Disclaimer : VF belongs to Yamane Ayano.
Warning : Lengthy chapter, even longer than usual. -_-" And many grammatical error, I believe.
Hi, (feel free to skip this part)
First of all, I am very sorry for the slow update. This chapter is the longest in the story so far and it took the most time to write. I ended up rewriting it a few times (and in the end, I can't write much about the twins :( ). I wanted to give a bit of sweetness for Asami and Aki but not too sweet because this is Asami and Akihito we are talking about. I just hope that I did it right in the end. _"
Thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, pm-ed, and favs-ed this story.
Especially, I want to thank Chaozsama for pointing out the mistakes (and even proofreading) the first half of Part 1 below. Thank you so much for your kind help! If there is still a mistake there, it must be my fault for not copying properly. I changed the suggestion one by one in the vain hope that I can learn, so I may miss something.
I tried to fix the grammatical issue in the whole chapter, but I am quite sure there are still a lot. As always, I am very sorry for that.
The first half of Part 2 is dedicated for Yaoifangirl89 who asked me to write a flashback of why Takaba left Asami. I hope it explained. But if it doesn't, feel free to pm me. :)
As for serenyty82's request, a flashback of what happened in Russia, I would try to fit it if possible. I have another doc file full of various things that I wrote for this story but I could't fit it into the chapters so I decided to throw it out. The Russia incident is somewhere in that long file, hidden between the many cut parts there. So, if there is an opportunity to put it back, I will do it.
For Nikkie23534 and everyone else who asked when Emi and the 'others' would be gone, it will come. All in good time. :) Thank you for giving ideas for next chapter.
Please let me know your thought later. Finally, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!
Chapter 11. Being Normal, For Now
Part 1. Kirishima's Headache
Kirishima is terribly tired.
It is past midnight in Tokyo and he just arrived from an exhausting trip to South East Asia, fixing whatever chaos the brat created during his little runaway in those tropical countries. Weary, he rubs his eyes in an effort to keep himself awake as he silently prays that his growing headache won't get worse. But it seems his body votes for an all-out strike and refuses to cooperate in any way after a few days being forced to work without enough sleep and proper meals.
Resting was a complete luxury for him and Haruka since they got the call informing Takaba-sama's whereabouts. As soon as it was confirmed that the brat was safely on his way back to Tokyo, they immediately took the private jet to clean up whatever mess was left behind and to make sure that no one was interested to dig deeper into the whole incident. It was rough already to travel to so many cities and countries in two days. What made it worse was the fact that Kirishima always has problem relaxing in an unfamiliar environment. So, despite travelling in the comfort of Asami-sama's private jet, he still had difficulties even in taking a nap during those long hours flying. He had tried every possible position in the spacious and luxurious seat, which was specially designed to give a more comfortable experience than what top airlines in the world are currently offering. He just wanted to get a few minutes of sleep, but every attempt ended in failure. Soon, however, he will be home and get the rest he deserves.
With a soundless sigh, he glances at Haruka who sits in front of him inside the limo. His assistant doesn't look much better than him. Her shoulder length black shiny hair, which is usually styled neatly, now looks slightly messy. The fashionable clothes she is wearing are slightly crumpled at some parts. There are dark shadows below her eyes. And her face is a bit pale as she struggles to keep reading a draft business agreement on her iPad.
"Leave that document for now, Haruka," he ordered sternly. "Since Takaba-sama is back, I am sure Asami-sama won't review anything tonight. I will drop you off at your house. Then you must rest. We managed to clean the whole mess quicker than expected. Good job. Now, have some sleep so you will be fresh tomorrow morning."
Haruka looked hesitant but she slowly closed the file she was reading and put her tablet back into her bag without complaining. It is obvious that she doesn't have any more energy to argue. But always being such a loyal and reliable assistant, she still offers to assist him.
"I will accompany you to Emi-san's place before I go home," she said, looking straight at him in the eyes and showing him her determination in doing her job without fail.
The offer is tempting. It'll be nice to have someone who is ready to assist, especially since he feels like collapsing any time soon. However, Kirishima shakes his head. "No, you need to go home. One of us needs to be able to stay awake tomorrow to help Asami-sama. Besides, considering Emi's aggressiveness towards you before, it may not be wise. Asami-sama clearly ordered us to pamper and give her as much comfort as she needs. So, I don't want to provoke her in any way tonight."
Haruka remained silent for a while. It was obvious, though, that the girl wanted to say something from the way she kept glancing at him grimly. When she finally voiced her thought, her coal-black eyes were full of concern. "Kirishima-san, do you think Asami-sama will keep this Emi girl? Or the other boy, Takumi? I mean, now that Takaba-sama is back, surely-"
Before the girl can say anything further, Kirishima cuts her mercilessly.
"Haruka, I will just say this once, so you better listen carefully. What Asami-sama will or will not do is not for us to decide. Nor should we gossip about it. Our job is to obey whatever it is Asami-sama decides to do. Put that in mind if you want to keep your job or your life. It will be such a waste to see a smart brain like yours splattered on the floor."
It came out harsher than what he really has in mind. He didn't mean to lecture her ruthlessly. But his lack of sleep started to take an effect on him. His mind feels foggy and everything irritates him beyond sense. Luckily, Haruka is way too professional to take his severe scolding into heart. She simply mutters her apology as she bows as low as she can possibly do inside the limo.
Kirishima let out a sigh. It was a bit unfair of him to say those words to Haruka while he has exactly the same questions in mind. What will happen now that Takaba-sama is back? Their previous plan is definitely out of options. Kirishima can unquestionably threaten that Takagi dog in keeping the charade if Asami-sama requires him to do so. But he honestly doesn't think that it will be a wise choice considering the turn of events. Besides, how can they explain it to the brat? They can't just force him to get back together with the useless dog without explaining anything.
Should he start looking for another potential man to replace the damn dog? He can find someone much plainer, maybe even someone ugly. Just to keep it safe. Even though Asami-sama has never acknowledged it as sharing, Kirishima knows for sure that his boss doesn't really like the idea of his boy caring for, moreover being intimate with someone else beside him. Maybe if the other person looks horrible, Kirishima can lessen the burden his boss needs to endure.
What Kirishima truly wants, though, is for the brat to stay at Asami-sama's side without stubbornly insisting on that stupid idea of living the normal life he always raves about. Who defines what is normal and what is abnormal, anyway? The society? Kirishima doesn't give a fuck of what the society thinks or says. He knows his boss doesn't care either. Their experience has shown them that the society agrees with whatever the majority says and their opinion will change over time. That naive boy, however, obviously cares. And forcing the boy into accepting the abnormality of their world despite of what the society taught him for all his life may destroy Takaba-sama in the end. He shrugs it off. If the boy stays as his boss' partner, in the end, it will be the boy's own decision and not because someone forces it onto him. The prospect of the boy doing that doesn't look too promising. On the other hand, he doubts his boss will be able to let the boy go without at least a broken heart. One way or another, it is hard to get a solution that won't hurt one of them.
