Yako's Secret

AN: Anyways, here's the first full chapter. It wound up about five pages longer than the original cut from the drabble, but I don't have a beta, so there may be errors. Let me know if anyone finds any...

Disclaimer: Guess What! I still don't own MTNN!! It's not mine! But it's not yours either, so HAHA!

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Yako's Secret
By: Chibi-no-oneesan

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Chapter One: Discovery

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Yako winced gingerly as she sat in her desk chair at the Katsuragi Yako Detective Agency. Damn, she thought, wishing that there was a cushion on this chair. It hadn't been a bad first day, but debriefing Neuro later had been hell. Especially when he was looking at her speculatively. She'd had to curb her enthusiasm while she explained some of the things she'd have to 'endure'.

Now, she sat, tired and exhausted, but with a strange sense of satisfaction. Sure, she didn't enjoy being struck by her clients as much as she did when Neuro was the one inflicting the pain on her, but she wasn't about to complain. For once, she was being able to express these desires freely, and in a safe environment. Sayuri had even taken to treating her like a student, teaching her the figurative ins and outs of the fetish club business.

Still, whose idea was it, though? Why did she have a stiff, hard, wooden office chair? Neuro's was soft, cushy, with a hefty amount of padding where the derrière connected with the chair. She knew, she'd tried out his chair often enough to know how it felt. Once or twice when she thought it was reasonably safe, she'd even given herself a good time in that chair...

Which wasn't something she should be thinking about right then, with him sitting less than two feet away, still looking at her with that speculative gaze. She coughed, doing the research Neuro demanded of her during her now abridged hours in this office. Between two jobs, school, and homework, she wasn't sure she was going to be getting enough sleep.

“A problem?” Neuro asked, watching her squirm in discomfort as she sat on the chair. She didn't seem to regret her decision. In fact, she wasn't even complaining about it. But there was no denying that something appeared to be wrong with her.

She looked at him, restraining the urge to blush. “This seat...isn't very comfortable...” She stood, trying not to wince. “I'm going to sit on the couch and do my homework.” She said, scooping up her math book and moving towards the far more comfortable couch. She sat down, relieved when her back was finally to him. God, she was tired. She'd worked for three hours last night, had to go to school for six hours today, and now she was here, waiting for her next shift to start. Without at least eight hours of sleep, she was a mess, and she'd only gotten four. Could the homework wait? Yeah. It could wait...

Before she realized she'd given into sleep, she'd slumped over on the couch and dozed off.

Neuro watched the girl dozing on the couch from where he sat, not too far away. He was tolerating it for the time being, since she was mostly likely tired from her shift at the fetish club (whatever that was), and she'd already given him the information she'd gleaned from the evening. He had no further use for her until the following shift, at which point, he'd grill her mercilessly once again.

In reality, it was to torture her a little more. She was being far too acquiescent about this undercover work. She wasn't complaining about it at all. Not one iota of bitching or moaning, which for her was unusual. In fact, he could be mistaking, but there had been a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes when she'd walked through the door the day after her first shift. He'd only been half-joking when he'd pushed her into this work, but it was no fun at all for him if she wasn't miserable.

He scowled faintly, wondering why exactly she'd been having so much trouble sitting in that chair. She'd been using that same one for five years, but this was the first time she'd voiced a complaint. What right did she have to complain anyways? It was a gift that she so much as had a chair at all.

Maybe he should wake her, just because she complained.

He smirked, standing and stalking towards her sleeping form, preparing to flip the couch, with her on it. However, as he looked down at her sleeping form, he noticed a rather painful looking red welt on the back of her thigh. His eyes zeroed in on it and without knowing why, he reached down, touching it lightly. The human girl moaned, and he would have had to be an idiot to mistake that sound as anything besides a moan of pleasure. A familiar smell swept up to his nose and his eyes widened.

He'd smelled it on her before, usually right after he put her head through a wall. But he'd never taken time to identify what it might mean. But that pleased moan mixed with that scent made it easy to identify. She was turned on. He wasn't certain if it was the proximity of his hand to the human female's pleasure center, or if it was from...No, that wasn't possible. She didn't enjoy when he struck her. She always complained about it. If she enjoyed it, she'd ask him to hit her more, correct?

He traced the welt, mesmerized by that strip of reddened flesh. He'd never really understood human behavior, but regardless of what the woman who called herself Sayuri said, he didn't believe there was a human who enjoyed pain enough to let someone hit them. Especially not one of his servants. She always complained, always whined about him harming her, even in the most affectionate manner he was capable of. After all, it wasn't like he slammed just anyone into walls. Not even Godai had earned such a thing. It was reserved for the humans he really liked.

