*Thanks Lizzy0308, for pointing out the mistakes! I have edited the chapter and I apologize for the confusion!
I'm really sorry for the late update. With so much happening in real life, I couldn't even find time to write!
This chapter is for Ororo Girl, who wanted a chapter dedicated to the four guards. Thank you to psyNEKOpath, RIngo-pop and yui eiri for reminding me about the chocolates!
Beta-ed by the wonderful RiveReinStyx. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Viewfinder and its notable characters belong to Yamane Ayano sensei. I own nothing but Toru, Ando and the baddies in the fiction.
A man in business suit entered the Nishi Azabu bar, the soft lighting revealed tables with plush cushions. At the bar counter, a man and a woman whispered softly before they broke into laughter, almost downing the soft music that was being played on the expensive speaker.
Toru was in his usual bodyguard uniform; black dress pants paired with a white shirt and a coat, saved for the black tie.
There were a few people in the bar, mostly women, and they whispered amongst themselves as the handsome guard walked past them. A few attractive women sauntered past him on purpose, batting their eyelashes but Toru was too preoccupied to observe such trivial matters.
The bar was nicknamed the Sky Bar. Located at the sixty-eighth floor in a building, the bar provided a clear, stunning view of the Tokyo Tower. Patrons who frequented the bar often marvel at the night view of the majestic tower as they sipped their martinis with their partners.
But that wasn't why Toru came to the bar. He scanned around and finally found his drinking companions seated on an oversize, semi-circle couch with their backs facing him. Two other single sofas surrounded the couch on each side, all facing the wide panel glass that showcased the Tower.
He quickened his pace towards the three men and out of habit, bowed slightly when he arrived.
"Good evening, Kirishima san, Suoh san, Ando. I apologize for being late." Toru sat on the empty seat between Ando and Suoh.
"What happened? Did Asami sama ask you to guard the young boss?" Suoh asked, his fingers tracing the rim of the whisky glass.
"No, I was rescheduling Takaba sama's work appointments." Toru signaled the pretty waitress for a glass of imported beer.
Ando cradled his glass in his hands. "It's rare isn't it, for the four of us to sit here?"
"Yes, usually Suoh and I have different days off since one of us will need to be with Asami sama." Kirishima smiled, pushing his spectacles up.
Suoh downed the amber liquid in his glass before signaling the waiter to pour him another. "Speaking of the boss, why were we given the same day off?" he asked, directing the question at the secretary.
His long-time friend looked puzzled. "I am not clear with the details. Asami sama merely said that he will be working from home."
Suoh immediately looked serious. "Any pending tasks? I thought after the discussion with Fei Long, everything should be smooth."
As if it was the most natural thing to say, Toru interrupted, "Asami sama is currently busy with Takaba sama. He has been for the past 24 hours."
Ando choked on his beer. "Toru san, only you can say that in that face!" he said, color flooded his cheeks.
Kirishima nodded, smiling. "Your straight as an arrow personality is what makes Asami sama trusts you."
Toru actually felt slightly embarrassed by the praise. Unsure of how he should reply, the guard took a gulp of his beer, choked on it a little, earning a loud laugh and a smack on the back by Suoh.
"Don't be so tense, Toru," Suoh chuckled.
"Don't tease him further Suoh," Kirishima smiled before turning to Ando, "How are you finding the job?"
It was Ando's turn to gulp down his own beer. "It's – it's all right, I supposed."
Suoh leaned forward. "What's bothering you?"
Ando looked at his glass, gripping it tighter. "There's nothing wrong with the job –" Ando began nervously. "It's just that it's not easy being Takaba sama's guard. I can't shake the feeling that I'm doing the wrong thing every time I'm with him. If Takaba sama reports my incompetence to Asami sama, I'll –"
"Takaba sama is not the type of person who complains just because he's unhappy with someone," Toru cut in.
Ando looked up at his senior. "But Toru san, look what Asami sama did to the people who went against the young boss? The lesser ones were removed from their jobs, the others were – ," he halted and shuddered when he remembered what happened to Ishida and Hayashi a few weeks ago.
Ando couldn't forget Ishida's fear stricken face when Asami sama ordered him to slice off Ishida's forefingers. The pain must be excruciating, considering how the former photographer had screamed when his fingers were hacked off with the hunting knife.
"Kid, that's not the worst punishment you've ever seen," Suoh said, patting Ando's knee.
Ando's jaw dropped from the statement. "It's – it's not? Then, what is the worst, Suoh san?"
"Suoh, that's enough. You're scaring him," Kirishima chided.
A small smile graced the bulky guard's lips. "My bad, Ando. Look, as long as you do your job, you'll be fine. Learn from Toru, he's doing fine."
"That doesn't make me feel better," Ando said miserably, looking down at his glass again. "Toru san is so good; one of the best I've seen and yet he was presented a gun at The Fixer just because Takaba sama pleaded for his leniency," he added, referring to the incident at Akihito's club where the photographer got hurt due to a scuffle with Inoue Daichi, the son of the minister of transport.
