Asami knew that someone had been watching him. The yakuza, of course, kept calm and continued with his daily routine. He left his limo and gave Kirishima direct orders to remain there. He walked into the shabby apartment complex and was greeted by the old woman who seemed to never leave the front desk.
"Good afternoon, Miss Kuroki-san." Asami greeted with a small smile. The senior smiled amiably but the small pleasantry was soon wiped clean and replaced with a small frown.
"Ryuichi-kun," Kuroki sputtered and bowed lightly. She was one of the only people Asami allowed to call him by name-seeing as she had once saved his life when he was young. The old woman was sort of like a mother in some occasions, and Asami cared for the senior; there was also respect for her: she was the only survivor of an older organization that had ruled underground Japan. She seemed slightly tense, however, and he walked towards the counter, worry visible in his face.
"What is it, Kuroki-san?" Asami asked, tone serious.
"A young man came by searching to speak to my young Takaba, he left something but…" Kuroki sighed and leaned forward, hand searching under the counter. She pulled out a little yellow envelope and handed it to Asami. "He was from a gang, from what I could tell, that young man is being targeted." Asami flinched and nodded, taking the envelope.
"Thank you for telling me, Kuroki-san." Asami bowed, and, instead of going up the stairs to his lover's room, left to his car. Kirishima looked at Asami a bit disbelieving but knew better than to ask. Instead, Kirishima opened the door and entered the car himself.
Asami brooded silently in the back seats, rand resting on the envelope. He tore the
paper casing and pulled out a simple ribbon of paper fell to his lap. He read it and seethed in fury.
"Kirishima?"
"Hai?"
"Take me to this address." Asami directed and he handed his trusted subordinate the sliver of parcel.
There was no way he would allow anyone to cause harm to his Takaba Akihito. No way in hell.
…
Akihito noticed the strange aura being emitted by Kuroki. He stopped in mid stride and quickly hurried to the senior. Kuroki flinched and continued her work, as if the photographer hadn't approached. Akihito cleared his throat. Silence.
"Kuroki-chan, what's wrong?" Akihito asked, and Kuroki sighed and dropped her pen.
"It's…" pause. "It's been a long day." Kuroki says and looks up with a weary smile on her lips.
"You should rest more." Akihito smiles and walks over to the mail boxes aligned in the hallway leaving the room. "You deserve it." Akihito waves at Kuroki and leans against the doorway as he fishes out his keys. He let out a little 'aha!' as he pulled out a small gold key.
The photographer unlocked his mailbox (after a few minutes of forgetting which belonged to him) and pulled out the usual papers-letters from newspapers and magazines, but one of the envelopes caught his attention. Not that there was anything special, but the envelope seemed quite…ominous.
It was addressed to him, but that was al that was on the envelope.
Akihito shrugged and opened the envelope, but what it contained only seemed to astound him even more.
"You're being deceived. What you want to know is in the enclosed address. Asami Ryuichi and his lover will be there in 17:00."
Akihito dropped his letters and ran, anger and sadness boiling under his skin.
…
Asami arrived at the appointed location and looked at his watch; It was five minutes before five, and he had a prior engagement at five thirty. It doesn't matter…My Akihito may be in danger… Asami thought with a scowl, not even trying to correct his thoughts. No, he was way past that phase. He knew that he would bend heaven and hell for the brat-the over-protectiveness stemming from the l-…
…well, there was still one thing the yakuza would never admit to.
At least not yet.
Asami got out of his limo and entered the near abandoned café. He surveyed the area and noted to himself the uneasy feeling that seemed to resurface; not only that, but the sensation of someone watching him had seemed to remain as well. He scoffed. He wouldn't give anyone the chance to attack him, especially if they believed that they had the element of-
[Gold and brown lock in the middle of this practically abandoned café.]
-surprise.
"Fei Long." Asami growls under his breath.
…
Akihito sped up his pace as he heard his watch beep, signaling another hours' passing. His heart was thudding loudly against his ears as he turned a final corner, took a few quick steps before he began to walk once more.
He stopped, looking into the window of a café, and watched as Asami pushed Fei Long against the wall. Their faces where suddenly pressed close together, from his angle, and Asami was covering the Baishe leader with his own body.
Akihito stayed still, as if any single movement would catch their attention.
"So it was true…" Akihito thought dryly. "You never really wanted me, huh. You went through all that trouble to retrieve me…but it was really to retrieve Fei Long." Akihito glared at his shoes, not being able to bear seeing any more.