He pressed down on the welt again, breathing in that scent again, watching it whiten from the pressure only to redden when he released it. She whimpered faintly and he looked up, seeing her face twisted into a slight cringe, but that scent swept up to his nose once again. He felt himself stiffening and lengthening and blinked in surprise. He was getting turned on. By a human. He jerked his hand off her skin, realizing he'd been playing with that strip of skin for going on five minutes. Time to wake the louse up.

He put both hands on the couch, flipping her off of it, and it onto her. He smiled faintly as her head only just missed the coffee table. Can't damage her too much, or she couldn't work for him. “Time to wake up, you despicable amoeba!” He said cheerfully.

Please sir, may I have another? She managed to bite back the words, but they still rang through her mind as she looked up at him through sleep fogged eyes. Ah, yes, that was the weight of the couch on her back, and if she wasn't mistaking, he was sitting on it as well. She rubbed her legs together, hoping she hadn't been moaning in her sleep. That dream was vaguely reminiscent of her work at the club. She didn't want her secret getting out now. She was just about to tell him to get off her, when his fingers were in her mouth, stretching it in a painful manner.

Someday, she was going to have to invite him to the club, so he could see what was considered an acceptable way to treat one's slave.

Now, Neuro was getting concerned. Not only had he woken her in an extremely rude manner, but he was stretching her mouth in a way that should be quite uncomfortable and she wasn't complaining. At all. Maybe he should make her quite working undercover at the fetish club. It's not like she needed to. After all, with a brilliant mind like his own, he could solve the mystery in less than an hour without her help. Surely working there was affecting her brain.

Yako noticed the pressure on her cheeks disappear and suddenly the weight of the couch was gone only moments later. A glance in the direction of her boss told her everything she needed to know. There was an emotion on her face that she could almost call concern. She wanted to laugh. With a roll of her eyes, she stood, peering at the clock. “I guess I'm more tired than I thought. I should go home. Shift starts early tonight, because of class tomorrow...” She yawned, stretching as she walked towards the door.

Neuro was reasonably certain she didn't realize she'd revealed several welts, which covered the back of her thighs. “Slave?” She turned towards him and he saw curiosity in her eyes. Even a faint hint of anticipation.

“Hmm?”

“Do you...enjoy working there?” He asked evenly, not giving away his suspicions.

She paused, hand on the doorknob, frowning as she pondered the question. The easy thing would be telling him the truth, but then he might not let her work their anymore. So, she settled for a misleading half-truth. “I suppose it's not the worst thing you've ever had me do for the sake of an investigation. Really, it's not so different from being here. It doesn't hurt as much though. They are just humans...” She heard him made a noise that sounded like an agreement, so she shrugged, turning the handle and left. That was as close to the truth as she could give him. She didn't want to see his disgusted face, or for him to stop the abuse. When he didn't say anything else, she opened the door and left.

Neuro was too curious about this, she thought biting her thumb. What would she do if he found out the truth? The possibilities seemed endless. He might start abusing her more, or he might stop altogether. Then again, stopping was the most likely. After all, he hadn't done anything for her pleasure before. She sighed, shaking her head. That's why she just had to keep quiet, had to hide the truth. She couldn't let anyone know.

She closed her eyes, sighing as she left the building. It was alright. She could endure...

Neuro watched as she jogged across the street, distinct interest on his face. He hadn't mentioned it to her, he probably wouldn't, but the fact remained that he had been doing some research on her new work, and he wouldn't lie that it intrigued him. The idea that she might actually be like some of these people he'd read about was deeply interesting. It confused him, interested him, even aroused him.

Men and women. Young and old. All of whom enjoyed being harmed or harming others. Pages dedicated to the sale of items to assist in the administration of pain. It was like light torture. The images shown on the flat screen, the sounds, the movies burned into his brain.

Was it truly possible for a human to evolve in such a way? Most humans were fair concerned about the state of their physical being, trying to avoid harm whenever possible. What could trigger a human to enjoy the pain enough for it to arouse them?

He smiled faintly, feeling a cool, sadistic urge to understand what was happening inside his slaves little brain begin to develop. Only one thing he could do about it. He moved towards his blood red desk, sitting in his comfortable chair and turned towards the computer. And he began to search for answers.

