Work Text
Asami Ryuichi expected to return home to Akihito finishing up a quick dinner or playing video games.
The latter was rarer these days, Akihito seemed to only play with his console during stressful moments and needed a mind numbing game to distract his thoughts. There were moments where Akihito entered into a seasonal depression and stayed glued onto the console. In that instance, Asami made sure to give him an in depth fucking session to get Akihito's mind out of unnecessary thoughts.
Slipping off his shoes off of his feet, Asami heard the sounds of clanking dishes and sizzling food. His stomach grumbled at the smell of delicious food wafting to the entrance. Asami mentally rubbed his hands together, imagining the dinner Akihito cooked with his own hands. His day wasn't particularly bad, but he could always decompress whenever he returned home to a home cooked meal.
Removing his blazer, he set it on the coat rack and loosened his tie. He readied himself to hear Akihito running up toward him and greeting him at the door. The front door always made a creaking sound, which he didn't fix, just to alert Akihito he was present.
Seconds passed; Akihito didn't appear.
Strange.
Ryuichi rolled up his sleeves, waiting for another moment. Sometimes Akihito was chopping vegetables or focused on cooking to realize he was home. He listened to the familiar sounds of sizzling, the fan whirring on top of the stove, and Akihito's off key singing. It was apparent Akihito was too distracted to come to the door.
Sighing, he readied himself to venture deeper into his penthouse when someone exited the half bathroom near the entrance. Knowing full well Akihito was in the kitchen, his body tensed.
Nobody was supposed to be inside of his penthouse without his permission.
Wasting no time, Ryuichi demanded. “Who are
you
?”
The petite young man with blond hair and bright blue eyes jumped in place. "H-Hello!" He hastily bowed, almost entirely in half. “My apologies! Akikkun brought me here!”
Asami somehow managed to hold back the impulse to interrogate this stranger. Nobody other than Kirishima and Suoh were allowed in his apartment. Well, the instance with Hiroto was a family emergency, but he was a
baby
. Akihito knew better than to bring strangers into his penthouse without letting him go through an
extensive
background check.
Ryuichi knew every single one of Akihito's friends and acquaintances. Kirishima looked into their lives, making sure none of them would jeopardize his life or his business. So far, none of Akihito's associates needed to be kept an eye on.
The young man standing in front of him was a different issue. He didn't recognize this stranger. Having managed to catch a glimpse of his feminine and small face, he wasn't someone Ryuichi interacted with before. These rare features would have sparked recognition in his mind.
"
Hey!
Don't you dare intimidate my cousin." Akihito swept in from the kitchen, donning an apron, all of his hair was hidden underneath a bandana. "I brought him here. It was an
emergency
!”
Asami stared down the trembling rabbit type boy, who bowed once more, and introduced himself. "I-I'm Yukiya Ayase."
Wrapping his arm around the boy, Akihito added in. “We're cousins. Before you ask, our fathers were cousins as well. I'm older, he's the baby.”
Asami arched his brow. “I see.”
“Ayacchan, this is Asami Ryuichi.” Akihito's cheeks flushed red. “He's the guy I told you about.”
Ayase smiled lightly. “A pleasure, Asami-san.”
Cheeks blushing red, Akihito told Ayase. “Why don't you go into the kitchen and eat the snacks I left on the table? Dinner is almost done. I need to talk with Asami for a bit.”
Ayase nodding his head. “O-Okay, thank you, Akikkun.” Ayase looked at Asami, nodded his head once before he retreated into the kitchen.
Ryuichi turned away from Ayase's retreating back toward Akihito. “Why is he here? You know my
policy
, Akihito.”
"Well, uh…." Akihito admitted with a sheepish smile. "I broke into the apartment of his kidnapper and took him back."
Asami released a deep breath through his nose. He didn't know why he thought Akihito was done doing his investigative journalism schtick. Even if Akihito didn't resume his dangerous job, the urge to enter into precarious situations never left him. Asami should have expected this sporadic adventure a long time ago.
If the subject wasn't a hard hitting case, a person close to Akihito would have been involved. Akihito would go the distance for someone he cared about.
To know Akihito had such a close family member was a surprise. He didn't think to pressure Kirishima to check the whole family tree. Akihito never mentioned this young man before. Maybe, Akihito forgot, or thought he mentioned Yukiya Ayase at some point.
Then again, Asami kept his family secrets away from Akihito. He didn't see the need to tell every single facet of his life to his own lover. He already kept a majority of his business dealings far from Akihito. Just in case Akihito ever returned to investigative photography and wanted to ruin him and his reputation. But with all the situations they had gone through, Akihito would incriminate himself if he ever thought to ruin him.
