Chapter Text
Chapter 2: We Meet Again
Lying on his bed, Akihito had been replaying that evening alone in the office with that devilishly handsome man over and over in his mind. ‘Mmm, those eyes' he sighed, revelling in how they had felt wandering all over him. Those topaz shades had haunted his dreams for four days now. He hadn’t been worried at first during their encounter, but when Asami had taken hold of him, and then kissed him... Uwah, how a single moment could change everything. Akihito hadn’t gone out to see Asami for anything more than to talk to him, just to feel him out. But once he was actually talking with him, he couldn't deny the pull he felt. At first he thought it was all him, just a one-sided instant attraction, but once Asami relaxed his guard and began flirting with him? Akihito just wanted him; he didn’t care anymore about finding out the truth, or even that he shouldn't be there alone with him. Ugh, when Asami kissed him with those wicked lips of his?Gods above, he just wanted that dark bastard, and consequences be damned. Knowing this now, he planned on seeing him again. Hopefully he could sneak out soon; Kou had been more watchful since catching him in Asami’s office. He knew it was the same old “it’s for your own protection” crap, but really, he was pretty sure he could handle being handled by Asami all by himself.
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Asami’s mood by the end of the forth day was getting downright miserable as the seconds marched by. No one had been able to find this mysterious Akihito anywhere within Sion’s employee records. Bad enough Kirishima had limited intel to go on, but now there was also his so-called “fiancée” to deal with.
Akemi had visited him late that afternoon, going on and on about needing to set a date and find a competent wedding planner to assist with all the details of what she thought was an upcoming marriage. When he tried to tell her yet again that he wasn't ready to get married as yet, she got all huffy and left.
Knowing what was in store for him when he got there, Asami really didn't want to go home tonight even more now. Unfortunately, his mother hadn’t been in the mood to wait, and phoned a little while later to strongly express her disappointment in her son on how he had upset dear Akemi during her recent visit.
She was just getting warmed up, making him desperate enough to head off that particular rant that he was now in a restaurant with his “intended” sitting across from him.
Thinking back on how the last words he spoke to Kirishima as he was leaving the office were: “I'm begging you; somehow, get me out this dinner. Please!”, he swallowed down his unhappy sigh along with some of his drink.
Meanwhile, across the dining room, Akihito crossed his arms over his chest and slouched further down in his chair with a frown, watching the table where Asami and his fiancée were. ‘Really, what does he see in her?’
As Kou joined him, slipping into his seat, Akihito turned his frown on his friend. “What’re you doing here?”
"I'm here to make sure you don’t do something stupid. Now, what're you up to?”
Aki gestured over to the couple’s table he had been surveilling. Kou glanced over and blinked. “Ooh, she’s pretty.”
Akihito looked completely horrified at Kou’s comment. “In a bland, bovine-in-makeup sort of way, maybe. I mean, just… just look at her.”
“Yeah, I am. She’s really kinda beautiful.”
“If you’re into gaudy-looking things... Look at her with her: fake tan, fake eyelashes, fake jewellery, fake tits..."
“Those are real, you idiot.”
“So are a cow’s…” Feeling completely vindicated with his assumptions, he upped the ante a little.
“Spending all his money no doubt, probably going through it like was water. I just know she can't be trusted.” Kou now knew his friend was losing marbles with his hate-on for a woman he’d never even met.
“She probably has her own money, Aki.” Kou had to chuckle at the utter shocked look of betrayal on the blond’s face.
“Pfft. That doesn't mean anything. Look. Look how despondent he is...”
Kou shook his head but moved to look as his friend pointed out that detail on his crush’s face.
“There's no emotion at all on his face.” Kou said dryly, now knowing Akihito was definitely going mad, seeing things that weren't even there.
“He's hiding it; see how tense his lips are when he sips his drink? That how I know.” The blond slouched down even further his seat in commiseration.
“What, that he's probably a high-functioning alcoholic?”
A sharp slap on Kou’s arm let him know that his buddy wasn't happy with him not being supportive. “Don't be like that; you should be more understanding. Can't you see how much he’s suffering?”