"And I thought I might have actually… bastard. You can go to hell, the both of you! I-I'm…" Akihito turned and began to walk at a leisurely pace. "I'm just going to leave. Yes, that's the best. No more Asami or Fei Long, no more getting chased and raped…no more memories of…us." Akihito gave one last glance over his shoulder, his mind telling him that he should leave everything and move on; his heart, however, begged for the Yakuza to run after him and tell him it was just a misunderstanding.
The only one in the street was Akihito Takaba, and in the proceeding minute, the next and the next, that fact never changed.
…
"What are you planning?" Asami growled after slamming Fei Fong against the wall. Asami pulled back some loose strands of hair, only to have them fall back into place. Fei Long glared just as intensely at him.
Asami glared at Fei Long, who simply turned towards the exit. If Fei Long hadn't called him to this blasted, secluded café, then who did? Asami's emblazed eyes looked around for anything suspicious; he observed the wooden that seemed to aged and withered, the glasses stacked and clean behind the counter and finally to the Chinese mobster before him.
"Fei Long, if this is one of your tricks…" Asami threatened,
"Asami, I wouldn't waste my time coming to such a place." Fei Long answered swiftly, obviously awaiting Asami's threat. Asami glared but began to walk around, hand resting by his jacket, hovering near his gun just in case. Fei Long, however, simply stood, semi-automatic pistol in hand, glancing at every object in the room.
Something about this whole thing seemed wrong, out of place, and both of them knew it.
"What's the problem?" Fei Long asked; Asami stayed standing in place, head turned to the long haired Baishe leader, but his eyes where elsewhere. Fei Long inconspicuously followed the Yakuza's gaze and caught sight of a portion of the old café's wall that was slightly darker than the rest of the room that was painted a fainted beige.
"There is someone there." Asami whispered, his warning almost unheard. Fei Long didn't have to be told twice; he could see dark shadows flitting from the little space between the fake wall and the dirt ground.
It seemed as if the people that arranged this situation had finally decided to reveal themselves.
The door-a flimsy hunk of rusted metal, was thrown open and three people flitted inside the room. The first, Asami knew, was just a simple lackey-not very tall with buzz-cut brown hair and dreary slate eyes, loose fitting black pants and a gray muscle shirt revealing muscular arms and past scars. The second was most likely the leader and was a tall, lean young man with untidy dirty blonde hair, wearing what looked like a school uniform. The last man, Asami noted, seemed to make Fei Long tense; it was just a young man-mid 20's, with tidy raven hair and the same clothes as the first man.
"Gentlemen, I have a proposition." The man, the one Asami guessed to be the leader, spoke. The young man walked forward, seemingly unfazed by Asami's intense glare or Lei Fong's gun out in the open. He leered at the two powerful men as if they where no threat.
…
Akihito was on his way home when two young men-not older than himself- appeared before him. Now, Akihito was never one to dismiss danger, especially personified. The two men looked like stereotypical thugs: loose sweaters, tight and tattered jeans and sinister smirks plastered on his face. Takaba Akihito would cross the street and high tail it away from the ominous danger, or fight back.
Takaba Akihito, however, wasn't in the best of moods and couldn't be bothered by anyone at the moment.
And so Akihito walked, bumped into the two men, and was pulled out of his deep thought. He glared at the men, angry, but his anger was soon replaced with carnal fear as one of the men spoke to him.
"Takaba Akihito, you're coming with us." He grinned sadistically. Akihito sighed, not wanting to deal with pests, but glared anyway. He gave a powerful left hook, and the man fell down with a loud 'umph!' and a 'thump'. The other man, however, knew that there would be a struggle and once the punch was thrown had gone about tackling Akihito.
They struggled as Akihito fought back, but one fist slammed against the photographer's cranium and Akihito was out cold.
"Call the boss."
"Hai, Hai."
The men (whom had been hit by Akihito first) rubbed his jaw and glared at the unconscious man. His partner made the call and informed their boss that the second captive had been captured. He picked up Akihito and tossed him into the black Honda that was parked across the street.
Akihito managed to regain a few seconds of consciousness as he felt himself placed non-too-gently in a car.
"T-Takaba? Is…Is that r-really you?" Someone whispered and Akihito could have sworn he recognized the voice as-
"Yoh?"
…
A phone rings and the man answers. He gives a few whispered commands and laughs as he closes the cellular device. He looks at Asami and Fei Long, as if forgetting their presence for a moment, and repeats himself once more. "I have a proposition…" He pauses and mocks a pensive look. "Well…it's not much of a proposition, more like a command."
