Code Name: Prince
Title: Code Name: Prince
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Matsumoto Jun/Sakurai Sho, Ohno Satoshi, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari (a few other JE cameos)
Summary: Matsumoto Jun is...Code Name: Prince
Notes/Warnings: For the summer contest at sakumoto and holy cow, it actually won (so honored). I asked for Jun/Sho as sexy but incompetent spies on the summer kink meme and nobody filled it. So I decided to write it myself.
He raced through the hotel, tossing the bellhop’s cap behind him as his shoes thudded against the paisley carpet. There was no time for the elevator - they were in the three minute window already, and the target would notice the hard drives had been switched within the next thirty seconds. He could hear Toma complaining in his ear - “Hurry up, Prince! Wheels up at Chitose in forty minutes!”
He nearly crashed through the door to the stairwell, only pausing on a landing to strip the pants of the bellhop uniform off. He jumped over the rail to get down the last two floors quicker - the extra set of clothes was waiting just outside the parking lot entrance. He was just pulling his shirt on when he hurried out into the underground garage. Toma was there in the car, opening the door for him.
“Come on, come on!”
He rolled his eyes and got in, slamming the door shut just as the tires squealed against the concrete. “Still got fourteen seconds left.”
But then there were other lights - cars were following them. The boss had all his thugs here in the parking garage. “Oh shit,” Toma gasped, speeding around a turn as the first bullets hit the car. “I am not paying for this.”
He ducked down low in the passenger seat, keeping his hand over the hard drive. Okay, so maybe Toma’s eagerness to leave wasn’t unfounded. The back glass shattered, and Toma swore some more, swerving the car quickly. They broke through the parking gate and out onto the streets.
He yanked the tiny transmitter from his ear since he was getting Toma’s volume in the car just fine. “Calm down! Just get us to the airport!”
“Yeah, you’re not the one who has to drive, alright? You just get to dress up as a stupid bellhop!”
Toma was not the ideal wheelman in these situations, but they managed to use the Sapporo traffic to their advantage, moving their smaller agency-issued vehicle quickly. They lost the tail within the first ten minutes, and his companion finally relaxed his death grip on the steering wheel.
They went through the airport to where the agency jet was waiting. He could already hear Director Nakai screaming about the damage to the car - but it wasn’t every mission one got shot at by the yakuza. They were going to bust the syndicates up here in Hokkaido in no time.
Toma got onto the jet first while Jun paused on the stairs to look out at the warm August night, the city lights in the distance. He took the hard drive from inside his jacket and gave it a little pat.
“Good birthday.”
-
Matsumoto Jun is
CODE NAME: PRINCE
-
2 September 2009
11:34 PM
Somewhere in Shibuya
“It’s too bad you had that business trip,” Shun grumbled into his sake. “Would have taken you to that club where the girls lick your face if it’s your birthday. Maybe they would have licked my face too.”
Jun made a face and downed his beer. “Kinda glad I missed that.”
“Why do you have so many trips?” Shun continued, descending into full drunken oblivion. “Seriously, they work you like a dog at that bank.”
He nodded. It wasn’t like he could just come right out and tell Shun. Even his best friend had to be kept in the dark - for the sake of national security, nobody could know that he didn’t really work at a bank. Instead of making investment deals across the country, he was in the espionage game.
His phone rang and Shun reached for it. But he was drunker and his hand just slapped Jun’s pant leg as he answered. “This is Matsumoto.”
“Hang up! You’re celebrating!” Shun whined, giving up and reaching for Jun’s beer since the hostess was nowhere in sight.
“Sorry to interrupt,” came Ohno’s bored voice over the line. “Need you to come in tonight.”
His watch was already inching close to midnight, and he sighed. No rest for heroes. “On my way.”
Shun was pissed. “Who the hell is working now? It’s time for bed!”
The usual lie would have to work. He hated running out on friends, but his duty came before his personal life. It would always have to. “Clients in America.” He tossed down some money on the table as Shun passed out. “Make sure he gets a taxi,” he told the hostess as he hurried out.
-
3 September 2009
12:41 AM
Location Confidential
Ohno was playing his fishing game on the Wii in his office when Jun finally strolled in. “Sorry I’m late. Infrared sensor’s messing up again,” he told his superior, closing the door behind him.
“Come on, GT,” Ohno was muttering, ignoring Jun completely as he jerked the controller a bit to try reeling in his big catch.
He took a seat in front of Ohno’s desk. How the hell the guy became a division director Jun would never understand. He slept through most mission briefings - occasionally the ones he himself was leading. Ohno finally caught his GT and switched off the game console. The projection screen returned to its usual appearance - windows of important national security information updates.
“Thanks for coming in so late. I know you were out celebrating your birthday.”
“It’s fine.”
Ohno nodded serenely and dug through his desk drawer. “Agent Ikuta’s been reassigned to Brazil, effective at 0300 this morning.”
“He what?”
They’d been partners for nearly two years. Sure, Toma was a pain in the ass, but he was a good agent. Surely he would have said something after Sapporo, but he’d said nothing to Jun on the jet coming back.
“Not his choice. Director Nakai’s been breathing down my neck about getting some fresh talent in the Rio branch office.” Ohno always said “Director Nakai” in the same tone you’d use to say “my annoying mother-in-law” or “that nosy neighbor.”
Jun closed his eyes. A new partner - the absolute last thing he wanted. Or needed quite frankly. He was a genius in the field, a master of disguise. He just needed a body waiting in the car or the surveillance truck to transport him away from a mission. He didn’t really need a partner, per se.
Ohno took a folder out of the drawer and slid it across the desk. “We’re partnering you with this guy.”
Jun frowned, taking the folder in his hand. “Don’t want a new partner.”
“Sorry.”
He opened the folder and immediately scowled. “No. No way. No, absolutely one million percent no.”
Ohno looked confused - not his usual confusion, but more a look of concern and surprise. “What’s wrong? He’s almost field rated.”
“Almost,” Jun pointed out, tapping his finger angrily against the agent’s eager, chipmunk-y photo on top of the folder. “This guy’s an analyst!”
“You started out with a desk job, too. I think Agent Sakurai’s perfectly ready to make the next step.” He grabbed a remote from his drawer and started clicking through things on his display screen. “Look, he’s got commendations out the you know what for his reports on money funneling to North Korea. He’ll be great in the field.”
“But why does he have to be my partner? First, you’re sending Ikuta to effing Brazil, and now I’m getting someone who hasn’t been out there to partner with me? You’re insane.”
Ohno looked annoyed. Well, for him. He saved his real frustration for the elusive tuna in his fishing game. “We won’t put you out in the field until he’s ready. He just needs a good mentor. I couldn’t think of anyone else…”
“What the…”
“I mean, I couldn’t think of anyone better suited to helping out a new field agent.” Yeah, Ohno was covering his ass big time.
Jun stared grumpily at the smiling face in the file folder, the list of commendations - it meant very little if he’d never been out there. If he’d never been shot at or had to think on his feet. And now this guy, this Sakurai Sho, would have his back? He tossed the folder back on Ohno’s desk.
“So I can’t even get out there until this guy’s field rated?”
Ohno nodded. “Well, Director Nakai says you can be out by next week if you um…well…”
“Well what?”
“If you do a bit of hand holding and get this guy ready by yourself.”
Jun was livid. He’d made it through training, hand to hand, evasive techniques, withstanding interrogations just like everyone else. He’d worked his ass off and now this guy was getting a free pass because they needed him in the field quicker?
Ohno stood and went for his Wii console again. “That’s it, just wanted you to know. Sakurai’s at a counterterrorism seminar. He’ll be back in a few days so you can start working together. Thanks for coming in.” Ohno beamed. “Here I come, GT. You watch yourself!”
Jun slammed the door on his way out.
-
5 September 2009
9:06 AM
Location Confidential
Sakurai was in his cubicle when Jun showed up. He hung back for a few minutes to observe the man at his work station. Everything was neat and tidy, and a Keio University diploma was proudly displayed next to a few medals and commendation certificates from the agency for his reports.
The guy in the next cube over came over with his coffee mug. “Heard you’re leaving us. You and pretty boy are going to be partners.” Pretty boy? So that’s how these nerdy analysts talked about him behind his back? Well, they’d all be getting their asses handed to them at the agency softball game next month.
Sakurai looked embarrassed. “I don’t know, Okada…I didn’t ask for the promotion.”
Great. Not only was he green, he was reluctant. Jun was going to kill Director Nakai for shuffling staff around so casually. Okada just smirked and slapped Sakurai on the back. “We all want to be out there. You can’t seriously enjoy crunching numbers and listening in on phone calls all day.”
“I do good work here.”
“Whatever, man. Just don’t get yourself killed.” Okada headed back to his cube, catching Jun’s eyes. He smiled, that smartass junior analyst smile, and made his way to his own area.
Jun was missing Toma already. At least Toma wanted to be out there in the field. He stood at the edge of the cubicle and cleared his throat. “Agent Sakurai.”
The guy jolted in his seat, knocking over a cup of pens all over his desk. “Whoa!”
Okay, obviously this guy was going to be difficult to train in staying under the radar. He held out his hand as Sakurai stumbled to his feet. He looked even more annoying in person. “Matsumoto Jun, call sign Prince.”
“Sakurai Sho. Analyst, East Asia. Well, former analyst I guess. So I think I need a call sign. Or whatever. You can call me Sho. I mean, if you want to. I…”
“We’re going to the firing range.”
-
5 September 2009
11:14 AM
Location Confidential
Jun was close to bursting into Director Nakai’s office and demanding a transfer to Brazil. Sakurai had never shot a firearm before, much less even held one. The guy complained about the noise, about the way the pistol kicked back…and this guy was going to have his back?
It had taken nearly an hour for Sho to actually hit the target at all. Each round fired into the wall or the ceiling (how the hell did the guy hit the range ceiling?!) was more taxpayer money down the drain.
Sho took off his protective earphones and frowned. “I’ll get better.”
“Let’s hope so.” He went to the gun rack and returned with a sniper rifle. “Here. You need to be able to assemble this with your eyes closed. In forty-five seconds.”
Sho stared at him.
“I’m serious.”
Sho was still staring, increasingly deer in the headlights.
Jun turned around, taking the rifle back to the rack. “Okay. Tomorrow.”
-
7 September 2009
3:21 PM
Agent Sakurai’s Apartment, Shinjuku
“Just moved out of my parents’ house,” Sho announced proudly, taking off his shoes and showing Jun inside the apartment. Jun wrinkled his nose at the sheer amount of take-out boxes inside Sho’s refrigerator.
“Can’t you cook?”
“Um, well that’s partly why I moved out. I…I tried making some instant curry and blew up my parents’ microwave. They kindly suggested I find my own place.”