But if Kirishima has to choose which one to save, he will pick Asami-sama anytime. Kirishima will sacrifice anyone, even the good-hearted boy, for Asami-sama. And he will do it as many time as needed. Don't get him wrong. He cares about the boy. However, since Asami-sama saved him and his sister long time ago, Kirishima had vowed to repay Asami-sama's kindness by serving the powerful man. When his dear sister died from illness three years after that, assisting and protecting Asami-sama became his new purpose in life. If he breathed for his sister before, now, he lives only for Asami-sama. He kills and will die without regret for Asami-sama. There is almost nothing he won't do for Asami-sama.
So, that is it. In the end, it doesn't matter how much he cares for the boy. Kirishima will chain the boy to Asami-sama's bed himself if it's needed. And hopefully, one day, that naive boy will understand. As he gives the direction to the driver, Kirishima can feel the heavy pounding in his head throbs even more painfully.
Goro is waiting for him when Kirishima finally arrives at Emi's place. The young guard bows low in fear as Kirishima passes to enter the penthouse. Ignoring Goro, he walks directly to the living room. But what he saw there stops him in his track. Maybe it was because his brain refused to work as fast as it normally does. For almost a whole minute, Kirishima scans his surrounding slowly, making sure that he came to the right place. Did he give the wrong direction to the driver and go to the wrong penthouse?
Emi stands in front of the wall-to-ceiling window in the living room, half facing away from him and wearing nothing but a short and a white top. She is barefoot and her short light brown hair is slightly messy as if she just woke up from a nap. With her lean body and small breasts, in a glance, she looked exactly like Takaba-sama. What made him unable to differentiate her from the real one for a moment was the digital camera in her hands and the way she holds it dearly.
None of those shallow light brown hair imitations was into photography. Kirishima is quite sure that they knew nothing about camera other than the one embedded in their stylish smart phone. Most were interested in clothes, jewels, and branded accessories. Some were more into sport cars and high-tech gadgets. Takumi, having a more serious personality than others, loves oil painting and it made him an oddity in Asami-sama's collection.
Before bad economy ruined his family business and pushed the family into endless debt, Takumi was a university student majoring in fine art. The debt forced his father, who heard the rumor of Asami-sama's eccentric preference in bed partners, to sell his own son to the crime lord. After seeing one of Takumi's paintings, Asami-sama instantly took a liking to the boy. Kirishima assumed that it was because Takumi's painting reminded Asami-sama of Takaba-sama's interest in photography. Whatever the reason was, Asami-sama's fondness in his hobby had given Takumi a special position among the others even though his similarities with Takaba-sama is limited to their hair and eyes color. But Takumi was the only one with such interest. Now, Emi is standing in front of Kirishima with a camera in her hands.
Kirishima's experience with his boss' partner had provided the secretary with enough basic knowledge about photography. So he knows exactly that the camera in Emi's hands right now is one of the brat's favorite. He still remembers how the brat unsuccessfully tried to explain why this camera is better than the others, babbling something about ISO, shutter speed, and whatever photography nonsense that boy loves to talk about.
"Since when did you start doing photography?" he blurted without thinking.
Emi just kept snapping pictures as she answered defiantly, "What's your fucking problem now, Kirishima? Is there any law saying that I can't learn something new?"
Gone was the fake angelic tone that always annoyed him to no end. Her unusually stubborn words reminded him of the way Takaba-sama speaks. Emi usually talked as if she was a high-class lady and behaved like a spoiled little princess. Kirishima used to think that the girl actually had more grace to be Asami-sama's partner than the real partner. He thought that was the other reason why Asami-sama loved to bring her to party besides her similarities with Takaba-sama. So, what was it that changed the girl so drastically?
And since when did the girl become undistinguishable from the real one? Before, he could notice some differences here and there. Now, he feels that the way she talked and behaved is almost identical to Takaba-sama, especially with that camera in her hands. The eerie similarities between the girl and that brat screamed danger at him as loud as the twin's cry in the middle of the night. It was as if she had seen the real one and she copied every characteristic more perfectly. But it is impossible, isn't it? Not one of those replicas knows who the real one was or even whether the real one truly existed. Quietly, he swallows his discomfort, trying his best to keep his stoic expression in place. Shit, if only his headache would stop so he could think clearly.
"What do you want, Kirishima?" The girl's voice pulled him back from his intense perusal.
Absentmindedly, he answered, "Just want to check on you. Suoh told me you had an incident with Haruka. I want to make sure you are okay. Maybe it is time for another check up."
"Well, you have seen that I am okay. Go away and report whatever it is you need to report to your master," she grumbled without losing her concentration on the night view that she wants to capture.
Her annoyance rings another alarm deep inside Kirishima. Emi didn't talk about Asami-sama in that kind of mocking tone. The girl adored the crime lord to the point where she worshipped Asami-sama as if he was a living god whose words was law to all living beings. Asami-sama could order her to sacrifice her own son in a bloody ritual and the girl would blindly follow the order, believing she would gain his favor by doing so. At least, that was how it looked like to Kirishima.
When Kirishima stays quiet, she turns to look at him. Then, finally noticing his weary face, Emi freezes for a second before she grins the same big smile that Takaba-sama makes whenever he sees Kirishima in a mess.
"Gosh, you look horrible, Kirishima. How many days has it been since the last time you sleep? Maybe I am the one who needs to make sure you are okay!"
The girl tilts her head and Kirishima's blood turns cold. Who is this girl in front of him? Emi had never talked to him in such a familiar way. She hated him with every fiber in her body and the feeling was mutual. There was always a barely hidden hostility between him and the girl before.
"Kirishima?"
He growls low, making a dangerous sound at the back of his throat. "What is this, Emi? Why do you bother to act nice now?"
The girl stares at him thoughtfully. Finally, she replied, "I miss my babies. I asked Goro to buy me this camera because I needed to find something to distract myself from thinking about them."
It might be because he was so damn tired and her attitude reminded him of the brat; whatever the reason was, Kirishima softened upon hearing her simple reply. The girl just gave birth to two baby boys. Soon after that, she had to give her babies away to someone else. Even though she agreed to this arrangement for a certain amount of money, that kind of experience surely changed a person. He shouldn't be too harsh on her. Besides, it is much easier to treat her nicely now that she behaves exactly like the brat. He can almost imagine her as Takaba-sama, standing there like a pouting little kitten.
"Fine. I will see what I can do. Asami-sama ordered me to give you everything that you want: branded clothes, jewelries, cars, gadgets, or beauty sessions. Whatever it is, you just need to say it. Goro will pick your new credit card in the office tomorrow. It will have a higher limit and you can use it however you wish. If there is anything else you need, you can tell Goro to inform me and we will see how it can be done."
