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Asami stepped from the limo glancing down the long line of people waiting to get into his newest club. His eyes paused on the head of light blonde hair of one of the young men half way down the block. He cursed to himself and forced his gaze away. His blonde would never waste time waiting to get into one of his clubs. After months of coincidental meetings, a harrowing experience in Hong Kong, months of living together, and surviving Sudo's betrayal Akihito had packed his cameras and walked out of Asami's life.
It had been a little over four weeks since his lover had stormed from their penthouse. Leaving Asami's life much like he'd entered it with a damning picture and foul language. The boy had not even responded to his letter and his continued absence from Asami's sphere was indication that the boy either didn't believe him or really had decided life was better without him.
He laughed internally as he entered the club behind Kirishima. The boy's absence in his life and bed could be laid directly at his own feet. He'd broken his own personal rules and done the one thing that he'd always known would drive the boy away or at least he'd allowed the boy to believe that he'd done so. He stifled his sigh as they climbed the back stairs to the manager's office before steeling his features. The police had been summoned to the club only two days before. The manager had some explaining to do.
Akihito was quick to duck behind his friends as they waiting in line. He knew the club belonged to Asami. He'd almost turned down the invitation when Yoshida had called him up the night before. However the man had gotten a promotion at his office and passes to the club. It hadn't helped that Yoshida had also wanted to celebrate the fact his girlfriend had agreed to marry him. Kou and Takato were there as well all four friends eager to celebrate Yoshida's exceptional luck.
The three other males were also hoping to get Akihito drunk enough to get an explanation on his sudden melancholy as well. Something that was much more likely considering that the passes Yoshida's boss had given him would also cover all the group could drink. Takato had agreed to play designated driver, or in their case designated walker, to ensure the group could navigate the train system once they'd achieved their objective and discovered 'what was wrong with Aki'.
They reached the head of the line and Yoshida passed the tickets to the darkly dressed bouncer at the door. The man glanced over their group and then did a double glance at Akihito before ushering them through the door. A friendly waitress led them to the VIP table that the tickets gave their group and asked for their first order.
Akihito was frowning at the door they'd come through; the bouncer hadn't looked like any of the multitude of guards that had pursued him when he'd belonged to Asami. Not that it really mattered. Asami had pulled the group the morning after he'd left the man. The head of the group had only informed him that they would no longer follow him and left behind a thick envelop.
The memory made his chest hurt. Akihito still hadn't been able to bring himself to read the letter, just thinking about reading the final words Asami had for him tore at his heart. Damn it! It wasn't his fault he'd left. Why did he still hurt? Asami had moved on easily enough.
He downed the first two drinks quickly and eagerly agreed to join Yoshida and his girl on the dance floor. He'd do anything to drive the memories of his last conversation with the older man from his mind.
Asami jerked his thumb towards the office door and watched impassively as Suoh held the door for his underlings to drag the manager from the room. Asami grunted at Kirishima as he stood to look out over the club's dance floor. He'd review the short list for a new manager tomorrow. The club's assistant manager could deal with one night. The man was probably on the short list anyway.
He looked across the dance floor. The bodies below pushed against each other almost moving as one to the beat of the drums booming across the building. Once again his eyes caught on the pale blonde hair of one of the patrons. The young man looked so much like Akihito from the back. Asami turned from the window. He had to stop. He'd started seeing his former lover in every blonde he encountered. Kirishima was starting to worry. He looked at his faithful secretary, "I'm going to get a drink."
Kirishima bowed, "Of course, Asami-sama." He led the way to the VIP table always reserved for the owner.
Aki was drunk. He knew it and so did his friends. It wasn't the first impression he'd intended to give Yoshida's fiancé. However, he found that once he'd started to think about Asami he couldn't stop. In a vain effort to drive the man from his thoughts Aki ordered drink after drink. Now all his brain did was replay the last words they'd traded.
Aki hiding his hurt at what started the argument shouting as he stood at the penthouse door with his shoes half on, "Admit it, life would be a lot better if we weren't together."
Only to have Asami reply quietly, "Perhaps you are correct."
Aki remembers not sticking around to listen to the rest of what Asami had to say, instead shouting at the man as he slammed out of the apartment, "Bastard!" It hurt that Asami obviously never felt the way Akihito did.
What made it the whole thing worse was Akihito couldn't even remember the reason he'd been so angry. Even now he knew there was a reason for what Asami had done. That he hadn't shared the reason wasn't new. There was a lot about Asami's world that he kept hidden. Aki had accepted that it was partially for his own safety, especially after the whole blow up around Sudo Shu's betrayal and the attack on the original penthouse by Aaron.
