Chapter 1

"Your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you."
Sarah Dessen


Treasure Hunt

What is a dream job? Is it something you love doing with every fiber of your entire being? Is it something that makes you famous and influential? Is it something that literally makes you swim in a pool of money? Or is it something that by doing it makes you feel oddly at peace and content with yourself?

I sometimes try to imagine how things would've been if I didn't quit my job some years back. And yet a part of me still burns to forget about it all. The scars. The tattoo. The endless red. Nevertheless, the memories will remain, imprinted somewhere deep inside my brain, just like the ink resting under the skin of my wrist. And these memories I shall carry to my grave as no one deserves to be plagued by the horrors I've seen. What I've done.

My dream has always been to be happy. I never wanted anything more than that. But I don't know anymore. I don't know what job I should be chasing after as I don't even know what I want. What I'm good at. It's not like I'm good at anything that others would call normal. Sure, you'd ask what's wrong with being unique and having other talents than usual. But you've got no idea what I've been raised to do as a child nor do you know what my specialties are. Few people do. Not that you'd ever want to find out anyway…and if you ever have the misfortune to find out this secret…You'll have to do your best to keep it. To lock it in your pocket and send it to the grave. But do you know how such secrets are best kept?

Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.*


Sweat was running down his nape, his hair sticking to his flushed cheeks as shivers ran down his spine. Harsh huffs escaped rosy lips, his body moving back and forth while his fingers turned white from squeezing the cloth so hard in his hands. Soon, his body started moving faster, and faster, and faster, the young man struggling to the keep embarrassing sounds from escaping his mouth. His eyes widened with excitement and his lips curled in delight as he screamed.

"Oh, thank goodness! It's out!" Misaki yelled happily, examining the poor carpet for any sign of coffee strains. The back of his hand wiped unceremoniously the sweat drops forming on his face as he grinned at his success, before he squeezed the dirty water from the cleaning cloth into the basin beside him.

"You shouldn't have bothered. I could've simply ordered another one." A bored Usami Akihiko mumbled. The amethyst eyed man was sitting on the elegant red sofa, with his long legs crossed, his eyes scanning the newspaper for some real, interesting information. It didn't take long before he let out a bored sigh, tossing the newspaper aside.

"Damn it! Earn your money for your old age!" Misaki huffed under his breath. "Seriously, you can't never know when your novels will grow unpopular and go bankrupt." he continued as he lifted and carried the basin to the bathroom, dumping the contents into the toilet.

"Impossible." Misaki heard the monotone, yet smug answer of the older man from the living room.

"Moron, you're too confident for your own good." he spoke louder as he rubbed the liquid soap all over his hands and wrists, before rinsing the foam off. Misaki then gently wiped his hands with the towel hanging near him, purposely avoiding the flesh of his left wrist as if … as if it was tainted with something beyond anybody's understanding. A sigh escaped his lips, gazing at his reflection, thinking about how much he's changed these past six years. His eyes suddenly hardened when a flash of black and red crossed his mind. He quickly shook his head a few times before he easily slapped his cheeks, his forest green orbs darkening with resentment.

"Idiot, what are you doing thinking about that now?" his conscience hissed hotly into his head.

Misaki was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the soft creak of the door, neither notice the tall shadow creeping above him. The only thing he did was to gasp in surprise when two strong arms wrapped around him. The young man shivered in pleasure at the feel of Akihiko's hot breath blowing ever so softly against the tender skin of the crook of his neck. Akihiko buried his face into the younger's skin, sniffing deeply and repeatedly, as if trying to memorize the faint scent of cinnamon of Misaki's shampoo, the minty aroma of his aftershave and…the scent of Misaki himself. The silver haired man hugged the brunette closer to his chest, while his mind whispered only a word at the odor of the younger man. Home.

The green eyed male felt his cheeks burn and his heart slamming furiously against his chest, feeling the familiar sting of embarrassment building up into his being. He started struggling, trying to escape the older man's advances, and totally ignoring the warmth he felt in his heart at the tender gesture.

"Wh-what are you doing, you old pervert?!" Misaki stuttered, giving Akihiko the chance to see how his lovely red face was turning a shade darker by second. He smiled fondly at the sight, ruffling the lad's soft locks before planting a loving kiss at the top of his head, causing Misaki to struggle harder.

