His days began when Asami's did. Sitting up sleepily to the sound of the blaring alarm clock, he stared at the shadowy figure that moved around the bedroom. Ugh, how could the man be awake and alert the instant that goddamn thing sounded?
"So early today?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Asami sounded regretful. "Some agents from Hong Kong are arriving today, and I'll have to speak with them as soon as they get here, we can't afford for them to linger."
"It's 'kay." Aki said tiredly, swinging his feet off the bed. He barely winced at the familiar, bone deep ache that radiated from his back side, padding over to throw open the heavy curtains. Gray predawn light washed in, bathing the room in silver, painting the Asami's bare back in rippled shadows. As he turned, Aki could see the many scars that littered his body, along with the shallow scratches he had left from last night.
Asami glanced over at the Tokyo skyline, uninterested. "Hm, maybe we should get another house somewhere with a more cheerful view. Hawaii? I could buy out a tropical island, and I'm sure you'd love the ocean."
"You think?" Aki cocked his head, smiling. "I like it! It's not that impressive compared some other places, but after looking at something for three years, it's kinda grown on me."
"I'm glad you enjoy it then." Asami smirked, brushing a kiss over his lips, putting on his suit jacket to conceal his ever-present gun holsters. "I've got to go, keep safe, alright?"
"Wait!" A slight note of worry entered the boy's voice. "No breakfast? That's so bad for you…"
"I wish I could, but there simply isn't enough time. I'll be back for dinner though." With that, Asami rushed out, greeted by Kirishima and Suoh, as he was every morning. Turning around to catch a sight of Aki before the door shut, he sent a tiny reassuring glance. Unsteadily, the boy waved, watching the door shut.
It was strange, Aki reflected, how strange the apartment was without Asami. Even after living there for three years, and only leaving on the occasional trip to the grocery store, he couldn't feel quite comfortable there without Asami. Three years…
It hadn't seemed like so long ago, when he had made the biggest decision of his life. The last decision too, really. His parents had grown tired of their son's eternal bachelor ways, and seemed determined to set up an engagement with a girl, his approval be damned. And he had almost gone along with it, hopeless in the face of his mother's endless pleading.
And then the ultimatum had been declared. Me or them, Asami had demanded. For the first time, that proud man had gotten on his knees and begged Aki to stay. To just not go. Those golden eyes, usually so cold and unreadable had shown genuine emotion and fear. He had seemed so desperate, a child clutching onto a loved one's leg. Looking into those eyes, Aki knew what he had to do.
A simple letter was left for his parents, telling them that he was sorry but that he had to leave, and that he was well and fine. Similar ones were sent to Kou and Takato. Shortly thereafter, Takaba Akihito dropped off the surface of the Earth. And so he had lived, isolated from almost everyone who had known him, in the penthouse. When he left the apartment, which was becoming increasingly rare, he was careful to avoid all areas that he had used to visit. No one had a clue where Aki now was, though they probably couldn't have dreamed that he was living a mere 15 minutes away from his old apartment.
Everything had been perfect and magical at first. He had gotten to finally spend time with Asami, a former rarity. They could actually talk instead of just having crazed sex. Gradually, they even began to open up, to become a more open couple with a balanced relationship. But even as his relationship with Asami strengthened, Aki began to sense something about himself weakening.
A year into this living arrangement, he had begun to notice that something was off about himself. With how little he saw or talked to other people besides Asami, his social skills had begun to deteriorate. Even talking with Kirishima or Suoh was fairly difficult, and Asami was the only one he seemed totally able to relax around. Bit by bit, he had started avoiding interactions with other people due to this discomfort, further exacerbating the issue.
Then things began to get worse. Every time Asami left in the mornings, he felt a soul-deep pain, like some puppy abandoned by its owner. Every time the man came back in the evenings, he was euphoric just to see him. When the man was gone, the planet seemed gray and pointless. His days were spent in a haze unless he had some task before him. He began to become dependent to an unhealthy level on Asami. But, instead of hating it, as surely any other lover would, Asami seemed to love it. The man relished spoiling and catering to Akihito's every need.
He should've left when he first realized, Aki sighed, shaking his head. There was no chance of leaving now. He would surely need intensive psychological help to return to normal, and there was no hospital on the globe Asami couldn't find him in. Simply put, it was no use now. His current self didn't even mind the situation that much, if he was being honest. He loved Asami, loved living with him, isolated from everything and everyone. It brought such a deep peace to him that he was drowning in it. While control over his life, every aspect of it, was something he used to hold onto fiercely, it just didn't seem as important anymore. Letting go of everything and just existing somehow lifted the weight of everything off his shoulders.
