Transaction

Disclaimer: Blerguhl.

Author’s Notes: Okay, I said I'd rest and take a step back from this story until I was better, but I can't. I'm bored. Laying on the couch all day is so freakin boring. No one's on until much later because of time zones, and whatnot. So, here I am. I really can't do much editing for a while. I'm having issues with spelling. I'm still running a fever.

Anyways, thank you to our reviewers. I'm so glad you love the story. The sequel is making a lot of progress! So, we're back to Tohma and Taki for you lovers of them. Enjoy!
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Transaction
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Chapter Forty-Eight
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He couldn't believe he'd said that. Couldn't fucking believe it.

Taki avoided Tohma's office for the rest of the day, and well into the next. He didn't want to see Tohma, didn't want to face up to the fact that he'd practically admitted... almost told him...

No. No, he hadn't. He'd only said that the contract should stay the way it was, because he wasn't leaving. It was the WORK that was important to him. The work.

Except, the work hadn't come to work in days.

He knew he was lying to himself, and it left a sick feeling in his stomach. He spent more and more time in his office, even skipping lunch. While he was in his office, he was okay. He could lock the door, ignore the camera he knew was there, and pretend he was alone.

But while he was out in the halls? There was always that chance of running into Tohma, and he wasn't ready for that.

The blond was watching the array of screens on his wall quietly. He followed all laws, and these were only for terms of security. There was nothing perverted in where he'd placed them... or had one installed.

Across the hall from Taki's office.

He couldn't help himself. Once the idea had come to him (cameras were only placed in each corner of the hallways), he couldn't push it away. Taki didn't come by anymore. He wasn't at lunch in the break rooms or cafe. It wasn't wrong of him, was it?

Why was he questioning himself!? Tohma had full confidence that he knew what he was doing. And he was a fair man, so he didn't put it in the office. And it was also why he wasn't offering Taki a job to stay permanently just in case. Of course he could keep the other man around here, unfortunately, there was no work to be done. He couldn't do that to his other managers.

Tohma set down the now empty class, ice all that was left. And decided he had to plan this right. By now, Taki had a very vague schedule. A routine. The crazy thing to do, of course, would be to study it obsessively and catch him at a moment. Tohma was not crazy. He'd given Taki some work that had to be delivered to a producer on another floor. Today. Since the producer would be leaving in about ten minutes, this would be the only time for Taki before it was too late.

Taki hadn't left all day otherwise. He saw Taki leave and waited patiently until he was on his way to the other floor. Tohma's plan was to catch him on his way back. Tohma left and went to Taki's office, allowing himself the liberty of entering and taking a seat in Taki's chair.

And this just fucking sucked.

Taki hated to rush, but there was no other way to get this stupid folder to the producer who was leaving in mere minutes. He wished he hadn't picked up his phone, but it had been an automatic reaction, and he would have done it just to get the damn thing to shut up.

Secretaries were so pushy.

It was a relief to get to the office the producer shared with another manager and drop the folder on the man's desk. He was obviously getting ready to leave. The desk was clear, there wasn't a computer in sight, everything was put away, and the man had been just about to get up.

"Thank you!" He smiled, "I'm glad you caught me. This is a very important folder... I'm sure Seguchi-san will be pleased."

Taki nodded, but didn't respond, already turning toward the door.

He was taking his time on his way back to his office. He didn't want to rush again. It didn't occur to him that if the folder was so damn important, the producer could have gotten it himself, or adjusted his schedule enough to wait for it.

And when the hell had he become a fucking delivery boy?

Taki was fuming when he got back to his office, stepping inside without looking at his desk and kicking the door shut hard behind him.

"My, what did the door ever do to you?" Tohma asked, ever pleasant, as he turned the chair to face Taki.

Would Taki be angry if he came clean and explained why Taki had to go deliver a file? Well... he had to wonder about that himself. While their conversations were stimulating, there was something else invested now, and it wasn't just sex.

It bothered him, to say the least. Something inside his own little world. His very own being was not at his control.

"I wanted to thank you for dropping off that folder for me. I know you must be busy. I've hardly seen you!"