"It doesn't matter; I'll never be worthy enough to stand by him." Akihito muttered into his latest drink.
Takato leaned over and nudged his arm, "You say something, Aki?"
Aki raised his head then. He almost responded to his friend when he caught Kirishima moving past out of the corner of his eye sight. The bespectacled man led his boss to a dark secluded table one section over from where he and his friends currently sat. Unconsciously he stood as the four guards following the man took stations about the raised table. He shook off the hand Takato placed on his shoulder and crossed the distance between the two tables.
Takato followed his friend, worried because he'd never seen Aki act so mindless. Regardless of the amount of drinks he had, Aki always swung between tears and boisterous laughter when drunk. The quiet mutterings and hunched poster he'd taken since his fourth beer was highly unusual. It wasn't like his friend to approach strangers either.
Aki ignored the guards that attempted to block his way. Being smaller and more agile even as drunk as he was, he merely slipped through their grasps and all but threw himself in front of Asami's seat. Kirishima gestured the four men gripping Aki's arms back and Akihito found he had to lean against the table to stay upright. He glared across the small distance separating him from the man that had consumed his thoughts for the past four weeks.
Asami, for his part, retained his schooled features. He honestly hadn't expected that one of the blondes he'd seen that evening was his boy. He slowly lowered his cut crystal glass to the black lacquered table top and studied the young man. Aki had lost weight and his eyes were shadowed like he'd not slept much. He was also drunk.
Asami looked at Kirishima, "Get him some water." He glanced behind at his guards who were holding back one of his boy's friends. "And allow his friend through." Kirishima nodded and relayed the instructions to the wait staff and guards.
Takato was going to apologize to the intimidating man for Aki's behavior. He was caught off guard though when the man addressed his friend by name though.
"Akihito, what finds you here this evening?"
Takato watched as he friend tried to punch the larger man, but what shocked him most was when the man merely grabbed his friend's fist and pull him onto his lap. Aki started sobbing into the man's chest and the man looked quite shocked himself. Takato reached for Aki, "I am so sorry, sir. I don't know what has come over him. He's quite drunk." He went to remove his friend, "I'll just take him home."
He was surprised again when the man tightened his arms about his friend before shaking his head, "It is fine. I will see that he gets sobered up and home." It was at that point that Aki's other friends approached the table.
Kou, not much less drunk that Akihito, all but shouted, "Oh, its Aki's friend from work." He turned to Takato, "You remember; he picked up Aki from our New Year's party a couple of years ago." He looked at Asami glaring and swaying on his own feet, "You and Aki have a fight man? He's been miserable these past few weeks."
Asami glanced down at his boy; who had in the few moments between his collapse into Asami's arms and friends joining the table had curled into the Fixer's lap and fallen asleep. Asami looked up at the boy's friends and invited them to sit. "I believe that would be between the two of us."
Kou frowned, "It would be, if our friend wasn't so miserable." He glared at the older man, "If you're the one that's made him so upset these past weeks, I absolutely have words for you."
Takato interrupted then, "Who are you and how do you know our friend?"
Asami shifted his boy in his arms ensuring he wouldn't slide out of his lap, securing him with a strong arm across his lap before picking up his almost forgotten bourbon. He took a sip before answering the question, using the time to put his thoughts in order. From the looks on their faces the four people standing before him had clearly guessed his relationship with the photographer. He sat the crystal tumbler down again decision made. "He is my lover and yes we had a fight."
He glanced down at Akihito and if his expression softened he couldn't help it. "I did something I shouldn't have done without talking to him first. He stormed out before I could explain."
The mouths on Yoshida and his girl dropped open in shock. Kou crossed his arms and would have started in on a tirade only to be interrupted by Takato commenting quietly, "You're Asami Ryuichi, president and owner of Sion Corp. and most recently in the news because of his engagement to the Inagawa-kai's leader's youngest daughter." That caused all of his Akihito's friends to glare at Asami.
There were fewer than five things that Asami was truly afraid of. The man could count them on his fingers and not use all of them on even one hand. Kirishima knew all of them; he even knew that Akihito dying before Asami wasn't the worst. No Asami's greatest fear was Akihito dying because of his association with Asami's world. The secretary watched as his boss gathered his thoughts while unconsciously gathering the boy closer. He was about to speak up on Asami's behalf in defense against the angry accusatory glares the four people were giving him only for his boss to surprise him by saying, "Yes, that is me you've read about and yes it is my engagement that we fought about."
