7Shattered
Chapter 2: Beginnings
When Akemi woke up, two thoughts came immediately to mind: 'Where am I?' And 'Ow…my head hurts so damn bad'.
He looked around him. He was lying on a couch in a nicely furnished living room. He could hear rain falling outside and, for a moment, had to think about what had happened in the last few hours. He remembered being attacked on the way home, but everything else was fuzzy. Well, except for the man who intervened on his behalf earlier.
"That guy was the one in the Hinotama Restaurant earlier" Akemi said out loud.
"Nice observation", a voice nearby said. Akemi turned to look and sitting in a chair near the couch was the black haired stranger from earlier. His feet were propped up on a coffee table and he was reading a book. After a few moments of silence, Akemi asked, "What time is it?"
Takiya glanced at his watch. "It's almost 2am. I found you earlier around midnight when I ran an errand"
Akemi nodded, feeling with his fingers the bandage over his left eye.
"They got you pretty good kid. Don't remove the wrapping over your eye, give it time to heal some first" Takiya said. With that, he got up to fetch something to drink. "I'm thirsty, you want a beer?" he asked.
"No, but if you have water or juice I'll take that", Akemi replied.
Takiya fetched himself a beer and walked over to the couch, handing a bottle of water to Akemi. He slowly sat up to drink his water, wincing at the pain it caused.
"Um… thank you for helping me back there" he said in a quiet voice. Takiya waved his hand in dismissal.
"Don't sweat it. Three on one isn't my idea of fair anyway", Takiya replied. Akemi smiled a little, "I never got to introduce myself. My name is Akemi Hidoji".
"Akemi huh? I'm Takiya Katsutoshi, and if you haven't figured it out by now, you're at my place" Takiya said. Akemi nodded, "I figured as much. Listen, I don't have a lot of money on me, but you're welcome to what I do have to try and compensate you for taking care of me."
Takiya laughed at Akemi, "Kid you act like you wrecked into my car or something. Don't sweat it, ok?" With that, Takiya went back to his book.
Akemi looked at Takiya; he was wearing a pair of jeans and a white tank top. His short black hair, which earlier had been perfectly groomed, was a little disheveled. Akemi took another drink from his water bottle, "So… not to be nosy or anything, but what do you do for a living?"
Takiya glanced up at the blue-haired boy, "I'm an insurance salesman for a little company in another city", he said simply. Akemi nodded, "Well, I guess you already know what my job is." Takiya scoffed at him; "From what I've seen, your job is pissing people off and getting attacked by them".
Akemi frowned. He hadn't done anything to give those jerks a reason to jump him, and he certainly wasn't trying to deliberately piss them off. Takiya saw Akemi's expression and smirked, clearly amused. "I'm screwing with you kid, don't be so serious".
Akemi took a swallow from his water bottle. "I should get going, it's really late" he said. Takiya looked over at him; "You can go if you want, but I have no objections to you just staying here tonight, and I'll take you home tomorrow"
"Oh no, I can't. I mean, I already put you through enough as it is, I'd rather not impose on you any further." Takiya raised an eyebrow at him, "Kid, letting someone sleep on a barely used couch doesn't exactly rank as imposing." Akemi smiled a little at Takiya. "Thank you for doing this, I really do appreciate it".
Takiya nodded at Akemi, "So, the guys who jumped you, not friends of yours I take it?"
Akemi shook his head no. "They were the same guys who were in the restaurant earlier. I've seen them around a few times. They call themselves a gang, but it's more a group of punks". Takiya gave a small chuckle, "Oh, some of them, huh?". Akemi nodded in reply, drinking from his water bottle.
Takiya took a couple of swallows from his beer, "So kid, what do you do?"
Akemi blinked in surprise, looking at Takiya. "I…do? But you already know what I do", he replied. Takiya took another swallow, "I mean besides work. You do anything else?" Akemi nodded, "Well yes. I do a lot of painting, and I'm an art student at Tokamishi University. To tell you the truth, between school and work, I don't have a lot of free time".
