Hello! I'm finally back with a nice long update. I'm really glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story so much and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. It's just going kind of slowly is all. I hope you enjoy this next installment though at almost 5k words and that it's enough to satisfy you until I can upload the next chapter. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3

It was dark.

The air was stale and there was a distinct odor that permeated throughout the enclosed space.

Ogata nodded in and out of consciousness as he tried to get a grip of his surroundings. Unaware of how long he had been there, he had been tied to a metal chair and promptly left to rot. He remembered being in that large office now, Asami's office, with the large expanse of windows and he had said he would be coming. Three hours. That's what he said.

Ogata looked much more alert as he finally realized he did not have any indication of time passed. Looking around frantically, his dark eyes were wide with terror and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He began tugging at his restraints as he desperately tried to free himself. Any fate would be favorable in comparison to what Asami would do to him.

Then man was as ruthless as he was charming, it made Ogata's blood freeze as he imagined the terrible things that were planned for him. Letting out a low moan of anguish as he realized he wouldn't be coming loose, Ogata squeezed his eyes shut and began wishing for an out, hoping that by some miracle he would get out before Asami arrived.

It was only a moment later when he heard it. The sound was loud, slow, the distinct shrill of metal scraping, scraping on what?

Slowly peeling his eyes open, Ogata peered into the darkness, trying to locate the source of the sound before realizing it was getting louder. It wasn't long before a figure appeared, who exactly he was unable to determine as they were partially hidden in the shadows.

Ogata gulped as he realized the source of the sound was a long blade being dragged across the concrete floor and he tried to keep himself from whimpering, understanding it was too late for miracles. Too late for second chances.

As the figure drew nearer Ogata began shaking his head from side to side as tears started to cascade down his cheeks of their own free will, he began a quiet mantra of, "No, no, no" getting louder as the figure drew closer. Before he knew it they were standing before him and Ogata looked up one final time into the face of his executioner, a mixture of fear, regret and desperation present in his eyes as he strained to see who it was.

It was over in a flash, a glimpse of a face, distorted by shadows and covered in grime, the last thing that he saw was the crystal blue orb staring hatefully into his own.

A final gasp of shock came from his lips, his life ended instantly as the blade sticking from the back of his head began to create small pools of red in the folds of his neck, his parted lips twisted into one final grin as he died, his psyche having been shattered once and for all.

The blade slowly retracted from him, pulling small chunks of flesh, muscle and even chips of bone with it as the figure stepped back with a small, satisfied smirk before turning on their heel, leaving no evidence of their presence other than the dead man sitting in the middle of the room.

Pissed.

That wasn't good enough a word to describe the turbulent feeling in Asami as he stared coldly at Ogata's dead body, now getting cold as blood dried around the gaping wound in the middle of his head. He flexed his fingers once, twice, and curled them into a hard fist as his eyes became murderous.

Someone was going to die that night, no matter what. If it wasn't going to be Ogata, it would be the man who stole his kill from him.

Asami turned to his ever-loyal secretary who was busily typing away on a small tablet as he talked quietly into his phone. Making brief eye contact, Kirishima quickly ended the call before presenting Asami with the tablet, his face grim.

"It seems whoever it was left virtually no evidence. The surveillance feed from surrounding areas was cut and no weapons or indications of his presence was found. Asami-sama, if I may," Kirishima cleared his throat before he continued, "This kill was very similar to those Ogata reported when he first came to you. While Takaba Akihito has been cleared, it is entirely possible that Ogata was indeed being stalked and that the true culprit came to finish the deed when Ogata was alone and most vulnerable. Which would mean we are being monitored as well. The location of the warehouse was top secret and no one would have known other than myself and Suoh, aside from you of course."

Kirishima pushed his glasses up with his index finger as Asami's face grew colder with each word that passed his lips. The news wasn't just bad, it was potentially detrimental as a new threat appeared on the horizon. Asami was not the type to take these lightly and Kirishima knew that there would not be much rest or peace for any of the men until this mystery assassin was caught and delivered to Asami giftwrapped with a bow.