"No." Kou replied, shaking his head to the negative as he rubbed where Akihito just smacked him. “I can't see that he is. The question you should be asking is what does she see in him.”
“Yen. C'mon, he’s handsome, rich, powerful, dangerous, and sexy hot. Mmm-mm, and he can ki~” realizing Kou was looking at him as if he was completely bonkers, he shut up.
“Oh, never mind that,” he muttered as he sat back with a faint blush on his face. “Hey! What are you looking at?” Kou just shrugged and grinned.
‘Dammit, I must do something to save the poor guy…’ Aki thought as he shifted slightly, trying to sneakily move away, only to be stopped by a firm grip on his wrist, pinning his arm to the table.
“Akihito, stop it. We are here as observers, nothing more, remember?” he reminded, hoping to stop whatever insane plan Akihito was hatching.
“I can't just sit by when I see how sad he is. Besides, WE weren't; you came along to make sure I didn't do anything stupid.” He snarked, slipping out of his friend’s grip and giving him a somewhat restrained blow to his solar plexus, allowing him to depart, leaving Kou gobsmacked and rubbing his breastbone.
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“Pardon me madame, sir; would you care to see a dessert menu?”
“No thank you.” The woman replied, her irritated voice clipped.
“No.” Asami said in an disinterested voice, still not looking in the direction of the person seated at his table, instead, eyeballing the rate of melt of the ice cube in his cup before taking another sip of his third whisky.
“Are you sure I can't tempt you into taking a look?” the blond asked playfully as he held the menu directly under that gorgeous face. Asami did look up from his drink to adamantly refuse the annoyingly persistent waiter when he was surprised dumb by those laughing blue eyes.
“We said no. Are you deaf, young man, or just stupid?” The woman snapped, glaring up at him. He couldn't hold back his irritation at the obnoxious woman who so rudely butted into the moment Asami and he were having.
“Huh, I thought only a certain class of people was allowed into this establishment,” he sniffed, looking her critically up and down before dismissing her and turning back to the center of his attention. “How rude.”
"Excuse me?!” a shrill voice exclaimed in disbelief behind him, her tone edging up at the end towards “shrewish”. Akihito rolled his eyes, then winked at Asami who was enjoying himself for the first time in days.
“I believe I asked if I couldn’t temp him, not you. Fine, you’re an excuse, and a rather sorry one at that.” Glinting golden eyes now met dancing sapphire ones as both shared amused grins.
“You insolent boy! Go bring me your boss. You are so fired, believe me.”
“No need, I quit. If you’re the type of customer I’d have to put up with for a pay check here, I'd rather take my chances starving.” Bending closer to the dark haired man, he whispered in his ear as his hands brushed against his suit jacket. “Here’s something to remember me by. I'll be seeing you later.” As he affixed two flowers onto Asami’s lapel, he gave a gentle brush to his cheek in passing, then a cheeky wink. As he straightened up, he turned to face the sputtering woman and stuck out his tongue. The woman was outraged and Asami chuckled, so the blond took a bow for his performance, moved around the table and was gone, leaving a very amused Asami and a furious Akemi in his wake.
Akihito ran out through the kitchen’s back door with a somewhat sore and breathless Kou trying to catch up, wondering how the hell was he going to give an accounting of what had taken place. Akihito personally didn't care, he was happy just seeing Ryuichi smile.
When Asami returned to Sion next morning, he asked Kirishima about the two flowers Akihito had given him.
"Well, white heather means protection. And the white camellia, uh means…” he was overtaken by a dry cough that sounded suspiciously like it was covering a laugh; was he seriously trying very hard not to look at his boss and friend?
"Well…?” Asami prompted, getting a bit impatient with Kei.
"A white camellia means ‘you’re adorable’."
Asami bust out laughing.
"Oh, and sir? Heather can also mean ‘wishes can come true’."
Ryuichi’s heart beat a little bit faster at that. He felt good; never in his 28 years had he felt like this. How could one person change his life in a single moment...
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Flowers: white camellia: you're adorable
white heather: protection; wishes can come true