-Takamiya's POV-

Before the second knock could be resounded upon his hotel room door, Takamiya had already flung said door wide open. His eyes burning bright with hope and restless emotions, dimmed upon seeing the figure standing before him. His shoulders sagged in disappointment and he released a sigh in greeting.

"I'm happy to see you too, Takamiya."

"My apologies, Aoe," Takamiya flashed a small smile in chagrin and gestured his friend to enter. Aoe Reiji smirked knowingly and sauntered through as he took off his black overcoat and threw it over a sofa in the spacious living room.

Ever the good host, Takamiya fell into the role with ease as he closed the door and inquired, "Would you care for some tea?"

"No, I need something stronger. Bourbon, straight if you please," was his friend's reply. The brunette raised a brow at the request before he walked towards the mini bar set complete with a counter and barstools and prepared the drinks.

Minutes later with both drinks in hand, Takamiya turned around to face the living room only to find Reiji, who had evidently followed him, now perched on a barstool awaiting his drink.

He placed the drink before his friend. Then, as if on cue, both took a sip of the potent liquid in silent discomfort. Each was hashing over their own thoughts upon this encounter.

Reiji was the first to break the silence.

"Oh, for heaven's sake. What happened?"

Takamiya's eyes widen for a split second upon hearing his friend's unexpected outburst before he responded with a wry smile, "I'm touched, Aoe. You flew overnight back to Japan because you are worried about me."

A vein could be visibly seen on his friend's left temple when Reiji glowered in return. The man decided then to inform him gruffly, "If it weren't for Naoya's constant badgering… let's just say, you wouldn't want him here, Takamiya."

"It is unfortunate I do not have a taste for Naoya's claws," Takamiya grinned at the second vein that popped up at his friend's temple upon his reference.

"Yes, I'm well aware of his current dislike for me." Seeing the surprise in Reiji's face, Takamiya borrowed his friend's trademark smirk and continued dryly, "I can't say I blame him."

Then as if on another cue, both took a long sip from the crystal glasses before them as they reflected on what was left unsaid. Within the silence, gone was their previous easy banter.

Reiji, again, was the first to break the silence.

"Did you find him?"

Takamiya closed his eyes briefly then took another sip of his drink before he simply said, "and then some."

Reiji frowned at his cryptic remark and verbally reiterated his question, "What do you mean by that? I know you were expecting someone —most likely him— judging by the way you've answered the door. So? What the hell happened?"

Takamiya took the drink before him and gulped it down with a snap of his wrist. He then turned back to the bar set and poured some more bourbon from the decanter. With his back turned towards Reiji, Takamiya ran a harried hand through his hair in frustration before he relented with a sigh.

"I've found him with another man, Aoe."

A long pause later, the brunette continued brokenly, "He was asleep… and this fellow greeted me… as if he has all the right to be there… He didn't say as much of their… relationship, but the hint was quite clear."

With a bitter laugh, Takamiya turned around and ran another shaking hand through his hair. He grabbed the refilled crystal glass and down the drink with another gulp. His eyes swam with unshed emotions. Suddenly lost in his recollection, he resumed quietly, "He had this glow about him… a smile was on his face as he slept… he was healthy and… happy… with him… I acted cowardly then… and left him my contact information."

Takamiya reopened his eyes that he didn't even know that he'd closed and saw Reiji still sitting on the stool, nursing his drink as he quietly absorbed Takamiya's words and what was left unsaid.

Reiji took a long look at him before he broke eye contact and began digging into his pocket to retrieve a stick of cigarette. He lit it and took several puffs before he resume his previous intense gaze and directed his trademark smirk at Takamiya.

After his broken narration, the brunette had expected his friend to say something profound, but what he heard was definitely unexpected.

"So when are you flying back to England?"

-Izumi's POV-

"So I'll see you tonight?"

Izumi absently considered the question for a minute as he balanced the phone between his head and shoulder while he reordered his paperwork for his present client. Said client was watching him with a smile on her lips while her eyes dance in amusement as he tried to choreograph his task and phone conversation. He flashed her apologetic grin and handed her another form to fill out. She took it from him and began to do so per his ministration.

"Well?" The person on the other line reiterated with a tinge of laughter.

Suddenly remembering that he was still on the line and that the person is still waiting for an answer, Izumi blushed in embarrassment before he replied, "Oh, er sorry about that. I'm with a client right now. Um, sure. I'll see you tonight."

His client let out a peel of giggles behind her hand and continued to fill out her forms then handed them back to him.

"Great, well, I'll talk to you later then. Pick you up at seven. Bye!"

"Um, bye," Izumi replied and sigh in relief when he placed the phone back on its holder.

"Hot date?" Said client commented in amusement.

"Huh?" gasp Izumi as he sharply raised his head in surprise at the comment. Arrested by his own odd reaction, he tried shaking off the weird feeling with his habitual nervous laugh as he said, "No, not really. Huh, hah, hah, ha…"

Izumi trailed off then only to smile awkwardly instead. It sounded lame even to his own ears. He shook his head to clear it then he rose from his seat to give a proper bow to his client. "I'll have a copy sent to you directly and we'll be all set. We won't need to meet again until six months from now to evaluate your current portfolio contents. If you have any questions later, just give me a call and I'll be more than happy to assist you on your concerns."

Moments later, after waving goodbye to his last client. Izumi looked up at the huge ornate clock hanging high above the front entrance of the Shinsei Bank and check the time. It was near closing hour and he had yet to enter several new clients' portfolio into the system as well scheduling updates for others. This would take him another two hours to conclude the workday, which means he had another two hours to kill before he meet up with Konno tonight.

Speaking of Konno, Izumi felt something was amiss with his old friend. Somehow, his friend's behavior towards him has changed from several years ago. At first, Izumi had pegged the improved changes as Konno's growing maturity. Now though, there was something more. Something he couldn't quite put a finger on just yet. It made him uneasy, especially given the events from last night and this morning.

Izumi flushes a pale pink upon thinking of how Konno had covered him with his bigger form last night. It almost felt like an embrace. He immediately shook that notion from his head. No use in reading too much into that, he thought.

But then, Izumi couldn't read much into his friend's behavior this morning either when he woke up to Konno's amused eyes grinning beside him on the bed. That had been an alarming wake-up call indeed. He was up and about in record time while his friend remains there chuckling at his antics.

Regardless of his friend's reasons for his actions, Izumi planned to ask him directly tonight. He did not want his niggling suspicions to be correct. After all he's been through the past week or so, Izumi needed a friend more.