A/N: Late Valentine's Day gift or nah? Anyhow, when the chapter was completed the word count was approaching 10K... which is not what I want in this story, so I had to split it in half! Again, the response to this is amazing and I'm so happy each time I see a review tick in. Thank you!

Grace Evelyn: Thank you for the reviews! I'm happy you find the story funny!

Chapter 5: Her Boss, Not Her Dinner Date

Yuuki yawned, picking up her phone. Her screen shone angrily at her tired eyes.

"Hello," She yawned again.

"Red or blue?"

"Um…" Yuuki hid her yawn behind her hand. "Depends on the occasion."

"Business-dinner."

"Blue, it complements your skin tone."

"And if I were to take a beautiful lady out for dinner?"

"Red," Yuuki said determinedly, "it compliments your eyes."

"Perfect. Hey, why are you up?" Kaname inquired.

Why am I… "Because you woke me up," she grumbled into her phone.

She heard him chuckle at the other end. "Ah, sorry, Yuuki. You know I need your opinion on everything."

"I do," Yuuki relented, rubbing her eyes. "Do you want to go through all the other ties you have? Do it chronically by color?"

"Ha," he laughed, "no, I'll let you sleep for a while."

"Good," Yuuki said, laying back down in bed. "Now go to sleep, CEO, or you'll miss all your meetings, okay? Be mindful of your health, you're not getting any younger…" She teased.

Kaname snorted. "Anyways, prepare for dinner tomorrow. I'm taking a beautiful lady out and I'll be wearing a red tie."

"Ooh, where should I make the reservation?" Yuuki switched on the lamp on her night table, grabbing a nearby pen and some paper. She always had it next to her bed, ready to scribble down his demands. Unfortunately for her, Kaname was a night creature that thrived in the night. That's why he always called her at the strangest of hours, disrupting her sleep and her schedule only to ask her if his new desk should be mahogany or rosewood.

"What do you recommend?"

"Me? I don't think I dine at those fancy places you do… though I did like the lunch The Knight served us during that company function."

"The Knight it is, then," Kaname announced.

"Table for two?" Yuuki jotted down the name of the restaurant and a few instructions to herself.

"Yep." He quipped.

"May I ask who the beautiful lady is?" She underlined the words "CALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE A RESERVATION".

"My secretary. So wear a nice dress tomorrow, okay? It's our anniversary."

Yuuki gaped. "Wh-What!? Kaname, I–"

"Goodnight!" He said, ending the call.

"Eeh!?" Yuuki stared at her phone incredulously. No, no, she couldn't let him buy her that dinner! That was just…

Her phone buzzed in her hand, indicating she'd received new messages: Kaname Kuran (3).

"Yes, I am buying you dinner, and no you can't refuse."

"And yes it's our anniversary, you've been working for me for eight months now!"

"Wear red. It'll compliment my tie."

Yuuki bit her lip, suppressing her smile. He was really too much sometimes. Talking about anniversaries like they were a married couple… Yuuki pursed her lips. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more they seemed like an actual married couple. She knew him like the back of her hand; his needs and interests, hobbies and preferences – when to expect his mood swings and how to deal with them; his taste in food – organic and nutritious, nothing sweet; his favorite wine – red, aged, preferably Italian though he could settle for French if he had to.

She always knew what to expect, and when to expect it with him. A part of her was thankful that everything was so easy between them; at the same time, sometimes she felt like they were overstepping the boundary between boss and secretary. True, he had warned her that the job would be very personal and she would have to work closely with him, but when he did things like this – taking her out for dinner, asking her to dress up – she felt somewhat uncomfortable. Like it wasn't right.

Did all secretaries get this personal with their bosses?

Yuuki yawned, glancing over at her watch. She was so used to him calling in the middle of the night asking her random questions that she knew before looking that it was already 3:30 am.

She huffed, drawing the covers over her and settling back into bed. At least the pay was good. Way good. Was she getting overpaid? A simple secretary shouldn't receive as much as she did… but then again, had she ever been a simple secretary? She was more like a personal assistant deluxe, following him around the world and basically making sure that everything went smoothly for him.

