AN: A pre-Q&A
Q: Is this gonna be overly religious?
A: Not too much.
Q: Is it going to be sad?
A: Yes, but not too sad. It has a happy ending.
AN: The first chapters will brush lightly on Takaba's angelic background, though they'll be mentioned in order to clear confusion.
Summary: "And above all else, guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it." Never in his long life had those words meant so much to the photographer. He was supposed to be Asami's guardian angel, not his lover. But when Asami threatens to make the biggest mistake of his life by wedding a woman from his past, Akihito breaks certain rules to ensure his charge's safety. Even if it means exposing his true identity.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Finder Series.
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Takaba Akihito wasn't jealous…he was simply curious.
Curious about this new friend Asami had suddenly acquired into their lives. Not that he had any say on whom Asami brought into the penthouse, nor on the company the older man socialized with, but Takaba would have at least like to clean the place before Asami brought some...girl with him.
Not that he hadn't cleaned a hundred times since he'd gotten back from work, but still.
Beautiful and elegant, she strode into the room with Asami, a broad smile illuminating her brilliant features.
No doubt Takaba had been taken by surprise. His clothes were still tattered from before, as his previous job acquired his parkour skills.
He'd jumped through a number of things, including a hot dog stand, a child's birthday party, and slipped into a dumpster. And to add salt onto the wound, he'd been caught in a rain storm as he searched for his camera in the very dumpster he'd fallen into.
Not only did the smell absorb into his clothing, but his camera had been around his neck the entire time.
Thus, he smelled like a hotdog-a-field dumpster, add a side of birthday cake, and you've got a fool.
So no, when Asami dragged this goddess into their home, beauty and all, adorning her very being, Takaba didn't feel jealous_nor did he feel intimidated.
She was only a model, and he was only a stinky freelance photographer.
So of course he wouldn't feel jealous...or so he tried to make himself believe.
Besides...angels didn't get jealous. But then again, they weren't supposed to fall in love with their charge either.
Takaba sighed...if this woman's short stay had done anything to him, it had awakened his ancient routes. Naturally, as an angel, a guardian angel at that, he'd be overprotective of that which he was supposed to be guarding.
But not like this.
From his position on the couch, he could see the two mingle and chat. Obviously, they were friends, and from what Takaba acquired from their causal body language, they were close friends.
He helped her with her coat (which he never did for Takaba, not that he cared) and placed it on the coat rack. Once again, he felt demeaned by Asami's world of power and beauty, as these two looked spectacular together. Usually, there was not one person from Asami's majestic entourage that did not look good with him...there was Sudoh, Fei Long, that actress, and now this girl.
Jealousy was tearing him apart, as was the nagging in the pit of his stomach. The closer this woman moved towards Asami, the stronger the nagging got. Then the itch came, the overbearing guilt trip itch.
These familiar feelings were no mere coincidence, something was wrong with her. And yet he saw Asami smile at her, a true genuine smile...when was the last time he'd given Takaba one of those?
He shook the thought out of his head and concentrated on the two, for Asami had long forgotten about Takaba's presence when she began to speak.
The itching intensified as she placed a hand on Asami's arm. His eyes softened at the gesture, and he may have said something to her, something kind and reserved for the two of them only.
But then the buzzing came, a high pitched noise that almost always drove Akihito insane. He brought his hands to the side of his head in an attempt to block out the internal irritation, but he knew all too well what it meant.
No amount of smiles or laughter could fool an angel. Be she a friend of Asami's or not, this woman was bad news. And Takaba would be damned if he let her harm Asami.
He'd already failed the older man once before, and that had been his fault completely. He hadn't actually expected Fei Long to shoot at him, nor had he expected Asami to hurl him out of the way.
But both happened, and Asami had paid for it.
One would assume that being an angel, Akihito easily could have prevented such an atrocity from occurring. But truth is, being an angel wasn't easy...there were rules to be followed, important rules. Breaking them could cost Takaba his divinity, and essentially, his life.
Thus, like many angels, he sat back and guided his charge. As of recent years, he refused to use to those few abilities which were allowed, for humans would feed off such power and revert to their greedy ways. Therefore, the angels learned to live like humans, using words rather than power.
And until recently, this method had worked well for Takaba.
Then he was assigned to watch Asami, as the man had made many enemies for himself. Granted, he came too late, but Asami was still worth saving.
He didn't, however, anticipate that his charge would be a sadistic rapist and he would be his prime target. Never did he intend to arouse such lust within his charge, but his job as a photographer secured his wellbeing.
Angels didn't get crap for free, and like always, Takaba found himself in the worse situations in a feeble attempt to put bread on his table.
Demons, on the other hand...Takaba didn't like to dwell on the "lesser" race just as they hated to dwell on angels. But in all honesty, Takaba was utterly surprised that he hadn't encountered demons while sticking by Asami's side.
They fed off of wealth and greed, and sadly, that was what Asami's house was built upon. Then again, perhaps Takaba's time on earth had dulled his senses, and he wouldn't be surprised if it had.
