Title: The Imperial Palace Chapter 2

Setting: Strip Club AU.

Rating: Soft M.

Reason: Because it's Fuji's once in four years birthday!

Pairing: Perfect Pair and some Oshitari.

Warnings: Uncreative content, possible OOC-ness, boots, lots of grinding, stripper!Fuji kidnapped my brain, etc.

Disclaimer: Konomi-sensei owns all.

~o~o~o~

Tezuka wasn't too peeved when it came to working part-time at the Imperial Palace, the most famous and renowned gay strip club in town.

It hadn't originally been his first choice of employment thanks to the late hours, but the pay was decent. Although there were far more flirtatious clients than was normal, he had it easy. Especially since he wasn't among the erotic dancers.

All Tezuka had to do was arrive on time at his workplace, appear uninterested and take drink orders. It was a relatively simple job once one mastered the art of mixing drinks. He did it to pay for his schooling and, all in all, it wasn't too bad. Of course, there was always the occasional drunk or pervert who would go beyond flirting, asking him to take his clothes off like the other dancers. Such a demand was always met with an ice-cold glare and sharp remark about the fact that he was a bartender, not a stripper.

Today was a slow night. It was a Wednesday… or rather, it had been Wednesday night an hour ago. It was now just passed 1am on Thursday, smack in the middle of the work week, which meant there were not many clients in the club.

The right side of the club held the bar, which was the area where Tezuka spent his hours working. Tezuka did his work as usual from behind a large polished wood counter. Glasses of all shapes, sizes and colors were hung up on shelves or hanging down by special hooks. Some glasses were for large quantities of beer, tiny ones for shots, and elegant cocktail glasses and fancy wine glasses for those desiring a more colorful or refined beverage. The back wall had cupboards in which assorted bottles of all types of liquor were held. Tezuka washed his hands from the small sink in the corner before getting to work pouring drinks, shaking them, mixing them into a variety of colors and handing them over to the clientele.

Tezuka wasn't the type to do a lazy job. He held a strict work ethic and focused solely on the clients while keeping his area clean and organized. He worked fast and efficiently, pouring drinks with practiced ease despite not being fond of drinking such concoctions himself. His hands knew exactly where each glass and bottle was located and he could probably make orders with his eyes closed if he would one day choose to do so.

Unfortunately, Tezuka's fast paced work was wasted on a night such as this one, where there were few clients to keep him occupied.

"Tezuka darling, get me another glass." said a lazy drawl from Tezuka's left. The navy-haired man was smiling as him, waving his empty glass that had contained brandy just a second ago.

Tezuka sighed. "Sorry Oshitari. Five glasses is the limit I'm allowed to give you." he said. "Boss's orders."

Oshitari rolled his eyes from behind round glasses. "Oh come now, Atobe won't have to know. Last I heard, he was still in France."

"He just came back yesterday. And even if he were half-way around the world, I still wouldn't give you another drink." said Tezuka. He grabbed the nearest cloth and began wiping at the counter. Its surface was empty except for Oshitari's elbows and a glass belonging to a miserable-looking man in a suit and glasses at the other end.

"You are no fun, Tezuka. You are much too serious. Don't you know rules are meant to be broken?" said Oshitari. His voice got lower, deeper than it already was. "Come, I'm sure we can work something out that will… satisfy us both."

Tezuka turned away. If Oshitari thought his flirty voice would work on the stoic bartender, then he still had a long way to go. Really, Oshitari came in here nearly every evening. He should know what Tezuka was like by now. And he should know that no matter how much he begged and pleaded, Tezuka never disobeyed orders and stuck to the limit of five drinks a night.

If he gave Oshitari more drinks, then very very bad things would happen. Tezuka shivered when he remembered what had happened the last time Oshitari had had too much to drink. It was not a pretty sight.

Tezuka didn't have much else to do that evening. He made sure his area was spotless, wiping the counter every few minutes. He washed some glasses, slowly wiping at them and then fixing them neatly on the shelves for a lack of better things to do.

Looking on, Tezuka could see that the dancers were not very enthusiastic at the lack of clients either. Even the music seemed slower than usual. The only one who was laughing and appearing to be in the best of moods was Yukimura, who was dancing with full passion next to a client who had given him a generous tip.