Takiya said, "Well I know how that one goes kid. I don't have a lot of free time either, office keeps me busy you know?" Akemi took another swallow of his water. "I know I already said it, but I can't thank you enough for all of this". The older man started to say something, but then his cell phone went off. He fished it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID.
He recognized Keona's cell number immediately. He stood up and faced Akemi, "Hey it's an elderly relative of mine, I'll be right back". Without waiting for an answer, he walked down the hall and into his bedroom, locking the door behind him before answering.
He flipped it open and held it to his ear, "Yes?" he said.
"Takiya? It's me", came Keona's voice.
"Keona, what do I owe the pleasure of this call of yours?" Takiya asked. "I know you said you wanted to take a few days off, but we could really use you on this latest assignment. We're willing to up your fee on it to compensate for your time", Keona said.
Takiya drummed his fingers on his phone for a moment, closing his eyes and sighing.
"What's the job?" he asked finally.
Keona's voice brightened instantly. "Shochan Jewelers on Koganicho Avenue, you know it?"
Takiya paused a moment, "Yea… what about it?" Keona continued, "The client is requesting the removal of the owner. The owners wife has recently discovered he is having an affair and—"
"You called me to get me in the middle of a squabbling couple? I'll pass Keona, I try and keep my work geared towards adults", he started to press End when Keona's voice came through.
"¥1 million yen Takiya… We're willing to offer one million if you do it". Takiya paused; one million was a little high for this kind of work, which wouldn't rate more than ¥750,000 usually.
When he said nothing, Keona took it as encouragement to go on. "Takiya?" she asked.
"I'm listening, tell me more" he replied.
….
While Takiya was on the phone in his room, Akemi stared down at his water bottle, lost in thought. 'Just who is this guy? Why did he bring me here?' Akemi wondered. He leaned his head back and sighed, mentally going over the events so far.
He had left work about 11pm, stopped by for groceries, and within minutes of leaving the store, was jumped by the same three punks he had run into earlier. He thought of Takiya, whom Akemi hadn't even known had intervened until waking up in his car. He thought back to a few minutes ago, of the way Takiya had sat nearby in his jeans and tank-top, downplaying his role in his rescue as if it was something he did on a regular basis.
Akemi couldn't help but blush a little thinking about Takiya lounging there in his jeans and tank-top. Akemi noticed he had a rather toned, muscular body; a fact that had eluded him before, since he'd only seen him in long-sleeves.
He took another swallow from his water bottle, sighing slightly. His head was still throbbing a little, and his back and arms felt sore. He hadn't looked in the mirror yet, but Akemi imagined his arms and back would, if they're not already, be bruised by morning. The upside to this is he had tomorrow off, so if he indeed was bruised and sore tomorrow, he could take it easy without missing work.
Akemi closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. 'Man, even deep breathing hurts… I know I must look like crap', he thought to himself.
He heard footsteps coming down the hall towards him. He leaned up to look; Takiya was coming back to the living room, his half-finished beer in hand.
"Sorry about that kid, but she's kind of lonely and needed to talk to someone. You understand, right?" Takiya asked.
Akemi nodded, "Of course Mr. Katsutoshi, I understand completely".
"Takiya".
"Excuse me?" Akemi replied.
"Just call me Takiya if you don't mind", the black-haired man requested. Akemi smiled brightly, a lock of blue-hair falling over his face, "Alright then, Takiya".
"You know kid, I hate to pry but I got to ask; you in a band or something? I never see kids dye their hair unless they're in a band or something like that", Takiya asked.
Akemi laughed a little, shaking his head, "No, I'm not in a band. I just always liked dying my hair, but I never got the chance since my high school wouldn't allow it. When I graduated, I found out the University has no rules against it, so I've been doing it ever since. I change the color often you know", he said with a grin.
Takiya just shrugged, going back to his book. "Well, to each his own I suppose".
They sat in silence for a few moments when Akemi's stomach let out a rather long growl. He blushed slightly, "Sorry, I had to skip dinner earlier".
Takiya stood up, dropping his book on the coffee table, and stretched his back, gesturing towards the kitchen, "I tossed your groceries in the 'fridge. Feel free to cook something". He upended the last swallow of his beer and headed for the hall, dropping the bottle in the garbage.