Jun closed the refrigerator door with a disapproving grunt. “Sakurai, you need to eat better if you’re going out in the field. There’s no guaranteed meal time out there, if you get to eat at all. Your home time is key. You have to stay healthy.”
“Well, I just get veggies on my pizza.”
Jun frowned.
“Guess I need to stop with the pizza.”
He nodded, moving through Sho’s living room. If any of the agency’s enemies had found out about the man’s promotion, they might have bugged the place. You could never be too careful. Jun produced a screwdriver and started unscrewing the plate covering the nearest electrical socket.
“Hey!”
He put a finger to his lips and continued checking for bugs. Sho looked ready to pass out when Jun checked all the lamps and even the bed sheets. “You do these checks every time you come home,” he wrote on a post-it note, handing it to Sho.
“Every time?”
“Ssh!”
Sho lowered his voice. “Every time?”
Jun was finally satisfied half an hour later. Sho’s place looked a bit like a storm had torn through, but it was nice and bug free. “So just do a thorough check every time you come home. Never know who’s listening.”
There was really no way Sho would be field ready by next week, but Jun was in a line of work where the impossible had to be possible more often than not. He slipped his shoes back on and showed himself to the door.
“You’re going to the range tonight. And you’re shooting until you get all kill shots. I don’t care if you’re there until three in the morning, got that?”
Sho gulped. “But I was going out for drinks with friends tonight.”
“Yeah,” Jun interrupted. “That whole social life you analysts can have? That’s over. Range. Tonight. I expect progress.”
His cell rang when he was waiting for the elevator in Sho’s building. “Hey Jun.”
“Ohno.”
“How are things?”
“Not good.”
Ohno coughed. It meant Director Nakai was in on the call. Damn it. “I mean,” Jun continued. “Agent Sakurai’s making some good progress. We’ll be at the airfield tomorrow, interrogation training the day after that…”
“The airfield?” Nakai’s screechy voice came through. “They haven’t done that yet?! What’s taking so long?”
There was some muffled noise. Ohno had covered the phone speaker. Jun massaged his temple as the elevator door pinged and opened. Finally, Ohno came back on the line. “We look forward to your report. Oh, and I don’t know if you read Sakurai’s psych profile, but he’s got a fear of heights. Bye!”
“Ohno, wait…”
The line went dead. Fear of heights? Damn it.
-
8 September 2009
6:42 AM
In an airplane over the Kanto region
“Please. Please Jun, I don’t want to do this.”
The guy was strapped to the front of him. Sho was in no real danger since Jun was the one pulling the cord in the end. But he’d already barfed twice since takeoff. Not only did Sho hate heights, he’d never jumped out of a plane. Not that many people did, but it was something field agents did - night drops were common on undercover assignments. Eventually Sho would have to do this himself.
He slid along the metal floor of the plane, Sho’s flailing limbs smacking him several times as he moved to the exit. They were almost over the drop zone. “Sakurai, stop being such a pansy. You’re supposed to be an agent protecting Japan.”
His voice was screechy and loud, even in the noisy airplane. “I was protecting Japan just fine from my desk!” Sho’s hands were awkwardly positioned so he could hold onto Jun for dear life, and he tried to ignore the sensation of the guy’s hand on his leg. Sakurai was a coward, and he still couldn’t put together a sniper rifle in less than a minute. Jun did not have time to be crushing on him and his stupid chipmunk face.
“We go in thirty seconds. If you’re going to puke again, do it now. So help me, if you barf on me when we’re in free fall…”
“Jun! Please, I don’t want to jump out of the plane!”
“Just keep your eyes closed, and I’ll get us on the ground.” Jun got them to their feet and right next to the exit. “Wimp.”
“Jun, please! Please don’t…” Sho pushed all his weight back against him, trying to stay on board the plane and unintentionally grinding his ass against Jun’s crotch. That did it. Jun pried Sho’s fingers from the fuselage and jumped.
Jun wasn’t sure he’d ever hear again as they plunged from the plane towards the ground below, and Sho screamed like he was being murdered. He sighed against the strong air blasting his face, reaching for Sho’s hand with his free one as he waited to pull the cord with his other. Sho’s fingers twined with his tightly.
He’d petition for a transfer tomorrow, Jun vowed. He’d get away from this wimpy agent (and his full lips and his surprisingly muscular body and his really nice backside) before he did something he’d regret.
-
9 September 2009
7:24 PM
Location Confidential
Okay, so he didn’t petition for the transfer.
On the other side of the one-way glass, Director Nakai, Ohno and some of the others were watching him. Sho was shaking in the chair, snot running from his nose. Jun hated this.
He walked behind the man, brushing his fingers along the hair that was damp with sweat and matted against Sho’s neck. “One more time, Agent Sakurai. Where are the files?”
Sho shook his head, knuckles turning white where he gripped the chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Good, he thought. Fight it. He’d injected Sho with the truth serum nearly fifteen minutes ago and as much as he looked like crap, Sho hadn’t revealed the information. He’d been interrogating him for the better part of the day - they were both exhausted, but Sho wasn’t caving. Even though he was barely competent with a firearm and wasn’t going to be jumping out of a plane any time soon, Agent Sakurai was performing admirably under pressure. Sure, it was fake pressure and a fake interrogation - but the truth serum was very real.
He slammed a hand on the table, and Sho jumped. “Where is it? Where are the files?”
“I said I don’t know!” Sho howled, eyes bloodshot as he looked Jun in the face. His chin was trembling, and damn it, Jun just wanted to stop this. But there’d been no word from the viewing gallery. He’d have to keep going.
Sho’s hand shook as Jun grabbed it, prepping the pinky, ready to bend it back and snap it. “I need those files, Sho. Won’t you tell me where they are?”
But Sho shook his head. “Break it. I don’t know what you want from me. So break it.”
What the hell was happening to him? He’d gone through this same kind of training. He’d learned how to deal with the pressure, to endure pain. He’d observed half a dozen other agents. But why was the thought of hurting Sho hurting him? Jun closed his eyes and got ready to bend the little finger back when the speaker came on. “Agent Matsumoto, that will be enough.”
He released Sho immediately and left the room without looking back.
-
13 September 2009
8:55 AM
Location Confidential
Sho’s training had progressed quickly. Of course, Jun only heard about it. After the interrogation training, he’d told Ohno that he wasn’t having any part in Sakurai’s preparation for field rating any longer.
Sakurai was already waiting in Ohno’s office when Jun arrived that morning. Ohno was trying to teach Sho how to catch trout, and Sakurai looked thrilled for the interruption.
“Ah, Jun!” Ohno shut off the Wii reluctantly, and he and Sho took their seats before his desk. There was a new file folder. “First off, Agent Sakurai was cleared for field duty this morning.”
“Congratulations,” Jun muttered, looking straight ahead.
“Thanks.”
Ohno pushed the folder to the middle of the desk between them. Neither of them moved to grab it. “Anyhow,” Ohno began, grabbing his little remote. “Your target is this man.”
A rather sneaky, devilish looking man’s face appeared on the screen.
“Ninomiya Kazunari,” Ohno continued. “Made his fortune by investing in Sony, online gaming, that sort of thing. We believe that he’s bankrolling a yakuza syndicate in Yokohama, but his accountants are good. Too good.”
“Wiretapping?” Sho asked, but Ohno shook his head.
“Guy’s untouchable that way. He’s got a pretty fancy estate in Roppongi. You’re going in, the both of you.”
“What?” Jun interrupted. Sho might have been field rated now, barely, so he’d be fine driving or sitting in the van with headphones on - but field work? Real field work? “Why does Sho have to go in? He’s not ready!”
“I’ll do anything,” Sho blurted out, taking the folder from Ohno’s desk decisively. “I’m ready, sir.”
Jun sat back in the chair, fear growing. Sho was going to get them both killed. A guy with connections like Ninomiya would finger Sho as an outsider the second he opened his mouth. “It’s too risky.”
Sho was staring at the folder. “Am I…reading this correctly?”
Jun snatched the folder away from Sho before he could protest. Inside was information about their cover stories. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sho would be going in as Mimura Takuya, an investment banker, and Jun would be Sawada Shin, a lawyer. He scanned the page quickly - stopping at the same point Sho probably had.
“You’re going in as a couple,” Ohno announced, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. And it wasn’t really, Jun realized. He’d had dozens of cover stories. He and Toma had infiltrated their fair share of things - but he’d never wanted Toma the way he was wanting this new partner. This wasn’t right. He prided himself on his professionalism. He was good at his damn job, wasn’t he?
Sho took the folder back and kept reading. “Ninomiya has…sex parties. He invites professional couples and runs a swapping game?”
Ohno nodded. “Yeah, seems like it. Anyhow, we got you two on the guest list thanks to an agent placed in deep cover within his organization. He’ll rig the sex game so one of you gets in with Ninomiya. Won’t be as suspicious as if one stranger was there.”
Sho paled. “Gets in with Ninomiya? You mean like…”
Jun nodded. Focus on the mission, he thought. “Understood. When do we leave?”
“Party’s tonight. Go to the tech lab. We’ve got recording devices for you to keep on your person for the duration of the party. I don’t care what you have to do - get him to admit to the yakuza bankrolling, okay?”
Sho tripped over his chair as he got to his feet. “Okay?”
Jun stood and left, heading for the tech lab, trying to focus. Sho was at his heels like an annoying puppy. “Jun. Jun, wait.”
“Keep up, Sakurai.”
“The folder said my call sign is Cherry? What the hell!”
“Could have been worse. Agent Akanishi’s call sign is Buttercup.”
Sho grabbed his arm, pulling him aside by the stairwell. “Jun.”
“What?”
Sho looked uncomfortable to say the least. Not that Jun was all that excited about having to pretend to be Sho’s lover. Not when he increasingly wanted to do more than pretend. But he was good at acting. Acting was half of his job as an agent. “So when it says we have to get in with Ninomiya, how far do we…”
“All the way,” he said without flinching. Been there, done that. “You go as far as you have to in order to get that information.”
Sho’s eyes widened. He looked almost as terrified as he had on board the plane that day. “But I’ve never…I mean, not with a guy…”
Jun could tell without Sho informing him, but that was neither here nor there. “It’s just acting.”
Sakurai scowled. “It’s a little bit more than just acting if you’re rounding the bases with a stranger. And a yakuza-supporting stranger that has sex parties, you know.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it? You’re the one blabbing about being field rated and ready to go. This is your job now.”
The other man blushed. Actually blushed. A field rated agent. And Jun had to look past him because it was way too endearing. But Sho was moving forward, whispering, close enough that Jun could smell his aftershave. “We still have time before tonight, so…I mean, I was just wondering if you could help…”
“Jun! What’s shakin’, bacon?”
