Ten Things I Hate About Mitsuhide

Chapter 6 - The Negotiation

"Calm down, Brat – you'll find me a most accommodating employer as long as you behave appropriately." After brushing his finger across my wrist one more time, Mitsuhide finally let go and retreated to his desk. "Shall we discuss the terms of our agreement?"

I presumed that was rhetorical and stayed mute. I also presumed that "our" meant "my."

"I do not want the headache of keeping you a physical prisoner here, nor do I want to waste precious time hunting you down if-" he flicked a quick glance at my face, "-when you escape. Therefore, let's agree on this – if you help me find Mai and Hideyoshi, I'll return the favor and help you find Akihira."

Ugh. I didn't want to work with him... but he was probably right that we'd have more success if we pooled our resources. "Even if he's not with them, even if we find your friends first, you'll continue to search for Aki."

"Even if." He nodded at the shogi board that was sitting on the corner of the desk. It was a reminder that he and Aki were friends of a sort and had known each other for several years. "I expect the same of you. If we locate Akihira first, you will continue to help me."

"Of course." I'm a professional. If I agree to something, I stick to it. Sure, I'll happily lie if necessary, and successfully at that. But if I make a promise, I keep it. Hm, speaking of professional... "We should write up a contract."

"I hesitate to put anything in writing that I wouldn't want anyone unauthorized to see." He tapped the top of the desk. "After all, some sneak thieves can pick locks."

Oh, enough with the locks.

However, it might be worth it if he thought that I knew how to pick locks, and thus not bother to lock things. "I would feel more comfortable with a written contract, but if you're really that concerned, we could write it in code." That awarded me a single raised eyebrow. Hm, could I put, 'please teach me the single eyebrow raise' into the contract? "I'm the only person who knows all Aki's codes, so it's safe."

"All of his codes?" He unearthed a blank scroll of paper and patted the cushion at his side. "So be it."

With a shade rattle of doom echoing in my ears, and an odd anticipatory feeling coursing through my veins, I moved to sit next to him. Why does it seem like I'm making a contract with the Devil? After a quick conference we decided to use the code that he normally used to correspond with Aki and got to work laying out the terms of our agreement.

The first rule, the quid pro quo of helping each other find our missing friends was the easiest. After that, things devolved rather quickly...

"I don't see why we cannot have equal say in everything. It's not like I'm planning to boss you around." Internally, I saw the point of having one person – Mitsuhide – be in charge. But his attitude made me want to protest everything. Besides, if I appeared to give way on the things that I was prepared to accept, then hopefully, he would be accommodating when I ran across a deal-breaker and wouldn't budge.

"Were you and Aki equal partners?" The look he gave me dared me to lie.

"No. But Aki is my father," at least Mitsuhide thought he was, and I wasn't about to disabuse him of that right now. "And you are not." I had always trusted Aki (more or less). This one, I did not, would not, could not, trust. "I only want to have a say in things."

He placed one finger on the side of my jaw, turning my head to face him, forcing me to look into those amber-gold eyes. I had the impulse to hold my breath. No. He would notice that. Natural breathing. Ha! Like that's possible.

His voice was low, and clear, and all the teasing and amusing was stripped from the tone. "I have been doing this kind of work long enough to know that some decisions need to be made in an instant. Orders need to be followed without question or people could die. Is that quite clear?"