It was possible that he had never been truly happy before. He wouldn't be very shocked if that were the case. Indeed, up until he met that man, his life had been dull and insipid. A simple existence, one nearly identical with many of his peers. There was no grand dream, no fated destiny. Just him, trudging up that familiar path, well beaten by the spirits of countless others who listlessly drifted through life like him. He hadn't questioned it, hadn't even thought about it all that hard, really. What was wrong with a normal life? It was okay, right?

Asami had changed that.

In an instant, he had brought color into the world. The deep scarlet of blood, the sickening yellow of fat, the blushing pink of muscles, and the stark white of bone. These colors had colored his world. They had spoken to him, all alone in his monochrome life. He had learned what true thrills felt like. And he had learned what love felt like. This love was not the weakly burning candle he held for the occasional girl, born from little more than physical attraction. This love was a bonfire in his soul, consuming him. He would do anything, say anything for this love. This love gave him purpose, and for that purpose he would commit any sin, orchestrate any crime.

He smiled at himself in the mirror, flashing pearly whites. Slowly, carefully, he slicked on the lipstick, accenting his full lips.

Bright red, painted lips smirked back, arching wide. Crimson...the first color that had entered his tiny world.

The eyes were always watching. Mari shivered under the cold and analytical gazes. He felt like a specimen, exposed utterly under a microscope, unable to see his captors, but acutely aware of their intentions.

It was for his own good, the letter, printed on expensive card stock and smelling of Dunhills, had said. The same letter that had arrived along with two hulking guards. Really, it wasn't hard to guess who it had come from. Who else could do such a thing but Asami Ryuichi? But no explanation ever came forth. No second letter, stating why he needed these men shadowing his every step. For days and then weeks, he lived normally, minus the fact that eyes tracked him everywhere he went.

Then, the rumors started. An extensive gossip network existed around Asami Ryuichi, and who could be shocked, with now mysterious the man was? But this rumor was different. It was...disturbing. Apparently, some crazy bitch was making the rounds, offing people. People that came from radically different walks of life, men, women, whores, models, lawyers. And all of them only held one thing in common: the former title of "Asami Ryuichi's lover". And, if rumors were to be believed, Asami himself had been cornered enough that he had actually begin hiring guards for his former lovers.

Goosebumps prickled on his arms, burning from the stares. Pushing aside his unease and praising the fact that suits covered the arms, he smiled at his customer. The girl had barely noticed his inattentiveness, waving her hands as she spoke animatedly. The expensive wine sloshed around in her delicate wine glass, glittering prettily.

As the hand on his watch hit eight, he coughed politely. Instantly her hands stilled, and then lowered. She pouted, showing off that orange lipstick that most certainly did not suit her. "Is it time already?"

"I'm sorry, I'd let you stay if I could, but I've another client coming soon." He smiled apologetically, suppressing the impatience that bubbled inside of him. Leave.

Two minutes after the girl left, Akira entered. Sitting up, Nari straightened his suit jacket. Out of all his clients, Akira was undoubtedly the best. She was a breath of fresh air compared to the shallow bitches that often called for him. And for her to be his last client of the night was a stroke of good luck.

"Konbawa, Nari-san." She approached him politely, her always-immaculate black hair swinging with every step. Tonight she had abandoned her typical peachy lipstick for something a bit more daring. Bold red coated her lips.

Almost immediately, Nari felt his inner tension ebb. The gazes were still there, pressing against his consciousness, but somehow Akira just made it better. "Akira-chan, it's so nice to see you again. You look lovely tonight."

Faithfully, petal pink spread across her cheeks as hazel eyes cast downwards. "Thank you." She carefully sat down on the plush couch.

Nari frowned in concern. Upon first glance, the girl seemed as composed as ever. However...something was off. "Is anything wrong today?" He asked, keeping his voice gentle, kind. If he had learned anything in a month of knowing this girl, it was that pushing was never an option. Akira was as skittish as a rabbit, and had most likely summoned up all her courage just to enter a host club and talk to a host.

Her hands trembled ever-so-slightly as she brought them together in her lap. "Not really..."

Lies. His brow furrowed. What could possibly induce unassuming, honest Akira to lie? "You know, you can tell me anything...unless you don't trust me." He was not above using a bit of manipulation when push came to shove.

"No!" Her head shot up. "I do trust you! I promise! It's just-" Her voice cut off as she looked down, biting her lower lip.

"Then won't you tell me what's wrong? It makes me sad to see you so nervous..."

