Restart my life
Chapter 1: REVELATION
Had it all happened three years ago already? Akihito remembered that night: he had been snuggled down underneath some boxes, wearing an all black camo shirt, charcoal pants and dark shoes, with a black baseball cap turned backwards over his head. It had been cold that night, and it had rained a few hours earlier. Akihito was pleased that where he had chosen to make his blind was dry. He hated being cool and damp, but that night had gotten down right cold, and he was seriously thinking he should buy a better coat.
Akihito had his favourite camera with him; he squeezed it reflexively, and made sure once again the flash was off, due to a past mishap.
The wind had howled around him, and he'd shifted a few boxes around him as a windbreak, and then looked through his viewfinder, to make sure the inside of the room was clearly visible. The hotel was upscale, and he was a good distance away.
The rumour was a married politician was having an affair with his secretary. Akihito was happy he'd gotten to the office early when the tip came in, and that Mitarai wasn't going to steal it or get a cut from it. 'Shitty bastard' he thought, as he checked his watch. He'd been sitting there a good forty minutes. When he checked the room again, it had a clear view, although for some reason there was a beveled look to the few test pictures of the room that he had taken already. Akihito shrugged his shoulders and checked out the windows of the room to see if they were the cause of the effect.
'About time.' Akihito thought when he saw movement in the room. A young blond male walked into the room, took his bathrobe off and lay down on the bed. 'Wow' he thought; he'd just assumed it was going to be woman, not a guy.
The young man sat up, and then the door opened. 'Oh. My. Fuckin'. God.' Thought Akihito, as a chill went straight down his spine. He couldn't breathe, in fact, it felt like he was drowning. When he could catch his breath, he had stopped looking through the camera's viewfinder. He didn't want to see anymore; it was just too painful. All that went through his head right at that moment was his own voice, screaming "WHY?!". He did not want to bring the camera up to his face again. With all his strength, he told himself he had to look, to find out what was taking place in there. He had set up the camera to auto fire the shutter release and take pictures, but he decided to switch to 'record' on his camera instead; he could edit out individual shots later.
All Akihito could do was watch. He felt so sick he wanted to throw up. Was he really seeing this? It had to be a joke, right? He laughed bitterly. No, this was really happening; his fingers tightened around the camera's body to stop his hands from shaking.
He had stopped looking through the view finder again. When he gathered up some courage, he looked up. He watched, feeling numb and chilled inside. Akihito just sat there, not moving, all emotion was gone. It must have been thirty minutes when he pulled himself together enough to check his watch. He had twenty minutes before this morning's edition of the paper would go to print.
Akihito braced himself as he reviewed the images of the night; he found two photographs that captured the night's event perfectly. He bit his bottom lip. He was undecided what to do. He had no plans, but he knew that when these photos hit the newsstands in the morning, his life would be over. The next thing he knew, he felt like he was about to throw up. He put his head down, resting it on his hands. Fuckin' hell, why did he take this assignment? Akihito so wished he could go back to two hours ago.
Akihito looked at those two perfect pictures. There it was was again, that slight bevelling effect in the photos, which Akihito couldn't explain. Chewing on his bottom lip, he decided. "Fuck it. Let the consequences fall where they may". he whispered to himself. What was his plan, once the pictures were published? Checking his watch, he saw there were now fifteen minutes to press, no one could stop the images from being published now.
'Sod it'. He emailed the pictures to his editor. Now Akihito felt very alone and abandoned. Tears started falling like rain. Akihito flipped his phone open, and pressed the one autodial number he thought he'd never have to use. But right now, he was the only one who could help him.
"Akihito" the voice smoothly purred over the line. "Good evening. I am very surprised you called. How can I help you?"
Akihito's breath became ragged, his throat felt tight, he was finding it hard to breathe again. "Akihito..." the voice, now concerned, spoke again. "Calm down, just talk. I will help, no matter what. I owe you." He got his breathing under control.
"Feilong", Akihito whispered. "I need to leave... Tokyo tonight, and you are the only one I can trust... now." A small laugh escaped at that thought. There was a slight pause to the call.
"Yes, I can help you, Akihito. Get to the small airfield I'm texting you directions to within forty minutes, my plane will be waiting. I will have someone there to arrange everything, and don't worry if you don't have a passport, we will sort that out later. Now, can you get there in time? I will meet you when you arrive in Hong Kong, and then you can tell me all about it. Okay?