Staring down at Akihito, Asami inquired. "You broke into an apartment? Did anybody
see
you?"
Flabbergasted at the insinuation he was careless, Akihito insisted. “I made sure nobody saw me. I went through the stairs, not the elevator.” He put his hands on his hips. “Ayacchan was very light. It didn't take a lot of effort for me to run down the stairs with him in my arms.”
Hiding his proud face at Akihito's growing strength, Ryuichi pointed out. “Doesn't mean a neighbor didn't see you. There's always some busybody who looks out their peephole if someone is walking down a hallway.”
“Considering what the kidnapper does for a living, I don't think he is chatty with his neighbors. There was nobody lingering around the hallways to give a shit.”
“Hm.” Ryuichi motioned with his hand. “Explain yourself. Why is he
here
?”
“The kidnapper might have gone to his apartment, and this is the safest place I could think of.” Akihito explained. “Nobody can come up here without the passcode or the key fob.”
“This doesn't mean you couldn't have warned me first. You had time to make dinner–”
“Because you would complain there wasn't anything for you to eat after work!” Akihito huffed out. “Besides, Ayacchan wouldn't have a reason to snitch. He's traumatized severely and…” He lowered his voice. “He had physical signs of all kinds of abuse. He only let me touch him because I'm his cousin and I
know
him.”
Ryuichi soaked in the reveal before he inquired. “Safe to say, I should keep my distance and not touch him?”
“Exactly.”
“How did you even figure out he was kidnapped?” Ryuichi asked.
Akihito answered. "Aya stopped calling me some months back. He's usually meticulous about leaving me a text message or even a voicemail." He peered over his shoulder to look at his cousin as if to make sure he was there. "And…I had to do some digging to find out what was going on. Aya isn't a freezing out person type of guy. He's
too
honest."
Ryuichi nodded. "Continue."
Akihito finished going through his photoset before he checked on his phone. The usual funny texts from Takato and Ko chimed in, making him chuckle a bit before he answered. His friends might sometimes fall off a bit, their lives were busy after all, but they could always pick it back up as if time didn't pass on by.
Pushing the back button, Akihito was met with the other threads he hadn't answered yet. There were some messages ignored on purpose or were ones he couldn't find words to respond to.
Asami's text message thread was a hit or miss. Sometimes, his answers were dry or he sent a surprisingly funny meme. Most of the time, Asami sent voice messages to scandalize him enough to go into another room. He made that mistake once while he hung out with his friends and they barely managed to hear Asami's sex voice before Akihito scrambled to mute his phone.
Good thing his friends didn't badger him with questions about what his lover wanted. Takato hid the steamy texts from his girlfriend and Ko wasn't one to expose his past flames messages. None of them were vindictive or petty enough to release private information between themselves and past partners.
As he looked through old messages, Akihito's eyes landed on his favorite cousin's name which in his contacts was Ayacchan (bunny emoji). If he was technical, this was one of the few cousins who truly talked to him and kept up with him.
A feeling of panic tugged at his stomach.
He didn't remember the last time he spoke to his cousin or even when he sent him a text message.
The last few months of his life was a turmoil of chaos and danger. Any reprieve from the dangers of Asami's world caught up with Akihito and kept him from loving a relatively peaceful life. Akihito didn't think to keep up with people he knew, if only to keep them away from what was going on with him.
Ayase was one such person Akihito would have locked away from the dangers of the world. His cousin was technically old enough to live on his own in university, but Akihito couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of over protectiveness. Ayase was younger, always thought the best of people, he hadn't lived life long enough to distinguish between enemies and friends.
Akihito checked the phone log and the last text message his cousin sent him. He was surprised to note how long they haven't spoken to one another.
The last message was one from
four
months ago.
Ayase was the one who didn't continue messaging him. This was
not
normal.
Not normal at all.
His cousin always made sure to send one text message a week to show he was still alive. Akihito was constantly on the move so the once a week text didn't apply to him, but he tried his best when he had time. Akihito was more worried about Ayase, who was younger, more naïve, and easily tricked.
Akihito wasn't going to let this go on any longer.
He texted Ayase, tried calling him. Going overboard in trying to communicate with him. Others would have picked up to scream at him for his barrage of phone calls, but Ayase would have been more likely to ask for forgiveness for not having answered quick enough.
To his horror, the phone calls went to an immediate dial tone and the messages were not sent.
Ayase's phone was either not paid off or the number was switched.
Akihito looked through his texts and voicemail for the sign of Ayase leaving him a new number, but there was no such message.
He switched into detective mode really quick.
