Unravel
Rikuo's hand was shaking as he speed-dialed Kakei's phone. He looked around the empty apartment and moved further into the room away from the door and windows. Rikuo didn't want anyone overhearing this conversation. He went to the far wall and slid down to the floor.
The apartment was in the same building he lived in with Shane. He'd wanted somewhere quiet and private to talk with his friends and this was a God-send. It was on the first floor and way in the back of the building. Apparently no one liked living back there – too dark. He'd told Shane that he was going for a walk and had come directly here. In moments he would hear Kazahaya's voice. Rikuo's heart was in his throat and his breathing was fragmented. The phone only rang once.
"Rikuo?!" Kakei's anxious voice sounded over Rikuo's phone.
"Hey Kakei." Rikuo smiled; never had that voice sounded so like home.
Kakei smiled at Saiga then looked to Kazahaya who was staring down at his hands folded neatly in his lap and frowned. Looking back at the phone on his desk, Kakei made sure his voice was light. "How are you, Rikuo? Taking care of yourself? We miss you."
Rikuo's chest rose and fell; it felt as if his heart would burst from his body. "Yeah, I'm okay. I miss you too. Is…is everybody there?" He couldn't bring himself to ask outright for Kazahaya.
"We're all here Rikuo and we've got a lot to talk about." Saiga answered as he willed Kazahaya to raise his head and say something.
"Umm, okay but…Kazahaya?" He couldn't help himself, Rikuo needed to hear his voice. Why was Kazahaya so silent? "Kazahaya?"
"I'm here Rikuo. I'm…glad you're okay. Like Saiga said, we've got lots to tell you about Osawa." Kazahaya felt so tense. It was taking all his willpower not to react to Rikuo calling out to him. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure Kakei and Saiga could see it thumping against his chest. Still he refused to look up, he knew Kakei and Saiga were wearing identical expressions of worry and pity and he couldn't bear to see it.
Rikuo's breath stopped. Kazahaya's voice was flat; it was like he was talking to a stranger. Has he given up on us? Have I hurt him that badly? Tears formed at that thought.
Silence ruled for some moments before Kakei cleared his throat. "Listen Rikuo, those things you sent were great especially their accounts! I found many examples of hidden money and we turned everything over to Seki."
"Yeah," Saiga took up the tale, "He said their department has been looking for ways to take down Osawa for a while now and with the guns, drugs and the names Kazahaya got, they should be able to legally go in and search. This whole mess will end soon." Saiga promised.
One part of Rikuo's brain heard all of that but the other was racing with thoughts of Kazahaya and just how he could make things better. "Uh…okay. So, umm, Seki thinks they'll be able to take them down soon huh? Kazahaya…thanks. I knew you would be the one to really help me. Have you, have you gotten over what happened? You know, with Aisha?"
Why is he talking to me?! It's hard enough to hear him speaking without talking to him! Kazahaya squirmed in his seat and placed a hand over his heart, all to give himself time to control his voice, still it squeaked a bit when he spoke. "Y-your welcome. It wasn't hard, those objects held a lot of memories. Don't worry about me Rikuo…I'll be fine." Without you. Somehow I'll make it without you.
Again, his voice was still flat. Rikuo's heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Kazahaya was pulling away from him. Actually considering how he'd hurt Kazahaya, it was a wonder he was even speaking to him. And then even though he hadn't said so, touching those things used to kill people and experiencing Aisha's death still had to be affecting Kazahaya's tender heart. "I'm sorry Kazahaya." Rikuo whispered.
All three men heard the pain filled apology and one raised his hands to cover his ears. Kazahaya shook his head vigorously as if to shake the words loose from his mind. Quickly he stood and began to walk around the room. "Tell him the rest Kakei. Tell him about the vision."
Kakei wanted to go hug him but he knew Kazahaya would just pull away or possibly leave the room altogether. He reached out for Saiga's hand and clasped it tightly. "Rikuo? I did have a vision and you need to know the details."
"Yeah?" Rikuo wiped his eyes and sniffed. He needed to focus on Kakei's words. "Can I come home?"
Kakei was about to speak when he heard Kazahaya's quick inhale. "Actually yes. You'll have to come home because not too far from here, the four of us will confront Osawa and his men." Silence.
"What do you mean? Confront? What does that mean?! Will Kazahaya be hurt?!" Rikuo sat up.
"Hush up and listen. Unfortunately Kakei didn't get as many details as he would have liked but we all will be hurt in some way but we'll survive. We survive Rikuo." Saiga emphasized.
"Rikuo, I saw all us in the aftermath of a fight. At some point things will get physical and we'll end up bloody and bruised but nothing we can't bounce back from."