Akihito, I will keep you safe, I promise." Feilong heard a sigh of relief from Akihito.
Akihito checked his watch. "I have to go now... I can make it if I run", thinking it would be safer than going back for his Vespa. Akihito paused. "Thank you... Feilong."
"I will see you in a few hours; you'd better go." The phone call ended. Akihito looked at his watch again, and stuffed his camera in his bag. He pulled a jumper out of the bag and put over his coat to disguise his figure, and started to run.
He ran as if his life depended on it, and hoped he didn't bump into the two body guards he ditched earlier that night. Luckily, the air field was close by, and the plane was ready. He took his phone out, deleted everything on there, and tossed it into the bin. He never thought he would leave Japan, not like this. He swallowed hard, and boarded the plane.
Once in the air, he let out a very long breath, and his eyes fluttered closed. He was tired, emotionally, and physically; tears fell as he closed his eyes. He could feel the betrayal eating it's way through his thoughts. The events of this evening had broken his heart into pieces.
Akihito awoke with a jump, surprised he had fallen asleep. He was a little confused as to where he was, then a flood of memories came streaming back. He was clutching his camera bag to his chest like a lifeline. He was remembering last night's events. A kind looking Chinese woman placed her hand on Akihito's shoulder, startling him from his thoughts. "Sir, the plane will be landing in thirty minutes. Liu Feilong-sama is already waiting for you."
All Akihito could do was blink and nod. He went to the restroom and washed his faced. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back; Akihito looked as pale as a ghost. He giggled at a sudden thought: it was roughly two years ago when Asami had saved him from both Feilong and those fucking Russians. Now, Feilong was saving him from Asami. The irony was not lost on Akihito, not at all. Rubbing his face as he left the restroom and took his seat, he was still holding onto his camera bag as he felt the plane begin its descent.
As Akihito stepped out of the plane to the dawn of a new Hong Kong day, he could see Feilong leaning against his car. He just looked so beautiful, like a model, his black hair fluttering in the early morning air. A smile wryly graced his tired face as he slowly walked over to the car...
Akihito could see Feilong's eyes watching him carefully as he left the plane. Feilong gave a small, pleasant smile as he held out his hand for Akihito to take, then pulled him close, his long elegant body embracing him. For some reason, he just felt safe and warm. That was all it took, and Akihito was crying. Feilong kissed the top of his head, and whispered "You have nothing to fear here. I will protect you, Akihito. You have my word." With that, he pulled away, and made Akihito look at him. Feilong was stunned. Akihito was as pale as ash, and the spark in his eyes that Feilong remembered so well, was gone.
Feilong opened the car door, and Akihito crawled inside, followed by Feilong. He then pulled Akihito to his chest, and just held him. As the car pulled away, no one spoke. Feilong thought it would be much better to wait until Akihito was ready to speak.
Feilong's thoughts wandered to what the fuck Asami could have done, for Akihito to turn to him for help. He had liked the boy, had even come to care for him by the end of their last encounter. He regretted his actions from back then. Akihito had changed him, somehow.
When he had stood in the sights of the two crime lords' guns, Akihito had just handed him back his deeds. Feilong knew Akihito was special. Asami seemed to cherish the boy, so what could have happened?
Feilong kissed the top of Akihito's head again. "I am here, Akihito, whenever you are ready to talk to me, okay?" Akihito just nodded and stayed within Feilong's arms, still clutching his camera bag. When the car finally came to a stop, Feilong helped him out of the car, holding onto his hand. Akihito would not let go; it was like if he were to let go, despair would claim him completely. Feilong smiled, and guided him into his home.
As he entered Feilong's private quarters and office, Feilong led him to his favourite chair, facing a large window which overlooked Hong Kong's skyline, over which the sun was now rising.
Akihito remembered being here like it was yesterday. Feilong nudged his shoulder. "Drink this, it will make you feel better, I promise." Akihito just gave him a sad smile and gulped it down, coughing as the amber liquid burned his throat. Taking the glass back, Feilong turned and refilled it, then handed it back to Akihito. "Sip this one... slowly" he said, and smiled as he walked to the other chair. Sitting opposite Akihito, Feilong carefully observed him.