Red, red… Do I have any red dresses? If not, I'll just have to squeeze in some time to buy one before dinner tomorrow. Can't let the boss down!

Try as she might, Yuuki fell asleep with a smile on her mouth.

"Aidou."

"Yes, Kaname-sama! At your service!"

Kaname pinched the bridge of his nose, letting a deep sigh escape his lips. Like Nagamichi has promised, his son had begun interning at Kaname's firm a few months ago. True to Kaname's memory, Hanabusa was as obnoxious and cocky as ever, demanding he get better work tasks within the first week he had worked at the company and causing a ruckus with the ladies.

But that was not the worst part. For some reason, Hanabusa was obsessed withKaname, like he was some sort of demi-god walking the Earth and Hanabusa his faithful servant. No matter how dismissive Kaname acted towards him, Hanabusa wouldn't give up on trying to impress him; should Kaname's shoe become untied, Hanabusa would be the first to offer to tie them for him – and should Kaname reject his offer, he would do it anyways.

It annoyed the hell out of Kaname. He didn't like people who sucked up to him, and he didn't like receiving any concern or help from anyone unless it was from Yuuki. The fact that Hanabusa felt so entitled to request that he be transferred to the main branch where Kaname was stationed made him see red. It was even worse when his parents overruled Kaname's initial rejection of the request, and granted him the transfer.

Now, Kaname had to face Hanabusa's idiotic remarks and moronic behavior on a daily basis.

But he could still be useful.

"I called you up here because I need a favor. It's a–"

"Anything you need!" Hanabusa bowed deeply. "I will do my best to serve you! Even if I have to risk my life!"

"…So if I asked you to jump off a cliff for me, would you do it?" A dark eyebrow rose on Kaname's forehead.

"Y…es." Hanabusa flushed. "Yes, indeed! Anything to prove my dedication!" He pursed his lips, pausing. "Though if you want me to do that, I just need you to promise me that they'll arrange my body in a flattering position and dress me in a nice outfit – like the suit you're wearing! Also, my coffin should be filled with lavender petals and the lin–"

Kaname held his hand up, shutting up his stalker. "Anyways, the favor I need to ask you is regarding Yuuki. Since she's qu–"

"Have you tapped that yet?"

Kaname froze in his seat. "What?"

"Y'know," Hanabusa smirked, "I've seen the way you look at her. I don't blame you either, she's hot. You can't always tell, but under that sexy secretary look I bet she has a great body. It's okay – you can talk to me about these things. We're buddies!"

"What did you just say?" Kaname seethed, his pen breaking in half in his hand.

The moron, of course, was oblivious to his anger and blabbered on like a duck in heat. "And you know if you're really not interested, then I'd like to tap that! Give her that Idol-senpai loving! I bet she likes me, too, cause she's always smiling to me when she's not scolding me for some ridiculous reason. And gah, she's always like 'Kaname doesn't appreciate it when you do this and that' and I'm like, who is she to tell me what you don't appreciate? She doesn't seem to know that you and me are tight! You know, like–"

"In the future, do not speak of Yuuki in such a manner or I will personally fire you and see to it that you are never, ever, hired by another company and you'll be stuck working in the rice fields outside of the city. Secondly, do not stand here in my office blabbering about irrelevant things – you're wasting my time and the company's time, and I do not take that lightly."

It was like the room had cooled as Hanabusa shrank under Kaname's murderous stare. Shit! He'd screwed up again… why did he always end up doing that!?

"I-I'm sorry, Kaname-sama," he stuttered, lowering his head. "It won't happen again, I swear."

"Good," Kaname folded his hands, keeping his stoic expression intact, "now, shut up and listen to me. I need you to get me something for Yuuki. They're sold out everywhere, but there might be one last outlet that sells them. I'd go there personally, but I'm afraid I don't have the time – calling is not an option either as they are quite strict about face-to-face deals. The information you need is on this paper," he pointed to a paper at the end of his desk.

Hanabusa grabbed the paper and scanned the information. "T-that place!?" He sputtered. "You know she's a tough negotiator, right!?"

"I'm aware," Kaname said, "that's why I'm entrusting you with this task. The lady that owns the shop is tough, but I heard she has a weak spot for host club boys. What an absolute delight that your looks match perfectly with those of a host club boy, no?"

