Transaction

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah.

Author’s Notes: Okay, yes I'm taking longer to update. Yes, the story is really finished. I swear. I've just been overloaded from work. As far as the New England trip for work goes, it's all set. We're leaving early monday, probably working the same day. Housing is all set up and we are not allowed to take our own cars, which means we're trapped. We're all going to go insane.

None of us are sure if we'll have internet access for the week we're there, so it may be longer than usual for me to update. I'm still kind of excited, but not all that much as I was. We're going to be there for my birthday, and there may be no way to celebrate now! Kind of sad.

Anyways, this chapter is just something Kel and I loved writing. Whenever we got our hands on these two, a club would always come into play with them. So, Tohma does have a bit of that party rocker in him. I think Taki just likes being all sexy and drunk dancing with him. Kel laughs at this, and says the club is just a more natural setting for them. I have to agree.

Enjoy!
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Transaction
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Chapter Sixty-Eight
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Taki dropped himself carelessly into an overstuffed chair when they finally finished the tour, several hours later. Groaning, he tossed an arm dramatically over his eyes, because that had probably been the singly most torturous thing he'd ever volunteered himself for.

"Okay, be honest." Lifting his arm just enough, he peered out from under it at Tohma, who was sitting down in another chair across from him. "How many of those rooms had you never been in before?"

Because it looked like a lot. It looked like no one but the poor cleaning woman went in them, and then only once a month to dust.

His head hurt. Tohma should just give up and sign this place off as a gaudy museum of bad Japanese relics.

"Oh, I've been in all of them at least once. You're not the first person to ask for a tour," the blond replied, accepting a drink of rum off a tray from one of the servants, and asked him to bring out a scotch. "Do I remember all of them? No."

Tohma was always honest. He knew the kitchen, his bedroom with Mika, the bathrooms, his study, his music room, and all the guest bedrooms.

Out of that. There were two or three more sitting rooms, whatever rooms Mika used, ect. It was just tiresome sometimes. When the scotch was brought out, he took it from the tray and handed it to Taki, taking a seat on another overstuffed chair.

"Well, now that we've done with that annoyance, I want to get out of here," Tohma sighed, sipping his drink. He looked at his watch. "It's a bit late though."

"So? We can go out if you want to." Because they were adults, and they were definitely allowed to wander in late to work for once. Tohma was the boss, he could make his own schedule. If Tohma wanted to go out, then they should.

It would be a lot more fun to go out, dance some, and get drunk in public then it would to get drunk here and collapse into bed for some safe sex. Some things were just more exciting when you put that public edge on them.

Especially since Tohma was married. But, shhh. Taki wouldn't tell if no one else would.

As far as he was concerned, for the week that Tohma's wife was out of town, she didn't exist. This week, it was just him and Tohma.

And work, but that could be overlooked.

"Well, I know that, it's just... what would still be open at this time?" Tohma asked. And even then, you had to give the blonde some time to dress for the place. He certainly wasn't going to be seen out in his work suit. Interesting thought the purple crushed velvet suit may be.

Tohma thought for a moment. "I supposed we could go to another club. I'm not sure what's worth my time anymore."

If the other man knew a club that he would enjoy, he'd go out. Unfortunately, crappy techno remixes of new overplayed songs weren't entertaining.

"There's a place near my old apartment that used to play some pretty decent stuff," Taki shrugged, still looking out at Tohma from under his arm. His sprawled position was surprisingly comfortable. "We could go check that out."

If they didn't like it, they could go find something else. If they did, they could get totally piss-drunk and have a few killer dances. Taki wasn't wound up about going out to a club in his work clothes, but he could deal with it.

What he wore to work was a lot more casual then what most people did. He had a jacket, which he'd taken off an hour before, but it was light and a little too form fitting to be a real suit. His shirts were always untucked, and his pants hung in a way that was supposed to make people look at him.

He'd always dressed like that, unless he was onstage. And then the clothes just got tighter.

"Sounds good," Tohma said with a smile. "I'll have to change first, though. If you don't mind."

Not like Taki had a choice. They were using Tohma's car. He excused himself to head upstairs, hesitating just slightly, wondering if he should outright ask Taki to join him.

After all, he did have to take a quick shower. Instead, he kept going up the stairs, wondering what Taki was thinking about.

