A/N: The underlined bold text is from the letter Ao sent Ryouta when he left him. There will be more to this letter in later chapters. Again thank you so much for the reviews and the feedback. It's like a writers fuel to write more, so keep em' coming. Even if it's to chastise me, which many are inboxing me doing for breaking Aokise up in the first place. XD Anyway! Enjoy!

Frozen: Fissure

Kise woke up that morning feeling utterly exhausted. The party he attended the evening before lasted too long, and the drinks they served gave him a pounding hangover. He rolled off the bed and yawned, walking towards the shower.

The apartment Nakamura rented was modest, but in a prime place. Kise spent his days filming, and his nights socializing with the A-list of Hollywood. The night life of L.A almost matched New York and the buzzing city clung to him immediately. A foreigner with perfect English, and a "money making face". The producers clawed at him hungrily, lining him up for television appearances, auditions for two more movies in Japan, and one more in the U.S. Kise's life ambitions unfolded before him: and yet- his unhappiness overwhelmed him.

He drank to numb the memories of the last seven years, but mornings like this one remained etched in his mind. When he lived in Tokyo, Aomine would roll Kise out of bed and make him breakfast nagging him the whole time.

"Come on!" Aomine would grumble, pulling him out of their warm bed. "Stop whining it's your own fault for drinking so much!"After all the scolding, Aomine would make him the strongest coffee-aspirin combo, and push him out the door for work.

Kise chuckled and trudged over to the shower.

The apartment had about a quarter of the space compared to the condo. He loved the bay view windows looking over the city, and the way the sun set slowly in pink hues. The people seemed nice, he loved the movie and the cast. He'd made friends, professional acquaintances, and cemented his presence in Hollywood.

But... Kise missed his home. He yearned for the crowded trains- the skyscrapers- his condo- his friends, and-

Aomine.

His heart ached like a raw wound. Why did the image of Aomine's face pain him so much? All the wonderful memories, yet one nestled in his mind and gut.

"To stop loving you would be a better option... " And the scene unfolded of Aomine walking out on him. Leaving him. His heart thudding, and gradually slowing to a coma dull.

Why didn't I go after him?

That bothered him the most. As Aomine left shutting the door behind him, Kise did not move. He stood and gaped, as if frozen in frigid ice.

The agony in Aomine's eyes.

Kise was doing something he'd never thought possible...breaking Aomine. Wearing down the heart of the man he loved unconditionally.

When Aomine found out he could not play professional basketball, those were dark times...those times when Kise thought he'd lost him. The depression engulfed him like the wave heavy Pacific. He did not eat. He barely slept. His heart was bruised, and his ego was stained black. Indeed. Those were dark times.

The look in Aomine's eye that day, titered that same emptiness. Kise knew Aomine in America would not be happy. Kise could not stand to see his lover as an empty vessel.

"Leaving then," he said with no one there to answer.

"Oi! Just go idiot!"

Kise smiled heading out the door.

He stepped on the set that afternoon feeling sluggish. The "hangover combo" Kise made had a bit too much aspirin.

"You alright Kise-san?" A short red-head named Jamie touched his shoulder tilting her head curiously.

"I'm fine." Kise yawned loudly. "Long night," he replied honestly.

"These bags are getting worse," Jamie said dabbing concealer. She was the lead cosmetologist for the movie, and one of the few friends Kise made in America. "Do you have to go out every night?"

Truthfully, no; but declining meant brooding in the house alone, recounting his mistakes, and reading the letter Ao sent him for the hundredth time.

Ryouta,

Understand that I want only happiness for you. I see the man you've grown into, and I don't love him less.

Kise shook his head, and turned towards Jamie smiling gently.

"I'm sorry. I'll take better care," he replied.

"Please do. Can't have our star looking tired," Nakamura cut in, with his hard and choppy English.

"What would you do without me?"

"Replace you of course." He replied seriously.

Kise turned to him affronted. He raised his eyebrow.

"These Americans can't tell us apart," Nakamura said in Japanese. His mischievous grin made Kise laugh fully for the first time in months.