Sho stepped back immediately as a man in a white lab coat approached, slapping Jun on the back. He had a large mug filled with some strange colored tea and was sipping it through a purple and green crazy straw. “Hey Aiba,” Jun said politely, trying to forget what Sho was just about to ask him.
Aiba smiled and took a sip of his drink. “Our fearless leader said you’d be coming to me today. I’ve got just the thing for you.” He held out his hand to Sho. “Nice to meet you! I’m Aiba. I take care of all your gadgets! We’re going to be great friends!”
In their crazy secretive world, someone like Aiba really stood out. Probably because he was insane. They followed the sneaker-clad techie back to his bright lab. The marker board was covered in scribbles - Aiba’s latest ideas. There was a big black line drawn through “Can we make an orange into a cell phone?” but “kiwi fruit radio transmitter” and “super awesome cufflinks that shoot poison darts” were still up for consideration.
There were other techies working on various projects - there were car gadgets being evaluated on their testing range, and Sho clung to him as a car crashed into the wall and exploded. Aiba just sipped from the crazy straw and shook his head like this was a normal occurrence. “Stupid robot driver.”
They continued into Aiba’s office. The sign on the door read “The genius is IN.” Jun had never actually seen Aiba’s desk - there was just stack after stack of papers, reports and gadgets in various stages of completion piled up. He picked up a jar labeled “New suicide pills - do not eat!!!!!!!” and moved it aside.
“Okay, where did I put them? I swear, they were here this morning with the lemon-scented knockout gas. These are so cool…”
Sho looked ready to piss himself, but Jun wasn't scared. Aiba and his gadgets had never failed him. “You’ve got disguises for us?”
Aiba nodded, tossing more folders on the floor and moving to dig through the plastic bins against the wall. “Boring! Just suits, huh?” Jun headed over to the costuming closet and pulled out two dry cleaning bags Aiba had labeled “Prince” and “Cherry” with little stickers of a crown and a cherry respectively. He handed Sho his bag while Aiba continued his search.
“Now you’re going in as a lawyer, Jun, so naturally they’re going to check your pin to see if it’s a bug. But yeah, I’m not that dumb,” Aiba was rambling. “The pin is clean, authentic, blah blah. But these…haha, they’d never check these. Oh finally!”
The techie produced two small foil wrappers, giving them each a gleeful wink. “Condoms?” Sho mumbled nervously.
Aiba giggled, a breathy hitching laugh and beckoned them to follow him back into the lab proper. He moved a few plastic explosives away from his computer keyboard and pulled up an audio program. Aiba held the condom wrapper to his mouth, flicked one of the corners and started talking.
“Pretty awesome, right?” he announced, and Jun and Sho could see Aiba’s voice being recorded. He flicked the wrapper again and handed it to Jun. “Sex party right? Who’s checking the rubbers? Nobody! Now they’re pretty short-range, only about twenty meters, but come on, how amazing am I? It’ll record and store up to an hour of audio.” He tossed the other condom to Sho. “Coated the wrapper with this special stuff I cooked up. But uh…I’m not sure if the condom inside is still any good, so hopefully you’ll carry a spare if you’re getting busy.”
Sho’s eyes were the size of saucers as he stared at the condom in his palm. “Wow.”
There was another explosion in the test range, and Aiba growled. “Seriously, robot! What is your deal?” He waved goodbye and hurried away to help the other lab techs.
Jun shoved the condom in his pocket. “Well, that’s Aiba for you.”
“He’s…different,” Sho remarked.
He hoisted the garment bag, eyeing Sho warily. “Better go memorize my backstory. I suggest you do the same.”
“Right. And Jun?”
“What?”
Sho’s hand was shaking as he put the condom in his back pocket. “Never mind. I’ll see you at the meet-up tonight.”
-
13 September 2009
9:26 PM
Outside Ninomiya’s Estate, Roppongi
The party started at 10:00 sharp. He’d already seen a few couples head up into the house while he and Sho hung back in the agency car. They were parked at the edge of the estate, out of range. Men, women, it didn’t seem to matter - Ninomiya liked to party.
Sho looked good in a well-tailored suit. His usual office attire had been ill-fitting, as if he didn’t really know what kind of style he was going for. But Aiba and the agency had picked him out something that had pretty much been made for him. He leaned across the seat, startling Sho as he undid the top button of his shirt.
“Whoa, wait…”
Jun snorted, undoing another button and loosening Sho’s tie. “This is a party, not a business meeting. You need to look relaxed.”
“I can’t relax!” Sho cried, his voice hitching a bit. “How can you relax when you’re going to a party like this?”
He shrugged. Japan’s seedy underbelly liked some rather kinky stuff - Ninomiya’s party wasn’t going to faze him. And it was rigged - he hoped he’d get picked. He didn’t like the thought of the millionaire picking Sho. Not one bit. And not just because Sho had never been in the field before. “Haven’t you ever had a one night stand?”
“Well…”
“Never? Not one time?”
Sho frowned. “I don’t look for casual hook-ups. And until recently I lived at home, so I never really had people over. And I…well, it’s always been girls, never guys, right? I mean, I got drunk in college once and a guy tried to pick me up. I don’t know if that counts.”
“Sho…”
“And I’ve been working hard, and I don’t go for the whole office romance thing so it’s probably been over a year…scratch that, almost two since I’ve…god, why am I telling you this? So they want me to kiss this guy? I mean, I might have to do more than that but I’ve never…”
“Oh my god, Sho, shut your mouth,” he demanded before leaning back across the car seat to grab the other agent roughly and shut it for him. Sho gasped as Jun pressed his mouth insistently against his.
He tasted like the breath freshening spray he’d been using every two minutes since they’d arrived, and Jun pulled him closer, running his fingers through Sho’s carefully coiffed locks. He ran his tongue along Sho’s lip, body alight with sensation. He’d wanted to do this for days. The seconds ticked by, and they had to get inside. The mission was more important, but Sho needed the practice, right?
His partner was stunned, finally catching his breath and pushing Jun away, albeit weakly. “What…”
Jun checked himself out in the rearview mirror, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. “We’re playing lovers, aren’t we? We should at least have an idea what that might be like.” He was a good liar. “Leave your hair like that,” he breathed, seeing the way Sho’s hair was tousled. They had to look like they knew exactly what this party was about.
Sho could only nod, reaching a trembling hand for the door handle. Jun checked his wallet one last time for Aiba’s strange condom gadget before getting out of the car.
“Come here,” he said, and Sho obeyed. He put his arm around Cherry’s shoulders, turning the Jun part of himself off and trying to focus on the mission.
They walked up the drive, and as soon as they saw other people queuing up for the party beside them, Sho’s posture changed. He leaned against him, slipping his arm under Jun’s jacket and around his back. Maybe Sho was more ready for the field than he’d expected.
They presented their invitations at the door and went through the scanners that had been set up. The security guard examined the pin on Jun’s lapel carefully, but it was real. They were allowed in without incident, and his partner didn’t show any visible signs of relief. Good, Sho. Very good.
The party wasn’t very well-lit, just candles and lava lamps. A few dozen other people were wandering around. A scantily clad woman with a black mask held out a bowl. “Car keys, if you don’t mind?”
Jun nodded, smiling amiably. He tossed the agency car’s key into the bowl, and he and Sho continued their sweep of the room, trying to commit the faces of everyone to memory. Ninomiya’s closest confidantes - how many shared his ties to organized crime? More barely clothed people crossed the room, offering champagne and small finger sandwiches.
They both took a champagne flute. They had to blend in with the usual crowd, so Jun leaned over to nuzzle Sho’s neck, brush a kiss to his cheek or his temple in between sips of alcohol. Cherry was getting a real education, he imagined. But it surprised him when they moved to the next room, and Sho slipped his hand into the back pocket of his slacks, leaving it there.
Sho only winked, and Jun nearly dropped his champagne. Well played, Cherry.
It seemed that their host was in this room. There were men and women in various states of undress gathered around a table where the target was. He had been clad in a tuxedo at some point, but his bow tie now hung loosely around his neck and the jacket was gone, revealing his suspenders and half-buttoned dress shirt.
Ninomiya looked just as crafty in person, smirking wickedly as he held up a playing card. “Ace of diamonds - was that your card, angel?”
One of the women, whose dress was more shirt than dress, squealed noisily. “Yes! Yes, that’s the one!” All the people around them clapped, and Sho set down his glass to join in. He was getting more confident. Jun was almost proud of him, but the mission was just getting started.
They watched a few more of Ninomiya’s card tricks. Jun had to admit that the man was good with his hands. He hoped he could keep up with him. It was for the good of the country, wasn’t it?
Finally the time came. The girl with the bowl came, setting it down at the table where Ninomiya had been presenting his magic. The man smiled, eyes sparkling from champagne and his guests’ attentions. “Already? Well, we all know how this goes, don’t we?”
The other guests laughed, and he and Sho joined in. He was momentarily startled as Sho twined their fingers together and squeezed. Focus, he told himself, trying to make his face appear interested in Ninomiya. But from his waist down, he was having trouble thinking about anything but his partner.
Ninomiya called over one of his staff, and though Jun didn’t recognize the man, this was most likely their contact on the inside. He went through the car keys, pulling out pairs. The couples swapped partners, departing for one of the many rooms of Ninomiya’s estate with lusty gazes. Sho’s grasp on his hand tightened, but otherwise he looked perfectly calm.
The room emptied until only he and Sho remained, along with Ninomiya and his employee. “Well,” Ninomiya said, getting out of his chair and stepping over to them. He looked Jun up and down, then Sho. His eyes were dark, the same mysterious gaze Jun had seen in many a target before. “Lawyer huh?”
Jun nodded. Thank god. Sho had done well so far, but he wouldn’t have to-
“I hate lawyers,” the man said with a quirk of his eyebrows. He turned his attentions to Sho. “What’s your name?”
“Takuya.” Sho immediately detached their hands and turned on the charm. The charm Jun didn’t even know he had.
“Mmm, and what do you do, Mr. Takuya?”
“Little of this, little of that,” Sho remarked casually, grinning. “Investments mostly.”
“Well, I like money,” Ninomiya remarked, not even giving Jun a second glance. “Much more than I like lawyers. I think we should go talk about my portfolio.”
Jun watched as Sho boldly wrapped his arm around Ninomiya’s shoulders. “Be happy to, Mr. Ninomiya.”
“I’ll try to bring him back in one piece,” Ninomiya called back, and Jun stood there, smiling on the outside but insanely jealous on the inside. And not just because this weasel was stealing Sho away. Jun always got picked. Always. And he’d lost to a guy on his first mission in the field?
The other man stepped over as Ninomiya closed his bedroom door behind him. “Prince.”
“I’m sorry? Are we out of onions?”
