Transaction

Disclaimer: We don’t own anything but the characters of the band Opium!

Author’s Notes: Welp, here we are again! I hope the second chapter is just as entertaining as the first! We introduce some non-Gravitation characters that play a large role in the story’s plot line later on. I think they’re what made this more than a one shot.

Enjoy!
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Transaction
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Chapter Two
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"Dude... Relax. He's calling us in. It's not like he doesn't want us."

It was almost comforting. Almost, but not quite. Taki just shook his head, ignoring the smooth voice of Opium's singer. He didn't understand, and he never would. Not unless he did something no one else would do. Something that would put him forever on Seguchi Tohma's bad side.

That side hurt. It left permentant hurt.

"Kenji, he's not listening. Just shut up."

Ah, bliss. The smartest words he'd heard yet, and of course, from the sensible guitarist. And yet, still, the answering snort from what had to be the most annoying singer he'd ever met.

Certainly he hadn't been that bad.

"We're here." Taki glanced out the window of the car, then turned to look at Kenji and the female guitarist.

Kenji was rolling his eyes, brown eyes mocking. Unnaturally red hair hung in spikes in his face, and Taki fought yet again the urge to reach for scissors. It wasn't a concert, they weren't going anywhere that needed gel, make-up, and tight pants.

Schooling a calm expression over his features, Taki opened the door and gave the band one last look. "Behave."

"Wha-"

"You're kidd-"

The doors slammed as the three band members piled out, led into the building.

Taki tried not to look around. It was weird to be back. Weird to see faces he recognized surrounded by faces he didn't. Had Seguchi restaffed? Bastard. Someone had probably commented about all the fucked up managers.

How hard was it to find somebody decent?

Obviously Opium had managed, on some level. If nothing else, he'd found them.

The secretary at the main lobby entrance was different. At one time it had been a pretty young short haired brunette, always dressed smartly in a suit that seemed to fit Tohma's tastes. Now it was an orderly looking woman with her black hair pulled back to the nape of her neck in a severe manner. The glasses were settled on the tip of her nose and she scrutinized Opium and it's manager with distaste.

"You're late," she said simply, a buzzing noise emitted from under the counter hiding her desk top. "You may go up. I trust you remember where meeting room three is?"

For someone who hadn't worked to see the days of ASK, how could she know this? She was a temp hired by Tohma to get things started on his side. Would it leave the singer worried that everyone in the building had been briefed on Taki's past? New and old?

Tohma hoped so.

The buzz reached the meeting room and the blond straightened up putting on his bowler back atop his head and closed the folder holding the paperwork. He set it to the side, made sure the refreshments were completely set up and in order and was left waiting once again.

He wondered if Taki would make up an excuse, or would he come clean with the reason they were late?

"Well, in case you don't, Aizawa... san," the secretary added grudgingly. "Fourth floor, when you step out the elevator, take the left and it will be the third door. You might remember it well."

After that, her attention was focused at something unseen on her desk, leaving Taki and his band to do as they wished.

Remember it? If Tohma recalled, it was the same room he signed ASK in.

That smug son of a...

Taki's fists clenched at his sides, and dark eyes narrowed. Once the secretary was done speaking, he was walking past her, leaving the band to follow or get lost. The anger boiling deep in his stomach didn't care if they followed or not, because he hadn't expected to get angry until he was inside the room, facing down that eerie smile.

"Remember it," He snorted, voice low. "Of course I fucking remember it. Bastard."

Kenji and the guitarist exchanged glances as they followed, wondering at the obvious change in their managers mindset. Normally he only got mad when Kenji recorded crap vocals.

So... that was like, all the time, but it hardly mattered.

Taki's irritated grumbling died off somewhere during the elevator ride. He'd decided against the stairs, not wanting to find any other unwelcome surprises. As it was, he'd nearly let the doors close without the band inside the elevator.

It wasn't his fault they were dawdling.

His hands fisted in his pockets, and he watched the floor numbers tick by. Scowl firmly in place, he felt much as he had at twenty two.

But, he was not twenty two. Tohma was doing it on purpose. New staff, the room, the secretary. This was all designed to put him on edge. It had to be. Why else would he go to the trouble? Certainly not because he liked strict women.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Taki felt a little more on the right side of composed when the elevator reached its destination. He could handle this. Tohma was still playing games.

"Think he's gone nuts..." Kenji muttered under his breath, tossing his head to get his hair out of his face.

"Bet it's your fault."
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Author's Notes: Kel's informed me that she'll be taking a backseat from here. So this is either because my Tohma was so devious during the story, or because she was the one who transfered it all to Word. And that came to 300+ pages.

Anyways, I didn't know about the blonde/blond thing. But I'll be combing over the chapters in the future for that. I'll eventually go back and fix chapter one.

I gott run to work now! Leave a review!

~Subby