"He looks happier than usual today." noted Oshitari, pointing his empty glass in Yukimura's direction.

"Hn." grunted Tezuka.

"I heard Yukimura had quite the wild escapade yesterday." said Oshitari, smiling. "I heard from Mukahi, who heard from Zaizen, who heard from Shiraishi, who heard from Fuji that Yukimura took someone back to his room last night."

Tezuka said nothing. He didn't like gossip. It was pointless and most often wrong. Although… he had heard the very same rumour just a few hours earlier and couldn't help but wonder if it was true. Yukimura had never taken someone back into the dressing room before. In fact, he was probably among the least likely to do so. But Tezuka couldn't deny that Yukimura had vanished for quite a while last night.

"I wonder who the lucky bastard was." pondered Oshitari. "He must have been quite something to get Yukimura to be this enthusiastic today." He rolled his shoulders back. "It's a pity Valentine's Day can't come around more often. Such great things happen on that day."

Tezuka wanted to ask how a one night stand was considered a "great thing", but he refrained. Tezuka straightened out his clothes, wiping his hands on his apron. He wore a crisp white collared shirt covered by a black vest. His pants were black as well and he had a small apron tied around his waist. The apron's large pocket held the few coins he had made from tips and a corkscrew for opening new bottles. He gazed under the counter, where a novel was barely visible next to the register. Tezuka had began reading the book yesterday and he couldn't wait to continue it. If the night continued to be dead, then Tezuka could allow himself a break to read a few more pages. The thought greatly appealed to him.

Oshitari found him atrociously boring for wasting his break time reading difficult western books when he was in a strip club and could find much more creative ways to have fun… but Tezuka was but a simple man with simple needs.

The miserable-looking man at the end of the counter stood up and left only a few minutes later, leaving Oshitari the only customer around the bar area.

Tezuka had been ready to take out his book when a familiar gentle beat began playing from the stage. The bespectacled man paused, recognizing that music. His head automatically shot up, finding the stage easily and feeling grateful that there were no customers to divert his attention when he saw a much too enticing and lithe figure walking along the stage, preparing for his routine.

Oshitari chuckled. If there was a single person who was able to take Tezuka's full attention away from work, it was Fuji Shuusuke.

And really, it wasn't hard to see why Tezuka thought Fuji was so mesmerizing. Fuji wasn't the head dancer and most requested performer in the club for nothing.

"You should go ask him out." said Oshitari. He got no reply from Tezuka. The brunette was already absorbed in watching the stage as Fuji began one of his most famous routines.

Whether the audience was large or small, Fuji always gave the same amount of effort. Or rather, Fuji would always put on his best show whenever he performed while Tezuka was scheduled. It was something Oshitari had noticed from coming nearly every night.

Fuji's translucent skin shone in the dim lights of the club, his honey-brown hair framing his delicately rounded face and giving him an absolutely stunning appearance. All eyes were on Fuji as he ran a hand down his torso, one that was covered by a loose fishnet shirt and then nothing when he tore it off in one fluid stroke. The pants came off soon after, peeling out the skin-tight material of jeans inch after agonizing inch, kicking them off in the end. His hips swayed, coated in nothing but much too revealing underpants that Tezuka would label as panties.

Fuji added his own personal touch today. The dancer reached down and grabbed something. It was only once Fuji was zipping them up his legs that Tezuka realized they were black leather boots. They even had heels, ones that made Fuji appear much taller… and a hell of a lot sexier too.

Tezuka stopped breathing for a second, drinking in the sight. Boots. And thigh-high ones at that. He abandonned all thoughts of ever looking away at that point.

Oshitari smirked, seeing Tezuka's eyes widen for a second as he took in everything from the pretty face to the revealing lingerie underwear to the gleaming boots. Really, Oshitari didn't understand how it was that Tezuka hadn't fallen into a panting mess at Fuji's feet yet. The bartender truly did have marvellous self-control.

Fuji was quite talented at what he did. The supple dancer not only made the entire act of pole dancing look natural, but he still managed to steal their breath away with such smoldering sensuality even if he was dancing in high-heels.