There was no way out now, so he might as well content himself with this other paradise. Picking up his cleaning supplies, he prepared for his daily routine of cleaning up the apartment, top to bottom. Ever since he had moved in, Asami seemed reluctant to hire a maid, not wanting to risk anyone seeing Akihito. Eventually, that had become one of Aki's duties as well, and it was a pretty good distraction anyways, and kept him fairly active. Picking up the dirty laundry, he tossed it in the laundry basket, and then went to grab the iron. Asami was very particular about how his dress shirts were pressed, and wrinkles were unacceptable. He can be so picky, like a child. Aki giggled to himself, standing up and looking out the window again. Like every morning, the sun slowly rose above the towering buildings, casting their deep shadows about the city. It crept along the floor slowly, that warmth he had always enjoyed, frolicked in and relished the feel of it against his skin. For just a second, he had the urge to throw on his clothes and walk outside, enjoy the blooming dawn.
The wistful thought vanished in a second, drifting away on the cold breeze of the AC. He turned away from the sunlit bedroom, walking farther into the cold, shadowed apartment. He would stay, and wait for Asami.
Asami was late. Aki paced back and forth across the windows, feeling the cold wooden panels beneath his feet. He was never late, not after Aki moved in. And even if he was, he would always call and apologize. But his smart phone lay abandoned on the coffee table, untouched for the past two hours. It was already 8:30, far too late for dinner. Biting his lip, Aki picked up the phone, scrolling through the contacts. If Asami was really that busy, he probably wouldn't appreciate being called, but…
Steeling himself, he dialed the number, waiting as the dial tone rang out in the empty air. Ring, ring rin—click. "We're sorry," A mechanical female voice stated, "The number you have requested is either out of servi—"
Aki hung up, paling even more. His phone was off? He didn't ever turn it off, as far as Aki could tell. Scrolling down, he dialed another number. Kirishima Kei flashed across the screen as it dialed. Also out of service.
Panic surged up in him. Why did even Kirishima have his phone off? His vision whirled as he slumped against the sofa, feeling his lungs spasm and hyperventilate. No, no, gotta calm down. Breathe slowly…one…two…three…
Gradually, he felt the tingling in his limbs recede and the blurry spots in his vision recede. Getting up, he stumbled towards the closet. Out, he had to get out. He had to find Asami, something could've happened. A sharp knock sounded at the door. His head snapped towards it. Asami? Running towards the door, he threw it open, ready to tearfully reprimand the man for being so late and turning his phone off.
But it wasn't Asami outside the door. Suoh and Kirishima stood stiffly, their jackets more ruffled than usual and with small nicks. He tilted his head. "Good evening…but where's Asami?"
They remained silent. A terrible foreboding welled up in his chest. "I said, where's Asami?" He asked again.
Kirishima was the one that chose to speak. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" Aki gave a hysterical giggle. "It's not your fault your boss is so bad at making it to dinner. Is he really that busy at the office? Oh, and could you also mention to him that it's rude to shut his phone off?"
They looked at him with pitying eyes, this boy who had once shone so bright, obviously on the verge of a breakdown. "Asami-san is…gone." Kirishima whispered. "He was shot an hour ago…the doctors couldn't save him." He winced as he bent a bit, blood steeping out from the bandage beneath his suit jacket.
Suoh supported his partner, staring at Aki with concern. The boy stared blankly for a split second, before realization spread across his face. His cheerful expression crumpled as he slipped to the ground, tears trickling down his cheeks. A low animalistic noise rattled from his throat as he shook his head. "He can't be…he said he'd be back for dinner." He whispered. "Dinner, you know? It's such an important meal, especially since he skipped," His voice broke, "Breakfast."
Suoh knelt down beside the boy, gently rumbling, "He's dead Akihito."
The boy shook his head harder, in silence. "No." His said hollowly. "Asami's just…gone. He'll be back, I'm sure. Silly him, he must've been so busy he forgot about dinner. He'll be back…right?" Blank blue eyes looked at Suoh. His pale drawn face was eerie in the dim light, shadows cutting into his beauty, leaving him a parody of the fiery youth that had burst into their lives so long ago.
Aki nodded his head resolutely. "Yes, I'm sure he will, all I have to do is wait…" He stood up and calmly, quietly walked into the bedroom, leaving the two shocked and horrified men behind.
Asami…you'll be here soon, right?
I'll be waiting, okay?
I'll wait…
Aki's days began when Asami's did. Stretching out in bed, he watched the man walk around the bedroom, already getting ready for the day. "Good morning handsome." He purred teasingly, rolling around in the sheets.
"Morning beautiful," Asami smiled back. "You've woken up just in time for the sunrise."
Indeed, he could see the red orb breaking over the buildings, light reaching out. For a second when the sun's rays entered the room, his eyesight swam. He blinked his eyes, momentarily unable to see the dim figure of Asami, a second vision flashing to overlap the first. A vision of an empty room.
"What's wrong?" The man sounded concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine, my eyes just got blurry for a second." Akihito muttered, blinking his eyes again, clearing the blurriness. When he looked at Asami again, the man was one again clear. His bangs flopped against his forehead, taking years off his age. Golden eyes were still slightly tinted with concern. A strong wave of nostalgia struck Aki. Leaning forward, he hugged Asami's waist, feeling the warmth radiate off it. "I love you." He whispered.
"I love you too." Asami's kind hand ruffled his hair.
Akihito closed his eyes, sinking deeper into this kind dream.