One curse of an attorney's profession was the sometimes unbearably long hours. In fact, more often than not Tezuka Kunimitsu found himself not leaving his office until well after the sun had set. But he had always been the type to give his best in everything he did, and that included his work. That was why he was one of the firm's top lawyers.

He was lucky his lover wasn't one to worry about such things, so he didn't have the added pressure of juggling his personal life on top of his career. Rather, the two aspects worked with each other, fitting together quite comfortably. Atobe Keigo was not the kind of person to start fretting about infidelity if Tezuka came home late; he was sure of the fact that he was the best thing in the world for Tezuka, and everyone knew it. Plus he had better things to worry about, like his own high-profile career as a professional tennis player. He didn't have time to imagine untrue and impossible scenarios about his life partner.

It was a complimentary life for both of them.

The Friday before an important trial was always very busy. There were many 'last call' things that absolutely had to be completed, filed, viewed, and re-viewed before one could comfortably say they were prepared. So it wasn't surprising or even unusual that Tezuka didn't notice how late it was until his stomach growled angrily at him. Dinner had come and gone without him realizing it. The entire day had passed without his attention.

He gave a final look at the files spread out on his desk before him, and decided he was as ready as he'd ever be. He'd looked at the facts from every angle, twice, and was pleased with his projected course. He left his office with complete confidence.

The next not-surprise of the day was that the apartment he shared with his lover was mostly dark when he got home. Of course Atobe would already be in bed, he was adamant about getting his 'beauty rest', so only a couple night-lights remained on for Tezuka to see by.

Besides a short stop in the kitchen to grab a few pieces of bread to quiet his hunger (and no longer wondering why his family accused him of losing too much weight), he went to the bedroom straight-away. He was exhausted, and the promise of a warm bed and warmer lover called to him.

Atobe was already fast asleep. He was laying face-down with his hands curled under his pillow, and the covers kicked off. The night was warm, which meant Atobe would be hot, since he tended to have a body temperature several degrees higher than a normal person; it was really quite common for him to kick any blankets off in his sleep. And to further ease his excess heat, he only wore a light tank-top and a pair of very short shorts.

This had quite an effect on Tezuka, as those shorts left little to the imagination. The juncture where trim thighs began their curve into a perfect ass, a brief piece of cloth, and then his slim waist showing where the tank-top rode up a bit. A vision of seductive beauty, even while unconscious, stealing any remembrance of fatigue from Tezuka, and replacing it with desire.

He never ceased to be amazed, even after all these years.

Placing his briefcase and things on the large chair near the door, and then removing his tie and shirt and putting them down as well, he crossed over to Atobe's side of the bed, gazing at his lover for a moment. Then he climbed onto the bed, right on top of Atobe. He gently nuzzled the other man's neck, kissing and licking the smooth skin there, softly whispering in his ear. "Keigo..." A kiss, and then a bit louder, "Keigo..."

But Atobe didn't wake up - not completely. He gave a kind of mumble and turned his head, pressing his ear into the pillow subconsciously.

"Keigo," Tezuka moved to the other ear, nipping the top ridge lightly. He pressed his hips forward slightly, grinding his growing erection into his lover's backside. So he was caught a bit off-guard when Atobe suddenly turned, and was sent tumbling to the ground. "...... Ok, I get the point," he said as he rubbed his head, grateful that he'd just missed hitting the nightstand.

He stood, looking at the man who'd continued to sleep, and then gave a half-smile. It was fine, he could wait until morning. For now, he simply removed his slacks and crawled into bed - on his own side this time - laying his head back on the pillow with a sigh of remembered exhaustion. A moment of silence later, he took off his glasses and placed them on his nightstand, then rolled onto his side, pulling the blankets up around himself.

And said quietly, "Goodnight, Keigo."

And received a perfectly clear reply. "Goodnight, Kunimitsu."