"The fuck?" Akihito looked through the paperwork, almost in disbelief at the sight of his cousin's name on a high risk loan. "This isn't Aya. I know for a damn fact he'd never sign up for something like this. He doesn't spend on anything higher than his rent.”
Looking through the contents, Akihito read through the conditions with the biggest interest rate he had ever seen. As he was skimming through the conditions, he looked down at the stamp mark.
This
wasn't
Ayase's stamp mark.
This was new, unblemished. There was none of the etchings of decades of use. The rubber stamp was either a copy or a shit copy.
Ayase was a nostalgic type. He used the stamp his father used before his passing. The stamp transitioned into his hands once he grew old enough to inherit his father's assets. Ayase was surprised to find out about inheritance when he turned eighteen. It took Akihito insisting on Ayase keeping his mouth shut before the Isshi family found out.
Those scavengers would have guilted Ayase into giving them what they were
owed.
Bullshit.
Ayase's father didn't realize his own sister would treat his son like shit. He was too overworked and grief stricken over his late wife to truly pay attention. The aunt was a good actress when she was outside of the home. She only behaved when Akihito entered inside and he dared her to demean his cousin with one look. Akihito's father was still alive back then, so his presence added to Ayase's protection.
Akihito should have insisted on Ayase moving into his old apartment complex. The one he used to stay in before he got together with Asami. Even if he didn't live there anymore, he would know exactly where Ayase was located. He cursed himself out for not having pushed for them to live closely.
When Akihito discovered Ayase’s apartment was empty of his belongings, he felt immense guilt. He might not have prevented whatever made Ayase disappear, but he would have discovered this far sooner.
His guilt immediately changed to anger at the lack of care from the landlord. Akihito almost punched the landlord in the face for his nonchalance, but decided finding Ayase was far more
important
. This guy didn't give a damn about his tenants, he already threw Ayase’s meager possessions into the trash or gave them away.
Before Akihito left, he did warn a couple who were touring the apartment to look elsewhere. If they were ever murdered or disappeared the landlord would dispose of evidence. He left satisfied when the landlord tried smoothing things over with possible renters, but Akihito was certain they left shortly after he did.
At least Ayase’s most valuable belongings were not thrown in the trash. His paperwork, his passport, photo album, jewelry from his mother, and his stamp were kept safe in the bank.
The idea of checking into Tetsuo entered Akihito's mind.
He did a quick detour from the loans and researched Tetsuo. The discovery of loans under Tetsuo's name wasn't at all surprising. Akihito heard from the family grapevine, as rare as it was for him to listen to family, was that Tetsuo loved gambling. His parents tried hard to hide it, but friends and family caught Tetsuo betting large amounts of money and losing his bets.
Akihito would have laughed in their faces for the hypocrisy. As much as the Isshi family tried to hide their faults, diverting insults and criticisms onto others, Akihito knew they lived a fake, perfect life. His late father always commented on them trying too hard to appear normal and perfect. Yet, their own son was ruining their image through his antics alone.
Akihito was certain that the only person that would have been able to convince Ayase to sign away his life was Tetsuo.
Ayase still believed the asshole actually cared about him!
“Fucking Tetsuo.” Akihito grabbed handfuls of his hair as he looked through Tetsuo's high debt amount. “I know for a fact you're the one who wrangled Ayase into this mess. Look at this!” He removed his hand from his hand to motion to his laptop. “These aren't normal loans!”
Calming himself down, Akihito buckled down and checked the names of the loans. The typed in the names and looked through the websites. He breathed harshly through his nose as he cracked the code through different loan offices cameras. Matching the date on the loans, Akihito looked at the video feed and sped it up.
He found Tetsuo almost immediately in every single one. Tetsuo used Ayase's identity to take out more money to use in what seemed like gambling addiction.
Akihito drummed his fingers on his knee and contemplated what to do. He couldn't outright accuse Tetsuo of anything. There was evidence of fraud, but not causing Ayase's disappearance.
Slapping his hand over his face, Akihito groaned. “This better not be a dead end. Because I really don't want to talk to the police.”
Through pure happenstance, Akihito received word of an underground auction of human slaves from an old acquaintance. Akihito always used this person to find new cases to report on when he was beginning his career as an investigative photographer. He was about to discard the tip, but something told him to check it out.
Apparently, the contents showed that someone managed to sneak in a video camera inside of their clothes and recorded the
entire
auction.
This was rare footage.
Rarely does anybody manage to film actual evidence of lucrative illegal activities without being exposed. Snitches tended to be discarded or beaten up to the point of needing the hospital. Of course, the evidence would be destroyed without a second thought.