"And why would we do what a brat like you says?" Asami asked coldly.
"You can't refuse me." He answers plainly.
"And just why wouldn't we refuse you?" Fei Long asks, right as Asami was going to speak. The young man bows his head slightly and grins sadistically.
"Because I have something of yours that you both will desperately want back."
The two had moved so quickly it was nearly impossible to see their violent response. Asami pulled the gun out of his holster and shot four times: three times in the false wall and at one of the guards beside the leader. Fei long fired two rounds: one at the other guard and the leg of the leader.
In a two second span, five 'thumps' can be heard and one howl of pain. Asami walked quickly, slammed the barrel of his pistol against the leader's chin and growled menacingly.
"Where. Is. Takaba?"
…
Akihito opened his eyes and instantly remembered his predicament. He looked around the warehouse and groaned as his head began to throb. Akihito shuffled a bit and took inventory of his body and health.
Bruised wrists: not broken. No broken ribs, only a few minor scrapes but other than that he was well. The pained groan from the man beside him, however, gave Akihito the knowledge that Yoh wasn't in the best of conditions.
"Y-Yoh, are you okay?" Akihito asked and he shuffled a bit to look at the yakuza. Yoh had his head bowed, hair covering his face, breathing labored. "Yoh!" Akihito shouted as the yakuza began to cough and sputter, blood splashing on the floor.
"I'm sh-shot." Yoh said plainly, voice gruff with the strain on his throat. "They where going to try to take Tao, I couldn't…couldn't allow that." Yoh clarified. "Six men, then eight…I fought as many as I could and Tao got away but they took me instead." Silence for a few minutes, the heavy breathing. "They got my in the stomach, and then took me when I was trying to stop the bleeding." Yoh went off into a stream of curses before the doors (from what Akihito could see in the dark) on the far end of the building where tossed open.
"So, this is gonna' be nice and simple." A cold voice echoed. "My name is Hyu-Fang and you, m'boys, are going to tell me what I need to know or die." Hyu-Fang appeared in one of the cascading lights, and Akihito tried to remember as many features as possible. Hyu-Fang was a tall, well built man with a tailored black suit and a black tie-much like Asami, but his hair was longer and tied back with a few loose strands framing his face.
"These here are Juu-Wong," Here Hyu-Fang motioned at the man to his right, a buff man with blonde hair and tight fitting clothes, "And Bae-Yung. These will be your…friends until ya' decide to speak, got it?" Hyu-Fang grinned and turned, leaving. "Have fun!"
Bae-Yung, not quite tall nor built, kneeled before Yoh and began to fiddle around with the Yakuza; he tilted Yoh's head back and pulled off the man's jacket.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Akihito shouted and Juu-Wong Punched him in the gut. All of Akihito's air was released and the photographer gasped in pain. Bae-Yung began to unbutton Yoh's bloody stained shirt when Akihito shouted once again. "I SAID NOT TO TOUCH HIM!"
"Bloody little boy!" Juu-Wong shouted and he sent another fist flying at Akihito. Akihito took the hit square in the chest and heard a sickly crack. Akihito groaned as pain exploded in his chest and stars shined behind his closed lids.
"He's still breathing, though barely." Bea-Yung said stoically. "He won't make it, though."
Akihito felt panic rise in his gut. He couldn't let Yoh doe, not after what the man did for him in Hong Kong. No, although the hard times he lived through there apparently hadn't ended, and he would have much rather died than end up here, Akihito knew what he was going to have to do. He wasn't a good liar but damn if he wasn't going to try.
"If…If you take Yoh away, to the hospital and save him, I'll tell you whatever it is you want." Akihito said, words rushed. Bea-Yung and Juu-Wong looked at Akihito in disbelief, but what they saw in those hazel eyes refuted every doubt. There was anger, of course, worry, trepidation and a determination that seemed incredible but deep within his eyes was something much more scarier: the welcoming of death and pain. Lack of fear of the end.
"Bea-Yung." Juu-Wong said, and Bea-Yung turned to him expectantly. "Take the bastard to the hospital." Bea-Yung bowed and pulled out a switchblade and cut the roped that kept Yoh bound. The unconscious Yakuza was then lifted and taken out of the warehouse.
Akihito kept his gaze leveled and fierce, even as Juu-Wong's face leered at him from close.
"Well? Spill."
…
Fei Long sighed as they drove of in Asami's car, Kirishima zooming through the streets. Asami stayed silent in his seat, hand dangerously close to his gun holster. Fei long placed a hand on the Yakuza's shoulder and Asami tensed, having forgotten that the Baishe leader was in the car with him.