Kirishima raised his empty glass in the air, signaling the waiter for another before turning to Ando. "Don't belittle yourself. Toru recommended you, Suoh spoke highly of you and Asami sama gave his approval. My advice? As long as you don't harbor any interests towards Takaba sama, you're safe."
Appalled, the young guard nearly dropped his glass. "Definitely not! Although I've just gotten a divorce –"
"You're divorced?" Suoh interrupted, glancing at the remaining two men around the table. Kirishima and Toru looked equally shocked.
Ando scratched the back of his head. "Well – I haven't been spending time with her lately so she got a little lonely and –" he almost choked on his words.
The waitress arrived with Kirishima's whisky and the secretary knocked his glass lightly on Ando's beer mug. No further words were necessary as the other two guards did the same, offering their sympathies and understanding. They downed their drinks and refilled their glasses again.
"Toru, how are Takaba sama's injuries?" Kirishima asked, shifting his attention at the lanky guard.
"Kanzaki sensei said his ribs have healed but advised to exercise caution with them. Asami sama asked me to block his work schedule for another week." Toru replied.
"Is he aware about it?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Toru replied, "He suspected Asami sama had interfered with his work schedule and was finding ways to contact other sources for odd jobs. Of course, Asami sama found out about it and told him to stay in the penthouse for another week."
Suoh took a sip of his whisky. "I doubt he'll listen, he has the thickest skull I've seen. I swear he's the only one who dares to defy the boss."
Kirishima curved a thin smile. "He was certainly handful when Asami sama met him for the first time."
"What happened between them?" Ando asked, sorrow forgotten.
"It's a long and complicated story. Asami sama and Takaba sama didn't start off well –" Kirishima paused, wondering if he should be gossiping about his boss's private life with Ando and Toru.
"Did he take photos of Asami sama?"
Suoh chuckled. "Toru, you sure are sharp. If only you weren't hired to be Takaba sama's guard, I would have gotten you to be my assistant."
Toru bowed as a gesture of respect.
"So, Takaba sama took some photographs of Asami sama and he wasn't punished?" Ando asked, disbelief clearly written on his face.
Again, Kirishima curved a smile. "Let's just say, Takaba sama received his fair share of punishment in the early stages of their relationship."
The blonde guard next to the secretary smirked. "He was quite difficult back then," Suoh agreed, sipping his whisky. "Toru, what about you? Is he difficult to manage?"
"No, Suoh san. Takaba sama is actually very considerate." Toru was a little embarrassed when he finished the sentence.
Suoh eyed Toru worriedly. "Toru, you're not –"
Realizing where Suoh was heading to, Toru quickly explained, "No, it's not like that! I don't see Takaba sama that way; he's more like a brother to me."
All three guards leaned back, relieved. If Toru showed signs he was interested in Akihito, it would be the end of his career or worse, his life.
Finally, after a long pause, Suoh spoke, "Drill that thought in your brain, Toru. I don't want to be the one who have to beat the crap out of you on Asami sama's orders."
Kirishima nodded in agreement. "Suoh's right. Asami sama is highly protective of Takaba sama; it wouldn't be a simple beating if he finds out you have ulterior motives towards him."
"I understand, Kirishima san. Rest assured, I meant what I said in The Fixer. My relationship with Takaba sama is purely professional." Toru replied calmly.
Studying Kirishima's and Suoh's concerned looks, Ando braved himself to ask, "Kirishima san, what is it like to work with Asami sama?"
Not surprised with the question, the secretary answered, "He's a very capable man. Highly intelligent and has the sharpest mind I know."
Ando gripped his mug tighter. "Many people admire him from afar but for those who work closely with the boss, he's actually rather terrifying."
"I won't argue with you on that." Kirishima pushed his spectacles up out of habit.
Suoh toasted Kirishima's glass. "What are you talking about? You are equally scary yourself. Only you can make Asami sama stay in the office and sign all those documents for you."
Ando's jaw dropped as he stared at Kirishima; even Toru seemed genuinely shocked with Suoh's statement. Obviously, Kirishima Kei was not someone ordinary.
"Suoh, I told you not to pollute their minds with unnecessary information," Kirishima scolded lightly.
His long-time friend drained his glass before placing the glass on the table. "It's the truth," he stated.
Ando sat up, looking at the bespectacled man. "Don't you feel pressured to be with Asami sama, Kirishima san? I don't think I can even breathe in his presence. The knots in my stomach are so twisted that I think I might develop ulcers," he said, sliding a protective hand over his stomach.
Without answering Ando, Kirishima swirled his whisky before taking a sip. "Ando, why don't you ask Toru since he sees Asami sama frequently too?" Kirishima rested his gaze on Toru, smiling.
Akihito's personal guard remained impassive. "Asami sama is –" Toru stopped for the moment, trying to find a suitable adjective to describe the crime lord. " – intimidating," he decided finally.
"You forgot egoistic, pain in the ass and a total bastard, Toru."
All four guards turned their heads at the all too familiar voice and saw Akihito standing behind the couch, grinning widely. Ando choked on his beer while Toru stood up immediately.
