Only A Bite Away

Kyosuke clenched his fists after he rang the bell, checked his reflection in the silver gleam of the doorframe. Hair slicked back, immaculate suit, the conscientious Vice President of Juhara Entertainment come to lower his head before the unholy asshat Risha Hamarasachi.

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, Kyosuke stepped through the doors when they swung open, an emotionless voice commanding him through the intercom. Once inside, a beautiful waif of a man came towards him. Eyes widening, Kyosuke bowed. Oh, but this was just his type – small, pretty, a narrow waist like a girl’s. Speaking curtly – the mechanical self-introduction – Kyosuke watched the other man flick hair out of his eyes, drawing attention to his slender neck. But looking up, meeting the man’s eyes, Kyosuke recoiled. Cold…colder than anything he’d seen before, those eyes were like ice.

“I am the President’s secretary. I am called Yuuen. He has asked that you meet him for lunch at Moribayashi.”

“Wait –where?”

“One of his properties. The car will take you there.”

“But if he wanted me to meet him there, why did he have me come here?”

Yuuen pinned Kyosuke with a stare that made him feel like little more than insect. “I do not hope to understand the President’s goals in his actions. I merely follow his wishes accordingly.”

With a tight bow, Kyosuke followed Yuuen to a garage, got into the car that was waiting for him. Risha was testing him. No, not testing. Seeing how far he could push him, how much more he could humiliate him. It made Kyosuke look bad to waste his entire day chasing Risha around to try to apologize. Ridiculous.

The car stopped in front of a skyscraper in the business district, the driver opening Kyosuke’s door for him. Nodding to the driver, Kyosuke straightened his suit jacket, strode into the building. As soon as he walked in, a huge man moved to block his path.

“Kyosuke, I presume?” Startled, Kyosuke looked up to meet the eyes of the man in his path. Taller than Kyosuke, which was a feat, especially in Japan, and this man seemed to be a native. Strong features, clean shaven, shaggy hair falling fashionably to his chin. He would be a host type if he wasn’t so muscular.

“Yes, I am Kyosuke. May I – “

“Shachou asked me to guide you to Moribayashi. I am his secretary, Sasha.”

“Ah.” Falling in step behind Sasha, Kyosuke tried to look composed. “I was under the impression that Yuuen was – “

“A man like Shachou needs more than one secretary, no?”

“Ah, yes, I suppose.” Getting into an elevator, Kyosuke try to watch coolly as Sasha pressed the button for the top floor. The penthouse? Great.

The doors clanged open, Sasha holding them open for Kyosuke and then leading the way into a high-class looking restaurant. This must be Moribayashi. Stepping through the gate, Kyosuke’s eyes widened as he was faced with a Japanese-style garden, bonsai plants, water-features and all. A kimono-clad hostess stepped forward demurely. Sasha spoke for them.

“This is Shachou’s guest. See to him, will you?” The hostess nodded. Sasha turned to Kyosuke. “Nice meeting you. I’ve got to go see to another property, so if you don’t mind…”

“Pleasure meeting you, Sasha. Please, don’t let me keep you.” Nodding again, Sasha loped out and hit the elevator button. Kyosuke followed the hostess farther into the restaurant. It was empty. This didn’t bode well.

“Mr. Hamarasachi is currently in the middle of a business call, I was told to seat you and see to you until he returns.” The hostess kept her head lowered.