"He must love me so much to order you to do that," she whispered amusedly. Her sweet lips curve into a winning a smile and Kirishima sees a glimpse of the selfish and power-hungry girl who always irritates him to no end. But his headache becomes painfully worse at that very moment, so he closes his eyes, taking a few deep calming breathes to control the stubborn poundings in his head. When he opens his eyes again, there is no more trace of the girl who he hates so much. Instead, Emi blinks at him in the same way Takaba-sama looks at Kirishima when the boy feels curious.
Realizing that Emi is still waiting for his answer, Kirishima almost nods just to get this over. However, merely based on pure instinct, he decided to tell her the truth. "Asami-sama appreciates the gift you gave him. He wants to make sure that you are rewarded."
Emi doesn't say anything to show her disappointment but Kirishima notices her hardened expression as if he just gave her the wrong answer. Well, the truth is not always easy, but he doesn't think it is wise to indulge her fantasy. Emi has to know that Asami-sama doesn't do any of this because he truly cares for her. This is just business for the powerful man, nothing personal. If she gave him what he wanted, he would pay her back. Hopefully, it will make her more cooperative in the future.
Kirishima tells Goro to collect the card from Haruka's office tomorrow and leaves the penthouse hurriedly to finally have some rest.
Right after Kirishima was gone, Emi removes the fake expression that she learnt from days watching the hundreds of photos and videos of Akihito. Frown etches her pretty face. Her acting was quite good that it affected even the meticulous Kirishima. Based from his reaction, she believed his master's secretary has a soft spot for the boy. It made him more accommodative when Emi behaved like Akihito. It is good to know. Slowly, her infamous angelic smile blossoms from her small victory.
Goro is an idiot and a coward. But it is easy to manipulate him to do her bidding by exploiting the guard's fear of Asami-sama. Goro has a relatively free access to Sion. The guard can steal things for her and the 'souvenirs' he brought back helped her to imitate Akihito's behavior more perfectly. She turns to Goro who is currently fidgeting nervously at the entrance of the penthouse.
"Get me more information about Akihito. Since Kirishima finally has time to come here, they must have found the boy. Find out where he is now and how we can get closer to him. Ask around but be discreet. I am sure that bitch knows. Kirishima trusts her. Try to get it out of her when you go to her office tomorrow."
Goro doesn't even dare to look at her. The guard keeps staring at his own shoes, trying to make himself invisible. His voice was unsure when he asked, "Asami-san, are you sure it is wise to disturb the boy?"
She immediately scowls in anger at his stupid question. Stuttering in fear, Goro rashly continued, "Your…Your husband had given you more allowance and freedom compared to what was given to the others. You gave him two sons. The twins are his only heirs. And until the boy appeared, Asami-sama spent more time with you than the others. I...I am sure you hold the top rank above the others, Asami-san. But if Asami-sama likes the boy, he won't be happy to find out what you are going to do. Your position may-"
She sends him a deadly glare. "My husband will know nothing as long as you do what I told you to do and keep your stupid mouth shuts." Pausing to observe the scared guard who instantly shrank in fear, she continued slowly, "Do you want me to tell him about your betrayal, about how you touched what is his? You would be lucky to be able to see the next sunrise if he found out that you bedded me."
Goro trembles from the threat, deeply regretting his mistake. His body shakes like a leaf and Emi swears she can see tears at the corner of his eyes.
She turns back to the night view outside the window, thinking of her plan. She knew Akihito better now from the reports Goro stole for her. From what she gathered so far, Akihito caused a lot of problems for her master. Like a wild cat that can't be tamed, the boy refused to do even the simplest order and tried to break free from the golden cage her master prepared for him. It might be the sensation of breaking something so wild that attracted her master to the boy.
Well, she can be wild for her master. If her master prefers her to behave like this Akihito, she will behave exactly like that. She will act as if she doesn't care about anything and refuse to follow any order. It stings her pride that she has to imitate the distasteful boy. But she will do this better than the real Akihito. In time, her master will see that it is better to have an 'Akihito' who knows how to behave exactly the way he likes it than the uncontrollable one.
Without looking back at Goro, she gave him one last instruction. "Call Takumi. Tell him that I will come to meet him soon."
Oh, yes, she can be 'Akihito'. She will be a much better version of 'Akihito' and her master will love her so much for that.
Part 2. Promises, Promises
Sprawling lazily on his stomach, Asami's eyes followed his boy's movement from the comfort of their bed as Akihito moved around their room to pack things into his backpack. He knew Akihito was fully aware of his intense observation. But for once, the boy entertained him by letting him watch as much as he wanted.
To be honest, Asami didn't like the idea of Akihito having a project in Osaka right after the boy's passionate love confession tonight. His basic instinct screamed at him to keep his boy close, to protect him from any harm and to provide him with whatever luxury the boy would ever want in his life. He felt itchy to tell the boy about his secret plan, a plan that would give Akihito a child. He wanted to whisper his own love confession and see his boy's eyes glowed with love for him. But his years of keeping his emotion tightly inside prevented him from saying it out loud.
Emotion didn't have a place in his world. It clouded one's judgment and blurred one's logic. Useless emotion killed people and destroyed business. On the other hand, Akihito's world was all about emotion and feeling; Asami had never met anyone so full of fire and love like Akihito. The boy acted first and thought later. It was dangerous but it was one of the boy's qualities that attracted Asami in the beginning.
"Are you sure you don't need Kirishima to drive you to the station?" He asked his boy for at least the fifth time.
This time, however, he noticed the way his boy's hands stopped moving for a moment. A heartbeat. A blink. And he remembered the hunch he felt upon seeing the subtle reaction. His boy was unsure and his intuition told him that Akihito's uncertainty was caused by something much more complicated than the simple decision of whether he should let Kirishima driving him to the station or not. Then the boy pouted in the cute way that always amused Asami and he ignored the nagging sense of foreboding. It was the first mistake he made that night.
"I am not a child, Ryu! I need no one to drive me anywhere like a pre-school student. Besides, I told you, my friend will pick me up soon."
It was not until that night that Akihito started calling him by his given name and the boy still blushed slightly at the simple endearment, looking at anything but Asami in his embarrassment. At that moment, Asami just chuckled at his pouting kitten. He would find out the hard way later that Akihito avoiding his gaze had nothing to do with embarrassment. Instead, it had everything to do with Akihito hiding the real plan; a plan that his boy had carefully hatched together with that damned friend of his from Hong Kong.
But then Asami didn't know. "Fine, kitten. You can play in the big bad world on your own. But don't go with a stranger even if he gives you candies. Or cookies. Or even a box of Pocky." he teased.
Asami easily ducked the shoe thrown his way by his angry boy. It was also not a problem to avoid the heavy photography book that came next. But when Akihito lunged himself into his embrace right after that, it totally caught him by surprise, nevertheless a pleasant one. The boy pinned him down, using his weight as leverage, but both men knew that if Asami wanted, he could easily swap their position without much effort. For now, he stayed still under the boy, indulging Akihito by giving him a sense of power.