"Takaba sama, why are you here?" Toru asked, scanning the room for Asami. The yakuza stood next to the manager near the bar, in deep discussion with the manager.
Relieved, he focused his attention to his master. He bowed, in attempts to hide his embarrassment that Akihito had overheard his out-of-spur comment about Asami.
"Ta – Taka – Takaba sama," Ando stuttered. He stood up immediately and bowed. "Ple—please don't tell Asami sama about our conversation."
The photographer smiled almost evilly. "Oh, I won't but you owe me, all four of you."
Kirshima smiled. "Asami sama knew exactly what I think about him. Suoh and I are vocal about it."
The evil smile disappeared. Lips pursed, Akihito crossed his arms. "Damn, I should have known that it's more difficult to blackmail you two."
"Why are you here with Asami sama? Which guard is on duty today?" Suoh stood up, scanning for his subordinates.
Akihito looked away, obviously hiding something. "No – no one came with us. Asami drove here."
"Asami sama came here without a guard?" Kirishima pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have known. Asami sama isn't the type who likes going out with an entourage."
"And he shoved two guards at me, that hypocrite," Akihito grumbled.
"Behave yourself, Akihito," Asami spoke from behind.
Immediately all four guards stood up, bowing. "Asami sama," they greeted simultaneously and parted for the yakuza and Akihito to take the center seats. Suoh and Ando automatically moved to the back of the couch to be on guard. With their legs stood slightly apart, both guards had their hands clasped neatly behind their backs.
"Suoh, there's no need to stand."
"Asami sama, it is very dangerous to have all our backs facing the door," the guard argued.
The yakuza smirked. Suoh's loyalty is unquestionable and it was a good foresight to hire the guard.
"Pardon me for asking, Asami sama. Why are you here?" the secretary asked.
"Why don't you ask Akihito?"
The boy's cheeks went red. "You pervert, you're enjoying this!"
"Takaba sama –"Toru questioned but was cut short by the waiter who came forward with a bottle of wine and a single wine glass.
"Only one glass?" Akihito asked, looking at the tray. "Where's mine?"
"The wine is quite potent and you cannot handle your liquor well. I ordered something light for you," Asami said, ruffling his lover's hair.
Akihito slapped the hand away. "You're just making fun of me," he sulked. "You enjoy that, don't you?"
Asami took the glass of wine and sipped it. "Watching your fighting spirit amuses me."
"You sadistic bastard!" Akihito turned sideways, jabbing his forefinger on Asami's chest. He turned to the other side where Toru was standing, "Toru, that's why I said that he was a –"
"Takaba sama," Toru interrupted smoothly, "You haven't answered Suoh san's question. Why are you here with Asami sama?"
Even if Asami wasn't the type who'd punish his subordinates for a comment, Toru wasn't going to risk it.
The photographer looked away, embarrassed. "I lost in a bet with Asami."
"A bet?"
"I thought he wouldn't eat the chocolates, all right? Who knew that he'd finished the entire box! So, I have to – "Akihito trailed off, unable to continue explaining. His crimson red cheeks and embarrassed looks gave the four guards an inkling of what their boss had in mind for Akihito's punishments.
Akihito honestly thought that there was no way on earth Asami could finish the box of Valentines' chocolates. In fact, he was rather confident that he could win; his little black book filled with Asami's information told him that the yakuza did not have a sweet tooth. Experience warned him not to make a bet with his cunning lover but his guts told him otherwise.
And win he did – not. In a matter of an hour, before his horror film even reached the crucial scenes, Asami had finished the last piece of the wine-filled chocolates. Completely defeated, Akihito was forced to play one of Asami's sick, perverted games that includes a drink at the Sky Bar and sex in a private room upstairs.
"You should have thought carefully before you made that bet, Akihito," Asami sipped his wine again and allowed Kirishima to pour him another glass.
Akihito stared at his lover accusingly. "You coerced me into it," he said, taking a sip of his drink. It tasted a little sweet, just the way he liked it. "And how was I supposed to know that you eat chocolates? I thought you hated them!"
Placing the glass on the table, Asami pulled his lover to him, anchoring the boy to his side. "I don't but it wasn't difficult, especially when the reward is so attractive.
Squirming at his seat, Akihito tried pushing Asami away, embarrassed by the public display of affection. "Cut – cut it out! There are people here!" he hissed.
"No one will be able to see us," Asami drawled, pulling Akihito to his lap before kissing him.
There was some truth in Asami's words, Akihito supposed. The couch faced the huge glass panel overlooking the night view of Tokyo, illuminated by blinking lights of the metropolitan. The lights of the bar were dimmed and with Suoh and Ando standing on guard behind them to block their view, the guests at the Sky Bar would have to strain their eyes to notice them.
But someone did see them.
As Akihito was still was still struggling to remove himself from Asami's lap, a voice unexpectedly call out.
"Takaba?"
Akihito's eyes shot open as he looked past Asami's shoulder. Shocked, he only managed to utter a single name before Ando and Suoh moved closer to each other, blocking his vision.
