GOD AT UNGODLY
This was still my first day on the job, and I was still working. Apparently, that mafia boss really was true to his word. He planned to use me to the bones. Straight from collecting money, I was immediately ordered to cook them dinner. I couldn't even get a glass of water to quench my parched throat. I was tossed into the kitchen and expected to cook a five-course meal fit for the king of the mafia.
He thinks I can't live up to his expectations. Well, he's wrong. I was the master chef in our household. Forcing me to cook something like a roast, that was my specialty.
At exactly 6.00 p.m. sharp, as promised, I served them dinner. Roast chicken with crackling that could break your teeth and an abundance of roasted vegetables. The smell of my food was so succulent even I was salivating.
One thing I found out while working here, even though it had only been one day, was this clan, boss and underlings, ate together like a family, which I thought was a bit strange. Where's Kaede family? Is he an only child?
What the heck? This issue didn't concern me one bit. I was all too eager to launch forward with my fork and fill my belly with delicious food.
We were all dishing up my succulent homemade meal when I looked up at the boss and muttered, "Kaede, could you pass me the bowl of peas?"
Everyone at the dining table dropped their cutlery. Kaede glared at me in a cutthroat manner.
Did I say something wrong? Am I not supposed to ask him? But the bowl of peas is right in front of him.
"You're my servant, Aki. Never ever use my name," Kaede said coldly, his tone giving off another layer of ice.
"Okay," I answered, nodding, not really taking the whole ice glare seriously. "But what happens on the off chance I forgot?"
"Then it's simple." He laid his knife and fork on the table and looked directly at me, his hot lips in a thin, straight line. "I'll just cut out your tongue."
I gaped and stuttered, "But...but..if you cut out my tongue, how do we communicate? What happens if you want a flat white and I make you a short black instead?"
Kaede clenched his jaws and his eye ticked, which meant he was pissed off. I smirked. I loved riling him up. Especially with what happened in the bathroom before. This could be my form of revenge on him. Hee-hee.
"Sorry, boss, you can go back to eating your dinner." I dismissed him. I was about to dish up my second course since the first one didn't do an ounce to fill my ravenous belly, when I was yanked out of my chair and somehow found...
Oh no, what's he doing? And then...
Whack!
There was a collective gasp from everyone.
Kaede smacked my face. This mafia boss smacked my face. So, he didn't lie after all. He was capable of smacking me.
I glared at him.
"Never, ever talk back to me, Aki. You have no right to use my name. I'm your master and you're my servant. Remember, you're a coffee machine."
"But you call me Aki." I got up and yelled at him. Oh my, was I angry. Like really mad. I gave him my own interpretation of his stupid notion. "My name is Akira, not Aki. So, shouldn't I have the right to call you Kaede instead of boss all the time?"
Kaede stood to his full height, dwarfing me. He started poking his finger on my forehead as he made declaration. "I'm your owner, Aki." (poke). "I can call you whatever I like." (poke). "You, on the other hand, must call me boss at all times."
"Agh," I squeled, slapping his finger off my forehead. I stood up higher, and squared my shoulders, determined to give him my own version of the death glare, except it didn't do me an ounce of good. Kaede wasn't even intimidated. Even though I'm taller than him.
"That's right, boss." I emphasized the word boss just to let him know I was pissed with him. "I'm a coffee machine. And you know what? You're not getting any coffee tonight until you apologize, and that's the end of our conversation. If you feel the need to apologize, I'll be in my closet." I then stormed to my assigned room.
"I think you made the coffee machine angry," I heard Sakuragi say just before I got out of earshot.
Once I got to my room, I yelled a thousand curses at him, enough to sting his dead ancestors ears.
I couldn't believe this. Getting spanked for calling him by his name? What's so special about the name Kaede anyway? Did he have a lover gay who called him by that name and now he was gone, so Kitsune was wounded?
Agh. Stupid idiot. You mafia gay.
I rubbed my nose. It was bleeding. My poor nose. I'll have to sleep my stomach.
