Transaction

Disclaimer: Blah blah.

Author’s Notes: Today my mother has decided on having a Sunday Dinner. I have no idea why she's doing this, but I can't complain. So, I dunno how long I'll be busy with family. Woo.

Anyways, last chapter everything seemed like it would be going so well for Opium's first day back! Ah, but the foreshadowing we didn't plan won't let that happen. Kel and I are just mean. Oh! Speaking of Kel, I've recently helped her with some problems. As payment, she now has to start working on the sequel again. WOO!

So enjoy Opium's unexpected surprise at work!
~~~
Transaction

Chapter Fifty-Six
~~~
It was worth hauling himself out of bed and to work just to piss off that stupid bitch. Taki wasn't laughing as he closed the door behind him, but he was certainly pleased with himself. He loved making Tohma's secretary splutter and go red in the face, just because he absolutely hated her.

He wouldn't mind her so much, he supposed, if she wasn't so fucking pushy when she called his office on orders from Tohma. Taki knew he would respond so much better if it were Tohma who made the call.

So long as Tohma stayed out of his hair.

It still hurt to move, and walking was almost excruciating. Neither of them had been gentle in the elevator, and Taki could feel it through every limb as he moved. One day, Tohma was going to make the brutality up to him, but for now, Taki couldn't find it in himself to protest.

Instead, he just flopped onto the couch that stood against the wall perpendicular to Tohma's desk. It hurt too much to sit on it, and this way, he had a clear view of the door. He would try his best to be awake when Tohma came in for lunch.

Tohma headed up to his office on the lunch break, fully prepared to call Taki and enjoy his lunch while talking to him. When he arrived, his secretary was annoyed and horribly tensed, slamming things around. He eased passed her and slipped into his office, shutting the door behind him.

And then he caught sight of Taki lounged on his couch.

Shutting the door and leaning against it, he smiled over at the other man. "Shouldn't you be home resting?"

After all, that had been the deal. How did he even get in today?

Taki didn't lift his head, but there was a small, lazy quirk to the corner of his mouth. He let his arm slip down to drape over the edge of the couch, blinking up at Tohma with all the innocence he didn't have. "I am resting."

See? He hadn't broken the deal. He had no intention to move, so that was resting. He'd drive himself insane at home, because there was absolutely nothing to do.

Taki didn't keep anything around to keep himself occupied. The only time he was home was when he was asleep. That was all he needed the apartment for anyway. And he would not, ever, submit himself to television.

It was horrible. Mindless. Brain numbing.

"You're a little sneak," Tohma said, not being taken in by that fake look. It couldn't be trusted at all. Then again, neither could one who smiled all the time either.

He crossed over to Taki, gently lifting his legs, sitting down and laying them across his lap. Removing his gloves, he started to rub them a little bit, hoping to ease a bit of the pain he'd caused not too long ago in this very building.

"They're working hard," he said, commenting on the band that was out at lunch. "Kenji didn't even want to break for lunch yet."

He couldn’t complain.

"Haido coerced him into it, though."

Really, Tohma had wanted the break. A little selfish, but he really did want to check up on Taki.

Practically purring, Taki let his eyes close. Making a soft hum because he knew he was a sneak, Taki's eyes opened a little in surprise at the news on his band. "Kenji didn't want lunch?" Taki shook his head, though slowly. "Unbelievable. You drugged him, didn't you?"

Tohma would have had to. Kenji always thought with his stomach. Recently, though, Taki had to doubt that. Just a little. Kenji had finally started thinking with other things, though Taki was disappointed to say that they weren't his brain.

Maybe Tohma had replaced the band members with clones. They were sounding entirely too... normal to be the band he'd worked with for so many months. Clones would definitely explain it.

Taki wasn't concerned, though. As long as they were quality clones...

"No, not at all," the blond said chuckling as he worked Taki's tensed muscles between his fingers. "He wants to finish this CD as fast as he can."

But Tohma wouldn't stand for rushed, inferior work. He liked Kenji's attitude, but he still ordered them about like he had the first time. Perfection was pertinent in Tohma's book.