"Sanada – "
Sanada is an entertainment journalist from Mainichi Shimbun. While Akihito wasn't close to Sanada, he liked him well enough to consider him a friend.
At the mention of Sanada's name, Asami released Akihito, giving a single word command, "Suoh."
The bulky guard had been with Asami long enough to understand his order. He immediately stepped forward, subdued Sanada and dragged him to the front where Asami was sitting. Giving the back of Sanada's knee a kick, he forced the journalist to kneel in front of the crime lord.
"Suoh, stop it!" Akihito leaped up from his seat to stand in front of Sanada. Helping the journalist to his feet, Akihito pushed him to the nearby single seat sofa. He turned to the crime lord, "Asami, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
The crime lord took his time to answer. Pulling his cigarette out from his coat, Asami placed it between his lips, allowing Kirishima to light it for him. "He's the same person who sent you the photos of Fei Long and I together, was he not?"
"Ye –ah, but he isn't like Ishida!" Akihito protested.
"Takaba? Wh- what's going on?" Sanada whispered, still shocked by the rough treatment he received.
Giving Sanada a reassuring smile, Akihito glared at the yakuza. His lover's eyes revealed nothing as he continued to inhale the nicotine stick in silence.
"Takaba?"
Damn it, that's why he hated public displays. Pulling Sanada to his feet, Akihito dragged him to another couch, away from Asami. He needed to convince Sanada to keep his mouth zipped before Asami gets his hands on him.
"What's going on?" Sanada repeated his earlier question; his frightened eyes never left the crime lord sitting at the other corner.
"Sanada, listen to me," Akihito shook his shoulder. "You are going to forget what you've just seen, can you do that?"
Sanada locked his brown orbs at Akihito before tunneling his fingers through his dyed brown hair. "Isn't he the guy you've been chasing after? Why were you kis – " he stopped what he was about to say, looking at Akihito's lips instead.
Damn Asami, it's all his fault. Akihito thought. "Sanada, can you forget what you have just seen?" he asked again, ignoring his embarrassment.
The journalist's eyes widened for a moment and quickly pulled Akihito's closer to him. "Are you doing undercover work right now?" he whispered near Akihito's ear.
"No. It's just that Asami happens to be –"
"Wait!" Sanada raised his hand to stop Akihito. "Correct me if I'm wrong, you mean to say that's Asami Ryuiichi, the successful businessman who owns nearly everything of Japan, including Setsuna's record label?"
And the crime lord who holds controls over drugs and firearms in Japan, Akihito added in his mind. He nodded.
"It's my first time seeing him -" Sanada said and quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I have seen him a few times but I never knew he's THE Asami Ryuiichi. My sources told me that he would never allow his photos to be taken." Sanada looked at Akihito again. "Hey Takaba, what is your relationship with him?"
"The thing is, I'm – uhm – I'm his – " Akihito averted his eyes, wondering how to explain his relationship with Asami to Sanada.
"Takaba sama is Asami sama's lover."
The sudden voice from behind made Akihito turned abruptly. With his usual stoic expression, his personal guard stood behind him, unmoving. Knowing his guard, Toru would never divulge such information without Asami giving his approval.
Damn that yakuza, Akihito thought. As much as he wanted to reprimand his guard for blurting out unnecessarily things, he cursed his stupidity more for not realizing Toru's presence.
Akihito flashed his guard a warning glare. Next to him, Sanada had gone quiet. Whether it was from the shock of hearing Toru calling him Takaba sama or Toru announcing that he was Asami's lover, Akihito couldn't decide which. He only knew that the pothole he was desperately trying to fill had just gone bigger instead.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Asami watched his lover in great interest as he took another drag of his Dunhill cigarette. The photographer was blushing furiously when Toru announced him as his lover. Sanada himself looked shocked beyond words; so much so that he kept on looking at Akihito and him, then back at Akihito again.
Sanada Hideaki, as Kirishima reported, is a journalist from the entertainment division whose passion and expertise lies in following artists around town. From what Kirishima had gathered, Sanada wasn't shrewd, nor was he cunning like Ishida; he was just a normal, everyday entertainment journalist.
But Asami couldn't ignore the fact that Sanada is still a journalist and like any other reporters; their desire for a scoop outweighs many things and this fact alone, can hardly be ignored. If Akihito couldn't come up with a solution, Asami decided that he'd take matters in his own hands.
"Asami sama, are you sure it's all right to allow Toru to tell Sanada about Takaba sama's true identity?" Kirishima spoke worriedly.
Asami took one last drag of his cigarette before extinguishing it on the ashtray. "Doesn't matter; lying to him would only further increase his curiosity."
"And he'll follow Takaba sama around for information and make his own assumptions. So, it's better for Sanada to know and keep quiet about it," Kirishima finished for the yakuza.
"Sir, what if the plan backfires?" Suoh asked from behind.
A thin smile graced the yakuza's lips. "I believe I can think of something novel for Sanada," he said, thinking about Ishida's punishment of watching Hayashi being tortured before having his fore fingers sliced off.