Straddling his stomach, Akihito stared at him in a way that melted even his iron heart, if a person as sinful as him still had a heart to begin with. He raised his hand to remove a stubborn bang from his boy's face. And his lover closes those pure hazel orbs, leaning against Asami's wide palm.
"I made breakfast for you. You must eat it later, okay?" The boy's whisper was so soft. And somehow it sounded lonely. But he also already missed the boy even before Akihito left that he thought the hint of loneliness in Akihito's voice was entirely understandable. Unsatisfied by Asami's impassive reaction, his lover continued the nagging, "You don't take a good care of yourself, Ryu. Eat properly. Rest well. Stay healthy. Otherwise you won't have enough strength to go around killing people and scaring children. The world will be too peaceful without your evil self in it."
He laughed at his boy's cheekiness. "Yes, kitten. I will try to remember your loving advices. Besides, you will be back in a couple of days and you will take care of me," he told his boy smugly back then. He still couldn't believe his own carelessness for missing the way Akihito's eyes glinted with a touch of sadness. He should have noticed how strange it was that the boy didn't get upset from the teasing. But he ignored it all because he felt confident after Akihito's love confession.
They enjoyed the comfortable silence that followed, stroking each other gently, until Akihito asked quietly, "Ryu? Did you truly mean it when you said you would do anything for my happiness?"
The uncertainty in his boy's voice halted the movement of his hands. He looked up at the boy, putting as much resoluteness as he could muster in his golden eyes. His own voice was firm without any hardness in it. "Putting aside our first time together, have I ever done anything that made you think otherwise, Akihito?"
The boy stayed still before he slowly shook his head. "No, you have never let me down."
At one point in their messy relationship, Akihito started to become the top priority in his life and the boy knew it even if Akihito didn't want to acknowledge it aloud. They both didn't know for sure when it had happened. Maybe it was when Asami went to Hong Kong to save Akihito despite of his own injuries. Or maybe it was long before that. It didn't matter now.
"I would do anything in my power to make you happy," he affirmed.
"Promise?" The voice asking him was tiny and suddenly Akihito looked so young and vulnerable in his arms. The sudden urge of protectiveness was overwhelming and it made Asami grunted low in his throat.
"I promise," he said firmly.
"There is nothing that makes me happier than you being happy and alive. So, be happy and stay alive, Ryu. You promised me."
It was a strange request, he thought at that time. But, he had promised and he had never broken a promise to Akihito. So he just nodded from the top of Akihito's head. It seemed his silent agreement was enough for the boy. And after another passionate kiss that left Akihito breathless and made him proud of himself, he let the boy go. The last thing he heard before he fell back into a deep sleep was his boy saying goodbye.
A few hours later, he found that damned letter from his boy on the kitchen counter, right beside a plate of breakfast just as Akihito promised. The paper was wrinkled, obviously dampened by tears. It was short but it was clear enough to kick him in the gut.
Akihito believed that he was a burden to Asami; his boy thought that he was nothing but trouble because he could never understand the way Asami's world worked. Asami saw how the boy was so frightened. He was not blind that he could ignore the way Akihito shook in fear every time the boy found a new injury on Asami's body during their years together. His boy was scared, not for his own life, but for Asami's. And Akihito thought that cutting himself out of Asami's life would somehow save Asami. The idea felt totally ridiculous for Asami and it wounded the crime lord's pride; why did he work so hard to become stronger if he still needed his boy to protect him from anything?
But what was worse than his wounded pride was his anger at his own ignorance. He should have noticed. He should have known. He should have forced Akihito to face the fact that it was too late; there was no running away for his boy. Since the moment Akihito became his top priority, there wouldn't be anything that could keep him away from his boy.
He had to admit that his boy was smart. He asked Asami to make him a promise, thinking that he could give Asami happiness and safety by staying away from him using a trick. And falling into the sweet trap, Asami had promised. But Akihito missed one little fact: the boy was the first happiness Asami had ever have and the only one he would ever taste in his life. That was a small loophole that Akihito failed to see. And Asami would be damned if he didn't exploit this one chance he had to get his boy back without breaking his own promise.
When Asami enters the spacious living room, the sight in front of him makes him smile unconsciously. Akihito is half lying on the wide sofa with the babies safely tucked at both sides. His boy looks up when he hears Asami's footsteps, trying to see him without waking the twins. As he strode closer, Akihito whispered with a huge grin on his face, "I begin to think that there must be something wrong with their noses. I must be so smelly and sweaty but every time I try to get away from them, they will automatically cry. You need to ask Kirishima to bring them to doctor, you know, to check their ability to smell things."
Asami chuckles. Bending down to kiss his young lover, he replied easily, "They love you already." Akihito raises an eyebrow at his comment but whatever the boy wanted to say is muffled by the slow and passionate kiss.
His lover carefully passes Rikiya to him and they both bring the twins back to their crib. When the babies are comfortable under their soft baby blankets, Akihito leads him to the living room, passing him a glass of his favorite liquor, preparing an ashtray near a box of his favorite cigarettes, and fretfully helping him to settle into the sofa. It is obvious that the boy wants to bribe him with a bit of pampering before starting the dangerous topic.
"So, umm, well..."
Akihito stands awkwardly, fidgeting, as the boy searches for the right moment to ask him the question that he knows will come sooner or later. He waits patiently for his younger lover to gather the courage. When Akihito finally asked, his voice sounded so cautious as if he was talking to a scared animal instead of to a crime lord who didn't even bother to blink anymore while killing someone, "...have you met Tao yet?"
Asami leans back to the sofa, swirling the whiskey in his glass and considering his options on how to better handle this issue. "He is fine, for now, if that is what you want to know," he finally answered.
Of course, his boy freezes instantly.
"For now?"
Asami can't stop the slow smile that appears on his face. His boy looks terrified. Well, this is a good opportunity to teach his lover about the meaning of consequences. Hopefully, next time, Akihito will think twice before doing anything stupid that can end his life.
"For now," he confirmed coolly.
The crime lord watches in amusement as Akihito gulps, most probably trying to analyze the possibilities of what he may do to punish his dear friend later. Said friend is actually sleeping from pain meds in one of Asami's private hospital. And as long as Tao doesn't do anything stupid in the future, like seducing Akihito or helping his boy to plan another runaway, Asami doesn't have any plan to hurt the black hair boy. Tao is his ace card to be the strongest in the entire East Asia. However, his boy doesn't need to know the trivial detail.
"Ryu, please, he is just a child. I asked his help and he helped me. It was all my idea. You can't be seriously thinking of punishing him for my mistake. He just gave me a favor, nothing more."
Raising his eyebrow and keeping his face straight, Asami simply replied, "Really? Was he truly just giving you a favor and no more? He sounded quite passionate when he talked about you today."
It is true. He doesn't lie to his boy. Tao did sound quite passionate when he told Asami how he treasures his friendship with Akihito. And that is all: friendship. Asami could see that Feilong's son didn't harbor any romantic feelings to his boy. However, Akihito takes the bait and now the boy stares at him in complete shock and horror.