"I'm wondering if Keiko had anything to do with the revised attitude. I didn't see any new bruises though," he admitted. "I have to say, I'm a little shocked. But you made my day by showing up."

The half smile on Taki's face was lazy and tired. This was nice, but he knew he was going to be paying for it later when he stood up and fell down. "I would have driven myself insane at home." He said, downsizing the importance of being half asleep on the couch in Tohma's office.

It wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything. The most they could hope to be for each other were impromptu friends, who had lots and lots of sex.

Painful, brutal, animalistic sex.

And that was the best kind.

"Well, maybe you should have more things to entertain you at home," Tohma said reasonably, hands moving up from Taki's calves to his thighs. "Video games, books... things like that."

Though he did know how boring it was to sit around at home no matter what was there. Sometimes a change of scenery was more fun than actually doing anything. He could understand. Taki was also an impatient man, so those things probably wouldn't help either way.

"Now, can you enlighten me as to what has suddenly gotten into my secretary?"

It was an instinctive reaction to let his legs fall open so Tohma could have more room to touch. Normally, between them, it would have been sexual, but right now, it was just comfortable. Taki couldn't help but make a face at the suggestion, but it was gone as soon as he started laughing.

Because he just couldn't help it. He knew exactly what had gotten into that woman!

Taking deep, steadying breaths as the hilarity died, the smile on Taki's face was crooked. "I don't think she likes me." Either that, or she hadn't had any decent sex in a long, long time.

Taki wasn't about to fix that for her.

Tohma sighed and shook his head gently from side to side. Taki would still have that streak in him that caused a ruckus with people in general. Cute, but it never got anyone far in life. Still, he could live with it.

"Well, what did you do to her that caused her not to like you?" he asked sweetly, switching legs.

Taki was still hurting, he could feel it. But he kept his touch light and gentle, trying to work out the small kinks and pains. It was nice to be able to do something like this with Taki. Neither of them wanted it to be just about the sex, and this was a good way to prove Tohma would keep to that.

"Do to her?" Taki's attempt at innocence failed miserably, but he didn't seem at all put out. He thought Tohma's reaction was priceless, if a little irritating. There were still little things about Tohma that were irritating, some that just drove him up the wall, but he figured that if Tohma had traits he couldn't stand, he had to have tons that Tohma hated about him, too.

After all, he knew he wasn't exactly the most likable person. That was probably why the secretary was such a horrible bitch. At least, she was to him.

"I didn't do anything! I just came into your office and shut the door." Right in her face, but that was hardly the point.

"While she tried to stop you from doing as such considering the owner of said office was not in the office," Tohma said, filling in the rest of, what he felt, was an incomplete sentence. "You're lucky she didn't call security."

Which was normal protocol in the situation. Basically, the secretary had seen enough to get a good idea of the situation. He didn't exactly hire idiots to work under him.

"Well, Taki, now that you're at work, you've thoroughly annoyed someone and you won't actually work the whole day," Tohma listed, smiling. "Would you like some lunch?"

He knew he was lucky she didn't call security, but Taki was pretty sure she was just jealous. And who wouldn't be? He was the lucky bastard that got to sleep with the boss, and it was goooood.

"Do I have to move?" Taki asked, aiming for pitiful and missing. Really, he was just lazy and comfortable. Lethargic. He didn't want to move, and he didn't want Tohma to move. He wanted them to stay where they were, because if either of them moved, he'd be cold.

Ha. Was that an ulterior motive?

Nah... just selfish. Greedy.

"No, not really," Tohma said. But he did have to stop massaging Taki's legs to fish his cell phone out of his pocket. He rang up his secretary, asking her to get his usual lunch. Setting the phone aside, he returned his attentions to Taki.

"How have you been feeling today?" Tohma asked, taking one of Taki's hands in his, rubbing that. He did like pampering people sometimes. Taki was an extra special reason. He was a lover, but also, someone whose pain he'd accidentally caused.

