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I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...












"Darling, when it comes to him, it's better to not ask questions. Ever." the statement was simple and serious.
After all, that was how he had started lining up trouble when he was younger...his curiosity about the man who owned his career wound up turning him into his bosses pawn.
Well, anyone who worked for SMASH was Izo's pawn...but few to the degree that he had become.
Hayato simply felt the need to protect Shou from Izo at all costs.
He knew better than most the things the man was capable of, and it would kill him if somehow his lover got caught up in any of it.

Noticing that they had been noticed, Jun put a perfect smile on his handsome face and waved back to the chairman, silently cursing to himself that they had been noticed. It had been all but inevitable, though, seeing who they were and how they looked.
Then, the sake came.
Well, they had to drink it. Turning down a gift from Izo would actually get you in more s**t than accepting one.
Picking up the warm bottle, the brunette poured the rice wine into their small cups, lifting it toward Shou in a toast.

"Well then, a toast, to SMASH, and our thriving careers. May we continue to dominate the music industry, in our respective genres, of course!" he smiled, clicking the tiny cup against Shou's and sipping the sake.
He couldn't say it out loud, but the look he was sending his date made what he was thinking quite obvious.

Just go with it, hopefully this will be it, and we'll get through dinner without any s**t.

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...









"I agree. Ooh...this food looks so delicious!" he set into picking at his plates, tasting the braised pork dish he had ordered, mixing it with the fresh cranberry and raspberry sauce and nibbling at the au gratin potatoes.
It really was quite delicious, and something he had never tried, for certain.

Watching Shou eat was rather distracting, though. The way he eyed those little morsels, how those dainty fingers plucked up the small bites, the way he sucked them into his mouth and moaned in approval...Jun was just sitting there with a mouth full of food, staring, not even chewing.


Completely intent on watching his lover eat, he barely realized he had been spoken to...until it registered that the blond was talking about Izo again.

"Mm...well, like I said, don't wonder. Don't even think about it, if you can help it. Chances are, you really don't want to know, and it's not our business anyway. You just worry about you...and the things that are going to be done to you after we finish thins fine meal. Two words, babe. Sensual...massage." he winked, trying to change the subject to something more pleasant...and considerably safer.

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...










"Oh, I promise you're going to like it. And if you want a physical therapist, well you have one right here, free of charge. I may not work in that field, but I think I do a pretty good job of getting all your....kinks....out." he started to flirt, but Shou was quick to move the conversation forward, bringing up his plans to take a vacation...with Narcissus.
Somehow, that didn't sit well with him at all, though it was just a little jealous streak of his.

"Really? A vacation, ne? And, obviously, I'm not invited. What a shame...you'd be on vacation all by yourself with another couple. I hope you don't get lonely...or start missing me too much." he smirked.
He was counting in nobody as much as laying a hand on his lover on this trip...because he would absolutely have someone's hand if they did. Jun may have set out on a new road in life, but he was still as possessive as ever over what he considered his.

"I've heard about Narcissus and his manager, I do believe. Ah, yes, the little blond, Chiyou, mentioned something I think. They do seem like they will make a cute couple. I'm rooting for them." he smiled, not letting on to what he had done to said manager at Izo's request, and not remembering at all what he had done to Narcissus of his own volition. The episode with Izzy Lucky haunted him, though. He had done such terrible, terrible things....and to a completely innocent man.
He couldn't take it back, though, so he decided to leave it buried and keep moving on.


"Hm...that Chiyou kid....perhaps I should hang out with him while you're away?" he said, seeing if he could spark a hint of jealousy in his lover, just out of curiosity.

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...










Silently, the star watched the other's reaction, deciding that, even though it was nigh impossible to decipher the blond sometimes, he would indeed be upset if Hayato just up and took to someone else while he was away.
That was exactly what he was hoping for, of course.

"Really? You would miss me? I was wondering if you were beginning to tire of me already." he pouted playfully.
"Ah...even with you gone, I doubt I'd care for the company of another. I'd just sit in my bedroom all day pining for your sweet scent and honeyed lips."
Though his words were melancholy and dramatic, there was a silly grin on his face. Obviously, he was playing around still...to a degree.
He'd not betray his lover, ever, but neither would he actually go into a depression because the man went on holiday without him.
He'd just have to take it out on Shou in the bedroom when he got home...all that pent up desire wouldn't hold for long.

"No, but really, his performance was great. That boy has a future ahead of him if he keeps his head on straight. I've heard snippets...rumors and the like...that his latest album of love songs is written for his former manager, who is, by the by, Izzy Lucky-san?! I'm not big on gossip...but wow. Poor kid, being knocked out of the running by none other than Narcissus. Sucks. Well, as for my performance, I was disappointed in myself. I could have done better...but I only did as well as I did because of you, you know. Man, I was having a rough time that night." he chuckled, pushing a lock of his long jet hair behind his ear.