She looked at her hands, tightly clasped. "...there's a man following me." She whispered, scooting closer so that he could hear her clearly. Tears of fear welled up.

For a second, his heart stuttered. "What?" He asked, half incredulous. "How do you know?"

"I've been getting letters. They started out weird, but harmless, you know? Just little notes, saying stuff like 'I love you' or 'You're beautiful'. But then," Her breath hitched. "It got weirder. He started sending me longer letters, and they all started talking about things that I had been doing during the day! Like 'You looked lovely in the mall today' and 'That dress you wore was stunning'."

"You have to go to the police!" He whispered harshly, looking at her with incredulous eyes.

She shook her head. "No, I thought about it once, but he threatened to kill and rape me if…if I went. That's why…I just need someone to escort me home today, you know?"

There was no question in his mind. "Of course I will." He softened his voice. "But this can't go on forever, you know. It's dangerous!"

"I'll figure something out." She promised. "But, for at least today, could you just take me home? I know I'm your last customer, and I'd hate to bother you but…"

Standing up, he kindly lent a hand. "We can go right now if you want; you're obviously in quite a nervous state of mind anyways. I'm sure you'll feel better at home."

With a grateful smile, she took the proffered hand and held it tightly as they walked out, with him informing the boss that the customer wasn't feeling well and that he had to escort her home. Stepping out and away from the building, he relished the feeling of lightness. It was almost as if the eyes were gone…such was the miracle of Akira.

As they strode by a dumpster settled in a dark corner outside, her eyes looked at the puddle of suspiciously red liquid dripping out. Her lips curled up demurely, crimson gleaming in the light of the streetlamps.

Aki sighed; it was such a beautiful sight. The way the victim squirmed, crying out for mercy as desperation kicked in. How cute. Nari's naked body trembled like a leaf on top of the tarp that protected the pristine white bed sheets, his muscles tensed in utter fear. His eyes darted all around the room like a helpless, caged animal in front of a predator. The familiar thrill of adrenaline racing through Aki's veins was almost double this time. It ran with the constant thrum of his heart, his eyes practically aglow with the demented mirth of another victim. This one was special. Very special. Not only would he get to die for the honorable cause of Akihito's love, he would even contribute to step two of his masterful plan. Really, it was a privilege.

"I've been waiting a very long time for this my little Nari."

Aki began to run his slender, cold as ice fingers over Nari's fear flushed body, tracing the light definitions of his muscles absentmindedly. His body writhed, trying to get away from Aki's hands.

"You see, you're the only thing between me and my husband's happy eternity together now. The only thing living to separate us, keeping our undying love for each other apart."

The smooth, almost comforting strokes of Aki's fingers contrasted with the psychotic glint in his sparkling blue eyes. His once silky voice twisted into a nasty snarl, his strokes stopping as his blunt fingernails dug into Nari's soft flesh.

"It's a good thing you won't be alive for long."

He bent down beside the bed and reached into his bag, pulling out what he would need. He watched Nari's face drain of color, eyes almost rolling to the back of his head as the harsh fluorescent light of the room glinted off the needle Aki had brought up. Grinning Aki sat down beside him on the bed crisscross, giving him a gentle pat as Nari's body strained against his bonds. His delicate wrists bound on top of his flat, tanned stomach with his ankles bound together.

"Oh don't act so surprised, I'm sure you knew I'd get to you eventually. Watched as everyone else started to die. Knowing deep down that your turn was coming, the time for you to pay for your whorish sins."

With that he grabbed Nari's body by the waist and flipped him over onto his stomach in one rough move. Nari began to sob behind his gag, big crocodile tears streaming from his jade green eyes. He began to let out shrill shrieks of terror as he tried hopelessly to get away.

"MMMPPPHHH! MMMMM!"

Nari's horrified screams were muffled by his rag gag as he wrenched his head back to watch Aki's every move over his shoulder.

"Don't worry Nari, this will be absolutely fantastic..." Aki's taunting grin spread even further across his face as he spread Nari's legs wide. He sat crisscross once again on top of his legs, pinning them apart with his bent knees.

"For me at least~"

With that Aki picked up his matchbox and struck one, watching Nari flinch at the sight of it roaring to life. Keeping the needle in plain view of Nari, Aki held the match under it, letting the flame's curling tendrils lick at the thin metal. He let it heat the already threaded needle until the flame was close to his finger, and then he carelessly dropped it. The match fluttered down, landing on the small of Nari's back that was wet with a small sheen of sweat. Aki watched it with fascination as it stayed lit for a split second, then let out a hiss as it died out to a single ember.

