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Author's Notes: Oops, sorry. It's been such a long time since I updated. My plot bunnies abandoned me all of a sudden. I've caught them back though.

---

"I feel uncomfortable," Izumi stated bluntly.

No one can blame him exactly. The boy was dressed in an oddly alluring suit - if that was even possible. Izumi checked his reflections again.

"You look good," Naoya replied without missing a blink.

Too automatically.

Izumi stared at himself in the mirror. The suit was well-made, he had to admit. The fabric felt comfortable to a certain degree. In fact, the suit clung on to him like a second-skin. It fitted so well Izumi couldn't help but to wonder how. After all, they don't sell 'Izumi size' suits in retail shops. Do they?

What made him uncomfortable however, was the fact that the suit, despite being a suit, is unbelievably suggestive. The shirt was missing the three top buttons. On purpose. The jacket was worse. It was... Let us just say it was like it was not even there at all. The pants was slightly flared at the bottom; but strangely tight knee up. Hmm, interesting.

"Are you sure? It's a little tight around this area," Izumi explained, gesturing at his squeezed bottoms.
"That's the point," came the reply.

Izumi blinked, taken aback. Did he just heard what he thought he did? If he did, looks like Aoe is a bad influence on Naoya. He turned around to face Naoya, intending to start a little 'chat' about what Aoe does with him when they're together.

To say that the sight that welcomed him shocked him would be an understatement. He was greeted with a grinning Kiichi Aoe and his ever-so-expressionless bodyguard. What was his name again?

Izumi frowned, "How did you get in?"
"The door wasn't locked," Kiichi replied, still grinning, making Izumi all the more uncomfortable.

"Really? That's weird. I swear I locked it when I-" Izumi began.
"How do you like your present, Izumi?" Kiichi cut in, emphasizing the way he pronounced 'Izumi'.
"Oh, it's beautiful! Thank you," Izumi answered uncertainly.

Yes, it was a shock. When Naoya urged him to open his presents, Izumi was rather reluctant. More of because he was afraid to find out what he had gotten rather than politeness. He did though in the end. And thank God, the presents weren't as... Personal as he thought it would be.

Naoya had given him a Rolex watch. He was so surprised he hugged Naoya. Naoya only smiled in return and placed Kiichi's present in his hand. Izumi had visibly gulped then. He opened Kiichi's present with as much caution as possible. Surprisingly, nothing popped out or oozed out... Or vibrated-out. Instead, a beautiful white Zegna suit sat in the box. Looking freakishly like a wedding gown.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Kiichi commented, looking slightly dazed all of a sudden, "I picked it out myself, you know. I was so sure it'll look perfect on you."

Izumi unconsciously raised an eyebrow. Damn, being around these people all day certainly influenced him.

"And it did," Kiichi finished, "Do you know what that means?"
Izumi stared, slightly confused, slightly shocked, slightly mortified, "... No."
Kiichi smiled that 'I'm-such-a-devil' smile of his, "Simple. It means, I'm always right."

Those were basically the last things Izumi heard before his vision went black. Later, he realized he had been blindfolded. He screamed, well actually, he yelled out obscenities at his captors to let him free while Kiichi's bodyguard -what on earth was his name?- dragged him none-too-gently and pushed him into what was later revealed as a car.

Hmm, this must what being Akihito feels like.

---

Akihito sneezed.

Asami, who was talking on the phone with that stoic expression of his, arched an eyebrow. Without ceasing his discussion with the receiver, Asami pressed a button on his limousine and a black box rose from the vehicle's champagne holder. He opened the box without so much as a flick of his finger and tossed the lid aside. Then, he lifted out a large piece of cloth. Akihito stared.

No matter how many times he had been in Asami's cars, he still get surprises every now and then.

Asami used his cell phone-free hand to grab Akihito's wrist and pulled the boy towards him. He forced the piece of cloth -which turned out to be a blanket now that Akihito had managed to get a closer look at it- into Akihito's hands and then proceed to snake an arm around Akihito's waist.

Akihito snorted but wrapped himself with the blanket anyway.

---

It was amazing. The whole of Eden, which was usually full of freaky and scary people doing their illegal exchanges, had been turned into a restricted birthday celebration area that resembled a gigantic white ballroom, complete with high-class food and beverages and over-the-top waiters and waitresses services. The things Asami can do.

"Nice suit," complimented Jin with an annoying smirk.
"Thank you. Nice boyfriend," replied Akihito, raising his glass of champagne towards Katsuki, who was attached to Jin's left arm.
Jin's smirk grew wider, "Getting good, kid."
"Thanks again, I try," Akihito smiled, before walking off towards the refreshment area.

The 'ballroom' was buzzing with famous socialites, important politicians and even some well-known celebrities. So what is they don't actually know the birthday boy? They know Asami, Aoe and some even know Takamiya; that's all the excuse they need to party and have a good time. And even make new connections along the way.

Plus, just because they don't actually know the birthday boy, doesn't mean they have to stay oblivious about him. From what the media have broadcasted, this particular Izumi is becoming an important personnel of the Aoe circle. It'd be their great asset if they somehow manage to snag up a friendship with the boy.

Akihito wondered around the ballroom with a glass of champagne in his hand. He wasn't really into the champagne, but he had been with Asami long enough to know how to act around these people. Nobody dared to approach him as he walked around, except for the people he personally knows. Ever since the December 24th incident the year before*, a lot of people have painfully became aware of his 'status'.