Sipping his wine, the crime lord watched his lover trying to reason with the journalist. Sanada looked cautious, somewhat frightened with Akihito's explanation as he kept on stealing glances at him before focusing his attention back at Akihito. It made Asami wondered the contents of the conversation. It doesn't matter; he will know soon enough.
When Sanada finally nodded his head glumly, Akihito let out a relieved sigh and stood up. The photographer's hazel eyes met his, fiery and defiant – Just the way he liked it. He watched Akihito marched towards him, with Sanada meekly following behind, trapped between Akihito and Toru.
"Asami," his lover began, crossing his arms. "Sanada gave me his word that he wouldn't publish anything about you."
So, Akihito still thinks that he was worried about the photos. It was never about his photographs; it was to protect Akihito from the eyes of his world. He hadn't expected this decision but a journalist's words should never be trusted easily. Asami regrouped his strategies. Some people needed to be injected with fear, some needed to be bribed while others worked well with both.
"Sit down," Asami finally said, waving at the single sofa.
When Sanada hesitated, Akihito gave him a reassuring nod. The journalist sat on the sofa gingerly, eyes looking warily at the four guards.
"Sanada Hideaki?" Asami began and watched the boy's eyes widened from the name.
Clearly, he hadn't expected me to know his full name, Asami thought, smiling thinly at Sanada's frightened look.
The doe-eyed boy rubbed his hands on his jeans nervously, looking at the carpeted floor. Sanada's outfit reminded Asami of the inferior clothing Akihito had on him when they first met. Sanada was considered good looking, blessed with a smaller frame and skin slightly tanner than Akihito's. But Sanada's attractiveness is unmatchable compared to his lover. Akihito's appeal doesn't merely lies on his looks; it was his fiery eyes, the fight to death spirit that draws Asami to him.
"A—Asami sama, I swear I won't write anything about you or Takaba," Sanada bowed.
"That is a very interesting declaration," Asami said, crossing his legs gracefully. "But why should I believe you?"
"Asami, he has given his word!" Akihito said desperately as he sat next to the yakuza.
"Promises can be easily broken."
"He won't!" Akihito leaned closer. "He's innocent, Asami."
"Asami sama, I promised Takaba. I swore on my dead father's grave that I won't do that. Everyone who knows me knew that I am not a person who breaks my promises easily," Sanada blabbed.
"That's right!" Akihito defended, looking at his lover.
Sanada didn't look like a person who would lie. The boy was transparent and was poor in masking his emotions. Already, he was shaking like a rat cornered in a cage.
"All right, I shall hold on to your promise –" Asami said, watching Akihito relaxing a little. "Although –" he said and both of them looked tensed again, " – you do realize that if you break your promise, there is no guarantee what I would do to you."
Sanada shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I – I understand."
Asami curved a smile at Sanada's response. Phase one: injecting fear, done. Now, for the second phase: bribery.
Asami took his glass from the table. "Sanada-kun, Are you familiar with Setsuna?" he asked, taking a sip.
"Of – of course. Everyone knows them; they're the most sought after group in Japan."
Asami smirked. "They are going start a tour soon."
Sanada's eyes sparkled at the information. "That's big news, no one has that information yet," he said excitedly. His journalistic instinct took over and immediately patted his jeans pocket for a pen and notebook.
"You can join the tour as the official press."
Akihito's and Sanada's jaws dropped. The photographer could only stare at Asami in bewilderment. Sanada looked wary, wondering if he should believe him.
"Well?" Asami asked, watching the journalist's eyes sparkled.
Sanada stood up, bowed low. "I would love to! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, Asami sama!" he said loudly, excitement clearly written over his face.
Asami nodded approvingly. "Kirishima will update you on the details," he said and the secretary bowed slightly at the boss's orders.
"Thank you so much," Sanada bowed again.
The crime lord waved his hand, a sign of dismissal. Akihito took the chance to drag Sanada out before Asami changed his mind.
As Akihito disappeared into the elevator, Asami signaled for his guards.
"Suoh, arrange for a team to check on Sanada. Monitor his movements and see that he keeps his promise."
Suoh nodded and stepped aside, retrieving his phone.
"Toru, Ando; Akihito does not leave your sight. The Ishida incident will not be repeated."
The two guards bowed. "Yes, Asami sama."
"Toru, when is Akihito scheduled for work?"
Toru stepped forward, "As per your request, in a week's time. I've checked through his schedule, only studio assignments so far."
The crime lord nodded his head. "See that all work-related calls to Akihito's phone are blocked for the week."
"Very well, sir."
Asami sat back, accepted another drink from his secretary. "Kirishima, get me the manager."
Without a word, his secretary disappeared into the dim lights and came back moments later with a trembling man.
"You – you wish to see me, Asami sama?" the man stammered.
The manager, forty-two-year-old Morita looked nervous as he stood in front of Asami. Asami noted that Morita had clasped both his hands together to stop trembling.
Good, he should be afraid, Asami thought as he sipped his wine. "Morita, I recalled that this is a members' only club," he said, glancing at Kirishima for confirmation.
"Yes, Asami sama. Nishi Azabu is a club by invitation."
