A/N: Hey guys, it's me again!

I know I haven't written in quite a while, and I'll admit 2019 hadn't been such a productive year, but I'm hoping 2020 will be different!

One of my resolutions is start to write more, so here's the start of my goal:)

As always, any constructive criticism, suggestions and reviews are highly welcome ~

Also, apologies for any grammar errors, this is all proofread by myself. Feel free to point them out and I'll check over them!

On a side note, I'm interested in writing my own story (BL of course) and I'm thinking of posting it on Wattpad (same username there, beautifulotomehell) or is there any sites you guys recommend that's good for serialisation pieces?

And I wish all of you a prosperous and good health in 2020!^^

Feel free to follow me on , AO3 and Wattpad: BeautifulOtomeHell

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Finder characters, but the plot and OC are made up by me:)

Click click click

The rhythmic sound of tapping of keyboard echoed in the small booth.

A young man with blond hair sat scrunched up in front of a computer, staring intently at the screen with a slight frown, all the time his fingers flew across the keyboard.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm sounded, and the young man jerked up before cursing under his breath. Using one hand to rub the spot between his eyebrows, he used the other to press stop on his phone. Then, with a yawn, he leaned back against the chair and stretched.

"Finished just on time," he mumbled, and leaned back down to shut the computer and pack his things.

Opening the dark booth, he squinted against the harsh light of the corridor, wincing slightly.

He was just going to turn left to head towards the exit, when he saw that the door to the booth next to his was slightly open. He glanced inside.

The boy's shoulders were slumped, and an aura of dejection emitting from his being. On top of that, his dark hair was messy, and wore clothes that looked as if they hadn't been changed for a few days.

Perhaps he heard the blond man's footsteps, the messy haired boy suddenly turned his face towards the door and locked eyes with the blond man.

Crap, though Akihito, recognising the helpless look on the boy's face.

"Akihito-senpai, please wait here for a second!" With a sudden burst of energy, the boy shot out of his seat and ran towards the end of the corridor. Before Akihito could proceed what had happened, he was back, holding a can of iced coffee. Sliding the last few metres on his knees, he prostrated against the floor to Akihito.

"Akihito-senpaaaai, I beg of you! This is the last time! I promise! Please help me!" The boy cried agonisingly.

Akihito sighed. "Didn't you say that last time was the 'last time'? And the time before that? On second thought, didn't you say every time was the 'last time'?"

"Please! I swear this is the last time! If you don't help me I will never see tomorrow's sun!"

Akihito shook his head in defeat. "Fine, I'll help you."

The boy cried in relief. "Thank you so much, Akihito-samaaaaa! I love you!"

"H-hey, don't rub you snot-covered face on my clothes!"

"Ah, please accept this!"

Kai held up the can of iced coffee.

Akihito stared at it, pretending to be offended. "Is that all my service is worth, a can of coffee?"

"I'm really sorry, I really can't afford anything else at the moment! I promise once I finish this I'll make up to you!" Tears welled up in Kai's eyes again, and he stared at Akihito like a tortured puppy.

"It's fine, I finished my work anyway, send me the details and I'll get it back to you before the day ends." Akihito patted Kai's head.

"But you have to go home and get some sleep. Right now you look like a withered cabbage."

After exchanging goodbyes, Akihito left Kai, who was still crying on the ground with relief. Several heads were popped out from the other booths, staring at them in wonder.

Outside, Akihito strolled further down the street to the convenience store.

There weren't any convenience stores near where he currently lived, only those upscale luxury stores with expensive imported stuff from God-knows-where, probably Mars.

The doors of the store opened with a familiar chime as Akihito stepped in, followed by a cool blast of air from the air con.

"Welcome," a soft voice greeted him from the cashier, to which Akihito smiled and nodded in response.

Taking a detour through the sweets aisle before heading towards the ready meals section, Akihito dithered at the wide range of foods available, still not used to the freedom of choosing whatever he wants to eat, but in the end, he still bought the cheap yakisoba set with a bottle of ramune.

The young man at the counter was in his late twenties, and looked more suitable in front of a fashion magazine than in front of a cashier in a cheap convenience store. The name tag displayed his name as 'Natsume'.

Natsume had just started working here a few weeks ago, and since Akihito comes here everyday, they were both familiar with each other, and since Natsume seemed like a pleasant person, sometimes they even exchanged a word or two.

With his dinner in hand, he went back to the parking area of the internet café to where his beloved Vespa stood.

Riding along the streets, he passed the familiar run-down apartments until the scenery blended into the high-class imposing condos.