Akihito hoped Asami wasn't involved in this mess. Asami's underground activities were more so drugs and weapons, not human trafficking. Then again, Akihito didn't inquire as to what else his lover did outside of his line of sight. For all he knew, Asami dabbled in this sort of activity. Then again, Akihito had caught the disgusted grimace on Asami's face whenever the talk of human trafficking was brought up. Asami might have killed people, but he didn't sell them.
The bar was set so
low
.
Very low.
Setting up the proper protections on his laptop, Akihito slipped on the USB and opened the file.
Through a grainy filter, the announcer bellowed out in delight. “Welcome everyone–”
Akihito rolled his eyes and sped up the video. “I don't care.”
He leaned close to the laptop as he observed the surroundings. There was nothing to provide clues for authorities to use to track down this place. No motifs or identifiable people for investigators to use to track down the location.
The person who recorded the video was close enough to where the stage was clear, but the attendees of the auction weren't seen. All the light was on stage, the audience was almost in the dark.
Akihito watched the auctions of several people. A heavy lump formed in his stomach as he forced himself to watch. All of a sudden, a familiar body was dragged out, without any clothes and the announcer grinned from ear to ear as he spoke.
Akihito had to immediately pause the video.
He couldn't believe what he saw.
He blinked rapidly and the image didn't disappear.
The still image of a bare Ayase, being displayed to the crowd, caused Akihito to toss his laptop across the room. He punched the couch and let out a closed mouth scream.
Afterwards, he picked up his laptop, made sure it was fine and continued on with the video. Through furious tears, he watched a tall, dark haired man toss money on stage and take Ayase away. When he turned around, Akihito grabbed a screenshot and put his photo through a nationwide database.
The man was identified as Somuku Kanou.
He was a loan shark.
Of course, there had to be
another
loan shark in this situation.
In no time at all, Akihito found his apartment and hoped this was the right one he was looking for.
Shuffling on the side of the building, Akihito found the window he was looking for. This was the right floor, the right building. The plain white curtains contrasted with the colorful ones of the heavy apartments.
Before he left his apartment, Akihito hacked the entranceway CCTV footage. Going through the footage, he saw Somuku Kanou walking in and out of this building with a set of twin guards shadowing his back. To make sure, he checked the night before so as to not break into the wrong place if he already moved out.
The scumbag
did
live in this building.
Akihito climbed himself at a steady pace, not wanting to bring attention to himself from strangers. The possibility of someone filming him was low, but he wasn't risking having someone call the police. Add on the possibility of the weather suddenly changing and the wind would make him splatter onto the ground.
He made it to the exact window and pressed his hand against the glass. Akihito was relieved the window slid right open. He grimaced at the slam of the window, but there was nothing he could do now.
Akihito rapidly pushed himself through the window and rolled onto the ground to lessen the impact. He immediately got himself up from the floor and pushed down the wrinkles on his clothing. He mentally apologized for having stepped into a home with his outside shoes. He didn't mean to, but there was no way he was parkouring barefoot.
“Akicchan?!” Ayase's flabbergasted voice reached his ears, and Akihito turned toward the location of the cry. Ayase scrambled up from the bed, exposing his bruised legs and oversized white buttoned up shirt. “What are you doing here?! I–”
Ayase tried to walk, but his knees buckled and he slid into the floor. The sudden move made him whimper in pain.
“Ayacchan!” Akihito closed the window and rushed to his side.
Akihito was quick to help Ayase onto the bed. He ignored the visible injuries, he didn't want to lose himself in his anger when they couldn't waste their time. Instead of becoming angry, he soothed Ayase when he broke into tears. Akihito wiped away his tears and murmured reassurances.
Ayase managed to stammer out. “W-What are you doing here?! H-How did you even–”
Akihito softly embraced him and kissed his temple. Ayase let out a shuddering cry as he clung into Akihito. Akihito was relieved Ayase didn't feel unsafe in holding him. The marks and bruising on Ayase's body meant he was
used
by his buyer.
From the state of the bruising, Kanou used Ayase almost every single day.
Akihito gave Ayase a comforting squeeze. Ayase was far stronger than Akihito. He didn't think he would be able to handle this extensive abuse without losing his mind.
“I went into investigative mode. It was so weird you didn't keep texting me…and I hate to say I just noticed a few days ago.” Akihito apologized, Ayase tried reassuring him, but Akihito continued. “And…an old tipper from my newspaper gave me the video of ..your auction.”
Ayase sucked in his breath.
Akihito released Ayase from his arms and rubbed his shoulders. “I'm taking you out of here.”