“Ah, I’ll just…some tea, and water, please?” Kyosuke seethed as the woman walked away. Business call, eh? He could only guess how long he’d have to wait for Risha. Damn Yamagato – this was all his fault. If he’d never gone to Capricorn…

Pressing a hand over his eyes, Kyosuke leaned back with a sigh. Gods, but he was tired. He’d been so angry last night after the encounter with Risha, he hadn’t been able to sleep until early in the morning, and then he got the call from Yamagato that Risha was demanding a personal apology…

The sound of the water flowing slowly through all the fake streams in the room lulled Kyosuke, and he leaned his head against his arm, kept his eyes closed. The hostess had already brought his drinks, but he wasn’t thirsty, just so tired and…


Risha couldn’t hold back a grin as he stepped into the restaurant. Sasha had called him half an hour ago confirming Kyosuke’s arrival at Moribayashi, so the boy had to have been waiting for a while. Pulling the doors open and nodding to the hostess, Risha tucked away his sunglasses, wondered what delicious expressions the boy would have on his face when he finally –

The table came into view, and Risha stopped short of it. Well of all things…

The boy was sitting, upper body folded across the top of the table, one arm crooked to cradle his head. He was soundly asleep. Risha didn’t even need to listen for the slowed heartbeat to know that.

Moving closer, Risha leaned down to get a better look at the boy. Kyosuke. Vice President of Juhara Entertainment. He’d only recognized him by chance, having seen him in some pamphlet or news article that one of his secretaries had given him. But what a chance – to be able to taste this boy’s anger, his lust, his need prove himself…

Risha reached out a hand, smoothed it over the dark head in front of him. Kyosuke made a noise somewhere between an exhalation and a groan, and Risha couldn’t help smiling. For all his bluster, the boy resembled a high schooler when he slept, all soft around the edges, immaculate hair falling out of place to brush at his face.

Coming to his senses, Risha pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned. What was he thinking? He only had to wait until Kyosuke woke up and opened that mouth of his to…

Taking a step back, Risha shook his head. He’d play the game a bit longer, see how far his bait would pull the boy in. All the better when the boy finally caught up to him. He was looking forward to what expression would be on Kyosuke’s face. Turning and walking back to the hostess, he gave her some instructions and left, flipping open his cell phone as he hit the button for the elevator.


Kyosuke resisted screaming as his key stuck in the door. Twisting it violently, he threw the door open with a grunt and stomped into his apartment, sat down to remove his shoes. An entire day wasted on that bastard and he never even laid eyes on him! After he’d woken up at Moribayashi, the hostess had informed him that Risha had already left to attend to some important business, but had asked that Kyosuke come some charity event tonight to conclude their business. Then he’d been sent off with a take-out bento box like some middle-schooler!

Standing, Kyosuke pulled off his jacket angrily and reached into one of the pockets for his phone. Pulling it out, he threw the jacket down and dialed Yamagato. A deep voice answered.

“Seichirou? Do you have any idea what the hell you’ve gotten me into?”

“Ah. Kyosuke. I was expecting a call from you sooner.”

“Sooner?!? Seichirou, do you have any idea what I’ve spent my entire day doing?”

“Apologizing to Hamarasachi, I’d assume.”

“No! I haven’t. Do you know why? Because that bastard has run me all over town chasing him and now he wants me to some charity event tonight for the sole purpose of apologizing to him! Well, do you know what, Seichirou? I’m not doing it!”

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Don’t go.”

“Don't…but, I have to apologize to him.”

“Not particularly. He’s our rival, Kyosuke, not our stockholder. We don’t have to keep him happy. You’ve worked hard to see him. If he won’t see you, then it can’t be helped.”

“But – but, I – “

“I’m hanging up now, Kyosuke. I have a meeting that you’re making me late for.”

“Oh – “ The dial tone started beeping. Kyosuke looked at the phone for a moment before he clicked it closed. Sighing, he cradled his head in his hands. Damn that Hamarasachi. Damn him for being so cruel, for being so hard to get and for making Kyosuke want to make the effort to catch him. He couldn't deny that he wanted to see the silver-haired man again – he was compelling in that way. And he made Kyosuke’s blood pound –

Rising, Kyosuke headed towards his closet. He didn’t have to apologize to Hamarasachi, but the bastard didn’t know that. Opening his closet, Kyosuke pulled out his best outfit; it wasn’t quite a tuxedo, but the jacket was long enough in the back to pass for formal wear. Rinsing his face and dragging a hand through his hair, Kyosuke looked hard at himself in the mirror. He was still the same person as he was yesterday, but would he have gone this far for a practically unknown man yesterday?