"B-but, I–"

"Aidou, do not take this lightly. Do whatever you need to get them, okay? Whatever she wants from you, give it to her. Even if it means…" His eyes trailed up and down Hanabusa's body, raising his eyebrows.

Hanabusa gasped as Kaname nodded, confirming his insinuation.

"I'm choosing to trust in you, Aidou."

Hearing those words seemed to resolve his inner conflict. Hanabusa straightened his shoulders, puffing out his chest. "A-anything for Kaname-sama! I will not fail you!"

With that, he marched out of the office and went on his way, leaving a cackling Kaname behind. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples, wondering why the brat always induced a headache.

Stupid brat, Kaname thought smugly, imagining what he would go through, he'll get what's coming for him.

Yuuki wore a red satin-dress as she greeted him at the door of the restaurant. His eyes took in her outfit appreciatively as he smiled.

God.

Damn.

She just had to choose a skintight one, right? He should've instructed her to wear a potato sack or something… though he doubted it would do anything to dampen his desire for her.

Kaname held out her chair. "As always, you look wonderful. Or did I already mention that?"

She sat down and giggled, placing a napkin on her lap. "I don't believe you have, no. Thank you. You look quite decent yourself. Nice tie, by the way. Complements your eyes."

"Oh thank you, someone very special demanded I wear it," he quipped, settling into his seat and placing his napkin on his lap. "But all I get is 'decent', huh? Oh, my secretary has such high standards."

"That's why I don't work for just anybody," she teased.

Kaname's eyebrows shot-up as a pleased expression grabbed a hold of his features. The soft light from the candles on the table illuminated his face; softening his skin-tone and making his eyes stand out even more than usual. "Did you just compliment me?"

"I suppose I just did," she quipped, taking a sip of her water, trying to ignore his handsome features that shone from the candle's luminescence.

"Ah, this is my lucky day," Kaname exclaimed, leaning back into his seat. "Not only is it our anniversary, but my secretary gives me a compliment. It doesn't get much better than this."

Yuuki giggled at his comment, enjoying their banter. Over the course of the past few months she'd worked for him, the boundaries between them had gradually blurred. She could speak freely with him, tease him and in turn he did the same with her. It was almost like they were friends who happened to work at the same company.

She stayed over several times at his mansion, ordered the maids around, woke him up and shipped him off to his duties. It was pure habit now, living so close up on him; knowing him inside and out. Sure, sometimes she felt like they were overstepping certain lines, but… if she had to be honest, she didn't really do much to stop herself either.

And if she had to be really, really, really honest, most of the time it was he who instigated strange situations.

"I didn't really mind when you wanted to celebrate our first 'anniversary', but when you insisted on our second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, sixth and a half, seventh and our eight anniversary, I started to wonder if we really were married."

Kaname shrugged, looking straight in her eyes. "You know I'm in love with you."

"You should be," Yuuki quipped, "after all I've done for you. Normal secretaries spend an average of only a few hours at the office. I, on the other hand, follow you around the world; attend galas and premieres and whatnots with you. I am sort of like a wife-for-hire."

Kaname felt the sting from how flippantly she avoided his confession. Then again, he told her almost everyday he was in love with her as a joke in her eyes – but it really wasn't. Actually, the whole thing had started one day when they'd been discussing future plans and how she was to resume her studies and quit her job at the firm.

His world had come crashing down around him upon realizing how much time had passed – and how little time was left. The papers in his hands had fallen to the floor like feathers, and like a dead fish he'd done nothing but gape as thoughts churned in his head. It hadn't been until Yuuki had gotten down on her knees to scoop up the papers that'd he'd finally snapped out of his thoughts.

"I'm in love with you," he'd blurted out as he got down on his haunches and collected the papers.

Yuuki's eyes widened as her hands stopped.

Fear laced through his being at her expression. Immediately he regretted confessing. "Metaphorically. I mean, as your boss, I'm like a person that is in love with you. So… you can't just talk about leaving like that so casually."