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Yako flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling, her hungry tummy rumbling. She oddly didn't have much of an appetite. She grinned wryly. The world must be ending. She sighed, rolling onto her side, pondering the dream she'd had in office, with Neuro sitting over at his desk. A shiver worked it's way through her.

It was a pleasant dream, another one she could tuck away into her mind, hidden far from him. He couldn't know about these dreams she'd been having for several years, these feelings that had grown from something torn between disgust and respect, till they finally became love. It was troubling, having to bury the feelings so deep that he didn't sniff them out. He had an uncanny way of sensing things, especially things regarding her. Right after they met, he'd stated she smelled strange. She'd gotten offended, thinking he was saying she stank.

She didn't realize he was detecting a hormonal change in her body until later when she began menstrating.

Was that why it didn't feel as good to be struck while she was at the club? Because she didn't love them?

She blushed, remembering the feel of his fingers stretching her mouth, and the twinges of pleasure she'd had to suppress. She wasn't certain how much longer she could deal with this. Everything was getting too complicated, and she didn't know how to deal with any of it.

“Maybe I should just quit...” She pondered, trying to ignore the rumbling in her stomach. She had to eat something, damn it. She rolled off her bed, landing a bit like a cat, walking to her cabinets and pulling out some salmon and bonito flakes. She made up two or three onigiri and consumed them in minutes flat. She felt kind of sleazy, but that might be an after affect of seeing the man she loved after having someone else 'discipline' her.

What would Neuro think of that?

She shook her head, pulling off her clothes as she made her way to the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She'd never been particularly bad looking, but in the past five years, she'd filled out in curves, and had lost that innocent schoolgirl look. It might be partially due to the influence of Neuro and his near constant abuse, but she'd matured quickly.

She ran a hand over her body, frowning deeply. Her back and backside were both tender. Sayuri wasn't treating her like an amateur at all. Her first three clients had used a riding crop, which stung worse than she'd thought it would. Despite telling Neuro that the abuse didn't hurt as much as when he hurt her wasn't a lie, but it still stung like a wicked bitch, and she suddenly saw why she felt so gross.

Semen was stuck to her back and side.

“Ewww!” She grabbed a towel and scrubbed at it, but it stuck to her like rubber cement. “Dammit!” Reached into the shower, turning on the spray, and hopping inside. The hot water stung the already tender flesh even worse. She soaped up the towel and scrubbed the area until she was certain that ever single piece of semen was off her skin. “That's disgusting...” She complained.

It would be one thing if it was someone she actually cared for. But this?! This was just humiliating. She blushed, looking towards the wall, hugging herself as the shower spray cascaded over her. Yeah, it wouldn't be such a bad thing if it came from the man (monster) she loved. She blushed, dropping down into a crouch, hugging herself. “What am I thinking? Neuro...isn't even human...” She shivered, trying to stop the thoughts that were already forming.

One hand drifted down, resting against her stomach. She shouldn't be thinking about this. But this was how it always was. Just start with a little fantasy. Neuro standing with her in the shower, pressing chest against the wall. His voice next to her ear, sounding somewhat mischievously evil. His large, dangerous hands moving over her body without asking, taking whatever he wanted.

She bit her lip, pressing her forehead against the wall, dropping to her knee as her hand dipped between her legs. He wouldn't be gentle. He wasn't that kind of guy. Instead, he'd be firm, rough to the point of it being painful, but that was okay. She liked the pain anyways. She cringed, stroking herself with an experienced touch.

His hand in her hair, holding her head against the shower wall, his other hand plundering her, his chest against her back, pinning her against the shower so that she couldn't move. Then, he would claim what was rightfully his-

She flushed, crying out, collapsing against the floor of the shower, trying to regain her sanity as she trembled from the contractions of her orgasm. Neuro had always been excellent fodder for her fantasies. He was attractive, had a beautiful build, and had that evil edge that had attracted her since she'd become sexually aware.

She felt the aftershocks die down and pushed herself into a standing position, climbing out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around herself. What would that demon think if he knew about THAT? She bit her lip, feeling exceptionally shy, despite the fact that there was no one else in her apartment. She wrapped a robe around herself and wrapped the towel around her hair, before walking into the room which held her bed, her small table and her minute kitchen.

It was enough to survive, and she was happy to have her own place, especially since her mom's job was keeping her out of the country more and more often. In order to save on money, they'd gotten rid of the house and Yako was renting a small apartment, equal distance between school and the office. It was a sound choice, one that had taken little consideration. This way, she could get to the office at a moment's notice.