I slumped on my cot and thought about my dire situation. When would I even get out of this hellhole? And how would I survive if he kept using me like this? I had college to attend, plus midterm exams coming up. I needed to study. If I worked twenty-four hours, around the clock like this, would I pass?
The thought really depressed me. I wished Dad would have thought about me for a bit before he took off like a thief and left me behind.
But then again, I actually had a roof over my head. I tried to smile and look on the bright side. At least I wouldn't have to go homeless. Maybe Dad and Ayumi were lying in the gutter somewhere right now. This thought didn't sit well with me either.
A good two hours had passed. It was well past midnight. My eyes started drooping. Guess there wouldn't be any apology coming from that mafia boss tonight. Then again, I was his servant. He did a point. And at least he was kind enough not to kill me. I had a full day of classes planned tomorrow. I knew I'd better get some sleep. Wouldn't want to appear in class with panda eyes.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep. Only for a second, though, before a disturbing knock jolted me awake. I jerked my eyes open, in turn flipping on my cellphone to check the time. 3.00 a.m. Who on earth is waking me at three in the morning? And didn't I just fall asleep, like a second ago?
I pressed the pillows to my ears, trying hard to ignore that insistent knocking. Only for a good second. Suddenly, the door to my closet room burst open, revealing the silhouette of that Adonis in his human form.
"What do you want?" I burrowed my head into the pillow farther, knowing immediately it was the Kitsune out to disturb my peaceful sleep.
It was only two small words from him, but I knew by morning, I'd have panda eyes for sure.
"My coffee."
"I'll make it in three hours. Go back to sleep." I waved him off.
"Make my coffee. Now!" he growled, threw a pillow, which landed nicely and correctly on my forehead, and then slammed the door to my room, so hard even my soul was now shaking.
"Ugh," I moaned, and drummed my head against the pillow three times. "I'll poison you, Kitsune. I'll definitely poison you with my coffee so you can't think of anyone but me. Then you'll give me some sleep."
I whimpered as I padded out of my bed, half yawning, and made my way to the kitchen, prepping the machine and making Kitsune his ultimate flat white. Once done, I staggered in zigzag to his office, once again half-yawning and talking to myself just to keep from dropping off.
"Morning, boss. You're an early riser," I commented, walking into his office and delivering his coffee to his desk.
I couldn't help admiring Kaede appearance at this time of night, or should I say morning? He looked so fresh, with his raven-haired black and suit and tie, sitting there behind his desk, conquering the world; compared to me, who was like a dead fish, gasping with no oxygen, what with my persistent yawning.
"I haven't been to sleep yet," he answered, making my head swing in his direction so fast I almost strained a neck muscle.
"What? Really, but it's three in the morning. Aren't you tired? I'm so tired right now."
"And you're yapping nonstop." He glared at me from under his long lashes, probably annoyed at my talkative behavior again.
"That's me sleep talking," I explained cheerfully, finding myself somewhere comfortable to sit. When I found the only available chair was the one positioned in front of his desk, I sat there and watched as he took a sip of his coffee.
I couldn't divert my eyes from his lips. I wonder what they taste like. Not knowing what I was doing and through some unexplained phenomenal force, my face inched forward until I was literally staring at him right in front of his face.
"Your eyes is cerulean blue. I've never seen cerulean eyes in Japan before," I commented, gazing at his cerulean-blue pupils, somehow feeling a familiar ache in my heart.
Kaede froze. He flicked his eyes to me and brought his face even closer to mine. From this distance, I had a clear view of his irises. I swallowed, struck by something odd and feeling somewhat hazy. Then he did something really peculiar. He grabbed my chin and titled it from left to right, as if assessing my face for something. I blinked, cutting off the tense atmosphere.
Did I drool in my sleep? That's awful.
I wiped at my mouth, dislodging his fingers from my chin. I checked for any signs of wetness, but there were none. I heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God I didn't drool.