Penthouse apartment. In the middle of Tokyo. Akihito could practically smell the money coming off from the people living there. Except for him. Even the housekeepers here have a more stable income than him. No wonder the concierge's mouth was agape the first time he came here.

Once he opened the door to the apartment, he held his breath, automatically listening for footsteps, then shook his head when he realised that it was no longer necessary for him to be so cautious.

Taking off his shoes and carrying his dinner to the living room, Akihito dropped his dinner on the table in front of the sofa. After changing and grabbing his laptop in his room, he sat crossed legged on the sofa. Opening his email, he smiled wryly at the message Kai sent, with so many crying emojis at the title.

Cracking his knuckles slightly, he began to work.

An hour later, Akihito closed the lid of the laptop. It wasn't as much of a challenge as he hoped it would be, but then again, some peace and quiet weren't so bad either.

He yawned and closed his eyes. It's been a long day. Maybe he would take a quick nap before eating dinner... just 30 minutes of break...

It was dark

So dark

And silent

Then

Red.

Everything turned blood red, and he choked.

The pressure on his neck intensified.

Blood rushes towards his head, and his ears rang.

Fingers dug deeper into his neck.

He clawed desperately at the object suffocating him, but all his hands met were empty air.

Dark spots appeared against his crimson vision, and he could feel his conscious slowly slipping away.

Help

His lips parted to form the words, yet no sound came out.

I don't want to die

I don't want to be alone

Please, anyone

Save me

Akihito was steadily slipping into oblivion.

The dark seemed so welcoming, so safe.

"Akihito."

The voice was muffled, as if he was hearing it underwater.

"Akihito."

The voice was more distinct now, and suddenly, he was pulled up, towards the light that had appeared overhead him.

"Akihito, wake up."

And Akihito woke up.

In one fluid motion, he jerked up and quickly curled into a ball, trembling, his head in his arms. His heart pounded inside his chest and his mouth felt paper dry as he waited for the inevitable, except...

"Akihito, it's me."

The voice was soft, yet an underlying tone of command forced Akihito to look up from inside his shell. He slowly lifted his head upwards to peek through his arms that acted like bars in front of his face.

A pair of narrow golden eyes were staring at him, with a hint of concern in the depth of his gaze.

Asami.

In an instant, relief flooded through Akihito, draining away all his energy, and he slumped against the sofa.

"What the heck, don't scare me like that," he grumbled, yet was secretly glad that it was Asami whom he saw when he woke up.

"A nightmare?"

Akihito tensed, before saying sharply: "Did I say anything?"

Asami started at him for a second, before merely shaking his head and stood up.

Asami Ryuichi.

The man that was more like a god than a mortal. Akihito has yet to meet another human that rivals Asami's beauty. Even Natsume paled in comparison.

And he was the one whom Akihito currently lived with.

"By the way, where did you get that? It tasted like salted cardboard."

"Wha-? You ate my food? That was my dinner!"

Akihito scampered up and looked at dismay at the box in front of him. Only half of the yakisoba was left.

"That doesn't seem to qualify as food."

"Well, excuse me if commoner's food doesn't suit your-highness' rich palate, but us peasants care more about stuffing our stomaches than the taste."

"You could have ordered food using my card. You have already memorised all of my card details, no?"

"As if I would use your card." He snorted. "I can earn my own food at least. Hah, I'll just finish this."

Akihito ate a few bites half heartedly before giving up. It's true. It indeed tasted like salted cardboard. Or salted leather shoe soles to be more precise. Plus that nightmare had left an unpleasant sinking feeling in his stomach so he wasn't feeling too hungry.

"I'm going to bed. Good night." Akihito stood up with the box half full of food and dumped it in the trash in the kitchen before heading towards his bedroom.

Asami looked up from his documents in his hand.

"Want to sleep in my bed tonight, Akihito?"

"Hah?! Why would I, you perverted old man?! Stay at least three metres away from me when I'm sleeping," Akihito yelled and slammed his door shut.

In the now silent living room, Asami sat there, looking at the sofa where Akihito had slept with a displeased look on his face.

Morning came all the too quickly, and Akihito sat up blearily, rubbing his eyes. He didn't sleep well. The nightmare continued during the night. He could only hope that he didn't screamed anymore.

After finished washing up and getting dressed, he was greeted by a low humming noise of conversation when he opened his bedroom door.

Who is here so early in the morning?Akihito wondered. Asami was usually still asleep at this time of the day. Akihito walked quietly towards the living room, wanting to take a peek at the visitors without disturbing them, hoping all the way that it was not Asami's bespectacled secretary.

Before Akihito could get closer to hear clearly what the two men were saying, they seemed to have noticed Akihito's arrival and the low hum of conversation abruptly stopped.