Akihito was watching him from the corner of his eye, wondering if he had made a good decision. This was the Dragon of Hong Kong, the leader of Baishe that he, himself, had rebuilt, and he was just as dangerous as Asami. Akihito's heart rate increased thinking of him, feeling nauseated. He placed the glass on the table, then tried to concentrate on Feilong. Could he trust him? Akihito felt that he was a sort of an acquaintance, possibly Feilong's only friend. After all, the man had apologised to him the night Asami had rescued him. 'Hah', he thought to himself.
Akihito looked at his watch and blurted out "The photos will be printed in the newspaper and on the newsstands by now; fuck, the shit's really going to hit the fan." Akihito held his head in his hands, second guessing himself: did he regret what he did, had he been too rash about the situation, should he have spoken to Asami first? He started to sob.
Feilong quickly stood up, pulled Akihito out of his chair, then sat back down, pulling Akihito into his lap, stroking his hair and rubbing his back while he kept sobbing. Akihito was still holding onto his camera bag with white knuckles. He relaxed his hand, the drink had warmed him up, and his fingers felt tingly, as the feeling returned to them.
Feilong smiled, "Akihito, maybe if you go have a shower and change your clothes, you may feel better; it's been over six hours since you landed." Akihito bit his lip as he raised his head and lifted his jumper up and smelled it.
"Fuck I stink, I've been in these clothes for over twelve hours, actually... can I?" Akihito voice sounded hollow, and hoarse.
Feilong chuckled. "Of course, Akihito. You know where my private bathroom is, I will place clean clothes on the bed, okay, so stay in there as long as you like. I will close the bedroom door also, so you'll feel more comfortable that no one will enter. Plus, Tao wants to see you as soon as possible, but I explained you might be sleeping today. So Tao will see you tomorrow, you can think about that." Akihito stood up a little quickly and felt a bit dizzy; Feilong steadied him.
Akihito smiled, he held out his camera bag for Feilong to take. "Please, take a look at the pictures while I'm in the shower. They will explain everything." Feilong took the bag, and helped Akihito to the bedroom doors.
"I'll get some clean clothes for you." Feilong gently smiled as he stroked Akihito's hair. 'Yes', thought Akihito, 'I feel safe here, surprisingly'.
As soon as he heard the bathroom door close, Feilong walked over and placed the camera bag on his desk and called the guard in. Going into his "Leader of Baishe" mode, he started issuing orders. "Get my guest clean clothes. He's a size 'small', include everything, even underwear and socks, shoes and some toiletries; get a week's worth for now. If Tao is awake, let him help. Find Yoh and send him here as soon as possible. Go." After the guard bowed and left, Feilong nodded, then returned to the camera bag and sat down.
Hesitantly, Feilong took the camera out, flicking through the images, and then watching the recording. "Asami, you stupid bloody fool, what have you done. Akihito's heart is generous: he forgave even me, but this he might never forgive." There was over a hour of recording, it was in sharp detail, and it was undeniable.
Feilong shook his head in disbelief as he stood, then picked up his earlier drink. His tolerance for alcohol had improved over the years. As he stood by the window and looked over the city skyline, he could feel the pain from years ago. He now understood why Akihito was so broken, he just hoped he could get over this. It had taken Feilong a decade to let Asami go, but he had an empire to rebuild as a distraction. What did Akihito have to do to become that feisty young man again? Feilong knew he would have to help heal Akihito's broken heart. Feilong actually shed a tear for the boy; he understood why he came to Hong Kong. 'And I am the only one who can help him'.
Feilong did not hate or love Asami anymore. He was either a business rival, or a partner, depending on the situation. A knock at the door pulled Feilong from his train of thought. "Enter."
A guard came in, holding some clothes. Feilong stood, holding out a hand. "I will take those." Feilong took them from the guard.
"Sir, the rest of the clothes will come tomorrow; Tao said he will take Akihito shopping." Feilong looked up and nodded. "Carry on." He waited until the guard left, then he opened the bedroom door. The shower was still running; he placed the clothes on the bed, and left the room, again closing the door behind him.
Minutes later there was another knock on the outer door. When Yoh walked in, Feilong smiled. "Akihito in the shower", then his forehead furrowed. "He's been in there nearly two hours" Feilong murmured. He motioned for Yoh to look at the camera, while he checked on Akihito.