"Yet, it has come to my attention that a photojournalist has entered the premise with a micro mini camera."
Morita quickly knelt down. "I'm sorry, Asami sama. I apologize for my blunder, I will instruct the security to –"
"Do you think I am looking for an apology here?" Asami interrupted harshly, causing Morita to zip his mouth.
They were fortunate; Asami thought, that it had only been Sanada who stumbled upon them. Should Akihito's identity as his lover is revealed, rival clans would use Akihito as a pawn to get to him.
Asami retrieved his gun from his shoulder holster, slowly checking the magnum. Morita gulped nervously at the sight of the gun.
Still kneeling, the manager bowed, head touching the carpeted floor. "Please forgive me, Asami sama. I will personally see to this matter. The security personnel at the door will be replaced with immediate effect."
Smiling thinly, Asami kept his gun again. He hadn't any intention to kill Morita but he had to remind his subordinates that his words are law.
"Good – and that boy who came with me? He comes in."
"Un—understood, Asami sama. Thank you very much!"
Asami waved at Suoh and the bulky guard hauled the manager up, pushing him away from the couch.
Now that pesky things have been dealt with, Asami is looking forward for some quality entertainment at the private room upstairs. Asami was deep in his thoughts of what he'd be doing to his lover when Suoh's phone rang. Uninterested, he allowed Suoh to take the call as he stared at the blinking lights on top of the Tokyo Tower.
Thinking that Akihito had been gone for some time, Asami was about to send Toru to get Akihito when Suoh's urgent voice rang out.
"Toru, Ando, back alley, NOW!" Suoh barked out the orders.
Toru did not waste any time. Signaling Ando, they ran out of the room.
"Asami sama, security cameras caught Takaba sama and his friend being dragged into the back alley by some punks." Suoh said urgently.
Asami stood up immediately, anger clearly written over his face. Kirishima walked ahead of the yakuza, punching the buttons of the private elevator while Suoh walked hurriedly behind him.
There will be hell to pay if something happens to Akihito, Asami thought as the elevators rode down.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Toru raced out of the building alongside with Ando. Damn, why hadn't he followed Akihito when he escorted Sanada out? He saw the boy disappearing into the elevator but he thought that Akihito would never leave the building. Asami sama must have shared the same thoughts for he didn't instruct him to follow the boy.
He shuddered to think if anything were to happen to the boy or more importantly, what the boss would do.
Beside him, Ando's thick eyebrows furrowed a little. He too, must have shared the same thoughts. As they neared the back alley, they heard Akihito's voice. Toru pulled Ando to the wall just before the turning to the alley and plastered their bodies against it before carefully peeping. No point barging out when they haven't assessed the situation.
"Thirteen men, all armed with chains and baseball bats," Toru breathed the word out.
"Permission to use the gun?" Ando asked.
The taller guard shook his head. "Negative. Asami sama did not clear it." Toru peeped again. His master and friend were forced to the dead end and there was no escape unless they barged forward. Despite heavily outnumbered, Akihito was still arguing with the leader of the gang, a punk in a beanie hat. Dressed in gothic black, he was equipped with a baseball bat.
"You owe us some medical fees, oniisan," the leader smiled as he rubbed the ring on his pierced lips.
Akihito took a step forward, blocking Sanada. "You rammed onto us on purpose!" the photographer protested.
"Ouch! Aniki, I think my bone is fractured!" A younger man stepped forward, clutching his arm.
"His arm couldn't be broken from that! You're extorting money from us!"
"Nii-chan, you meant to say that you want to walk away without paying?" the leader asked, slowly advancing towards Akihito and Sanada.
"We – we don't have money!" Sanada spoke from behind.
The leader threw his head back and laughed. "You expect me to believe that? You just walked out of that high class building."
"That's the truth!" Akihito said angrily, taking a step forward. Sanada tugged at Akihito's thin jacket, trying to pull him away.
The leader stopped laughing. Raising the bat, he let it rest on his shoulders. He glanced backwards, nodding at one of his men.
Toru watched his master scanning cautiously at the group of men around him. "We're going in," Toru told Ando and stepped out from his hiding place. As Toru rushed in, his heart nearly stopped when he saw one of the men had his hand raised, ready to swing the baseball bat at Akihito. The photographer raised his hand, crossing them across his face, as a defensive gesture.
Toru caught the bat that was swung up, gripping on it tightly. As the man turned to face him, Toru rammed his fist on the punk's pierced lips. The grip on the bat faltered and Toru took the opportunity to snatch the weapon away.
Before the punk had the chance to recover, Toru kicked him hard on his stomach, causing the man to cough out bile before falling onto the ground.
"Takaba sama, are you all right?" Toru asked; his eyes never left the group of angry men in front of him.
"Ye—yeah," his master answered.
In the midst of watching their member getting bashed by an unknown individual, Ando managed to sneak to the front with Toru. Discarding his jacket, he spread his legs apart with his fist raised and curled. "Toru san, leave these guys to me. You take care of Takaba sama."
"There are more than a dozen of them, all with weapons," Toru reminded.