It was a stupid way of verifying another agent, but that’s what happened when Ohno was the one writing out mission guidelines. The other man bowed slightly. “Nice to meet you. I’m Buzzer.” Ah, Jun realized. Yamashita. He’d undergone quite a physical transformation to infiltrate Ninomiya’s organization. He had a brand new nose, colored contact lenses and slicked-back hair.
The clock was already ticking. “I…” He didn’t know what to say. Buzzer was eyeing him suspiciously. What could he do? He wanted to be in there, keeping an eye on Sho. Keeping an eye on Ninomiya. He decided to be honest. “How can I get in that room?”
“I’ve worked for Ninomiya for months. I’ve never been in his bedroom. Cherry’s a lucky guy.” Buzzer looked depressed. “He’ll get all the credit for busting him.”
He stifled a stab of jealousy and downed another flute of champagne. Jun could already hear moans from the other rooms throughout the estate. He hoped Sho was smart enough to keep Ninomiya talking for a while, especially if he had to get the condom recorder going. Sho tended towards the clumsy side.
Buzzer stepped closer, whispering. “No offense to you, Prince, but I don’t really feel like having sex with you. I need to send a report to HQ - you heading back?”
Yamashita was leaving. He was leaving! Jun kept his excitement in check and grabbed another glass of champagne from the table. He really shouldn’t be drinking at all. “I’ll make sure Cherry gets back. First time in the field.”
“Really? Wow.” They stared at each other a few more seconds, Jun lifting his eyebrows to imply it was time for Yamashita to start moving along. They didn’t need to be caught chatting when they were supposed to be off getting busy.
Buzzer made his exit, and Jun was alone in the room. He’d scanned the room when he’d first entered - there was a grate in the wall behind him, and he made it inside with little trouble. He secured the grate anew and crawled along through the duct, squirming and wriggling and trying to make as little noise as possible.
Finally he was able to peek out at Ninomiya's bedroom, and he was half-horrified, half-enticed to see Sho sitting on the millionaire's leopard-print bedsheets in a strange costume. Sho's suit was discarded on the floor, and he was now clad in a red tunic, black tights and boots and had on a short blond wig. What the hell was going on here?
Ninomiya was nowhere to be seen, but Jun could hear the shower going in another room. He tapped lightly on the grate to get Sho's attention. He really shouldn't have done so, but he'd had more than his fair share of champagne. “Cherry.”
Sho looked up immediately, wisps of the blond wig getting in his eyes. He looked furious and stomped over to the grate. If they weren't in the middle of a mission, it would have been rather comical. “What the hell are you doing here?” he hissed quietly.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Jun shot back through the metal grate.
“It's cosplay. Some Kiefer guy from Dragon Quest, whatever that is. He picked me because I was the right size for the costume.” Sho smirked. “He said your waist was too feminine.”
“My waist is just fine!”
“Ssh!” Sho's eyes kept darting back to the bathroom. “He'll know something's up.”
“Don't tell me he's getting in a costume too.”
“I don't know. But you need to go away. Now.”
Jun ignored him completely, undoing the grate and letting himself into the room. The duct had been a bit dusty, despite the otherwise opulent state of Ninomiya's home, and his suit was now pretty nasty. Sho was quaking with anger but couldn't do anything about it without alerting Ninomiya.
“Where's the recorder? You changed clothes without authorization.”
He pushed up his tunic and retrieved the condom recorder from inside his tights, and it took all of Jun's willpower not to follow Sho's actions too closely. “Screw authorization,” he said. “The second I got in here the guy was all about me changing into this stupid costume.”
The shower turned off, and they both panicked. “Turn the recorder on,” he hissed.
Sho shoved him. “Get the hell out of here!”
“Oh Prince Kiefer! I'll be there in a second!” came a downright creepy voice from the bathroom. Ninomiya was probably in character too.
Cherry shoved him again. “Jun, seriously! This is my mission, okay? Stop being such a jealous ass and...”
“I'm not jealous.”
He was.
Sho was freaking out, his face getting red with his frustration. “You have to leave or you'll compromise the both of us!”
There was no time to get into the duct again. Sho nearly screamed in fury as Jun winked and got down to roll underneath the bed. It didn't matter what Sho thought - Jun was always the one who got picked. He was going to do his part to take down Ninomiya too. He took Aiba's strange gadget from his pocket and set it in front of him on the floor underneath the bed - if Sho couldn't get the job done, then Jun certainly would.
The bathroom door opened, and he heard Sho's sharp intake of breath. All he could see of Ninomiya were his feet, which were covered with green tights. Jun's Dragon Quest was rusty, but he could only imagine he was dressed up as the usual unnamed hero. Either way, it was a little too creepy to give much thought to in the long run.
“Shall we go on a quest?” Ninomiya asked, and Jun felt the mattress sink above him. He heard a bedside drawer open. “I've got enough to protect us both, Prince Kiefer.”
He had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Sure, if he was in Sho's place it would be easier to stay in character and play along - but having to overhear this and imagining Sho's distress was getting to be too much. Jun's first field mission had not been nearly as ridiculous.
“I brought my own too,” Sho remarked. Jun nearly screamed. Idiot, don't show him the recordable condom you brought!
It got very quiet, and Jun strained his ears to hear. He would have sealed the deal by now, working the truth out of Ninomiya during a massage or something, but there were two notable dips in the mattress above him. Sho was on the opposite side of the bed, probably shaking in his cosplay boots. He wanted Sho to be successful, and at the same time he didn't. His mind was whirring - this was why he didn't need a partner. It just messed with his brain.
“Do you smell that?” Ninomiya wondered aloud.
Jun sniffed himself. He smelled wonderful. It was probably the stupid costumes, right?
Sho's part of the bed shifted. “I don't smell anything. Come here, uh...hero guy. Let me take you to the mystic forest.”
“Smells like hair gel.” Jun sniffed himself again. Whatever. “Doesn't matter. That sounds good, Prince Kiefer. Hope we don't encounter any...unusual slime...”
Jun coughed, unable to stop himself, and Sho went into quite a coughing fit on the bed above him to cover Jun's mistake. “Sorry! I'm sorry. Do you...do you have any water?”
“Of course, Prince Kiefer. Just a moment.” Ninomiya's real voice returned seconds later. “My usual safe word is okonomiyaki, so don't hesitate alright?” The bedroom door opened and closed, and in an instant, Sho was tugging on his leg and pulling him out from under the bed.
“Hey...”
“Jun, you need to leave,” Sho complained. He chuckled at the sight of the red tunic and blond wig again, and Sho punched him in the arm. “You think I can't handle this?”
“Where's the device?” he asked. “Is it on already?”
“I didn't get a chance to activate it so...”
“Well, mine's activated and recording,” he informed him. “I'll just wait until you get the information. Then I'll leave when he falls asleep, and you leave in the morning.”
“Why are you giving me orders? I'm handling this just fine.”
“You're in tights, Sakurai.”
“I won't be for much longer,” he said, but not all that convincingly. He was scared out of his mind, but he sure was stubborn. No wonder the guy had so many awards for his work - he wanted to get the job done no matter how many coworkers he pissed off in the process. “Please, Jun? Please trust me?”
He was discovering how easy it was to get drawn in - how easy it was to put up with the guy. The firing range, the airplane - Sho was far from the typical agent. And maybe that was what drew Jun to him after all.
Jun nodded, retrieving the other transmitter from beneath the bed. “Fine. I'll trust you.” He moved for the grate one last time, his gut telling him he was making a mistake. But he had been new in the field once, wasn't he?
“Thank you,” Sho told him, and even in the ridiculous wig, his eyes were so earnest.
He wriggled back through the vent. “Your legs look great in those tights,” he muttered before heading for Ninomiya's exit.
-
14 September 2009
10:17 AM
Location Confidential
The applause in the meeting room was noisy. Jun was still hungover, having downed the better part of a wine bottle in his worry once he got home from Ninomiya's the night before.
The other agents and higher ups were patting Sakurai on the back while news coverage of Ninomiya's arrest flashed on all the screens throughout the room and the rest of the agency offices. It had been one of the biggest breakthroughs in their work to take down the Yokohama syndicate. And by a field agent on his first mission? Even more exciting.
Jun shoved a plastic forkful of celebratory cake in his mouth and sulked in the corner. The accolades he usually received were for all for Sho today.
Sho, who had probably quested beneath the sheets for Ninomiya's dragon in order to take him down. Why did that upset him so much?
He tossed the cake in the trash and left. Jun was halfway to his desk when Sho caught up with him in the empty stairwell. “Hey! Jun, wait!”
Pivoting on his heel to face his partner, he almost expected the blond wig and costume again. Sho was in his usual dress shirt and tie, and Jun wanted to point out the cake frosting he still had on his chin. But he wasn't in the nicest mood. “Congratulations. You did good work last night, Sakurai.”
“That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Jun shrugged. “What's there to talk about? You did your job.”
“I didn't...” Sho was blushing again, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I didn't sleep with him.”
He didn't? Jun blinked. “Then...then how did you...”
“Actually,” Sho continued. “I kind of have you to thank. You gave me the confidence to succeed. And I remembered how you acted during the interrogation training. You didn't back down until they ordered you to. I realized that I had to be the same way. You made me the field agent I am, Jun.”
“This is all very touching, but I've got lots of paperwork on the people at Ninomiya's to work on.”
“Wait,” Sho interrupted, grabbing his arm firmly. He felt a rush of heat, and his heart started to race. Sho's damn eyes were on him again, and he couldn't look away. Even the goofy chipmunk face with the dollop of frosting couldn't detract from those eyes. “I drugged him. I guess I cheated, huh? But I used the same truth serum you gave me during the interrogation. Got him to tell me anything I wanted since he wasn't trained to withstand it.”
Jun was impressed. He usually just made out with people until they talked. “How'd you give it to him?”
Sakurai grinned proudly. “Put it in the water I had him bring me, you know, after you left. And since I was Prince Kiefer, I had him taste it for me. Check it for poison. Guess it pays to do a little roleplay from time to time.”
Downright clever, Jun thought. Ninomiya was a victim of his own creepy fantasy. He was actually proud of his partner. Maybe this would work out after all. He smiled. “I guess so.”
Sho leaned forward, less hesitant than he'd been in the car the evening before. Jun rolled his eyes as he felt the frosting from Sho's chin migrate to his own. Sakurai pinned him against the wall of the stairwell, finally and aggressively coming into his own. Jun broke their mouths' contact first, nipping along Sho's jaw line to whisper in his ear.
“Just one question,” he whispered, breath hot against Sho's earlobe. “Where were you keeping the truth serum?”
“Well,” Sho answered, teasingly running his fingertips along Jun's belt. “Guess you could say I was packing more in those tights than you realized.”
Oh yes, Jun realized. Having a partner wasn't so bad after all.
