Rating: NC-17Pairing: Asami/Akihito

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Asami/Akihito

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Yamane Ayano, not me.

Author's Note: Again, I'm sorry for the delay. The outline for the entire story keeps shifting as I change my mind about where I want to go with this. It's turning slightly more serious and longer, but I think I've settled on where I'm going with it, so the next part should come faster.

"Haven't you been insisting I take it easy this week."

Asami's eyebrow lifted as Kirishima dropped a stack of bound reports on his desk. His assistant pushed his glasses up his nose and grimaced apologetically.

"I have been, and you should. However, if these weren't urgent..."

A heavy sigh interrupted him. "Yes, yes. They're always urgent these days. Well, I suppose that's the price of success."

He picked up the top document. "The Murakami file?" A few silent moments passed as he scanned through the contents. "Ah, everything is in place, then. Looks as if the takeover will go through on schedule."

He let his approval show as his gaze lit on Kirishima.

"Indeed, Asami-sama."

His attention turned to the report again and he gave a low whistle. "I knew you'd be able to do your due diligence even under these circumstances, but this. How did you manage to get your hands on it."

Light gleamed off Kirishima's glasses as he allowed himself a tight smile. "That is what you pay me to do, Asami-sama."

"True." He studied the columns of figures and Kirishima's concise summary. "It seems our suspicions were correct. They've been cooking their books for a while."

"And very badly at that."

Kirishima sounded so offended that Asami couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"No worse crime, eh?"

"The CFO's parents obviously bought his way into Todai. There is no excuse for such incompetence."

"At least we can restrict our efforts to the boardroom on this one and reduce tailoring costs at the same time."

Kirishima smiled slightly at the humor, straightening the sleeve of his own bespoke suit with fastidious precision. "As you say. Though our opponents there are often more vicious than those on the streets."

"I can't argue that. Very well. Let's set up a meeting for next Monday." He glanced at the contents of the other documents. "No updates on the Hong Kong situation?"

"It hasn't changed. Our contacts are managing the irregularities as you directed. So far the routes haven't been disrupted."

"Make sure they check in regularly. If something changes I want to know about it immediately. Something got his feathers ruffled, and he's unpredictable in certain situations. Don't underestimate him."

"Understood."

Asami nodded once, an uncharacteristically pensive frown drawing his brows together for a moment before his face smoothed back into impassive lines. "I'll call Yoh in the morning and speak with him again. Shift my morning meeting back an hour."

Kirishima started tapping on his PDA and Asami sighed again, picking up the next report. "I'll go through the rest of these, and if you're not waiting to spring anything else on me, I intend to leave early tonight."

Kirishima looked pleased by the avowal. He nodded, busying himself with straightening the one out-of-place object on Asami's desk that the cleaning staff had left askew after dusting. "You have plans, Asami-sama?"

Asami watched him, mildly amused by his assistant's compulsive behavior. "Oh, I'm looking forward to a very entertaining evening."

His tone of voice was enough to alert Kirishima, but his face remained impassive, and he didn't miss a beat. "Do you wish me to drive you?"

"No. Take off early too. That's an order," Asami said pointedly when Kirishima opened his mouth to argue.

"Yes, Asami-sama."

"You make it sound like a punishment. It's not often we have the time to breathe. Now that we do for the moment, try to enjoy it." Asami took a cigarette from the case on his desk and lit it. His lips curved. "Or would you rather be my driver this evening after all?"

"Ah, well, perhaps it would be nice to relax a while." The tips of Kirishima's ears turned red and Asami stifled a grin.

"I'll have Suoh drive then."

"Only Suoh? Asami-sama, given the current situation, you should have at least two guards with-"

Impatiently, Asami waved away Kirishima's protests, a wavy line of smoke following the movement of his hand. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm not going to restrict myself to a prison of my own making, and I refuse to jump at every shadow. I trust you have some little faith in my ability to handle myself."

"Yes, of course, but-"

"Kirishima."

The steely note in Asami's voice silenced Kirishima immediately.

He nodded his acquiescence. "I'll tell Suoh to standby."

"In any case, you don't need to worry." A small smile played around Asami's lips. "The one I'm seeing tonight is perfectly harmless."

"Hello? Oh, it's you."

Akihito lowered his voice and hurried to a corner of the studio, hunching over his phone.