Sometimes, when Taki went home alone at night, he wondered about what he was doing with Tohma. He had to be crazy, to sleep with the man who had shoved him in front of a car! He had to be nuts. Criminally insane.

If he went to an institution, they'd take him on default.

And, other nights, he went home alone and wished he weren't alone. He wanted Tohma to be there to keep him warm under sheets that were always too cold, and found himself wishing for the next day at work.

It was so on and off, Taki really wished it would stop. He and Tohma didn't have a set relationship. They were friends now, yes. He didn't hate Tohma, and Tohma didn't hate him. But, they weren't lovers, they weren't dating, and they certainly weren't 'together.'

They just were, and that sort of irked Taki.

It made him wonder... if he were to find another man interesting, and tried to pursue something with him, how would Tohma react? Would he take the hypocritical stance and try to make him cut off whatever contact he had, even though he had a wife? Or, would he not care at all?

Taki was just low enough to actually test it. But, not tonight.

Tohma came back downstairs dressed smartly in black slacks and a red button down shirt, the first one or two top buttons undone. He was without gloves and wasn't going to be taking his hat. But he felt much better for going out tonight.

"Good enough for a club, right?" Tohma asked with a short laugh, doing a little twirl in front of Taki as a joke. Taking a small bow, he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Well, now that I'm finished, any primping you need to take care of before we go?"

He liked those pants on Tohma. No, seriously, he really liked them. They looked softer than normal slacks, and Taki knew that they would be when he got the chance to touch him. Just like Tohma's shirt would be abnormally smooth. Tohma always wore the best, and he didn't let anything but the best cloth touch him.

Hauling himself out of his chair with a put on groan, Taki should his head. "No, I'm fine." The club they were going to knew him, and though it had been awhile, Taki wasn't concerned with looking his best for the people there.

Tohma liked the way he looked, and that was enough.

So, see? It was when he thought things like that that made him really believe he was crazy.

Rubbing his hands through his hair and over his face, he let them fall and left his hair in a state of disarray. "Let's go."

Tohma nodded, getting someone to ready the car they would take to the club. The blonde was a bit excited. He assumed that if they were going to a club, the results would be like the first time they had gone. Taki would be drunk, Tohma would be buzzed and he would have to lead the ex singer out of the club so as not to disgrace themselves in public.

"Onward," Tohma said, laughing as they made their way out over to and out the door. The limo was waiting and the driver slipped out of the car to hold open the back door for them.

Slipping in, Tohma let out a sigh as he stretched out on the long, large seat.

Taki had to pause to tell the driver where they were going, but he slipped into the limo after Tohma did and the door closed behind them. His lean against Tohma was almost teasing, playful. Almost, though, because if there was anything Taki was, it was cold and harsh.

But, he was happy right now. It wouldn't kill him to express those things, right?

Right.

"Hey, you should kiss me before we're too drunk to aim right." Yeah, he was serious, too. He had every intention of getting that drunk. He'd have a bitching hangover tomorrow, but it would be worth it tonight.

Tohma pretended to think about it. As if there were any real choice in it. But Taki was rarely so adorable towards him. He put this man through hell to get him to ask things like this of him. Would he really turn it down now?

"Hm, well, when you have an argument like that," the blonde said with a soft smile, turning towards Taki and cupping his face with a hand before leaning in and pressing their lips together.

He loved the feel of the other man in any form, and to have this so willingly made it all the better. Tohma pulled back for a brief second, running his tongue over Taki's lips, gently biting at the bottom lip with his teeth. When Taki's mouth opened just slightly, he kissed the dark haired man again, slipping his tongue into the other man's mouth, almost hungrily exploring.

Yes, this would be a good night if they even made it to the club.

His argument was the best argument for winning over a kiss. Especially because it was totally legitimate. Taki was going to get trashed, and he was going to make Tohma just as drunk as he was intending to get. So, he seriously did want a real kiss before they tried and missed.

And this was definitely a worthy kiss to make up for nights of no kisses.

Tohma had control of the kiss, and that was okay with Taki. He wound his hands into Tohma's hair, holding at the back of his head. As far as he was concerned, this kiss could last the entire way to the club, and his hold on Tohma proved that he wasn't going to move until he was damn well ready.

He did make a soft sound because his lip burned right now, but it was all in the good way as he met Tohma's tongue with his own.

Tohma felt the dull pain as his hair was tangled up, pinpoints of sharp heat crawling over the nape of neck. He leaned forward a little bit, pushing Taki back into the seat as his hands wandered down the front of the other man's body.

