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Prompt: Adam arriving to a board meeting late. And he is in a mood.
“Good morning, Shindo-san,” Higashimura, one of the directors said with a little nod. “Thank you for joining us.”
Ainosuke smiled his practiced, perfunctory smile. “I do apologize for being late,” he said, addressing the passive-aggressiveness. Then again, if Higashimura had flat out said, “you’re late” Ainosuke would have been just as irritated at his need to state the obvious.
There probably wasn’t any way to have salvaged the situation. Or his mood.
In all honestly, Ainosuke didn’t give two shits about being late. Oh, yes, he probably should. He should care what all these old fuddy-duddies thought of him, should care that he was polite and agreeable and charismatic. Should care about his image and political approval and his constituents and this stupid board meeting.
But he didn’t.
As the meeting got underway and he stewed in his own gloom, Ainosuke churned over why he was late in the first place.
Tadashi.
Not Tadashi’s fault directly—or maybe it was? It would certainly be easier to think that than to admit no, it was yelling at Tadashi that made him late. Not that he’d outright yelled; it wouldn’t do to cause a scene or get red in the face or anything like that.
But he might’ve thrown some especially scathing verbal barbs then immediately shut Tadashi down when he tried to defend himself.
Alright, it was proportionately significantly more his fault than it was Tadashi’s, made worse by the fact that he basically threw a fit in the car, making him even later.
Oh.
He was still throwing a fit, now that he thought about it.
“I’m sorry, Ainosuke-sama,” Tadashi said, just a quick glance in the rear view once they were alone in the car. For some reason he was waiting to start the engine and leave the parking garage.
Ainosuke bristled, almost embarrassed. Leave it to Tadashi to beat him to it. Not that he was going to apologize, necessarily—why should he have to! But that crafty snake wouldn’t let him keep stewing either. It was hardly fair.
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” Ainosuke admitted, as close to an apology as he was going to get. “That was immature and inappropriate. I—” I’m sorry, he thought, and it was true. He was sorry. Very. It was stupid and childish and he knew that.
“I’m sorry,” Tadashi said again, effectively letting Ainosuke off the hook which was simultaneously endearing yet aggravating. It made Ainosuke feel quite special but also a bit disconcerted to have someone know him so well. “For upsetting you this morning.”
“It’s nothing,” Ainosuke said, tired of feeling embarrassed by this entire debacle. But then something in Tadashi’s phrasing snagged in his brain.
For upsetting you.
Ainosuke may have to reconsider that whole “knowing him so well” thing.
It was clever, for sure, the way Tadashi had slipped that in there. And any other time Ainosuke probably wouldn’t have noticed, just glossed right over it. But today wasn’t “any other time”; today was especially obnoxious and wrong and disastrous.
“You don’t know why I was upset, do you?” Ainosuke asked brusquely.
“I…do not.”
Ainosuke was a bit surprised Tadashi admitted it. Maybe he could sense today was especially disastrous too.
“I would apologize correctly, if you tell me what I did wrong,” Tadashi offered.
Oh, that Tadashi was a sneaky one. So clever it was nearly unfair. Manipulative in the best of ways.
“You were laughing this morning,” Ainosuke said, realizing as it left his mouth that maybe she had been laughing and Tadashi had simply been smiling. Though Tadashi smiling was as good as a normal person laughing so his point remained, surely.
“I’m…sorry?” Tadashi fumbled, surprised. “I don’t actually recall—”
“With that woman,” Ainosuke blurted. “When you picked up coffee. I could see you through the window.”
Ainosuke watched as Tadashi visibly consulted his memory and then proceeded with trying to decipher Ainosuke’s words. Because of course despite having every intention of being perfectly honest—it was the least he could do after Tadashi so smoothly took the brunt of the apologizing—at the last minute his tongue had failed him.
It wasn’t that Tadashi was laughing (or smiling) that was so egregious.
It was that he had been flirting—
“Ah,” Tadashi said, a little puff of exhalation as everything clicked into place. Then, to Ainosuke’s surprise, Tadashi smiled. Bashfully! A little pink blush on his cheeks and everything; how absurd.
And rude, to look so sweetly happy when he was supposed to be apologizing.
“She’s apparently noticed you too,” Tadashi said before Ainosuke could say something caustic. “And while she mentions you regularly, this morning she commented that today she thought you looked especially handsome.”
Ainosuke frowned skeptically. This was not what he expected at all and he wasn’t entirely convinced that Tadashi was being totally honest. He’d never been above a little white lie if he felt it prudent.
“And?” Ainosuke prompted warily. “What did you say?”
“Oh, I agreed wholeheartedly,” Tadashi said with a nod, like calling Ainosuke handsome—especially handsome—was something he said regularly. Or ever. Then that sweet smile turned a little sharp. “And told her I suspected it was anticipation of your date tonight for your birthday.”
Ainosuke’s brows furrowed uncertainly. This was news to him and he was not happy about it. “I don’t recall seeing that on the calendar. I have a date tonight?”
“You do now,” Tadashi replied smoothly. “You are not the only one who is easily jealous, Ainosuke-sama.”
“Ah,” Ainosuke said, biting his bottom lip to hide his sudden smile and trying to tamper down the hopeful flutter in his chest. Then decided why bother—if he couldn’t be honestly happy now, when could he?
“Ainosuke-sama?” Tadashi asked carefully.
“You are absolutely right, Tadashi, that is why I’m especially handsome today,” Ainosuke said with a wicked smirk, eyes twinkling mischievously as he found Tadashi’s in the rear view mirror. “You really know me too well.”