I sincerely apologize as I feel like this is not one of my best works (but definitely one of my longest). I may or may not take a break just for a week and then come back since I do not feel motivated at this time. Thank you.

The sun was just rising from the mountains but many were already awake and bustling through the dirt packed streets. Shop owners began thrust open their doors and cleaning the front of it in anticipation for another day of business. And, the Takaba family was of no exception with their vast and intricate paintings that astonished anyone walking by. Their vast collection contained numerous landscapes that ranged from forests to the ocean and the colors were blended to perfection and the image almost jumped out of the paper. But no portraits.

…

"We aren't going to have enough…"

"Shh, don't be so loud; the kids are sleeping…"

"Oh, I forgot. But, honey, how are we going to…"

"Don't worry; I'll take care of it…"

"You don't mean…"

"Shh…"

Despite the low decibel that the two were talking at, a young male was awake the entire time while his younger two siblings were snoring away therefore giving the illusion that all three of them were asleep. He knew that their family struggled despite how wonderful their (or dare he says, his) paintings were. He touched the blond hair and cursed at the man downstairs. His mother just had to fall in love with a European man and he just had to remain in Japan. The failure of their business was not because of the poor quality of their paintings but due to the fact that his father was a foreigner. Once a customer saw that the seller was not from these lands, they immediately turned around and never returned. That is why there are no portraits; no one will sit for one.

Takaba Akihito knew he loved painting and wanted to do it no matter what but he loved his family more and he was finally of age to do what he needed to do. And this conversation was the last kick he needed to get his plan in motion. Akihito carefully got up from the shared futon and crept to the floorboard that was able to open and withdrew his rucksack that he had been preparing. He quickly grabbed a spare piece of parchment and his brush and ink to scribble a quick note to excuse his disappearance. Hopefully they would accept the lie that he was going to go on a trip with some friends…

There has been whispers among the common folk of a daimyo that disobeys all the other shoguns and yet none of them can make him obey them. No one dares to try. They say he has infinite wealth, power, and troops and some of the women squeal at the thought of him being devilishly handsome. But he also heard that this daimyo does favors. And Akihito would die to ensure his family's future.

…

Thankfully, Akihito was able to hitch on the back of a wagon to the region that the mysterious daimyo ruled. In 3 short days, the blond found himself in an extravagant town that had many fine silks from China, fruits from Korea and even some rare delicacies of the West. Warily, Akihito glanced at his poorly made and kept yukata that his mother made him years ago as the hem was several inches above the ankle. As he walked towards the palace of the daimyo, he could feel stares that were towards his hair and poor state of dress but he kept going with a fire in his eyes and heart at the remembrance of his family that was struggling to feed the children.

After a long hour, Akihito finally reached the palace. It had about five connecting buildings that were at least three stories tall but one obviously housed the male of the household with it being five stories high with sparkling white wood and grey/black roofs and window panes. The walls were high with white stone and an impressive oak lacquered door barred any who tried to infiltrate its strong walls. Akihito gulped and internally sulked as he realized he had no way of actually entering the palace. He had no official document, message or any of the sort and he glumly starred at the walls that were about twice his height thus him having no chance of scaling it.

To not raise suspicion, Akihito walked away from the palace and tried to occupy himself nearby just in case an opportunity sprung up – and one came. A wagon, similar to the one he rode in, was carrying a huge mound of hay but the owner paused for a moment a couple yards away from the palace entrance and Akihito sought his chance and dove into it. He nestled himself in it in order to remain hidden and soon, the wagon began to move again and he unknowingly held his breath as they went through inspection and let it out when they proceeded. After the wagon closed and he heard a pair of footsteps approaching, he quickly rolled out of it in the opposite direction and ran to the closest hiding spot which was behind the horse stalls. Slowly, Akihito peeked out of the other side and his face instantly paled.