“H-How would–”
“You don't have to tell me anything. I'm not going to insist. All we're going to focus on is to get the fuck out of here and get far away from these people.”
Ayase gulped. “He always leaves a guard at the door–”
“Ha!” Akihito rolled his eyes. “Your jailer needed both of them for a possible shakedown. I saw all three leave the apartment.”
“A-Are you sure?”
Akihito answered. “I waited ten minutes before I climbed my way up here. They're gone.” He buttoned up Ayase's,
the jailer's
, shirt, to hide the bruised skin. “Do you still have your original clothes? Anything you can use to cover yourself?”
Ayase bit into his lower lip. “H-He managed to grab some of my clothes from my apartment. I have some clothes–”
“Wait ..how did he even know where to find your place?” Akihito inquired. “Did he get your wallet or–” he cut himself off. “Stupid question.” He sighed. “Doesn't matter. The apartment has been cleaned out and rented out anyways.”
Ayase blinked back tears. “Oh.”
“I almost decked that asshole landlord or yours. He didn't even report you missing!” Akihito maneuvered around the room to look around for Ayase's clothes. “Where are your clothes?”
“I-In the drawer on the left.” Ayase answered.
Akihito opened the drawer and yanked out whatever pants he managed to get a hand on. He threw it toward Ayase's direction. From the sound of impact, Ayase either caught it or Akihito accidentally hit him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Ayase trying to put on the dark wash pants with a bit of difficulty.
Akihito slammed the drawer shut and turned around. He went to Ayase and helped him to his feet. Ayase managed to put on his pants with the assistance of having someone hold his weight.
“I hate to ask this, but …uh…do you think you can walk far?”
Ayase blushed deeply. “I….I don't think so.”
Akihito held out his arm, Ayase grabbed it tightly. “Don’t worry, we'll make it to my apartment without problems. You've always been weightless to me. I'll carry you.”
Ayase shook his head. “P-People will stare at us though. I have no shoes!”
“I don't give a damn.” Akihito slowly walked out the bedroom into the hallway, Ayase grimaced at a particular step. “We have to get away from here somehow. If we're lucky, people will think we're tourists.”
Ayase snarked back. “We don't know English!”
Akihito couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face. Even in the state he was in, Ayase talked back to him. This was good.
“Meh, most people already assume we're foreigners anyways.” Akihito pointed out. “They'll ignore us, probably talk about us, but ignore us.”
“If you say so….” Ayase stiffened as his body jostled when they turned the corner toward the living room.
Akihito told him. “That's it. I'm carrying you.”
“Aki–”
“Nope.” Not caring if he looked weird, Akihito carried Ayase into a princess carry and walked out of the apartment.
“Please! I can force myself to walk!”
“You'll hurt yourself more!” Akihito harrumphed. “You are taking a hot shower and spending an hour in there. I have some hot patches that Asami uses whenever he has nerve pains.”
Ayase snuggled against him, but kept insisting on being let down. Akihito ignored his complaints as he turned his attention onto the emergency exit. He opened the door to the emergency exit and began descending down the stairs.
"....yeah and that's how we managed to get back home." Akihito ended his story. "I still have the address if you–"
"Hand over the address." Asami curtly demanded, making sure to keep his voice even.
Akihito made the mistake of leaving this loan shark alive and being given the ability to make a return. Asami never left witnesses alive or with the ability to speak of what they saw. He preferred to leave no witnesses to his dealings if he could help it.
“Why didn't you ask me for help?” Asami inquired, knowing full well Akihito's independent streak was sometimes a detriment to his safety.
“I didn't have much time. Ayacchan needed me and I wasn't going to let him continue to suffer!” Akihito huffed. “That's why I chose a time when I was sure he and his cronies wouldn't be home. I could have asked you, but you have been so busy these last few weeks. I thought I would be a bother.”
Sighing, Asami leaned down to kiss Akihito's mouth. “
Never
assume I'm too busy for you. I can always shuffle my meetings around to assist you.”
Akihito embraced Asami, muttering out. “You really would have helped me?”
“I would have gotten rid of the problem while you rescued your cousin.” Asami said. “I might not give a damn about my own family, but I know how much you love yours. I would have helped and made sure the issue was
permanently
gone.”
Akihito appeared to swoon in his arms. “I admit …I jumped ahead, but I do trust you, Ryuichi. I really do.”
Ryuichi silenced Akihito with another kiss. A long, lingering kiss which made Akihito's knees buckled underneath him. Ryuichi caught him in his arms before Akihito fell to the floor.
Akihito burst through the kitchen with a huge smile on his face. “Give me a few minutes and I'll be finished with dinner.”