More recently then ever, Taki's hands had begun to cramp. It was all the hand writing, signing papers and scrawling notes that never really came out legibly. Taki's prowess had never been with a pen, and there were times when he really had to concentrate on what he was doing.

And when that happened, his fingers gripped the pen tighter to make sure he didn't screw it up. It was no surprise that his hands cramped, though they were a minor inconvenience in comparison.

The joints ached as Tohma pressed on them, but that was all but gone when Tohma's hands moved away. His skin felt warm. Soft and welcoming.

"Tired. Sore." And a tired and sore Taki, accompanied by boredom, was not a pleasant thing.

"I'm sorry about that," Tohma said, looking at Taki's face. Cute. Dazed and completely content. "I really wasn't thinking, was I?"

At least his efforts were being enjoyed though. That's what he liked to see. Taki was content, relaxing and not wandering around, making his body any more rundown. It was the most calm he'd ever seen the ex-vocalist.

He placed Taki's hand down, taking up Taki's other one, working it over just as gently as the first one. Tohma couldn't help but feel a little guilty for this. It was his fault Taki was laid up and bored.

"I wasn't telling you to stop, was I?" It was a deliberate mimic, one said in a harsh tone that made it quite clear that they weren't going to pin blame. It wasn't worth it. With his body the way it was, Tohma could have been gentle and he wouldn't have been able to do more then sloth around all day.

If Taki was going to have to sloth no matter what, he wanted to at least enjoy it first. Tohma had certainly done that for him.

His hand was in a lethargic curl, resting on his stomach. He was beginning to feel so relaxed his limbs felt numb, and it took too much concentration to convince himself to move. Food would have been nice, but not if he had to sit up to eat it.

"No, but how I wish I could reach the tape on my desk for that mouth of yours," Tohma said teasingly as a soft knock hit his door. His smile grew and he asked whoever was behind it to enter.

His secretary walked in, holding a bag of take out. She eyed Taki with pure contempt, but said nothing about the position they were found in. Aki was good to handle Tohma's personal matters this way. He really did enjoy her company sometimes... when she wasn't avidly pissed off.

"I have your lunch," she said, forcing herself to try and be more enjoyable to Tohma, her boss.

"Thank you, Aki. If you wouldn't mind..." he trailed off, motioning for her to bring the bag over to him.

Wordlessly she did as asked, and Tohma thanked her kindly, and she left, leaving the two alone again.

"Oh my," he said, stopping all ministrations on Taki to open up the bag, taking out his food. Sushi today. He loved it. "You've done a number this time. Were any choice words exchanged?"

Taki's grin was lopsided, and just a little smug. "Maybe a few." He could think of a few. And they'd come from him.

God, she was a stupid bitch.

Groaning, Taki pulled himself up into a sitting position. It took too much effort, legs relaxed and almost rubbery. His hands didn't want to grip at the couch to pull himself up, and when he was seated and all the effort was spent, he felt quite ready to just collapse against Tohma and let that be the end.

It didn't help any that his body gave a great throb, reminding him of exactly why he wasn't supposed to be at work today.

He ignored it, leaning his shoulder against Tohma's so he could look at the food. Sushi. He was thinking more along the lines of warm food, but he'd undoubtedly end up stealing some of Tohma's just so he didn't starve later.

Taki knew he wouldn't eat until he got home and ordered something. There was no way in hell he would submit to his own cooking. He didn't need someone else to tell him it was terrible, he already knew.

"Taki, you're going to have to learn to put up with her," Tohma said, nudging Taki gently as he leaned against him. "But, I'll let her know you have my express permission to enter my office."

He broke the chopsticks apart and opened up the container. Taking up a piece, he held it over for Taki to eat.

"Open up," he said. Their time was short since he'd relaxed with Taki for a little while. No doubt he'd go back down late, but he didn't mind. After all, it wasn't he who'd taken a week off.

Put up with her! Taki snorted. That was like playing nice with a crocodile, it didn't fucking work. It was okay as long as you were far away, but as soon as you got close enough, your head was gone. All that woman needed were the teeth and the tail.