A tall, bulky man about a head taller than him loomed over Akihito and wordlessly commanded the blond to follow him. Thinking that he was being lead out of the palace, he kept his head down in shame so no one could remember his face but when his eyes found saw a set of the stairs going up, his head snapped up fast. They were going into the main palace and fear began to overtake Akihito's mind as he did not even notice the extravagant furniture that were both from the east and west and the luxurious rugs of Persia and the delicate Chinese vases. They arrived at the staircases where the tall man waited for Akihito to climb first as to make sure he did not run off and they made the agonizing ascent to the top floor.

The top floor was obviously the smallest and also the most bare, giving it a more Zen feeling than the rich and extravagant ones that the lower floors had. Akihito's hazel eyes darted everywhere around the room in wonder and awe and he soaked up every detail so he could paint this when he goes back home…if he goes back home. There was an intricate wall panel of dragons and phoenixes and thanks to the high sun, Akihito could make out a large shadow behind it. Immediately, Akihito knew who was behind that panel – the infamous daimyo.

As well as the stories of infinite wealth, power, troops and looks, there were also stories of his infinite ruthlessness and brutality and Akihito gulped at the thought of being in the face of it.

"Pay your respects to Asami-dono, brat." The burly man barked at him and immediately, Akihito's knees gave out and his arms went into a dogeza position. His heart was about to come out of his chest as he heard mumbles and rustling of clothing and of the panel being removed.

"So, who might you be?" A deep, husky voice inquired and Akihito did not even need to look up to see a smirk on the man's face…a face he has never seen before. He dared to lift his eyes just enough to take a quick glance and he almost wish he hadn't. The man was like nothing he had seen before. His black hair looked silky and was slicked back to show his chiseled face but few strands escaped but gave him a dangerous look. His nose was straight and slim; his lips were just full enough to be desirable but it was the eyes. The eyes were a piercing, almost golden color and the way they were looking at Akihito made his cheeks bloom. The clothes he wore were subtly lavish with the blackest shade he had ever seen on robes. The designs were stitched in red and depicted more dragons as if to prove even more so how powerful this man was. And the robe covered a large man who seemed quite tall and muscular by the way it formed around his body.

"My-my name is Takaba. Takaba Akihito." There was no use lying; it would just bite him back in the ass.

"But you look so Western, Takaba." He slowly eased out of the strenuous position but remained in a deep, respectful bow.

"My father, he is from the West and I inherited most of his features." He quietly told the daimyo and there were a couple more rustling of clothing and doors opening and closing. And a terrible thought dawned on the blond: he was alone with him.

"Look at me, Takaba." Scared out of his wits, Akihito kept his eyes and body down on the bamboo mats and the man clicked his tongue. "I am honoring you at a full view of me. Much more than anyone else is given a privilege of." The tone of his voice was bordering annoyance and Akihito's hazel eyes slowly moved up towards the man as did his body. "There much better." Oh gods, this man had to be the devil. No one could look as handsome as he did. Handsome could not even begin to describe him. "Now, why did you try to sneak into my palace?"

"Um," Akihito's throat gulped air as he tried to cease his shaking, "I have come to ask…for a favor." A perfectly arched brow lifted at this and the man leaned on the arm pillow on his right as he reached for the opium on the same side.

"A favor? Why would I do that? I do not even know who you are." Slightly ashamed and embarrassed, Akihito fiddled with his tattered yukata.

"I…I heard that you granted favors, Asami-dono." A scoff came from across the blond.

"And you would believe that? What are you really here for? A poor attempt at assassination? A seduction to catch me off my guard?" The daimyo listed and Akihito's cheeks flamed and he actually glared at the man at such accusations.

"No, I am not here to kill you. I would never do that." Unlike someone here if the stories were true. "I am not here to seduce you. I am a man." That would be willing to spend a night with you. "I am just here to ask you to buy my paintings." This time, both eyebrows shot up and a chuckle escaped the man's throat as he was quickly finding the foreign looking boy amusing.

"Your paintings?" A little bit more embarrassed, Akihito blushed and nodded furiously and kept his eyes on the ground once again. "Let me see one." Instantly, the boy froze and opened his mouth in several attempts and the man patiently waited.