He spotted Konno and Izumi's group of friends sitting around the lounge area, surrounded by sexy and shamelessly-flirting waitresses. Although they constantly glanced at the waitresses' assets, Akihito could tell they weren't very comfortable. Who would be when they're technically kidnapped? Akihito had known for a fact that Izumi's friends had been literally forced out of their sanctuary, into presentable clothing and into the party.

Akihito walked up to the crowd and cleared his throat audibly. The waitresses looked annoyed at first but upon turning around and realizing it was Akihito, a.k.a their employer's lover, they quickly turned red, mumbled an apology and ushered themselves into the kitchen area.

"Thanks. It was getting kind of awkward, you know? Not that we didn't enjoy the attention... Hey, you're Takaba right?" said Konno.
"Yeah. And you're Izumi's friends, right?" Akihito replied, his polite-in-the-company behavior and voice slipping into the boyish what's-up-dude attitude he originally possessed.
"Yeah... So, do you know what's going on? Or were you kidnapped too?" Konno continued, his voice dropping to a mere whisper.
Akihito stifled a laugh, "No. Actually, this is Izumi's birthday party."

The bemused look on Konno on his friends' face were priceless. Before they could reply Akihito however, an obnoxiously loud 'Here Comes the Bride' tune were played by the pianist. Akihito almost choked on his champagne.

A white limousine pulled in front of Eden's wide open double glass door. Eden's personnel stepped up and opened the door to the vehicle. A satisfied-looking Kiichi stepped out. Followed by a guilty-looking Naoya. The doorman then proceed to open the second door, where, after what seemed like forever, a very embarrassed-looking Izumi stepped out.

"About time," smirked Reiji.
"Sorry, the bride was being uncooperative," Kiichi grinned.
"I'm not a bride!" Izumi retorted, rather heatedly.
"See? Uncooperative," Kiichi's grin got bigger.
"Well let's go. The present's getting anxious," Reiji drawled.
"Huh?" Izumi said, looking at Naoya in confusion.

Naoya simply looked at his shoes and mouthed a 'sorry'.

Reiji grabbed Izumi's wrist and led him to the centre of the ballroom where two huge packages, wrapped beautifully and extravagantly, sat waiting.

"Birthday wish, birthday boy," Reiji said, motioning his hand towards the presents, "If you wish correctly, you'll get both presents. Make the wrong wish and you'll end up with only one."

Izumi blinked. His eyes wandered all over the venue, where incessant chatting and pointless compliments had ceased. Instead, the whole ballroom had their eyes transfixed on Izumi. Izumi felt himself getting cold despite the attention.

Expectedly, he started to freak out. He started to feel a lump in his throat and he found himself starting to sweat unusually. He got nervous. He fisted his fingers; so hard that they left crescent marks on his palms.

'God, where are you Takamiya? Why'd you leave me here alone with these crazy people?' he thought silently.

It was like a light just shone down on him. Izumi felt himself a light-year enlightened. All these time he acted like Takamiya needed him more than he needed Takamiya. When clearly, Izumi needed him just as much. Or even more. Whereas Takamiya showed his care and concern freely, Izumi hid them, burying them in the bottom of his heart. Why, though? Was he shy? Was he embarrassed? Was he ashamed?

No. Izumi wasn't shy. He wasn't embarrassed either. And he definitely isn't ashamed. At least not anymore.

He was afraid. Afraid to admit his own feelings. Afraid that if he did, the little game he and Takamiya plays will be over. Afraid that the 'little game' would turn into something bigger. He was afraid of committing himself. Because if he did, he wouldn't be able to back out anymore. To put it simply, he was afraid to step out of his safety zone.

But now he understood. And as much as he was afraid to throw himself out in the open, he will do it. Because when it comes down to it, he was even more afraid to be left behind.

"I wish... Takamiya is here," whispered Izumi, barely audible.
"Hmm?" Reiji asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I said... I wish Takamiya is here," Izumi repeated, more forcefully this time, his eyes shining with sheer determination to defy and challenge Reiji with his new confession.

"But I am," came the oh-so-familiar voice.

Izumi's eyes widen in surprise. It was either he had gone crazy and started hallucinating that Takamiya was there or the man was really there. As it turns out, the later won. Takamiya was there. Standing in front of him. Izumi's heart fluttered and his stomach started on a weird sensation.

Then he saw it. Takamiya was actually standing from one of the box, dressed in a classy black suit. Izumi broke into a smile. He approached Takamiya and hugged him. To hell with his pride.

As every happy ending predicts, Takamiya hugged back as feverishly.

The ballroom erupted in claps and shouts of 'congratulations!'.

"Happy birthday, Izumi," Takamiya whispered in Izumi's ear.
Izumi just smiled. It was enough.

"... What is in the other box anyway? And we're not actually getting married, are we? ... Are we?"

Happiness in the Photograph - End.

Notes:
*Will be elaborated in Akihito's chapter.

Well, that was it! Izumi's chapter. Took me long enough, eh? Sorry, school caught up with me. I personally think school just suck the life out of you. Anyway, this chapter's a bit longer than the other two. So I hope that will compensate.

Akihito's chapter will start after this. I haven't actually written it out. But I've got some rough ideas. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter. :P

By the way, just a fast note. There's a bit of OOC-ness in the story somewhere concerning Akihito. It was actually done on purpose. I wanted to give him a feel that sort of says he's willing to 'degrade' himself into Asami's society in public. Isn't it sweet? XD