So we prepared to go back to New York. It was not one of my favorite things to do...ever. It's where I rarely slept and I had nothing to do for days on end. I didn't have a say in the matter, however. Jia needed all of us to come if someone new would be working for us so we all had to meet him. The Itto Ketsuen and the Ryuujin no Chi where kind enough to wait as Jia adjusted the last of his work from the Kaji mess and then until he booked a flight. About two weeks later and a fourteen hour flight, we were back in New York. It was spring, later April and the sun was out. Being all jet lagged, we all wore sun glasses to hide said fact as we left the airport in cabs, all filing out of JFK one right after the other. After a few hours of catching up on some sleep, I woke up well rested. I knew that it would be the only time I could get well rested while in New York. Around ten that night, Jun called me to let me know we had to meet at the Pearl Tea House. Jia had asked Kotei to bring Furukawa in already. He had no time to waste on getting completely rested and waiting around for the little emperor for whenever he felt like it. After getting up, getting showered and dressed, I caught a cab to the Pearl Tea House. It was ten forty-five when I arrived and much to my surprise, everyone else was also arriving at that time. We gathered in Jia's private room, the screen door never really shut since more people kept arriving every few minutes. By eleven, Jia was sitting at the head of the table, having his cigarette by Toki as he then had some tea poured. I sat across from Toki, watching him not accept the tea, but pour sake into the tea cup instead since traditional sake cups are nothing more then small sips. Once his tea cup was filled to the brim, he began to drink, cigarette in hand as Aoki sat beside him, doing the exact same thing. Akio was the only one of the three that actually had tea. Aya sat on Aoki's other side, taking gentle sips from his cup as he would look at Jo every now and then, give him a wink and go back to paying attention to Aoki. Jun sat beside me, already eating since my partner is forever hungry. Jo sat beside him as Akio sat on Jo's other side. Across from Akio sat Tai and Gabriel at his side both taking sips of tea as they waited in silence. Across from the gaijin were two empty seats and then the other end of the table. After a few moments, Kotei came in. He wore his black silk suit, white shirt undone underneath, blonde hair covering half his face, falling past his chin as his pendant hung in front of him as he leaned down to take off his shoes.

"I apologize. I over slept."

Ren came in after him, well in his suit and tie, black hair pulled back as he gave Kotei a look, knowing he over slept because he didn't want to listen and get out of bed when he was suppost to. He took Kotei's coat as the little emperor sat down at the head of the table and Ren stepped aside to allow Furukawa in. Furukawa came in, wearing a dark gray suit, black silk shirt underneath with a black tie. His hair was long, black, swaying softly away from his young looking face. His dark brown eyes looked at everyone before he bowed his head.

"This is Furukawa Kitsune Kazuki. Kazuki, meet the top heads of the 36 Moons."

Unlike many others that came across us, Kazuki was not intimidated. He did not cast his eyes downwards and he did not fall silent. After bowing his head, he stood up straight and said,

"An honor to meet you all."

Jia gestured him to take a seat as Ren then sat beside him. After we ordered dinner, Furukawa poured himself a cup of tea after Kotei and Ren did. He then reached into his pockets and retrieved his cigarette case, platinum by the sound of it, the kanji for kitsune engraved on the lid as he snapped it open and retrieved a cigarette. He got his lighter out as he lit the cigarette once it was in his mouth. Jia then said,

"What do you do for Kotei?"

Furukawa exhaled a stream of smoke as he said,

"A little of everything. I usually keep his books, watch the streets, handle any new inquire coming in. Deal with minor problems and give notice to larger ones."

He had a strong, yet not loud tone in his voice. It wasn't weak...he proved to catch Jia's interest. Jia nodded as he said,

"Could you do anything else?"

"Depending on what you would like me to do. I'm at your service."

Jia smirked as he rubbed out his cigarette as he said,

"If I offered you employment in Japan, would you go?"

"If...if you really wanted me to."

"You seem hesitant."

"I'm just a bit surprised. The likes of the 36 Moons wanting me to work for them."

"How'd you earn the name Kitsune?"

"Being fast. Being clever. I can pretty much back talk and loop a conversation to my way. I can cut a pretty even deal with little to no blood shed."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I'm offering you a place in Tokyo. I need someone to watch my home when I'm not there. My last associate was killed some time ago and since then I haven't felt right leaving when I had to. It's like leaving Japan unguarded."

"I understand your concern. And what would I do for you there?"

"Basically everything you're doing here. Just with a little more power."

Furukawa brought the cigarette to his mouth as he paused to think when the waitress came in. Platters of food were laid down on the table as the girls bowed and then excused themselves. We began to eat, everyone rubbing out cigarettes except for Jia who poured himself some sake and Toki who just continued to drink. Furukawa began to eat as he then blotted his soft pink mouth against a napkin and said,

"I would agree if not for the question of trust."

Jia laughed a little as he said,

"You don't trust me?"

