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The Paladin	By : Tcharlatan Category: > Toshiya/Die Views: 957 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. I do not personally know any of the members of Dir en grey, and do not profit from this work.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
June 7^th - 9:00 am
“I can’t do this.”
Die sighed, running one hand through his hair. By his count, that was the fifth time Kyo had uttered those exact words this morning, and they’d been up for less than two hours. His younger friend stood in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror with an expression strangely akin to desperation. Blonde hair usually spiked or left loose was carefully tamed back with subtle pins behind his ears, and burnt gold eyes were shielded behind wire-framed glasses. Back in the trappings of his former life – a finely-tailored suit of pressed charcoal wool – Kyo fumbled with a red silk tie with shaking hands. Die batted long fingers out of the way and took the smooth material between his own, though he knew the accessory wasn’t the source of Kyo’s frustration.
“You’ll do just fine,” the redhead murmured, pulling the red fabric through a familiar series of loops.
The shorter man whined, “Why can’t we just cancel this meeting like all the other ones? I can’t do this!”
“Meetings with tributaries are very important to Kaoru, you know that and so do they. He wouldnever cancel one except under dire circumstances, and it would be awfully suspicious to do so now at the last minute. We can’t have anyone – especially someone who already holds a grudge against the family – knowing that he’s gone missing,” Die explained patiently, though the words made his heart ache.
“But they’ll know he’s gone if I show up! Anyways, you’re his Second, you should go!”
Die sighed, smoothing Kyo’s tie into place with a gentle hand before buttoning the younger man’s jacket. “You and I are equal rank, but I’m just a bodyguard; I don’t know anything about the finances or logistics of running a company.”
“What about Shinya? Shinya loves meetings!”
“And let Ran Tetsuya know that the Terachi family is allied with the Niikura? Don’t be ridiculous. Kyo, you know what Kaoru wants from his tributaries, and it’s not like this is Tetsuya’s first meeting. It’s just a check-in. You’re Kao’s advisor; he would want you to do this. He would trust you to do this for the family in his absence.”
“…You’re a manipulative prick, you know that?” Kyo hissed.
Die smiled. “I learned from the best. Now get your computer and let’s go before we’re late.”
The redhead watched with a touch of pride and not the slightest bit of envy as his little friend took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and led the way out of the room, heading to the elevator to go downstairs. He certainly wouldn’t be caught dead trying to fill Kaoru’s shoes, even for something so simple as a tributary meeting. By all accounts, he was shocked he even managed to get Kyo back into one of his old suits, let alone to agree to conduct the meeting, and he admired the younger man’s courage. But he would provide as much support to the blonde as he could, and hopefully this unpleasant bit of business could be dealt with quickly and they could get back to work looking for their boss.
“Just remember… this is for Kaoru,” Die whispered gently when they stepped out onto a lower floor. “We have to keep everything running smoothly for… for when he gets back.”
Kyo steeled himself, eyes and face gone stone cold despite the tremors the redhead could feel running through his younger friend. “Aa. For Kaoru.”
Ran Tetsuya was already waiting when they arrived in the conference room, and he was halfway to his feet to bow before he caught sight of Kyo. He frowned, his thick face folding into an unattractive scowl. “What’s this? Where is Niikura?”
Die pulled out a chair for Kyo across the table from the older man. His eyes narrowed a bit behind his glasses. Typically, tributaries were not supposed to bring their bodyguards into these meetings. To leave one’s personal security outside was a gesture of submission and dependence, forcing the Heads of the families to rely on Kaoru’s good will for the duration of the visit. The rule was not set in stone, though, and Ran frequently broke it, to Die’s irritation. Today was no exception; Seizo Hirano sat as always at his master’s right hand.
It was possible he came in an administrative capacity, though. He was seated, rather than standing at his boss’ shoulder where he should be, and a thin metal briefcase rested on the table in front of him. But Die was unnerved by the way Ran’s Second was eyeing Kyo with an over-curious gaze, and the man began to flip through papers in the briefcase as unobtrusively as possible. There was a glint in his eye that looked like recognition, and that was a deeply troubling possibility. Die took his place standing at Kyo’s shoulder and folded his arms carefully behind his back, on edge and ready to draw his gun at the slightest provocation.
Kyo plowed ahead, unaware of the unsettling development. “Mr. Niikura is unable to meet with you today, and has asked me to see you in his place.”