It was the young woman with them that spoke then. "We would like you to give Akihito back to us please. We'll leave so that we don't disturb your night any longer." She gestured to the one Kirishima knew as Yoshida, "Let's go, I don't feel like celebrating anymore."
Asami shook his head, "No. He came over here willingly." He looked at the boy's friends stopping both Kou and Yoshida in their tracks as the reached for the boy. "Regardless of what you read in the paper you only get one side." He glanced down at his boy, "It was one of the things that Akihito understood very well." He smiled then, "I always admired his desire to print the full truth and not just what his photos showed."
"You are saying that the papers are wrong and you're not engaged to the young woman?" Takato leaned across the table. "Does Aki know that?"
Asami shook his head, "I am engaged to her, at the moment. Though that cannot leave the table." He glanced down at his lover again. "I had to make the decision quickly and did not have time to prepare Akihito for the announcement."
Takato stood, "We'll take Aki now." He reached for Akihito only for his friend to interrupt with sobbing sleep talk.
"Please, please, don't leave me here." He pressed himself to Asami's chest gripping the man's lapels in his fists. "Please you promised!"
Asami frowned down at him knowing the dream was partially from the boy's PTSD. Since Aaron he'd been unable to sleep with the lights off and would usually stay up until Asami returned to the penthouse or on rare occasions would stay awake until the sun rose. He'd long resorted to take short naps through his day in order to avoid ever having to be asleep during the night hours. Asami ignored his friends as he ran his across his boy's back and whispered into his hair, "Shush, I'm right here, Kitten."
When Aki settled down again he looked up and was caught by Takato's eyes again. The younger male nodded and then turned to his friends, "Let's go guys."
Yoshida shook his head, "We can't leave Aki with this guy. He cheated on him!" he turned to Takato, "What made you want to trust him now?"
Takato frowned at his friend, "The nightmares."
"Aki had been waking with them almost every time he falls asleep these past four weeks." Kou whispered. "He never says the person's name but he always screams himself awake with 'please don't die'." He glared at Asami, "I don't trust you, especially if you're involved with the Yakuza enough to become engaged to one of their daughters." He looked down at his friend, "but I know Aki and he'd never get that close to you if he didn't trust you."
He glared at Asami, "I don't want to go but Takato is suggesting we do so." He tucked Akihito's phone into the boy's jacket pocket and then whipped out his own and took a photo of Asami and Aki before tucking it back into his coat. "Now we'll have proof of the last person he was with. If I don't hear from Aki before noon tomorrow I'll be sending that to my uncle with the district attorney's office."
Asami waved the guards and Kirishima off from grabbing the young man. He normally wouldn't allow random photos to be taken of him and he was loathe to allow anyone to photo Akihito in his arms. However, if it meant that Akihito's friends left the boy with him he would put up with it. He nodded to the one called Kou, "As long as you provide Aki the photo once he contacts you and delete any copies you have I won't have my men do it for you."
Kou swallowed thickly at that statement before nodding, "I can do that. Aki wouldn't want this circulating anyway." He stood then taking Yoshida's and his fiancé's arms as he went and leading them away from the table to pick up their jackets.
Takato was slower and lowered his voice to address Asami before leaving the table, "You should make sure he understands exactly what is going on. Aki doesn't trust easily for all that he thinks the best of everyone. He has no faith in personal relationships. Probably has to do with his parents."
Asami quirked an eyebrow at that and Takato smiled; it was almost like he sympathized with Asami, "I am guessing he's never talked about them."
Asami shook his head 'no', causing Takato to continue, "Left him with my mother when he was seven. We were their next door neighbors. His father had a job with an international publication. He spent more time away from home than he did at it. When Aki entered first grade his mother made arrangements for my mother to look after him so she could join his father."
"At first they would return several times a year, take Aki back to their house and spoil him. They always promised that it was the last overseas assignment only for some magazine or news organization to call wanting his dad to take pictures somewhere else. The man never turned them down and his mom always dropped him off at our door step when they left again. By the time Aki was eight he'd stopped crying as they left." Takato looked pointedly at the tears resting in Aki's eyes adding as he stood, "I wouldn't leave him here if he hadn't done that."
He pulled a thick envelope from his jacket. "I was going to confront him about this. When I read it I didn't know the 'Asami' in it was you." He fingered the envelope, "I figured that I had been wrong about him and his inability to have relationships in high school and college wasn't because he was gay but because he preferred much older women." He held out the envelope. "Just so you know Aki, hasn't read it. I was planning on getting him drunk enough to read it tonight. Perhaps you should just tell him."