Men were perfect, the blond decided, if not years ago, then at this very moment. The smooth, flat contours of their bodies, how hard they felt pressed up against you and that need they expressed so fully and passionately.

Pulling away, Tohma took a small breath before speaking, "If this is how you are sober, I don't know if I want to let you get drunk."

"You do," Taki objected breathlessly, slowly unwinding his fingers from Tohma's hair. His fingers smoothed it back down so that it wasn't sticking up, almost out of habit. "I'm a horrible dancer sober... You want me drunk."

It was a lie, actually. He wasn't a bad dancer at all, but he loved dancing when he was drunk. Everything felt so much more fluid, then, without inhibition. People thought too much when they were sober, and that held them back.

Taki never really held himself back, but, it was easier not to when he was drunk and didn't at least try to think the things that morally should have made him stop.

They rarely did. His morals were in bad shape.

He loved being able to look up from his bent back position into Tohma's face. There was entirely too much attachment going on here, but he couldn't try to make himself stop it. This, he knew, he could get used to. It was this that he wanted to keep doing.

"Right now, I just want you," the blond said playfully. "But, I'll settle for having a drunk, sexy dancer." Sighing, Tohma rolled his eyes as if it were a pain to do so.

Besides, Taki was sexy when he was dancing if he remembered correctly, and he did like to dance after drinking quite a lot.

He placed a small peck on the other man's lips before easing himself into Taki's lap, having him in what looked to be an almost uncomfortable position, and he'd move if Taki complained, but he was comfortable straddling the ex singer's thin hips.

"Really though, I couldn't've kept you on as a performer for so long if you couldn't dance."

"I'm not a bad dancer," Taki finally admitted, not in pride or boasting, but just stating fact. He was confident. He knew he wasn't a bad dancer. "But, I'm a better dancer when I'm drunk. You'll see."

It was things like this that always made Taki wonder. He wasn't comfortable, no. His neck was bent at a weird angle, and it sort of hurt, and there was a seatbelt pressing into his side, but he didn't want to make Tohma move. In fact, his hands were dropping down Tohma's sides to rest on his thighs, there to keep him in place.

It was curious. He'd never been willing to suffer through discomfort just so someone wouldn't have to move. Not even Ma.

A straightjacket never would have been more appropriate.

The ride was smooth and continued to be so until they finally reached the club. A little more kissing had gone on (Tohma had been determined to get his night's worth is Taki was going to be a sloppy drunk), but he straightened himself just as the driver was opening up their door.

"I hope we have a good time tonight," Tohma said, climbing out of the limo and stepping onto the pavement and quickly getting up on the sidewalk in front of the neon lit place.

They could've been back at Tohma's mansion doing slightly more interesting things than dancing, but he had wanted to go out and he wasn't going to be a grump because Taki had taken his idea.

Taki stretched as he got out of the car, bending his neck both ways because it was sore. It was worth it for the kisses, though, and he was sure his lips were just a little swollen right now.

That was wonderful. He liked kissing Tohma.

And, he still held the frame of mind that kisses made this intimate and emotional. The fact that he and Tohma could kiss without sex said something about the leaps they'd made in the way they treated each other.

He did worry about it. He was just waiting for the day when Tohma decided he'd been wrong and wanted to take it all back.

So, he had to get his kisses while he could.

"We will," Taki promised, feeling better now that he was standing. "We can always leave if the music sucks too bad."

Once inside, Tohma chalked it up to another club. It was standard. Two floors, a few tables, a few bars and a lot of skin. Females spending their nights out dressed classy, and others going all out and letting loose.

He wasn't going to sound like an old fart about it, but when you see things hanging out that you just don't want too... well, maybe it was time to check the mirror before going out. Just Tohma's own personal advice.

"I think I might be just a bit too old for this crowd," he mused pleasantly, leaning over to say it in Taki's ear.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me all night," Taki leaned back into Tohma as they talked, tilting his head back just enough to look up at him. "I mean, you can't pick up anyone else, can you? They're all too young."

What a fucking shame. For them, maybe. Taki had nothing but benefits going right now.

His lips were still sort of numb from their kisses in the car.

"Come on," Taki reached back and took Tohma's hand, something they never did in public. "Let's go get something to drink."