"I don't know...," Akihito paused, shaking his head slowly to clear his mind before he tried again, "Ryu, listen to me. It must be a mistake. Tao and I are just friends. He is barely 15. I have never seen him as anything but a child. Please. Don't hurt him. I will do everything you want if-"
The boy quickly stopped himself when he realized what he just said.
"Everything I want, Akihito?" Asami pushed with a satisfied smirk.
"Within reason!" the boy quickly stated. "I am not going to hurt someone for you or kidnap innocent children or rape a woman or anything like that! Ever! You must promise that you won't harm Tao for something that was totally not his mistake! Then I will give you three wishes. You can ask me to do whatever you want and I will obey it."
"Five wishes," he bargained just for show. Three wishes are enough. But if he doesn't bargain at least once, the boy will start to have doubts.
As expected, Akihito snarled at him, addressing his family name instead of his given name to show that he is better not pushing his luck further, "Three, Asami. Even Aladdin's genie won't give you more than that."
It is more for an effect when Asami cocks his head slightly, pretending to consider the offer. He decided Tao's fate hours ago and getting three free wishes out of it were more than what he expected. But purely for his entertainment, he drags the silence far longer than necessary, enjoying the sight of Akihito fidgeting in front of him anxiously.
"Fine. I promise I won't harm your dear friend, as long as he doesn't do anything to offend me, ifyou make my three wishes come true. Do we have a deal now, Akihito?" Asami finally had some pity when it seemed that his boy would explode into pieces if he kept the silence a moment longer.
Of course, Akihito narrows those pure hazel eyes in suspicion.
"How can I believe you? You also promised that you would do anything to make me happy. What makes me happy is if you can find your happiness, but-"
It irritated him that Akihito brought that topic now.
"Well, take it or leave it, Akihito. I have never broken a promise to you and I don't have a plan to start now. But it is up to you whether you want to believe it or not."
His answer silences the younger man. Slowly, Akihito nods.
"We have a deal, Bastard."
Part 3. Three Wishes
Asami's first wish, to my surprise, is completely normal and easy. He removed the chains around my ankles and wrists, brushing his fingertips innocently (and purposely, I am quite sure!) on my skin, which caused a shiver down my spine. Slowly, he stripped me out of my clothes, teasing and taking his damn time to remove every fabric from my body. Then he asked me to take a quick bath by myself while he changed his clothes to something more casual. That, he told me, was his first wish.
I stare at him in disbelief, expecting him to give some sort of ridiculous conditions that I have to obey while doing what he told me to do. You know, just for his enjoyment. This is Asami Ryuichi that we are talking about. In my humble opinion, there is nothing he likes more than making people miserable. I was prepared to do even the unthinkable things to save my friend. I didn't have any idea what kind of unthinkable things it would be because, well, it is unthinkable. But I expected something like cleaning the penthouse with toothbrush or counting the stars or even running naked outside. So being asked to take a bath alone while I was standing naked in front of him was a bit...disorienting.
When I just stand there, analyzing any potential threat in his totally common request, he smirks knowingly at me.
"Disappointed, Akihito?" His smug question annoyed me to no end.
Without answering his question, I leave him to do as he asked, stomping my feet all the way to the main bathroom. Right before I slam the door, he warned me, "If you don't close the door nicely, you will wake the kids!" There was a short pause before he continued, "And I highly suggest you to clean your body thoroughly. You smell like a dead rotting kitten being left under the sun for weeks!"
I grit my teeth in anger. But remembering the kids, I close the door as gently as I can, trying my best not to shout back a witty retort at him.
It feels good to finally take a shower, though, and I sigh happily as the warm water cleans the dirt and sweat away. I can feel my body relaxes. My anger slowly turns into contentment and I start to hum while shampooing my hair and soaping my whole body.
It is when my hand brushes the crease between my ass cheeks that I realize how long it has been since the last time I did that and how much I miss Asami. Before I can stop my traitorous brain from playing an imaginary hot scene that involves Asami's huge cock and his skillful fingers, my arousal had pooled in my groin. Damn. I rest my head against the cool glass wall that separates the shower area from the rest of the bathroom, considering my situation at the moment. Well, Asami still has two wishes left. I am sure he will use one of his wishes to get sex from me sooner or later. It is better to prepare myself rather than having him plunging in without preparation in the middle of lust.
My entire face feels warm when I touch my own hole. I had done this before. Six months without anyone but my right hand to accompany me through those lonely nights, I am completely familiar with this particular activity. But doing this to prepare myself for him feels...humiliating. Strangely, at the same time, it also feels incredibly hot.
Keeping my eyes closed, I could imagine his pleasure realizing that I was ready to take his cock any way he might want. His arrogant smirk would be plastered on his face by the time he found me properly lubed and stretched for him. And those images in my head were enough to stimulate me like no one has ever done before.
I place my left hand on the glass surface surrounding the shower room, resting my forehead on my arm and spreading my legs as wide as I can to give myself an easier access to touch my backside. I start sliding my slicked fingers inside me. It doesn't take long until I pants and moans, chanting his name under my breath.
"..god...oh god...Ryu..."
"I don't remember claiming myself as god, Akihito. But if you prefer that kind of role play, I guess I can try."
His calm voice echoes in the spacious bathroom and freezes me in shock. Asami leans against the bathroom counter just at the other side of the glass wall, watching me amusedly with his arms crossed. He already changed his clothes into a comfortable shirt and khaki pants. And god, he looks so damn good that I swear I can reach orgasm just from watching him there in clothes.
"Before you start accusing me, I did knock," he explained when I finally opened my mouth. "But you were obviously too occupied with your...," he paused with a grin, "...activity. You didn't even notice me entering."
I feel my face burning hot in shame but it does nothing to soften my erection. Instead, Asami's suggestive glare just makes me even more aroused. When he notices that I am too deep in lust that I can't form any coherent sentence to answer, he smirks wickedly.
"Now, here comes my second wish."
I swallow and hold my breath in anticipation.
Looking at my hard cock with pure evil, Asami continues serenely, "Let's eat. I am starving. I want to have dinner together with you. And that, Akihito, was my second wish."
So, that brings me to his second normal and easy request: having dinner with him. Nothing was extraordinary or worth mentioning; it was a totally common couple dinner. All I did was serving him the food that I made earlier, eating together with him, and having a completely civil conversation about what I did while I was away. Everything went as if I didn't run away from him at all. I felt like I just completed a 6 months project and he wanted to know how it was going.
However, I was still aroused from my previous adventure in the shower room. And it didn't help that our bodies brushed each other's every once in a while; his fingertips lingered for a moment on the inside of my wrist when I passed him a bottle of soy sauce, his knee pressed into mine under the table, and he stroked my thigh as I served him the dishes. It all felt so innocent, so accidental. Every time it happened and I looked up at him in suspicion, I find that he didn't even look at me, paying more attention to his meal, to our conversation, or to anything else but the way our bodies burnt from those chaste touches. And all that just made my body yearning for more touches.