But, it was worth keeping his opinion to himself if he got fed. Food was a weakness right now, no matter how thin he was. When he felt miserable, he ate. It had caused him trouble in high school, because at one point, he'd eaten so much that not even his metabolism could keep up, and he'd actually gained weight.

It was the low point in his life. The time that Taki looked back at and laughed.

He'd been such a little shit. Not that it had really changed...

He took the offered sushi from Tohma, only shifting enough to take it from the chopsticks. He really was comfortable like this. It made him wish their lunches were longer, a thought that was almost immediately dismissed.

Tohma rolled his eyes as Taki snorted, feeding him without a word. It was very comforting to be like this. He personally enjoyed having Taki finally here and not pushing him away. Tohma thought it a personal triumph.

"Well, you have to try and be good," he said, taking up a piece and eating it himself.

He didn't want any problems at work. He wouldn't hide his relationship, but he couldn't give Taki any special treatment for it either. Respecting his secretary was a rule all had to follow.

After swallowing, he offered another to Taki.

"Would you like to rest here, or join us in the studio?"

Taki didn't snort this time, and that in itself was an acquiesce. He wasn't necessarily going to try hard, but he'd try. He wouldn’t tell her to fuck off and die anymore, at least. He couldn't however, say anything about nonverbal communication.

That was something entirely different.

Taking the next sushi roll, Taki chewed as he thought. He could stay here, bored. He could go home, bored, even though he knew that it hadn't been mentioned as an option. Or, he could go down to the studio and be bothered by obnoxious band members.

At least he wouldn't be bored.

"I'll go to the studio." He decided when he'd swallowed.

"Good," Tohma said with a smile. "I could use a cute distraction."

Yes, he was calling Taki cute, and he couldn't help it. Sometimes the other man seemed absolutely adorable. The little faces he'd make, the ruckus he'd cause, things like that. It was cute to the blond.

They continued eating together until all the food was gone, and Tohma had to force himself to start stirring to the idea of going back to work. He was already five minutes late (a rarity), what did another five matter?

A lot. More than anything, he knew. Time was precious in this business, and to even think he'd let this much go by. He scolded himself mentally.

"Alright, Taki, time to go to work."

There had been no time to protest that he WASN'T cute, because Tohma was offering him another roll of sushi, and Taki couldn't protest. Still, he glared when all the anger he could, because he was. Not. Cute.

All too soon, though, the food was gone, and he knew they were late. He could feel it, an itching feeling that said they were supposed to be downstairs already. If he'd been at home, Taki knew he would have been fidgeting uncontrollably and cursing so loudly his neighbors would come to ask what was wrong.

He was actually glad he wasn't at home.

Sighing, Taki made himself sit up, carry his own weight as he pushed himself to his feet. To his credit, it was only a little shaky, and he only reached back to put his hand on Tohma's shoulder instead of gripping, like he'd been about to do.

"How late are we?" He really needed to start wearing a watch.

He watched the other man carefully, but said nothing. If Taki had been able to make it here, he could make it downstairs and to the studio. He checked his watched when Taki asked for the time.

"About... ten minutes or so," he said, smiling at Taki. "Ready?"

If Taki wanted his help, he would ask for it, or he would go without. If nothing else, it seemed as though he was fairly steady on his own two feet.

Ten minutes late. Kenji was probably shitting himself.

"Yeah." It showed how much Taki hadn't been on his feet all day that he took slow steps. He wasn't used to sitting down all the time. Even when he was in his office, he paced when he read because he always soaked in information better that way.

He didn't know why, he just did. Probably leftovers from lyric memorizing. Hell if he knew.

When he made it to the door, it was a relief to pause to open it. Taki wasn't exactly sure what was better. Moving or being still. One of them had to be, he just couldn't tell which, not when both hurt in their own way.

Tohma followed behind the man with equally slow and cautious steps. He waited until Taki opened the door, following him out and pulling it closed behind them. They had to walk out past Aki, who seemed less agitated and was going about her work.