"Hey, don't you want some?" Akemi asked. Takiya looked back at his houseguest, "No, I'm going to sleep. I'll wake you in the morning", then without another word he disappeared down the hall, shutting his bedroom door behind him.
Akemi stared after him for a moment, cracking a small smile at the mans generosity. He fished in the refrigerator, pulling out the instant noodles he had purchased earlier that night. Setting a kettle of water on the stove, he set it to boil while he searched the cabinets for a bowl. Finding one, he pulled it out, sitting it on the counter. He took a moment to search for a fork in the drawers, placing it in the bowl as he waited on his water to boil.
After completing his meals preparation, he sat with his soup and water bottle on Takiyas couch, eating silently. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he knew there was something about the man that was tugging at his attention. He chewed slowly, pondering in his mind what this odd feeling was, and what it meant.
He finished his soup, rising to place his empty bowl in the sink. He walked back to the couch, screwed the cap on his water bottle, and lay down, shifting to his right side. He closed his eyes and sighed. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.
…
"Really, thanks again, I mean it", Akemi said with a sincere smile. Takiya just nodded, then drove off. It was a little after 11am, and he was on his way to Shintaro Manor to meet with Keona; who would be giving him the final details on the job he accepted.
In short time, he arrived at the Manor and was led straight to Boss Shintaro's room. After entering and closing the door behind him, Boss Shintaro rose and embraced the hitman.
"Takiya my boy… I knew I could count on you for this. I know you don't normally like jobs like this, but the others are all wrapped up, and besides, you do such fantastic work", Boss Shintaro said with a wide smile. Takiya smiled back at his employer. He had been in the employ of the Shintaro Family for years, and had come to view the Boss almost as a father-figure. He always made sure Takiya was well paid for his time, and if Takiya was ever in need of anything, Boss Shintaro made absolutely certain it was done.
If Takiya was low on money, Boss Shintaro would either up his pay for the job or advance him the money. When Takiyas car was destroyed in an accident, it was Boss Shintaro who paid, out of his own pocket, for Takiya to have a new car of his choice. He had even offered to pay the hitmans rent on his apartment, but Takiya had declined.
They were seated at the boss's desk when a knock was heard from the door. Keona entered, smiling at the two men. "Hello Mr. Shintaro, you look nice today", she complimented. Boss Shintaro smiled and winked at the pretty woman. "Takiya? I'm ready for you whenever you're finished with Mr. Shintaro". She left the room, closing the door behind her.
The mob boss grinned at his favorite contract killer. "You don't want to keep a woman like her waiting Takiya", he said. Takiya stood, bowing politely to his boss, then left.
Outside the room, Keona was waiting for him. Without a word, the two proceeded down the long hallway that would take them by the door into the garage. As they walked, Keona handed Takiya a manila envelope, which was held shut with two bendable prongs.
Takiya didn't open it, but rather just held onto it. He would read it once he got home.
Once they reached the exit, Keona smiled at Takiya, "We really appreciate this Takiya". He said nothing, but only nodded. He stepped out the door into the garage, digging his keys out of his pocket. He opened the door, tossed the envelope on the passenger seat, started the ignition, and drove towards home.
From the details Keona told him in person, it seemed like an easy, straightforward assignment; the shop owner was cheating on his wife, and his wife wanted revenge. The man had a ¥25 million yen life-insurance policy, with his wife as the sole beneficiary. However, if he began divorce proceedings, she wouldn't get any of it.
Thus, her simple plan; kill her husband, make it look like a robbery, and collect the money. She'd pay the Family their fee for setting the job up, her attorney his fee for his legal services, and she'd keep the rest and retire in luxury.
Takiya had to admit; it was a pretty damn good plan.
After he arrived home, he grabbed himself a beer and sat at his dining table, going through the contents of the envelope. Inside were pictures of the jewelry store, pictures of its owner, diagrams showing the blueprint of the building as well as locations of security cameras, the codes to the alarm system, and other assorted bits of information.