Now, as I clean the table, I try my best to ignore our closeness. Until Asami casually moves to pass a dirty plate (unnecessarily!) to me and suddenly he stands right behind me, his chest pressing my back with not even a millimeter separating our bodies. I stagger in my surprise, and he readily catches me before I fall. The gentleness of his breath on my bare neck is a total contrast to the hardness of his erection against my lower back. At least, now I know for sure that I am not the only one who is affected by those touches.
His voice sounded husky and low to my ear when he told me, "Easy there, Akihito. There is no need to rush tonight. Let's take it slow, shall we?"
The double meaning of his statement doesn't slip my mind. And unconsciously, my body pushes back against his, wanting more of his hardness in desperation. But he quickly releases me before any moan escapes my mouth.
I turn around to find a sly smile on his face and my heart stops for a beat. Understanding dawns on me before I can fully hide my surprise. God, Asami is seducing me. He doesn't just take what he wants like he normally does. Tonight, he intends to take it slow, to flirt, to rouse, to dance the dangerous game between desire and control, to-
"Why don't you relax, Akihito? I can almost hear you thinking. Tonight, just do what you feel is right. Nothing will happen if that is what you want. That was my last wish."
-to treat me like a true lover. Not a pet. Not a property. Not a boy toy. Not someone that simply belongs to him, to be taken whenever and however he wants.
He had three wishes. He could ask almost anything and I had the obligation to obey if I wanted to save Tao. But he spent his wishes for petty requests. It completely struck me when I realized that he did it because he was totally confident. Asami believed that he could seduce me. He was sure he wouldn't need to force me to do anything tonight. Those three wishes were merely a show to drill the idea into me: everything we are going to do after this, it will be consensual. Our act tonight will be my wish as much as his. As Asami stares at me shrewdly, like an arrogant predator stalking its cornered prey, I swallow.
The next hour, as I move around the penthouse, cleaning the kitchen, passing him a glass of vodka, and feeding the kids when they wake up crying, Asami places more innocent touches, steals chaste kisses, caresses a bit of bare skin whenever he can, and ignites that fire so deep inside me that only he can reach. He doesn't push me into anything. Tonight is not about forced sex or lust. And damn, it feels so good. For once, our relationship is not only about insatiable animalistic desire.
When I find Asami gently kissing Rikiya and Naoyuki on their foreheads as he puts them back to sleep, I smile at the beautiful sight in front of me. He looks up and our gazes meet; the protectiveness that I see in those golden orbs while he reaches his hand towards me, inviting me to join the two little ones in his embrace, catches my breath. The message in his eyes is clear. We are his to love and he will protect his beloveds. Period.
Spending time with him like this, it is easy to forget everything about his crazy evil world and all the enemies waiting for the first opportunity to kill him or to hurt everyone he loves. There is no Asami Ryuichi, the crime lord who controls the entire Japan from behind the scene, or Takaba Akihito, the freelance photographer whom nobody cares about. We are just two normal men being so much in love with each other like millions of other normal couples in the world. I could easily get addicted to this. Shit, I am already addicted to this.
Slowly, the chaste kisses become more passionate. The innocent touches turn sensual. Our bodies grow even harder. And when the twins finally (finally!) go back to their peaceful slumber, it is me who leads him suggestively to our bedroom. Asami gives me his infamous smirk, which he makes every time things going his way. Before, that particular smirk would annoy me to no end. Surprisingly, now I just grin back at him, realizing for the first time since our relationship began that him winning this little game of ours doesn't mean that I lose.
There is none of the usual desperation or roughness tonight. Asami gently brings me to bed, laying me on my back. His movement is slow but controlled, confident yet loving. He kisses me passionately, tongues twining and thrusting. I give him a whimper. Sweet god, Asami truly knows how to kiss! I am determined to savor every second as he worships my body with more kisses. When my lover starts trailing his tongue down my chest and stomachs, kissing, nipping, sucking, and tasting every sensitive part of my body, I moan louder and louder.
Asami slides down even lower, his tongue playfully licking the clear precum on my cock, and I groan in my surprise. Asami rarely gave me (and maybe anyone else, considering his damn arrogance!) a head. In the very rare occasions when he did, usually it would be either a very quick foreplay or a pain-pleasure torture. But now, with exaggerated patience, he explores every nook and cranny around my erection, bringing pure pleasure wherever he puts his warm tongue.
"What...? Ryu, you don't..." I rasped, my voice strangling.
He pauses, gazing up with his chin digging provocatively into the softest part of my body. Now it is the hardest part of my body, I guess. His mouth quirks as his hands play with my balls.
"I don't do what, Akihito?" He coaxed with another long lick that made my knees weak. My eyes flutter closed and I instantly clutch his shoulders.
"Oh god, Ryu..."
He laughs, enjoying my reaction greatly. "I am just a man, Akihito, not a god. But I am quite sure I can show you heaven tonight."
When he finally swallows my whole length, I scream so loudly that I begin to worry I will wake the twins. My back arches like a bowstring. My left hand grabs the soft linen under me in a tight grip as I cup his head with the other, threading through the silkiness of his black hair. Before long, I make protesting sound in my throat. Not like this. I want to come with you inside me. Please, Ryu.
"Ryu, stop! I will...will come...please...if you keep going...I want...want...oh god..."
Thankfully, Asami understands the nonsensical words I created. He raises his head, smirks proudly, and puts one last kiss at the top of my throbbing erection.
"Did you just ask me to stop, Akihito?" he teased but his huge hard cock was ready at my entrance.
Unable to form any intelligible response at the moment, I just growl fiercely, wrapping my legs around his hips and doing my best to push my body against his as he holds himself firmly. He chuckles; his body vibrates in a way that makes me tremble with longing, tempting me to roam my hands on his broad chest. When he finally invades my flesh, I hold onto his strong arm, letting go of all my control and biting into his shoulder hard.
At first, it stings after months of celibacy, but it is a welcomed pain. I whimper as I adjust with being stretched to my limit. In no time, the pain turns into pleasure and we quickly move in sync. There is none of the hard and fast shoves. Asami savors every thrust leisurely, sliding his cock deep into me before pulling it out until it is only the head that stays inside.
After our sweet and breathtaking come, his sticky liquid still leaking from me, he spoons against my back. I smile at the feeling of finally being full and safe. For a long time, we stay like that, catching our breath and calming our racing hearts. When he finally moves to find something to clean us, I hold him close; it is unbearable to be separated so soon after the intimacy we just shared. Asami just chuckles and indulges my neediness, his fingers gently massaging my sore body, and I purr in total bliss.
"Are you happy, Akihito?" Asami asked, my head nestling comfortably on the space between his neck and shoulder.
"Mmmm," I murmured noncommittally from where I rest. "Yes, I am. For now."