"What? You want to pick me up at eight? Well, I-I've been thinking. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Anyway, I'm at my sensei's studio and I probably won't be able to get home in time and-"

He bit his lip as Asami's voice cut him off. "Oh, but I-" His mouth hung open as he listened again, then he blushed to the roots of his hair. "What? No! It's just-"

"Akihito-kun?"

His whipped around as his sensei poked his head in the door.

"They're ready to come out of the solution."

"Be right there!"

Asami's voice still spoke into his ear, evoking a slew of uncomfortable reactions. "Okay, fine! Yes!" Akihito hissed, fidgeting in agitation. "Whatever. You can pick me up here at eight. I'll meet you down on the street, though! The address is..." Akihito frowned. "What? You know where? How-"

His mouth snapped shut and thinned. He listened for a moment longer then blushed again. "I'm hanging up now!"

He snapped his phone shut before Asami could say anything else, taking a deep breath to calm himself and stop his hands from shaking before he followed after his sensei.

What had he been thinking agreeing to see Asami again? It's just that he had such a way about him, even on the phone, that somehow it was impossible to say no.

Just this one last time, he promised himself. He'd be able to rid himself of this annoying obsession he'd somehow ended up having for the man. Probably it was just the air of mystery that surrounded him, not to mention the hint of danger. All of his friends always said he was an adrenaline junkie, and maybe that's all this was.

And those internet sites he'd gone to had told him that it was common to experiment with his sexuality, especially at his age. Just because he'd kissed Asami-or rather Asami had kissed him-it didn't necessarily mean that he was gay. And even if he was, Asami was definitely the last person he should get involved with, for more reasons than one, even if his body had reacted so strongly to Asami's touches, even if he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the last time they were together, despite the excruciating embarrassment of what had happened. Damn it, Asami was just so-

"Akihito!"

He jumped. "Sorry, sensei! I'm coming right now!"

He hurried to the darkroom, mumbling apologies, and forcing himself to focus on his sensei's instructions. By the time they'd finished up, Akihito had barely enough time to wash up and run his fingers through his hair before he had to run down to the street. He was breathless when he got there because he had taken the stairs out of sheer nervous inability to stand still and wait for the elevator.

Shit, he's going to think I'm that eager to see him.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the glass of the front door and frowned a little. He looked disheveled and probably way too casual to be spending the evening with Asami. Would he take him to a nice restaurant again? He definitely wouldn't fit in.

And jeez, were his palms sweaty? Akihito swore under his breath and rubbed his hands against his jeans.

Get a grip.

With his camera bag slung over his shoulder, Akihito peered down the street looking for Asami's sleek car and then looked at his watch. It was just eight o'clock, but Akihito scowled anyway. If Asami kept him standing on the street corner after all this then he'd really give him a piece of his mind. He had much better things to do than wait around for him all night.

Before he could work himself up into a righteous huff, a shiny, black limousine pulled up and idled at the curb in front of him, distracting him from his indignant thoughts.

His jaw sagged as he recognized the huge blond man that got out of the driver's seat and made his way around to open the rear door. Asami climbed out with easy grace while Akihito just stared.

"Akihito. Good evening. Have you been waiting long?"

"What is this? Where's your car?"

"This is my car. One of them." One corner of his mouth curled up. "Is there a problem?"

"You think you're J-Pop royalty or something? Who actually owns one of these?" Akihito looked around nervously and then shoved past the driver and an amused-looking Asami and climbed in the car as quickly as he could. "Come on, then. I don't want anyone to see me getting into this."

He shifted uncomfortably when Asami followed him into the car, sitting much too close for comfort considering the expansive interior. A jittery laugh escaped him and he tried to edge down the seat, feigning interest in a row of buttons that controlled who knew what.

"I've never been in one of these before. What are all these for?"

"Are you nervous, Akihito?"

Asami's voice was close enough that it stirred the fine hairs on Akihito's neck, and he whipped around to find that Asami had slid down the seat next to him.

"N-no. Why would I be nervous?"

This close, he couldn't help but notice again the unusual golden-brown color of Asami's eyes, or the way they seemed to see right through him.

"You tell me," Asami returned, his subtle smirk both annoying Akihito and drawing him in.

Surreptitiously, Akihito wiped