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Matsumoto Jun/Sakurai Sho, Ohno Satoshi, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari (a few other JE cameos)
Summary: Matsumoto Jun is...Code Name: Prince
Notes/Warnings: For the summer contest at sakumoto and holy cow, it actually won (so honored). I asked for Jun/Sho as sexy but incompetent spies on the summer kink meme and nobody filled it. So I decided to write it myself.
He raced through the hotel, tossing the bellhop’s cap behind him as his shoes thudded against the paisley carpet. There was no time for the elevator - they were in the three minute window already, and the target would notice the hard drives had been switched within the next thirty seconds. He could hear Toma complaining in his ear - “Hurry up, Prince! Wheels up at Chitose in forty minutes!”
He nearly crashed through the door to the stairwell, only pausing on a landing to strip the pants of the bellhop uniform off. He jumped over the rail to get down the last two floors quicker - the extra set of clothes was waiting just outside the parking lot entrance. He was just pulling his shirt on when he hurried out into the underground garage. Toma was there in the car, opening the door for him.
“Come on, come on!”
He rolled his eyes and got in, slamming the door shut just as the tires squealed against the concrete. “Still got fourteen seconds left.”
But then there were other lights - cars were following them. The boss had all his thugs here in the parking garage. “Oh shit,” Toma gasped, speeding around a turn as the first bullets hit the car. “I am not paying for this.”
He ducked down low in the passenger seat, keeping his hand over the hard drive. Okay, so maybe Toma’s eagerness to leave wasn’t unfounded. The back glass shattered, and Toma swore some more, swerving the car quickly. They broke through the parking gate and out onto the streets.
He yanked the tiny transmitter from his ear since he was getting Toma’s volume in the car just fine. “Calm down! Just get us to the airport!”
“Yeah, you’re not the one who has to drive, alright? You just get to dress up as a stupid bellhop!”
Toma was not the ideal wheelman in these situations, but they managed to use the Sapporo traffic to their advantage, moving their smaller agency-issued vehicle quickly. They lost the tail within the first ten minutes, and his companion finally relaxed his death grip on the steering wheel.
They went through the airport to where the agency jet was waiting. He could already hear Director Nakai screaming about the damage to the car - but it wasn’t every mission one got shot at by the yakuza. They were going to bust the syndicates up here in Hokkaido in no time.
Toma got onto the jet first while Jun paused on the stairs to look out at the warm August night, the city lights in the distance. He took the hard drive from inside his jacket and gave it a little pat.
“Good birthday.”
-
Matsumoto Jun is
CODE NAME: PRINCE
-
2 September 2009
11:34 PM
Somewhere in Shibuya
“It’s too bad you had that business trip,” Shun grumbled into his sake. “Would have taken you to that club where the girls lick your face if it’s your birthday. Maybe they would have licked my face too.”
Jun made a face and downed his beer. “Kinda glad I missed that.”
“Why do you have so many trips?” Shun continued, descending into full drunken oblivion. “Seriously, they work you like a dog at that bank.”
He nodded. It wasn’t like he could just come right out and tell Shun. Even his best friend had to be kept in the dark - for the sake of national security, nobody could know that he didn’t really work at a bank. Instead of making investment deals across the country, he was in the espionage game.
His phone rang and Shun reached for it. But he was drunker and his hand just slapped Jun’s pant leg as he answered. “This is Matsumoto.”
“Hang up! You’re celebrating!” Shun whined, giving up and reaching for Jun’s beer since the hostess was nowhere in sight.
“Sorry to interrupt,” came Ohno’s bored voice over the line. “Need you to come in tonight.”
His watch was already inching close to midnight, and he sighed. No rest for heroes. “On my way.”
Shun was pissed. “Who the hell is working now? It’s time for bed!”
The usual lie would have to work. He hated running out on friends, but his duty came before his personal life. It would always have to. “Clients in America.” He tossed down some money on the table as Shun passed out. “Make sure he gets a taxi,” he told the hostess as he hurried out.
-
3 September 2009
12:41 AM
Location Confidential
Ohno was playing his fishing game on the Wii in his office when Jun finally strolled in. “Sorry I’m late. Infrared sensor’s messing up again,” he told his superior, closing the door behind him.
“Come on, GT,” Ohno was muttering, ignoring Jun completely as he jerked the controller a bit to try reeling in his big catch.
He took a seat in front of Ohno’s desk. How the hell the guy became a division director Jun would never understand. He slept through most mission briefings - occasionally the ones he himself was leading. Ohno finally caught his GT and switched off the game console. The projection screen returned to its usual appearance - windows of important national security information updates.
“Thanks for coming in so late. I know you were out celebrating your birthday.”
“It’s fine.”
Ohno nodded serenely and dug through his desk drawer. “Agent Ikuta’s been reassigned to Brazil, effective at 0300 this morning.”
“He what?”
They’d been partners for nearly two years. Sure, Toma was a pain in the ass, but he was a good agent. Surely he would have said something after Sapporo, but he’d said nothing to Jun on the jet coming back.
“Not his choice. Director Nakai’s been breathing down my neck about getting some fresh talent in the Rio branch office.” Ohno always said “Director Nakai” in the same tone you’d use to say “my annoying mother-in-law” or “that nosy neighbor.”
Jun closed his eyes. A new partner - the absolute last thing he wanted. Or needed quite frankly. He was a genius in the field, a master of disguise. He just needed a body waiting in the car or the surveillance truck to transport him away from a mission. He didn’t really need a partner, per se.
Ohno took a folder out of the drawer and slid it across the desk. “We’re partnering you with this guy.”
Jun frowned, taking the folder in his hand. “Don’t want a new partner.”
“Sorry.”
He opened the folder and immediately scowled. “No. No way. No, absolutely one million percent no.”
Ohno looked confused - not his usual confusion, but more a look of concern and surprise. “What’s wrong? He’s almost field rated.”
“Almost,” Jun pointed out, tapping his finger angrily against the agent’s eager, chipmunk-y photo on top of the folder. “This guy’s an analyst!”
“You started out with a desk job, too. I think Agent Sakurai’s perfectly ready to make the next step.” He grabbed a remote from his drawer and started clicking through things on his display screen. “Look, he’s got commendations out the you know what for his reports on money funneling to North Korea. He’ll be great in the field.”
“But why does he have to be my partner? First, you’re sending Ikuta to effing Brazil, and now I’m getting someone who hasn’t been out there to partner with me? You’re insane.”
Ohno looked annoyed. Well, for him. He saved his real frustration for the elusive tuna in his fishing game. “We won’t put you out in the field until he’s ready. He just needs a good mentor. I couldn’t think of anyone else…”
“What the…”
“I mean, I couldn’t think of anyone better suited to helping out a new field agent.” Yeah, Ohno was covering his ass big time.
Jun stared grumpily at the smiling face in the file folder, the list of commendations - it meant very little if he’d never been out there. If he’d never been shot at or had to think on his feet. And now this guy, this Sakurai Sho, would have his back? He tossed the folder back on Ohno’s desk.
“So I can’t even get out there until this guy’s field rated?”
Ohno nodded. “Well, Director Nakai says you can be out by next week if you um…well…”
“Well what?”
“If you do a bit of hand holding and get this guy ready by yourself.”
Jun was livid. He’d made it through training, hand to hand, evasive techniques, withstanding interrogations just like everyone else. He’d worked his ass off and now this guy was getting a free pass because they needed him in the field quicker?
Ohno stood and went for his Wii console again. “That’s it, just wanted you to know. Sakurai’s at a counterterrorism seminar. He’ll be back in a few days so you can start working together. Thanks for coming in.” Ohno beamed. “Here I come, GT. You watch yourself!”
Jun slammed the door on his way out.
-
5 September 2009
9:06 AM
Location Confidential
Sakurai was in his cubicle when Jun showed up. He hung back for a few minutes to observe the man at his work station. Everything was neat and tidy, and a Keio University diploma was proudly displayed next to a few medals and commendation certificates from the agency for his reports.
The guy in the next cube over came over with his coffee mug. “Heard you’re leaving us. You and pretty boy are going to be partners.” Pretty boy? So that’s how these nerdy analysts talked about him behind his back? Well, they’d all be getting their asses handed to them at the agency softball game next month.
Sakurai looked embarrassed. “I don’t know, Okada…I didn’t ask for the promotion.”
Great. Not only was he green, he was reluctant. Jun was going to kill Director Nakai for shuffling staff around so casually. Okada just smirked and slapped Sakurai on the back. “We all want to be out there. You can’t seriously enjoy crunching numbers and listening in on phone calls all day.”
“I do good work here.”
“Whatever, man. Just don’t get yourself killed.” Okada headed back to his cube, catching Jun’s eyes. He smiled, that smartass junior analyst smile, and made his way to his own area.
Jun was missing Toma already. At least Toma wanted to be out there in the field. He stood at the edge of the cubicle and cleared his throat. “Agent Sakurai.”
The guy jolted in his seat, knocking over a cup of pens all over his desk. “Whoa!”
Okay, obviously this guy was going to be difficult to train in staying under the radar. He held out his hand as Sakurai stumbled to his feet. He looked even more annoying in person. “Matsumoto Jun, call sign Prince.”
“Sakurai Sho. Analyst, East Asia. Well, former analyst I guess. So I think I need a call sign. Or whatever. You can call me Sho. I mean, if you want to. I…”
“We’re going to the firing range.”
-
5 September 2009
11:14 AM
Location Confidential
Jun was close to bursting into Director Nakai’s office and demanding a transfer to Brazil. Sakurai had never shot a firearm before, much less even held one. The guy complained about the noise, about the way the pistol kicked back…and this guy was going to have his back?
It had taken nearly an hour for Sho to actually hit the target at all. Each round fired into the wall or the ceiling (how the hell did the guy hit the range ceiling?!) was more taxpayer money down the drain.
Sho took off his protective earphones and frowned. “I’ll get better.”
“Let’s hope so.” He went to the gun rack and returned with a sniper rifle. “Here. You need to be able to assemble this with your eyes closed. In forty-five seconds.”
Sho stared at him.
“I’m serious.”
Sho was still staring, increasingly deer in the headlights.
Jun turned around, taking the rifle back to the rack. “Okay. Tomorrow.”
-
7 September 2009
3:21 PM
Agent Sakurai’s Apartment, Shinjuku
“Just moved out of my parents’ house,” Sho announced proudly, taking off his shoes and showing Jun inside the apartment. Jun wrinkled his nose at the sheer amount of take-out boxes inside Sho’s refrigerator.
“Can’t you cook?”
“Um, well that’s partly why I moved out. I…I tried making some instant curry and blew up my parents’ microwave. They kindly suggested I find my own place.”