He quickly donned the outfit and checked the clock. He was going to be late, but that didn’t matter that much – he wasn’t going for the event. Giving himself one last once-over in the bathroom mirror, Kyosuke headed back out, wondering what the hell he was getting himself into.

Risha hung up the phone and surveyed the crowd with a slight smile. Things just kept getting better and better. Now, if Kyosuke came, that would make it all sweeter, watching the boy’s face grow ripe with anger and humiliation….

Suddenly, there was a small commotion around the entrance, and to Risha’s utter amusement, Kyosuke appeared from a small mass of people red-faced, trying to disengage his arm from an older man’s hold. Futilely, Kyosuke tried to separate himself from the older man – a regular of Risha’s more quiet gentleman’s clubs – only to have himself pulled closer so that the man could whisper something in his ear. With a vicious yank, Kyosuke managed to free himself and put some distance between himself and his would-be admirer. After searching the crowd for a few moments, he finally laid eyes on Risha, and set out towards him.

Setting down his drink, Risha smiled cordially at Kyosuke as he approached.

“Oh, I see you made it. I was getting worried the hostess hadn’t relayed my message clearly enough.”

“She relayed it fine. I'm here, so if we can just get this over with – “

“Ah, but you’ve come all this way.” Gesturing over a waiter, Risha ignored Kyosuke. “At least try some of the food. It’s delectable.”

Kyosuke tried to wave off the server, but ended up with a plate of hor d’oeuvres. Setting them down with more force than was necessary, Kyosuke looked back to Risha only to see him deep in conversation with another patron.

“Oh, yes, it’s wonderful isn’t it, that we can support the cause.” Kyosuke moved forward a bit, tried to get Risha’s attention, but the man was steadfastly ignoring him, pretending to be fully engrossed in the conversation. “Oh, yes yes, twenty years ago a cause like this would never have been able to –“

Seeing his chance, Kyosuke jumped in. “And if I may enquire what exactly the purpose of this even is? The charity, I mean?”

The other patron gave Kyosuke a withering look. Risha only smiled at him like one would a young child or a deaf grandparent.

“Why, I’m almost hurt, after I went through the effort of inviting you, I would think that you would at least research – “

“My apologies, I’ve been a bit busy of late.” Bowing slightly, Kyosuke smiled at the other man beside Risha, who sighed and spoke.

“It’s an event to aid the charity that sponsors awareness of hate crimes in the community, especially against those of differing sexual orientation.”

Kyosuke cringed inside. A charity party against gay bashing. Well that would explain why half of the men in the room were either eyeing him or Risha.

“Ah, what a noble cause.” To Kyosuke’s alarm, as soon as the other man answered his query, he turned back to Risha, cutting off any way Kyosuke had of starting a conversation with Risha. Moving even closer, Kyosuke tried again to get Risha’s attention.

“Hamarasachi, about what I was – “ But his words were not acknowledged. Clenching a hand at his side, Kyosuke looked around, quickly lowered his eyes when he accidentally met the eyes of quite a few other men who were trying to get his own attention. With a sigh, Kyosuke quickly inserted himself between Risha and the other man, grasped at Risha’s arm.

“Excuse my rudeness, but I was promised a dance by the President. So, if you don’t mind – “ Before the other man could reply, Kyosuke pulled Risha away roughly in the direction of the dance floor. Upon reaching it, he turned back around to meet Risha’s amused eyes.

“And if I may ask, Kyosuke, why you felt the need to drag me to the dance floor?”

Kyosuke didn’t reply at once, instead taking Risha’s hand in his and placing his other hand at Risha’s waist. A song started up, and Kyosuke began the steps for a basic waltz, clumsily doing the movements, pulling Risha along until the man matched him, cleaned up his form with his own flawless steps.