"UHHHHHHHHHPPPPHHH!"

Nari let out a single wail as an angry red welt began to bloom, his body too shocked to struggle. How pathetic. Aki hadn't even gotten to the pain yet.

"You'll have to hold still Nari, I want this to look absolutely perfect for my husband. Show him what a perfect little housewife I can be, sewing up any dirty holes."

The sadistic words added fuel to Nari's escapee attempts, his body squirming with renewed vigor, biceps straining to get his hands free as he uselessly tried to kick. Aki waited until his movements died down, the stress of straining against his bonds for this long taking a toll on Nari as he slumped down in exhausted defeat. Making work of his still canvas, Aki quickly got to work.

The way Aki had Nari's legs pinned open allowed full access to his sloppily loose hole, his poor legs close to being in a split. Aki guided the needle to Nari's delicate ring, stretched out in a permanent 'O' due to its frequent use. Who would've thought that the head host of such a prestigious club was really a slutty bottom? He didn't even have to hold it open as he brought the needle down into his hole, about half an inch deep. He watched in fascination as the needle punctured the pink flesh of his anal wall, slowly disappearing as he shoved it up deeper and deeper. He didn't stop until the sharp point speared completely through, coming up a few centimeters away from the opening. He continued to thread it through until he had enough thread to go across the small crater, and repeat. On the opposite side he did the inverse of that, jabbing the needle down beside his ring, angling it to where it came out the delicate wall of his anus. His first stitch complete, he marveled at the sheer look of it. A single line of what once was pure white thread was now stained with Nari's blood, turning it a reddish pink. Aki was entranced as small beads of blood welled up around the thread, staining that part a deeper Crimson. Most of the blood trickled down his hole, funneling into his bowls. So Aki continued, repeating the brutal process over and over again, every meticulous stitch planned. He would change direction every so often, making sure when he was done it looked like a patched hole, sadistically dyed with Nari's own blood.

Hours passed, sweat forming on Aki's delicately arched brow as he hunched over Nari's ass, sewing with perfection. Whimpers poured out of Nari's mouth constantly, blurring together with groans of pain. Every once in a while weak tremors would go through his body, making Aki pause and smirk at his work until Nari was done, slumping back on to the tarp. Aki pulled the needle up through the edge of his ring once more, finishing his latch stitch. He pulled until the line of thread was taunt, but not pulling the whole closed any, then snipped the end with scissors. Just like all his other stitches, they simply covered the hole, not tight enough to bring it together. Not yet at least.

It was truly a masterpiece.

You could no longer see into his slutty abyss, covered over with thread. Aki was bewitched with the way it looked, the outer part of the circle a deep crimson, appearing almost black from the constant blood seeping out, then fading slowly until it reached the light center. Perfect.

But he wasn't nearly done.

The incredulous amount of stitching, the distance from the edge of his asshole, and the act of not actually sewing the hole together was purposeful. Aki grabbed the end of the thread, tying it triple to make it sturdy, and wrapped it all around his hand.

With a look that was far past sanity and eyes gleaming with the feverish dedication of a zealot, Aki gave the thread one tremendous, merciless jerk. He placed his other hand on Nari's backside for leverage as he wrenched his arm back. He watched as the hole was brutally closed, some of the thread stitches tearing through his anus to the center, others just ripping cuts into it. Aki could hear the sound of them slicing through, some of the thread snapping. Nari's whole body spasmed at the searing pain, his back arching and head snapping back to let out one silent scream of torturous agony. Once it was completely stitched up, most of his anus pinched closed by thread, Aki straightened up, cutting the extra thread away. He tied it off, a single, pure white bow resting at the bottom of the vicious abuse. He patted one of Nari's buttocks in false comfort, making a mocking noise of sympathy.

Ryuichi will love it.

He got off the bed to crouch near Nari's weeping face, stretching out his stiff muscles that ached from the held position. His hand was still numb from the constant sewing.

"Nari, you make such a beautiful little canvas. You should thank me, really. After all, I'm the one who made your sluthole all nice and tight again."

He let out a humorless laugh as Nari only let out a choked sob, sweaty chestnut hair plastered to his forehead.

"Don't think we're done yet though, that was just child's play, now it's time for you to pay." He snickered at his own unintentional rhyme.

