I'm sorry it's been so long! Also I'm sorry for any mistakes, I was too lazy to read through it _(:3

Akashi drew back, breaching skin on skin contact.

Kise felt inclined to do the same, but didn't. The people surrounding their whereabouts were either stunned into silence or audibly expressing their surprise. Kise looked up to find Akashi staring into his eyes. He was shocked to find them looking wary and cautious, shocked enough, apparently for him to stagger back and press the back of his hand against his lips.

"Akaicchi, you…"

The look is quickly gone, replaced with one that is undoubtedly affection. The 'girl' chuckled lightly, threaded their fingers together and leaned into his chest. Then quietly, under the shutters of the many cameras operating, Akashi asks for his attention.

"To the left," Akash murmured into his chest, his tone no longer holding an inch of warmth akin to his earlier laughter, "is Taisuke-san. He's a reporter for the news program on Channel 4. His job was to cover the fashion show."

Taisuke was a greying man who was staring at them in awe, resembling a cooked fish. When Kise looked his way, he startled and hurriedly whispered something to a man behind him, a pen and paper scribbling into fruition.

"And we took over the spotlight." Kise whispered back, stroking the fake strands before pulling away with an uneasy smile that he knew would be able to fool the media. Inside, however, he was churning for some dislikeable reason.

Akashi idly tugged on his sleeve. "Remember when I said I was impressed? I need a certain reminder as to why I had come to that conclusion."

Kise's brows rose. And although he was slightly scared of potential outcomes, he asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"Introduce me to people of power. Surely you know them."

Kise was quick the plaster a faux smile and turn Akashi in his hold. The latter complied obediently, one of Kise's arms now around his lithe waist.

"First of all, wipe that serious look off your face. Put one of those cute smiles on, like in the photoshoot. A smile is a model's best accessory." Kise side-eyes Akashi whom had taken no regard for his words, encouraging a pout. "Some people wear it better than others too. You included."

He can tell Akashi wants to glare at him but with the blinding white of cameras, the only thing the boy could afford to do is smile. Gracefully, Kise escorted him to the foot of the stage where the crowd was dressed elegantly and expressed their manners in such a way that must have made Akashi feel at home, Kise sneakily thought. When he spots his target, a trained grin lights his face, a look that he knew made more than a handful of girls swoon.

"Mr. Gold!" Kise raised his arm and waved, gaining the attention of a blond foreigner. Only when they were in an appropriate distance to talk did the man smile slyly and speak.

"Oh? I haven't seen you in a while." He was slightly accent and the gleam in his eyes was anything but soft but the smile looked genuine and Kise seemed like the type of person to grow accustomed to that.

"I didn't know you were here visiting again." Kise said, an obvious lie.

"Yes, once you've seen it all, Europe gets dull and grey and boring. It's livelier in Japan, you know." Mr. Gold polished his hand on his slacks before reaching for Akashi, who did not flinch.

"Nash Gold jr." Nash states with a firm smile and offers his hand.

Kise looks apologetic as Akashi takes the hand with no hesitation, returning the smile. "Akai Sei. It's nice to meet you." His sentence was almost cut off by a half-bitten gasp; the hand that had shaken his appeared on his chin and was tilting his face up, and then slowly side to side. He feels like a bug being examined as eyes rake his cheekbones and lips.

Although it's more than tempting, Akashi holds in a glare and violent urges that would have most definitely placed him at a petty level, no more than a man who would touch a lady without her consent.

"Such a pretty little thing, you are." Nash seemed to notice his resolve and smirked, letting his hand fall. The man shoves both hands in his trouser pockets, looking satisfied.

Akashi masks his face with indifference and would be less than impressed if Kise wasn't doing the same.

"I sponsor this exhibit but I'm disappointed with the mere tediousness of it all," Nash adds. "I'm looking for spice in my work and I think you have the potential." Without taking his eyes off the 'girl', he digs his card from out of his pocket and slides it into her palm, the touch lingering more than what was necessary. "Give me a call if you're interested."

Conveniently, a woman calls for the man and he turns in pompous fashion, raising a hand as he leaves their sights.

Kise side-eyes Akashi when the latter doesn't speak. For some reason he was feeling stressed and agitated. It was usual for Nash Gold to brush him off like that but it was different this time because a mere smile made Kise want to punch him.

"You really are a siren, aren't you?" Kise dully notes, then pouts. "Capturing business like that. Just like that. While I had to make my way to the top just to have his contact."

Akashi swallows, staring down at the card.