Yako sighed, glancing towards her cell phone, seeing that she'd received no calls and threw herself onto her bed once again. Now, all she needed to do was sleep. She set her alarm, rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

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Neuro entered her apartment by way of the window that was conveniently open. He'd learned her habits well over the years, one of which was to ease the summer heat by opening the window and letting the breeze in. Too bad, closing it wasn't a habit. However, it left him an easy access point that he did not complain about.

Yako was laying, sleeping, on her bed, wrapped in a bathrobe, her skin still damp enough that he could tell that she'd left the shower not long before she'd fallen asleep. Troublesome girl. Sleeping damp like that with the window open, she'd catch a cold. He frowned, putting a spare blanket over her without a second thought. It wouldn't do for his slave to get sick.

He moved around her apartment, looking for this thing that girls called a diary. He knew she kept one, but after tearing the office apart, nearly literally, he'd decided to check her home. If he couldn't find it, he'd see if Akane could find a web log for her. He was quite interested in this book which she wrote her secrets down in. They might give him answers to the questions going through his mind.

Oh, he understood the chemical reasons behind it now. Too much pain caused the brain to release endorphins, which creates a sense of light-headedness, such as after a good run. Yet, he didn't know what had pushed this girl to that point. Had she finally reached the point where if she didn't seek pleasure, she would have broken? Had he pushed her too far?

Or was there another reason behind it?

He didn't usually care for the reasons behind human behavior, but her behavior directly affected him and his ability to consume food. Besides, this was beginning to have a distinct scent. A mystery of a sort. Not one ripe with evil intent. This was a different kind. A flavor he hadn't tasted before. Driven by a desire that was similar, but not the same as those he consumed.

An intriguing appetizer, perhaps?

He moved from room to room, puzzled when he couldn't find the book. However, in the bathroom, a faint scent caught his attention. The ceiling fan was quickly stealing that scent away, so he breathed deeply, implanting that scent into his memory. He'd wait a few more days, let the mystery ripen a bit more.

Then, he'd enjoy his meals.

He smirked faintly, hearing the girl in the other room stir and decided it was time to make his exit. He hadn't found the book, but that was fine. This added another depth of color to the mystery that Yako was hiding. As he left the room, he leaned over the girl, smiling devilishly. “Wait a few more days, Yako. Then I'll consume this mystery.” He straightened, walking directly out the window.

Yako opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. What a strange dream...

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The following days moved swiftly, with Yako pulling two jobs, going home to sleep and find a little personal relief, and then go to school the next day. Her time was so occupied, so exhausting, she failed to notice Neuro's growing interest in her situation. It was probably best that she didn't feel the weighted stare on her back. She figured she had enough on her mind with Sasazuka investigating the 'Dungeon' while she was working there. She managed to avoid him well enough, but she had a feeling that her time was coming.

She'd asked several of the girls what he was doing there, and they said he paid well for information. She also noticed that there was an odd relationship among the girls who worked there. Several were extremely possessive with their 'masters', to the point of doing childish things in order to keep them. That was when she'd begun to believe that it was an in house crime.

She'd voiced her opinion to Neuro who slammed her face roughly into her desk, continuing to apply skull cracking pressure on it. “It's too early to draw conclusions, louse...” He said evenly, a wicked smile on his face as he leaned down next to her, invading her personal space and making her blush. “Although the idea has merit. If you learn anything that backs it up, let me know.”

“That hurts, Neuro.” Yako whined in as annoying a voice as she could, rubbing her face when he let her up. She didn't notice the smirk on his face until it was too late and he had her in a particularly brutal head lock. She hadn't been particularly fond of asphyxiation the one time a client had insisted she try, but this caused butterflies to swarm in her stomach. Damn, she was a pervert.

“Why are you complaining louse? Shouldn't you say thank you?” He teased lightly.

She couldn't get the breath to speak, but his face was next to hers, and she could feel his breath on her ear and it was causing her to get extremely turned on, despite her current situation. Shit, shit, shit. She clawed at his hand, watching spots begin to swarm in her vision. She was going to pass out in a minute. “N...e...u...ro...” She wheezed, trying to get him to ease the pressure on her wind pipe.

He noted she was turning blue and released her. Couldn't damage her too much, after all. She collapsed on the desk, gasping for breath. Hm? Had he pushed it too far? He watched her body language closely as she straightened herself, noting that she was squeezing her legs together awfully tightly. Hmm? Ah, there it was, that smell wafting up to him. That mysterious scent.