Yuuki burst out laughing, holding onto her stomach as Kaname watched in stupefied horror. When she finally managed to calm herself, she wiped a lone tear from her eyes, grinning at him. "Y-you should've seen your face! My god, you are one of the most eloquent people I know and I'm sure your vocabulary could rival an encyclopedia, but sometimes you say really weird things! But…" She scooped up some more paper, getting up on her feet and gesturing that he should do the same.

Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. "I get what you mean. I'm… like your work-wife." She held a finger up at him as she handed over the papers. "And you know what, you should be in love with me after all this time and after everything I've done for you!"

And thus, their internal joke had started and become a casual staple of their day-to-day interaction.

It was both torture and sweet relief; he could tell her he was in love with her so many times he wanted, relieve his heart and mind – and then feel his heart get trampled over as she treated his words like a joke.

The waitress came to their table and took their orders. Of course, Kaname knew exactly what kind of wine she preferred and what dish he should order.

"Again with the shiitake mushrooms? You know I don't like them," Yuuki glowered.

"Yes, but I do," Kaname sampled his wine.

Yuuki rolled her eyes. "So, your parents asked to have a get-together tomorrow evening. Aka dinner. Aka they'll want to discuss the we–"

"Please," Kaname put an elegant hand to his forehead, grimacing, "don't mention them on our anniversary dinner. It'll ruin the mood."

"And what mood is that?" Yuuki smirked, twirling her glass.

Kaname bit his tongue. "Why don't you tell me how you perceive the mood of this evening?"

Play this game with me, please. Tease after tease, flirty remark after flirty remark… she felt it too, right? The electricity that hummed and crackled in the air as they stared into each other's eyes?

Yuuki's maroon eyes measured him as her smirk remained in place, twinkling spectacularly from the glow of the candlelight. "Romantic."

"Romantic," he repeated.

"Yes."

They were leaning incredibly close to each other over the table, their faces just a few inches from each other.

"And would you care to turn this romantic mood into somethi-"

"Fettucine with Shiitake mushrooms and basil, and a plate of Okonomiyaki!"

The boss and his secretary abruptly pulled away from each other, and looked down in their laps as the server put their respective plates on the table.

"Enjoy!"

Yuuki blushed, upset that she'd let him drag her into one of their moments. She called them moments because she couldn't really bring herself to find a proper definition of them. Sometimes they'd just… disappear into their own world – everything around them would fade away as they both played tricks on each other with their words, teasing each other to see who would break first.

It wasn't appropriate at all. It got her all flustered and shook up and it was not appropriate at all.

To soothe her anxieties, she choked the moments up to just be a result of their budding relationship over the past months. Working so close, seeing each other everyday and experiencing all kinds of events together made them grow inevitably close.

But that was it. Close friends. That was all.

Kaname swallowed.

God, if you hear me… or gods? Whatever holy divinity is out there, please, please give me the strength to carry on through this dinner. He loosened his tie, clearing his throat. I have resisted temptation for so long but…

"Well?" Yuuki cleared her throat, giving him an expectant look as her hair fell over her shoulder, framing her beautiful face.

I want her so much it's unbearable.

"How wonderful of you to order this," Kaname commented dryly, reaching over the table with his chop sticks to snatch the shiitake mushrooms she despised.

"Yeah, yeah," she huffed, reaching over the table and grabbing some food off of his plate with her chopsticks. To outsiders, they looked like the perfect couple, wonderfully in synch.

"It's not like my cunning boss ordered this knowing I hate shiitake mushrooms so he could grab them for himself. Nope!" She smiled too sweetly, batting her lashes.

"My, my," Kaname chuckled, "you deserve a raise."

"Sure I do. Consider it monetary compensation for the tons of food you have stolen from me."

"You, Ms. Kurosu," dark eyebrows shot up his forehead as he eyed her plate that was considerably dominated by the food he'd ordered for himself, "are guilty of the same crime."

He could tell Yuuki wanted to both smirk and pout, her expression faltering as she tried to hide her smile at his remark. She was utterly, undeniably, astoundingly cute.

She cleared her throat. "Anyways! The dinner tomorrow!"

"No, do–"

Yuuki did not pause to hear him out. "I have already confirmed it with them and they are ecstatic to see their son again. And me. They really do like me for some reason," she frowned.

