Chapter Six - Who Your Real Friends Are

Chapter Six -- Who Your Real Friends Are

Aiko punched the lift button for her office. As the lift rose, she wrapped her arms about herself with a dreamy smile. For once it was not Suzu who was late in to work, but Aiko didn't care. Her mind was too full of the previous night.

It had been a wrench saying goodbye to Miyatsu at the stadium entrance. They had rubbed cheeks lovingly before parting, and he had licked her neck tenderly. The sweet scent of cinnamon was all over her. She rubbed the healing bite he'd given her, committing everything to memory. True to his word Miyatsu hadn't bitten her again, but oh! What he'd found to do with his long cat's tongue, once Aiko had suggested a few things!

After they'd made love on the living room floor, he'd picked her up and carried her back to bed, holding her against him as she drifted off to sleep. And this morning they'd made love again, slowly, savouring every sensation, drawing it out for as long as possible before succumbing to orgasm. And now Aiko felt as if she were walking on soft cinnamon-scented clouds.

"What time d'you call this?" Suzu asked as Aiko walked in.

"I see you've brought my umbrella back," Aiko countered.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry Aiko. I mistook it for mine. Still, you don't have far to go home, do you, just down the beach.... " Suzu stopped abruptly, staring, as Aiko sat down at her desk. She got up and walked over, then tilted Aiko's head to expose her neck, brushing her long black hair out of the way.

"Wow! Hey, girl, you got lucky! Who gave you the massive hickey?" She grinned down at her. "Was it that guy you denied you were getting all hot and bothered about yesterday?"

Aiko flicked her hair back to cover her neck. "Okay, you were right! It was him. And before you start nagging me again, no, it wasn't Sakaki I was with!"

Suzu looked relieved. "Glad to hear it. So, Wonderful-san can certainly bite. But how was he under the blankets?"

"That's private," Aiko said primly.

"Oh, don't give me that! Come on, tell Aunty Suzu all the juicy details." And she pulled her chair across to Aiko's desk.

"You're going to keep bugging me until I tell you, aren't you?"

Suzu grinned cheekily. "You've got that right!"

Aiko hesitated. People had to know sometime, and it was one way to gauge their possible reactions. She decided to take the chance and confess all.

"He was -- unbelievable," she admitted. "Anything I suggested, he wanted to try. Making love with him was the most intense feeling: I've never experienced anything like it. Oh, Suzu," she sighed, "I'm so much in love with him!"

Suzu rolled her eyes. "I'm jealous, you lucky bitch!"

Aiko giggled, remembering. "Just before he -- you know -- came, the first time, he started to growl. That's when I got this!" And she touched her hand to the love-bite. "He got a bit carried away."

"Ooh, growling and biting! What an animal!"

"And afterwards, he held me in his arms and told me how much he loved me," Aiko said dreamily. "He's so tall, and beautiful, and loving. Do you know he was talking about having babies with me? He said I made all his dreams come true!"

"Forget Sakaki, I want a piece of this guy!" Suzu said enviously. "Who is he? Do I know him? He can't work at this dump, there's no man here who sounds as good as that!"

Aiko took a deep breath. This was the moment of truth. Telling herself that she didn't care what anybody else thought of her relationship with Miyatsu, she said, "Well, I know you've seen him. I spent the night with Miyatsu."

Suzu stared at her. "No, sorry, I don't know him. What's his full name?"

Aiko wondered for a second what Suzu would say if she came out with: 'Miyatsu Project, Batch Number Thirteen.' "Just Miyatsu," she answered instead. "And you have seen him. He's Sakaki's top fighting GMA."

Suzu gazed at her blankly for a second. Then she frowned. "That joke's in really poor taste, Aiko. Come on, tell me who you spent the night with."

"I just did. I'm in love with Miyatsu."

Suzu paled visibly. She stood up, backing away at the same time and nearly tripping over her chair. Her mouth opened and closed as she stared at Aiko in disbelief. Finally she managed to choke, "You're not kidding, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"You... you filthy little... whore! You had sex with that... with an animal?" Suzu's voice rose. "You act pure as springwater all the time, but you're really a sick psycho!" She grabbed her handbag. "I'm not staying in the same office as you! I don't want you near me! Animal fucker!" And she charged out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

Aiko breathed out shakily. She hadn't expected quite such an extreme reaction. She could only hope Suzu wouldn't turn out to be typical of everybody...

