He often wished that he could see. Not because it would make his life easier, not because he minded his blindness terribly much. He had dealt with it since he was seven after all, when his retinis pigmentosa had claimed his vision. He just wanted to see that man's face. "What are you thinking about so thoroughly, Aki?" He heard a rich chuckle. A hand ruffled his hair, and he grabbed the arm, feelings stiff cloth crinkle under his grip. Ah, today he's wearing a dress shirt.

"What's the occasion today, Ryu-san?" He avoided the first question altogether. "You're wearing such nice clothes."

"I have to meet someone today, after this." The words left his lips so easily, and Aki felt himself freeze for a second. Stupid Aki, that was a bad question, look, now you're sad.

Ryu-san dropped by three times a week, to check in on Aki and help out around the house, and just to give the blind boy some help. He also took care of all of Aki's monetary needs, giving him anything and everything he might need. When Aki asked him why he did so much for a strange boy who couldn't see, he answered that he had a debt to pay, and that Aki was just too cute to let waste away.

Aki would never admit it, but just hearing Ryu-san call him cute was enough to fuel his fantasies for weeks. "Aki?" Ryu-san sounded concerned now. "Is anything wrong?"

He shook his head slightly, pasting on a smile. It was normal for Ryu to have a date, he was straight after all, and if he looked anything like his voice, he would be drop-dead gorgeous. "Nope, nothing at all. Sit down with me?" He patted the spot beside him on the comfy couch.

"I'd love to." The voice softened, and he felt the couch beside him sink in. Leaning in, he snuggled into an undeniably muscular chest, covered in starched cotton. Often, while they sat like this, talking about everything and nothing, he would imagine what Ryu-san could look like. Was he handsome? Ugly? To be honest, Aki wouldn't care either way; Ryu-san would always be his crush. He was just curious.

They laughed as Aki told about how the neighbor's little daughter had asked him yesterday about why he always wore "those funny glasses" and almost became a wreck when he told her that she was blind. It had taken a full five minutes to calm her down and explain that he didn't mind the question. Asami shared tiny moments in his life, about how the sakura trees were in full bloom and how they should go together to a viewing ceremony sometime. He cut off guiltily halfway through the sentence, abruptly realizing his mistake, and tried to apologize.

Aki just laughed and gave him a hug, spontaneous and joyful, getting a whiff of the scent that was uniquely Ryu, all spicy with a hint of cigarettes and…what was that smell? He sniffed a little more, smelling a slightly burned smell. Gunpowder? No way, he shook his head, putting it out of his mind. "Yes," Aki chirped, "Let's go, I love feeling flowers and smelling them anyways, and I should get out more often!"

He felt Ryu relax, and gently return the hug. "Then it's a date. How about this weekend?"

They both agreed and set plans to leave on Sunday at 8. All too soon, Ryu had to leave. He apologized, saying that he didn't want to make the other party wait. Aki just shrugged it off, all smiles and laughs up to the moment the door closed. As soon as the latch clicked, the smile melted off his face, and he sat down, gripping his cooling tea.

Would the girl be pretty? He didn't really know what "pretty" was, not after so long without sight, but he was sure she smelled nice and had soft silky hair. That her voice would be a sweet soprano to match Ryu's deep baritone. And that she would be female. No matter. He took a deep breath and let it out, ignoring the heaviness of his chest. He had already resigned himself to this the instant he fell in love. It was good, having Ryu as a friend. They could talk and laugh together, and sometimes they could go on dates (that's what Aki liked to think of them as) and see flowers. It was not such a bad thing…really, not a bad deal…that's what he thought to himself as he cried silent tears.

His confession was, of course, the most awkward thing ever, since he was the most awkward ting ever. During an ordinary day, when they just sat and sipped tea, content to just bask in each other's company, he had blurted it out. "I really like you, Ryu-san."

He could almost sense the shocked pause. "Aki?"

Well, there was no turning back now, was there? And somehow managing to summon up even more courage, he repeated himself. "I really like you, Ryu-san. As a love interest. I'm gay." Maybe that was too many bombshells? Ah, well, it's too late to take it back.