"I did not…bring any with me." Perplexed and slightly intrigued, Asami sat a tad straighter to stare the boy down.

"And yet, you wish for me to buy them. And what for? Surely as a painter, you commission decent amount of money for yourself." Akihito bitterly smiled which caught the man's attention.

"It is not easy to sell anything with blood like mine. People like my paintings, sure, but once they see me or my father, they turn their backs on us. Also, I do not have just myself to worry about. I have my parents and two younger siblings as well." Akihito spat out and with one look at Asami's stern face, he immediately humbled himself as to remember where he was.

"I see. That is why you called it a favor. Not a trade." The man leaned slightly back now, relaxed but Akihito remained slightly curled in a ball. "Let me see your skills then, Takaba Akihito. Paint me something. Kirishima!" The deep voice called for a servant who was different from the one Akihito meet, to the blond's relief.

"Yes, Asami-dono?" The man was like the other guard in aura but was leaner and had a more manipulative air rather than the brawns the other showed.

"Gather the materials for Takaba Akihito to paint with." Without even questioning his superior, the man shut the door and left once again. The air was heavy with not tension but the unknown. Akihito was naturally curious about this man but was a) too afraid and b) too stubborn to even bother with asking. Asami, on the other hand, was unashamedly exploring every inch of the youth's body with his smoldering eyes. The boy was slim and of average height but his face was more beautiful than the majority of women in the country. His face was most definitely Asian but his eyes and hair threw the daimyo off when he first saw the boy. He was trying to determine the boy's age when Kirishima returned with parchment, paints, brushes, and a cup of water. With a nod from Asami, the servant left once more.

"Do…do you have any preference, Asami-dono?" Akihito absentmindedly asked as he marveled at the high quality materials and touched them with care.

"None. Paint whatever you desire." The voice was so sensual that it invoked a different mindset for the youth and again, the pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment and it was not unseen by the daimyo who smirked in satisfaction.

Hours went by and Asami soon grew bored and grabbed a couple of his documents that needed to be looked over. Every now and then, this golden eyes would flit towards the concentrated boy whose hand was swiftly moving across the paper and into the paints. The boy was quite beautiful, Asami had to admit. Especially now that the sun was setting, the light was reflecting warming off the boy's radiance, leaving him in a glow that warmed Asami's body. Oh, if only the boy could warm him in another way. A smirk spread on his lips at the thought of the blond writhing underneath his body and that adorable voice mewling his name. Ah, yes. At that moment, Akihito's eyes slid up and met the man's and an electric flowed in between them and the heat increased ten-fold. Akihito did not want to break eye contact but also wanted to avoid any further embarrassment and thus resumed his painting.

The sun was just bursting out its last rays of sunlight when Akihito sat up straight to stare at his completed painting. To the blond's horror, it was of the man in front of him. He swore he was going to draw a dragon to match the panel so he was quite confused when it turned out to be of the man in front of him. The daimyo noticed the boy's stillness and held out his hand in a silent demand to see the finished product.

"Um, uh, I…" Akihito stammered and the man's patience was quickly diminishing and he actually walked over to the boy and snatched it. To his surprise and pleasure, he was staring back at himself but truly, the painting was very lovely done and he marveled at the detail of his robes and the room itself.

"My, Akihito," A shiver ripped through the boy at the sound of his given name rolling off that devilish tongue. "When I said to paint whatever you desire, I did not know that you would take it so literally." A fire ignited in Akihito and his whole body was a slight pink tint and Asami set the painting on the table that he was working at. "Kirishima." He called again all the while staring at the boy with a new found hunger.

"Yes, Asami-dono?"

"Prepare a bath for Takaba Akihito. He will be…staying the night." Hazel eyes were soon wide with fright and confusion at those words and avidly looked at the man with darting eyes.