"Aki?" Tohma asked, she looked up, still frowning. "Aizawa-san has my permission to visit my office if need be at anytime whether I'm there or not. He also had a talking to about his earlier behavior, and it won't be happening again."

She nodded, glancing over at Taki without a word. "Yes, sir. Should I have the car ready at the usual time?"

"No. I'll be working late tonight."

She nodded again and went back to her work. He motioned for Taki to continue on towards the elevator.

"I hope what I've told her stands to stay true, Taki," Tohma said, an edge of seriousness in his voice. He liked being a man of his word after all.

Hands in his pockets, Taki gave a nonchalant shrug. "I'll play nice if she will." Which wasn't entirely true, but, it was all in the thought, right? Wrong, but Taki couldn't really bring himself to be concerned.

Aki had never liked him, and he'd never liked her. In the end, it was just an unspoken agreement to be hostile toward each other. It wasn't his fault she'd taken it so personally.

He'd hit the button to call the elevator up, and it dinged as it opened. Taki had always considered the warning bell to be a bit of a waste, because if you hit the button for the elevator, you obviously knew it was going to be coming. Really, the bell was just a cause to charge more because it was obnoxious and ultimately useless.

It reminded him of a secretary they'd only just passed.

Stepping into the elevator with Tohma behind him, Taki leaned against the wall to keep himself up. He felt tired, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to reach the studio and sit down, or stay in the elevator forever and stand.

Tohma shook his head gently as they stepped onto the lift and rode down a few floors. Taki could be so insufferable sometimes, and yet, he didn't mind it so much. Taki had never really annoyed him or pushed his buttons. He'd only made mistakes.

"I'm sure they're all going to be very surprised when I walk in with you," he said, smiling pleasantly. And he was sure they'd all be thinking the same thing once they saw how Taki was walking. Which hadn't happened, but he was walking as such because of a previous incident.

He wondered what they were all doing at this very moment. Were they waiting around impatiently? Maybe they'd decided to extend their lunch? Hm.

"If they're that surprised, you've been going too easy on them." Taki gave Tohma a small, lopsided grin. It was mostly calculation, because he knew they were going to be shocked. Kenji especially, because Kenji was never any good at hiding what he felt.

It was so funny to watch, too. Taki never got tired of pulling the boy’s strings to see what he would do.

Eventually, though, it stopped being productive and simply became irritating.

The elevator was going down, but not that far. Their studio was on the higher levels, just under all of the offices. Taki liked working directly with Tohma, because he knew Tohma wouldn't go any farther down then he had to.

"It's only been a few hours," Tohma said, looking scandalized. "I have to work up to my full potential."

Besides, could he help it if he'd been distracted with other thoughts? Ones that involved checking up on Taki as soon as he had been able to. But, he was sure Kenji was going to be very shocked. Then again, with his recent upbeat attitude, maybe he would just welcome it as a chance to show off for the man who had really made the band.

A few floors down, the band of Opium were getting restless. Keiko had gone off to the bathroom and the couple were left alone. Kenji was getting twitchy and Haido thought it was very cute.

"Oh, c'mon, Kenji!" Haido said, over exaggeratedly annoyed. "He's a little late... all I want is a kiss."

He pouted, looking up at the other man. "Please? I'll be good, I promise."

He crossed his heart with a finger just to prove his good intentions.

"It's nearly been ten minutes!" Kenji sighed in aggravation, looking back to where Haido was leaned against the wall. It just wasn't in him to let Haido beg, and especially not when he was looking so appealing.

But it wasn't like Tohma to be late!

Finally, he sighed again, giving into Haido's request. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Haido's, one hand bracing on the wall.

Tohma and Taki were casually making their way to the elevator, keeping up a smooth rhythm of conversation. Taki couldn’t help it. He had to ask.

"It takes you hours to work up to your full potential?" Taki's brows raised, and he pulled his hands from his pockets to cross them over his chest. "You mean you've been holding back? What exactly have I been missing out on?"

He sounded entirely serious, but it was all too obvious in his expression that he wasn't.

"Well, you'll just have to find out, won't you?" Tohma said teasingly.