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...











"Of course there's no reason you should be. I was simply curious. I intend to keep giving you all those things, and more. Matter of fact, I do have a little surprise for you when we get back to my place tonight."
Leaving it at that, he finished off the last of the nachos, leaving him with half of his meal, and a dessert on the way. Beckoning the waiter to take away his main course and box it for later, he asked for his dessert to be brought out.
For a second, he seemed embarrassed that he had asked for his leftovers to go. He was wealthy, and most people in his position didn't take home scraps to pick over later. It was just a habit of his since he was young...scraping over leftovers and cooking them into fresh meals. Sometimes he hadn't had a choice...

Sometimes, with his big brother, he was lucky to get that much...when mom and dad were away.

Blocking his shame and past issues from his mind, Jun just glossed over Shou's second comment.
"Hm? Well, I know I could find no better. I wouldn't even want to try. Tell me all you want to not fall for you so fast, you know damn well it's already happened."
A sudden smokey haze seemed to come into Hayato's gaze, and, had they not been in public, he would have taken Shou's hand and kissed it.
The way he saw things, Shou could resist all he wanted...he saw it all as just a show. The blond beauty was his, and that wasn't going to change. Not now, not ever.

Yet, even as his romantic aspirations flitted about in his mind, the conversation took a turn for the grim. However good things seemed, there would always be these little things he simply had no choice but to hide, always winding up telling lies to the closest person to him in order to protect them both.
"Have I met him? Hm....well, not formally. I think I saw him at the Charity show...but I'm not certain. I'd like to meet him someday though. He does sound so very interesting, this Izzy Lucky."

The next thing he knew, Shou was on to another subject yet again! It was part of what he liked about him, though. Never a dull moment, and always something to talk about.

"Well, I'm hoping to...wait...what? Girls?" he asked, a rather cute puzzled look coming over him as he turned his head like a big idiot and looked right at the girls who began to blush and giggle a bit.
Hayato blushed right back, taken by surprise as he was, but came right through it with a wink, a wave, and a charming smile.
Right as his phone went off.

Seems they had a date with the same man tomorrow.

"Hn. Well, I have to see him first thing in the morning. I wonder what this is about?" he mused, eyebrows knotting up a bit as he thought.
"Well, can you take Yamada with you to this dinner? I don't like the idea of you two being alone..."

I can no longer return to those days free of bloodshed
These deep scars rooted within me will not disappear...










It was moments like this that made Hayato thankful for his ability to steel himself when need be.
To say that he had been taken by surprise would be an understatement. Izo had scared the hell out of him....but he didn't as much as blink.

"Mm, Izo! You really should have. The pork was delicious. Ah yes, I got your message. Tomorrow morning. As far as the payment, you really need not worry about it. I enjoyed the job so much, it was payment in and of itself." he smiled, looking the chairman dead in the eye.
If anything, it would save Matsumoto trouble if he didn't have to arrange the "payment" in question, so he hoped he would just accept this and let it ******** go. He didn't want any trouble, and he couldn't bear the thought of what would happen if this payment were to be forced on him.
If he were put in the position of having no choice but to hurt Naoko again...

Hayato fell silent as Shou and the chairman discussed things, thanking the waiter as his dessert was placed in front of him.
Slowly, be began to eat the dark chocolate mousse, savoring the acai berries and vanilla ladyfingers.

As he listened, he smiled to himself. Shou was a smart one, and he was thankful for it as his heart nerly shot out of his chest at the thought of his lover being out with Matsumoto and a gaggle of what he called "girls" but he knew to be pricey tarts.
Shika would be a wonderful companion for the evening. He could at least feel some comfort knowing she were there and not some tramp rubbing all over his man.

Still, all Jun wanted right now was for Izo to just go away...and quickly. His very presence made the vocalist sweat a bit these days.

But even as Michi was talking about letting himself out, Akihiko was fast asleep.
In his mind, he knew, there were so many important things he needed to be doing.

Helping Hiroki... cutting the dvd... trying to write down the music from his memories... doing interviews with Shou... apologizing to Izzy...

That last one really was something he wanted to do, but it was also something that came as very VERY hard for the young man. His manager didn't need to be taking his crap, and he knew it.
But still...

And so even when Michi brought that note, Narcissus remained asleep.

And he stayed asleep, completely oblivious to the devilish dealings between Go's chairman and Matsumoto Izo, and of the dire straights which Hiroki Asato was finding himself and Ohayou in.