Ryuichi sat himself in the furthest island seat, assuming Ayase wouldn't feel comfortable sitting next to him. From the slump of relief, Asami made the right choice. Even if Akihito didn't warn him about keeping a distance from Ayase, he noticed the body language and averted eye contact.
The young man went through a harrowing experience. Ryuichi saw the signs. He walked stiffly and didn't appear comfortable. His clothes covered every inch of his body despite the hot weather. Akihito's hint of abuse was enough of an explanation.
Giving Yukiya Ayase a once over, Ryuichi supposed he looked somewhat like Akihito. Both of them were not unappealing to look at, but Ayase was rail thin, almost malnourished. His hair and eyes were far lighter than Akihito's. Ayase was shorter, appearing younger and fragile.
This loan shark really did a number on this young man and it
showed
.
Akihito turned off the stove and began grabbing dishes from the cabinets. “Don't even think about moving! I'll serve you two, first.”
Ryuichi chuckled. “I wouldn't dare get in the way of you while you're in action in the kitchen.”
“Damn straight.”
Akihito prepared multiple plates and set them on the island table. He grabbed a pitcher full of iced tea and Asami's favorite beer. Setting them on the table, Asami popped open his beer as Akihito removed glasses from a different cabinet. Akihito put down the glasses and began serving his own servings of food.
Akihito sat down, said thank you for the meal, and everyone at the table began eating.
Silence spread throughout the room as everyone savored their food. Ryuichi was especially happy with the side dishes Akihito made with his own hands. Akihito rarely bought store made side dishes, preferring to add extra of one seasoning or remove an ingredient.
Ayase broke the silence to stutter out. “D-Delicious. Your cooking is as good as ever.”
Akihito swallowed his bite of food and beamed from ear to ear. “Thanks! I have all the time in the world to practice. I could teach you how to do the side dishes.”
Ayase turned to Akihito to reveal a small smile. “I'd love to.”
Ryuichi closed his eyes to savor the ingredients and the masterful way Akihito cooked them. Akihito seemed to put all his love into his cooking. The presentation was lovely and the handling of the ingredients was perfect. He half listened to the pair speaking as he continued on eating.
Even if Ayase didn't feel comfortable in his presence, Ryuichi could feign disinterest and ignore him. A way to give him peace of mind from having to interact with him. Akihito would easily distract the young man throughout this dinner.
As the conversation transitioned into personal topics, Akihito sneered. “Are you done being protective over that asshole cousin of yours?”
Ayase hunched his shoulders, blushing deeply. “H-He might not have known what he was signing.”
“Bullshit.” Akihito snipped. “I looked through the paperwork. Your name was in a good chunk of those loans.”
Ayase bit into his lower lip. “I’ve known him my whole life…”
“I've known you since you were in diapers and I would
never
screw you over in that way.” Akihito disputed him. “I saw Tetsuo with my own two eyes in the CCTV!”
Ryuichi caught a tear trailing down Ayase's cheek but he immediately wiped it away.
“A-Are you sure?”
“I have the videos and screenshots of the CCTV.” Akihito answered. “Those can be used to change your name with Tetsuo’s so he can shoulder the debt and–”
“Oh…” Ayase looked down at his food. “I thought the auction was to settle all the debts. At least….that's what was told to me.”
Ryuichi ate a large serving of rice to keep himself from talking.
Akihito's voice darkened. “
Excuse me
?”
Ayase snapped his head up. “T-That’s what Ka-Kanou-san said. H-He had the paperwork to prove it and–”
Swallowing his bite of food, Ryuichi spoke. “I could always dispose of your other cousin. A guy like your cousin would inevitably fall into trouble
again
.”
Turning to look at him, Ayase moved his hands around frantically. “T-There's no need! I-I want to freeze my identity with the government and make sure he can't use my name to take out more loans.”
Akihito sent Ryuichi a look which screamed,
ruin that asshole’s life but don't tell Ayase about it.
The dark grimace Akihito managed to hide from Ayase said everything Asami needed to know about Isshi Tetsuo. He wasn't liked by Akihito, a young man who rarely disliked people. Even those who hurt Akihito didn't receive that face marring grimace.
Akihito changed the topic to childhood memories to distract Ayase from his experience. Ryuichi was entertained by the stories of Akihito's rambunctious antics and Ayase's unwilling participation in said events. Akihito was shameless in speaking about his antics while Ayase hunched into his own shoulders.
The previous tension dissipated into embarrassed slaps of indignation and amused grinning between cousins.