The song was not the usual fast-paced beat. It was a slower version, giving out a long violin note in which Fuji arched elegantly, leaning over backwards and gliding his hips against the pole as his thighs wrapped around it. He twisted his leg around the metal shaft, twisting gracefully. His hands gripped the rod as he lowered himself to his knees, legs spread provocatively at his audience and igniting some cheers from the few who were in the club.

Tezuka stood there in a daze for the entirety of the song. He wondered what it would be like to have those milky legs wrap around his waist, hips bucking against him and Fuji whispering his name. Tezuka had never even thought of the possibility that he might be attracted to men before he began working here. But having Fuji as a co-worker would definitely be a strain on anyone's sexuality.

The dance ended as it usually did. The beat of the song increasingly became faster and faster, with Fuji twirling in the air at an equally fast pace like a gravity-defying succubus. Then it suddenly ended on a single long note with a lissome, almost statuesque posture from Fuji and a sensation of disappointment from Tezuka. It was over already. He wished it would go on longer.

Tezuka knew what would happen now. It was like his own routine. Tezuka would proceed to have the memory of Fuji's erotic dance fresh in his head for the rest of his shift. It would then linger in his mind until he got home and did something about his growing need, muffling his noises by pressing his mouth against a pillow and hoping his roommate wouldn't wake up and catch him with his hands down his pyjama pants.

Tezuka was snapped back to reality when he saw that Fuji was not walking backstage as he usually did after a routine. Rather... Fuji was strutting down the stage in the direction of the bar, hips swaying side to side in a hypnotizing manner and a closed eye smirk on his face.

The bartender grabbed the nearest clean glass and began wiping it with a dry dishtowel, appearing busy.

The sound of a stool scrapping against the floor could be heard as Fuji sat down.

"Good evening, Tezuka." said Fuji pleasantly.

"Good evening." replied Tezuka. His eyes were very focused on the already clean glass in his hand. He kept wiping it.

"I was dancing and noticed you were still working." said Fuji. He was always the one to start a conversation. Tezuka was not very social and would have spent his days gazing at Fuji from a distance otherwise. "Don't you normally take your break around this time?"

Tezuka frowned at the glass in his hand. "There were… delays." he said.

"Oh? What kind of delays?" asked Fuji, his voice coated in sugar sweetness. Tezuka looked at Fuji's eyelids for a second, willing himself not to look down at the bare skin of the dancer's chest.

"I was cleaning up." said Tezuka.

"He was staring at your ass while you danced." clarified Oshitari from his corner. Tezuka shot Oshitari a dirty glare, making himself a silent promise to lower Oshitari's drink limit to three glasses from now on. Oshitari merely winked back at him.

It was just such a pity to see Fuji flirting with Tezuka every other day only to have the idiotic bartender ruin it by his reluctance to flirt back, thought Oshitari. The navy-haired man was a romantist at heart. That was why Fuji and Tezuka desperately needed to get it on. Right now. Against the bar counter. With Fuji's leather boots hanging off the edge as Tezuka thrust into the supple stripper over and over and both of them would be gasping, crying out for more and-

Oshitari smirked to himself. He should write an erotic novel one of these days.

"Ah, I'm glad you enjoyed my routine, Tezuka." said Fuji. "I wanted to spice it up a little so I borrowed my sister's boots."

Tezuka nodded. Oshitari wanted to kick the bartender for remaining silent.

"I thought the boots were a marvellous touch, Fuji." said Oshitari. Gosh, Tezuka was supposed to be saying these compliments. With the way the bespectacled man stared, it was not a mystery that he was attracted to Fuji.

"Thank you Oshitari-kun." said the stripper. Fuji did not even spare a glance in Oshitari's direction, his eyes fixed solely on Tezuka as if trying to assess the brunette's every movement and every slight change in facial expression.

"Well since I just finished my dance number, I get a break too." said Fuji. He leaned on the counter smiling through half-lidded eyes. "How about we take our break together, Tezuka?"

Tezuka swallowed thickly. His eyes darted down to his book under the counter and then back up to where Fuji was tilted towards him, mouth curved upward almost suggestively.

Well-plotted novel… or sexy leather boots-clad Fuji? Tezuka had never spent time alone with dancer outside of the bar counter's boundaries, but even so, his choice was quite obvious.