Hoping to appease the seething man, Kirishima cleared his throat once more before reaching into his pocket, "Asami-sama, I was unable to deliver this to you earlier. Here." He pushed the small rectangular card into the large palm, "It's the contact information for Takaba-sama. I also did what you requested and monitored the boy's actions, he seemed completely normal and I could not detect any nervousness or indication that he was lying or hiding something. When I spoke with him I informed him you were looking to hire a photographer for an event which I did not specify. With your permission I would like to arrange a suitable event in which to bring him in under."

Asami reached into his pocket and packed the box of Dunhills against his palm as he shook one out, placing it between his lips where Kirishima quickly lit it for him. Taking in a long drag Asami flicked his ash before gesturing his hand at Kirishima, prompting him to continue.

"The construction for the new lounge in Sion has almost reached completion. Takaba-sama could photograph the grand opening which will then open him to the opportunity to photograph other properties and future events. It secures the excuse to create a long term business relationship with Takaba-sama as well as covers the issue of publicity regarding the opening."

Asami let out a soft "Hnn" around his cigarette as he looked back towards the corpse before him. Kirishima followed his gaze and swallowed back bile at the brutal scene before him. Asami took a final drag of his cigarette as the cherry stared to fade and dropped it to the floor, quickly stubbing it with his expensive loafer before sliding his hands into his pockets and turning towards Kirishima, "I will contact Takaba personally. See to it that the arrangements are made for the rest of the event. And see to it that this mess is taken care of," Asami looked towards to body once more out of the corner of his eye before snapping his hard gaze back on Kirishima, "Keep looking for who did this. Whoever it was had to leave something behind and it will be found. As soon as you have something inform me."

Asami began walking away, leaving Kirishima to do what he does best as frustration pounded through his veins. No one attempted to defraud Asami Ryuichi and those that did were crushed in an instant, so how did this one, seemingly insignificant person manage to deceive him with so little effort? Clenching his hand, Asami's golden eyes were practically ablaze as he exited the warehouse and swiftly entered the waiting limo, pulling out another cigarette in an attempt to occupy himself from the urge of violence.

As he reached into his pocket to retrieve his lighter his hand brushed something else and he pulled out the small grey business card and instantly his entire demeanor changed. His threatening aura was gone and Asami smirked as he looked over the card, thinking of the striking blonde to whom it belonged.

Without a second thought Asami pulled his phone from his pocket and began dialing the number indicated on the card.

As his thumb hovered over the call button Asami was jolted from his task as a rapid knocking on the window the limousine caught his attention. Lowering it slowly, Asami's eyes met Kirishima's who's seemed to be glowing with excitement.

"Sir, we found something."

Akihito woke in a cold sweat, a pulsing sensation throughout his whole body as his eyes darted frantically around the dim room. It was dark outside, he could see the night sky peeking from behind his curtains, but what time was it? How did he get here?

Rolling onto his back and spread fully across his small bed, Akihito tried to form some sense of time as his memories came back to him fuzzily, one after the other.

There was the park, that's right. He had been taking pictures, there was a family playing with their dog and…oh yeah, that man with the glasses.

Licking his dry lips, Akihito tried to form his thoughts through the fog as he vaguely recalled returning home and starting to cook dinner. He'd been halfway done and was peeling potatoes while humming along to the theme of some TV show he had on in the background when he had heard yelling.

It had been his neighbors again, the couple was young but the husband was an absolute drunk. He had seen the wife on several occasions in the building, passing by with an awkward smile as he tried to ignore the bruise on her face and her eyes desperately pleaded he didn't point it out. Akihito had spent many nights trying to drown out the noise of his abuse with television and music but tonight had been louder than usual.

Shaking his head slowly as he tried once more to clear the thick fog diluting his senses, Akihito sat up slowly and looked down at himself tangled up in his sheets. Awkwardly struggling to free himself, Akihito instead rolled to the side and promptly fell on his ass on the floor, the sheet coming with him instead of remaining on the bed. Rolling his eyes he finally freed himself before shuffling into the bathroom and flipping the light switch as he entered.

Akihito stared at himself in the mirror and had to grab the sides of the sink to steady himself as a wave of nausea hit, a fun side effect along with pounding headaches and the occasional minor injury.

He looked like shit.

There were dark circles under his normally shining eyes which now look flat and dull. He must have blacked out, it happened on occasion and he would normally wake up in bed, covered in dirt and sweat and looking thoroughly exhausted as he was now.

