Winter had bathed Tokyo in a fresh snowfall, the world a near endless sea of white from the view from Asami's penthouse window, Christmas time was almost upon them and Akihito had decorated the penthouse including a huge tree for what would be Asami and his first Christmas since getting married.
Akihito looked around the penthouse again turning his back on the large windows and sighed everything was perfect the cookies had been baked, the tree trimmed and decorated, the presents wrapped and arranged on a skirt that depicted falling snowflakes. Everything was perfect except that Akihito hadn't seen his husband in over a week.
He would get a text message from Ryuichi when he woke up and another before he went to bed but Ryuichi hadn't left the office in over a week. Kirishima was ordering in all their food and had even told Akihito not to come when Akihito had offered to bring them lunch. The reason behind this you may ask is a man named Chihiro Ryugazaki a small time drug dealer, turned arms dealer, who thought he could rule Tokyo and had yet to discover he was dangerously out of his league. Which had escalated into a war between Ryuichi the ruling Yakuza and Ryugazaki the wannabe, when the man Asami sent to peacefully call Ryugazaki to heel had returned to Ryuichi in pieces.
Akihito was put under house arrest shortly after that and now Ryuichi was trying to stop the attempted hostile takeover. Sadly Ryugazaki managed to keep a lot of weapons from his dealer days and Asami's men were having trouble combating his high tech extreme fire power.
Everyday Asami stayed out of contact Akihito could feel their relationship strain and even attempting to contact him over the phone for a minute before bed lead to Akihito being snapped at and told in no uncertain terms to leave him alone. Akihito heard his phone ding from where he had put it on the coffee table.
He picked up the cell phone and checked the message [Won't be coming tonight, don't wait up]
Akihito sighed sadly and looked around the merry and empty house feeling like he had aged a hundred years. He walked back to their room and smelled Asami's pillow, tears welling in his eyes when he realized the pillow he snuggled with every night so he could keep Asami's smell close didn't smell like Asami anymore. Their wedding photo stood on the table seemingly mocking his loneliness with the blatant happiness on their faces as Asami scooped him up bridal style both laughing. In that moment the isolation and emptiness of the house was suffocating and Akihito felt like he couldn't breathe.
Akihito grabbed his phone and hit the number one on his speed dial placing the phone by his ear with a trembling hand when Asami's photo popped up. It rang for a few seemingly endless seconds Akihito's body trembling nearly uncontrollably as he waited for his husband to answer the phone.
The dialing sound and his heartbeat were the only thing that existed in that moment before Akihito heard Asami's voice come on the line "Akihito I told you I'm busy and can't talk to you right now."
Akihito smiled not truly registering what Asami was saying Asami's voice a cool balm to what had been a painful wound. "Ryu, I was hoping maybe you could find time to come home tonight, just for a few minutes! You must be tired of wearing the same suit and I made dinner maybe-"
Akihito was cut off with an irritated sigh "I thought we had been over this Akihito, until this issue is solved I don't have time to leave. I was hoping you would be more understanding just get some sleep the faster I finish this the faster I can come home." Akihito felt tears fall from his eyes his breath hitching at his husbands scolding and dismissive tone.
"But when, when will it be over it's been almost three weeks!" Akihito asked desperation leaking into his tone. "I haven't seen you in three weeks, you told the guards not to let me out and not to come inside unless I was in danger. I haven't seen another human being in three weeks Ryuichi! And I can't even go to them considering the guards that were stationed here were called back to headquarters two weeks ago!"
Asami sighed again "Look I don't have time for this." Before Akihito could say anything else he heard a click and then a dial tone Akihito hung up the phone and was immediately struck by how silent everything was the walls felt like they were closing in and for a moment Akihito wondered if he screamed would anyone hear him.
Akihito felt himself start to hyperventilate and knew he was starting to have a panic attack he quickly redialed Asami and hoped when he heard him panicking he would come home. Akihito felt his heart shatter when after two rings the phone went to voice mail.
When the voice mail started recording Akihito broke down sobbing "Ryu I need you, I've been so alone. I think I'm going crazy in here, I know I promised I wouldn't leave but, but Ryu I can't breathe! It hurts, and I can't breathe! The house doesn't smell like you anymore and I'm always alone just me and the ticking clock and the dying Christmas tree! Ryu, I- I" A harsh sob cut off Akihito's next words and the voice recorder told him he had run out of time Akihito decided to finish his sentence on paper and wrote a note to leave on Asami's pillow.
Akihito looked back at his phone and pressed two one his speed dial hoping that his old friend would pick up it was only a few seconds before Akihito heard a male voice pick up on the other end still sobbing Akihito said quietly "You were right, I want to come home."
Three hours since he had ignored Akihito's call Asami pulled himself out of work long enough to check his voicemail. Asami had been working himself ragged lately and he knew it, but the war with Ryugazaki had heated up when attached to one of Asami's dismembered men was a photo of Akihito in the cross hairs of a rifle sight. Asami felt his blood run cold and had immediately called his men to Sion ordering them to eliminate Ryugazaki and his organization before they became even more of a threat.