"All right…" said Tezuka. He finally put the clean glass and dishtowel to the side as he tried to ignore the rapid thumping of his heart. He made sure to lock the cash register and put up the 'Be back in 15 minutes' sign. Fuji moved off his stool and Tezuka took the opportunity to straighten out his clothes and try to get his unruly brown hair to stop sticking out. Tezuka looked at his reflection with the help of the cabinet of glasses. Oshitari laughed loudly.

"Come on, be a big boy. You look fine." said Oshitari. Tezuka shot him another glare when he stepped away from the counter to go join Fuji.

Fuji was waiting for him against the far wall, inconspicuous in the dark corner, probably to avoid customers while he took his break. As Tezuka approached, he noticed Fuji was sweating quite a bit. Looks like the dance routine had been more straining than usual with the addition of high-heeled boots.

Tezuka nearly told Fuji not to push himself so much. It was just a strip dance. He didn't need to put so much effort into keeping it fresh, especially when there were so little clients around. The regular choreography was fine as it is, with or without boots… even if the boots were sexy. But then Tezuka's eyes found the small patches of skin along Fuji's thighs, between the panties and the high boots, and Tezuka had no higher brain functions left.

The bartender settled close to Fuji, appearing nonchalant. He leaned back against the wall while keeping a good distance of personal space between them. There was a silence between them. Tezuka had no idea what he was supposed to talk about so he hoped Fuji would start.

And to his relief, Fuji did speak.

"You've been putting in much more hours lately." said Fuji.

Tezuka paused, not even questionning how Fuji always managed to notice the simplest things about him, like that time he got a hair trim or new shoes. Fuji just noticed everything.

"Hn. I asked for it." Tezuka replied.

"School?" Fuji guessed. Tezuka nodded. Yes, it was always about school. University wasn't cheap. Tuition cost a fortune and so did school books. Whoever made such outrageous prices must be laughing all the way to the bank by now.

"Ah, I don't miss school very much. Makes me glad I'm no longer a student." said Fuji. "But besides that, don't overwork yourself, Tezuka. Your schoolwork will only suffer if you become exhausted."

"I know my limits." Tezuka said it and immediately broke out into a long yawn. He flushed in embarrassment.

Fuji's smile widened. "Ah, see, you are tired."

"I am not."

"So you are simply bored of talking to me then?" asked Fuji.

"That's not it." Tezuka replied quickly. He sighed, seeing that grin still plastered on Fuji's face. He was being teased; that much was obvious. And with Fuji, he never seemed to win no matter what he said.

Fuji chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, Tezuka." he said. "You are so quiet all the time so it makes me want to see how you'll react to different things. Actually, I think I have yet to hear you say more than five words at a time to me." Fuji approached him, his hand sliding up to touch Tezuka's arm. "Yet you talk to Oshitari."

"Oshitari's a customer." said Tezuka, trying to pay minimal attention to how close they were together and how Fuji's hand was on his arm.

"Even so… you seem a lot more comfortable talking to him." continued Fuji. "Do you find it easier to talk to clients than to me?"

Yes, thought the bartender. That was because Oshitari was not the most gorgeous stripper in the whole club and didn't prance around practically naked with thigh-high boots that made Tezuka question his sexuality. But besides that… was it just Tezuka's imagination or did Fuji sound somewhat envious?

"I don't mind… talking to you." said Tezuka. He paused. "That was six words." he added.

Fuji threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, six whole words in a row." he said. "My, we are doing marvellous progress today. Shall we go for seven?"

Tezuka said nothing. It was hard not to feel like Fuji was treating him like a child, trying to get him to talk.

"Or rather…" said Fuji. "Instead of talking, there is something else I had been hoping to see from you."

"What?"

"A smile." answered Fuji.

Tezuka merely frowned, shaking his head. He never liked being forced to smile. It only resulted in making him look stiff with an ugly forced smile. Plus others would immediately laugh, saying that his face was hilarious.

Fuji gave him a cross expression, folding his arms over his chest, thoughtful. "So smiles are still off the charts for me?"

"Smiles are off the charts for anyone." said Tezuka. He wouldn't willingly smile for anyone right now. "Seven words."

"Hm… so you won't smile either..." said Fuji, pouting. "Do you not like me, Tezuka?"