Akihito, knew that he can't turn tail now, opened the door.

Asami sat in one of the armchairs, somehow still looking imposing in a white bathrobe, and the other person sat opposite Asami. His trench coat hung behind the chair, and wore a waistcoat with a dark tie. His short hair was neatly trimmed and on his face sat a pair of glasses, yet Akihito could not help the smile blooming on his face.

"Shinji!"

Akihito bounded over to Kuroda.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back? Wait, when did you get back? How was Osaka? Did you visit any hot springs? I've heard that some hot springs got medicinal properties, is that true?"

Kuroda laughed as Akihito fired off hundreds of questions.

"Wait, let me get a word in please," he smiled. "I only got back yesterday evening. As it was too late, I didn't notify you of my arrival as I didn't want to wake you up. The original plan was to come back tomorrow, but we cleared things up quicker than expected so I'm back early. And yes, I did visit the hot spring. It was very relaxing. I highly recommend you going there sometime. Also, here," Kuroda turned around and rummaged though his pockets before taking out a small bag with a ribbon on top, and handed it to Akihito.

"Lavender scented bath salts with calming effects. It should give the user a good night sleep."

"Oh wow, thanks! I'll try them tonight!" Akihito beamed at the present, then suddenly seemed to remember something as he dashed to his room and back, with a sheaf of documents in his hand.

Asami raised his eyebrows questioning but Akihito shook his head and said seriously, "It's confidential," before handing it to Kuroda.

"Then I'm glad that I finished this yesterday. Here, proof that Kawaguchi had been laundering money. He asked me to look into Kamado's email to see if there's anything juicy, but since I saw in your emails that you were interested in Kawaguchi, I helped you to dig out some dirt on him." Akihito grinned cheekily.

The corners of Asami's lip curved upwards and he took a sip of his whiskey before asking, "Client confidentiality?"

Akihito stuck out his tongue at him.

Kuroda smiled wryly. "This is a great help, so thank you, Akihito, but to hear that my emails were read..."

"Don't worry, there's nothing interesting about your emails. Only thing though, those shots of the cat were really ugly."

"So you also looked into my photo album..."

Akihito laughed.

Just then, Akihito's phone rang. He took the phone out of his pocket before pulling a face.

"I gotta go. Work calls."

Kuroda started to get up but Akihito waved at him to sit down.

"Don't worry, you and that boss guy over there continue your chat before I interrupted you. I'll see you guys later."

The front door closed with a soft click, and a heavy mood settled over the living room.

"Ryuichi, how is he doing?"

Asami was silent for a few seconds, before shaking his head and replying grimly: "He's still having nightmares."

Kuroda sighed softly. "It's been 2 years."

"Some scars take a long time to heal. Others never do."

"We can only hope that it's the former one."

The two men sat motionlessly, each lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Asami spoke up.

"Any news?"

Kuroda shook his head.

"Nothing substantial."

"But he's still alive."

Kuroda looked at Asami carefully.

"And what would you do if he was?"

Asami flickered his eyes towards Kuroda, a quiet storm brewing behind his eyes. "He still screams himself awake at nights, and sometimes he doesn't want to go back to sleep because of the nightmares."

"And I suppose that he's dead set against any sleeping pills."

Asami nodded darkly.

"I won't keep you here any longer. I'll keep in touch if anything new comes up, but keep in mind he's got quite a network of allies."

"The more people that are involved the more likely there will be a traitor to come out."

Kuroda nodded, before heading off.

Asami's mood didn't lift the entire day, and it worsened during his meeting with a small clan's head, who came to Asami hoping for business deals.

It was already nearing the end of the discussion when the elder man made the blunder.

"So I've heard that you've been keeping a pet by your side for quite a while now? My, my, isn't this quite unusually for the great Asami? However, it would be my greatest honour to meet this lady of yours someday."

His words meant no harm, but simply said at the wrong time.

The last word hadn't left his mouth when the whole room became frigid.

"I-is something wrong, Asami-sama?" The man asked nervously, playing with his hands.

"And where did you get this information, Yamaguchi-san?"

"A-ah? It's just there's rumours floating around..." Yamaguchi's voice died when the temperature in the room dropped another 10 degrees, and the look in Asami's eyes froze him before he babbled. "I-it was the head of the Sh-shimada-gumi who told me that. I swear I don't know anything else, please believe me..."

He was still babbling by the time Asami left.

Inside the car, the only sound that could be heard was the purr of the engine. Kirishima took a quick glance in the rear view mirror, and found Asami's brows tightly furrowed.