"Kazahaya too? He'll be okay?" Rikuo wasn't worried about himself but Kazahaya had already been through enough pain because of him.
"Our kid is tougher than he looks. He was able to hold his own with Ota and he will again." Saiga had debated whether or not to tell Rikuo but didn't see how he could avoid it since they still had more to tell him about what Kazahaya found out.
"Ota? That bastard got near – touched Kazahaya?! What the fuck?! He's perverted, twisted! How could you let that happen?!" Rikuo's voice rose just a bit as a red film covered his eyes. All he could think about was wrapping his hands around the man's throat.
Kazahaya didn't want to but he heard the concern in Rikuo's voice. He was really upset about Ota even being near him. A small part of his heart felt a spark; it wasn't as cold as it had been before.
"Rikuo, I was able to learn something." Kazahaya found himself before the desk. "When Ota touched me, I leaned that Osawa is not the man in charge, there's somebody else."
Hate and anger were hard to control but Kazahaya's voice brought Rikuo back from the edge. The windows had trembled in their frames and now grew silent again. "Say what? Osawa's not in charge? Then who the hell is? Are you sure Kazahaya?"
Kazahaya turned and sat on the edge of the desk, fold his arms and closed his eyes. "I'm sure. Osawa controls the five men under him and he's – well I guess we can call him an assassin. Although they do more than kill people. They also torture people, intimidate people, deal in drugs some and launder money but they know little or at least Ota knows little if any about Tsukiko. They only have orders to watch you and see what you know. Whoever this other man is – he's important. Osawa and his men don't question his orders and fear him more than God."
Rikuo was having a hard time taking it all in. Aisha had been killed; his life and those of his friends had been disrupted. They were all living in fear and Osawa was not the one behind it? "So what good will it do to get rid of Osawa? If there's somebody else…does this mean I won't ever get to come home? To be with Kazahaya again?"
Saiga hung his head at the despair in Rikuo's voice. There was so much heartache between these boys and he wanted nothing more than to go back to a happier time. "You will be. You will be with him soon. Rikuo, Osawa is a lackey, a dangerous lackey but a lackey nonetheless. We bring him down, get whatever information he knows and we're one step closer to finding out what's going on with Tsukiko."
"He's right Rikuo. We use Osawa and then we should know more about Tsukiko, if she's alive or dead, something. But you need to come home. The confrontation will happen on the night of the full moon. It will be a full moon when we take Osawa down and day after tomorrow, the moon will be full. Come home tomorrow night, we'll sneak you in and we can plan how we're going to handle everything."
Breathing was supposed to be natural but Rikuo was having a hard time of it. It would stop all at once, speed up and slow down. He was tired and not even a half hour had gone by. Tomorrow around this time – he could be with Kazahaya again. Will he let me hold him?
"Tomorrow? Are-are you sure? I can come home?"
Kakei smiled, "Yes, come home, it's time."
"But what about Seki? I thought you said he was going to search their place. Shouldn't we wait for that?"
"No need. Osawa won't be there, they will have left long before Seki and the other detectives arrive. They'll be here waiting on us, wanting to know how we took them down and they'll be looking for you and this is where you'll be. Osawa will want to take us on and he'll lose." Kakei sounded sure but there was still that vision of someone lying in the street that tore at his nerves.
Kazahaya had stood and was pacing again. To him it still sounded as if Kakei was holding something back but he wouldn't bring it up. Just the thought of Rikuo being near to him was causing chills. Would they go upstairs to the apartment together or would he continue to sleep on Kakei's couch? Kazahaya wanted, no needed not to let his emotions take control of him again but how would he be able to pull it off with Rikuo right in front of him. Kazahaya shivered.
Rikuo shivered as well. Home with Kazahaya. But then what about the club, Konishi-san and Shane? Should he tell them that he was leaving or just up and disappear? "Umm, I have some things to take care of before I come home but I'm not sure how." Rikuo still didn't want to say where he'd been all this time; things could still go horribly wrong before he made it back to the drugstore. He may have to stay with Shane and continue working at Konishi-san's club a while longer.
"What? You can't leave your new roommate? Its okay, you only have to come back to deal with Osawa. After that you can do whatever you want to Rikuo." Kazahaya's voice sounded hard. He'd picked up that bit of information from Kakei – that Rikuo was working and living somewhere else, more than likely sharing an apartment since rent was so high in the city.
At first he'd blocked it from his mind, like everything else and for a while during this call, hope had seeped into his thoughts but hearing the reluctance in Rikuo's voice about returning to the store brought everything up to the surface. "We won't keep you long Rikuo. We all want to find out what's going on with Tsukiko but after that, you can get on with your new life."
