Haha. So as it turns out, I'm not dead. This is nothing. Just a little nothing written to get me back into the swing of this. More of other stuff is coming soon. :D I realize this is not perfect, but it's more an exercise than anything else, so please be gentle!

When Asami Ryuichi was eighteen, his mentor shot his first love. It had been clean, one bullet right between the eyes and death was instantaneous. Ryuichi had been just one second too late.

"This is a very important lesson for you, Ryuichi," his mentor had told him as Asami cradled her body, stroking his thumb over her cheek and smearing her blood across her face. "I saved her from our enemies. They would have done far worse. You should thank me." The man had placed his hand on Asami's shoulder. "Our life is messy and dangerous and in the end, we all die alone."

His boss had been right and Asami knew it. For seventeen years, no one touched his heart. He hadn't allowed it. It wasn't until one bratty little photographer came flying past his life with his hand outstretched. What could Asami do but go along for the ride?

And now, he pads into his bedroom, shucking off his suit jacket and loosening his silk tie, taking care not to wake the sleeping Takaba Akihito in his bed. It's four in the morning, and he slips a hand through his hair. Tonight had not gone exactly as planned. As usual. Though this time, Asami could be grateful that it had had nothing to do with Akihito.

Asami traces his fingers down Akihito's chest, easily plucking the comic book splayed over the boy's stomach from his sleepy grip. He smiles, the kind of smile he only allows when he's absolutely certain no one will see, runs his fingers through Akihito's hair, taking note of the dark roots beginning to peek through.

Yes, he thinks, he could definitely get used to this.

He is actually quite used to it now. Perhaps more than he'd care to admit.

When he slides into bed, Akihito twitches slightly, but does not wake. Asami buries his nose in the boy's hair and inhales deeply, relishing the quiet moments like these, which are often so few and far between. Asami smirks to himself and trails his fingers absently over the boy's stomach, smirks more when Akihito instinctively curls into Asami's warmth. Of course, there are fools in the world and Asami knows better than he'd like to that this is the only time Akihito is truly safe.

Akihito's eyes flutter open slightly and only dimly registering Asami's secret kind of smile, he smiles back sleepily. "′Sami," he mumbles and cuddles closer still. "′s goin' on?"

Asami pulls his boy tightly against himself, "Nothing, go back to sleep."

"'Kay," Akihito closes his eyes and is out within seconds, but Asami swears that before sleep returns to the boy, he feels the faint vibration of a tentative, "love you."

Whether Akihito actually said it or not, Asami knows at that moment something he'd hardly dared to hope since they'd met:

Asami Ryuichi is not going to die alone.

Thanks for reading!