“Why are you forcing me to dance with you, Kyosuke?”

“This was the only way I could make you not ignore me.”

“Ah. So you didn’t want to dance with me? I’m hurt.”

“Of course not.” Kyosuke tried not to shiver as Risha placed his hand on Kyosuke’s shoulder to complete the correct waltz stance.

“Oh, but Kyosuke, you force me into dancing and then take the man’s part. How…stingy. But I’m sure you’re used to always playing that role, so…”

“What are you trying to say?” Kyosuke looked away when Risha raised an eyebrow and gazed at him with those rust-colored eyes.

“I’m trying to say that if you want to…dance with me, I won’t let you play the man’s role.”

Kyosuke flushed. Of course Risha wasn’t talking about dancing but….

“So, you keep speaking of something that we have to talk about. Whatever would that be, Kyosuke?”

“I apologize.”

“For what?” Risha cocked his head, damnable smile on his lips. Kyosuke’s eyes slid away unconsciously, looked past Risha in his embarrassment.

“For what happened last night. Whatever you took offense at, I’m sorry.”

“That’s funny. Truth be told, right before you arrived, I got a call from Yamagato.” Kyosuke met Risha’s eyes, face beginning to pale. “And you know what he told me?” The music rose to a crescendo behind them, strings wailing. “He told me he was sorry for you behavior, and that he felt you had no need to apologize. And that he had already given you the alright to not come to apologize to me.”

Kyosuke missed a step, tripped. Only Risha’s hand on his shoulder righted him before he could fall, but he still ended up stumbling against the other man’s chest. Pulling himself back up, Kyosuke met Risha’s eyes uncertainly. Gods, but the man was…He looked every part the in-control President of Hamarasachi, even more so than last night. Pale hair hanging loose, classic tuxedo, even white gloves to finish the picture. After a few moments, Kyosuke realized he was staring, and pulled away, the place where Risha’s hand had rested on his shoulder tingling.

“So, the real question is, Kyosuke, why did you come here tonight? You have no need to apologize.”

Kyosuke closed his eyes, ran a hand through his hair. “It was…my own pride. My pride as a conscientious member of Juhara. I needed to apologize to you to calm my own anger at myself.”

“Liar.” Kyosuke jumped when Risha reached out and lifted his face with a steady hand under his chin. “Why did you really come?”

Kyosuke couldn’t speak. Risha was looking at him, touching him, showing some interest him, not as a rival, not as part of a game but because of something he’d done…Color flooded back into his cheeks as he flushed under Risha’s gaze.

“Ah, so that’s why you came. Wanted another chance to prove the worth of your body then? Hoping to seduce me so I’d give all my secrets to success? Well, I’m busy tonight, but that man over there is my Vice President, perhaps you’d be willing to whore yourself out to him.”

Still blushing, Kyosuke bit his lip hard, tried to fight the burn of tears. It was humiliating how much Risha was enjoying his hold over him. Why of all – first to have to interact with this bastard, then to actually be so damn attracted to him, and now he was being completely humiliated…Kyosuke felt a sting in his lips as he drew blood, stopped caring about showing his emotions in front of Hamarasachi.

“I’m sorry for being so persistent! Maybe if you spent some time not trying to humiliate me I would just give up, but you keep making me chase you – “

“So now it’s my fault that you want to sleep with me?”

“Shut up!” Kyosuke clenched his fists again, felt a tear fall down his cheek. “Shut up! I didn’t ask for this, I didn't ask to go to Capricorn or meet you or think you were so – damn it, do you have any idea how hard it is to have your mind filled with someone who you know will only humiliate you? Do you?”