Reading through the intelligence provided, Takiya concluded that, although it would be rushing things a bit, tonight would be the ideal time for the job. Per his information, the owner was going to a jeweler's convention 700 miles away tomorrow morning, and would be gone for two weeks. That meant he'd likely be closing shop while he was gone, and if he waited past tonight it would come down to either tailing him to the convention or waiting the two weeks.
Neither choice was appealing to Takiya, especially since the report indicated he was planning on having the company secretary begin the filing on his behalf while he was away, to minimize the amount of time proceedings would take. 'No, this simply will not do', Takiya thought to himself. He had to finish the job before the day is over.
Takiya took a long drink from his bottle, pondering the easiest method of completing his assignment. After a few minutes, inspiration came to him. He retreated to his bedroom and entered his walk-in closet.
Inside, he flipped through his clothes for a few minutes. Not finding what he wanted, he pulled down a couple of boxes of supplies he had stored on a shelf. After going through the first one, he started rummaging through the 2nd. After only a few moments, he found what he was searching for, and a grin spread over his face.
…
"Akemi, are you SURE you're ok?" Rina's worried voice came through the phone. Akemi was busy in the kitchen trying to boil water to make a cup of tea. He had called his long-time friend earlier and filled her in on the details. This, however, did not happen without challenges.
The first challenge was trying to convince her not to hang up and rush over. The second challenge was convincing her she didn't need to rush over right after work. The 3rd challenge was convincing her he in fact was really ok, so there was no need to cancel work the next day. Rina was a great friend, but she was also slightly over-protective.
In her defense, she WAS correct about Akemi being a bit on the frail side.
The blue-haired boy sighed quietly, "Yes Rina, for the 9th time, I'm ok. Its sweet you're so worried, but really, I'm fine", he insisted. "Well alright Akemi, if you're sure…" she said, a little uncertainty in her voice.
Rina quickly changed the subject, "So, your rescuer, what's he like?"
Akemi cringed; rescuer? God that sounds so fairy-tale'ish.
"He was really great. He brought me back to his place, cleaned me up, let me stay the night, and he brought me back here earlier", Akemi answered.
Rina giggled a little, "He sounds like something else. So… did you get his number?"
"What?! I…. Are you crazy?! No I didn't get his number!" Akemi half-yelled, but in the back of his mind he couldn't help thinking, 'But I kinda wish I had'.
Rina's giggles turned into full-blown laughter. "Take it easy Akemi, I'm only teasing you".
With his tea kettle now squealing, Akemi poured the boiling water into a cup and added a tea bag. He sat at his table, poking absent-mindedly at the bag with his spoon.
"So you work tomorrow right?" Rina asked him. "Yea, I'm taking Gimara's shift, so I'll be in at noon and I'll leave around 7pm. Its different than usual, but I'm not complaining", Akemi answered. Staring at a lock of his blue hair, he commented out loud about it being time to go with a different color.
"What color this time? Green? Pink? Oh, that orange you did before looked kinda neat", Rina commented.
"Nah, I'm thinking maybe the red would be good, it'd contrast my eyes you know", Akemi replied in a teasing voice.
The two friends laughed, then Rina launched into telling Akemi all about the new guy at the University and how cute he looks when he eats. Akemi mumbled slightly, trying to pay attention, but feeling his attention wane. He took a sip of his tea, and wondered silently to himself, 'I wonder what Takiya's doing right now?'
…..
"Grrrr… damn cameras… I knew I shouldn't have skimped on security!" the man grumbled out loud.
The bell above the door jingled, and a repairman in a blue suit of overalls walked in.
"Mr. Shochan? I'm Hana with Fuskoh Security, and I'm here to—", the repairman began.
"I've been calling you idiots all day! I pay you people good money to protect my establishment, and when I actually need you, it takes you hours to show up! Do you have any idea how much trouble this system of yours has put me through?!" the irate shop-owner yelled.
Hana bowed his head, "We're very sorry sir, we came as soon as we could. What seems to be the trouble?" Mr. Shochan sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Well the cameras all went out on me a while ago, then shortly after your company called saying it had detected the outage. Then you showed up here… LATE I might add".