"I love you," Akihiko said gently, turning the younger man around before he caged him into his arms and pulled him into a feverish kiss. It was hard to describe it. Misaki's legs turned to jelly, his hands moving up to the man's broad shoulders for support. The green eyed boy moaned ever so innocently, giving the older man the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue between those delicious, reddened lips, tracing it lightly over his teeth before it met Misaki's tongue in a passionate embrace. The younger gasped in surprise when he felt cold hands slipping underneath his white shirt, caressing his skin, sending all the right and wrong sensations down his spine… and between his legs.

""S-stop it!" Misaki forcibly escaped Akihiko's advances. "It's in the middle of the day and I've got to get to work, remember?!" he yelled with annoyance and embarrassment written all over his flushed face. A flash of hurt crossed Akihiko's eyes in a second before it disappeared without a trance, but not quick enough for Misaki not to see it.

"H-hey, don't be like that…" The younger stuttered once again, guilt making its way into his chest. "Look, I promise to spend more time together with you when I'll come back. A-and I'll also be cooking marimo, just the way you like it, so wait for me? Misaki finished softly, bending his head down so that his hair covered most of his face. Akihiko couldn't help but be surprised by Misaki's offer. A small smile bloomed into his lips, amused at the sight of the younger's reddening ears. A cold, big hand made its way up on the brunette's head, patting and softly ruffling his already messy hair.

"Okay." Misaki heard his Usagi's husky voice reply. Raising his head up, the lad gave the man an awkward, yet fond smile, before he broke into a run towards the exit of the huge house.

"Make sure you finish your book today and cut Aikawa-san some slack. God knows when was the last time the poor woman has had a good night's sleep." Misaki ranted while he put his jacket on and put his feet into his black boots. "Oh, and please be careful this time with your coffee. Don't forget that the cups for coffee are in the left shelf, above the dishwasher, alright?" he continued.

"Yes, yes." Akihiko answered in the same bored manner, lighting his cigarette, before he quickly inhaled the toxic, yet bittersweet smog into his lungs. Misaki threw him an exasperated look, wrapping a bright red scarf around his neck.

*"Ittekimasu!" Misaki announced, cocking his head back at the violet eyed man seated on the sofa with the sacred laptop in his lap and his cigarette hanging seductively from his thin lips.

*"Itterasshai," Akihiko said softly, gazing adoringly at his lover for as long as Misaki let him before he finally left.


"Alright, so all I need you to do for today is to sort all the shoujo and shounen manga in alphabetical order, also taking into account which are the most popular of them all. You can help yourself by this file here. It contains the ratings of our best mangas this month. So when you are done, you are free to go home. Got it?" the older editor asked.

"Understood! I will do my best!" Misaki said eagerly, feeling how his fingers twitched to get to work.

"This is going to be a piece of cake. I do this all the time with Usagi's books." Misaki thought to himself, barely keeping his face from looking smug.

"That's the spirit! Now let's do our best!" the editor cheered, despite his tired expression.

*"Hai!"

And so Misaki worked and worked, without noticing how time flew by, the clock showing that it was already time for the lunch break.

"Uhm…sorry for interrupting…," a voice made itself know. Misaki turned his head curiously towards the figure, his eyes scanning the man, apparently in his late 20s, from head to toe.

"Yes?" Misaki urged the man to go on, taking in his relaxed stature and his almost too happy, smiling face.

"My colleague asked me to pass this to you," the man said scratching the back of his head, giving a soft laugh. "Well, I have to get going. Good luck with your work!" he waved before he casually left Misaki's side.

"Ah, yes, thank you!" Misaki thanked hurriedly, just in time, as the man turned once again and gave him a smile, before he walked unrushed out of the office, possibly for a smoke or for lunch.

Misaki turned back to his desk, noticing that he was already done with his work. He carefully lifted the block of paper and brought it to the older editor.

"Here, it's done, just like you said." Misaki said proudly, gesturing at the huge block of paper facing the stunned editor.

"Oh, wow, I didn't expect you to finish it so soon ahaha!" the older man laughed embarrassedly, looking slightly apologetic at the green eyed boy.