“You’re a masochist, that’s understandable – “

“Shut up!” Making sure Risha would follow his demand this time, Kyosuke reached up, slid his hands into Risha’s hair and pulled the man close, covered his mouth in a kiss. It was salty from the mix of tears and blood on Kyosuke’s lips, but Kyosuke paid no attention, swiped his tongue along the seam of Risha’s mouth until the man parted his lips slightly, Kyosuke diving immediately to taste the other’s mouth. Giving a slight groan, Kyosuke pressed even closer, molded his body to Risha’s, tilted his head to get better access.

It was only when he felt Risha’s lips curve up against his in a smile that Kyosuke pulled away, looked in horror at Risha and then to the men standing around them. Most were just staring, but others were clapping. Dragging the back of his hand over his mouth, smearing blood over his lips, Kyosuke looked wildly to Risha only to find the man clapping as well. With a face that suited a kicked puppy more than a grown man, Kyosuke turned and made his way through the crowd.

Bursting out into the entrance way and then onto the street, Kyosuke cursed himself, his sudden impulsive nature. Gods, what was he thinking – they always came to him, he never took the time to chase down partners and make out with them in public arenas. He was always the composed one, the calm one, the one who was in control.

But not this time. This time, Risha beckoned and he came running, fell into every trap, got caught in his gaze. He hated it, this deep want that couldn’t equal any lust he’d ever felt before. It was magnetic, the pull between him and Risha. But the other man would never acknowledge it, only hold it over Kyosuke…and damn it all, but Kyosuke would come running regardless – he just knew it.

Hailing a taxi, Kyosuke threw himself in, gave the cabbie his address. He thought for a moment about going to one of his old boyfriend’s houses, reassuring himself in their unassuming arms, but he gave up on that idea before it was even fully formed in his mind. Nothing could erase that grin from his mind, the feel of those cinnamon-colored eyes on his skin, the rough slide of Risha’s mouth over his. Curling in on himself, knotting his hands in his hair, Kyosuke spent the rest of the ride trying desperately to forget Risha. When the cab stopped, he paid the driver quickly and ran to his room, tore off his clothes, not even trying to fold them before he threw them to the floor.

Falling onto his bed, Kyosuke had to hold back a sob when he rolled onto his stomach, clenched his fingers in the coverlet. Thinking of the events of the past hour all during the cab ride had made him so hard, but he refused to let himself jerk off thinking about that bastard and the way he felt against him, how his arms steadied Kyosuke when they were dancing, what the texture of his hair felt like…

Unconsciously, Kyosuke brought a hand up to his lips, probed at the split from where he’d bit himself. It started bleeding and he stuck his fingers into his mouth to lick them clean, only to remember the feel of Risha’s lips against his. With a groan, he started sucking on his fingers without meaning to, his other hand skimming down his body until he could grasp at his cock. It was already heavy between his legs, and he almost choked on his fingers when he brushed his thumb over the head. Rolling onto his side, Kyosuke pulled his fingers out of his mouth, trailed them over his chest while his other hand set a quick pace between his thighs. Images flashed before his eyes – Risha lifting his chin at Capricorn with those eyes full of scorn, Risha in the tuxedo as he placed his hand on Kyosuke’s shouler, those cruel eyes boring into his as Risha spoke of Kyosuke “whoring” himself out, and then…and then, the kiss and…

Body convulsing, Kyosuke came hard in his fist. Rolling onto his back again, thighs quivering, he tried to catch his breath, tried to erase the embarrassment of jerking off to thoughts of that bastard. He jumped when his cell phone beeped.

Leaning down to retrieve his jacket, he pulled his cell phone out of its pocket to find he had a message. He opened his cell phone and paled when he read the text. Falling back onto his bed, he dragged a hand over his face and re-read the message.

“That’s two times you’ve run away from me. Next time you’ll need to prove that boldness of yours isn’t all a front. Capricorn, tomorrow night. Risha.”

Kyosuke shook his head, pulled back the covers and fell into bed. This was going to be the longest three days of his life.