Peeling his clothing off his still damp skin, Akihito shuddered at the sudden rush of cool air and turned to his shower hoping the hot water would be working tonight.

As if luck was on his side, Akihito stepped in to the steaming box and practically moaned in pleasure as the warm water began beating on his back. Enjoying the spray, Akihito closed his eyes and tried once more to gather his thoughts as his mind finally began to truly clear up.

After he heard the fighting he had finished cooking his dinner and sat on his couch to watch a movie while he ate. He was crouching on the floor browsing his large collection of horror and…that was it. That must have been the moment he blacked out.

As if on cue Akihito's stomach rumbled in an attempt to remind him that he in fact must not have eaten his dinner.

Rolling his eyes Akihito quickly bathed himself, relishing in the warm spray and the scent of his shampoo before turning the water off and stepping out into the unforgiving cold air once more. With a soft sigh Akihito bundled himself in a robe and began towel drying his hair as he realized he must have a left a window open in his apartment and the biting fall air was creating the chilly atmosphere. Stepping out into the living room Akihito looked around, quickly locating the window and shutting it with a resounding thud.

Looking around himself Akihito made a face at the sad state of his plate of untouched food on the small coffee table in front of his couch, but noted nothing else was out of the ordinary. Grateful he didn't wreak any havoc, he remembered once when he was younger having stayed the night at Kou's house. The other boy was unaware of Akihito's tendencies to roam after he blacked out and had been woken up by him straddling his hips and attempting to choke him.

They had laughed it off after the initial shock wore off, and after Akihito had been snapped out of it, and quickly blamed the event on the multiple brutal and violent movies they had watched earlier that evening. Since then Akihito had been careful about watching for signs of an oncoming attack, however sometimes they came without warning, as the case must have been earlier that evening.

Picking up the now cold plate Akihito disposed of the now cold food and looked at the small clock on his kitchen wall, realizing it was only 10 p.m. he excitedly rushed to his room and quickly dressed with the knowledge that he could make it to his favorite local sushi carry out before they closed.

As he slipped on his coat and gloves Akihito dug into his pocket to retrieve his keys, stepping outside of his apartment and turned to lock the door when he stopped, staring at the door knob.

"What the?" Akihito mumbled and he looked the small red smear standing out brightly from the silver door knob. Shaking his head, Akihito wondered if the drunk next door had hurt himself and tried to open the door to Akihito's place, thinking it was his own.

It wouldn't have been the first time and most likely wouldn't be the last, and Akihito was thankful that he always locked the apartment door now, even when he was home, and had installed a new shiny deadbolt a few months prior.

Quickly jamming the key into the lock and twisting it, Akihito smiled and began humming as he practically skipped down the stairs and out on to the sidewalk as he blended into the crowded walkway, all his worries forgotten.

It was two hours later when Akihito fell backwards onto his couch, thoroughly exhausted as he finished the last of his sushi and watched the end of the movie he had put on. However he was hardly watching it as he was too preoccupied glancing out the window every few moments.

The night had been going much better for him, he was almost home carrying more sushi than he could ever dream of and he salivated at the thought of stuffing his face while watching a good movie. It was when he was walking up to his apartment building that Akihito finally realized that he was being followed again.

Except it wasn't the same person this time. The car was black and unmarked, same as before, but they weren't as stealthy and hadn't done a very good job at attempting to blend in. In fact they practically drove alongside him his entire walk home. Shaking his head Akihito wondered what he had done to bring this on himself.

Deciding that there was nothing that could be done tonight he stood up and shut the curtains, effectively blocking them out of his view, and his mind, and carried his dishes into the kitchen before wandering to the front door and ensuring it was locked.

Humming nonsense to himself Akihito turned off the lights as he headed into his bedroom and fell facefirst on to his bed, enjoying the comforting feel of his pillows and blankets as he suddenly became much more tired than he thought he was.

Eyelids fluttering, Akihito slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, blissfully unaware of the second vehicle slowly pulling up outside of his apartment.

Asami smirked down at the small trinket in his hands, it was silver and circular with a small symbol in the middle. Attached to a small chain, Asami dangled it from lean fingers as he studied the strange symbol, unsure of what it meant. However excitement coursed through his veins at the thought that the small trinket belonged to this unknown assassin, which meant Asami was one step closer to determining who he was and killing him himself.