Jun closed the refrigerator door with a disapproving grunt. “Sakurai, you need to eat better if you’re going out in the field. There’s no guaranteed meal time out there, if you get to eat at all. Your home time is key. You have to stay healthy.”
“Well, I just get veggies on my pizza.”
Jun frowned.
“Guess I need to stop with the pizza.”
He nodded, moving through Sho’s living room. If any of the agency’s enemies had found out about the man’s promotion, they might have bugged the place. You could never be too careful. Jun produced a screwdriver and started unscrewing the plate covering the nearest electrical socket.
“Hey!”
He put a finger to his lips and continued checking for bugs. Sho looked ready to pass out when Jun checked all the lamps and even the bed sheets. “You do these checks every time you come home,” he wrote on a post-it note, handing it to Sho.
“Every time?”
“Ssh!”
Sho lowered his voice. “Every time?”
Jun was finally satisfied half an hour later. Sho’s place looked a bit like a storm had torn through, but it was nice and bug free. “So just do a thorough check every time you come home. Never know who’s listening.”
There was really no way Sho would be field ready by next week, but Jun was in a line of work where the impossible had to be possible more often than not. He slipped his shoes back on and showed himself to the door.
“You’re going to the range tonight. And you’re shooting until you get all kill shots. I don’t care if you’re there until three in the morning, got that?”
Sho gulped. “But I was going out for drinks with friends tonight.”
“Yeah,” Jun interrupted. “That whole social life you analysts can have? That’s over. Range. Tonight. I expect progress.”
His cell rang when he was waiting for the elevator in Sho’s building. “Hey Jun.”
“Ohno.”
“How are things?”
“Not good.”
Ohno coughed. It meant Director Nakai was in on the call. Damn it. “I mean,” Jun continued. “Agent Sakurai’s making some good progress. We’ll be at the airfield tomorrow, interrogation training the day after that…”
“The airfield?” Nakai’s screechy voice came through. “They haven’t done that yet?! What’s taking so long?”
There was some muffled noise. Ohno had covered the phone speaker. Jun massaged his temple as the elevator door pinged and opened. Finally, Ohno came back on the line. “We look forward to your report. Oh, and I don’t know if you read Sakurai’s psych profile, but he’s got a fear of heights. Bye!”
“Ohno, wait…”
The line went dead. Fear of heights? Damn it.
-
8 September 2009
6:42 AM
In an airplane over the Kanto region
“Please. Please Jun, I don’t want to do this.”
The guy was strapped to the front of him. Sho was in no real danger since Jun was the one pulling the cord in the end. But he’d already barfed twice since takeoff. Not only did Sho hate heights, he’d never jumped out of a plane. Not that many people did, but it was something field agents did - night drops were common on undercover assignments. Eventually Sho would have to do this himself.
He slid along the metal floor of the plane, Sho’s flailing limbs smacking him several times as he moved to the exit. They were almost over the drop zone. “Sakurai, stop being such a pansy. You’re supposed to be an agent protecting Japan.”
His voice was screechy and loud, even in the noisy airplane. “I was protecting Japan just fine from my desk!” Sho’s hands were awkwardly positioned so he could hold onto Jun for dear life, and he tried to ignore the sensation of the guy’s hand on his leg. Sakurai was a coward, and he still couldn’t put together a sniper rifle in less than a minute. Jun did not have time to be crushing on him and his stupid chipmunk face.
“We go in thirty seconds. If you’re going to puke again, do it now. So help me, if you barf on me when we’re in free fall…”
“Jun! Please, I don’t want to jump out of the plane!”
“Just keep your eyes closed, and I’ll get us on the ground.” Jun got them to their feet and right next to the exit. “Wimp.”
“Jun, please! Please don’t…” Sho pushed all his weight back against him, trying to stay on board the plane and unintentionally grinding his ass against Jun’s crotch. That did it. Jun pried Sho’s fingers from the fuselage and jumped.
Jun wasn’t sure he’d ever hear again as they plunged from the plane towards the ground below, and Sho screamed like he was being murdered. He sighed against the strong air blasting his face, reaching for Sho’s hand with his free one as he waited to pull the cord with his other. Sho’s fingers twined with his tightly.
He’d petition for a transfer tomorrow, Jun vowed. He’d get away from this wimpy agent (and his full lips and his surprisingly muscular body and his really nice backside) before he did something he’d regret.
-
9 September 2009
7:24 PM
Location Confidential
Okay, so he didn’t petition for the transfer.
On the other side of the one-way glass, Director Nakai, Ohno and some of the others were watching him. Sho was shaking in the chair, snot running from his nose. Jun hated this.
He walked behind the man, brushing his fingers along the hair that was damp with sweat and matted against Sho’s neck. “One more time, Agent Sakurai. Where are the files?”
Sho shook his head, knuckles turning white where he gripped the chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Good, he thought. Fight it. He’d injected Sho with the truth serum nearly fifteen minutes ago and as much as he looked like crap, Sho hadn’t revealed the information. He’d been interrogating him for the better part of the day - they were both exhausted, but Sho wasn’t caving. Even though he was barely competent with a firearm and wasn’t going to be jumping out of a plane any time soon, Agent Sakurai was performing admirably under pressure. Sure, it was fake pressure and a fake interrogation - but the truth serum was very real.
He slammed a hand on the table, and Sho jumped. “Where is it? Where are the files?”
“I said I don’t know!” Sho howled, eyes bloodshot as he looked Jun in the face. His chin was trembling, and damn it, Jun just wanted to stop this. But there’d been no word from the viewing gallery. He’d have to keep going.
Sho’s hand shook as Jun grabbed it, prepping the pinky, ready to bend it back and snap it. “I need those files, Sho. Won’t you tell me where they are?”
But Sho shook his head. “Break it. I don’t know what you want from me. So break it.”
What the hell was happening to him? He’d gone through this same kind of training. He’d learned how to deal with the pressure, to endure pain. He’d observed half a dozen other agents. But why was the thought of hurting Sho hurting him? Jun closed his eyes and got ready to bend the little finger back when the speaker came on. “Agent Matsumoto, that will be enough.”
He released Sho immediately and left the room without looking back.
-
13 September 2009
8:55 AM
Location Confidential
Sho’s training had progressed quickly. Of course, Jun only heard about it. After the interrogation training, he’d told Ohno that he wasn’t having any part in Sakurai’s preparation for field rating any longer.
Sakurai was already waiting in Ohno’s office when Jun arrived that morning. Ohno was trying to teach Sho how to catch trout, and Sakurai looked thrilled for the interruption.
“Ah, Jun!” Ohno shut off the Wii reluctantly, and he and Sho took their seats before his desk. There was a new file folder. “First off, Agent Sakurai was cleared for field duty this morning.”
“Congratulations,” Jun muttered, looking straight ahead.
“Thanks.”
Ohno pushed the folder to the middle of the desk between them. Neither of them moved to grab it. “Anyhow,” Ohno began, grabbing his little remote. “Your target is this man.”
A rather sneaky, devilish looking man’s face appeared on the screen.
“Ninomiya Kazunari,” Ohno continued. “Made his fortune by investing in Sony, online gaming, that sort of thing. We believe that he’s bankrolling a yakuza syndicate in Yokohama, but his accountants are good. Too good.”
“Wiretapping?” Sho asked, but Ohno shook his head.
“Guy’s untouchable that way. He’s got a pretty fancy estate in Roppongi. You’re going in, the both of you.”
“What?” Jun interrupted. Sho might have been field rated now, barely, so he’d be fine driving or sitting in the van with headphones on - but field work? Real field work? “Why does Sho have to go in? He’s not ready!”
“I’ll do anything,” Sho blurted out, taking the folder from Ohno’s desk decisively. “I’m ready, sir.”
Jun sat back in the chair, fear growing. Sho was going to get them both killed. A guy with connections like Ninomiya would finger Sho as an outsider the second he opened his mouth. “It’s too risky.”
Sho was staring at the folder. “Am I…reading this correctly?”
Jun snatched the folder away from Sho before he could protest. Inside was information about their cover stories. Nothing out of the ordinary. Sho would be going in as Mimura Takuya, an investment banker, and Jun would be Sawada Shin, a lawyer. He scanned the page quickly - stopping at the same point Sho probably had.
“You’re going in as a couple,” Ohno announced, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. And it wasn’t really, Jun realized. He’d had dozens of cover stories. He and Toma had infiltrated their fair share of things - but he’d never wanted Toma the way he was wanting this new partner. This wasn’t right. He prided himself on his professionalism. He was good at his damn job, wasn’t he?
Sho took the folder back and kept reading. “Ninomiya has…sex parties. He invites professional couples and runs a swapping game?”
Ohno nodded. “Yeah, seems like it. Anyhow, we got you two on the guest list thanks to an agent placed in deep cover within his organization. He’ll rig the sex game so one of you gets in with Ninomiya. Won’t be as suspicious as if one stranger was there.”
Sho paled. “Gets in with Ninomiya? You mean like…”
Jun nodded. Focus on the mission, he thought. “Understood. When do we leave?”
“Party’s tonight. Go to the tech lab. We’ve got recording devices for you to keep on your person for the duration of the party. I don’t care what you have to do - get him to admit to the yakuza bankrolling, okay?”
Sho tripped over his chair as he got to his feet. “Okay?”
Jun stood and left, heading for the tech lab, trying to focus. Sho was at his heels like an annoying puppy. “Jun. Jun, wait.”
“Keep up, Sakurai.”
“The folder said my call sign is Cherry? What the hell!”
“Could have been worse. Agent Akanishi’s call sign is Buttercup.”
Sho grabbed his arm, pulling him aside by the stairwell. “Jun.”
“What?”
Sho looked uncomfortable to say the least. Not that Jun was all that excited about having to pretend to be Sho’s lover. Not when he increasingly wanted to do more than pretend. But he was good at acting. Acting was half of his job as an agent. “So when it says we have to get in with Ninomiya, how far do we…”
“All the way,” he said without flinching. Been there, done that. “You go as far as you have to in order to get that information.”
Sho’s eyes widened. He looked almost as terrified as he had on board the plane that day. “But I’ve never…I mean, not with a guy…”
Jun could tell without Sho informing him, but that was neither here nor there. “It’s just acting.”
Sakurai scowled. “It’s a little bit more than just acting if you’re rounding the bases with a stranger. And a yakuza-supporting stranger that has sex parties, you know.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it? You’re the one blabbing about being field rated and ready to go. This is your job now.”
The other man blushed. Actually blushed. A field rated agent. And Jun had to look past him because it was way too endearing. But Sho was moving forward, whispering, close enough that Jun could smell his aftershave. “We still have time before tonight, so…I mean, I was just wondering if you could help…”
“Jun! What’s shakin’, bacon?”