"I still see no reason to kill that messenger; he wasn't the leader." Fei Long spoke, breaking the silence. Asami turned and Fei Long stared at the blood splatters on Asami's cheeks.
"Ah, what a thing, that in which we call love." The man smiled, his lips taking on a bluish hue. "Where is that young man, anyway?" He laughed as Asami loaded his pistol. "What if…he followed you here? What if he saw something that looked a certain way?"
"Fucker." Asami growled.
"He was only sent to tease us. He did his job, so I disposed of him." Asami said coldly. Fei Long took a deep breath and looked out the window. He tried to calm his body and soften his badly beating heart.
Why were his handshaking so much?
"Kidnaping Akihito does nothing to me." Fei Long said smoothly. "What business do you have with me then?"
"That man in your roster, he would do anything to protect that little boy you cherish, huh?" The man taunted and coughed. "Well, that kid got away," He chuckles to himself, "But it seems boss got a consolation prize."
"Yoh…"
A phone ring fills the air and Asami flinches and glares at Fei Long. Fei long pulls out his phone and flips it open. His eyes go wide and his face pales slightly.
"Yoh!"
…
"A thousand pardons, Fei Long-sama" Yoh chokes out. "But there is something I must ask of you."
"Where are you? How did you get away?" Fei Long asked in a hurry, sounding a tad worried. Yoh smiled to himself.
"Takaba…T-Takaba Akihito made a trade. He was to give them any information that they asked for as long as they let me free." He pauses, trying to catch his breath. "One of them took me away but they forgot to frisk me, so as he stopped at a light I shot him and fled."
He listens on as Fei long curses and worried questions.
"I'm not bleeding as much as before, but I'm worried about Akihito Takaba."
"Why?"
"He doesn't know a thing about why he's been taken."
…
By now Akihito is used to the pain. The throbbing, the stinging…it's all become a blur. He has numerous broken bones, bruises covering a lot of his skin but he can't help but smile bitterly to himself at the questions being asked of him.
"What is Asami doing with the Baishe lord Fei Long?"
Silence.
It seems Juu-Wong is tired of his silence and has decided to up the torture. He presses a blade against Akihito's thigh, barely drawing blood.
"Answer my question."
Akihito only laughs bitterly.
Juu-Wong growls and drags the blade down Akihito's thigh, making the blue jeans turn a dark crimson. Akihito bites his lip and stifles a groan. He feels warmth pouring down his leg. Akihito sighs and closes his eyes, almost getting wrapped in the darkness when Juu-Wong slaps him hard. Akihito opens his eyes and sighs.
"Oh. It's you again." He sighs. Juu-Wong loses his temper and slams his booted foot against the freshly made wound. Akihito cries out and gasps as pain as the boot grinds and rotates on his blooding thigh.
"stupid fucking brat; if you don't answer then you're DEAD!" Juu-Wong cries out and he pulls out a revolver and places it against Akihito's temple. "What are Fei-Long and Asami doing together? Just what are they planning?"
"Yes…I know this is the end. You want to know what they're doing together? You want to know why I'm so prepared to die today? I'll tell you why!" Akihito thinks and as the doors bang open, he screams out.
"THEY'RE LOVERS!" Akihito shrieks and can't stop the tears that spill from his eyes now.
"Takaba?"
"Asami!"
BANG! BANG!
…
(Two Months Later)
…
It's been the same for the past month and a half. The only sounds that accompany him are the unsteady beeps of the EKG machine, the sound of labored breathing and the constant drip of saline.
Silence, in these halls and rooms, echoes, and brings a sense of dread to the people both visiting and within the rooms.
Asami looks on, hair messy and eyes tired; he won't leave this bedside, and this patient doesn't seem to want to wake up.
"Why, Takaba? When…who made you lose your will to live?" Asami thinks and it infuriates him to think that the strength and will was sapped from the photographer, the heat and fire drained from those intense hazel eyes. He wants to tell Akihito that it's not true, what he saw and what he thinks, but the image returns to his mind's eye.
Akihito was tied up, beaten with tears streaming down his cheeks. There was blood all over his clothes, mostly on his pants, and a gun was pointed at his head. Those words, they stung but Asami knew that Akihito was more hurt when he shouted them.
"I'll make it up to you, Takaba." Asami thinks. "But please…just wake up."
..
..