"I would be foolish to do so. But I was thinking along the lines of you trusting me."

"I don't. I trust few people. Trust is something you'll earn."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I'm expected to walk blindly into this?"

Jia smirked as he said,

"Yeah."

"Fair enough."

Furukawa smiled as we continued to eat.

After dinner, after dessert, most of us stood outside the restaurant. Jia was still talking things over with Kotei, Ren, Tai and Furukawa. Once outside, I heard Jo say,

"He's cute."

Akio, Aoki and Toki all said,

"Too seme."

Jo laughed a little as Toki said,

"Too masculine. Can't fuck someone that masculine."

Aoki nodded as Aya gave him a look. Aoki lit a cigarette as Akio said,

"No wonder you like him Baby-Chu."

"I said he was cute, I didn't say I'd fuck him."

The trio laughed as Aya walked over to me. He crossed his arms as he said,

"Dinner was good?"

"Hai. And for you?"

"Was."

He gave a look to the side as Jun joined us. Jun then tucked his hair behind his ear and said,

"I'm still tired."

"So am I." Said Aya.

Gabriel joined us a moment later as he said,

"Jia thinks Furukawa would be good at his job."

"He seems like it." I said.

Aya nodded as he said,

"Only time will tell at the end."

Jia wasn't quick to go back to Japan right away. He wanted to watch how Furukawa worked so that meant time spent with the Ryuujin no Chi. The little emperor who had once been seen as a spoiled brat was still just that, only he had his priorities straight. He hated to do his job since it was not as glamorous as it seemed but he sucked it up and did it anyway. Furukawa on the other hand was doing what Kotei should have been doing. He and Ren plotted and planned everything in their side of New York and worked closely with the Itto Ketsuen and the Yami. Kotei did his part then usually he was trying to figure out a way to pass out and sleep for a few hours. He was one of the most careless oyabuns I had ever seen. While he slept on the lobby couch of his building, everyone else worked upstairs. No one would ever believe he was holding any power. Because Jia was only testing Furukawa and there was no actual problems, the rest of us had free time. I spent most of that time trying to sleep, failing miserably and then going for long walks hoping to wear myself out. It was rare that it did. So I broke down and accepted Jo's invitations to go bar hopping. Jo, following family genes, had learned to knock back enough liquor to knock anyone else under the table. Meanwhile, Aka-chan was still drinking, sober as if he had water rather then vodka. We sat at bars for hours, talking about nothing and drinking. I didn't like to drink. It wasn't my thing because anytime I had too much, I ended up passed out wherever I happened to be. Jo didn't force me to drink other then one drink, after that he was drinking on his own. One night, as I sat drinking my drink, Jo sat beside me, lighting what had to be his sixth cigarette that night. He inhaled as he said,

"This whole thing is driving me crazy."

"Why? Can't get to Sozaburo?"

"Yup. It's my only perk of being here you know?"

I nodded as Jo sighed. He exhaled as he said,

"He's been busy with all this shit. Means he don't have time for me. By the time he does have time I'll have to head back to Tokyo."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Since...well he was busy when he went to Tokyo for the whole Kaji drama. And before that...it's been a couple of months."

I nodded again as he then put his head down on the bar, hands on his arms as he said, muffled through his arms,

"I need to get laid."

"Don't you every time you go out?"

"It's not the same. It's not good fucking. It's just...fucking."

"I didn't think there would be a difference with you."

He laughed as he said,

"There is. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Don't you miss fucking?"

I cleared my throat as I said,

"Not really."

"I would have died if I was you."

"I have other things to think about other then getting my dick sucked."

"What about when you don't have shit to do? What about then?"

"Usually when that happens to I'm too tired to think about."

Jo inhaled part of his cigarette as he asked for another drink and then said,

"I never get that about you. You sure you're human?"

"Unfortunately."

He laughed as I took a sip of my drink. It was bitter but I said nothing. Jo then sighed as he said,

"I so need a Sloe Comfortable Screw."

"I thought we established that already."

He laughed as he said,

"It's a drink. Sloe gin, Southern Comfort and orange juice."

"Oh. I never heard of it."

"Sounds like you need one too."

He ordered two drinks. Once the arrived, he drank back a lot of it as I said,

"Why do you like to drink so much?"

"I don't know. It takes too much to get me drunk now. Not like when I first started. And...I guess I do it for the taste."

"Some of this is bitter."

I took a drink from my glass. It was warm but not completely bitter. Jo then rubbed out his cigarette as he said,

"I know. I like it anyway. You hungry?"

"Can you fit anything else in that body of yours after all the booze?"

He laughed as he said,

"Sure. Come on. Let's go eat."

We went to have dinner at a sit down place. Jo wasn't too fond of fast food and neither was I. In a sense, we got along better for all the little things we had in common. As Jo had his dinner, I stirred my tea. I contemplated some things as Jo said,

"You look so bored here."