He cocks his head, looking down at me. "For now?"
As reality creeps back, I sigh in misery. Leaning over, I kiss his lips gently, breathing in the combination of his cologne, a hint of his cigarettes, and the masculine smell of his sweat. If I fill my lungs full with his scent now, can I still remember it when I am away?
"Don't get me wrong, Ryu. What we shared just now was very sweet. I don't think I can forget it for the rest of my life. But we can't keep doing this. I am dangerous for you."
Asami's laughter drips with mocking. "Dangerous, Akihito? Oh yes, you are as dangerous as a mewling kitten that I tremble in fear having you in my bed."
I smack him gently, too content to give him a serious blow. "Not that kind of danger, Bastard. You know it. I don't understand the way your world works. And I don't think I will ever understand it. It causes you problems. One day, I will bring you a messy enough trouble in my innocence that not even you can handle it. I don't want to see you dead, Ryu. I prefer to give my last heartbeat than living in a world without you in it."
It is sappy, I guess. But it is the truth and I don't have any better words to make him understand. I wait for him to sneer at my sentimentality, knowing that he can never comprehend the insanity of my love. He is way too arrogant and too logical to be able to understand such things. The mocking doesn't come, though, so I continue softly, "I love you, Ryu. I love you so much until it hurts. I still love you even though you are such a bastard and even though I know that you do unspeakable things behind me and even though I have every reason to hate you with everything I have. And that scares me. Because I will love you no matter who you are, no matter what you do or what you did or what you will do. There is just no way I can stop loving you."
He doesn't say anything but he wraps his arms around my shoulder, soothing me with a tenderness he had never shown me before. And I tremble as I force myself to finish my little speech, blinking to stop tears from falling.
"I am not afraid of getting hurt or killed, Ryu. But I don't want to wake up one day to find you death, bringing pieces of my heart that I won't ever get back. I can bounce back from almost everything life thrown my way, Ryu, everything but you being taken away from me for good."
It is then that he holds my chin, raising my face and looking at me firmly in the eyes.
"And you think that I can, Akihito?" His voice was rough from holding tight to the last of his control. "You think that I would just laugh and move on if you were to be taken away from me, don't you? That was why you left so easily-"
"Nothing about leaving you was easy!" I finally yelled at him.
"And nothing about staying together was easy either, Akihito!" He shouted back at me. "In fact, it is harder to stick together than to just leave! That was why you keep running away! Because it was much easier and you were too afraid to pick the harder option!"
"Shit, how can I make you understand?! I may be the reason of your death, Ryu!"
"And I may be yours! But I deal with it!"
We stare at each other in anger until Asami finally gives in, closing his eyes and taking deep steady breaths to control his fury. When he finally spoke again, he sounded calmer and more in control.
"Every couple, both normal and abnormal by your definition, has their own problem, Akihito. But they deal with it if they want to stay together. It is normal. Don't you have that crazy obsession to be normal?" He gave me a dry smile tinted with light humor. "Ours is not so easy to solve, unfortunately. But I want to give it a try. I want you to give it a try. I want US to give it a try."
Asami cups my cheeks gently, staring at me with silent pleading in his eyes. This was the longest conversation we have ever had about our relationship and, most probably, the last one we will ever have. Whatever the result will be, there won't be going back after this.
"I had never said this before, not to you or to anyone else. And I may never say it again. So you better listen carefully. I love you, Akihito. You asked me to find my happiness. You asked me to promise you that. You are my happiness, Akihito, and I am willing to bend some of my rules for you. But I can't do it alone. I don't have the strength to do all the work to keep us together. I need you to bend down a bit so we can be together somewhere in the middle. I know this is asking a lot from you but I need us to try if we want to stay together."
His honest admission takes my breath away and I swallow. I feel like a lump of emotion grows in my chest. My breaths are sharp and short as I try to push down whatever intangible thing that chokes my throat. He pauses, staring at me thoughtfully as if searching for the words that he prepared yet worrying about how I will react to those words.
"Marry me, Akihito. Stay with me. Be only mine. Let's deal with whatever life thrown our way and find our happiness together."
The blunt proposal caught me by surprise. There was nothing romantic about it but it broke the last of my control. I lean my head against his broad shoulder as I weep for the long journey that brings us to this point. Not that I regret any of it. We have been through difficult times, but we have found each other every time. My tears damp his bare skin, creating streams down his chest as he rubs my cheek, whispering soothing words near my ear about protecting our future family and providing us for the rest of his life, no matter how long or how short it will be.
"Everyone is going to die in the end, Akihito." He hugs me close but his hand keeps stroking my hair. "It is just a matter of time. I just want to spend that time with you. Is that too much to ask?"
When I don't reply immediately his body stiffens in nervousness and he starts fidgeting. I almost laugh in my cry because fidgeting is so not Asami.
"I know you are scared, Akihito. If-"
I made my decision then. Stopping whatever he wanted to say, I kiss him hard. My seeking mouth muffles his next words. Asami returns my kiss, hesitantly in the beginning, but with a surety, he becomes the aggressor. His tongue conquers mine as he thrusts further into my mouth until I back out, breathless.
Do what you feel is right.
His last wish. And I am going to make it comes true.
"Yes, oh Ryu, yes. I will marry you. Let me be damned if I keep running away after making you fidget in nervousness, waiting for my answer to your proposal." Half sobbing, half laughing, I continued, "Oh, that is so memorable. I have to mark the day Asami Ryuichi looks like he is going to faint in anxiety."
Tense leaves his body and he looks so content as he lies back on the bed in relief, caressing my lips with the tips of his fingers. I let him holding me; the way his chest moves as he breathes calms our earlier tension.
"I love you way too much that I can't imagine anything that will make me love you less," I said absentmindedly as I traced his muscle with my fingers.
He tilts his head and raises his eyebrow. "Really? Nothing at all?"
I let out a long sigh. What could be worse than what he had done to me so far? He raped me the first time we were together. He did bad, even illegal, things behind my back. And he made me a criminal in a foreign country, drugged me, then chained me like an animal. And still, I love him. In my naivety, I can't imagine anything in this world that can change my love for him. "Just don't keep me in the dark, Ryu. Share everything with me. I promise nothing you do, or did, or will do, will make me love you less."
He stares at me long and hard, wordlessly telling me that I don't truly understand the meaning of my own promise. I shrug arrogantly.
"Fine, you don't have to believe me now but you must know that it is true. Now that everything was settled, tell me how you found Rikiya and Naoyuki. Don't get me wrong; I love them dearly. So, don't you dare to throw them away! If no one wanted them, I would take care of those two. But there must be a reason why the great Asami Ryuichi who hated children with every fiber in his body suddenly got a change of heart."
While listening to my curious question, his skepticism slowly turned into amusement.
"You promised that nothing I did would make you love me less, Akihito," he reminded me with a slow smile that made me cringe and, almost immediately, I curse my arrogance. Maybe there are some things that I do better not know, in the end.
