For the first time in 10 days, Kirishima felt like he had made the right choice, he knew the right choice in the first place would have been to risk his life and keep Akihito in the penthouse, but it was much too late for that.
The glass had already left his hands, they were all just waiting for the moment it hit the floor, and shattered into fragmented pieces, only once something broke completely could you pick up the pieces and try to put it back together. They were all waiting, waiting for that moment where Akihito would finally break. At the moment he was just a brittle vessel, desperately holding itself together.
Kirishima and Suoh had a deal, if this went wrong, he could finally put the call to Feilong.
Still, he looked at the three young men in the back of the limo, and hoped like hell Akihito's friends would have the effect him and Suoh were after.
He hoped that tonight, he would finally break in the company of his friends, so that Akihito's twisted tale would be one step closer to being over. That didn't say anything about Asami's own journey though, Kirishima knew his was just beginning. His boss was only just beginning to feel the pain of losing something you can't replace.
The question on everyone's mind was still unanswered. Why?
Kou, Takato and Sumewari looked grim as they sat in the back of the limo, Suoh had warned them during the ride on the way to Kirishima's apartment what to expect. It was only fair.
Only fair that they knew what they were getting themselves in for.
Only fair that they knew they would be seeing a shadow of their friend. No one should have to see that without warning.
Well, there was one person who should see it, needed to see it.
Asami Ryuichi needed to see what he had done.
He needed to see the fire he had smothered with his own two hands.
Akihito lay on the cold leather couch, resting his hands behind his head, looking at the blank white sealing. White was such a nice color, the color of nothingness.
He longed for the feeling where he could feel that nothingness. He wanted to drown in that nothingness, submerge in it, and drown his demons. His demons knew how to swim though, no matter how hard he fought to go all the way under, they would keep him afloat.
Afloat in memories, memories of golden eyes, all knowing and safe, memories of soft sheets and strong arms. Memories of fire.
How long had it been since he felt that fire? Something in the back of his mind told him it hadn't been long, a week or two maybe?
His body told him it had been forever though, his body, which now felt cold, a cold that rendered him bereft. Cold for too long. Feeling nothing was a lot better then feeling cold.
He kept wondering why the sun wouldn't warm him anymore. Why?
All he wanted to do was lay in that sun and feel the heat seep into his bones.
Distantly, as if his ears were filled with water, he heard voices enter the apartment, voices he knew, a lot of them. Maybe one of them was the voice he wanted to hear?
He sat up on the couch, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fleeting sun, and knew instantly it wasn't there. One could hope, couldn't they?
No, hope was the most painful emotion of all.
That, he didn't want to feel, but it was the only feeling left, soon, it would be frozen too. Soon.
He did know the faces though, and though they weren't the sun, they were still stars, giving off a little bit of light in the darkness.
He knew the stars should make him smile, like they always did in the past. So he tried to move his frozen face, tried to smile so that they couldn't see how cold he was.
"Hey guys." He tried to sound warm as Kirishima and Suoh walked in, followed by Kou, Takato and Sumewari.
Kirishima and Suoh knew, they knew instantly that their plan had failed. They knew the moment that Akihito tried to smile.
One of those heart wrenching smiles that shouted, 'I know, I'm a wreck, but please don't pity me.'
That cold attempt at a smile, those blank eyes, coupled with the colorful bruises on his face, and the stitches in his lip, it was all too much for Suoh to take. How was it possible to fix this?
"Alright Kei, call Feilong now."
Before Suoh even finished speaking, his friend had the phone to his ear.
"Kirishima, is the reason you're calling what I think it is?" came the sad voice from the other end.
"Yes…. It is. We… need your help Feilong."
"He really let him go?"
"He did."
"That stupid man, here I thought he was smarter then that. But he can't see the forest for the trees." Feilong sounded angry, and rightfully so.
Even he knew the truth of it all.
The Baishe leader sighed before continuing.
"What can I do?"
"Takaba, he asked to go to Hong Kong. Sad as it is, and as wrong as it is, you're probably the only person that can reach him now." Kirishima knew deep down, when he spoke those words that it was right. Oh how he wished it weren't, but Feilong was the only one who had been broken in such a way before. Feilong was the only person who knew how to put the pieces back together.
"Really, I should slit Asami's throat and take over Japan for his idiocy, he should have just left him with me in the first place if he was going to do this…. I will be in Tokyo in 3 days to pick him up."
Before Kirishima could reply to the irritated Chinese, he hung up.
"He's coming." Kirishima said to Suoh, who relaxed at hearing the words.
"Thank god for that."
The helpless pair turned to watch the scene before them. A tragic play, perfect in making the observers feel like the only thing they could do was stand and watch as the miserable scenes played out before them.
They watched as Sumewari stood clenching his fists, anger writ on his face as he looked down at his broken friend.
They saw as Kou and Takoto descended on the couch, their attempts to comfort their friend were in vain as Akihito smiled that sad attempt of a smile. They watched as Akihito put on the warmest face he could manage, they watched as he failed miserably, his cold eyes giving it all away, those eyes that knew no warmth, no fire.
They were powerless to change the plot no matter how hard they tried, and no matter how much they might not like it, they couldn't tear their eyes away from the events unfolding before them. All they could do was hope for a happy ending.
"Fuck this shit." Sumewari growled, making his way to the door.
"What are you doing Jun?" Suoh questioned.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to see Asami and tell him what he's done. I am gonna give him a piece of my mind. What sort of heartless bastard can do this to a person?"
"Don't be reckless Sumewari." Suoh responded gruffly.
"Reckless, don't talk me about reckless! You think I can just stand by and do nothing, while he looks like that?! I can't even fucking recognize him as the Akihito I once knew. It's not right, why should this have to happen to the person who least deserves it! Reckless is nothing compared to bullet I want to put in that fuckers brain right now!"
The last words were a shout as Sumewari slammed the door, the relief that Suoh and Kirishima felt was short lived.