Smirking at the thought, Asami gently pocketed the small item and looked out the window to his left, letting his thoughts wander as he the shops and people whizzed by him. There was more work to do than focus on this man, and he realized that he was going to have to prioritize. He refused to let his legitimate business suffer at the fault of this man.

As the limo slowed to a stop at an intersection, Asami's eyes caught a blonde head of hair weaving in and out of the crowd, arms full of what appeared to be take-out, and smirked as he thought of the blonde in the photo sitting on his desk, his blonde, whether Takaba realized that or not, Asami had come to accept he was infatuated with him and would be very persistent in his endeavor.

Thoughts wandering to not so polite fantasies, Asami continued to focus on the blonde hurrying through the streets and narrowed his eyes as he began noticing similarities to this blonde and Takaba.

Too many similarities. It was practically a smack in the face when it finally hit Asami that it was Takaba walking down the street, carrying what seemed to be more than his own weight in take-out sushi.

Laughing softly to himself, Asami made a mental note regarding the boy's tastes and enjoyed the show as he watched him struggle through the crowd, clinging to his food as if it were his most prized possession and trying desperately not to trip over the throng of bodies.

Asami's eyes wandered downwards and began lingering on the plump ass that filled out his jeans rather nicely, smirking as his mind once more began to wander.

It was Kirishima in the passenger's seat who broke Asami out of his thoughts when the partition slowly rolled down and he began speaking, "Asami-sama, the warehouse has been cleaned and Ogata's body disposed of. Then men report nothing else found and that there were no disturbances either."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Asami began to let his thoughts wander once more before being interrupted once more as he noticed an unmarked black car slowly creeping up alongside the limo.

Ignoring it at first, Asami shook a cigarette from his box of Dunhills and began to light up when he watched the car beginning to move once more and followed it with his gaze, his eyes becoming murderous as he saw who exactly the car was following.

The blonde head looked over his shoulder a few times and Asami could see the discomfort and nervousness marring those bright blue eyes.

A sudden rush of anger welled up in him at the thought of someone attempting to hurt the boy. Putting the pieces together rather quickly, Asami realized it must have been Ogata's men, or at least what was left of them, out for revenge at the news of their boss' capture and subsequent death assumed at the hands of Asami.

However they were smart enough to know they would never be able to touch him, even if he had killed Ogata their attempts would have been in vain.

Takaba though, he was easy enough to blame and an even easier target, a self-aware one at that. Something Ogata and his men typically relished in when working.

"That car, it seems to be following an interest of mine." Asami's deep voice broke the silence in the limo and Suoh, tucked away in the driver's seat, quickly understood his boss' implications and began tailing the car.

The thought of satisfying his bloodlust made Asami's palms itch and he smirked as he thought of how exactly he was going to torture and kill the men they were now following.

It wasn't Ogata, but it would have to do for now.

As they pulled up across the street from a sketchy building in which Takaba quickly hurried into, Asami watched as the unmarked car pulled into the parking lot and parked right in front of what he presumed to be Takaba's apartment.

Shaking his head, Asami watched as the lights came on a few floors up and he saw the blonde boy once more as he looked out his window before moving away once more. The limousine was parked just far enough away for Asami to get a good view of the living room of Takaba's apartment and he watched as Takaba put in a movie and began scarfing down sushi as if he didn't even chew it.

Asami wouldn't have known Takaba was aware of the car watching him from the parking lot if it wasn't for the blonde head turning every so often and peeking out the window. It was also what kept him from moving in, knowing full well the boy was watching.

As he crossed his legs and watched the boy with fascination, Asami began to wonder why he didn't seem more worried that he was being followed. However the more he thought he considered that Takaba's profession had secured him several enemies and that stalking as a warning to back off was most likely a common occurrence. Something Takaba lived with every day, along with the myriad of threats he most likely received, idle or real.

Anger once more began pooling in Asami's stomach, much to his confusion. He was attracted to the boy, there was no doubt, and he was already determined that he would own him in some form. However this urge to protect him from these dangers was a feeling Asami was not used to, and one that made him question how deep his obsession with someone he had never even spoken to was exactly running.

As he mulled over his feelings, Asami assured himself that tomorrow he would make contact with the blonde. As if on cue, said blonde appeared once more at the window, standing there for a few moments before shutting the curtains with finality.