Sho stepped back immediately as a man in a white lab coat approached, slapping Jun on the back. He had a large mug filled with some strange colored tea and was sipping it through a purple and green crazy straw. “Hey Aiba,” Jun said politely, trying to forget what Sho was just about to ask him.
Aiba smiled and took a sip of his drink. “Our fearless leader said you’d be coming to me today. I’ve got just the thing for you.” He held out his hand to Sho. “Nice to meet you! I’m Aiba. I take care of all your gadgets! We’re going to be great friends!”
In their crazy secretive world, someone like Aiba really stood out. Probably because he was insane. They followed the sneaker-clad techie back to his bright lab. The marker board was covered in scribbles - Aiba’s latest ideas. There was a big black line drawn through “Can we make an orange into a cell phone?” but “kiwi fruit radio transmitter” and “super awesome cufflinks that shoot poison darts” were still up for consideration.
There were other techies working on various projects - there were car gadgets being evaluated on their testing range, and Sho clung to him as a car crashed into the wall and exploded. Aiba just sipped from the crazy straw and shook his head like this was a normal occurrence. “Stupid robot driver.”
They continued into Aiba’s office. The sign on the door read “The genius is IN.” Jun had never actually seen Aiba’s desk - there was just stack after stack of papers, reports and gadgets in various stages of completion piled up. He picked up a jar labeled “New suicide pills - do not eat!!!!!!!” and moved it aside.
“Okay, where did I put them? I swear, they were here this morning with the lemon-scented knockout gas. These are so cool…”
Sho looked ready to piss himself, but Jun wasn't scared. Aiba and his gadgets had never failed him. “You’ve got disguises for us?”
Aiba nodded, tossing more folders on the floor and moving to dig through the plastic bins against the wall. “Boring! Just suits, huh?” Jun headed over to the costuming closet and pulled out two dry cleaning bags Aiba had labeled “Prince” and “Cherry” with little stickers of a crown and a cherry respectively. He handed Sho his bag while Aiba continued his search.
“Now you’re going in as a lawyer, Jun, so naturally they’re going to check your pin to see if it’s a bug. But yeah, I’m not that dumb,” Aiba was rambling. “The pin is clean, authentic, blah blah. But these…haha, they’d never check these. Oh finally!”
The techie produced two small foil wrappers, giving them each a gleeful wink. “Condoms?” Sho mumbled nervously.
Aiba giggled, a breathy hitching laugh and beckoned them to follow him back into the lab proper. He moved a few plastic explosives away from his computer keyboard and pulled up an audio program. Aiba held the condom wrapper to his mouth, flicked one of the corners and started talking.
“Pretty awesome, right?” he announced, and Jun and Sho could see Aiba’s voice being recorded. He flicked the wrapper again and handed it to Jun. “Sex party right? Who’s checking the rubbers? Nobody! Now they’re pretty short-range, only about twenty meters, but come on, how amazing am I? It’ll record and store up to an hour of audio.” He tossed the other condom to Sho. “Coated the wrapper with this special stuff I cooked up. But uh…I’m not sure if the condom inside is still any good, so hopefully you’ll carry a spare if you’re getting busy.”
Sho’s eyes were the size of saucers as he stared at the condom in his palm. “Wow.”
There was another explosion in the test range, and Aiba growled. “Seriously, robot! What is your deal?” He waved goodbye and hurried away to help the other lab techs.
Jun shoved the condom in his pocket. “Well, that’s Aiba for you.”
“He’s…different,” Sho remarked.
He hoisted the garment bag, eyeing Sho warily. “Better go memorize my backstory. I suggest you do the same.”
“Right. And Jun?”
“What?”
Sho’s hand was shaking as he put the condom in his back pocket. “Never mind. I’ll see you at the meet-up tonight.”
-
13 September 2009
9:26 PM
Outside Ninomiya’s Estate, Roppongi
The party started at 10:00 sharp. He’d already seen a few couples head up into the house while he and Sho hung back in the agency car. They were parked at the edge of the estate, out of range. Men, women, it didn’t seem to matter - Ninomiya liked to party.
Sho looked good in a well-tailored suit. His usual office attire had been ill-fitting, as if he didn’t really know what kind of style he was going for. But Aiba and the agency had picked him out something that had pretty much been made for him. He leaned across the seat, startling Sho as he undid the top button of his shirt.
“Whoa, wait…”
Jun snorted, undoing another button and loosening Sho’s tie. “This is a party, not a business meeting. You need to look relaxed.”
“I can’t relax!” Sho cried, his voice hitching a bit. “How can you relax when you’re going to a party like this?”
He shrugged. Japan’s seedy underbelly liked some rather kinky stuff - Ninomiya’s party wasn’t going to faze him. And it was rigged - he hoped he’d get picked. He didn’t like the thought of the millionaire picking Sho. Not one bit. And not just because Sho had never been in the field before. “Haven’t you ever had a one night stand?”
“Well…”
“Never? Not one time?”
Sho frowned. “I don’t look for casual hook-ups. And until recently I lived at home, so I never really had people over. And I…well, it’s always been girls, never guys, right? I mean, I got drunk in college once and a guy tried to pick me up. I don’t know if that counts.”
“Sho…”
“And I’ve been working hard, and I don’t go for the whole office romance thing so it’s probably been over a year…scratch that, almost two since I’ve…god, why am I telling you this? So they want me to kiss this guy? I mean, I might have to do more than that but I’ve never…”
“Oh my god, Sho, shut your mouth,” he demanded before leaning back across the car seat to grab the other agent roughly and shut it for him. Sho gasped as Jun pressed his mouth insistently against his.
He tasted like the breath freshening spray he’d been using every two minutes since they’d arrived, and Jun pulled him closer, running his fingers through Sho’s carefully coiffed locks. He ran his tongue along Sho’s lip, body alight with sensation. He’d wanted to do this for days. The seconds ticked by, and they had to get inside. The mission was more important, but Sho needed the practice, right?
His partner was stunned, finally catching his breath and pushing Jun away, albeit weakly. “What…”
Jun checked himself out in the rearview mirror, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. “We’re playing lovers, aren’t we? We should at least have an idea what that might be like.” He was a good liar. “Leave your hair like that,” he breathed, seeing the way Sho’s hair was tousled. They had to look like they knew exactly what this party was about.
Sho could only nod, reaching a trembling hand for the door handle. Jun checked his wallet one last time for Aiba’s strange condom gadget before getting out of the car.
“Come here,” he said, and Sho obeyed. He put his arm around Cherry’s shoulders, turning the Jun part of himself off and trying to focus on the mission.
They walked up the drive, and as soon as they saw other people queuing up for the party beside them, Sho’s posture changed. He leaned against him, slipping his arm under Jun’s jacket and around his back. Maybe Sho was more ready for the field than he’d expected.
They presented their invitations at the door and went through the scanners that had been set up. The security guard examined the pin on Jun’s lapel carefully, but it was real. They were allowed in without incident, and his partner didn’t show any visible signs of relief. Good, Sho. Very good.
The party wasn’t very well-lit, just candles and lava lamps. A few dozen other people were wandering around. A scantily clad woman with a black mask held out a bowl. “Car keys, if you don’t mind?”
Jun nodded, smiling amiably. He tossed the agency car’s key into the bowl, and he and Sho continued their sweep of the room, trying to commit the faces of everyone to memory. Ninomiya’s closest confidantes - how many shared his ties to organized crime? More barely clothed people crossed the room, offering champagne and small finger sandwiches.
They both took a champagne flute. They had to blend in with the usual crowd, so Jun leaned over to nuzzle Sho’s neck, brush a kiss to his cheek or his temple in between sips of alcohol. Cherry was getting a real education, he imagined. But it surprised him when they moved to the next room, and Sho slipped his hand into the back pocket of his slacks, leaving it there.
Sho only winked, and Jun nearly dropped his champagne. Well played, Cherry.
It seemed that their host was in this room. There were men and women in various states of undress gathered around a table where the target was. He had been clad in a tuxedo at some point, but his bow tie now hung loosely around his neck and the jacket was gone, revealing his suspenders and half-buttoned dress shirt.
Ninomiya looked just as crafty in person, smirking wickedly as he held up a playing card. “Ace of diamonds - was that your card, angel?”
One of the women, whose dress was more shirt than dress, squealed noisily. “Yes! Yes, that’s the one!” All the people around them clapped, and Sho set down his glass to join in. He was getting more confident. Jun was almost proud of him, but the mission was just getting started.
They watched a few more of Ninomiya’s card tricks. Jun had to admit that the man was good with his hands. He hoped he could keep up with him. It was for the good of the country, wasn’t it?
Finally the time came. The girl with the bowl came, setting it down at the table where Ninomiya had been presenting his magic. The man smiled, eyes sparkling from champagne and his guests’ attentions. “Already? Well, we all know how this goes, don’t we?”
The other guests laughed, and he and Sho joined in. He was momentarily startled as Sho twined their fingers together and squeezed. Focus, he told himself, trying to make his face appear interested in Ninomiya. But from his waist down, he was having trouble thinking about anything but his partner.
Ninomiya called over one of his staff, and though Jun didn’t recognize the man, this was most likely their contact on the inside. He went through the car keys, pulling out pairs. The couples swapped partners, departing for one of the many rooms of Ninomiya’s estate with lusty gazes. Sho’s grasp on his hand tightened, but otherwise he looked perfectly calm.
The room emptied until only he and Sho remained, along with Ninomiya and his employee. “Well,” Ninomiya said, getting out of his chair and stepping over to them. He looked Jun up and down, then Sho. His eyes were dark, the same mysterious gaze Jun had seen in many a target before. “Lawyer huh?”
Jun nodded. Thank god. Sho had done well so far, but he wouldn’t have to-
“I hate lawyers,” the man said with a quirk of his eyebrows. He turned his attentions to Sho. “What’s your name?”
“Takuya.” Sho immediately detached their hands and turned on the charm. The charm Jun didn’t even know he had.
“Mmm, and what do you do, Mr. Takuya?”
“Little of this, little of that,” Sho remarked casually, grinning. “Investments mostly.”
“Well, I like money,” Ninomiya remarked, not even giving Jun a second glance. “Much more than I like lawyers. I think we should go talk about my portfolio.”
Jun watched as Sho boldly wrapped his arm around Ninomiya’s shoulders. “Be happy to, Mr. Ninomiya.”
“I’ll try to bring him back in one piece,” Ninomiya called back, and Jun stood there, smiling on the outside but insanely jealous on the inside. And not just because this weasel was stealing Sho away. Jun always got picked. Always. And he’d lost to a guy on his first mission in the field?
The other man stepped over as Ninomiya closed his bedroom door behind him. “Prince.”
“I’m sorry? Are we out of onions?”