“I'm sorry, I deal with those bastards demanding I say 'Please sir may I have another' enough at the Dungeon, I'm not doing it here.” She said evenly, not looking at him, lest he see the flush on her face, or the desire she knew was in her eyes. Dammit to hell. Why was she so hot right now? That really was kind of scary-

Because it was him.

She buried her face into one of her text books, trying not to look at the demon who was moving back towards his desk. There was always an added dimension to the pleasure when it was with him. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he would never damage her to the point that she couldn't recover. She'd grown to trust him, a trust she didn't feel towards her clients.

But most of it was because she was in love with him.

Dammit to hell.

Neuro watched her study with interest. Ah, yes, she was flushed. There was something in her eyes that could almost be called excitement. There was that delicious scent. He wiped some drool from the corner of his mouth, knowing there was a particularly sadistic glint in his green eyes.

Still, where the hell did she hide that damn journal?

Gray eyes glanced up as though she felt his gaze upon her and he was rewarded with a bright red blush. Hm, what was going on inside that little head of hers? “Yako, what time does your other job start?”

She blinked, glancing towards the clock. “Ah, in a few hours.” She glanced towards her text book. “I don't have classes tomorrow, so I'm working a full shift.” She didn't even want to think about how badly her ass was going to hurt after shift was over, but she almost wished that she could nurse it back to health before going home. “I've been working there for almost a week...” She stretched her arms over her head, unaware that Neuro was following her every motion with his eyes.

“Yes, and your information has been nearly useless.” He said evenly, typing a query into a search engine.

Yako scowled at him. “It's hard to interrogate other people when you've got a-” She stopped, blushing, turning her head away. He was looking at her with distinct interest, but she'd be damned if she finished that sentence. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, and stood abruptly, gathering up her school books. “I should go. I have to eat before I go to work.” She said evenly, showing great restraint.

Neuro watched as she left the room, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. She was acting embarrassed about working there. That flush that she wore when speaking about the place called a Dungeon was almost endearing to him. He glanced towards the page open on his monitor, the home page called Sayuri-sama's Forbidden Realm. Something he'd learned in the past week was that for some reason, humans found things that were taboo, things that were forbidden, and although they hid their desires for those things, they caused more intense arousal than what some called good wholesome, missionary-position sex.

His research had already explained what that was. He found it amusing. In many societies anything that wasn't that 'meat and potatoes' sex, was called sodomy, and hence was illegal. Something about sex being expressly used to create spawn. He chuckled darkly, navigating the page with ease until he found himself staring at the open spots on Yako's schedule.

He'd been debating it for several nights now. Simply going in to completely mortify her. They'd covered her pale hair with a dark brown wig, put lavender contacts in, to make her seem more exotic. Called her Hikaru, covered her face with make-up. Still, he could tell it was her. Those wide, innocent looking eyes and the full lips were a dead give-away. He stared at the image, pulling out his trusty evil script and hacking the page to take a look at who was going to be giving his favorite slave a visit that evening.

One name caught his attention and he stared at it, feeling a surge of an unpleasant emotion run through him. Him being a logical being was quickly able to identify the unwanted emotion as envy.

Sasazuka...

He snarled, reaching out a hand to annihilate the entry, but even as he did, his mind was imagining the expression on the girls face when her brother-figure walked through that door. A wry smirk turned up the corners of his lips as he imagined all the different kinds of fits she would throw.

Good. She'd undoubtedly be in a bad mood, then.

He left that entry alone.

Instead, he placed himself in every other entry for the evening, deciding it was time to stop playing and dine on the mystery of the young woman's death. Besides Yako had enough time to embrace this new, interesting side of her personality. This pain loving Yako. He smirked, standing and turning off the computer. He would go pay a visit to his slave tonight, and remind her of who her master really is.

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Yako rubbed her shoulders, a bit unnerved by Neuro's actions this afternoon, and even more concerned by her bodies response to those actions. She couldn't hide this for much longer. She was lucky she'd managed to hide it for two years...

The door opened and she stood, wondering what this client would have in mind. She didn't really care at this point. She'd had pretty much everything today. It was like they were trying to find what would actually get her off. She turned towards the door as it closed and felt the blood drain from her face when she realized who had just walked through the door. Holy FUCK! She wrapped a robe around herself as quickly as was humanly possible. This was most unexpected.