Misaki shook his head, amused at the scene. "Then I'll be leaving! Good luck with your work!" he smiled at the man, before turning to head back to his desk.

"Ah, yes, good work today!" Misaki heard the editor say before he reached his desk.

Reaching for the white envelope, Misaki sat down on his chair before he stared suspiciously at it. He felt a pair of eyes burning a hole into the back of his skull, but he refused to turn around.

"If this is some kind of joke, I swear to God…" the boy said subconsciously, before taking a deep breath and opening the envelope. He carefully unfolded the piece of paper, before he started reading the contents. In a matter of seconds, his body went stiff, his eyes widening with shock. His let out a shaky breath.

"This…this is not possible…It's not possible!" His mind raged, before he quickly turned around to face the owner of the eyes staring at his back a while back. He somehow felt relieved that his sight only met a poster with the newest shoujo manga that was about to be put on sale.

Misaki licked his dry lips, before he turned back and read the letter once again. Then his eyes scanned his cellphone for the hour. His eyes went wide once again. 12:13 PM.

"Damn it!" Misaki hissed in anger, crushing the letter in his hand before he stuffed it in his jeans' pocket. He took his jacket and scarf, his legs breaking into a run out of the office, towards the elevator and soon, out of Marukawa Publishing's building, rushing to the place…The place where it all started. As he walked hurriedly, Misaki couldn't help but re-wind the letter in his mind.

Meet me at the place where you received your first toy. Come to the place where the spilled whine smelled so disgustingly sweet. The place where the violin played once, ever so gravely. Come and meet me when the sun in the center of our sky at the place where it all started. We need to talk.

O.R

Written in refined English, with elegant letters, the sender made sure that no one will be reading without permission.

"To think that I actually missed having these stupid word games with you…" Misaki thought to himself bitterly. If only things were different. If only they met in different circumstances.

In less than 5 minutes, Misaki faced the hilarious logo of a duck, placed above the entrance of a café. Smuggling duckling. Misaki's eyes softened as a wave of good and sweet memories washed over his mind.

"Geez, they could've picked another name..." Misaki muttered for himself, smiling fondly at the logo, before he went down the stairs, into the underground café.

Gathering all the courage he had left, he pushed the wood door open, as the consoling smell of fresh crushed coffee invaded his nostrils, the bell above his head making his arrival acknowledged. The soft, yellowish light from the lamps hanging like falling stars above his head illuminated the café easily, making the room neither too bright, neither too dark. It oddly gave a feeling of safety, of warmth and moreover… of home. The dark wood of the tables, of the chairs, of the counter near the entrance had an elegance of its own, and yet a strange sense of casualty.

AN: BGM recommendation: Yann Tiersen - Sur le fil

Misaki stepped hesitantly towards the bar counter, noting that there was someone behind the counter. As his eyes finally focused to the dim light, he noticed the figure of an old man pouring delicious black coffee into a white, porcelain cup.

"Welcome home, Misaki-kun," The old man gave him a wrinkling smile, full of kindness. The man was around his late 60's, his white hair swept back on his head, his dark eyes analyzing the young man with curiosity. "I trust you've been doing alright these past 6 years?" he asked gently, all aware of the guilty expression of Misaki's face.

"Yes, Ojii-san*… I'm sorry for leaving all of you behind…" Misaki's voice broke, as he bent his head in shame.

"How could they all forgive for my act of selfishness? How could they, after I left them all behind?" Misaki retorted bitterly in his mind, biting hard into his bottom lip in anxiety.

The old man's eyes sparkled with affection as he brought his hand to ruffle the green eyed boy's hair. "Don't apologize, boy. You only did what was natural when you were given a chance. You still have all your life ahead of you," the man said, patting his shoulder before squeezing it gently, just like a father would've done. "No one could blame you for that. So don't blame yourself, boy. God knows you deserve peace after all you've been through. Just like that young man over there," he continued, gesturing to his left.

"Thank you, Ojii-san," Misaki smiled sadly, before he followed the old man's hand towards the back of the café only to notice a solitary form standing by the only window of the room, gazing dreamingly outside. Misaki gaped at the sight, shocked beyond reason. The old man chuckled before he patted the young man once again on the shoulder. "You should go. Here, take this with you. I remember that you like it with milk and sugar?" the man asked softly.