Once dinner was finished, Ayase insisted on cleaning the dishes. A person who Ryuichi assumed was a sweet, soft spoken man, snapped at Akihito to leave the kitchen. He looked more like an annoyed baby rabbit than as he stomped his feet.
Akihito snickered out loud, teased his cousin a bit more before he yanked Ryuichi out of the kitchen.
Akihito pulled him toward their bedroom before almost commanding him. “Ruin Isshi Tetsuo's life and I will be your cock warmer for sometime after Ayase is gone from our apartment.”
Ryuichi lifted his eyebrows up. “
Oh
?” He leaned over Akihito, his lips lifted into a smirk. “It's
that
serious?”
Akihito blushed. “I
hate
that two faced rat. He needs consequences for his actions. I know for a fact his parents would have covered for him if his debts were ever revealed to him. Only son, spoiled beyond belief. He's an
asshole
.”
“You'd think the men who kidnapped you would have warranted your unlimited anger.” Ryuichi pointed out. “But, I won't say no to having my own
personal
warmer.”
Akihito slapped his chest before he fast walked away from him.
Using his connections in various avenues, Asami erased
every
single loan placed under Yukiya Ayase’s name.
Ayase thought he'd owe Asami Ryuichi for his interference. A lifelong debt he could never hope to repay. Kanou made a point to insist
nobody
did anything without a price. His internment in Kanou’s apartment broke his naïveté of the world. He couldn't hand over his trust to anybody, not even ones who genuinely did favors for him.
Akihito didn't quality as untrustworthy. He climbed up the side of the building and broke in to save his. His cousin
truly
loved him, cherished him. Risked falling off of a building and being killed by Kanou to rescue him.
Ayase would be in his debt for the rest of his life. Akihito might deny being a hero, but nobody would go through such extremes to find him.
Asami Ryuichi only helped because of
Akihito
.
Asami simply informed Ayase of his loan situation one night during dinner. He managed to change the name to Tetsuo’s name since he was the one who signed for them, not Ayase. Visual proof from bad quality cameras for a new sequence of loans showed the person who took out the loan wasn't Ayase, but a taller dark haired man. Akihito's evidence helped Asami change Ayase's stained record toward the proper loan recipient.
Tetsuo was the one who shouldered the following debts. His life was forever
ruined
. The loan sharks didn't like being
tricked
. Especially when someone powerful swooped in to prove the person who they thought took out the loan wasn't the
right
person. They would get their money
somehow
.
Ayase didn't like the spark of validation inside of his chest. He wasn't one to feel resentment or anger toward people. Ayase always tried to think the best of people.
He had to admit. It did feel good for Tetsuo to suffer the consequences of his actions.
Ayase wouldn't be blamed or yelled at for being a bad example. His aunt always brought up his mother's foreign blood as a means to insinuate he would be a delinquent. Anytime Tetsuo was in trouble, Ayase was blamed. This time, the fault was all on Tetsuo.
Asami reassured Ayase of his name being placed on an alert in case someone tried to use it for loans or to buy anything which needed payments. Ayase had to be in person to use his identity with a
proper
id.
To Ayase's surprise, Asami didn't demand compensation. Asami stopped eating his meal when Akihito got up from his seat to kiss Asami mid bite, thanking him for his intervention. They forgot Ayase was at the table for a moment as they kissed. Akihito awkwardly broke the kiss, blushing a deep red as he went back to his seat.
Ayase might not have been able to afford a high enough settlement, but he didn't want to owe anybody
ever
again.
On the day he was supposed to leave for his new apartment in a safe part of the city, he couldn't help but ask Akihito what Asami wanted. His new fear of dark haired tall men with broad shoulders made it harder for Ayase to ask Asami questions. He grew accustomed to the soft Asami who was around Akihito, but not the stern, serious man who spoke with Kirishima whenever he arrived with work reports.
Ayase was relieved he didn't react badly to Kirishima or Suoh. Kirishima wore glasses and had a buzz cut. He spoke in a confident, but even tone. Suoh was bulky, but spoke in a softer tone, always making sure he was either sitting or crouching in order to not hover over him. Ayase could be escorted to his apartment without feeling like he would be attacked by these men.
They were as nice as men who worked in underground business could be.
Ayase might have been naïve, but he didn't ignore the signs of illegal dealings. He overheard Kirishima giving Asami reports whenever he passed by his home office. Ayase accidentally found a gun on the kitchen counter when Asami rushed in to grab whatever he forgot in the bedroom.
Standing in front of the door with a suitcase full of clothes Akihito bought on Asami's credit card, Ayase said. “Thank you for housing me, Akikkun. Please extend the same courtesy to Asami-sama. He didn't have to house me in his home.”