The man looked at her through startled gray eyes. Obviously the detective had not realized who he was getting when he signed up tonight. He stared at the girl his brain finally connecting the rather ditzy girl who worked as a detective to the young woman standing in front of him. One thought passed through his head, leaving his mouth.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

The fact that they both said the exact same thing in unison, wearing mirror expressions, in exactly the same tone of voice did well to cut the tension of the room. Yako sighed, pulling off the wig and scratching her head. She sat in a chair, crossing her legs and pulled the robe tighter closed across her chest. “Since it's you, I'm guessing it's related to the poisoning that happened here last week.”

He took the opposite chair. “I'm hoping the same.” He said evenly.

She looked away, wondering how to explain this and not hurt the poor man's sensibilities. “I'm working undercover.” She admitted. She stood, sighing. “Want some tea?”

“Yes.” He watched her move, noting that the girl he'd considered a surrogate for his little sister had long since turned into a young lady. That didn't make seeing her in this setting any easier. Especially since he could see faint bruises along her arms and red welts on her thighs below the inappropriately short robe.

She nodded, pouring hot water into two cups. She dropped tea bags into the cups and moved back to the table, setting his cup in front of him. “I'm sorry you had to see me like this.” She said quietly. “I've been very careful not to let you see me.” She sipped her tea, noting he was staring at her, shocked. She smiled faintly. “I've been working here for a few days. A little less than a week. It actually pays surprisingly well...” She said wryly, grinning a bit.

He frowned deeply. “What are you doing about...being...?” Was there a way to ask this delicately?

“Spanked?” She asked lightly, wincing at the look of mortification on the detectives face. She sighed, setting down her tea cup. “I deal with it.” She said quietly. “It's really no big deal. Like all things in this realm, it's a matter of preference. There's no sex involved, so it doesn't bother me.” She watched him relax and gave him a small smile. “Although it pays to pretend it's the worst pain I've ever felt. Even when it's not.”

He frowned at the way she brushed it off like it was nothing. It was as if she was so used to pain that she really didn't care if she was hurt. “Since I'm here, care to tell me what you know?”

She crossed her legs again, sighing softly. “From what the other girls say, no one here had any issues with her, although after working here, I'm wondering if it's not a lie. It's a highly competitive atmosphere, and when one girl has a high paying customer leave for another girl, I'm betting the girl left behind doesn't feel to happy. Then there's the issue when the submissive falls in love with her dominator. I've seen a bit of what these girls do to each other. Anything from cat fights to attempts to seriously injure. I found glass in my sandwich one night.” She said evenly, frowning.

Sasazuka frowned deeply. “Any suspects?”

She smiled weakly. “None I can prove without a doubt.” She said, tilting her head to the side. “So telling you would just give you a biased slant on the investigation.”

He nodded. “Very well.” He finished his tea and stood. “Thank you for your time, Yako.” He said calmly. “I hope this investigation gets resolved quickly, so you can return to your other work.” He said sincerely.

She smiled, not knowing what else to do. “Thank you, Sasazuka-san.”

He nodded, dropping a roll of bills on the table beside the door and walking from the room.

She sighed, standing and deciding to take advantage of her half-hour break before the next customer arrived to go get a shower and a snack. She had no doubt as she stepped into the shower stall that the Detective had been sincere in his wish that the investigation end soon. Yet, she found herself hoping that it would drag on for a little while longer. She was still discovering who she was as a person, as a woman. If this was taken away, how would she find out?

She bathed quickly, then wrapped herself in the robe once again. She stepped out of the room and was somewhere caught between shock and horror to find Neuro reclining easily on the bed in the room, fingering a pair of handcuffs with what looked like sadistic glee. She schooled her expression quickly. “What are you doing here?” She asked evenly. Was she going crazy, or was there a twinge of disappointment in his green eyes?

Hm, she wasn't baited? She wasn't annoyed? He arrived just after Sasazuka left, so she should be in a terrible mood, but she was just standing there passively. “Oh, I thought I'd give you the rest of the night off, so to speak...” He smiled a bit maliciously when the look in her eyes went from mild to annoyed. “Are you disappointed? Little masochist?”

She clenched her hands into fists, trying to ignore the fury racing through her and focus on the hunger in her stomach, not the other one. She glanced at her watch. “Neuro, it's my dinner break. I'm going to eat.” She forced herself to be a bit cold, to not notice that he looked like he'd wandered out of one of her most erotic fantasies. “I'll be back in about twenty minutes.” She walked towards the door, grinding her teeth together when he caught her shoulder, stopping her.

“I didn't say you could leave, Slave number one...” He said quietly, his breath tickling her ear.