Hana nodded, "I see. Well sir the good news is we should have it up and running very soon. We may even have it finished before close today, which is in…?" "About 20 minutes, but I guess I could close early. Got a big conference to be going to you know", Mr. Shochan said with a hint of pride.
"Oh? What's the conference for?" Hana asked. Mr. Shochan puffed his chest out a bit, "It's for all the jewelers in the region who grossed ¥1 million yen or more in the last quarter. I'm proud to say my little shop here has grossed nearly ¥2 million, so naturally I'm invited".
"Oh that's wonderful news sir", Hana replied with a smile. "I'm going to the back to start work", the repairman said. "Well, let me go flip the Open sign to Closed and I'll be right with you", the owner said, heading towards the front while the repairman retreated to the back.
Hana entered the back office, setting his toolbox on the desk and flipping the lid open. Mr. Shochan came in moments later. Hana looked at the computer controls for a moment and declared, "Well Mr. Shochan, we have identified the source of the problem. From my analysis, it seems as though the electrical input from the cameras has been disrupted by means of a severing disconnection, likely by a metallic instrument. This is a fancy way of saying the cables were cut. Luckily, I have with me a rather fancy tool to repair the damage in short order", Hana said with a smile, reaching into his toolbox.
Mr. Shochan smirked at the man, "And what fancy name do you call this tool of yours?"
Pfft….Pfft….
The two brass casings hit the ground at almost the same time Mr. Shochan did. His lips moved, but only a faint rasping came out. Within seconds, the man was dead. Takiya removed the "Hana" nametag and stuck it in his pocket, then leaned down and collected his two casings.
"I call it a 'Gun' Mr. Shochan", he said. He closed his toolbox and turned the lights off in the office. He closed and locked the office door on the way out, picking up the key ring from where the owner had laid it on a display case. He shut the shop lights off and exited the store. He fumbled to find the correct key, then locked the jewelry store behind him, and began heading down the street towards his stolen van. After taking a quick glance around for witnesses, he flung the key ring across the pavement, right into a sewer opening. He got in the van and drove off towards the parking garage he had left his Audi in.
…..
"Wow…you really did dye it red!" Rina teased.
It was about 6:15pm the next day. Although intending it as a tease, Akemi decided red really would look nice, so he had re-dyed his hair red the previous night. His manager, Mr. Yoshido, long accustomed to Akemi's hair practices, complimented him on a job well done.
"Hey kid, I take it you're finished feeling blue, eh?" came a gruff, but friendly voice behind Akemi. He turned; it was Toji returning from the bathroom.
Akemi laughed, "Yea for a while, then I guess I'll be blue again", he said with a smile. Toji looked beyond the young boy then back at him, "Hey kid, ain't that the guy from the other night?" Akemi turned around, his eyes widening in shock.
It was Takiya, in a pair of black jeans and a white dress-shirt. He nodded and waved to Akemi who, a bit nervous, swallowed and waved back. He walked over to where the older man was standing, smiling. "Takiya! It's nice to see you again", the boy said.
Takiya smiled slightly and nodded, "The fish platter I had last time sounded rather appealing for dinner tonight. Hope you don't mind waiting on me again".
Akemi chuckled a little nervously, "Oh no I'd love to, it's just… well, its Rina's turn to—" he said, turning to look at his friend.
Rina grinned slightly, "I'm going on break now. Akemi, would you be a dear and seat the gentlemen for me?". Without waiting for an answer, Rina turned and walked off, humming to herself. Akemi smiled at his friend, taking a menu and walking Takiya over to an empty seat.
"So kid, feeling better?" Takiya asked. The red-headed boy nodded, "Very much so. Thanks again for everything", Akemi said with a smile.
He took the black-haired mans order and retreated back to the kitchen. Before long, his order was ready, and Akemi promptly brought it out. After taking for a few more minutes, Akemi left to seat some customers who had just walked in. Rina walked up behind her red-haired friend and gently poked him in the back.
"So THAT'S your rescuer eh? He's kinda cute Akemi" she said with a sly grin. He felt himself blush slightly; "Rina do you have to be so loud?" His friend just continued to grin like a Cheshire cat. They were interrupted by a polite cough behind them.