He watched until they reached their number floor and the elevator dinged lightly, the door whispering open. Tohma placed one arm out of the lift to ensure it wouldn't close and looked at Taki to leave first.

Downstairs, Haido shrugged when Kenji had made a comment about the time. He didn't care! Right now, he wanted to spend a few minutes in relative privacy with Kenji.

But, he was happy as Kenji leaned down to give him the kiss he wanted. Haido leaned forward and up to meet him a little ways, arms going around Kenji's neck.

Alright, so he was going to break his promise, he really didn't think it all that important as he nudged Kenji's lips open with his tongue.

His arms were wrapping around Haido's waist to pull him close, and for a moment, Kenji wasn't quite sure what was going on. Where was Keiko? The... bathroom, right? Something like that... and Tohma was... late...

He gave up the access to his mouth almost too easily, and it was a second after the kiss had deepened that he realized Haido had promised to behave. But, it was too late to protest, because he liked the way it felt too much to pull back and bitch.

The grin on Taki's face was absolutely feral as he looked over at Tohma in the elevator. Oh, yes. He would be finding out, and in a way he was sure Tohma wouldn't appreciate until it was over.

He knew how much Tohma just loved to be teased.

Stepping out of the elevator, Taki slipped his hands back into his pockets as he started down the hall. Their's was the door three down from the elevator, but Taki was quite intent on taking his time.

Tohma followed Taki out, very unsure how to interpret that grin. He was a little thrown off by it. On top of that, he could even admit to it giving him a small twinge of nervousness.

He walked side by side with Taki, keeping pace. After all, there was no rush. They were already late, and he wouldn't rush Taki in this condition, nor would he leave him behind. They could make up the missed time later tonight when they were all on overtime.

Haido loved being able to pull Kenji into these little moments, especially at work. Yes, Keiko had run off to the bathroom, and Haido didn't want to get caught in the studio again. He figured they'd be able to hear someone coming if they were outside the room, right?

Tohma cleared his throat as he watched the two men before him, very intent on their kiss. Well, he guessed they were being productive during their absence.

When Kenji pulled back, the flush was high in his cheeks. It only grew brighter as he caught sight of Taki, who looked almost... amused, and somehow disgusted. Kenji would have mouthed wordlessly if his lips hadn't been tingling so pleasantly from the kiss.

"Alright, rabbits. Back to work." Taki stepped past Tohma and took a seat. Normally, he would have dropped himself into it, but his body had taken enough abuse as it was, and he wasn't exactly inclined to make it any worse.

He liked pain, sure, but not unnecessary pain. Sometimes, it was just a factor of the sex, and it had to be there. Right now, it was unwarranted, and Taki wanted it to go away.

Rabbits? Haido seemed a little confused as he pressed himself against the wall, as if trying to hide himself in it. Then it made sense and his blushed deeply. Damnit... it wasn't like that! Uh, it wasn't like that all the time at least.

He cleared his throat, watching Taki go by with widened eyes and take a seat in the studio.

"Yes... please, if we could get started again," Tohma agreed, following Taki in. "I apologize for being late. Lunch took longer than expected."

He sat next to Taki, and Haido followed in and Keiko was returning from the bathroom.

Longer than expected?

Kenji let Haido slip past him, letting Keiko herd them both back into the recording studio. Whether Tohma and Taki knew it or not, whatever was between them was high on Kenji's Creepy Charts. Taki's sudden appearance didn't help any.

After all, Tohma could have had him like... tied up in his office, and no one would know! And it took so long for them to come back from lunch because Taki had to be let down after a rough round! AND! It would explain why he was walking so funny!

Kenji couldn't help but make a face as he took the microphone.

Ew.
~~~
Author's Notes: The last part where Kenji's kind of talking is the best part! Okay, and the beginning with Aki. It's just funny. But, really, I liked this chapter for the changes between Tohma and Taki. Their dynamics have done a 180 on us. It's almost sickeningly cute to watch.

Rest assure Kel and I have that covered. EVILNESS!

Drop us a line!

~Subby