Ando ran his tongue across his upper teeth, grinning. "I wasn't the chief security of The Fixer for nothing, Toru san."
"You bastards, you have a death wish or something?" the leader shouted.
"Koga aniki!" the rest of his lackeys rushed forward, backing up their leader.
Koga raised his bat, pointed it to Toru. "You're fucking dead." He turned to his men behind him. "I'll show you what happens if you disobey me in my territory!"
Ando pulled his tie free. "Your territory? Don't make me laugh." He walked forward, dropping his tie on the ground.
"Ando!" Akihito pushed his way forward, only to be held back by Toru.
"Toru, release me!" he struggled against Toru's iron grip.
With twelve men advancing to them, Toru knew that there was no way Ando can take all of them. They have better chances with both of them fighting but he wasn't going to risk Akihito getting injured.
There isn't any other way, Toru thought, discarding his coat. "Takaba sama, if you would hold on to our coats," he said, passing the garments to Akihito.
Stepping forward, Toru rolled up his sleeves. The man charged forward, swinging his bat towards him. He dodged, curled his fists and punched it sideways to the man's ribs. That spot, Toru knew, was effective in bringing a man down.
As he dodged another attack, he saw Ando managed to take control of a bat, swinging the weapon at his attacker's legs. That warranted a scream.
Toru brought down another man fairly quickly and immediately glanced backwards to check on Akihito. An attacker managed to slip past him, raising his bat at Akihito. The photographer proved to be a worthy opponent. By luck, Akihito and Sanada managed to evade the bat and with nothing to protect himself, he swung his camera towards his assailant's head. As both man and bat fell to the ground, so did Akihito's expensive lenses, breaking it into pieces.
The poor choice of weaponry proved to be unsuccessful, as the man managed to stand up with his bat. Angry and embarrassed being assaulted by a mere brat, he raised his hands again.
Toru desperately fought off the man in front of him, trying to bring him down as fast as he could so he could rush to his master's aid.
By now, Akihito panicked. The punks were stronger than he thought. Toru and Ando were still fighting in front and he could not rely on Sanada. Unlike Akihito, Sanada obviously had no prior experiences to incidents like this.
Realizing that they were outnumbered, Akihito figured that their best chance was make a run for it. Clutching Sanada, Akihito was prepared to make his escape when he saw a hand gripped on the bat.
It was Suoh. Expertly, he gave a sharp smack on the back of the man's neck, knocking him out cold.
"Suoh!" Akihito breathed out, relieved.
"Suoh san," Toru joined him when he finally knocked down his opponent.
He glanced backwards. All twelve men, saved for his leader Koga, were groaning on the ground. Koga himself stood in the middle of the mess, staring at his injured men in disbelief.
"Who the fuck are you guys?" Koga shouted.
"Doesn't matter," answered a low, dangerous voice that had everyone at the back alley froze.
Toru, Suoh and Ando immediately stood aside and bowed at the boss and his secretary. The yakuza's eyes were filled with anger and disgust at the uncultured men lying on the ground.
Asami glanced at his lover, then at Sanada who was too shaken to say anything. Cupping his lover's chin, he asked, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, although I cannot say the same for my lenses," Akihito pushed his lover's fingers away to stare at the broken pieces on the ground glumly.
Asami knew that the lens was only about six weeks old. He recalled how excited Akihito was when he showed it to him. Akihito played with it a lot while he was recuperating from the rib injury, taking numerous photographs of the city from the penthouse balcony. As if it wasn't enough, Akihito cleaned his toy thoroughly; like how Asami cleaned his gun.
"Takaba san, I'm really sorry. You were helping me and I cause your lens –" Sanada bowed.
Akihito smiled sadly. "It's all right."
"I'll pay for it," Sanada said quickly before looking downwards at the broken shards. "But I think I have to pay by installments."
Akihito shook his head. "It's fine, really. It wasn't your fault."
"Toru," Asami interrupted. "Bring Akihito inside and have Sanada driven home."
Akihito remained docile when he was led away by Toru. At any given day, Akihito would have protested but he didn't want to get Sanada involved in the mess any deeper. He walked past his lover, stared at him for a while before finally dragging his feet away.
"Don't think you can escape after what you've done!" Koga said angrily.
"Asami sama, what are your orders?" Kirishima asked.
"They are nothing but punks. Teach them a lesson and release them." The yakuza ordered, walking away.
Kirishima placed his hand on his chest and bowed. "My pleasure."
"Ando escort Asami sama," Kirishima ordered, rolling up his sleeves in the process.
"But – but," Ando stuttered, looking at Kirishima and Suoh.
The bulky guard grinned. "Do as he says, Ando."
"Kirishima –" Asami halted his steps. Without looking backwards, the crime lord spoke, "Don't overdo it." And he continued walking into the building, with Ando trailing behind.
"Now, shall we begin?" Kirishima said lightly, cracking his knuckles.