He was violating her personal space again. She fisted her hands tightly. “Neuro, there are rules in places like this. If you can't follow them, you can bet your 777 demon tools I'll call Detective Sasazuka back and have you thrown in jail for the night. And if you think a bunch of submissives can't contain you...” She turned and gave him a smile that sent a chill down his spine. “You don't know what you're talking about.” She broke his startled grip easily. “I'll be back in a bit. Make yourself comfortable.” She said calmly. She saw the stunned look on his face and allowed herself to feel just a moment's pleasure. She moved towards the door and slipped out, leaning against the wood for a moment, forcing her breathing to slow.

There was something about him being in this environment that suited him. Yet there had been a shock bordering on innocence on his face. He was so obviously unsure of how to deal with Hikari, rather than Yako. Maybe they were both a part of her. But he wasn't used to this sure of her self, confident, pain-enjoying Yako. She wasn't the whiny, complaining, wood louse he was used to.

Oh, yes, that flavor had matured a great deal in the past week. It looked like he'd be well fed tonight. Two mysteries in one evening. A smirk of pure evil turned up the corners of his lips as his brain regained function. He sat down at the small round table, loosening the scarf around his neck. It would appear that his little louse had progressed. The real question was if he should have her as an appetizer, or save her for later?

It was funny. She'd used a different word than masochist. Submissive. Of course he understood the difference, he was quite adept at research, after all. The dominant-submissive partnership was based on trust, and while the submissive usually enjoyed the pain, they allowed themselves to be struck because it brought pleasure to the one hitting them. The dominant one was expected to have the restraint to stop if the submissive said their safety word.

Naturally, she wouldn't think he'd do the research required before coming to her work place. He smirked, his fingers tips touching in front of his chin. This mystery would be a good one to devour. Perhaps if he made it a lasting situation, she could become a regular food source for him.

He heard the door open and turned towards it, wondering if his slave hadn't returned early. Instead, it was a girl with blond hair, blue eyes who stank of anger, hatred. He inhaled the air, tasting it, and his eyes focused on her, the brows arching. Ah, so she was the one. He knew he'd solve it in minutes. This one was such a small mystery, however, and it tasted a bit bitter. Not satisfying at all.

“Did the new girl leave another man?” She asked, in what he supposed was supposed to be a coquettish manner. “She's always doing that, you know.” She moved towards him, tracing a finger over his shoulders, trying to lure him. “She can't take the real pain, you know? Just the little spankings. Never the cane. She doesn't even let them have sex with her...”

Neuro smirked faintly, inclining his head. Interesting. He'd assumed that she'd been having sex with these customers due to the nature of her job. That was why he'd felt that unexpected surge of jealousy when he saw a name he recognized. The idea she would give herself into the keeping of another truly bothered him.

The woman draped her arms around his neck, leaning on his shoulders. She reeked of evil intent. Intent he could tell was presently directed at his slave. He smirked faintly, feeling that the puzzle had finally become clear. At least the one involving the murder. “You're saying that she can't take pain?” He chuckled in that evil tone of his. “I see you don't know the little louse as well as you pretend.” He stood, breaking her grasp and turning on her. He caught hold of her shirt, a purely evil expression on his face. “You're even lower than she. You still a one-celled organism...at best. From the taste of things, you'll barely satisfy me at all...”

She paled, struggling against his grasp. When she broke it, she ran from the room.

This mystery wasn't that tasty, and wouldn't satisfy him particularly much. Perhaps the other mystery would. The one that Yako was hiding. He licked his lips in anticipation. Too bad he'd have to wait to consume that mystery. It wouldn't do much good to have her scarcely able to move while pointing out the criminal. He smiled wickedly, brushing his hair back. Besides, Yako's promised to leave a better taste in his mouth.

A few minutes of waiting later, he heard the door open once again and Yako entered. This time, he could tell it was her. He could almost taste the difference. There was a certain thing about her scent that made her alluring, made her one of the humans that didn't grate on his temper. The scent of her mystery only compounded the delicious scent. “It's time for me to consume that mystery...” He said, straightening his jacket and tucking his scarf in as he turned towards her, seeing a weary expression on her face. “Let's go then, sensei...”

The wicked smile on his face was the only warning she received before that very painful grip was applied to her skull. She sighed as he pushed her from the room, towards the dining area. None of the other girls knew who she really was. After this, she wouldn't be able to work here any longer. She broke Neuro's grip and waved Sayuri-sama over. “We know who the murderer is. You should call Detective Sasazuka back.” She said softly, glancing towards Neuro.

“I see...” She frowned, nodding. “Very well...”