"Don't take it personally. I'm always bored in New York."

He laughed a little as he said,

"That's what I meant."

"How'd you know?"

"You accepted my offer to go drinking. You rarely do."

I nodded as I said,

"I can't sleep...all I do at home is look at my ceiling."

Jo nodded as he then said,

"Maybe you have some sort of sleeping disorder."

"I sleep fine in Tokyo."

"Maybe it's just New York then."

"It is."

"You sound troubled."

Jo and I had made it an unspoken rule that we don't get personal. He doesn't delve about my secret, I don't delve into the fact that his once and so far only steady is now a whore at Kabuki-Cho. I cleared my throat as I said,

"Not really. Just...tired."

And I was tired. Just tired of feeling like this. Of feeling nothing and having all the wrong people provoke all the right things at the wrong time. Jo didn't go on any further. I think he saw the shield I already had up was just thickened. After dinner, we split the bill and went our separate ways. Jo had other plans I was no longer up for and I wanted to try and get some rest. It had been two days without proper rest.

The next morning, it was eight in the morning when I got out of bed. I was up at seven but I had tried to get another hour in just for me to lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. I got out of bed, took a warm shower and got dressed. I didn't need a coat for the warming New York weather, but I took one anyway since the climate changed within a few minutes. I took a cab to Jia's building as I got there and saw Tai in the lobby. He was speaking to Furukawa and Ren. I walked in as he said,

"Ohayo Mikkie."

I bowed my head to Tai as I then did the same to Ren and Furukawa. As I did I noticed Furukawa was giving me a different look. Not one of curiosity but one of interest. I ignored it as I said,

"Anything I could do for you Tai?"

"Not right now. Kotei is over on the sofa...mind him for a moment if you could."

I nodded, not really having anything better to do. Tai took the two upstairs to his office as the rest of the morning went on. Kotei slept until late morning and he only woke up because his arm suddenly fell off the sofa. He yawned, sitting up as he saw me sitting across from him, reading the paper.

"What time is it?"

I checked my watch as I said,

"It's almost twelve."

"Oh..."

He got up, stretching his arms over his head, arching his back as his black button down shirt rose up slightly revealing the drop lines of his body and a black mark inked into his white skin. He sighed, dropping his arms down as he then said,

"I'm going upstairs. Is Ren still there?"

I nodded as he then took the elevator up. Eventually Jia came in, half hour after Kotei went to Tai's office. Toki wasn't going to show up until later that afternoon and neither would Aoki or Akio. Jia came in by himself, smoking as usual as he said good afternoon to me. After I greeted him in return I said,

"Furukawa and the Ryuujin no Chi are taking a meeting with Tai."

"Yeah I figured they would be. Okay, I'm working."

He took the elevator up to his office shortly afterwards. Once I was by myself again, Jun came in and soon Gabriel, Aya, Jo and Akio showed up. They spoke among themselves for a while before Akio kissed Jo on the cheek and left, Aya doing the same to Jo as he went with Akio and Jun went to do some work downstairs. Jo came over to me as he said,

"Hey. How'd you not sleep?"

"Pretty badly. Same as always. You?"

"Same old."

I checked my watch and saw it was early afternoon. I desperately wanted to move my legs and get something to drink. Just as I was about to announce to Jo I was going for a quick walk, Ren, Kotei and Furukawa exited the elevator. Jo got up as he saw them and bowed his head to them. Kotei stuck his tongue out at Jo as Jo returned the gesture as they both laughed a little. Ren bowed his head in return as Furukawa then told them to go ahead. He was about to get some lunch. After the head of the Ryuujin no Chi left with his guard, the man known as the Kitsune looked at me from the sides of his eyes. I looked away and back down at the paper on my lap as he walked over to the area. He wore all black making his eyes seem all the darker, black hair falling haphazardly over his eyes as he looked at me so there was no mistaking it,

"You don't seem busy."

I looked up slightly seeing those feral eyes looking down at me. I glared back as I said,

"I'm not."

"Wanna come have lunch with me?"

He approached me but didn't so close to make me feel uncomfortable, but close enough to let me know he was there. I looked back up as I said,

"You want to have lunch with me? Why? I'm not one of the people you're doing business with."

"I'd like to."

That sounded like a come on. I looked at Jo as I saw him smirking, obviously amused. Damn that boy. I then looked back up at Furukawa and said,

"No. I don't have lunch with people. I eat alone."

"Lonely. That's so sad."

I said nothing but saw Jo gesturing me to agree. He kept nodding as he made a wave of his hand, telling me to go. Furukawa smiled a cunning smile as he said,

"Come on. Your friend is encouraging you."

Jo stopped as he got up and left soon afterwards. I then said,

"If I do will you leave me alone?"

"How could I leave you alone once we go?"

"I mean afterwards."

He gave me that damn cunning smile as he said,

"I promise."

I had a feeling his promise wasn't worth shit.