My bad! So… Takeo doesn't own this place anymore? Shame, he was a good dude, he could party like the- OH! I know!"
"Ben, no!" Koga tried to interrupt, but it was too late, in his excitement over his idea, Ben ploughed right over top of Koga's frantic words.

"We always had friends and club owners around for drinks after a gig when I was here last, you should come back to Koga's with the rest of us!"

Koga huffed, shaking his head all the while.

Sudou gaped for a few seconds at the obliviousness of what Ben had just done, before snapping his mouth shut and checking his phone for security updates to hide his surprise.

Kirishima sighed; exasperated, knowing the night wasn't even close to being over, and Suoh just grunted, it made no difference to him.

"Oh?" Asami quirked a sculpted brow as he learnt something new; so the three of them were that close, before he smirked in Koga's direction "I'll have Kirishima take everyone in the limo."

Koga was already one step ahead however, smirking right back at the club owner, "Ah, I think I've had too much to drink, how about one of your men here drives me back in the Chrysler, I don't want to leave it behind." He fished the keys from his pocket, throwing them to Kirishima who gave another sigh, "Why don't you come with me, Asami, we haven't had a chat in a while. Lets catch up!"

Koga was already walking down the hall with a victorious spring in his step, giving Asami and Kirishima no choice but to follow, the scheming little brat.

"I'll see you back at the apartment guys, Sudou, tell Akihito I've got it under control." Everyone but Ben knew exactly what he was talking about with his latter statement.

.

That was how Asami found himself pulling out of the parking bay outside ageha, with Kirishima driving Koga's new Chrysler, with said DJ and Asami sitting in the back.

"Ah, it's nice to be a passenger in my own car." Koga sunk into the plush leather, breaking the silence.

"Didn't peg you for the party type." Koga said blandly after a while, there he was no trace of alcohol in his words now as he looked out the car window at the passing streets and Tokyo lights.

It was relatively quiet on the roads at nearly 4am. A ridiculous time to start a party, but Tokyo never slept, and neither did DJs it seemed.

"It would be rude of me to turn down an invitation from someone such as Ben Austin." Asami drawled around the fresh-lit cigarette in his mouth.

His words earned a sarcastic snort from Koga, who turned to look at him now with a sardonic expression, "You're Asami fucking Ryuichi, you and I both know you can do whatever the fuck you want and no one will say jack shit."

"How are you not dead yet?" Asami questioned.

"Because if anything ever happens to me, Akihito will know it was you and he would never talk to you again." He said it offhandedly, a truth that was so obvious it didn't need talking about any further.

"….. You're smarter than you look Koga, I will give you that."

"Nah, I just tell it how I see it." Koga flat toned back, though he was hinting at something else, Asami could tell.

"What else do you see then, mm?" he humored the fearless DJ.

"Don't play dumb with me. You and I both know you were going to tear into Akihito the moment you saw him. Don't go giving him any shit when we get to mine, because he doesn't fucking deserve it." Koga's voice when from cold and even, to hot and menacing in the space of a few sentences, a vibe that Asami found familiar. That same prickly attitude that Akihito had whenever it came to protecting his friends or family.

"I beg to differ, Koga." Asami said dryly.

"What? So Akihito plays one little song and that's a reason to assert yourself over his ass? Never mind the fact that after all the shit you have put him through over the years, you still belittled your relationship to his face."

Asami felt the growl rising in his chest at being challenged, "Careful where you tread, Koga."

The young man barked a humorless laugh, "Oh take a chill pill, seriously, someone has to say it. How many newspapers and articles have you been with pretty models and actresses while you've been with Akihito huh?"

"That is beside the point." Asami drawled.

"No, it is the entire fucking point. Akihito is in one, and you flip your lid. Not jealous? That secret room bullshit? You might as well have punched him in the face or kicked him to the curb."

The car stopped at a set of lights, where there was a shut news stand on the corner, looking at the small shop, Koga went on with his rant, "You have no idea how fuming he is whenever you're on the front page with some chick, he is so fucking insecure still. Sure, you guys might have something physical, but I seriously believe he thinks you guys have no connection on an intellectual level. Your reaction to him being in the paper with Shuu pretty much proved it to him."