"I know him."

"You- what?"

"I know Gold. He's a smart man, I wouldn't put it past that he had seen through my disguise." Akashi pocketed the flashy card, "and gave me his number just to provoke me. Remind me to contact him later,"

"What am I, your secretary?" Kise mumbled.

Akashi actually thinks for a moment before a humouring smile blossoms. "No, my bad. You're my boyfriend now."

Kise almost trips and a small laugh escapes Akashi, one that surprises them both. They stare at each other a bit before the blond covers his embarrassed face, "Really! Can't you warn someone before you say anything like that?"

They exit together hand-in-hand (for the cameras, of course), with Kise whining the whole way.

xXx

"So, what now?"

"I suspect we're on at least one cover for one of those magazines there," Akashi points at a clutter of papers on his coffee table before sifting through his cupboard. "We'll have to wait a week, maybe two before their latest editions are published. After that happens, magazines of more credible foundation would request interviews."

"Ok, what's the point of all this?" Kise asks, lifting a few of the magazines and letting them fall down with a quiet thud.

Akashi paused. "Akai Sei needs fame. As soon as possible."

"Why?"

The blond sighs when Akashi gives him the look. "Yes, classified, I know." Kise stands at the foot of his bed before flopping down on it, back first. He lets out a long, aggravated groan that wavers when the breath is knocked out of him.

"Are you seriously never going to tell me? What happens when you finish whatever your mission is, you'll still leave me out of it? You'll abandon me just like that?"

"We won't know until it happens." Akashi closes his eyes, unzipping his jacket. "But," they reopen, and it's so cinematic that Kise furrow his brows, impressed. "I don't plan on abandoning you just yet. In the time we've spent together, however little it was, I've started seeing you as a…"

Kise rose up on his elbows, a puzzled look on his face. Akashi looked troubled as though he had difficulty continuing the sentence.

"A…?"

Akashi stares at him flatly, a look that suggested to drop it but Kise only grinned.

"A friend, right? That's what you consider me, right Akashicchi?"

"Stop it, you're noisy."

"As if you're too shy to say the 'f' word!" Kise bounces excitedly on the bed, lying on his stomach and resting his cheeks on his palms. "I can't believe this, are you an alien? A tsundere?"

"A what."

"A tsundere! Someone's who's too shy to say what they're truly feeling and say the opposite instead."

"Don't be ridiculous." Akashi places his jacket on the coat hanger and gets to work on his polo.

"Don't be a tsundere."

"Don't be childish."

"It's just funny, okay," Kise stares at the man's back. "Because somehow your aura makes you feel so untouchable and aloof, like you weren't born on this planet. The gap is funny."

"Back to this alien business?" Akashi sighs but it sounds horribly condescending. "If anything, the alien is you. Or a wolf in sheep's clothing, rather."

"I'm fine with alien." Kise said, giving him a flat look, "but if we're talking about wolf in sheep's clothing, it's you. Literally."

Akashi turns around, amusement glinting in his eyes. "I suppose."

"Hey, don't- Akashicchi!" Kise flailed before covering his reddening face. Akashi had, quite indifferently, pulled his shirt off, forcing Kise to face a skinny but nicely toned torso. It was becoming quite a regular sight.

"Sorry." Akashi said, but Kise could see he was trying to pull back a smile, one which definitely denied substance in that apology.

"How could you do that so shamelessly?!" Kise felt like pulling his hair out.

"Last I recalled, Ryouta, society isn't generally sensitive to the reveal of a man's upper body."

Kise groaned and covered his face again, "but you still look like a girl right now. Put your wig away!"

"No," Akashi said, "put your hands away."

Kise could feel a depression on the mattress of the bed and panicked a little, visualizing an Akashi who sank soft indents with his knees.

"H-hey!" Akashi's hands gripped his wrists and pried them away from his face. Akashi had taken his wig off regardless but was still naked from his waist up. Kise was forced to rake his eyes up from a flat abdomen to an even flatter chest, more heat accumulating on his face by the second.

"What are you doing?" Kise mumbled, his eyes downcast as he pulled on his wrists. "Let me go."

"I am a male, Ryouta." Akashi said for what seemed to be the fifteenth time. He lets go of Kise's wrists eventually. "This is a sight you need to be used to seeing. I won't let something as trivial as this ruin our arrangement."

"I know, I know," Kise kept averting his eyes despite their compromising position. Akashi's knees were on the edge of the bed, bracketing Kise's thighs and almost sitting on his lap. One straight gaze would lead him to very-male abs and tone so Kise did his best to prevent that from happening.