“He would have me do business with a messenger boy?” Ran growled. “This is a most grievous disrespect! Just because I pay tribute to his family doesn't mean that I will tolerate being insulted in such a manner. Exactly who are you supposed to be?”
“My name is Kyo Nishimura. I am Mr. Niikura’s advisor. Your arrangement-…” Kyo frowned a little when Ran’s Second ducked his head, shoulders shaking just a little. He felt Die tense a bit behind him, but fought to maintain his composure. “Your arrangement with this family has been in place for a few years now, and he felt that with other pressing matters to attend to-”
“Advisor?” Seizo sputtered, his laughter finally breaking free. “That’s what you’re calling yourself?”
Kyo’s mouth shut with an audible snap and he sat ramrod-straight in his seat, eyes narrow. Ran looked to his Second with a confused scowl, and Seizo slid a thin file folder to his boss’s waiting hands. Die’s hands clenched behind his back; this was notgoing well. He wanted desperately to know what was in that file, what Seizo knew of Kyo.
Ran huffed, his face settling into a wry smirk as he threw the open file onto the table carelessly. “I see. I don’t know if I should be flattered that Kaoru sent a concubine to meet with me, or disappointed that he picked one so plain.”
It took everything Die had to keep his face straight when he saw the file’s contents. A large, glossy photo – in crisp, color focus – taken with what had to be a camera fitted with a phenomenal zoom. There was no other way anyone could have gotten so close to Kaoru without Die seeing them, to have gotten such a clear, detailed image.
The Head of the Niikura family was shown seated in a comfortable, cushioned booth at some indistinguishable club, leaning back with an indulgent grin. He had a maraschino cherry stem between his teeth, the bright red fruit resting lightly against his bottom lip. Kyo was leaning over him, crawling on the table Kaoru was seated at, a clever pink tongue snaking out and just beginning to curl around the cherry his lover held. As usual, Kaoru was in a crisp grey suit, and Kyo was in a light, fitted tank top and skin-tight jeans, and the blonde had the older man’s tie wound between the fingers of one hand.
“Tell your master I appreciate the sentiment, but I have no interest for whores in suits,” Ran announced, standing to leave. “If he hasn’t the time to meet with me today, he’ll have to wait to get his payment next month.”
Die looked from Ran and Seizo – walking away with amused smirks and cocky strides – to Kyo, whose fingers were white as they gripped the table, dark gold eyes locked on the damning photograph. It had taken everything the blonde had to summon up the willpower to attend this meeting in Kaoru’s place, so strong was his grief for his lover’s absence and his respect for the man’s authority. And now, he was being mocked, his love denigrated with crude words, evidence of the violation of a private moment flung in his face like a cheap tabloid. He reached up one hand to touch Die’s arm lightly, then gestured at the other men.
The redhead moved with shocking speed, coming to stand between their two “guests” and the door. He had gone, as per his preference, largely unnoticed so far, but Ran and Seizo were forced to acknowledge him when he came to block the only exit. Standing almost a head over the tallest of them, he knew he was an intimidating figure, and he squared himself off to enhance that effect. One hand rested warningly over the grip of his gun, fingertips just barely brushing over cold steel.
Ran eyed Die nervously, cowing just a touch under the menace the younger man exuded. “Andou… What are you-”
“You forget your place, Tetsuya,” Kyo warned coolly, sitting back in his seat with forced calm. “You pay tribute to this family because, at the slightest whim, we can crush you, remember? You overstepped your bounds and we showed you mercy, and we will continue to do so only for as long as you are willing to play by our rules. So if Mr. Niikura asks you to do business with a whore in a suit, you will do business with a whore in a suit, or you will never do business again. Do I make myself clear?”
There was a long silence, and Die raised an eyebrow threateningly. Ran paled a bit and turned to return to the table, furious for his own complacency. Seizo followed obediently, but he did little to hide a disgusted sneer at the situation.
“Yes… yes of course, perfectly clear,” Ran murmured, sliding back into his seat.
Die breathed a softly relieved sigh, proud of his little friend. He knew Kaoru would have been too, if he had been present to see how the blonde had kept his composure. They would keep things together, for him. It was hard, and it would only get harder the longer it took to find him, but when he got home, the family business that he loved so dearly would be just as he left it.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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The Paladin