Abruptly, Koga crossed his arms over his chest with an irritated breath, "Can't believe I'm playing relationship counselor for Asami fucking Ryuichi. I might be smarter than I look, but you guys are both stupid. A week and neither of you have spoken to each other, for fucks sake."

The car fell into silence as the light turned green and began moving, Koga with a scowl on his face and Asami mulling over what he'd been told. The intellectual connection comment hit a nerve, especially coupled with the images of Akihito laughing and joking with his friends in the hall at ageha.

"You know what?" the DJ burst out, "That's not even the worst part, the worst is that like he is loyal to us, he is loyal to you as well, and you don't even know it. That's what cut him the most."

Asami opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't conjure a response, so he closed it promptly, and pursed his lips together around his nicotine hit. Someone had managed to put him on the back foot, and it was Akihito's cheeky DJ friend of all people, not Feilong, or Mikhail, but a twenty something DJ who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Then Koga pushed him back even further.

"Would you honestly call Akihito your friend, Asami?"

Koga was looking at him intently now, and in the driver's seat Kirishima was looking at his boss in the rear view mirror, this was a question that had never been asked before.

He remembered telling Akihito once that he only had enemies and subordinates, and that he didn't need friends.

"…."

"That's what I thought." The music maker intoned when Asami didn't answer soon enough. "Ugh, why can't he just go back out with Ben, those two were good together, friends. But no, of course Akihito would pick his polar opposite and make his life difficult. Tsk. He's an idiot."

"What did you say?" his body tensed in the leather seat, and Kirishima flinched in the front, he'd been given orders to find out Akihito's history with Ben, but Koga beat him to it in telling Asami.

"What? Oh, yeah. You didn't know about that? For a few months when Ben stayed with me four years ago, it was pretty serious too, until Ben went back to the USA to chase his dream of making it big, they left things a bit open back then."

"And now Ben wants to pick up where they left off." Asami stated dangerously.

Koga held up his hands and barked a nervous laugh, "I'm pretty sure Ben is keen as all hell, he follows Akihito around like a puppy, but Akihito's made it pretty clear it's not gonna happen. So you don't need to worry." Koga sounded startlingly confident in his assumption, Asami wasn't convinced.

"I'm serious for once. Ben is the complete opposite of you in everyway. He probably couldn't even bring himself to kill a fucking fly. If Akihito told him no, Ben would listen, he'd never push Akihito into anything he didn't want. Which couldn't be said about you. He's a fucking awesome dude who puts everyone before himself, and he respects Akihito, he cherishes his friendship, which is all that Akihito fucking wants from you instead." The latter was accompanied by a disgusted snort; their dislike for each other was mutual.

"Does he tell you all this?" Asami asked finally, still not persuaded.

"Some, it doesn't take his moping or cursing when shit happens to put two and two together, though he hasn't for ages until this past week. Makes me wonder what he did when none of us knew about you and him. You know, there was a long time when we would hardly hear a peep from him for months, because he didn't want to drag his friends into your mess again."

There was open concern in Koga's eyes now as he remembered all the times he'd tried to get through to Akihito, and failed.

The crime boss kept quiet, hoping to hear more things he hadn't known, Akihito still kept a lot from him after all.

That word 'friend' nagged at him.

"There will be some people at mine who will surprise you, so don't get all scary on everyone, just be the club owner for the night."

Asami finally turned to the person sitting next to him, "People who know who Akihito is?" he didn't like that thought.

The DJ shrugged, "You'd be surprised how many people know. People who've known him for much longer than you have. You're not the only person who has his back, you know."

"Clearly." Asami deadpanned, if the way Koga was talking was any indication. It really was a wonder that he hadn't shot him yet, but Koga's earlier statement was spot on, if he harmed any of Akihito's friends, it would be over. Not in the way Akihito struggled when he was being stubborn, or reluctant, no, Akihito would actually despise him; the act would turn into something real.

Koga was much more manipulative than anyone gave him credit for. Asami might have even appreciated his character if it weren't for the fact he was so close to Akihito.

Beside him, said DJ broke into nervous laughter and clenched his fist to the area above his heart, "Oh fuck, I wonder how many lives I just used up getting that all out. Haha."