It never even occurred to Asami that he was hurting Akihito more than the enemy by isolating him. Asami played the voicemail Akihito left and froze when he heard Akihito's panicked sobs, the voicemail stopped in the middle of a sentence and Asami could feel dread tying his stomach into knots. Asami stood from his desk and hurried out of his office gathering Kirishima and Souh on the way.
Souh quickly drove them to the penthouse and Asami couldn't stop himself from running to the elevator then running down the hallway that the elevator let out on coming to a stop in his living room. The lights had been turned down the Christmas tree twinkling in the corner innocently, but what caused Asami's dread to grow was the silence. The penthouse, once full of life and laughter seemed like a tomb and he felt a shiver race down his spine.
He walked into their bedroom and turned on a light hoping to find Akihito asleep in bed instead the bed was made and there sitting innocently on his pillow as a note. The note was short five simple words but Asami felt tears spill down his cheeks and something in him die when he read them. Because sitting there on his pillow written on tearstained parchment where the words. "I can't do this anymore…"
"No Akihito." Asami whispered to the silent room before running to the closet feeling even worse when he saw that most of Akihito's things were gone.
Asami went back to Souh and Kirishima Akihito's note clutched in his hand. "Akihito isn't here, I want to know when he left and where his last known location was."
Kirishima nodded quickly walking away already making phone calls to see where Asami's bank account was last accessed since Ryuichi and Akihito now shared bank accounts. While Souh laid a comforting hand on Asami's shoulder before saying simply "Let's go access the security feed."
Asami nodded still somewhat in shock he never actually thought Akihito would leave sure he had threatened to in the beginning of their relationship and even attempted to run away a few times though he later revealed he just wanted Asami to chase him. Souh saw his friends distress and sighed "We will find him Ryuichi and then you can grovel and apologize or whatever it takes to make things right. After all Ryuichi you and everyone else that works for you knows you may be the mind of this organization but he has become the heart. For both the organization and you, and we can't exist without him anymore."
Asami merely nodded in response they headed down to the room with the video footage and hoped to piece together exactly where Akihito went too.
Akihito gathered his bag when the private jet landed stepping out onto the stairs that lead him to the tarmac and took a moment to breathe in the icy air. "Akihito!" Akihito looked down when he heard someone call his name and smiled when he saw Mikhail standing beside an expensive Mercedes Akihito smiled and waved at Mikhail when he made it down beside him he pulled him into a hug before turning his eyes to the car and giving an appreciative whistle.
He turned back to Mikhail "Thanks for helping me so quickly."
Mikhail smiled "Aki you know I will always come running when you need me all you need to do is call."
Akihito nodded tears welling up in his eyes before he pulled Mikhail into another hug Akihito hadn't really known how touch deprived he was until Mikhail had hugged him. They stayed like that for a few moments Mikhail sensing that Akihito needed the comfort and contact, finally Akihito took a deep breath and pulled away.
"Thanks I needed that." Akihito said quietly wiping a few stray tears from his cheek, Mikhail just nodded and patted him on the back before they both got into the car.
Mikhail started the engine and started driving towards the open road Mikhail smiled and told Akihito "I was thinking we would head to the rink first I talked to Yakov and he said he wanted to see you right away."
Akihito nodded a smile playing on his lips at the thought of his older coach. When they arrived at the rink Akihito got out of the car and stretched before they both walked into the ice skating rink. Akihito looked around at the familiar scenery he walked farther into the skating rink and found the ice rink. He set down the bag he had brought with him and pulled out a pair of ice skates.
Mikhail had gone and found Yakov in his office and told him that Akihito had arrived and was headed for the ice. Yakov had nodded and walked towards the ice rink with Mikhail. They made it just in time to see Akihito midair and then land a triple sow cow Akihito glided across the ice a small smile on his lips unknowingly sucking anyone watching in as he seemed to play on the ice while expressing such vulnerability.
Mikhail and Yakov watched mesmerized as Akihito kept up his slow skate around the ring before stretching out into a spread eagle and taking off into what had been Akihito's signature move when he used to skate, a quadruple lutz followed by a single loop and into a quadruple flip he seemed to float as he made the jumps look simply effortless.
Yakov smiled when he saw the serene peaceful look on Akihito's face, it was almost as if no time had passed since Akihito had left Russia and gone back to Japan. Hating to interrupt but knowing that Akihito could skate for hours and never realize that they were there, Yakov called "Akihito!"
Akihito spun in place and came to a stop on the ice he smiled when he saw Yakov standing beside Mikhail and skated over stepping off the ice and pulled Yakov into a hug which was quickly returned.
"Welcome home Aki." Yakov whispered in his ear, tightening his hold slightly.
Akihito smiled "Thanks, it's good to be back."