Kaede shook his head in confusion, the once intense raven irises now clear once more. "Did you think you drooled?" he had to ask, embarrassing me even further.
"What? Of course not." Two peachy blossoms were already branded on my cheeks. "I just don't like anyone touching my chin. That's all. A handsome guy like me doesn't drool when he sleeps."
"I thought people who sleep talk have their eyes closed. Your eyes are open." He dismissed me and took another sip of his flat white.
The atmosphere was once again lightened. When I saw him sipping the coffee like he had all the time in the world, I ended up making a small talk.
"So, are you going to stay up all night and write threatening letters to people who don't pay you...like that vegan man? I tell you. He has tons of cash stashed under his mattress. Good thing Sakuragi threatened to make him into breakfast. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten your money at all. So, is this what mafias do? You go and collect money from people. So, you're like some sort of money lending company, except with higher interest rates, right? Right?"
Kaede glowered at me, shutting my nonsense right up. "Who gave you permission to talk? Your job is done. Go back to sleep."
What? How could he wake me up in the middle of the night for a cup of coffee and demand I go back to sleep when I was fully awake. My eyes were large as cans of sauce already.
"Fine. I'll go," I said, grumpily standing up.
"Aki, wait." He caught my wrist, stopping me. A slight zap shot up my arm at his touch.
I looked at him. His eyes locked with mine. Something like an electric current passed between us again.
"What is it, boss?" I asking, suddenly becoming aware of his body too close to mine. We were literally breathing the same air, his body wedged against mine.
Kaede didn't look at me. He just said the following, with his eyes fixed intently on my face. "Stay. Keep me company. Until I finish my coffee."
I buckled back on the seat; my legs could no longer hold my weight. This time I didn't talk. My heart was already doing all the talking, thumping like crazy in my chest. We just sat together in silence. I sat watching him sipping that steaming cup of flat white. After a while, my heart calmed and I couldn't suppress the yawn from escaping my lips.
Kaede quietly looked up at me and announced, "Go to sleep, Aki. You're making my office unattractive."
I stood from my spot, sending him a scolding look.
Seriously, this mafia gay boss. He has pissed me right off. First he wants me to stay. Now he wants me to go. I just want to... I want to...
Kaede caught Akira in time before he toppled over backwards in his sleep.
Am I demanding too much from him on his first day of work? He questioned himself.
Damn. He is so heavy. I wouldn't carried him to his bedroom. He called his underlings to carried Akira to his bedroom.
Two big men's appear at his office. "Yes, boss. What can we do for you?" One of big men spoke. "Akagi, Uozumi, take this guy. Carried him to his bedroom." He gives an order to his underlings.
He pushed the door walked slowly to the little cot on the far side of the small room. Akira already laid. He folding the blankets back to cover his up. Then he straightened himself and asked what the fuck he'd just done.
Kaede took a deep breath and let out of sigh. He couldn't help but move his face closer, examining his features, like he had moments before, touching his chin. He definitely looked like someone he knew, this distant memory of his, which had been compartmentalized at the back of his skull somewhere.
Kaede growled at himself and ran his fingers through his hair, a habit that tended to show up when he was frustrated with himself. He admitted Akira was charming in a way he couldn't explain. It was like his beauty was too natural, yet, like a plant that continued to grow.
He hates women. He didn't like it. He never have feelings for women. But he didn't like men too. He just confused person about his feelings. He never fallen for someone. Girls or boys, both. But this guy, he's different. There's something special about him.
He admitted he had a hard-on right in that instant, a fact he tried so hard to conceal and tone down with a long, cold shower. He was even denying that feeling right now, as he stared at that skinny boy lying in bed like a half-dead goldfish.
Kaede jerked his hand back and cursed himself again. Have I gone out of my fucking mind?
But there was no denying that something inside him moved when he touched him. He wasn't sure what. And he wasn't looking forward to finding it out either. But he knew he'd have to, and soon, too, since he'd be stuck living with this particular maid of his for a long, long time.