Her expression piqued Kaname's interest. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Well," she dug around in her food, "it's not like I'm… well, let me put this way; when I first met you, I was surprised at how nicely you treated me. I suppose I had this prejudice in my head that all rich people were rude and treated people of lower status like trash. Harsh, I know. Still, I couldn't help but worry about your parents, since they were an older generation than you… um, but forgive me for saying this, but they are kind of crazy."

Kaname nearly spit out all his food. He couldn't fight the laugh that escaped him as she characterized his parents. He wiped his eyes, laughing. Crazy, yes, crazy was the right word for his parents.

"Ah, that was perfect," Kaname chuckled, calming down. "Crazy doesn't even cover it. I'm surprised my father ever managed to run the company so smoothly the way he did."

"Hey," Yuuki laughed, "don't bad mouth your parents!"

"Tsk, they can handle it," Kaname replied, "but I suppose… a love like theirs can drive anyone crazy. But it's a good kind of crazy, no? When you love someone so much they flip your world upside down…"

Yuuki couldn't help but smile at Kaname's warm expression as he mused out loud about love. She was willing to bet all her earnings that Kaname was a closet-romantic.

He gave her a peculiar look then, his garnet eyes melting as he seemed to devour every detail about face. Despite the initial discomfort she felt at his hungry gaze, she couldn't help but bask in it. It felt like she was being adored like a painting; appreciated like a work of art even though she was no more than an ordinary girl and an extraordinary secretary.

Her eyes softened as she relaxed, allowing herself to gaze back at him. The world faded away; the music of the restaurant dimmed to a slow hum as she focused only on him, hearing her own heartbeat echo in her ears.

These moments, whatever they were…. She cherished them.

"What?" She spoke softly.

"I just remembered," he said, glancing down as he opened his jacket, searching inside for something. Against her better judgment, Yuuki felt disappointment sear through her bones when he disrupted their eye contact.

I wish he'd tell me what he was thinking.

"I finally put that brat Hanabusa to good use… here." He fished out some paper from his jacket and put it on the table, gently sliding it towards her. "As much as I dread the day, you'll be leaving me soon and pursuing new goals. I thought it was fitting that I gave you a parting gift to remember me by."

"S-Swan Lake!?" Yuuki exclaimed, grabbing the two tickets. "I thought it was sold out! H-how!?"

"Hanabusa had to… use his charms, I'm sure. Ladies of all ages love his charm apparently. Even the ones hinging on their 80th year can't resist him," He couldn't help but hide the sinister grin that claimed his mouth.

Yuuki's eyes widened. "Do not tell me you made him sell his body for these."

Kaname shrugged nonchalantly. "What he did or didn't do for these tickets is not something I have knowledge of. If he 'sold his body' as you suggest, then… that is some serious dedication to the company. I might just have to award him."

"You're evil," Yuuki giggled, "but also way more attentive and perceptive than I give you credit for. I always thought you just zoned out my blabbering whenever I started talking about things that are outside work."

Oh, how wrong she was. Every tidbit of information she'd revealed about herself was locked away inside his personal mental vault for Yuuki. He knew her likes and dislikes; favorite foods and drinks; music and art; movies and books – and lastly, her passions.

"Of course not. I remembered you told me about your ballet dancing at your interview, and that you always wanted to see Swan Lake performed by real ballerinas. So…" He trailed off, watching her as she glanced at the tickets. "There are two tickets. You can take whomever you like… though I was hoping you'd take me with you…" He trailed off, insecurities claiming his voice. "If you can't get anyone else of course or–"

"Of course I'm taking you," she grinned, her eyes glittering spectacularly. The joy on her face was incomparable to anything else; he felt his own joy swell knowing he was the cause of her happiness.

He swallowed. Maybe he'd use this opportunity to confess… she was quitting after all…

At once, butterflies gathered in his stomach as his palms became sweaty. How should he do it? Casually drop the "I love you"? No, she'd think he was joking – again – and he'd be jokezoned – again. With flowers and a romantic dinner, then? Or, should he have a big sign that sa–

"Oh, shoot! It's on the 20th!?"

Kaname shook his head discreetly, clearing his head. "Yes. Is there something wrong?"

"I have a date that day…"

Kaname's world came crashing down.