Another pregnant pause. "Aki…" He could hear the wheels in Ryu's head turning, struggling to categorize all this information, as the extraordinarily intelligent man was prone to do. "All your life, I've been the only person really close to you. But that love…is not romantic love, Akihito. One day, you will meet a girl who really makes your heart thump and will give you everything your other half should."

Part of him knew he was fighting a losing war, but he couldn't let this go, not when somehow his confession had finally occurred. "No, Ryu, I really—"

A gentle hand on his head silenced him. "I know that's what you think, Akihito, but you haven't truly felt true love yet. I can't dishonor Takaba-san by taking advantage of his son's confused love." Only when the door clicked shut did Aki realize that Asami was truly gone.

The next time, it was not Asami that visited. It was a cold, cold man who introduced himself as Kirishima Kei. Despite him insisting that Aki not be too formal with him, he felt pressured to call him Kirishima-san. The man's very presence seemed to demand a more formal atmosphere. Aki wondered how a man like him had come to work under the warm, easygoing Ryu. He also wondered what kind of business Ryu ran; the man was always deliberately vague about his affairs.

Kirishima-san was a very capable caretaker. He carefully cleaned up, making sure there was no clutter for the clumsy boy to trip over; his boss wouldn't forgive any oversights. His cooking was flawless and what Aki suspected was restaurant-quality. But there were no conversations to be found, nor any simple silences. The man came in like a whirlwind, completing his job in an hour or two and leaving with a simple, "Stay well, Akihito-san."

Sitting there, in his apartment that seemed even lonelier without Ryu's large presence to fill in the cold silences and dark depths, he wondered if he shouldn't have confessed. If, perhaps, it would've been better to shut up and just take Ryu's friendship for what it was. If he hadn't said those stupid words, Ryu would be here, still drinking tea with him and offering to go to flower-viewing ceremonies with him…

But there was no use crying over spilt milk. Perhaps one day, when Ryu forgot about the incident, he would come back and keep on having tea. For now, all he could do was adapt to this new, strange lifestyle without his only companion.

The day Ryu came back was a strange one. The door had slammed open, and that warm, deep voice had called out his name, like he had so often dreamed. "Aki!"

"Ryu?" He asked in disbelief.

"Aki, I have such good news." The man's voice bubbled over with excitement, and the large hands that gripped his were slightly sweaty.

"Good news? What is it?" Aki blinked in confusion, still slightly in shock from Ryu's abrupt reintroduction into his life.

"You're going to see again Aki."

"See?" Me…? How?

"They've just developed a cutting edge biotic eye, with some rehabilitation, patients are supposed to be able to see close to normal!"

"I'm…going to see again?" Aki whispered. It was unimaginable. Since he had been young the doctors had told him in apologetic tones that he would never see, to be given another chance like this was unimaginable.

Ryu hugged him, overjoyed. "You're going to see, Aki, I promise, everything is ready, I've hired the best surgeons and technicians, nothing will go wrong. All I need to know is," His voice grew serious. "That you want it. Do you want to have this surgery, Aki? I know that going under the knife is scary, and that it's your choice."

Aki just nodded. Seeing? I'll be able to see Ryu's face…finally. "Yes, yes I want this." He began to weep. "Let me see again, Ryu."

"I will." It was promise.

His beautiful blue eyes gazed out in awe at the flurry of pink petals that swirled in the wind. The door to his hospital room opened and slowly, a man stepped him. Aki stayed turned away, transfixed on the sakura blossoms. "Remember two years ago, when we went to a flower viewing? You were so excited, like a puppy." Ryu chuckled.

"Of course I was." Aki said, his voice hushed in reverence. "It was so nice just being outside. But this is so much more beautiful than I had ever imagined."

He turned around, taking in the man, tall and dark and handsome. His golden eyes glimmered with affection and his black hair was glossy and perfectly slicked back. Every bit as handsome as his voice had been. "Ryu, I love you."

The words hung between them, a solid wall that had kept them apart for two years. Aki blinked his eyes, looking at this man who had cared for him forever. The man who he had fallen in love with long before he had seen his face or known of his wealth.

"Okay." And thus Ryu took the first step to scaling that immense wall.

Aki smiled, happy with just the acceptance of his feelings.

One day, you'll say I love you back, I know it.

AN: Lol, I posted this a looooooooooong while back on AO3, but totally forgot to do the same here! I hope you all liked it!