Akihito reassured him. “Don't worry about it. Asami was all aboard once I told him about how I kidnapped you back. Now, you don't have to worry about that bastard anymore. Asami
dealt
with him.”
The knowledge of Kanou's
disappearance
was reassuring. Even the twins who backed up Asami were found incapacitated to the point of being hospitalized. Ayase heard their legs were broken. They wouldn't make a move to collect Ayase without their boss urging them to do it.
Ayase just needed time to acclimate to his new life. He might not return to university, which was a blow to his career plans. There were far too many people for his liking and journey in recovery.
He might end up doing an online career to slowly build himself back together.
Ayase inquired. “Does Asami-san require me to compensate him for his help?”
Sputtering, Akihito blushed. “Well…he asked for more physical contact with me once you're settled into your apartment.” He reassured Ayase. “I
willingly
offered myself. Asami would never hurt me in any sort of way.”
Ayase let out the breath he was unconsciously holding. He felt bad for assuming the worst in Asami Ryuichi, the man was a powerful man connected to all sorts of shady businessmen. For all he knew, Akihito was offered to other men, used by them until they were satisfied. This assumption left his mind at the possessive touches Asami bestowed on Akihito. Sometimes it wasn't on purpose, there were kisses and caresses Asami did to Akihito to rouse a reaction out of him.
Asami stared at Akihito with pure adoration. There was nothing Akihito could say or do for Asami to brush him aside. At least, this was the impression Ayase gathered during his weeks-long stay in their penthouse.
Akihito returned the loving glances with his own. Ayase caught them in each other's embrace, forgetting Ayase was walking through their home. Akihito made sure to have a home cooked meal to reheat it or keep it warm on the stove. Even if Akihito was editing photos, he made sure to cook before he got too invested in his projects.
Ayase only needed one glance around their place to show that Akihito was the one who turned a cold penthouse into a home.
During his stay, Ayase was seen by a private doctor, he recovered physically, and had a well recommended female therapist who would see to his mental health for an undisclosed time in the future. Asami made sure she upheld patient confidentiality for Ayase's anxious, overthinking mind.
He liked talking to his therapist. She was warm, gentle, and experienced similar violence when she was in university. Her own case was never resolved due to lack of evidence and uninterested police officers. She chose to use her pain to help others transition through each step of their pain. She never demeaned Ayase's feelings or his slight pity of his kidnapper. Apparently, many people tended to develop some emotion toward their abuser even if it was through sporadic moments of kindness.
Kanou
had
his moments of kindness. Awkward moments where Ayase didn't know whether to let his guard down or not. He was glad he never did. Ayase was unwilling to understand his side. Whatever sympathies he had for him were gone after the first night. Ayase was used and abused, months of the same repetitive motions
almost
broke him.
Had it not been for Akihito's intervention, Ayase might have ended up as the living dead. A means to cope with his situation without going through a mental breakdown.
Ayase couldn't help but pull Akihito into a tight hug. “I cannot thank you enough, Akikkun.”
Akihito laughed in joy, giving him a squeeze in return. “There is no need for thank you. Even if you were taken overseas, I would have found a way to get you back. I love you so much, Ayacchan.”
Ayase nuzzled his face into Akihito's chest. “I..I kind of don't want to leave. You've spoiled me with your cooking. But I've burdered you enough with my presence..”
“Nonsense! You can stay forever, but Asami does need his privacy back. He's been..handsy and giving
hints
.” Akihito snickered. “Tell you what. I'll make as much food as possible for you to keep in the freezer. That way, you don't have to worry about leaving home for a while.”
Ayase looked up at him. “Sounds good.”
Staying at home sounded so good, especially a place no one else knows about. The Isshi family were more or less banished from his life. His phone number was changed and destroyed the phone with their numbers. Had he not ruined his phone, he might have ended up caving and called Tetsuo. Ayase couldn't help but give second, no,
third
chances.
Akihito was the one who figuratively slapped the back of his head to break out of his pushover tendencies. Ayase was forced to be sold because Tetsuo put
his
name, not his own.
Ayase cried in the bathtub for a night and reemerged with his old phone and smashed it with a hammer.
Akihito ruffled his hair and connected their foreheads. “Remember, text me when Kirishima drops you off at the front door of your apartment.”
“Everyday?”
“At this point, you might as well leave voicemails.” Akihito pinched Ayase's cheek before Ayase walked out of the door. “If you feel lonely, text or call me. I'll be right over. Okay?”
Ayase looked over his shoulder, beaming from ear to ear. “Okay!”
The end.