"Whoa, wait a minute." Rikuo found himself on his feet. "How'd you know I've got a roommate? I never said…" He stopped realizing just how bad that sounded.
Kazahaya let out a humorless laugh. "No you didn't say. I picked it up from Kakei but even he didn't know much. You don't want to share your new life with them either huh? You've found a way to make it on your own so you have no reason to come back here except to get your answers! Tell me this much, I bet it's a relief not to have me around bugging you all time. Hope you and whoever got to spend a lot of quality time together!" His voice was scathing.
"Kazahaya-kun, it's not like that!"
"Oh shut up Kakei! You have no idea what or who he's been doing or I would know it! If Rikuo wants to stay away and with his new friends - then fine by me! I've already decided I don't him in my life anymore!"
Saiga stood up straight and faced Kazahaya but the boy looked at him unafraid, daring him to say something. "Calm down kid…"
"Whatever! All this shit will be over soon and then I can start my new life." Kazahaya stared the two men down. Kakei was shocked and Saiga was ready to smack him.
"Kazahaya, I don't know what you think you know but here's my explanation. I am hiding from Osawa. I found a job and a place to live with a co-worker. We have separate rooms and are just casual friends – that is all. I want to come, home to you. I want to be with you again – only you. Do you understand me?"
"What I understand is that all of you say what you think I want to hear and it's damned annoying. I don't care anymore Rikuo. Come back to the store or don't. If you stay, then I'll find a way to leave. This…this whatever the four of us have is over. When this stuff with Osawa is done – I'm done!"
"Like hell it is! I am coming back and we will work this out! You're mine Kazahaya and I'll do whatever it takes to prove that to you! I will do everything to get you back. And if you even try to leave before I get there, I'll hunt your skinny ass down! Do you hear me?!"
"Nice posturing. Let me see you try. I disappeared once before and I can do it again and not even Kakei will be able to find me." Kazahaya locked eyes with Kakei and his eyes were dead serious. "I've said all I'm going to say on this. This topic is over – finished. I'll leave you all to talk about me and things I don't understand. I'm going to bed. You don't need me here anymore. Not that any of you ever really did." The last sentence was said so quietly they almost didn't hear it as he left the office. A few more moments and they heard the slam of a door.
"Well that was different. I can't believe the things he said. Looks like you've got your work cut out for you Rikuo." Saiga said still staring after Kazahaya.
"I'm sorry Rikuo. I guess I've been more open than usual, he shouldn't have been able to read me so easily." Kakei brushed his hair back and massaged his scalp. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. Kazahaya-kun would never just up and leave."
Rikuo wished he felt so sure. He paced as Kazahaya's words buzzed around in his head. "Do you think he could? Could he really just up and disappear and hide from you? Is it possible?" Fear left a bad taste in Rikuo's mouth.
"I honestly don't know Rikuo." Kakei looked down at the desk remembering the fierce expression on Kazahaya's face.
"What you've got to do is come home and make sure he doesn't leave. I believe you're the only one who can make him stay Rikuo. The two of you are parts of one whole, you need each other. Separate, you both falter and the kid's going down fast. You need to be here to catch him and pull him back up." Saiga reached out and stroked Kakei's jaw as he spoke. The words were easy because it not only described the boys but he and Kakei as well.
"I'll be there. I'll definitely come home because I need him." Rikuo admitted.
"Good, now listen, this is how we're going to get you inside without being seen. It shouldn't be too hard since they're only watching the front of the store still but we should be careful anyway." Saiga explained the plan and they agreed on the best time for him to show up. The next day would be the beginning of the end for Osawa and friends.
Shane had followed Rick expecting to find out what the boy was up to and was surprised when he didn't leave the building but broke into an empty apartment. He couldn't figure out why the boy would need such privacy unless he was meeting someone but after fifteen minutes of watching the apartment, no one showed up. Shane decided to go the door to see if he could hear what was going on.
He could just barely hear Rick's voice but couldn't hear anyone else's. Was he on a phone? Shane couldn't remember seeing Rick with a cell phone but he had to be talking to somebody. Cautiously he opened the door just a crack, so he could hear better.
Shane began to smile as he heard Rick's side of the conversation. Rick was definitely after Osawa, just as he was! Apparently there were others too, somebody was helping Rick. And something would be going down soon and Shane planned on being there. He was going to listen to the entire conversation but then it turned personal and Shane closed the door. He had the information he needed and in just forty-eight hours, Osawa would get his. Shane went back upstairs; he had his own plans to make…