*

Sakaki showed up at the office just before noon. Aiko knew straight away who Suzu had gone to with her news. She must have just loved being able to tattle to the boss, Aiko thought. She watched Sakaki warily as he drew Suzu's vacated seat up to Aiko's desk and sat down.

"You must know why I'm here, Aiko," he began. "Dr Ogawa has given me some -- rather surprising information -- concerning you and Miyatsu."

"Sir, I don't know how much Suzu told you, but I'm sure she put as bad a spin on it as possible -- "

"She told me that you and my top fighting GMA are involved in a relationship -- a sexual relationship." Sakaki's expression softened, and he smiled at her. "Don't look so scared, Aiko. And stop calling me sir! I thought we were friends. While I don't condone what you and Miyatsu chose to do, his work in the stadium this morning was outstanding. I must say, I admire your gall – not many people will like the idea of a human and a GMA being, er, physically intimate." He grinned ruefully. "It seems I'm not Miyatsu's master after all! I spoke to him at some length about this matter after I calmed Suzu down. He's chosen you, quite definitely. But as long as he continues to work so well for me, I have no problem."

Aiko relaxed, feeling happier. She was positive Sakaki would not understand the distinction between "mate" and "master", so she did not attempt to correct his mistake. "I thought you may have been coming to tell me I was fired!" she admitted.

Sakaki shook his head. "No. And even if I were one of those anti-GMA kooks you hear of from time to time, I don't see how I could stop Miyatsu from being with you if that's what he wants. He'd only leave if I fired you, and he's too powerful now for me to try stopping him." Sakaki beamed. "He's going to wipe the floor with his opponents when he competes on the circuit! I've never seen such controlled power. He told me this morning that it would make you happy if he won every battle. And he seems very anxious that you should be happy. Pity I can't get such devotion from my other animals, isn't that right, you lazy thing?" And he patted Koneko, who was as usual by his side. The big cat closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the caressing hand, purring.

Aiko smiled. "Sakaki's not so bad after all," she thought to herself. "Maybe I've been wrong about him." Aloud she said, "Suzu's reaction was worse than I thought. I only told her so I could know what to expect from others, but she blew up at me and stormed out."

Sakaki nodded. "She was quite -- overwrought -- when she burst into the stadium this morning, and she wouldn't talk in front of Miyatsu at all. I'm afraid she's scared of him. It's only after she insisted we go to my office that she told me. I've agreed to move her to work in another part of the Centre. She's a sensitive girl, so I don't think she'd ever imagined such a thing as a cross-species relationship could occur."

Aiko stared at him. Sensitive, Suzu? She was as sensitive as a lump of granite.

Sakaki gestured at her neck. "That bite looks er, rather formidable. I don't have to start paying you danger money, do I?" he teased.

Aiko blushed, one hand going to her neck. "It's not really that bad..." she protested feebly.

"Well, I suppose Miyatsu can be forgiven. I'm assuming this was his first date." And Sakaki chuckled, highly amused at the thought. "But tell him to be a little more careful next time. I don't want to lose my best GMA researcher!" He stood up as if to go.

"Sir... sorry, Sakaki, could I ask a favor?" Aiko said.

Sakaki spread his hands. "Certainly. What is it?"

"I was talking to my father on the phone and happened to mention Miyatsu. Dad told me that you donated the cells for the human component of Miyatsu's genes."

Sakaki looked surprised. "That's right, I did. You know, I haven't thought about that in ages! When my mother told me they were going to try to recreate the fabled Adersi leopard and needed human stem cells, I volunteered."

"The favor I wanted to ask is this: could you tell Miyatsu? He feels so isolated being the only one of his species, and created by humans besides. I'm sure if you told him his genetic heritage and his link to you, he would feel less of an outsider. I mean, this makes you like family, and I know Miyatsu craves that sort of connection."

Sakaki considered. "I'd never looked at it in quite that light before," he said slowly. "But perhaps you're right. If Miyatsu feels some sort of -- of family loyalty to me, he's sure to put in any effort needed to win on the circuit! I'll do it, thanks for the suggestion, Aiko!"

"Oh, but... " Aiko began. She hadn't meant for Sakaki to tell Miyatsu for so base a reason, but because it was the right thing to do.

But Sakaki gave her no time to protest. "Oops, look at the time. Sorry, Aiko, I have to go. I said I'd take Suzu to lunch to help her compose herself. I'll see you later." And he hurried out of the office.

Aiko sighed, leaning back in her chair. So Suzu had finally gotten her dearest wish – a date with the boss.