Tohma paused, thinking over the words Taki had just said. The blond couldn't help himself. As soon as he felt the other hand close in on his, he started laughing, shaking his head slightly as they pushed through the sweat slicked masses.

Taki certainly had a way with words. Where as most people would've laughed or tried to make a comment on him not being anywhere near old, the other man had turned it to his advantage.

But the whole night with Taki? No problem.

The bartender was standard, looked like he knew Taki, though. Slight acquaintance, since the ex singer had mentioned he frequented this place.

Tohma waited for a glance of attention before ordering his drink of choice, rum. He went by his favorite brand, and was shot down apologetically. Instead, he went with shots of vodka. Not his favorite, but he could stomach it.

Taki just ordered something called, 'his usual.' He'd been going to this bar since before he'd been legally allowed to drink, snuck in with a fake ID that Ma had printed off somewhere. It had long since stopped mattering what 'his usual' was, because all that mattered was that it packed enough punch that a few shots in, he was liable to sway.

Tohma didn't know that, though, and that was what made the night fun.

An almost afterthought, Taki glanced up at Tohma as their shots were pushed toward them. He ignored the bartenders knowing look. "Hey, don't worry about getting caught or anything here, okay? They have a really good privacy policy." Basically, get everyone so drunk they couldn't remember anything anyway. "Ma and I used to come here all the time."

And they'd been so close to just stripping down to fuck on the dance floor more then once. But, that was what made the red lit rooms upstairs so much fun. Even more fun because you could feel the bass as the bed banged into the wall.

His hands were quick and sure as he downed three of the five shots in quick succession.

Tohma was slipped five shots as well, and he took his time with each. Flick of the wrist, head tilted back, wish you had something to wash that taste out with, and breathe. He did this four more times.

Taki was done before he hit his third. The blond couldn't complain or say a word, because so far, he'd seen Taki as an okay drunk. A little sloppy, but nothing to worry about. And they weren't driving home, they were being driven, so it was all good.

When the blond finished, he sighed heavily, stepping back from the bar, but sticking close to Taki. The heat from the drinks was almost unbearable in his chest.

"Ready to dance yet?" he asked, leaning in to Taki's ear.

His head felt fuzzy, and Taki had been holding onto the bar with one hand because as soon as he'd knocked back the last shot, he started to sway. It was too much too fast, and he'd fly high before he sunk low. He wasn't a constant drinker throughout the day, so the shots hit his unprepared stomach and boiled.

"Dance?" He asked, almost dazed. One quick blink and a shake to his head that sent the world spinning around him, the smile on his face was loose. "Yeah."

He was so ready to dance! Poor Tohma had no more sober Taki left.

In a few minutes, he'd be sinking so hard it would hurt. He hoped Tohma was a stable drunk, because Taki was going to need someone to hold him up.

He could think of a few ways Tohma could keep him upright. But, eventually, that would send his knees crashing from under him.

Tohma was hoping that Taki wasn't a throw up drunk. A fall down drunk was fine, Tohma thought he could easily carry Taki out to the car. But he really would feel bad for whoever would have to clean up after the mess if Taki was like that.

The blond grabbed the smaller man by the hand, leading him out to a floor. Bodies pressed tight, and people tried to give elbow room, especially for the people who could actually dance.

Tohma turned to face Taki, a low fast beat bass thumping across the room. Swaying his hips in time, he stepped closer to Taki, careless about whoever was around and who saw what. It wasn't the alcohol, it was something else.

His arms draped around the other man's neck, smiling down at him. Taki had wanted his attention, and he was getting it.

Taki had never been sick in a club from too much drinking. At least, not shots. He'd gotten sick from beer before, but that was probably because the taste was awful. He was liable to trip and not be able to get up again, though.

He loved being the center of Tohma's attention, Taki decided. His hands went to Tohma's hips as they just swayed for a moment. He couldn't get his head together to actually dance.

But, this was nice. Even mostly drunk, it felt intimate and calm. Tohma would take care of him.

It was safe.

Giving a low hum, he bumped his hips against Tohma's, almost playful as he shifted them into a dance. This was wonderful. Beautiful. All he ever needed.
~~~
Author's Notes: Aw, what a cute way to end it, right? I think so, so it doesn't matter what you think! YAY! Welp, it's feeling like bedtime for me (I'm getting old, it's only nine here), so I'm leaving it at this.

Drop us a line.

~Subby