Asami took the envelope and nodded, "I'll make sure he calls both of you and his friend Kou tomorrow."
With that Takato left the VIP area and met his other friends at the door where they were ushered into a limousine by Suoh and driven home.
Asami glance at Kirishima who responded with, "I've had your BMW pulled to the back of the club, sir. Security has cleared the back hallways for your departure."
Asami nodded and stood with Akihito in his arms. He glanced down at the boy and smiled, "Crying over me are you, Kitten?"
Aki woke to a low buzz. His head pounded and his throat felt like he'd swallowed cotton balls it was so very dry. He went to roll over so he could scour his small bedside table in Takato's spare bedroom to figure out what time it was. Really he needed to find a place of his own. He didn't use to crash at his friend's places except when they were already there and drunk off their asses. Aki's thoughts about his current living arrangements were interrupted by his sudden realization that he could only move his arms more than a couple of inches.
He pried his eyes open and looked up to find his wrists wrapped in bright red rope and secured to the head board above him. His breath quickened from fear or excitement he wasn't certain. They were bound in a familiar pattern and when he looked down his body he found it was also wrapped with another set of bright red ropes. They were tied in a crisscross pattern across his chest, abdomen, and hips and his legs were wrapped and spread so that his ankles were tied to the lower corners of the bed, probably to the bed's feet if he was where he suspected he was.
A door slid open just out of his eyesight and he strained to see who was coming into the room. They widened when Asami came into view holding a tray with water and a bottle of pills. The man stopped next to the bed's head and smirked down at him. "I see you are awake?"
Aki tried to speak but found his voice was too soft from the cotton in his mouth. Asami sat and adjusted him so that several pillows held him up then pressed a glass to his lips. "Drink, I have aspirin for you."
Aki swallowed several times and just stared as Asami put two pills to his lips and then gave him more water. The man then lowered him back to the bed and brushed the hair out of his eyes before smiling, "Go back to sleep. The sun isn't even up yet. We'll talk once your head isn't pounding."
It was then that Aki realized it was fear that drove his heart to beat so fast. Not of the man sitting next to his head, but of the idea that he might just be dreaming. He'd long ago figured that people couldn't leave him if he left first. It was the primary reason he'd fled Asami so many times early in their relationship.
Oh he'd given himself numerous reasons each and every one perfectly logical and reasonable. Anyone that didn't know Akihito well would have believed them too. They would have believed that he wasn't to blame for each and every seemingly random encounter he'd originally had with the man. Only someone that had known him his whole life would know that Akihito intentionally took the scoops in Asami's territory just in hopes he'd run into the man and while a handful of their encounters really were random the bulk were because Aki ensured he'd be nearby whenever the man went about his business.
He'd promised himself he'd stop running while hanging from the hook Sudo had placed him on. He'd kept it through his exile in the mountains and months after the Aaron affair. He still didn't know why the newspaper article caused him to renege on a promise he'd made to himself.
No, he knew why. The young lady next to Asami had looked flawless. She was younger than Akihito and stood just to Asami's shoulder. She had looked up at Asami like the man was her samurai of old. They had made what the article had called the perfect couple and brought a part of the yakuza out of their past villainy and into the legitimate business world.
Akihito had left before Asami could admit that the young woman was much more suited to stand by his side than Aki was. He'd packed his bags and stood at the door of the penthouse. He'd have left without a word that afternoon had Asami not walk in. He'd had to leave before the man had a chance to throw him out.
He watched as the man walked away from him the climbing fear from watching his retreating back caused him to cry out, "don't leave."
Asami paused; he'd only intended to take the tray and empty glass back to the kitchen before coming back to watch over Akihito's sleep. The boy had had several repeated nightmares in the past few hours and had only slept quietly after Asami had tied him securely to the bed.
Akihito knew tears were streaming out his eyes. He tried to blink them away but gave up before saying, "I know I'm not good enough to stand next to you, but maybe I could stand nearby?" He begged then, "Please?"
Asami turned to look at the boy, "you didn't read my letter did you or even look through the papers that accompanied it?"
Aki strained at the ropes to try and see Asami better before shaking his head, "I didn't want to read your reasons for leaving me." He tried to shrug but the ropes didn't really let him, "It doesn't matter."
Asami sighed and returned to the bed. He sat the tray down and pulled the thick envelope from his robe pocket.
Aki frowned, "how did you get that back? I had it hidden underneath my bed at Takato's."
"I don't think I'll tell you."
"You broke into Takato's house!" Aki welcomed the anger overriding the fear that had been swimming in his gut. "You bastard! Your goons had better not have frightened Hiroto-kun and his mother."