Smirking, Asami signaled to Suoh who quickly spoke into his phone in a low voice.

Asami reached into his pocket and pulled out the small business card once more, as he stared at the name in elegant black cursive, Takaba Akihito, and began letting his thoughts wander once more to the boy.

Within moments another black car pulled up and two of Asami's men quickly stepped out and went over to the parked vehicle containing Ogata's remaining men. Wrenching them free, Asami's men made quick work of knocking them unconscious and tossing the bodies into the trunk before pulling away as if they had never been there.

Asami ran his fingertips over the card once more, tracing one long elegant finger over the text as he spoke, "Suoh, have the men take them to warehouse nine. I'll deal with them at once."

With finality Asami pocketed the card once more as Suoh changed direction to the port district.

It was nearing eight in the morning when Asami finally stepped back, his sleeves rolled to his elbows and his jacket, vest and tie long gone. A few buttons at the top of his shirt were undone and his normally pristine hair began to fall loose as he reached up to run his large hand through it, small spatters of blood marred his otherwise perfect face and Asami looked every inch the ruthless crime lord he was described. The two men in front of him hardly recognizable due to the amount of punishment they had been through and blood pooled the floor surrounding their bodies. They each had one bullet to the forehead, a final shot of mercy Asami had finally given them after hours of brutal torture.

Kirishima stood on the sidelines and attempted to look anywhere but the bloody mess in front of him, pity instantly going out to the poor soul who would have to clean this mess.

Asami didn't usually get so violent when executing men. A single bullet to the head was the usual route, and on occasion Asami would use more convincing methods when extracting information, but Asami hardly ever used this extreme of methods. He was extremely pissed, and Kirishima began to wonder if it was due to his frustration at the assassin or if it was something else.

Shaking his head, Kirishima stepped forwards and offered Asami a small cloth which he gratefully took, wiping the smears of blood from his face as he turned on his heel and picked up his discarded clothing.

"Kirishima, see to it that this is cleaned up. I will be working from home today. Inform my driver that he will have the rest of the day off. Suoh and yourself as well once this is taken care of. Report to the penthouse tomorrow as per usual." Asami walked out of the warehouse and relished the feeling of the sun on his skin, watching is slowly ascend over the horizon before sliding into the backseat of the limousine, looking forward to a nice shower once he returned home.

Akihito woke the next morning and began his routine as normal.

He had work that day and began to get ready, brushing his teeth and dressing in a comfortable pair of jeans and one of his favorite t-shirts before heading into his darkened living space. Remembering his reason for closing the curtains the previous night, Akihito grabbed the edge and peeked hesitantly around it, relief instantly washing over him as he realized the car was now gone.

Shaking his head as he wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal, Akihito wondered if he was starting to become paranoid and that he possible had made up the car last night,

Halfway through his bowl, Akihito was in the middle of a large bite filled with sugary goodness when he glanced at the clock and dropped his spoon.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late!" Standing up and grabbing his camera bag, Akihito slipped on his shoes and picked up his keys which he realized felt lighter than normal.

Looking down at them small bundle in his hands, Akihito began accounting for all his keys before realizing his favored keychain was missing. Did he lose it last night when he went to get sushi? He couldn't remember but anguish began to pool in Akihito's stomach.

The keychain had been a gift from his mother when he turned ten. He was finally old enough to walk to and from school on his own and she had gotten him his own house key with the small keychain attached so that he didn't lose it.

It was one of the few things he had left and regret washed over him as he realized he didn't have time to go searching for it as he couldn't risk being late to work. Shaking his head Akihito convinced himself it wasn't a big deal, it was just a stupid keychain after all.

Blocking out the rising sadness in his chest, Akihito closed his door and locked it before heading downstairs to his Vespa and straddling it quickly as he began to instead focus on the tasks for the day ahead.

He was so enamored in his thoughts as he pulled out into traffic, Akihito completely forgot his bag which was left lying on the ground where he was once parked.

A.N. Okay okay I know they still haven't met but I PROMISE it's coming in the next chapter. I was going to include it in this chapter but it just felt awkward and forced and I don't want to rush their relationship or meeting, although I guess Asami is kind of already doing that for me. The next chapter however WILL be devoted to their meeting and the beginnings of their relationship building. I promise!