"Ah, yes, arigatou*," Misaki answered awkwardly before he took his warm cup into his hands.

"Alright. Well, I'll be in the back should you need me. Good luck, Misaki-kun," the old man said with a smile before he vanished behind the "Staff only" door.

Misaki made his way through the tables, towards the single table at the back of the dim lighted room. He sat quietly opposite the other person so that he'd be able to look the young man square into the eyes. Emerald met peridot in a bittersweet reunion. The coffee smog from each other's cups rose in between them before vanishing into thin air. There was only silence. A silence that spoke only of comfort and of understanding. Gazing at each other's faces, the two young men observed the changes in each other before one of them decided to break the sacred silence.

"I see you are well," the chestnut hair male said before raising the cup to his lips, tasting the heavenly liquid on his tongue. "I'm glad." He said setting the cup back down on the table, a small smile breaking on his usually collected face.

"Oh, God…I thought you were dead, damn it!" Misaki hissed angrily in a low voice, his face however, showing only relief at the sight of the other man in front of him. "God, Ritsu, I wept for weeks when I heard you died in a car accident!" he said accusingly.

"Yeah well, it wasn't like I planned the whole thing like you did." Ritsu said before he could stop himself. His eyes went wide in shock, cursing under his breath at the stupid thing he just blurted out. Misaki sipped from his coffee slowly, regret and guilt being strongly printed on his features.

"Crap, I'm sorry…" Ritsu muttered. "I didn't mean to say it like that. I would've done the same thing…" he whispered loud enough for Misaki to catch on.

"It's okay, I understand. I was an idiot for talking before you explained the real story. I'm sorry as well. Please, continue."

Ritsu smiled apologetically, before he once again stared outside the window.

"The thing is… my birth mother planned on getting the both of us killed when Phantom refused to give her any more money after… you know." Ritsu said as he fidgeted, obviously not comfortable with the subject. Misaki could only nod in understanding.

"Mother died instantly when she flew through the wind screen. She never wore the seatbelt…" Ritsu said in a daze. "I stood in a coma for 6 months and most doctors said it's a miracle that my mind wasn't affected by the drug induced coma…"

Misaki put his hand above his, squeezing in reassurance.

"I'm so sorry…I had no idea." He said sadly. "I only wish I could've stayed by your side at that time."

"You couldn't have known. Phantom made it clear that I died on spot." Ritsu said with a sigh, giving Misaki's hand a small squeeze.

"What…what happened next?" Misaki dared to ask.

"Afterwards… I've been taken in by my father. I was quite shocked by his presence because mother said he died when I was little. It seems that she lied about it and that she simply ran away with me, not wanting my father to have anything to do with her precious child, but continuously asking him for money…" Ritsu said mockingly. "It was really hard at first… but in the end, things worked out, and now I'm really close to my father and my step mother. They really took their time taking care of me. It's because of them I'm all patched up now." Ritsu's smile was faint and tired.

Misaki could only stare in astonishment for a good couple of seconds. "Do-do they know about-"

"About Phantom? They unfortunately do. They did their best to keep me at distance from their claws. Until now." Ritsu frowned in anger.

"Don't tell me they came after you…" Misaki muttered, afraid of his answer.

Ritsu hesitantly looked into his eyes, noting the sudden change in Misaki's color.

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk with you. You need to watch your back, Misaki. Now more than ever…" he started slowly. "You are their last missing piece and they won't let anything get in their way!" Ritsu whispered urgently, clasping their hand together. "Please tell me that you have nothing they can use against you! " He almost pleaded, fear reflecting in his peridot eyes.

Misaki's face drained of color in a matter of seconds, as his hands started shaking. "Oh God…" he managed to say. "Usagi-san! I need to go after him! He's all by himself!" Misaki said hurriedly, his voice lifting with each word he said. Fear was eating at his very core. Fear that the lavender eyed man, the man he adored might get caught in this damned business. He quickly got up and put his jacket and scarf on before trying to rush out of the café.

"Misaki, wait!" Ritsu yelled, managing to catch him by his wrist before he took another step forward.

"Let me go! Usagi-san is in danger! I need to protect him!" he screamed with rage, and fear, and worry.