The doctor's told him that they did what they could; the photographer had gotten quite the catalog of injuries. Six broken ribs, wrists where fractured along with his ulna and his shoulder was dislocated. He had four concussions, one worse than the others, and his right thigh had the muscles torn and his legs where both broken. Bruises where too numerous, and inches of his body where covered in purple and blue. Worse of all, however, was the bullet lodged in the young man's chest cavity, mere centimeters from his heart.
Asami felt his heart stop when Juu-Wong pulled the trigger, shooting Akihito in the chest. He killed the bastard instantly and took Akihito; Asami was barely on time.
That kept Akihito in the Intensive Care ward for two weeks before he was moved; that bastard was quick to recover.
Still, doctors where puzzled as to why he didn't wake up.
…
"Akihito…" Asami sighed and squeezed Akihito's hand "If you don't wake up, I'm…" A Pause, a moment of weakness. "I would die with you."
Kirishima watched as his boss slowly crumbled. He took Asami home before returning to the hospital. So there he was, watching the comatose photographer. "Takaba Akihito, you're a bastard." He said, not caring if anyone heard. "You're always getting in trouble and making the boss work harder." Kirishima sighed. "You bring out the fight in boss, however, and make him work harder and get stronger." Kirishima stays at the doorframe, about to turn, but speaks once more.
"Fei Long is nothing to boss; He loves you. Heh, to think that the heartless Yakuza can love…but he truly can't live without you. Die and I will personally drag you back."
…
"A…sa…mi…"
"Doctor!" The nurse cried out, "Doctor! Patient Takaba just spoke!"
"…sa…s…asa…mi…" Akihito groaned.
"Get Asami here. Now." The doctor directed one of the guards.
Not ten minutes later, Asami came rushing through the hospital doors. The Yakuza looked tired and a little worse for wear but fine nonetheless. Asami rushed into the room and hesitated as he neared the bed. Akihito looked at him through one cracked eye and smiled smugly to himself.
"You look like shit." He said, voice raspy. Asami chuckled and sat on the chair beside the bed.
"Says the one that's been unconscious for three months." Asami teased back, a look of relief crossing his features.
"Yeah, but I'm still" Akihito yawns and scoots to one side of his bed. "so friggen' tired!" Asami laughs and shakes his head. "I heard you didn't leave my room for days, and would stay for hours." Akihito whispers and Asami tenses. Akihito is blushing, his back turned to Asami, and his heart is racing as Asami speaks up.
"I didn't want to be away if you woke up." Asami says. Akihito closes his eyes and speaks, says what he never thought he would ever say.
"So you must be tired. Come here." And Akihito says and pats the space of bed behind him. Asami smirks and removes his coat and lays on the small bed, body pressed tightly against Akihito's. Asami sighs and wraps his arms around Akihito's thin waist.
"Those bastards…" Asami closes his eyes and places his chin against Akihito's neck. "I'll make them pay for harming you."
"What was that about, anyway?" Akihito asks but silence is his reply. Asami is breathing slowly, sleeping, and Akihito rolls his eyes. Still, his heart beats loudly at the other's warmth and proximity. The faint smell of cigarettes is mingled with cologne and Akihito blushes as he thinks to himself that he missed this.
…
Asami finished his explanation and Akihito was slightly dumbstruck. Asami stays silent, awaiting the facts to sink in. It truly is a lot to tell Akihito; his plans with Feilong to eliminate a growing gang that was violent and unruly. The founder that tried to blackmail the two to bow to his whims and Asami's slaying of most of the gang, along with an unusually trigger-happy Fei Long.
"Dammit." Akihito curses and Asami smirks. Not the reaction he was expecting but somewhat something expected of the photographer. "I'm always a fucking pawn, huh?" Akihito curses the gods and Asami, no matter how amused, captures Akihito's and pulls him close.
"It's because you're the only way people can hurt me." Asami clarifies and Akihito tenses. The photographer sighs and blushes; he doesn't want to talk about this; it's been merely four months…he's still bandaged here and there and he's too insecure to talk yet. "Takaba…Akihito!" Asami says sternly and Akihito looks up. "Don't you dare get hurt again!" he chastises but the passionate, sweet kiss he plants on Akihito's lips is a total contradiction to the display of anger he showed.
"I wouldn't bear it if I lost you." Asami confides and kisses Akihito once more, his tongue begging for entrance. Akihito moans as the kiss gets hotter, fiercer.
"It's not quite a confession" Akihito thinks and gasps as Asami pushes him on top of his desk, muttering about how it's been 'too long'. Before Akihito loses himself in the pleasure and his mind is wiped clean and he's made senseless, he thinks:
"No, not a confession…but It's good enough for me."