Consolation

3|Sostendo (Or, holding back)

The last place Kurama wanted to be—was at the office.

Asuka had come back to him, but instead of being at home with her, he was here.

Kurama grumbled to himself. Rearranging his client meetings was a cumbersome task, and he never took time off without ample notice. But yesterday afternoon, the agitation he'd felt made him clear the rest of his day. That meant some of his clients were extremely unhappy. He hadn't cared, nor did he regret his decision, but he couldn't afford another unexpected day off—as much as he might wish.

Kurama sighed and leaned his chair backward. Asuka.

He'd gotten up before sunrise to get to work extra early. That had been nice in its way because Asuka was already awake and making breakfast in the kitchen. Jet-lag, she told him.

He smiled to himself as he recalled their lovemaking last night. He doused himself in her smells, voice, and the feel of her, desperate to make up for the time they'd spent apart. But it wasn't enough, and he still felt agitated.

The paranoia he'd felt during her absence hadn't abated, either. He'd never tell Asuka, but at one point he was so irrationally worried he went to the Raekai and forced Koenma to check on her. She'd been playing a concert, and Kurama made Koenma watch the entire set with him. After it was over, Koenma promised to alert him if anything happened to Asuka. It didn't make him feel better.

At least she's home, safe.

Kurama sat upright and looked at more spreadsheets.

His position at the company meant he did many jobs. He managed a team of stockbrokers, saw high-profile clients, worked on international projections, and had an assortment of other duties associated with being Vice President. He excelled at doing a lot of different tasks, and it normally helped stave off boredom. But today? He simply ached to be near his wife.

Kurama continued reading spreadsheets when his office com buzzed. "Yes?" he asked.

"Mr. Minamino? Ms. Nakano is here from accounting."

"Send her in, please." Kurama didn't recognize the name. Maybe she was new.

His office door opened, and a woman wearing a white button-down blouse and a pencil skirt walked in and shut the door. Her hips swayed as she approached his desk.

As she got closer, he noticed the first four buttons on her blouse were unbuttoned. Her bra pushed up her large breasts, which were accentuated by the way she folded her arms underneath them.

One of those types.

"Hello, Mr. Minamino." Her sickly sweet voice matched the stench of her perfume.

"What can I do for you?" Kurama asked politely.

"Mr. Oshigama told me to deliver these reports to you," she said as she leaned over his desk.

Kurama purposefully flashed his ring as he took the papers. Normally, that was enough to dissuade someone from coming on to him, but not this woman, apparently. Instead, she flashed him a cutesy grin.

Bold. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met before," Kurama said. "Are you new?"

Ms. Nakano got closer. "We've passed in the hall several times, but yes, I'm new. I've just moved up from Osaka."

"I see." Kurama moved backward. "Are you all settled?"

Ms. Nakano inched closer. "I'm in Saitama right now."

"That's close to where my wife and I live."

"Mmmm. Do you like that part of the city?"

"Yes," Kurama said as he leaned backward again. "We've been living there almost ten years. My wife likes that it's a quieter part of the city."