"Misaki, I know what you're going through right now. Trust me I do, I only went through the same shit a few days ago! But you need to calm down!" Ritsu yelled in an attempt to calm his partner in crime. "You won't be helping him if you're not being rational… You might do something reckless and he will get hurt if you don't calm down." He tried to reason Misaki out of that state.

The younger man shook in fear, as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Ritsu, I can't lose him. I can't- I can't lose anyone anymore. I won't be able to move on again if I lose him." He chocked out as his lips trembled, trying to hold his tears back. This wasn't a time for crying.

"Exactly," Ritsu squeezed his hand firmly, his voice soft and caring. "That's why I've brought you this." He muttered, while his hand searched for something in the left, inner pocket of his trench coat. Something slightly heavy and hard replaced the lightness and softness of Ritsu's hand. Something utterly familiar.

A toy. His toy. A toy designed to hurt. A Beretta 92FS.

Misaki gazed over the silvery gun. It still fitted his hand like a glove. He felt how it burned to hurt its enemies. Their enemies. Gripping the familiar, sinful object in his hand, he felt how the gun borrowed him its strength and confidence. A look of cold rage replaced the helpless look in his eyes. Hiding the gun inside his jacket, he turned to look one last time at his friend.

"I trust that your loved ones are alright?" Misaki asked quietly.

Ritsu only gave him a tight smile. "For now." Was his only response. "Good luck, Misaki." He muttered while his eyes softening at the younger's determination.

"Likewise… May we meet again, Ritsu." Misaki raised his right hand towards Ritsu.

Ritsu smiled genuinely before catching his hand into a manly grip. "May we meet again." He wished, before Misaki turned and left with one last smile.

Taking his seat back near the window, Ritsu could only imagine what could go wrong and what couldn't. Golden eyes flashed in his mind. Ritsu buried his head in his hands.

"God…What should I do to keep him safe?" he whispered brokenly before he took another sip of his coffee. He stared at the dark liquid in wonder.

He should've known it had long gone cold.


Misaki ran like a madman in the rain. Panting and shivering he continued his way towards the place he started to call home for some time now. "Please, please…Let him be safe! Please God, I'll do anything." Misaki prayed and begged in his mind to any God or guardian angels that might have been listening. He bumped into many people. He tripped many times. A car nearly hit him. But he didn't stop. God forbid he stopped.

In a while that felt like an eternity, Misaki finally faced the building in which his lover was supposed to be. With heavy steps, the green eyes boy moved closer to the opening. Sliding soundlessly inside the building, he tiptoed to the door of their home. Facing the hard, white door, Misaki's hand grabbed the Beretta tightly in his hand, hiding it behind his back. Pushing the door slowly open, he chanted repeatedly the same sentence in his mind, in an attempt to calm his madly beating heart.

"When I open this door everything will be the same as before. Everything will as before. Everything will be-"

Misaki's breath hitched in his throat. His body paralyzed. His heart stopped, at the sight of the so very proud man, the man he so cherished, on his knees, nothing more than a bloody mess.


AN: And cliffhanger! I've had this idea for quite a while now. I'm sorry if this chapie is boring, but I wanted to write about a normal, sweet morning with Misaki and Usagi, trying to keep them as close as possible to their character, because in the following chapters Misaki will undergo a 180 degree change in his character.

At first, I didn't plan for this to be a crossover, but I had to come with so many OCs that I decided it won't hurt to bring in some SIH characters. Probably just Ritsu and Masamune, though I reckon you won't really see them, but who knows? Can you guess who the smiley face that brought Misaki the envelope is? *grins*

Please leave me a review, short or long (I love long reviews, but that is your choice) about what you guys think. Give me fuel! Also if there are any mistakes, please let me know!

*Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. – It's part of the lyrics from the song Secret by The Pierces, which happens to be the opening theme for Pretty Little Liars.

*Ittekimasu. – "I'm leaving." in Japanese.

*Itterasshai. – "Have a safe trip." though it literally means "Go and come back."

*Hai. – "Yes."

*Ojii-san. – "Grandpa." Not to be confused with "Oji-san" which means uncle.

*Arigatou. – The informal version of "Thank You." The formal one is "Arigatou gozaimasu."

Until next time,

Fel