"Of course. One was set up for yourself as well, milord." With a curt nod, the door was opened wide for the daimyo and Asami exited to take his bath first as he had to prepare for a rewarding night. With fear eating him inside, Akihito toyed with several escape ideas but they either would end in death, more trouble, severe injury, and loss of his pride. By the time he succumbed to the fact that there was no way out, a female servant opened the door and escorted him to a bath chamber. Akihito was so shocked that he did not notice the extravagance and the fact that this bath would be used by only the highest ranked guests.

When he returned to the room, smelling of flowers and dressed in only a thin, loose, pale blue yukata, it was dark except for the flickering light of about a hundred candles that were circled around the room. Akihito timidly entered the room and the doors were shut soundly right as he crossed the threshold.

"Come." A deep voice sounded and hazel eyes found golden ones and an invisible pull attached itself to Akihito and his feet quietly shuffled towards the man who was dressed in a grey, loose yukata. Akihito was almost spot on about his analysis of the man as the robe showed off the man's impressive six pack and almost emphasized the impressive biceps. Once his toes touched the thick futon, all sense returned to the boy and he took a step back, irking the man.

"What are we doing?" Akihito breathed out and Asami smirked as he rested on his side with his head on his hand.

"I am going to give you what you desire. I will buy your paintings and you will pay me back with your body, Akihito." Despite the growing need in the blond, he held his ground with his almost samurai pride.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" Asami's face froze except for his eyes that blinked owlishly. "You think that I am just going to give my body to you? What the hell!? I AM A MAN. I said it was a favor not a trade! So sorry if you got the wrong idea but now I am going to leave. I do not need your money, you perverted daimyo!" Akihito vented with an arm stuck out and a finger pointing right at the man. Asami was highly amused by this display of anger and quickly, almost too quickly for the human eye to follow, grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him onto the futon.

"Listen, Takaba Akihito, I am doing you and I a favor. You will get your paintings bought and I will get what I want. I will always get what I want." With that, Akihito's virgin lips were captured in a swift motion and the man's taste and scent floored his senses. It was musky and delicious and immediately, Akihito's body responded with need of sexual contact. His arms wrapped around the man's chest and his fingers gripped the fabric as he tried to almost mold his body into the other.

Asami was greatly pleased by this and his warm hands found the boy's sides and began to rub up and down it. He smirked in the kiss when he felt the back arch as if to touch more of the man and soon his tongue was deep in the boy's mouth. The experienced fingers found the nubs on the smooth chest and he tore away the pale blue yukata to gain better access to the silky skin. He has touched jade and silk that were rougher than this boy's skin. It was far too addicting for the daimyo to let go. That was when Asami decided that Akihito was forever his.

Now, our poor painter was totally unaware of this declaration and continued to be ravaged by the skillful tongue that was mapping ever centimeter of his mouth. Unknowingly, his hands untied the tightly tied obi and he tossed aside (just far enough from the many candles) and removed the grey yukata that was hiding that magnificent body. With this development, Akihito was free to roam every part of the man and he took advantage of that and began to rake his fingernails into the man's skin. Unbeknownst to the blond, that was Asami's kink and the daimyo nearly ripped the yukata off the boy in a single motion. Only loin cloths shielded the two from an unforgettable ecstasy.

Asami removed his lips from Akihito, who almost cried in frustration, and moved to the pale neck that was almost begging to be colored red and purple with hickies and Asami made quick work of that. Soon, patches of red and purple spotted the porcelain canvas and the man moved down onto the chest and nibbled at the pert nubs as if he was tasting. Soon, he was starving and was ravishing every inch of the boy's body, from his lips to his feet. Akihito was basking in pleasure and, as if he thought he could not reach a higher peak of ecstasy, Asami removed the loincloth and revealed his prize. It was standing straight up and leaking sweet milk which he lapped up. The taste was soon going to be his vice and he consumed the boy's member and Akihito cried out in immense pleasure. A few more bobs and he released thick ropes of cum into the man's mouth, to his embarrassment, but when he saw Asami swallow it all and wipe excess off the sides of his mouth and lick that as well, he felt blood returning to that same area.