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“You look disappointed, Slave number one...” Neuro said, smirking towards the girl who walked at his side, staring at the ground. “You should be happy. I've consumed a mystery, after all.”

She glanced towards him and rolled her eyes. “Don't be stupid, Neuro.” She said calmly, quietly. “I've got enough money in the past week that I have a happy little nest egg, should I need it.” She pinned him with a look, her eyes narrow. “You know. In case you decide to take out a few more loans in my name that are so large it's practically impossible for me to pay them off quickly...”

He blinked in mock innocence. “Would I do that to my most valued slave?” He asked, resting a hand on her head and squeezing tenderly. Or at least his own version of it. That faint scent swept up to his nose and he breathed it in deeply. Yes. Definitely pleasure. There was also something unfamiliar in her gaze that caught his attention. Something warm, even hopeful. Then, it faded and she batted his hand away.

“I'm exhausted, Neuro.” She said quietly. “So I'm going to my apartment now. Since you had a meal, don't you dare call me before noon.” She threatened, then disappeared into the building.

Neuro watched her go, smirking. Once the elevator closed behind her, he walked up the side of the building, ignoring the people who stared, witness to his actions. Her apartment was high enough that they'd lose interest. Of course he knew exactly which one was hers. He knew her daily habits, down to the letter. He'd spent these last few days listening at her window after she returned home. He heard the sounds she made while she was in the shower.

As far as humans went, he supposed she wasn't unattractive, but it wasn't her appearance that had enticed him from the start. It was that scent. That clean, pure scent, now tainted with a mystery that didn't reek of evil intentions.

That snack barely qualified as a meal, but this one...He lay against the wall, smirking faintly. This would fill two hungers at once. He heard her door open and then the room was full of light. The next step was her opening the window to let the cooler air in. He listened to the sounds and after the window was open, he heard a soft sigh escape her.

“Now what?” She mused, unaware of the danger that lurked outside her window. She rested her hands on the frame, staring across the sky line, trying to ignore the uncomfortable ache in her chest. She couldn't lie to herself. When Neuro had shown up at her work, butterflies had erupted in the pit of her stomach, killing her appetite. She'd wanted to go back to the room. However, when she did return, all he did was inform her that he'd solved the mystery and tell her it was time for her to go point.

Her heart felt bruised, it wouldn't even let her hold onto the fact that he'd called her his favorite. She shook her head, closing the curtains and peeling off her shirt, bra and skirt, leaving her in her panties. She had to clean this crap off her face before she could really take care of those butterflies. She leaned over the sink, scrubbing her face with a make-up remover before washing her face carefully. She straightened slowly, reaching over and grabbing her hand towel to dry her face.

After she patted the skin dry, she opened her eyes, staring into the mirror. What she saw caused tremors to race through her, her throat to go dry, and every thought in her head to run for the hills except one. How the hell did he get in here without me hearing him?! Before she could ask him, he had her hands behind her back, and cuffs on her wrists. She squeaked in shock, as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “Neuro! What the hell are you doing?! Put me down!” Where was he taking her?!

He threw her onto her bed, an evil smirk turning up his lips. “As you wish, slave.”

She managed to roll to look at him, mouth already open to scream his head off, when he smiled the most terrifyingly sinister smile she'd ever seen. Her voice died before it ever left her mouth and she watched, unable to speak as he pulled off his jacket and scarf, leaving him in his gloves, vest and slacks. She struggled into a sitting position, finally finding her voice once again. “What the hell do you think you're doing!?”

He turned, quite pleased with the dark flush on her face. “Oh, slave, don't play dumb. After all, you should know more about this than I, correct?” He fisted a hand in her hair, shoving her head down against the bed, holding her there. “You smell of a mystery...” He felt goose flesh rise on her skin as his breath caressed her ear. Then, just to hear her reaction, he ran the flat of his tongue across her shoulder, earning a breathless squeak from the girl.

“Neuro...” She breathed shakily, those butterflies having resumed their formation with earnest. “What are you doing...?” She saw an evil smile on his lips and quaked with something she wasn't sure she could call fear. One of his hands left her back and he shifted his position. Then, there was a sharp sting on her backside that caused a shocked yelp to escape her lips. Her eyes flew wide and she twisted her head around to stare at the demon.

He'd just spanked her!

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AN: Um...yeah, super duper hyper mega blushing right now. I don't know why, but I always blush when I write things like this...probably why I haven't ever posted one before. Anyways, let me know what you think. More spanking to come next chapter.