"WHAT!?"

"Kaname…"

When silence met her voice, she tried again.

"Kaname."

Once again she was met with silence. When he still didn't reply, she stomped her foot. "Hey! Idiot boss! Stop ignoring me!"

He shot her a dirty look, watching as the doors of the elevator closed. "I'm not."

He was.

"Yes you are," she hissed. "You've been ice cold to me since yesterday; you ignored me in the car and you're ignoring me now and… and… why are you ignoring me!?"

"I was working," he replied.

"On what?"

"Something," he crossed his arms.

"How?" She questioned, looking around him, checking his pockets. "I don't see any phones, computers or notepaper."

"Mentally."

"You were working mentally," she deadpanned, giving him a stern stare.

"Yes," he hissed. "I do it all the time. You would've noticed if you didn't run around planning dates."

There. He dropped the ball; revealed the reason behind his treatment of her.

"Oh," Yuuki sighed, "not this again. I said I'd re-arrange it!"

"No, no," he huffed, turning away, "don't re-arrange your date on behalf of me. Bring your date to the ballet, I don't care."

"Yes, you do," Yuuki sighed, "this is our last event together before I leave. This is special to both you and me and a gift you gave to me as a token of your appreciation." She stepped closer to him, her breasts almost touching his arm as she looked up at him. He was still staring straight ahead, his sharp jaw set firmly.

"I'm sorry for having a love life," she joked softly, leaning her hands on his shoulder, trying to turn him towards her.

If only her love life included him. How could she have a love life? It just… well, of course she was a beautiful girl and obviously desirable to many men, and he was sure she'd had many boyfriends before and… and… he just couldn't imagine her doing that now. She was with him everyday! Sometimes every night at his place in his guest room, but still – at his place. Somehow he'd deluded himself into thinking he was the only man in her life, not even stopping up for a second to think that maybe there was someone else…

"It's not that." He reluctantly looked down at her. She rested her chin on his shoulder, doe eyes staring up at him. She was so irresistible and intriguing and funny and sweet and… not his.

He willed his voice not to waver. "It's just that you usually tell me everything, Yuuki. You never keep things from me. I'm aware that you are my employee, but I consider you my closest confidante. I trust you immensely, and as much as I hate to admit it, you are one of very few people who have managed to get past my shield. We…" He huffed, finding it hard to express himself, like he always did with her. "I know I shouldn't say this out loud, but… Boss, secretary; employer and employee; we are a little bit more than these titles. We have been for a while. At least, that's how I feel…"

It's not like she was committing murder or anything, but the nagging guilt that she'd felt ever since she'd told him about the date came crashing down upon her. She couldn't fight the voice in her head that screamed that she actually didn't want to do it… she didn't want to betray him.

No matter how odd that sounded.

"Yeah," she whispered, "we are. You are one of my closest friends and… well, as my friend you deserve to know these things. You tell me all kinds of things all the time; I should be able to offer you the same level of transparency. I'm sorry…"

"You're apologizing to me about going on a date," Kaname chuckled humorlessly, "I'm a horrible boss."

"A bit lacking in understanding where the border goes regarding sharing of personal information between employee and employer, yes, but you are not a horrible boss at all." Yuuki laughed. "Do you forgive me?" She teased gently.

"Only if you tell me who the guy is," he winked, hiding his intent to kill with fake curiosity.

Yuuki bit her lower lip nervously, hesitating. After so many months, he'd knew how to decode her body language.

"It's not… Hanabusa is it?" He asked. That annoying brat, he would give him the janitor's job at the company and then skin him al–

"It's, ah… Zero Kiryuu."

Kaname's murderous glare spoke volumes.

"It's only because he was so persistent!" She quickly explained. "He kept asking and asking and asking and eventually I just had to give in just to get him to quit and… and… this is like a pity-date! Yes, a pity-date! No lovey dovey!" She was a 23-year old woman frantically trying to explain to her sexy boss that she was going on a date out of pity.

Wow.

Kaname huffed. "That son of a bi–"

DING!

The elevator doors opened after the sound, effectively cutting off their conversation. Kaname rushed out immediately, mentally sorting through his feelings to calm himself down.

This would be a long night.