The last thing Ando saw before entering the building was Suoh standing next to Kirishima with his hands folded across his chest, smiling. The man named Koga was already on the ground, hands covering his bloody nose, groaning in pain.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Fifteen minutes later, Kirishima walked into the Sky Bar with Suoh. Their white shirts were still perfectly pressed and they looked like they have just walked out from a board room meeting than beating up a group of street punks at the back alley.
Ando and Toru immediately stood up to greet them. "What happened down there? Everything went well?" Ando asked curiously.
"As per the boss's orders, we taught them a lesson and let them off." Kirishima sat down, signaling the waiter for a drink.
Ando sat next to Kirishima. "Are you all right, Kirishima san?"
Suoh laughed. "Ando, didn't you hear what Asami sama said? He told Kirishima not to overdo it, remember?"
Ando sat back, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I heard that but –"
Toru poured a glass of whisky and pushed the glass to Ando's hands. "Ando, Kirishima san is Asami sama's personal guard. His strength and capabilities are unquestionable."
Suoh knocked Ando's glass slightly with his own. "That's why I said Kirishima is scary."
Ando cradled the glass in his hands. "Remind me not to cross paths with you," he mumbled.
"You are exaggerating, Ando." Kirishima emptied his glass in a single gulp. "Toru, where is your boss?" he asked, referring to Akihito.
"He's with Asami sama right now. They are upstairs," the lanky guard answered.
Kirishima smiled, raising his glass in the air. "Then, I presume we have another two hours to kill before the boss goes home."
Suoh, Ando and Toru couldn't agree more. Raising their glasses in the air, they toasted and drank.
Xx Business as Usual xX
"Asami, no more!" Akihito pleaded beneath the crime lord. They had been at it for ninety minutes without breaks and Asami had already taken Akihito everywhere he could possibly imagine in the private room.
Asami answered Akihito's pleas by scooping him up from the couch to the glass door that led to the balcony. He placed him on his feet, steadying him before guiding his hands to the glass panel, locking them in place. Using his knee, Asami nudged Akihito's thighs apart, spreading them wide.
"Ryuiichi – " Akihito moaned wantonly when he felt Asami's length in between his thighs.
Asami took him then, sliding his cock into Akihito, taking him hard and fast to the base of him. Akihito cried out from the intensity as the waves of pleasure took over his body, making his knees weak. Releasing Akihito's hands, Asami sneaked a hand in front, gripping on Akihito's aroused cock before stroking it.
"Ryu – I can't – no more."
"Take more," Asami whispered near the photographer's ears, slamming his cock in and out of Akihito.
Akihito's organ twitched and he came instantly, spurting the white, thick liquid on the glass door.
Asami watched Akihito's reflection from the glass as he came. The boy's eye lids were closed and there were traces of tears lined along the sides of his eyes. His mouth was slightly parted; reminding Asami how Akihito had took his cock in his mouth earlier during the foreplay. The combination of Akihito's sultry look and erotic moans shattered Asami's control and it wasn't long before he climaxed inside Akihito.
He caught Akihito just before he slumped down to his knees. Guiding him to the couch, Asami helped the photographer lie down, cushioning his head with his lap.
"I'm never going to make a bet with you ever again," Akihito declared, still panting.
Asami chuckled, tracing his finger along Akihito's lower lip. "That's a pity, because I love betting with you."
"That's not fair, you never lose." Akihito yawned.
"I made my first million betting," Asami said, stroking his lover's hair.
Akihito did not answer; he was already fast asleep.
A/N: I don't know what is bugging me but I can't shake the feeling that I am writing this chapter wrong.
A/N 2: I am undecided about Chapter 19. Should I write Akihito's family visiting or Fei Long meeting Akihito? Which would you rather read?
Thank you so much for all your favorites, follows, reviews, pms and suggestions! To:
KyoukaxCloud, Kunouchi of the Moonlit Night, Paulie MickyJ, Asami's clown, dudumanb, StuffedCupcakes, Orangejuice, Kichou, whitangel, kawaiigirl, tbb2, FanofBellaandEdward, oresama will gekokujou you, yuichichan17, kittyzala, raindropdew, God-d-e-ss Eternity, Ryukei, ichigril21, yui eiri, Ana, akiasami, Innocenteyes, Ninaloveanime, pysNEKOpath, hawk1891, Chrystella1, Knox, larasGEE, limnamae, Evilkinivil, Serinji, oosuan, Miss Bunny Rabbit, lembab27, Do you want some fruits, JoedgardHom, creamymint, omtichi, Lizzy0308, YaoiMom, seeker88, azalealady, The Cruel Maiden, RIngo-pop, Windying, Sanz0gril, Nikkie23534, Suspicious Crow, CreedHartnet13, Handmaiden of Foamy, Kato-chan, Guest, KittyCiel656, JackFrost14, matalaba0922, faro, Reinri13, Seitsuya, Bedouin, Jhaydren, PoisonEscarlate, Guest, i'magenious, Reight, and sparking red: Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu!
And thank you so much to a few reviewers who honored me with the sensei and sama title. Honestly, I don't deserve to be addressed as such since I am still an amateur when it comes to writing but thank you; I am very touched! (dabs eyes with tissues)