a/n: a new story i had been inspired to write! i'm not entirely sure how long this story is going to be however i'm very excited for it. i had another shinara au planned but this one i found more exciting. just a warning though that this contains references and in some cases explicit writing of sex, violence, death, and alcoholism. for now anyway. i might add more later on, who knows. the main pairing that will be focused on will be arakita/shinkai, with some past pairings referenced and so on. there will probably be a few oc/npc's in here that will appear very briefly as well. but yeah, hope you all enjoy! if you can, please leave some feedback in the comment, thanks!

It takes Shinkai a few moments to rouse from his sleep to notice the loud knocking at his front door, sitting up lazily to glance at the alarm clock beside his bed. It's 1:47 A.M. and the confusion settling the red head is evident; the rapping against the door grows more rapid, more urgent with each second. Heaving a sigh, Shinkai finds the energy to get up from his bed and walk through the tiny hallway of his apartment to the entrance, glancing through the peephole of the door curiously.

The hood of their sweater is pulled up over their head as they continue to knock hard against the door, glancing every now and then down the hallway in a paranoid manner. It takes a few moments for it to click for Shinkai that it's Arakita in front of his door at nearly 2 A.M., and while a bit skeptical there was no denying the dark hair and signature snarl gracing his lips. He unlocks the door, opens it to look over his old high school friend with surprised bright blue eyes. "Yasutomo?" His name leaves his lips for the first time in four years, yet all the same it still feels so natural.

Arakita has always had eyes that looked as if he was suspicious of every single thing around him, yet there was a certain tone of panic that left Shinkai's heart beating twice it's normal pace. "What the hell took you so long? I've been waiting out here for forever!" he yelled in a hushed voice, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black sweater.

His dark eyes give Shinkai a once over in his baggy shorts and muscle shirt; he laughs as if this was the most ordinary of situations for him, steps aside to make room for Arakita to enter hastily before closing the door. The bolt lock gives a distinctive click as it's set in place, Shinkai looking over to his old friend as he walks into the living room and sits on the couch as if the place was his very own, not bothering to take his shoes off. "So, Yasutomo..." Shinkai walks over to the raven haired man, not bothering to sit beside him, opting to observe him for a moment. "What brings you here so late in the night?"

Arakita glances down as his feet, legs shaking faintly before looking up at Shinkai with desperation in his eyes. He bites his bottom lip, pulling a hand out of his pocket to pull down his hood before taking the other out to place a hand gun on the coffee table; Shinkai's blood runs cold. He notices now the splatter of blood on his hands and looking more closely on the front of his sweater, it's not much but Shinkai notices the look on Arakita, a look of pure fright. "Yasutomo..." Shinkai speaks softly, obvious concern written along every inch of his face as he places a hand on Arakita's shoulder, sitting beside him. "What happened?"

Shinkai thinks this is the first time he's ever seen Arakita so shook up as he looks away from him in shame. "I fucked up. I fucked up big time Shinkai..." His voice cracks, running a hand through his dark hair. It's longer now, reaching his shoulders and framing his slim face down to his jaw; Shinkai wants to run his hands through it.

"Tell me." Shinkai speaks with a comforting tone that can't help but set Arakita's heart at ease, if only a little.

He's quiet, holding his head in his hands as Shinkai's hand remains securely on his shoulder, a reminder he won't be running away. It takes a few moments of Arakita chewing on his bottom lip to spit it out, it's quiet but it's as clear as day as it reaches Shinkai's ears.

"I killed someone."

Arakita doesn't glance up at Shinkai, feeling his hand on his shoulder tense up. He feels the panic set in ten fold, unsure of how his friend will take the foreboding news. For all he knows, Shinkai could be deciding to call the police on him as he sits there on his couch almost in tears. Arakita knew Shinkai, but after four years of distance between the two, he isn't even sure he does anymore.

It's all his fault. It was always his fault.

"Explain." Shinkai's voice comes hard to Arakita's ears, head jerking up to look at the almost gentle look on his face. "Explain to me what happened."

He breaks at the understanding in his eyes; even when Arakita was a busy acting like a noisy brat in high school, Shinkai was never unkind to him despite everything. It was as if four years of silence was nothing between the two of them, that four years was like four days and they were still-had always been best friends. Arakita spills out his heart to Shinkai; explains the loaned money, the alcoholism, the gun, the robbery gone wrong and everything in between, four full vicious years. He doesn't sugar coat it either, doesn't bother to down play how much of an awful person he's been-awful not even beginning to cover it.

Shinkai doesn't even blink. He doesn't interrupt or ask any detailing questions, just sits in silence and listens intently to each and every word that leaves Arakita. The four years of distance is gone in seconds and everything between them feels like high school again.

It's not though, Shinkai knows that it never will be.

"What do you need?" Arakita looks at Shinkai, his voice serious and his eyes determined.

It takes Arakita by surprise that only a small, surprised "Hah?" leaves him, utter shock written upon his face. Just like that Shinkai was willing to help him out, no "if"s, no "and"s, no anything. That was it; Shinkai was helping him.

"I..." Arakita swallowed hard, running his tongue along his chapped lips. "I need to get out of the city. Somewhere far away where I can lay low for awhile until the heat calms down, where I won't be easily noticed."

The red head nods in understanding, a thoughtful look on his features before he stands up to head back to his room with quick footsteps. "Shinkai?" Whether he doesn't hear the faint calling of his name or if he's just ignoring him, Arakita doesn't know as he waits patiently, almost nervously on the couch.

His palms are sweaty and smell of blood, it makes him gag. It's a few moments before Shinkai comes back out, fully dressed and a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. Arakita simply stares at him as he throws a clean sweater and a pair of pants at him. "What is this?"

"I'm guessing the cops will probably know what you're wearing from security footage?" Shinkai states simply, for the first time in what feels like forever Arakita is silent, slowly nodding his head in reply. "Change into those. Go clean the blood off yourself while you're at it. I'm getting you out of here."

Silence.

"HAH?" Arakita stares at him like he's crazy and at the moment he's sure that's probably the case. "That's it? Just like that you're willing to give up everything of yours in order to help out some-some dead beat, who use to be your friend back in high school, who you haven't even talked to for four years!? That's it?"

Arakita's hands are shaking as he yells at his friend so unapologetic, he had come here for help yet in the end he hadn't expected it so readily.

"Yeah, I am." Arakita freezes at Shinkai's words that come so effortlessly that it leaves him stunned. "So hurry up. We should probably leave soon."

Shinkai turns around to head to the kitchen to pack his bag full of necessities that would be needed for the upcoming trip, yet pauses, turns to look at Arakita over his shoulder.

"Oh and Yasutomo...?" Arakita looks like he's in a daze and the bright smile that Shinkai gives him is dazzling. "We're still friends. We always have been."