Asami shook his head, "always fighting for someone else." He sat down next to Aki's head again. "The most you ever do is bluster for yourself." He brushed away the hair that had fallen over Akihito's eyes and then took the boy's face in both hands, "Too eager to hurt yourself before someone does it to you?"
"I…I don't know what you're talking about." Aki tried to move his head but when Asami just held him he closed his eyes.
"Akihito, look at me." Asami's voice whispered across his cheeks and when he opened his eyes he found Asami's face only a breath away, "Would you like to know what the letter says?"
Akihito shook his head 'no'. Regardless of Assami's current actions Aki was certain the letter contained a list of all the reasons Aki couldn't stay with the Fixer. He didn't need a running recitation of his flaws. He knew each of them and had accepted he wasn't good enough a long time ago. He knew when he'd seen the news article that his hope to become worthy would never happen.
"Then I guess it is a good thing I have you tied up. It will prevent you from leaving while I read it to you." He pulled a single sheet from the thick envelope. Aki could see the thick lines of Kanji through the white paper as Asami unfolded it and began to read.
"Akihito,
I had not intended for you to read the news article before I spoke to you personally. Events moved far quicker than planned when Itou Morio and I created them for his youngest daughter's protection. Being pregnant and unwed is still frowned up on in the Yakuza clans especially when one considers the child is from an illicit affair between a teenager and an owned local councilman. Joan believed the older man loved her. Once she became pregnant the man showed his true colors.
Itou came to me to help hide the truth of his daughter's shame. The original plan would have involved you. You want children and what better way to gain them than through the marriage of convenience between you and the young lady. Itou couldn't care less about who his youngest married as long as it kept the other leaders at bay. He'd always intended for her to be kept out of his nonpublic affairs anyway.
I was confident you'd agree to help. So I devised a plan by which you'd marry the girl; after which I'd put her up in one of my penthouses. In seven months you'd be a father and the girl could leave to live with her uncles in America. You'd get the child you constantly try to hide from me you want and the young woman would keep her freedom. I will do almost anything to secure your happiness.
However, on the morning I was to bring you into the plan I found myself unwilling to allow you to be the one to tie yourself, even if just on paper, to another. I quickly scratched out your name on the betrothal papers and wrote in my own. Itou was supposed to have waited until I'd spoken to you; he believes I had made business arrangements with you and I needed to work them out due to the change. What we didn't count on was his wife.
I had planned on talking to you as soon as I made it home; but you know how my business is, issues constantly preventing me from spending time with you. Why I did not make it home that night or the next morning is now unimportant. What is important is the paperwork I had Kirishima rush in those hours.
You see while Itou's wife was busy providing the papers with the news of my official betrothal to her daughter, Kirishima was busy drafting official changes to Sion along with papers that should you sign would make you mine forever.
Those papers are what make up most of this message. The following pages outline your joint ownership of Sion with me and give you controlling interests in fifty percent of all of my assets. Additionally I've changed my will and should I leave the mortal world before you everything else will become yours. Before you protest, know that I will never change my mind about this. You own me now Akihito, regardless of your decision about the last two pieces of paper, which brings me to what I really wanted to speak with you about when I finally made it to our home that afternoon.
Will you marry me?
Here in Japan it would probably be easiest for me to adopt you. Though if you wish we can file for official 'partnership' or I have business interests in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States all countries where we could legally marry. You once told me that you could take pictures anywhere so how about I take you across the world?
If you truly meant that you would be better off without me, I'll respect that and this will be the last you hear from me. I will not take back your share of Sion though nor will I change my new will. I would not blame you for refusing to come back to me. Life with a Fixer will never be safe and I have more than my share of enemies and interlopers. You would live in constant danger.
There you have it everything I wanted to say to you that dark afternoon. Regardless of your decision I will forever pray for your happiness.
Forever yours, Asami Ryuichi"
Asami looked up from the letter he read aloud and found Akihito tugging at his arms with his eyes full of tears. He glared at Asami and growled, "Untie me, Asami."
Asami smiled and placed the letter on the bedside table with the thick envelope, "No."
Aki paused in his tugging and looked at the man in shock, "No?!?"
The Fixer smiled, "No." He brushed Akihito hair back again then leaned over him until their foreheads touched, "You see this past month I've figured out that I, at least, am not better off without you. So when you threw yourself into my arms this evening I decided on keeping you until you agree to stay, forever."
Aki blinked then tilted his head up and whispered against Asami's lips, "Into the Abyss, Ryuichi."