With Jia, Tai, Gabriel and Toki in Hong Kong and us having time off, all I did was spend time with my new lover, speeding through the country side of Tokyo, loving every second of it. I had to get a feel for it. After going through forest paths, almost wiping out a few times and actually falling off it but luckily not hurting my baby, I stood up, dusting my self off as I picked up my bike and went on my way. I loved it, flying through the country, stopping every now and then to have a cigarette and to eat. I eventually got home sometime late at night, only coming in to park my bike, shower and got to bed. I spent about three days doing this, knowing every back side street and road of Tokyo until I eventually left Tokyo for a while and then came back late at night. After three days, when Akio couldn't get a hold of me because I couldn't hear my phone as fast as I was going, he finally got me before I left on the fourth day. He took me out for breakfast as we went for a walk later. As we window shopped, both us of standing in the Ginza district, he said,

"Where have you been going these past three days?"

"Exploring. You know, besides Tokyo and Okinawa, I have never been outside of this city."

"Seriously?"

"I've never had a reason to before. I always wanted to. So now that I have the chance, I've been out of the city, rolling around the country side, the outskirts, seeing the most beautiful scenery. This city is nice, but when you get a change of pace like that..."

I turned and looked at him as he laughed slightly and I said,

"What?"

"You sound like you love the outdoors."

"I like driving through it but I'm not about to camp out and meditate and become one with the trees and rocks."

He laughed again as tucked my hair back and said,

"It's so beautiful. I think I just love my bike too much."

"Crashed yet?"

"I wiped out once so far. I wasn't too fast so I didn't fuck anything up thank God."

"Hurt yourself?"

"My shoulder when I landed but it's not anything serious."

He shook his head as he said,

"You gotta be careful."

"I try. But that's why I was glad I wasn't going too fast."

"You don't even have a license to drive that thing."

"So? I can't get one now."

"Sure you can."

"Okay then I just don't feel like it."

He laughed, shaking his head as he checked his watch and said,

"I gotta go."

"Go where?"

"Got an appointment."

"Oh....okay."

He put out the cigarette he was smoking as he said,

"Give me your hand."

"My hand?"

I raised my hand, giving it to him as he turned it so my palm would be up. He then rubbed the inside of my hand with his fingers as he said,

"Are you wearing gloves when you ride?"

"I keep forgetting to buy them."

"Ugh, come on. You can come with me."

"Where we going?"

"Getting a manicure."

I laughed slightly as he stopped and looked at me. He then said,

"You think I'm not arrogant enough to get my hands done?"

"Oh I know you are. That's what's making me laugh."

So we hailed a cab and we went to a small salon. The area was filled with woman, all who stared at us once we walked in. Akio paid them no mind as he sat down at a table and I stood beside him. Then a pretty woman, someone out of a magazine came out. She had dark brown hair, her make up done to accent her eyes and the pink and white smock of the salon that employed her over her slender figure. She sat down, her small pale hands taking Akio's as she smiled and brought Akio's hand close to her mouth as she kissed the back of his knuckles and said,

"Hey Akio."

"Hey Mariko."

"So glad you came back."

"Gotta have my hands clean."

"Plan on showing me why?"

Akio smirked slightly as he said,

"You got the time I'll show you."

She gave a smile, her dark red lipstick staining Akio's skin slightly. She then said,

"Who's your friend?"

She looked up at me as Akio took my hand and kissed it like she had done to him as he said,

"This is my Baby-chu."

She smiled at me as she said,

"He's cute."

"Aint he?"

I looked away as she then said,

"You can have a seat cutie."

I nodded, sitting beside Akio as she worked on his hands. She looked at Akio with such a smoldering look of lust as she worked on his hands, rubbing them in oil, lotion, filing his nails as she then said,

"Smooth as ever Akio."

"Thanks."

She slowly let go of his hand as Akio said,

"Work your magic on him will you?"

Akio made me sit where he was as I then rested my hand on the table. Mariko looked at me, the same look of lust in her eye as she said,

"How old are you cutie?"