"I'll be right back," Jamie told them. She headed to her van to get cutting scissors for Kise's split ends.

Kise watched her bounce away, until Nakamura-sensei obstructed his peripheral.

"Have you given any thought to what I asked you Kise-san?" Nakamura asked. . His high tenor Japanese made Kise's ears perk.

"I did," Kise responded quietly.

"And?" His voiced hinged with eagerness. Nakamura wanted him to stay in LA to work on a project with another director. After watching Kise's scenes he requested him immediately. It was the first role that he did not have to audition for.

"I'm not sure. My home is Tokyo." Staying here for a year was one thing, but ambiguity made Kise apprehensive.

"Move here," Nakamura suggested immediately. "After this movie you'll have more than enough to buy a home here. Do you own property in Tokyo?" Nakamura had a home in LA and in Tokyo, commuting back and forth often.

However, the man you've become and I want different things.

Kise's non-committal shrug left Nakamura frowning.

"Well whatever the situation is, you can always sell and move here permanently."

Kise and Aomine never discussed what would happen to the condo if they broke up. It was never a thought that crossed either of their minds. Kise assumed his stay in America was temporary, so he never asked about selling the condo and splitting the profit before he left.

…Or maybe...Aomine would want to keep it for himself? He was not like Kise who always preferred men. Aomine liked women. Now that they broke up, he could find a woman, get married, and have children.

Have a real family.

"Another thing-" Nakamura said offhandedly.

Kise looked up at Nakamura, jolted out of his musings.

"What are you doing Saturday night?"

"Nothing…" Kise replied. "Well- nothing set in stone. I'll probably hang out."

Nakamura shook his head.

"I want you to come to a première with me." His tenor voice was clear and commanding, the whimsical more alluring than weak.

"A premiere?" Kise asked excitedly. "For a movie?!"

"Of course for a movie. It's the new Dunhere film. We produced a movie together before. I scored an invite," he told Kise smugly.

Kise found it difficult to speak. His body outwardly spasmed thinking about all the celebrities, the red carpet, the pictures, the networking. Dunhere was the top director in Hollywood! Even the A-listers wanted to star in his movies. He inwardly squealed as the rush elated him.

This man wants fame and notoriety, and I can't give you that. I can only be Daiki. I can't give you the type of happiness you crave and deserve.

Aomine's words pierced his joy like a sword.

"Is this what I truly want?" Kise's gaiety forced him to think.

"So the limo will be at your apartment at seven. Jamie is going to send some tuxes over for you to try on and help you prepare."

But I won't hold you back. Live your dream Ryouta. Live it like I lived mine. Work the hardest you can, and find happiness.

Kise nodded grinning despite his inward struggle. He could still pretend, and that was something.

Nakamura turned without saying goodbye- as customary-walking away from the salon chair. Before he got too far Kise hopped up after him.

"Nakamura-san!" Kise called grabbing his wrist. He looked a bit sheepish standing in front of the slightly shorter man. "T-thank you," Kise said pulling his hand away with a slight bow.

Nakamura beamed. A rare smile.

"You're welcome...Ryouta," Nakamura replied.

His voice made Kise feel doused in apprehension. Nakamura turned to walk away and he stood feeling heated. His cheeks burned hearing Nakamura call his name so comfortably. He moved back to the chair staring in the adjacent mirror .

God! Why am I…

Jamie walked over to him with her heels clicking against the granite floor. She faced him and frowned.

"Why is your face so red?!" She exclaimed. She felt Kise's forehead looking worried, and grabbed the full powder brush.

Kise blushed harder hearing her fret about his coloring. He swatted the brush from his face and shook his head.

"I'm fine-" He laughed to clear off the nerves and grabbed his water drinking thirstily. What was that? That feeling he felt with Nakamura-sensei. He felt...aroused, just from Nakamura calling him by his first name, and it was for the first time in months. "I'm fine," Kise said again standing up. "Just a bit flushed." He exhaled walking on to the set.