Takiya stood behind them, check in hand. Rina giggled and walked off, leaving a now deeply-blushing Akemi to complete the transaction. "You know kid, your hair almost matches your face", the older man said with a slight smile.
He opened his wallet to remove some bills to pay for his mean when a hand gently rested on his. "No charge", said the owner of the hand.
Takiya and Akemi looked in surprise. It was Mr. Yoshido, who had an almost knowingly smile on his face. "You helped our little Akemi the other day. So please, no charge for your order". Takiya nodded, and removed some smaller bills from his wallet, "At least let me tip your waiter for the fine job he does". Mr. Yoshido nodded in approval and walked over to answer the ringing phone.
As Akemi was zeroing out the mans order, Takiya stared at the TV mounted on the wall a short distance away. It was showing footage of a fire a few blocks away. Takiya stared harder at the screen; that kind of looked like…
"Hey kid", Takiya said, prompting Akemi to look up. He pointed at the screen, "That kind of looks like your place doesn't it?" Suddenly Mr. Yoshido was at Akemi's side, holding the cordless phone. "Akemi… it's for you".
….
Akemi may have been a frail boy, but one thing he tried very hard to do was never cry in front of anyone. Ever since he was a little kid, it was a motto of his to never, ever, ever cry in front of anyone, for any reason.
At the moment, Akemi would have to work on a new motto.
He sat on the curb, still wearing his apron, looking at what remained of his apartment building. The sun was setting and the first stars were coming out as if to witness the boys sorrow at the loss of his home. The owners of the building, although very nice and accommodating, were a bit stubborn as far as the law was concerned, it seemed. Although city ordinances required all buildings electrical wiring to be certified, the owners had a construction business as well, so they felt qualified to do their own certification.
Murphy's Law; that age-old dogma that says when something can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time, had caught up to them. Not that they were unqualified electricians, but they had missed a short circuit, and that short circuit had finally caught fire, taking the building with it. In an odd sort of way, they were lucky that nobody died in the fire. Despite this, the building and everything in it, was a total loss.
Leaving Toji in charge, Mr. Yoshido drove Akemi to the burning inferno that just earlier today was his home. Mr. Yoshido stood next to the boy as he sat crying on the curb. "Akemi, son, I'm so sorry about this. I don't even know what to say to you", his boss confessed.
Akemi sniffled, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "It's alright Mr. Yoshido… it wasn't your fault", he said.
The kindly restaurant owner smiled down at the boy, "Be strong my boy, I know school is starting back soon, but I know you will get through this. I have faith in you, Akemi". The man patted the red-haired boys shoulder in encouragement, then held his hand out. Akemi wiped his eyes and took his hand, getting to his feet.
A fireman came over to talk with Akemi. The young waiter had held out hope that maybe his apartment wasn't damaged too greatly, but the fireman just shook his head sadly, "Even if your place was untouched, we couldn't let you stay there, the structural damage to the building is too great".
Akemi wiped his eyes, but almost immediately tears sprang to them again. His employer patted his shoulder gently and turned to the fireman.
"Sir, this young man is only twenty. He moved away from home to go to school here, his whole life was in that apartment". The fireman nodded sympathetically and Mr. Yoshido continued, "Now, he is out of a home. Where is he going to go now?".
"He can stay with me", a voice behind them called. Takiya Katsutoshi walked up to the group, a serious expression on his face. Mr. Yoshido looked at him in surprise, "Are you sure about this mister…"
"Katsutoshi… Takiya Katsutoshi", the hitman answered.
"Well Mr. Katsutoshi, are you sure about this? You barely know him", Mr. Yoshido said. The older man smiled, "I'm positive. Besides, it's only until little Akemi here finds somewhere else…" Takiya looked at the crying boy, "Right Akemi?".
Akemi nodded numbly, the burning building that was his home contrasting sharply against the twilight sky.
…..
"I'm so sorry for all of this Takiya… it seems like every time you show up at work, you wind up having to save me" Akemi said quietly from the passenger seat. Takiya smirked a little as he drove, "You apologize too much kid".