"Twenty."

She smiled as she said,

"You are a baby."

She rubbed my hands for a while as she spoke and then said,

"You're getting a callous on your palms. Both of them."

"I ride a bike."

"Ooo...a bike? Like a motorcycle?"

"Yup."

"What kind?"

"Ducati Monster."

"Nice. Would you ever take me on a ride?"

"I guess. If you want."

"Oh, I do want."

She smiled seductively at me as Akio smiled and tucked my hair back behind my ear as he then leaned his head on my shoulder. Mariko filed my nails after she rubbed them in oil and took the callous off my palms. Then she rubbed them in lotion in this very seductive manner as if to give a preview of things she can do with her hands. Once she was done, Akio paid her, giving her a tip before she winked at the both of us and we left. I kept rubbing my hand against my arm, amazed at how they felt like Akio's hands. Once we were outside and we both lit a cigarette, Akio said,

"Don't make serious plans with Mariko."

"I wasn't trying to move in on her or anything."

"No, I could care less if you were, I'm just letting you know she's dirtier then most concubines yakuza hang around with. She's like a baggy shirt, one size fits all."

"Oh. So she's the female Toki."

"Basically."

I nodded in understanding as we both then kept walking.

I spent the first week of my time off usually riding and using the gloves Akio made me buy as I hung with Hisoka every now and then. What I loved about time off was that I was me for a while. Not working, not having to get up at the sound of my cell phone and being able to sleep all day and eat when I wanted to. What I hated was, that being able to do that, was only fun the first few days. After that, it was all boring. I got to do something the next week, however. I was called to pick up Jia at the airport once he came back to Tokyo. Nishiki accompanied me because he needed to talk to Jia. I figured since I had to see my boss, I couldn't exactly pick him up on my bike and in my jeans so I got semi dressed up and got the car and picked him up. He didn't seem as tired as he usually did and when he was in the car, he leaned his head on Toki's shoulder as he said to Nishiki,

"Hong Kong is settled. We had some trouble with any heads faithful to Kenimin so that's what took us so long. Other then that, we had no trouble."

"You gained all this by default."

"Yeah. Mostly because if Kenimin wouldn't have been careless that one time, I might have fallen into his trap."

"How'd you find out he was trying to trick you?"

"My animal sensed it."

He leaned up, kissing Toki's cheek as Toki smiled. Nishiki laughed softly as I finally took them home. Nishiki, Tai and Gabriel were still in the back, Tai and Nishiki spoke about business for a while until I dropped Nishiki off at home. Once it was Tai and Gabriel, they were quiet, Gabriel resting his head on Tai's shoulder asleep. Tai reached up, smoothing back Gabriel's pretty white blonde hair as he was sound asleep. It was a different side of Tai I never saw before, seeing him so gentle to someone. After a while I got to Tai's apartment as he woke Gabriel up. He said he had to leave and without thinking, Gabriel nodded and kissed Tai good night. I wasn't too shocked. Akio and Toki are forever joking around, saying there was something between them so for it to happen in front of me was no surprise. Gabriel rubbed his eyes once Tai left. He looked at me as he said,

"Oh God..."

"I won't say a word."

He covered his face, as if embarrassed as he didn't look up.

"Um...I need to know where your apartment is."

He shook his head as he eventually told me where it was. He spent the rest of the ride home with his head down, his hands covering his face.

I spent two weeks doing nothing. And of course, as always it was hard to get a hold of anyone during time off. I saw Mikkie once or twice mostly when I went out shopping. He was by himself most of the time, other times he was in Toki's company. When I was with Akio, we talked more. It was no longer about sex as much anymore. I do think he was bored of me, but it wasn't that he wanted to cut me off completely because I was his partner and we were friends. We talked a lot and he asked me about my bike.

"When you gonna let me ride that thing?"

"Oh, um, three days from never."

He laughed as he said,

"That attached?"

"You damn straight."