When the lift finally stops at the floor where his apartment is, right below Asami-sama's penthouse, Kirishima feels like he can collapse anytime. He is barely able to keep himself awake. People often think that he works like a robot; doing his job perfectly without asking much questions or needing any rest. Well, that is bullshit. Everyone needs to rest or ask questions.
But when he sees Suoh walking carefully toward his apartment's door while holding a handful of clothes that he recognizes as Asami-sama's, all his fatigue instantly disappears. Fear fills his gut and his blood turns cold. Fighting a panic breath, he scans the entire floor to find out what was wrong that Asami-sama's head of security is here bringing what looks like the entire content of Asami-sama's wardrobe. Unable to find any clue, he takes his gun out of the holster and runs quickly to catch up with his friend.
"Kazumi, what happened? Is Asami-sama ok? Why do you bring his clothes to my apartment? Did someone attack the penthouse? Was it an assassin? A bomb? A sniper? Where is Takaba-sama? Shit, I knew I shouldn't leave for such a long trip! I should have told Haruka-"
"Calm down, Kei. Everything is fine," the giant told him evenly. "Now, could you please open the door for me? My hands are kind of full at the moment."
Suoh's calmness stuns him. There is no way Suoh can stay that calm if something happens to Asami-sama or the brat. So, what is wrong? He runs his trembled hand through his sweat-soaked hair, analyzing the situation, but for once, he can't figure anything out. Shit. His headache makes it harder for him to think with a clear head and it frustrates him. Absentmindedly, he reaches his pocket to get his key and opens the door for Suoh.
"Quiet, Kei. Asami-sama is sleeping in your guest room."
"What? Why does Asami-sama have to sleep here? I knew it. Someone did attack the penthouse, right? Stop hiding it from me, Kazumi! How bad was it?" He whispered through gritted teeth, already running a few alternative solutions for every possible situation inside his head.
His colleague let out a tired sigh. "No one attacked the penthouse, Kei."
"Then stop playing puzzle with me and explain!"
Suoh serenely folds Asami-sama's clothes and stacks it neatly on his coffee table. Kirishima realizes now that there are more of Asami-sama's things in his living room. Hand-made designer shoes line his hallway and Asami-sama's laptop is on his kitchen table.
"I don't know the details. But from what I understood, Asami-sama told Takaba-sama about the twins. The boy didn't take it well. He kicked Asami-sama out of the penthouse, throwing all Asami-sama's stuffs out of the front door and yelling all kind of pretty curses to our boss. I told the guards to go downstairs for now and to keep quiet about it. They seemed to understand. So, don't worry too much."
Kirishima stares in disbelief at one of the few people he will trust to take care of Asami-sama.
"That fucking stupid brat did WHAT?!"
"Careful, Kei. I know you have a close relationship with Takaba-sama. But you shouldn't address him like that. It was disrespectful. I told you, he kicked Asa-"
"I heard you clearly the first time already, Kazumi!" He snarled at his friend.
His friend frowned at his abrupt anger. "Then why did you ask?"
Kirishima waves his hand around in anger. "Because I can't believe it. How dare that brat kicked Asami-sama out of his own home! And threw out all his stuffs! In front of his subordinates! Did he even have enough brain cell to think about how it would affect Asami-sama?! It will be just a matter of time until someone thinks that if Asami-sama can't control his own lover, he won't be able to control his allies, moreover his enemies. Soon, some idiots will start planning a rebellion!"
Suoh simply shrugs. "Let whoever idiots in your wild imagination try, Kei. Both of us will make them regret their stupid plan. We did it before and we will do it again when it is needed. For now, stop worrying. And in case you forgot, legally, it is Takaba-sama's penthouse. Asami-sama arranged it secretly years ago, don't you remember? I believe the boy has the right to kick whoever he wants out of his own house. Anyone most probably will do the same in his situation. Some may do even worse than kicking their partner out of their house. If I dare to bring other woman's baby to her house and ask her to take care of that baby, I have no doubt that Akemi will cut my private part into pieces and hang each piece in front of her apartment for everyone to see-"
Kirishima forcefully kept his voice down even though he felt like shouting at the top of his lung out of rage. "Well, Takaba-sama should know better than behaving like Akemi! He is the partner of Asami Ryuichi, one of the most powerful and influential persons on earth! And as Asami-sama's partner, he has the responsibility to act with more grace than pouting and sulking in front of everyone for every petty little thing he doesn't like as if he is a whore crying for attention. Akemi is NOT even your wife. She-"
He regretted his words even before he noticed the way Suoh narrowing his eyes dangerously. His friend's voice was sharp with warning as he growled low, "Akemi may be a prostitute, Kei, but she has her pride. The only reason I haven't married her is because she doesn't want to be my burden, no matter how many times I assured her that she wouldn't be. So you are better not insulting her because I will kill anyone who dares to do that in front of me. Even if it is you, Kei."
Shame churns in his stomach, giving him more discomfort than his pounding headache. He has never understood his friend's infatuation to Akemi, a whore whom Suoh has been in a relationship with for the last two years, but he should know better than rubbing the fact on his friend's face. Kirishima shakes his head bitterly. "I am sorry, Kazumi. I don't mean it. I just...I don't know. I just can't think clearly right now."
Suoh's hard face softens immediately. They have been friends for years, being comrades for more than half their life. Both are way too stubborn to admit it out loud, but their bonds are as strong as any blood related brothers. His friend knows him better than almost anyone in the world; anyone but his dear sister and Asami-sama. Kirishima feels his friend's hand reach across the distance between them to pet his shoulder gently, stopping him from drowning in self-reproach.
"It is okay. I know you didn't mean it. You must have a terrible headache by now. You always have problem sleeping at unfamiliar places, so I guess you haven't slept much, if not at all, since you left Tokyo, have you? Go. Get some rest. After that you will feel much better. I will take care of this-," Suoh paused to look at the high piles of stuffs in Kirishima living room, trying to find a better term to describe the situation and finding none, so he simply continued, "-mess. Don't worry too much, Kei. Asami-sama himself only laughed when it happened. He clearly ordered us to just leave the boy alone for a while. But you have to give Takaba-sama a break. It was not an easy situation for anyone. Personally, I think it was an improvement that he kicked our boss out of their house instead of running away like usual. You see, he threw out almost all of Asami-sama's stuffs, even the packs of cigarettes. But he didn't throw out Rikiya-sama and Naoyuki-sama. It looked like a good sign to me. I am quite sure Takaba-sama doesn't really hate the idea of taking care the twins. Everything will be fine. Takaba-sama just needs some time to think it off and cool down. Give him some time."
Having no more energy to argue, Kirishima just rolls his eyes and grumbles at the brat's bold and obscene behavior as he makes his way to the bedroom, praying that his friend is right, that everything will be all right in the end. Otherwise, he is sure there will be a bloodbath in Tokyo. But it is a problem for another time. For now, he needs to get some sleep.