"I do… like you." said Tezuka, hesitantly and wondering if this could be considered a love confession or not. He felt his cheeks burning, hoping Fuji didn't dwell on what he said too much.

"Really? Then I think you should do something to show me that." said Fuji, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "How about a dance?"

Tezuka swallowed thickly. "I can't dance." he said quickly. It was true, but also he was making up excuses to hide the fact that he was out of his comfort zone. Unfortunately, Tezuka felt like he was sounding completely stingy by saying no.

Fuji's eyes opened, showing a piercing deep blue. "Ah, but that doesn't matter. Anyone can sway their hips, Tezuka." he said, leaning in close and whispering in the taller man's ear. "I'm not taking no for an answer this time."

Tezuka shivered at the tone and the dancer smiled wickedly in return. Before Tezuka could rearrange his thoughts, Fuji's fingers were snagged around his belt loops, pulling him away from the wall so that they were still hidden in the corner but had enough room to actually dance.

Tezuka's mind went blank when Fuji settled into the music's rhythm, shaking his waist lightly and then pressing forward, against Tezuka's thighs.

Tezuka flushed. Everyday he saw these types of dances from clients but… he wouldn't go as far as to call them dances. It was more like swaying their hips and bashing them into other people's private regions. Tezuka never thought he'd see the day where he'd be grinding with Fuji.

Fuji's hand went behind Tezuka, pressing him forward. The hand lowered, smoothly touching the curve of his ass, covered in dressy black pants. Tezuka jolted, feeling Fuji give him a firm squeeze.

"F-Fuji-"

"Ah, this is more like it." said Fuji. "Just move a bit."

Tezuka was glad for the dim lighting because his flush could be hidden. He swallowed his reluctance and obeyed, stirring his hips from side to side, grazing against Fuji and hoping he didn't look utterly ridiculous doing so.

Fuji's chuckled. "See, it's not too hard."

No, but something was definitely getting hard, thought Tezuka with sudden panic. Fuji's hold was relentless, hands trapping Tezuka as he increasing the pace. While Tezuka was swaying side to side almost awkwardly, Fuji grinded with a definite purpose, pressing against Tezuka's groin and creating delicious friction between them.

Tezuka could feel Fuji's hot breath against his neck. Fuji squeezed his fingers on Tezuka's ass again, causing the bartender to jerk forward and then gasp when the movement shot a flare of arousal through him.

It was too much. Tezuka couldn't take it. His movements slowed and he tried walking backwards, away from the source of the unbearable chafing.

It didn't work. Fuji only followed him, grating the fabric of Tezuka pants against his heating member. Tezuka's back met the wall. Fuji didn't stop, one of his knees came up, spreading Tezuka's thighs and rubbing what was between them. His arms went around the bartender's neck.

Tezuka gasped, the heavy rasping stimulating him over and over. Ah… so this was why people danced this way, thought Tezuka as he stifled a long moan that had been threatening to pour from his lips. His mouth was open, breathing harshly. Fuji thrust up, hard, and Tezuka's head shot back, eyes closed as his head hit the wall painfully. He could feel the entire line of Fuji's body, the shapely legs wrapped around his own, those mesmerizing hips pressing back and those devious lips, smiling before sinking in and planting a small sucking kiss along Tezuka's neck.

Tezuka couldn't hear the music. The only sound he was aware of was his heart's heavy pounding and his panting, almost wanton, breaths. All he thought about was Fuji's small waist, constantly scrapping against his crotch and a knee that was lightly rubbing against the material of his pants, right where his balls were. Fuji's hand ran up, feeling silky brown strands slipping through his fingers. The hand tightened in his hair, pushing Tezuka's head down. Tezuka blindly obliged and was rewarded with Fuji's mouth pressing against his in a long, drawn-out kiss.

The sweet taste assaulted Tezuka's tongue. He felt Fuji pressing in, forcing his own pink muscle through Tezuka's parted lips. The bespectacled man was no kissing expert and went with his instinct, finding Fuji's tongue and sucking on it. The action earned him a throaty moan from Fuji, one that he greedily swallowed.