It was a stupid way of verifying another agent, but that’s what happened when Ohno was the one writing out mission guidelines. The other man bowed slightly. “Nice to meet you. I’m Buzzer.” Ah, Jun realized. Yamashita. He’d undergone quite a physical transformation to infiltrate Ninomiya’s organization. He had a brand new nose, colored contact lenses and slicked-back hair.
The clock was already ticking. “I…” He didn’t know what to say. Buzzer was eyeing him suspiciously. What could he do? He wanted to be in there, keeping an eye on Sho. Keeping an eye on Ninomiya. He decided to be honest. “How can I get in that room?”
“I’ve worked for Ninomiya for months. I’ve never been in his bedroom. Cherry’s a lucky guy.” Buzzer looked depressed. “He’ll get all the credit for busting him.”
He stifled a stab of jealousy and downed another flute of champagne. Jun could already hear moans from the other rooms throughout the estate. He hoped Sho was smart enough to keep Ninomiya talking for a while, especially if he had to get the condom recorder going. Sho tended towards the clumsy side.
Buzzer stepped closer, whispering. “No offense to you, Prince, but I don’t really feel like having sex with you. I need to send a report to HQ - you heading back?”
Yamashita was leaving. He was leaving! Jun kept his excitement in check and grabbed another glass of champagne from the table. He really shouldn’t be drinking at all. “I’ll make sure Cherry gets back. First time in the field.”
“Really? Wow.” They stared at each other a few more seconds, Jun lifting his eyebrows to imply it was time for Yamashita to start moving along. They didn’t need to be caught chatting when they were supposed to be off getting busy.
Buzzer made his exit, and Jun was alone in the room. He’d scanned the room when he’d first entered - there was a grate in the wall behind him, and he made it inside with little trouble. He secured the grate anew and crawled along through the duct, squirming and wriggling and trying to make as little noise as possible.
Finally he was able to peek out at Ninomiya's bedroom, and he was half-horrified, half-enticed to see Sho sitting on the millionaire's leopard-print bedsheets in a strange costume. Sho's suit was discarded on the floor, and he was now clad in a red tunic, black tights and boots and had on a short blond wig. What the hell was going on here?
Ninomiya was nowhere to be seen, but Jun could hear the shower going in another room. He tapped lightly on the grate to get Sho's attention. He really shouldn't have done so, but he'd had more than his fair share of champagne. “Cherry.”
Sho looked up immediately, wisps of the blond wig getting in his eyes. He looked furious and stomped over to the grate. If they weren't in the middle of a mission, it would have been rather comical. “What the hell are you doing here?” he hissed quietly.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Jun shot back through the metal grate.
“It's cosplay. Some Kiefer guy from Dragon Quest, whatever that is. He picked me because I was the right size for the costume.” Sho smirked. “He said your waist was too feminine.”
“My waist is just fine!”
“Ssh!” Sho's eyes kept darting back to the bathroom. “He'll know something's up.”
“Don't tell me he's getting in a costume too.”
“I don't know. But you need to go away. Now.”
Jun ignored him completely, undoing the grate and letting himself into the room. The duct had been a bit dusty, despite the otherwise opulent state of Ninomiya's home, and his suit was now pretty nasty. Sho was quaking with anger but couldn't do anything about it without alerting Ninomiya.
“Where's the recorder? You changed clothes without authorization.”
He pushed up his tunic and retrieved the condom recorder from inside his tights, and it took all of Jun's willpower not to follow Sho's actions too closely. “Screw authorization,” he said. “The second I got in here the guy was all about me changing into this stupid costume.”
The shower turned off, and they both panicked. “Turn the recorder on,” he hissed.
Sho shoved him. “Get the hell out of here!”
“Oh Prince Kiefer! I'll be there in a second!” came a downright creepy voice from the bathroom. Ninomiya was probably in character too.
Cherry shoved him again. “Jun, seriously! This is my mission, okay? Stop being such a jealous ass and...”
“I'm not jealous.”
He was.
Sho was freaking out, his face getting red with his frustration. “You have to leave or you'll compromise the both of us!”
There was no time to get into the duct again. Sho nearly screamed in fury as Jun winked and got down to roll underneath the bed. It didn't matter what Sho thought - Jun was always the one who got picked. He was going to do his part to take down Ninomiya too. He took Aiba's strange gadget from his pocket and set it in front of him on the floor underneath the bed - if Sho couldn't get the job done, then Jun certainly would.
The bathroom door opened, and he heard Sho's sharp intake of breath. All he could see of Ninomiya were his feet, which were covered with green tights. Jun's Dragon Quest was rusty, but he could only imagine he was dressed up as the usual unnamed hero. Either way, it was a little too creepy to give much thought to in the long run.
“Shall we go on a quest?” Ninomiya asked, and Jun felt the mattress sink above him. He heard a bedside drawer open. “I've got enough to protect us both, Prince Kiefer.”
He had to bite his lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Sure, if he was in Sho's place it would be easier to stay in character and play along - but having to overhear this and imagining Sho's distress was getting to be too much. Jun's first field mission had not been nearly as ridiculous.
“I brought my own too,” Sho remarked. Jun nearly screamed. Idiot, don't show him the recordable condom you brought!
It got very quiet, and Jun strained his ears to hear. He would have sealed the deal by now, working the truth out of Ninomiya during a massage or something, but there were two notable dips in the mattress above him. Sho was on the opposite side of the bed, probably shaking in his cosplay boots. He wanted Sho to be successful, and at the same time he didn't. His mind was whirring - this was why he didn't need a partner. It just messed with his brain.
“Do you smell that?” Ninomiya wondered aloud.
Jun sniffed himself. He smelled wonderful. It was probably the stupid costumes, right?
Sho's part of the bed shifted. “I don't smell anything. Come here, uh...hero guy. Let me take you to the mystic forest.”
“Smells like hair gel.” Jun sniffed himself again. Whatever. “Doesn't matter. That sounds good, Prince Kiefer. Hope we don't encounter any...unusual slime...”
Jun coughed, unable to stop himself, and Sho went into quite a coughing fit on the bed above him to cover Jun's mistake. “Sorry! I'm sorry. Do you...do you have any water?”
“Of course, Prince Kiefer. Just a moment.” Ninomiya's real voice returned seconds later. “My usual safe word is okonomiyaki, so don't hesitate alright?” The bedroom door opened and closed, and in an instant, Sho was tugging on his leg and pulling him out from under the bed.
“Hey...”
“Jun, you need to leave,” Sho complained. He chuckled at the sight of the red tunic and blond wig again, and Sho punched him in the arm. “You think I can't handle this?”
“Where's the device?” he asked. “Is it on already?”
“I didn't get a chance to activate it so...”
“Well, mine's activated and recording,” he informed him. “I'll just wait until you get the information. Then I'll leave when he falls asleep, and you leave in the morning.”
“Why are you giving me orders? I'm handling this just fine.”
“You're in tights, Sakurai.”
“I won't be for much longer,” he said, but not all that convincingly. He was scared out of his mind, but he sure was stubborn. No wonder the guy had so many awards for his work - he wanted to get the job done no matter how many coworkers he pissed off in the process. “Please, Jun? Please trust me?”
He was discovering how easy it was to get drawn in - how easy it was to put up with the guy. The firing range, the airplane - Sho was far from the typical agent. And maybe that was what drew Jun to him after all.
Jun nodded, retrieving the other transmitter from beneath the bed. “Fine. I'll trust you.” He moved for the grate one last time, his gut telling him he was making a mistake. But he had been new in the field once, wasn't he?
“Thank you,” Sho told him, and even in the ridiculous wig, his eyes were so earnest.
He wriggled back through the vent. “Your legs look great in those tights,” he muttered before heading for Ninomiya's exit.
-
14 September 2009
10:17 AM
Location Confidential
The applause in the meeting room was noisy. Jun was still hungover, having downed the better part of a wine bottle in his worry once he got home from Ninomiya's the night before.
The other agents and higher ups were patting Sakurai on the back while news coverage of Ninomiya's arrest flashed on all the screens throughout the room and the rest of the agency offices. It had been one of the biggest breakthroughs in their work to take down the Yokohama syndicate. And by a field agent on his first mission? Even more exciting.
Jun shoved a plastic forkful of celebratory cake in his mouth and sulked in the corner. The accolades he usually received were for all for Sho today.
Sho, who had probably quested beneath the sheets for Ninomiya's dragon in order to take him down. Why did that upset him so much?
He tossed the cake in the trash and left. Jun was halfway to his desk when Sho caught up with him in the empty stairwell. “Hey! Jun, wait!”
Pivoting on his heel to face his partner, he almost expected the blond wig and costume again. Sho was in his usual dress shirt and tie, and Jun wanted to point out the cake frosting he still had on his chin. But he wasn't in the nicest mood. “Congratulations. You did good work last night, Sakurai.”
“That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Jun shrugged. “What's there to talk about? You did your job.”
“I didn't...” Sho was blushing again, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I didn't sleep with him.”
He didn't? Jun blinked. “Then...then how did you...”
“Actually,” Sho continued. “I kind of have you to thank. You gave me the confidence to succeed. And I remembered how you acted during the interrogation training. You didn't back down until they ordered you to. I realized that I had to be the same way. You made me the field agent I am, Jun.”
“This is all very touching, but I've got lots of paperwork on the people at Ninomiya's to work on.”
“Wait,” Sho interrupted, grabbing his arm firmly. He felt a rush of heat, and his heart started to race. Sho's damn eyes were on him again, and he couldn't look away. Even the goofy chipmunk face with the dollop of frosting couldn't detract from those eyes. “I drugged him. I guess I cheated, huh? But I used the same truth serum you gave me during the interrogation. Got him to tell me anything I wanted since he wasn't trained to withstand it.”
Jun was impressed. He usually just made out with people until they talked. “How'd you give it to him?”
Sakurai grinned proudly. “Put it in the water I had him bring me, you know, after you left. And since I was Prince Kiefer, I had him taste it for me. Check it for poison. Guess it pays to do a little roleplay from time to time.”
Downright clever, Jun thought. Ninomiya was a victim of his own creepy fantasy. He was actually proud of his partner. Maybe this would work out after all. He smiled. “I guess so.”
Sho leaned forward, less hesitant than he'd been in the car the evening before. Jun rolled his eyes as he felt the frosting from Sho's chin migrate to his own. Sakurai pinned him against the wall of the stairwell, finally and aggressively coming into his own. Jun broke their mouths' contact first, nipping along Sho's jaw line to whisper in his ear.
“Just one question,” he whispered, breath hot against Sho's earlobe. “Where were you keeping the truth serum?”
“Well,” Sho answered, teasingly running his fingertips along Jun's belt. “Guess you could say I was packing more in those tights than you realized.”
Oh yes, Jun realized. Having a partner wasn't so bad after all.