So not fearless then - just someone whose concern for his friend outweighed his trepidation.

No wonder Akihito and Koga were often mistaken as brothers.

The car went back to silence for a few more minutes, until it seemed Koga couldn't take the quiet any longer, "What'd you think of his set tonight then? Bet that's something you haven't seen before." He piped up, visibly excited over the question.

Now this was something Asami actually wanted to talk about, Akihito tonight had been on an entirely new level.

"He was spectacular, actually."

"You think so?" Koga asked insistently.

"I do."

The DJ threw himself back in his seat, a pleased smile on his face, "so even you know when he's awesome. That's something at least. He used to play like that every time he went on, that's how he got so massive in the first place." Koga was looking out into nothing as he recalled memories Asami didn't know about, a light in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

"Fuck, it used to get seriously wild. Even when a gig was over we'd find somewhere to keep it going. I think people missed him a lot. I think he missed it a lot. But he worries about what you think so much that he's different now. You guys both need to cut each other some goddam slack."

"I don't need advice from you, Koga." Asami replied, his tone flat and uncaring.

"Well what were you gonna do then? Just not talk to him until he felt like it was all his fault? That's a bit shit, even for you." The young man deadpanned right back at him. "Just… argh, I can't even believe I am trying to help you. Just try would you? I'm not sayin' you gotta get all buddy buddy with his friends, like our music or laugh with us, but fuck man, just try coming down to his level a bit so he's not constantly panicking about what he can wear, or whether he can dance at a club. Just try it tonight without him knowing, be normal and just watch, you will see how happy he is, and it will mean so fucking much to him." Koga was pleading on Akihito's behalf now, that much was obvious. The car pulled into the underground complex of Koga's apartment; and Kirishima parked the car next to all Koga's other numerous vehicles in a space reserved for him.

"Hnnn." Was all Asami said in a non-committal tone. He would see how he felt when he saw Akihito again.

"I'll take that as an ok." Koga said cautiously as they strode through the underground car park, towards the lift.

They were the first ones back at Koga's apartment, it was a nice living space, a lot more open, which would allow for better entertainment value, Asami gauged.

His secretary stood around awkwardly, not used to being in such a casual environment as Koga handed them each a beer, Asami just slunk down on the low lying couch, looking at masses of paper work on the coffee table. There were three copies of each document, applications for a business and a liquor license, Asami noted, before Koga saw what he was looking at and scooped them off the table.

"Haha, excuse the mess. I don't have a secretary of my own, you see."

As Koga left to put the documents somewhere private no doubt, there was a commotion down the hall at the front door as people starting arriving, unending laughter, hoots, jokes, mockery and boyish taunts.

Obviously whoever had been invited was here, it sounded like a few. Asami sat back, observant, nothing more, nothing less and held the bottle to his lips as people rounded the corner into the open area.

Akihito's three friends didn't seem surprised to see him, Kou, Takato and Yoshida who Asami didn't hear much about, but the rest, Koga was right; he was surprised.

Akihito followed his friends in with Sudou and Ben, but then Takeo Nijima; the previous owner of ageha, Takafumi Shinra; a man that owned numerous clubs throughout Tokyo, younger than Asami by far and still a party boy in his own right, and a few more people that Asami dealt with in business walked in too, all younger than Asami and known for their like of a good time of course, and all people that would know about his relationship with Akihito through the boundaries Asami had set on everyone. Suoh followed them all in, his normal stoic expression registering confusion at seeing these people here as well.

Naturally, they all looked extremely startled to see him sitting on the couch. It was a good response, Asami enjoyed it immensely, but as the tension rose; he saw exactly what Koga meant.

Akihito shut down, the natural smile he wore was wiped clean off his face. That was a response Asami didn't particularly enjoy, they'd never been in a situation like this.

Asami made his choice, it was surprisingly easy after seeing Akihito's reaction. He let tonight's lyrical infraction slide until it could be dealt with later.

He raised his bottle in their direction, "Gentlemen." He drawled. Tension left the air, he saw Akihito's frame relax, and everyone took that as a cue to grab themselves a drink from the fridge, sit down, and start the night anew as they all started getting acquainted in a new setting.