Akihito was in the bathroom. He couldn't decide whether or not to lock the door. So far, Feilong hadn't made any type of advances towards him, he had been just supportive, comforting. He touched him like a caring friend would if Kou or Takato had been here with him. He left the door unlocked and decided to trust Feilong. He stripped his clothes off and stepped into the warm water. He could feel the dirt and grime just disappear down the drain. It felt nice, he had not realised he was cold until the water hit him.
As he reached for the soap, his memory flashed. All of a sudden his legs gave way, he slid down the wall, hugged his legs and sobbed uncontrollably in the water. "Why, Asami? Weren't we good after Suduo? I thought…" He was trembling badly. He then started scrubbing his arms, legs and chest. That was all he could do, scrubbing to clean himself; he felt dirty. Dirt and blood started to drip into the water on the bottom of the shower. Akihito didn't notice and carried on. Not moving, just sitting still on the shower floor. Trembling.
A knock on the bathroom door startled Akihito from his trance. "Akihito, you have been in there over an hour and a half. Are you okay? May I come in?" Akihito didn't respond, staring at the door.
"Akihito, I am coming in; I am concerned for you, okay." Feilong opened the door, pleased it was unlocked, and that the blond felt he could trust him. As Feilong walked in he was shocked. Akihito was trembling under the hot water, he was bright red all over, his skin was scrubbed raw, and some areas were bleeding. Feilong called out "Akihito!". Unmindful of his clothes, he turned the water off, and placed a huge towel around Akihito's body, gently lifting him up. He couldn't rub him dry, as his skin was red and raw; he guided him into the bedroom.
"Yoh, get me some soft bandages and some cream for burns; please, hurry." Yoh entered the bedroom, went straight into the bathroom, got what was needed, and returned to Feilong's side. He remembered Akihito from when he was here two years ago; the boy looked like a shadow of his former self. What had happened to him, he wondered.
"I will leave you two in peace, I will just be in the other room if you need anything else." Yoh closed the door as he left. Feilong applied the balming cream and bandaged his arms, legs, and chest. He slowly helped dress Akihito.
"Why did you do this?" Feilong asked, feeling concerned as he buttoned up the top of the Chinese pyjamas.
"I felt dirty; I couldn't get the dirt off." Akihito mumbled as he stared dully into Feilong's eyes.
"Would you like to get into bed now, or come back into the office. I won't sleep in the same bed as you, I will just be in the other room, so you don't have to worry." Feilong said as he was drying his hair.
Akihito looked at Feilong and softly asked "Can you stay until I fall asleep, please?" Feilong smiled sadly. "Of course Akihito, I will be back in a minute, alright?" As he opened the bedroom door, he motioned Yoh to come over.
"Take charge, I am staying with Akihito until he falls asleep. Review the camera's memory, everything will become clearer" he said, turning back into the world bedroom.
Leaving the bedroom door open a crack so he can see and hear if he was needed, he tied his hair back, poured some water into a glass, and told Akihito to take a tablet and drink. Akihito did not question it, and took the pill. Feilong slid under the covers, holding them open for the boy. Akihito joined him in bed, and cuddled next to him.
Feilong watched as he stroked the spiky blond hair. Those dull eyes fluttered closed. As soon as he was comfortable that Akihito was asleep, he slipped out, and replaced himself with a pillow. He walked out the bedroom.
"I gave him a sleeping pill, which will knock him out until later tomorrow and a strong painkiller for his wounds." Feilong smiled softly at Yoh "Have you seen?"
Yoh looked shocked. "I have seen enough. I am surprised; is it fake?" Feilong shook his head.
"No. Akihito was at the scene and he recorded it. He has not spoken about it yet, but he never let that camera out of his sight; and he smelled as if he was doing his job yesterday, and then he came here. Akihito had to run, so I think he had let the paper know he had a scoop, as he felt betrayed. I rather understand it if he did that, Asami's wrath will be incalculable. However, the wounds you saw were from after he got here; he said he felt dirty." Feilong glanced at the bedroom door, looking sad.
"Asami needs a good, swift kick." Yoh muttered. Feilong smirked.
"But Akihito is in hiding, so no one can know he is here, get it." Feilong turned to look at Yoh, with a stern look on his face. "Asami must not find him until he is ready."