Taki, about to take a step, leaned back against the door because Tohma's abrupt appearance had made his heart skip a beat in his chest. And now it brought on a flooding sense of dread, because Taki knew he was not ready for this.

He had half a mind to leave again.

In the end, he decided that the less he gave Tohma to respond to, the faster he would have to leave. "I've been working." Something he was supposed to do when he was in the building. He remembered what he came here every morning for, but it was getting harder and harder to find things to work on when his band, all three of them, now, were missing in action.

When they came back (because they all would. Taki would track them down if he had to), he was going to make sure they finished the work they were supposed to have finished this week in record time.

"I should hope so," Tohma said, but his smile was falling fast. He had to think for a moment. Taki had the ball in his court. He was at fault from the hospital, and Tohma would not make any motions towards the other man. He had to do it himself.

And just how Taki looked was enough. At first, almost scared. Heart attack-like. Tohma didn't know how to feel to that. Was he truly that fear inducing? The step back. Unease, wary and so unsure of himself. The look on his face had flickered from frightened and unsure to composed. He knew the game he was playing now.

Tohma figured it must involve him and leaving. When did he realize so much about Taki with things so small? Why did he feel the horrible urge to walk away now?

Even though he knew Taki should come to him, but he couldn't help himself from asking. He kept his eyes level and his mouth was a thin, straight line.

"Are you avoiding me?"

It was all in his mouth. When Tohma was smiling, Taki knew to look at his eyes. But it was his mouth now that was the great give away. Taki had never seen Tohma look so serious. Grim, maybe even...

No. Not that.

Taki had always been one to test his limits. He'd always pushed and shoved, and he knew that he usually went too far. He knew that this would be way too far for what they were right now. It was like pole vaulting in gravel. Unsafe and treacherous.

Taki knew that if for anything else he'd done, it was this answer that could really get him killed.

With a professional smile that didn't reach his eyes, Taki nodded. "Yes. I am."

Tohma had been holding his frown in this way, and yet, he could feel his hold slipping. He thought he might wind up smiling again, but instead gravity took its course and the frown set deeper. The corners of his lips fell, his eyes drained. It felt so much easier than smiling all the time. How odd.

"Well, then I'll let you get back to work," he said quietly, but he cleared his throat loudly and smiled again as he got up out of the chair. "I know we have to stay on top of things even though the band isn't here."

Things to cancel and push back. New dates to make just in case. Rescheduling for appearances, photo shoots. It was very tedious. Beaurocrasy. Annoying really. Tohma didn't prefer it.

"I'll see you by the end of this week...," he said with a faulty finality. He wanted to say Taki's name at the end, only he wasn't sure which to used.

Unfortunately, Taki was still standing in front of the door. He waited politely for the other man to move, though, and he hated admitting it to himself, he had a brief flash of hope that Taki wasn't going to move. Where that little idea went from there was... interesting.

For a brief, delusional second, Taki thought Tohma might cry. But, it didn't take long before Tohma was smiling again, and Taki realized for the first time that he really could hurt this man. A younger him would have seized on it and sought to bring Tohma down to his knees, but Taki found that he didn't... want to.

He had to be sick.

Tohma was standing now, just... staring at him. And he remembered that he was in front of the door. He could feel it against his back, and the slight tilt let him look up the scant inch of height difference to see Tohma's face.

Irrationally, he felt himself start to apologize, then bit his tongue hard to stop it.

He didn't regret anything he did. He couldn't let himself, or he'd start to regret everything.

Nodding mutely, he slipped past Tohma and to his chair, arm burning where it had brushed against Tohma's. He needed to rearrange, give himself more space. He knew he'd have plenty if he pushed the desk up against the door.

Tohma waited until he was out of the office and the door was shut before one hand came up and gripped the other arm that had brushed against Taki. What was happening here?

Well, if nothing else, he knew one way he could possibly fix this. It was just a matter of calling up an old friend. A very close one. Surely that would get Taki out of his system.

With that settled, he walked back to his office, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator.
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Author's Notes: I may do another update tonight if I'm bored again. I've been passing out lately because I keep trying to do more than my body wants me to. Sorry. So here we have more tension with few words between them. What will happen? What does this mean?

Ooo, Pokemon!

Drop us a line, dear readers!

~Subby