He once again reached onto the bed to get his needle, then in his bag to get the spool of thread. He smoothly put the white thread through the eye of the needle, right in front of Nari's terrified gaze. After it was secure he smiled, looking him right in the eye.

"This is just for extra precaution; we don't want people to hear your pathetic cries and come in, do we? Unfortunately, I've found that most whores are absolute screamers." His lips twisted in dainty disgust.

Aki then shoved the rag all the way into Nari's small mouth, making him heave as it reached the back of his throat. Aki brought the needle up to his mouth and the struggle began. Nari shook his head side to side, desperate to avoid his next action, only to pause when Aki landed one single, stingingly sharp smack to his face. A delicate white handprint appeared on his cheek before it shifted to a harsh red.

"Listen," Aki snarled as he waved the needle in front of his eyes. "This is going to happen one way or another, and I seriously don't think you want to be flailing like that with a needle in your face."

Nari went shock still at that, paralyzed from fear he didn't make as much as a whimper. When Aki was sure Nari wouldn't move he grabbed his full lips in between his thumb and index fingers, bringing the needle back up. He shoved the needle in and through his bottom lip at the very corner, watching Nari's face scrunch in pain and tears pour out in a constant little rivulets. He then angled it to come out the top lip, over and over again. This time he did widely spaced stitches, making Nari look like something out of a horror movie as his mouth oozed blood.

Once again Aki slipped behind Nari and without so much as a warning he shoved his needle into one of his testicles, using it as a pincushion. Nari didn't even move, his body frantically launching itself into a state of shutdown. However he was still capable of feeling pain, Aki could tell by the way his eyes would glaze over in agony, a look of utter defeat on his face. He then came to stand where Nari's stomach laid on the tarp, his unblemished, tan back facing up. He reached into his bag for the last time, pulling out a sharp knife.

"You know, some people might think I'm crazy, killing all my beloved's lovers. I mean, why would I go through the trouble? Well I'll tell you Nari. All of you whores were just that. Whores. Worthless, dirty, cheap, playthings. So desperate that you would break up the one thing you could never get: love." His voice was icy and determined.

As the boy rambled on to the sound of Nari's muffled screams, he placed the knife at the nape of Nari's neck, dragging it down all the way down to the top of his butt crack in one single, deep slice. He applied enough pressure to cut through his skin, but not far enough down to sever any muscles. Immediately blood began to spill over the sides of the wound. Aki smirked, calmly continuing his speech.

"You all are nothing but cowards. So pathetic you couldn't get your own man, but had to steal mine. Mine. Always taking other people's things and never getting your own. So I am going to treat you just like you are, just like all of you were. Spineless."

As soon as the word left his lips Aki dug his fingers into the cut, hearing the squelch as warm blood rose up and around his intruding fingers. It was warm as it welled up. It covered Aki's hands, staining them a crimson just like this kill would stain his heart. Taint the once pure, innocent organ a pitch black. Then Aki ripped his skin apart, exposing the muscles and tissues underneath as the sound of the vicious tear filled the room, making the glow in Aki's eyes grow brighter in a true sign of a complete psychopath. Blood splattered all over the tarp, covering Aki and Nari in droplets as well. Knowing he didn't have much time, Akihito quickly pushed aside Nari's trapezius and other back muscles, which were still tensing as Nari stiffened from the indescribable pain. He gave a crazed giggle, fascinated as the muscle fibers physically pushed back against his roaming hands. Finally reaching his destination, Aki gripped Nari's spine with both hands. He only paused for just a moment, enough time to give Nari a psychotic smirk, his blue eyes meeting the glazed green eyes that were still wide open with horror. With that Aki used all his force and ripped Nari's spine up through the slit. A deep crack reverberated throughout the apartment as Nari's spine gave way and split around the 19th vertebrae. The bones came up, stiff and sharp, the spinal cord a slippery middle. Aki could hear a faint cry come from behind Nari's seen shut lips, and felt the vibrating groan that drug out across his body. He left the detached spine hanging out across his back, intent on watching as the life in Nari's eyes faded, eyelashes slowly fluttering closed as he drew in and let out his breath through his nose.

And that was it. Aki stood overtop Nari's lifeless body, gazing down at the gory scene as he felt a truly indescribable feeling overtake him. It was a feeling of immense pleasure, a deep satisfaction that he had never felt before. The one standing in his and his lover's way was gone, his blood still cooling on Aki's hands, all up his forearms. Marking Aki, a visible show of the love he had for his husband. A cruel smile spread across his face.

All mine.