Yoh nodded in agreement. "Maybe a psychiatrist should be consulted about his wounds; that's a rather extreme reaction… " Feilong agreed.
"I will phone Tao's therapist, just to assess him. I will organize it tomorrow; tell Tao he can come in if he wants to keep him company." Feilong slumped into his office chair, and sighed. "Any news or other business?"
"The Russian is back, wanting to talk to you." Feilong's face fell.
"Get my personal plane ready to leave, make it look like I am going out of the country. I've gone someplace far away. Please, Yoh, take care of business; no one must know, understand?"
Yoh turned and smiled at Feilong. "I will do what's needed."
"Thank you."
Akihito woke up, feeling groggy. He lay there, watching the stream of light that came through the small crack in the curtains, and it took about five mins to work out where he was. Like a ton of bricks, he remembered what he was doing here.
"Why, Asami?" he whispered. Akihito started to stretch, when he banged into something in bed with him. He looked over the pillows, and there was Tao. He must have crawled into bed sometime last night. He stared at him; he had grown quite a bit. He smiled, remembering when Tao would steal his food. Because he had talked bad about Feilong, Tao wouln't let him eat. He crawled over to him and poked him on his cheek. Tao batted away Akihito's hand like it was a fly or something. Akihito smiled, prodded Tao again, and giggled.
Tao opened his eye and saw Akihito giggling, and jumped on him; Akihito grunted in pain. Tao froze, wide-eyed, and apologised. Akihito smiled, "Don't worry about it", and laughed. "What are you doing here, Tao?"
"Well, Fei-sama was worried about you, and so was I. We thought you would like the company when you woke up."
Akihito grinned. "I am happy to see you again; you've grown." Tao just smiled and giggled.
Feilong walked into the bedroom. "So, you're both awake. I will order breakfast." Feilong looked at Akihito and smiled. "I have already changed your bandages. Your wounds are healing; you and Tao can get something to eat." His gaze landed on Tao. "Make sure he eats something. Now get up you two, and don't get up to any mischief. Yes, I am talking to you, Tao" he said as he chuckled.
Tao pouted. "I played one prank you, and you think I'm plotting to do something again." Akihito was surprised
"You pranked Feilong? High five me." After an enthusiastic slap, they both grinned. "Tell. Me. Everything." Akihito eyes sparkled.
Feilong smiled. 'He will survive this'. He then spoke up. "While here, Akihito, please call me Feilong or Fei-sama, alright. And after breakfast, we need to talk." Feilong turned gracefully, and left the two whacking each other with pillows.
Akihito was not hungry, but he ate some fruit, mostly to keep Tao happy. He had slept almost 48 hours, his mind kept wandering back to Asami: he wondered if he missed him; maybe he should have spoken to him first. Or did he mean anything to Asami at all. Suduo had made Akihito realise that he was part Asami's private life, and that must have meant something… He was going to cry again, and he struggled not to. 'I am stronger than this', he thought, squeezing his eyes shut. 'I will get over this like always…' when a grape hit his face.
Tao smiled. "Akihito, I've been calling you for a while now. What are you thinking about?"
Akihito gave him a sad smile. "Nothing" he said, and threw the grape back at him.
After breakfast, Feilong called him into his office, where a pretty Chinese woman in her mid fifties sat. Feilong introduced her as Dr. Nico Robin, she was Tao's long-time therapist. Akihito was shocked; he wanted to ask about Tao, but thought he had better ask Tao himself. Then Akihito realised she was there for him.
"Fei-sama, I don't need a therapist." Feilong walked up beside him, gently guided Akihito to his chair, and made him sit down.
"Akihito," Feilong said in a soothing voice, "she is here for you, when you are ready. The incident in the bathroom alone concerned me. Greatly. You are a very strong person, Akihito, but sometimes you are too stubborn. She is a tool to help you with sorting things out. " Akihito wanted to run, but Feilong gently held onto his shoulder.
The woman held her hand out. "Hello, my name is Dr. Nico Robin; please, call me Robin. You are Akihito, right, and can I call you that?" Akihito shook her hand and nodded. Feilong walked away to let them talk quietly, but did not leave the room. When she left three hours later, Akihito felt tired.