"Mm…" breathed Fuji. Their thighs rocked together, back and forth, with no attempt at even masking it as dancing. They no longer held a rhythm as the pleasure drew them out. Tezuka finally curled his own hands around Fuji, tracing the dancer's spine, feeling the jutted hipbone and lower still to touch the creamy skin of Fuji's thighs. It was what he had been wanting to do for the longest time. He could feel that the skin was smooth and every bit as soft as Tezuka had imagined.

Their kisses turned sloppy and desperate. Fuji's cheeks were glowing pink, his eyes a cloudy blue. Right as Tezuka felt his muscles stringing tight and his thrusting turning desperate, Fuji stopped, pushing his hips back so that they were no longer in direct contact with Tezuka's.

Tezuka felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck, one that Fuji caught with his lips, biting and sucking on that supple flesh. Fuji's hips didn't resume their movements, keeping still a fair distance away. Tezuka could feel his building tension residing from its peak.

"Fuji… why did you…?" said Tezuka, gasping for air.

Fuji pulled back completely, smiling beatifically. "Your break is over." he answered.

Tezuka blinked through the haze, coming out of his trance and feeling that his hair and clothes were much messier than before... not to mention he had quite the strain in his pants. A quick look at the clock above the bar was enough to say that his break really was over. And worse, the last customers of the night were sitting at stools along the bar, waiting for him to come back and serve them before they left.

Tezuka swallowed thickly. "Ah…"

Fuji giggled, pressed a soft kiss to Tezuka's cheek. "That was fun. We should do it again sometimes." said the dancer. "Bye."

And then Fuji left, flaunting back to the dance floor while looking extremely pleased with himself. Tezuka watched, speechless, as Fuji walked in the direction of a smirking Yukimura. The bluenette gave Fuji the thumbs up and then looked back at Tezuka only to wave at him.

And so Tezuka was left to walk back behind the bar's counter and dearly hope that the lump in his pants was not noticeable through his apron. He tried to straighten his clothes as much as possible and fixed his crooked glasses before asking a customer for her order.

Tezuka went back to work making a cocktail and preparing a few limes with tequila shots. He could feel the definite looming of Oshitari's stares on him as he worked. Of course the dark-blue haired man had not left. Oshitari had probably watched his whole affair with Fuji from that seat. The thought made a light blush find its way back to Tezuka's cheeks and he found it increasingly hard to focus. It was already difficult to work with legs that felt like jelly and a persistent arousal in his pants. Not to mention his head was full of thoughts of the heated kisses he had shared with Fuji. Tezuka was still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He had somehow danced and made-out with the person who had been haunting his fantasies for the last few months. It was unreal.

Once the drinks were served, Tezuka took a deep breath, leaning back against the counter and feeling tired. Unfortunately, he couldn't relax. Not with Oshitari staring constantly at him like that.

"What?" said Tezuka.

Oshitari smirked in a way that immediately showed that yes, he had been watching everything.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom to take care of that?" asked Oshitari, pointing one finger at Tezuka's nether regions.

Tezuka willed himself not to be embarrassed. He loosened his apron, hoping it would do a better job of covering up his raging hard-on. "I'm fine." he snapped. He had a job to do and had no time to be distracted. It was almost closing time too, according to the clock that read 2:25am. Right as he thought about willing his erection away, his eyes found Fuji's from across the club. The dancer was sitting close to the stage and whispering to Yukimura. Both were looking his way and smiling. Tezuka groaned. There was no way it would go away easily when Fuji was in the room to remind him of it.

"Well, I think we all learned a valuable lesson today." said Oshitari gloatingly.

"What?" said Tezuka.

"That Fuji is a damn good tease."

Tezuka took a deep breath, thoughtful about it for a second. Yes, Fuji could have easily finished it without leaving him alone to serve clients with a tent his pants. "Ah…" he agreed.

Oshitari chuckled at Tezuka's dejected expression. It was rare for Tezuka to show so much emotion in one night. Fuji had made excellent advancements. Not only had Fuji managed to get a whole seven words in a row from Tezuka, but he had also managed to kiss that mouth and nearly make Tezuka orgasm. That alone was the pure definition of progress.

"If you want to jerk off under your apron, I'll be glad to pretend not to see it." said Oshitari.

"Shut up Oshitari." said Tezuka, going back to cleaning the counter and devoting himself to avoiding Fuji and Yukimura's looks until closing time.

~o~o~o~