"It's just difficult, okay!" Kise whines. "I'm still trying to accept it. I met you as a girl and girl-you is very convincing. Just give me time."

"It's been a week."

"Give me another!"

Akashi sits back on Kise's thighs and crosses his arms, emitting a sort of indifference that made Kise want to squawk in disbelief. The red easily spread from Kise's cheeks to his neck, so saturated that it seemed like his skin absorbed the colour of Akashi's hair.

"From now on, I'll be sleeping half-naked next to you. It's the only solution."

"What's with this 'only solution' trend?" Kise cried. "You're crazy!"

"I'm being reasonable. You're not."

Kise took one look down at Akashi's clothed, parted legs over his own and the almost non-existent distance between them. Although he himself could admit his common sense was off sometimes, he was certain that…this, this wasn't reasonable.

"Ok, ok!" Kise brought his hands up in surrender, a nervous smile picking at his lips. "I get it, so could you please get off now?"

It seemed like forty seconds had squeezed into three in the entirety of the time Akashi stared at him after that. He tries not to sigh too loudly when Akashi complies, fixing himself down. Kise dives into the bed, his face landing on the pillows and a defeated hand patting the space beside him. He hears a small chuckle as the lights dim and he bed dip when a smaller body climbs inside.

"Goodnight." Akashi says gently, and Kise can't feel himself breathe with the way his body tensed to secure the minimal movement possible. He tries, with difficulty, to suppress the fact that there was a man beside him on his own bed with no clothes covering the top half of his body.

"Goodnight to you." He mutters rather scornfully.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Akashi turns to his side on the bed.

"…You snore."

"I don't."

"You do!" Kise's head rose from the pillow. "How would you know you don't? You're asleep."

"I had one of my employees observe if I did, the night before a school camp. Masato-san said I shifted and moved often but was silent as the night."

"Fine, you don't snore." Kise admits. "But you could. Like, really softly."

"Go to sleep."

"But-"

"Sleep."

"…"

By the time Akashi had his eyes calmly closed, Kise was also on his side. He observes silky-looking hair splayed on the pillow, too-pale skin that neither flushed nor burned, instead staying that creamy texture that would, under dim lighting, may be a reason for concern. He understands how he may have been nicknamed 'doll' in spite of his disagreement.

The boy did smile but it felt like the bare minimum, his eyes calculating like a robot, as if he was more a doll that needed to be shelved rather than a human being. But it was also true that Akashi could revert to lively states, which Kise had seen in his fiery eyes and firm posture. By going through with this punishment, Akashi was revealing sides to Kise he'd thought he'd never see.

Especially the sight of a sleeping Akashi. It felt forbidden, somehow. Kise was privileged. It was probably that he was watching closely that he caught the movement of a flicker under Akashi's eyelid.

"You know you cuddle me in your sleep, right? You talk a little too." Kise murmured quietly as Akashi stirred.

"Don't be ridiculous." Akashi replied with the same volume.

"I'm not lying."

"You lied just a minute ago."

"I'll prove it to you." Kise said. "I'll wake you up in the middle of the night when you're pressing yourself to me."

"Fine." Akashi dismissed.

Kise doesn't, of course, not when Akashi was the perfect picture of serenity cuddled up close to him with both arms hugging tight around his body. Kise tried not to sigh this time, tried not to grin too widely. His hands rake the short fluffy head on his chest. And scared himself in thinking he'd prefer this to long hair.

Earlier, the moment Kise sensed Akashi drifting, he promised himself he wouldn't disturb the boy's sleep for the sake of both of them.

Unsurprisingly, his attempts were futile as Akashi presses even closer to him, until Kise could feel the other's breath on his chin and eyelashes on his cheek and- only then is Kise reminded of their starting no-shirt policy and naked skin on skin.

When Akashi woke up, he looked everything but happy as he stood up from the floor, his eyes closed in a mocking smile. Kise had involuntarily kicked him off the floor after yelping rather girlishly and it didn't take Akashi long to figure it out.

Three minutes into 3 AM and Kise whined as he turned to face the inside of the couch. 'How is any of this my fault!'

I don't know what this is. A filler chapter, maybe? Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks plenty to the people who reviewed last chapter! (YFR, whisperingmist, Akiss, Where's My Internet, muffinhouse, Iza Seitsuna, justareadernow, RPitU, AlexClub, , Blank ojou-sama and my son.) All of your words were so kind, thank you so much!;;