"I am going to bed, Fei-sama." Akihito yawned and walked into Feilong's bedroom.
As he collapsed on the bed, he heard "Goodnight, Akihito." He smiled, he liked the doctor, she was pleasant to talk to.
Feilong was the only one allowed into the shower enclosure with him, to make sure his thoughts wouldn't spiral out of his control. Sometimes, showering was a trigger for the photographer. He'd learned from Dr. Robin what triggers were, and how to protect himself from their influence. He was suffering from PSTD, which Feilong was partially responsible for, but was now trying to help him work through; and another condition called OCD. Due to repeated traumas in the past, it was a way he was trying to stay in control. Akihito woke up, glanced around, and there was Tao, asleep in bed with him again. He woke up Tao with the whack of a pillow to the head. Akihito giggled. Tao was not amused. As they walked down to breakfast, he mentioned talking to the doctor. Tao's faced lit up. "Oh, I love her!" Tao said as he grabbed some fruit. "She's caring and she's brilliant."
Akihito quietly enquired "May I ask you… why?"
Tao's face fell as he recalled his memories. 'You wanted to forget.' Akihito thought, and felt guilty. "If you don't want to say anything, its okay, Tao." Akihito looked at Tao, with a small smile.
"Akihito, I think of you like a brother, so I trust you." Akihito's smile widened.
"Yeah, I think of you the same way" he reached over the table, and took hold of Tao's hand.
Tao took a breath "Fei-sama took me in when I was five; he saved me. His brother was not a nice guy, and he took me as collateral for my parent's debt. Then he sold me to some even more not-so-nice men who hurt me." Akihito could see discomfort in Tao's face. "Fei-sama rescued me, he took me in and helped me a lot. I am all good now; my nightmares have nearly stopped, and I am in a great place. I don't remember much, except adults had made me scared, and when you spoke badly about Fei-sama, you hurt me. But I understand what happened to you now; and when you saved me, I knew you were a good guy, Aki." Tao gave him a genuine smile.
Akihito thought 'Wow, here I am, moping about Asami, when Tao was much worse off, and he came through it' and right then, he decided to man up and change for the better. "Tao, thanks for telling me your story; you've given me back my courage. Thank you."
Tao looked confused, and shrugged. Then he perked up. "You were going to show me how to use a camera today, Aki." Akihito bit his lip; he had not picked his camera up since arriving in Hong Kong several months ago. But looking at Tao's pleading face, he sighed, and nodded his head.
"Yes, Tao, I will." Akihito was surprised at Tao's attitude; it was like he had been given the best birthday present ever.
"Can we take some photos of the garden?" Tao begged, nearly dragging Akihito out of his chair, wanting to get started right away.
"Uh, sure. Gimme a minute, okay? Fei, can I have a word?" Akihito asked nervously. Feilong stopped what he was doing and turned to Akihito with his full attention.
"How may I help you, Aki?" Feilong enquired with a smile.
"Fei, would you teach me?"
Feilong was puzzled. "Teach you what?" Akihito coughed, a little uncomfortable.
"Well, I'm fed up with being kidnapped, abused and just being a weakling." Feilong was going to interject, but Akihito carried on. "I know you are trained assassin, so teach me a little." He looked into Akihito's eyes. Feilong saw something he hadn't seen in them since he had arrived in Hong Kong. His spark. Akihito was back.
"May I ask what's brought this on?" Akihito blinked.
"Tao. He told me his story; not all of it, but enough, and he has inspired me to stop moping about and to take charge. So, I thought you could train me."
Feilong smiled, and hugged him. "Okay, starting tomorrow, you are going to attend classes with Tao and his private tutors. He is studying a few languages that could help you in the future, then in the afternoon I will train you. Remember: I was groomed from a very young age to become an assassin, but I can teach you a few things to help yourself." Feilong felt happy. Akihito beamed a bright smile.
"I heard you were going to the garden with your camera, are you going to be teaching Tao?" Feilong casually asked.
Akihito nodded. "Well, we had a talk and he started to drag me, so I thought I might as well…" he said, looking sheepish.
Feilong smiled. "Well, that's wonderful, Aki" he said, and hugged him again.
Akihito felt stronger than he had before; he felt like he was wanted, and that he had a home. Liu Feilong, Tao and Yoh were his family now. He had a new beginning.
T.B.C.