Chapter 2

The doctor said Akihito would be best friends with his hospital bed for three days, and then if he was doing well he'd be free to walk the world with a sling and weekly physical therapy.

At first, all Akihito could think was, "Great, no more scoops for a while. How am I going to earn money?" Of course, if Asami had been there, he would have said something like, "Fufu, you can just use my money, kitten." But Asami wasn't there.

In fact, Asami never visited.

Akihito tried not to think about it. He visited once, after all. Visiting several times was asking a lot, wasn't it? Asami had an entire corporation to run, hundreds of business associates to meet with. Of course he didn't have time to visit Akihito. Someone had just tried to poison him after all, and it's not like Akihito did anything major for him, like got shot by him or anything…

Akihito hid his hurt behind anger, and cursed Asami every time his shoulder erupted in pain at a wrong movement.

He took a freaking bullet for him, and he only shows up once?

With the two men standing in front of his door, he was getting used to the weird stares from the nurses who came into rebandage him and check his vitals. He tried talking to the guards several times, but they never responded to his questions, keeping their silence and their blank stares.

Akihito was lonely. Very lonely. The pain only added to his loneliness, the pain of his wound and of Asami not showing up. It made him feel worthless. He hated it. He was supposed to be independent, defiant. Not useless.

By the end of the three days, Asami hadn't even personally picked him up from the hospital. Kirishima came in, as silent as death, and Akihito had followed him out of the tall building with a sick expression on his face.

What if Asami had been lying? Maybe the poison really wasn't completely healed, and that's why he was avoiding him? The thought made Akihito pause just as he was about to get into the sleek black limo just outside of the hospital doors.

He looked back up at the building, his eyebrows furrowing and a frown marring his face.

A hand on his shoulder nearly made him jump. Kirishima nodded toward the limo. Akihito sighed and got in.

No one else was inside.

The fifteen minute drive to the penthouse felt like it took fifteen hours. He didn't know what to expect when he got there, and the pressure of not knowing what he was going to face weighed down heavily on his shoulders.

Would Asami be there? Would he be alright?

Akihito hated this part of himself, the part that was always worrying for him. He didn't seem to care, why should he care about him? He never had thought about one person other than himself ever- he'd never worried so much for one person, never put so much emotional trust in another's hands. It was scary, and Akihito hated it, because there was nothing he could do about it.

And Asami obviously didn't feel the same way. This whole incident must've been a watershed moment. Akihito was useless. He'd be on his own any day now. The fact that he was going to the penthouse was an illusion. He'd have his own apartment back by the end of the week.

When Kirishima opened the door for him, Akihito stepped out silently before pinning the secretary down with a glare. If Asami's right hand man was surprised, he didn't show it, and he merely met the hazel gaze.

Akihito took a step toward him, and Kirishima leaned it, as if he knew that Akihito wanted to ask him something that wasn't for all the other guards that swarmed them to hear.

"Is Asami really alright? He's not still hurt, is he?"

Akihito needed to know. He needed to know. Even if he wasn't going to be here much longer, he was going to leave in his own way. And despite it all, despite everything, he still cared about Asami. He just didn't like admitting it. At all.

Akihito took a step back to stare directly in the secretary's eyes, making sure he did not lie.

"Not physically."

Kirishima whispered back. Akihito held back the sigh of relief, because now was not the time.

He nodded a thank you and turned back to the skyscraper building where he and his lover lived. He did not harp on the secretary's words. He would think about them later. Right now, he had a penthouse to face, whether it be empty or filled with a golden eyed bastard.

Akihito hated elevators. They made him nauseous. He always preferred to take the stairs, no matter how tall the building.

So when he stepped out of the elevator and made his way to through the penthouse door, he couldn't blame himself for being a tad bit dizzy. He tried to take his shoes off- he really did- but before he knew it he had slid to the floor in the middle of the doorway with a pained yelp and an even more painful shoulder.

His shoulder hit the ground hard. It throbbed, completely agonizing. The agony overwhelmed all of his other senses, so of course he didn't even process the thudding of running footsteps heading his way. His right hand clutched his bandaged arm, feeling the damp warmth of his blood through the fabric. His forehead rested heavily against the cool floor, and his face screwed up in anguish.

He faintly registered someone saying his name.

Suddenly, gently hands picked him up, encompassing him in warmth. Subconsciously, Akihito nuzzled up to the strong chest and the strong arms. It must be Asami.

Dammit. He didn't need to be mothered. He needed to be strong.

He tried to wriggle out of the man's grip, but the movement caused another wave of pure agony, and Akihito could not help the short shriek of pain before he bit his lip.

Asami shushed him, clutching him tighter, and Akihito tried not to move anymore, falling completely limp in the other man's arms. Before he knew it, the man was redoing his bandage and had positioned in between his legs on the bed, his back up against Asami's chest.

Akihito leaned back into the other man, despite everything. All of his the previous anger he had at the man, all the curses he had used to hide his hurt- they all vanished. A wave of exhaustion had suddenly swept over him. It was as if the mere presence of this other man had lulled him away from all his anxiety. He was relieved that Asami was with him.

Akihito restrained himself from smashing his head against the walls for such a sentimental thought.

Not to mention the fact that that wasn't entirely true. Asami could still kick him out. He probably would, right?

But the warm hands that caressed his skin were so gentle, Akihito was fighting to keep his eyes open. It was just so relaxing. He felt like he could melt- all hints of pain had faded away into the air, banished by the magic of those large hands.

Akihito nearly giggled when he felt Asami dig his nose into his hair. It was so affectionate, Akihito didn't want the moment to end. He was falling further into his tiredness, the last couple of stressful days finally catching up with him.

He snuggled into the crime lord's arms, humming contentedly. The man shifted so that his shoulder wouldn't bother him as much, chuckling softly at his young lover's antics. However, as Akihito was in close proximity with his chest, he did not miss his older lover's sigh.

The sigh reminded Akihito that he probably would never have this experience ever again. Unbidden, tears began to well up under Akihito's eyelids, but he squeezed them tightly shut, trying to hide them from his lover.

"Are you alright? Does your shoulder hurt?"

The rumble of his lover's voice was as sexy as ever, and Akihito felt the vibration in Asami's lungs underneath his fingertips. He had shaken off some of his drowsiness, so he did not miss the concern that had bled into Asami's tone.

As if Asami was worried about him.

But that couldn't be true. Asami didn't worry about anything other than drug deals and traitorous business partners. But Akihito knew his lover well, and he knew concern when he heard it. He wasn't stupid.

He shook his head slightly, letting his lover know that he was in fact quite comfortable.

Guilt swept over him.

How could he have let his lover, Asami, the one person he truly care about, be poisoned? He should have known. He should have known.

"I'm sorry."

Akihito whispered it, but he knew Asami had heard because all his muscles clenched with tension. The arms wrapped around him tugged him closer. He said nothing.

Akihito fell asleep soon after.

A/N: Thank you again to all those who reviewed! I'm working on chapter three...it's going down next chapter! Thank you again so much! Please review!