"Thank you for the meal." All Akihito could do was pray to God as the man set out to devour him entirely. While Asami's plump lips latched back onto Akihito's, the man's hand spread the boy's left leg open as his right hand found the oil that he left out and dipped three fingers in it. "This might be uncomfortable but just breathe." Was the only warning Akihito got before a digit plunged into his most intimate place.

"AH!" A yelp of pain echoed in the room and his back arched high off the futon as Asami gazed at his face. Slowly, the daimyo began to pump his finger in and out and was searching for that spot that would make Akihito see white. And white Akihito saw. "AHHH~!" A pleasured moan escaped his mouth and Asami could feel his desire shoot right up. With swiftness, he inserted a second finger which at first was uncomfortable for Akihito but soon he was seeing stars when Asami began to make the scissor motion. After the third one was in that tight heat, Asami could barely contain himself anymore but by the twitching muscles, he could tell the boy was about to cum again. Without a sound, he ripped his fingers from the now loose hole and a pained cry came from Akihito.

"What? Do you want more?" Asami teasingly asked as he trailed kisses up the hickey infested neck and pulled down his loincloth.

"What the hell? No! This shouldn't be AH happening!" Akihito tried to make a last ditch effort of keeping up his pride but deep down he knew he was in for it. Another kissing session occurred as Asami slicked his hand with oil and lubricated his own large and throbbing member and aligned it with his new found heaven.

"Are you sure you don't want more?" The deep voice rumbled in his ear as he felt something hot prod at his loosened entrance.

"Ah! What are you doing!? AH!" The mere tip of the tip of Asami's member inserted itself into the inviting heat and Akihito could almost feel his own member about to burst.

"What do you desire, Akihito?" Biting his lip in shame and embarrassment with his head turned to the side, Akihito wound his arms again around the man's torso and clawed at the muscular back.

"….you." His whisper was louder than a cannon in Asami's ears and instantly, he plunged himself into the tight heat and with that, Akihito came once again and his climax was amplified as Asami made good work into his ass. Hard and deep thrusts were consuming his mind and body and the sound of flesh slapping flesh made him hornier but it was the grunts that came from above that ignited his desire.

"You're sucking me in, Akihito. Do you feel it? I feel like I have to stay inside you for forever." Numerous lines of dirty talk were spouted in between thrusts and all Akihito could do to hang onto sanity was to make deep indents and marks into the man's tough skin. As the pleasure increased, Akihito could feel himself yet again about to burst and all he could do was chant the man's name.

"Asami, Asami, right there, harder, more, more, more, more, Asami, ASAMI!" With that last cry, the blond spilled himself all over his chest and Asami roughly thrusted in the lithe body 5 more times before releasing his cum into the hot cavern.

Pants filled the room and Asami could only smirk at the dazed look of the painter beneath him. He nuzzled his nose along the smooth jawline and pressed a soft kiss under the ear.

"One more time? I'll let you be on top." Asami offered and the intense stare of the blond under him made his member twitch back to life.

…

The warm glow of the sun filled the top floor of Asami's palace and the owner stirred awake out of habit. After three rounds of intense sex, Akihito was knocked out cold and was snug underneath the thick blankets to shield him from the October chill. Asami smiled softly as he remember the after-sex cuddle the two shared and the cute gestures the boy made in his sleepy state. Unwillingly, the daimyo withdrew from the warmth that the by gave and slipped on his grey yukata once more and called for Kirishima.

"Arrange for all of the paintings in Takaba's shop to be paid for, double the amount each, and give them as gifts to our troops. Monthly, give them an eighth of what I make as to not seem suspicious and introduce their shop to our patrons. Also, tell them that Akihito is going to be my personal painter and that he will be housed in the palace." Asami quickly and quietly ordered and the ever faithful servant and guard disappeared to carry out the order. The daimyo stripped himself of the yukata as he went back to the futon where the boy still laid in deep slumber and joined him once more.

Unknowingly, Takaba Akihito would forever be bound to Asami Ryuichi. No matter how many lifetimes.