He laughed as he shook his head and said,

"You should let me ride with you at least."

"I only had one person on my bike so far."

"Who?"

"Lotus when I was baby-sitting her."

He laid down beside me since we were on my bed. I was eating pocky sticks one after the other as I read my manga. He then said,

"You still reading that?"

"I haven't finished the series."

"Not going to see Miya?"

"No. I miss him though."

"You should go see him."

"He doesn't wanna see me anymore."

"What did you do?"

"Kiss marks remember."

I then felt him smack me hard in the back of my head. I sat up as I rubbed my head and said,

"OW! What did you do that for!?"

"You're so nothing like Aoki."

"Duh, yeah."

"Stupid! How you gonna go and try to get back your ex then fuck someone else!?"

"I don't know! I wasn't thinking!"

"Youngin's never do. Don't let Toki find out. He will go after him."

"I thought Toki had enough problems."

"Toki never has enough problems. You are so stupid though. Seriously."

I frowned as I said,

"I wasn't thinking."

"Yeah well if you wanna get him back you better go and grovel on your hands and knees to him. You better get a big fuckin present and you better do that shit right."

"Why do you care so badly if I get back with Miya or not?"

"Baby-chu, half the people in the 36 Moons would kill to have a stable relationship. If you got something solid, keep it."

"What even you?"

"I don't know about me. I may not be in my twenties anymore, but I still think I'm too young to know what I want. I'm having fun right now. Despite the ups and down of my job, I'm having fun."

I thought for a while as I said,

"You don't think I should have fun?"

"You did. And you will continue to. But you gotta think. What's more important, you having fun or loosing that once in a lifetime love?"

"I don't know. You think love comes around once in a lifetime?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes it's two times. If you're really, really lucky."

"You ever get that one time love?"

He looked down at his hands, smoothing over the perfect smoothness of his nail as he shook his head and said,

"Nah. Never bothered to look."

I looked at him and he refused to look up for a while. I didn't know why but I decided to leave it alone.

I took his words into consideration and decided to give one more final try with Miya. No more fucking up, no more fucking anyone during this time unless I was absolutely sure that Miya really wanted nothing to do with me. I hopped on my bike the next night, pulled my gloves on, got my helmet on and drove to Miya's job. I parked in front of the store and looked around for a minute before I saw him. I got off, shutting off the engine as I took off my helmet, taking off my gloves and stuffing them in my jean pocket. I went upstairs to where I saw Miya go. I hid behind a shelf, for a minute, worried about what to say. Eventually I walked towards him as he turned and saw me. He stopped what he was doing as he held a few books in his hand as he said,

"Hi."

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you."

"Jo...I told you.."

"Miya, please, let me talk to you. I know I'm stupid, I know I'm so fucking stupid to ever do anything to harm you. Please let me talk to you for a while."

He turned away, putting some books on a shelf as he said,

"Jo, I'm working right now. I don't think I can talk."

"When do you get off?"

"Not for a while."

"Miya..."

"Jo, please. Now is not the time. Besides I told you I didn't want to see you anymore."

"You shouldn't be able to write me off so easily if you say you love me. You said you do but you're just shrugging me off now. Is there someone else? Is that why you can do this?"

"If there was Jo would it matter?"

"Yeah it would matter because I still love you!"

"Oh so it's okay for you to go and fuck around but if I get someone else it's a crime right?"

"I'll kill him."

"Jo! Don't say that!"

"Why?"

"Because I know you're serious."

"Is there someone else?"

"No. There's no one. And yes I do love you."

"Then talk to me."

"I already told you everything I had to say to you."

"Miya if you don't talk to me, I will make a scene."

"You mean bigger then the one you're making now?"

"Yes. Trust me it can get a whole lot louder up in here."

"Jo, please don't embarrass me."

"Then talk to me. Twenty minutes. It's all I ask."

"Jo..."

"Please Miya. I don't wanna turn and walk out of here without trying to fix things."