The sudden halt of the high pitched noise pulled Takaba out of his internal ramble, and he blanched as he saw both Asami, and this mystery woman staring at him. His hands were still plastered to the side of his face, as if he tried to block out what they were saying.
Almost like a child. A jealous child.
"S-sorry!" Takaba stuttered as he made his way around the couch, "I_My ears are hurting."
Asami raised an eyebrow at his statement, but beckoned the photographer to come near.
He lowered his gaze as he walked to the pair, sure that his current condition was enough to startle the beauty before him, and embarrass Asami to no end.
Instead of hiding behind the couch, he should have showered. But that would have been too.
Oh well.
"Look at me, Takaba," behind the playful tone Asami uttered the command with, Takaba didn't miss the seriousness laced in the older man's voice.
Reluctantly, Takaba looked up, a slight blush warming his cheeks.
Asami smiled as his pet obeyed his orders, despite his undesirable appearance.
"This is an old friend of mine, and now a business partner," he explained as he motioned towards the woman standing beside him.
Out of pure respect, Takaba inclined his head to her.
"Hello Akihito. Asami has told me so much about you," she greeted as inclined her body as well, "My name is Akane, you'll be seeing me often, as I'm managing many of Ryuichi's clubs, it's a pleasure to meet you."
She stuck a hand out for Takaba to grab, and again, his respect for his elders urged him to shake it.
He did.
In the few seconds it took for their hands to connect, a dreadful feeling filled Takaba's gut. Betrayal, despair, sorrow, anguish and pain radiated through her touch, and he could feel hell's fires scorching his skin. Perhaps too quickly, he yanked his hand away from this devil's grip, as such a pain had been long forgotten to Takaba.
He looked down quickly, searching for an excuse, but the scorching pain in his veins distracted him
"Um...sorry, just remembered something, gotta go," he sped out of the room before Asami could even grab him or call his name, then sprinted towards the elevator and sealed himself in.
He brought his shaky hand up and looked at the pale skin. As he figured, there were no physical wounds showing.
That was good. So she was human, but tainted in evil? Perhaps she'd delved into something dark of sorts, like the occult or Satanic worshiping? Whatever it was, Takaba couldn't put his finger on it, which for an angel, wasn't normal.
She was dangerous, or at least the company she carried was.
"Akane…" he whispered the word as the elevator opened upon reaching the bottom out into the lobby, he pulled his hoodie over his head and stalked out of the building, bracing himself for the cool blast of fall wind.
He welcomed the cold, for ages, it helped think.
Groaning, he just realized he'd left that woman with Asami. But he doubted she'd make her move, whatever it may be. However, he soon realized that it wasn't just Asami's safety he feared for, but how own relationship with the older man.
Above all else, his jealousy had been getting the best of him, and though he hated to admit it, he'd fallen in love with Asami. Not only was that against the rules, but it jeopardized his job. When an angel, such as himself, finished a job, they were supposed to leave. He wasn't supposed to get this close to his charge, but he let himself slip.
And now he craved for Asami too much to let go...not like he could leave though.
Not until he was finished, so he had to stay bound to the man. At least that's what he told himself. But this lustful relationship he lived with Asami was not apart of his job description...and as an angel…
He sighed and sidestepped a group of teenagers who occupied the entire sidewalk. Takaba needed a place to think at least before Asami started looking for him, which, if he knew the man well enough, would be pretty soon.
So many thoughts_So many conflicting thoughts.
He needed to find out more about this Akane and her history with Asami, because surely, an old friend would mean no ill will towards him. Yet, Takaba reminded himself that he'd seen it all, and that betrayal on this level would be menial to the broken bonds he'd experienced first hand.
He'd prevent such an accident from happening, by any means necessary.
First things first, he needed to make a trip to the Editor's place. If Akane was anyone famous, his place of work would have information on her.
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He should've figured he'd discover something like this. Besides, Asami was "full of surprises", and Takaba was in no way his "one and only". Yet, reading something like this in fine print still made Takaba's heartache greatly.
Not to mention, it had greatly aroused his suspicion.
After about thirty minutes of searching for articles under the name "Akane", he'd found one that caught his interest.
"Akane Miroku: Engaged to Prominent Business Leader, Asami Ryuichi"
As he read on, he gathered that they were friends since childhood, and that the families were pretty close. So therefore, the wedding was inevitable, and Takaba wouldn't be surprised if it had been arranged early on.
Like Asami, Akane was familiar with the world of business, and very successful herself. For her young age, however, she was a little bit too successful. Takaba accredited Daddy's money to her success, though she claimed to have risen to such a position by herself, but she gave special thanks to her expendable secretary.
Hmm..as he uncovered more about this secretary, he seemed even more capable than Kirishima.
Interesting, but he chose not to dwell on it. He needed to find out about Akane and the threat she posed to Asami.
She'd been married before, though. A year after she and Asami's wedding had been mysteriously called off, she remarried a greedy man, whom later died due to unknown circumstances.
From what Takaba had gathered, Akane had been left with a hefty sum...not to mention, trading routes and what not.
So she was a dog of the Underworld as well? Takaba wasn't surprised, Asami kept vile company.