Akihito's security is going to tighten, Kirishima thought, half dreading the process of finding another victim as Akihito's bodyguard.

Indeed, his prediction came true.

"Change the security for Akihito to 24/7 except when he's inside the apartment with me. Keep watching him even if he's inside the apartment but I'm not there."

"Yes sir."

Akihito spotted Kai waving at him near the back of the café.

He looked much more refreshed. A bath, a good night sleep and a change of clothes really do wonders.

"Over here, Akihito-senpai!"

Kai was literally radiating sunshine and flowers with his enthusiasm, and Akihito could help but smile when looking at his bright face.

The café that Kai told him to come to was a really popular café, and its patrons were mostly girls or couples, as the cute cakes were highly popular with females. Akihito secretly wanted to come but didn't have the guts to come as a single guy.

"Thank you again for last time! You really saved me! Please order whatever you feel like, it's all on me." Kai's eyes were sparkling. It seemed like the guy yesterday wailing about work was entirely different person. Ishould have bought sunglasses, staring at this new sunshine Kai hurts his eyes.

"How did you get a reservation here? I heard that you usually have to book in weeks in advance."

"Ah, I asked the owner for help, and he helped me to reserve a place for us today. Seems like he knows the owner here." Kai beamed innocently.

The owner is weak to cute boys like you. Watch out or he will end up devouring you.

Akihito thought.

Suddenly the couple sitting next to him stared at the TV in surprise.

"No way, isn't that guy, like, the super famous politician or something?" The guy said.

"Oh yeah, it is! It's Kawaguchi-sensei. Apparently there's rumours he's going to be the next prime minster. "

The name caught Akihito by surprise and his eyes automatically gravitated towards the TV at the back of the room. The scene currently showing on the screen was a man with his head bowed being lead away by police officers. They were surrounded by reporters whom were all trying to shove their mics in the man's face while asking questions. A voice said: "Police officers are seen escorting Kawaguchi Koda away from his house after reports came in of him laundering money. This will no doubt be a stain on his career and the possibility of him becoming the next prime minister is rapidly decreasing. And now we have reports in that all of his assets are frozen by the police until further notice."

"Ah, I was going to vote him as the prime minster. Politician are all the same, dirty scumbags."

"Yeah, as they say, 'you really can't judge a book by its cover'."

The café was instantly abuzz with the latest news, yet Akihito's mouth was wide open. The words 'all his assets are frozen' kept replaying in his head, yet is was as if his brain was frozen, unable to comprehend those simple words.

"Akihito-senpai? Is something the matter?" Kai peered at him worriedly.

"Argh!" Akihito let out a frustrated groan. "Damn it! I won't be paid at this rate." He banged his head on the table in frustration.

"Kawaguchi-sensei is your client?" Kai's eyes widen in surprise.

"Shhh. Not so loud. But yeah, he is. Or was. With his accounts frozen I won't be paid." Akihito's voice was bitter. And the help he gave Kuroda came back to bite his ass.

"Oh." Kai frowned before saying, "Look, you helped me yesterday, and because you finished so quickly, I also got a bonus. How about I give you half the amount I got?"

"No it's fine."

"But I feel bad. How about just the bonus? My patron was quite generous this time."

"It's fine, I'll just be broke for a few days before my next pay. I've already got another job lined up," Akihito gestured at his phone.

"Will your rent and everything be okay?"

Don't worry, I leech of my 'landlord' at the moment, Akihito thought.

"Then at least let me order you another creme brûlée," while speaking, he waved down the waitress to place the order.

"If you ever need anything, doesn't hesitate to ask me okay? Though I might not be able to help much with work, but if you ever need somewhere to stay or someone to talk to, I'll be here, okay?" Kai smiled and held Akihito's hand with both hands.

"Thanks." Akihito smiled. Truthfully, he actually liked Kai, though usually he hated people who were so talkative and always leaked so much energy that Akihito simply felt tired just by looking at them. Maybe it was because Kai never probed about his private life or past, or knew when to stop pushing for answers.

Then, their orders came.

The creme brûlée looked delicious. With its bubbling scorched sugar and the hint of yellow creaminess below that. Akihito had just taken one mouthful of bliss when Kai stared wide eye at something behind his back. Then he leaned forward and whispered excitedly to Akihito.

"Hey! There's an ikemen behind you! He's so good looking! But what's he doing here in a suit and alone?"

And for the second time in the day, Akihito froze.

Akihito turned around slowly, praying to whatever diety that was listening to him right now that his suspicion would be false.

Of course, fortune never seemed to favour him, and with a sinking feeling, he saw a man in a suit sitting a couple of tables away from him. Staring straight at him.