He looked at me for a while, his dark brown hair falling over his eye as he looked down at the few books in his hand. He turned them over and over for a little while as I saw his low rise jeans on his slender figure, his black long sleeved shirt on almost tightly hugging his body as he wore one of the aprons from the book store. He sighed again, deeply as he said,

"Okay. Twenty minutes. I'll go take my break."

He set the books on the shelf as he took off his apron that wasn't even tied on him as he went downstairs. I followed as he told one of the girls behind the register he was going to take his break and then we went outside. He saw my bike as he said,

"I was about to ask why you have a helmet."

"It's nice right?"

"Yeah."

"So...Miya..."

"What do you have to say."

"That I'm stupid. And I miss you. And I mean really miss you. I can't go on a day without thinking about you. You fill this part of my life that right now without you seems so vast and deep. I wish I was a poet so I could describe the pain I feel. I know you think I'm lying but Miya, I'll be honest, those marks you saw, that was just sex. It was nothing, meaningless shit that could never ever compare to what I had with you."

He looked down as he brought his hand up to his face as he then said,

"Jo...I don't want to assume I know what you're doing. But I think I have a pretty good idea. Plus, besides all that, I'm so scared of you. You turn into this other person when it comes to your job....not the Jo I know. And I know you can't help it that you change into this alter ego of yours....but it scares me all the same."

"My job and our home life don't have to get mixed up anymore. I admit, I didn't know what I was doing at first but now I do. I can keep you safe, I can keep you away from what I do and I will leave my ego at the door. I won't mix you in the shit I do."

Miya sighed brushing back his hair as he then said,

"Jo...I don't know..."

"I know I didn't do exactly my best to gain your trust...but I love you. And there's nothing more I want in my life right now then to have you back in it."

He sighed as he looked away, his hands clasped together as he said,

"I don't know..."

"But does that mean you still wanna see me?"

He looked back at me as he nodded, his hair falling back in place as he leaned over to me and we kissed. I sighed, dying on his lips like a wave does on sand. When he pulled back I said,

"I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"What time do you get off work?"

"Around nine."

"Good. I'll be back then."

I smiled as I got on my bike, got my helmet and gloves on and left.

I was happy again. The next few days I went to see Miya. I took him home on my bike and we talked for a long time and we shared those gentle subtle kisses. Akio was right, I am stupid. I kept this up for almost two weeks, a month into my down time. Eventually I got a call from Akio telling me that Jia was getting everyone back together for something minor. I sighed, getting up in the afternoon as I changed and went to the office. Jia was there, but even he didn't look to happy about being there. We don't get too much time off and when we do, we like to spend as much of it as possible. Anyway Jia run his fingers through his hair as he said,

"Who likes to gamble?"

A few of us looked around at each other as Jia then said,

"Because that might be a small conflict in my perfect masterpiece of a plan. I got word from some of the lower heads that there's a gambling, booking ring going on in the underground of my city. I run everything illegal in this city and if they want to set up shop that's fine, but not without cutting me my slice of the deal."

We nodded, knowing well what that meant. Tai then said,

"We should send in some of ours to see just how big that ring is."

Jia nodded as he said,

"That's why I called you all here. I may have to pull some of you off your vacations."

"We're use to it Jia." Said Aoki.

Everyone gave a small laugh as Jia tilted his head back on his chair as he said,

"So, who's up for some gambling."

"I'll go. Me and the Playboy should." Said Toki.

Akio nodded as he said,

"Oh most def. I'll go."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Fine. That works. One of my business heads with one of my killers. If they are willing to cooperate, fine. Bring him back here we'll make a deal. If not, then Toki can take over."

Jia then dismissed us as we started leaving. Akio put his arm around me as he said,

"So Baby-chu how about you come with me hm?"

"Nah sorry Akio, if Jia didn't assign me then I'm keeping to my original plans."

"What plans?"

"Gonna go see Miya."

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned and said,

"Okay, call you later."

I nodded as I then left to go change and then see Miya. I had plans I didn't want to break.