Perhaps his angelic senses were acting up for no apparent reason? No, that wasn't it, they never did that.
Sighing, he printed what he needed to and stuffed it into his jacket, then quickly left the office. Lucky for him, they wouldn't catch him on surveillance, nor would they know he was even there.
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Midway into his evening stroll, the familiar dark BMW cut him off as he walked into the street, breathing in frost. His prolonged walk had served it's purpose, as for a while, he forgot about the venomous thoughts deteriorating his mind.
But seeing the dark vehicle forced him to confront such thoughts once again , as well as the paper hiding in his hoodie. For his own sake, he hoped Asami was in no mood for sex in the backseat. If he got hold of the papers….
The car stopped abruptly in front of him, and like always, Asami stood out and held the door open for him. Still refusing to meet the older man's gaze, Takaba lowered his head as he stepped into the car.
However, he paled at the scent of a fruity perfume, and by the smell of it, it was all over Asami.
A simple hug wouldn't leave that much of a smell. But other activities would.
Purposely, Takaba left a large gap of space in between he and Asami. Speculations or not, he knew what he smelled, and he had no intention of being Asami's sloppy second.
His thoughts were reflected on his face, as he heard Asami's deep and silky chuckle.
Blushing, he looked further away.
"And what's troubling my kitten? Was it the way you ran away from Akane? Do you feel intimidated by her?"
Your girlfriend is plotting against you, that's what_Not to mention, it smells like she's been all over you. And, on top of that, I'm your guardian angel, but I suck at that, so maybe I should just quit and join my buddies in hell. I've already broken a rule anyway, falling in love with you and all. Hopefully, I don't lose my job. But hell's still an option! Hey, you can come with me too, and you're girlfriend, we'd have a blast there. You'd get all-
"Nothing…" he grumbled, pushing all his negative thoughts to the back of his mind and resting his head against the cool glass, "just tired."
"We're friends," Asami suddenly said, earning a surprised gaze from Takaba, "Business partners, that's all."
Takaba sighed, he didn't believe that.
"Yeah..yeah, whatever. Not like it matters how I feel anyway, why do you even care? I should just leave one day, then you could have your freedom."
Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around Takaba's waist and dragged him towards the older man.
"Asa-"
Before he could finish the word, Asami pulled him into a blissful kiss. Takaba's eyes fluttered shut, and he felt himself falling into this man's pull again.
"You're mine," Asami said as he broke to kiss, pulling the photographer closer to him, "and don't ever forget that."
I wish I could say the same for you, Takaba thought as he nodded, and leaned onto Asami's chest. He inhaled the scent once more, grimacing as the foreign fruity scent entered his nostrils. But after a while, Asami's normal scent returned, and Takaba felt himself drifting into a peaceful sleep.
As began to fade, he reminded himself that this was why he was here, because despite what many believed, Asami was not evil.
He had a heart, though he guarded it above all else, he still had a heart.
Takaba guarded it as well. Despite the fact that this man had submerged himself in such a world of crime, and committed the most heinous acts himself, he still had a heart worth saving.
And his treatment of Takaba was totem to that. His fingers curled into the fabric of Asami's vest, and Takaba felt a flare of possessiveness rise in the pit of his stomach.
Akane would not hurt Asami, she would not lay a finger on him. Because if she did, Takaba would most certainly lose his job.
For Asami though, he'd risk it all. He'd even entertain the devil if the situation called for it.
Asami was his everything, and though the businessman didn't feel the same, Takaba would protect him with his life.
Maybe he'd even expose himself, though that was a rather complicated business. The consequences varied due to the circumstances. For starters, he would be stripped of his divinity and forced to live life as a human until he died a mortal death, or, he'd be stripped of his divinity an die.
And perhaps, he'd be banished to hell...for eternity. He'd been to hell before. Two travelers requested that he open a gate for them, a gate that allowed them to explore the regions of hell...why it had peaked their interest , he didn't know. But he opened the gates and left.
He smelled for days, and never desired to go back. Thus the third option was not at all pleasing. And dying...he'd cheated Death one too many times, in fact, just a year ago, he'd managed to best Death at a game of cards. So, he didn't fancy his acquaintance reaping his soul.
Living as a human….as a real human, he'd considered it every now and again. Angels did it all the time, but their lives almost always turned out screwy.
And though he loved Asami, he was in no way certain that this man loved him back. Therefore, he wasn't willing to give up forever to be with him, not until he proved himself worthy.
The offer was tempting, but then again, so was Satan. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Incase you didn't know, I made a reference to "Dante's Inferno" towards the last part, it's an interesting book. You're most likely thinking, "This could be an awesome story without Takaba being an angel", but readers, he has to be. It'll make sense later. Trust me. Anyway, tell me what you think, as I dawn towards the end of my other stories, i'd like to start something new. And 100 points for anyone who can tell me where i'm supposed to get the next VF chapter, cuz I can't find it. Also, if you're fan of Black Butler, i'm publishing a new story for that as well (hopefully tonight). Anyway, hope you liked it, please review! Have a nice weekend and God bless!