After leaving the scene of the fire, Takiya drove Akemi back to the Hinotama to return his apron and check-out for the day. Afterwards, he took the boy by a nearby supermarket to let him purchase the living essentials he'd need. Akemi insisted, though Takiya had offered to just share his, as his way of trying to lesson his consumption of Takiya's belongings. Rather than argue that shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes were not in demand at his place, Takiya instead relented, letting Akemi win this one.
It was after 9pm when the two made it back to Takiya's apartment. They headed inside, Takiya setting Akemi's bag of items on the kitchen countertop. "Sorry kid, if I'd have known you were coming I'd have got the apartment with 2 bedrooms", he said with a grin. Akemi smiled sadly, looking up at Takiya, "Thank you again…for everything".
Takiya waved his hand, "Hey, you look like hell. There's clean towels under the sink, why don't you hop in the shower?" Akemi just nodded, heading down the hall. "Throw your clothes out in the hall and I'll add them to the laundry load!" Takiya yelled after him.
Once in the bathroom, Akemi removed his shoes, socks, uniform top, pants, and underwear and put it all in a pile outside the bathroom door. As the hot water washed over him, he couldn't help but start crying again, both out of sadness for the loss of his home, and gratitude over the kindness of a man he barely knew.
When Akemi finished, he dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened the bathroom door to find a small pile of clean clothes, obviously left by Takiya. He smiled a little and picked them up, shutting the bathroom door to change. Takiya had left him a white t-shirt, a pair of white boxers, and a pair of black sleep shorts. He changed into the clothes, using his fingers to do the rough equivalent of brushing through his hair. He walked out and into the living room, finding Takiya on the recliner, finishing a bag of potato chips and watching TV.
The older man looked up and grinned, "You didn't bleed all in my shower now did you?". Akemi's face betrayed a look of confusion and Takiya laughed, flipping off the TV and getting up. "I was making a joke about your hair kid".
Akemi smiled and shook his head, a couple of water droplets falling free. "No, it doesn't bleed, don't worry". Takiya nodded, walking past Akemi to head into the kitchen to toss his bag in the trash. Akemi followed him and Takiya flipped on the hall light, "Well kid, I'm hitting the sack. You need anything before I go?".
Akemi fidgeted with the hem of the too-big t-shirt nervously and looked up into the older mans cold, steel-grey eyes, "It's just… well.." When he didn't say anything further, Takiya spoke up, "If you're worried about clothes, don't be. Your boss gave you tomorrow off right? We'll go shopping for some new ones then".
Akemi shook his head, the size difference between the two making his t-shirt look more like a nightgown. "Its not that Takiya, it's just… you've done so much for me, and you've only known me a few days. I want you to know how much it means to me, I just…" the boy broke off, his voice cracking a little and tears threatening to fall.
Takiya cocked his head slightly sideways, giving the boy a quizzical look. His eyes widened slightly as, without warning, Akemi advanced on him and kissed him, the height difference making the smaller boy have to literally stand on his toes to reach him. Their lips had made contact for only about two-seconds before Akemi found himself pushed backwards, slamming into the refrigerator. "Oh shit…" he said in a whisper, breathing hard both from the force of impact and from anxiety.
He looked up at Takiya, who was no longer smiling, his grey eyes narrowed at him. Without being aware, tears had started to slip from Akemi's eyes.
"Takiya…oh God I'm so sorry, I-I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't mean… please, I'm sorry, really I—" Akemi began but was interrupted by Takiya's sudden movement. He squeezed his eyes shut, convinced the man was about to hit him. When he felt Takiya's lips touch his, his eyes popped open, then slowly closed again. This kiss was longer, and when it broke, Takiya leaned in to Akemi's ear.
"Like I said…you apologize too much" Takiya whispered, then without a word he walked off down the hall. Akemi heard his bedroom door shut behind him.
For almost ten straight seconds, Akemi stood still in shock. Then the numbness overcame his knees, and he sat on the floor hugging his knees, tears still falling from his eyes.
But at least, this time he was smiling.