The Innocent (A 'Finder' Fanfiction)

Shadow of Pluto - 43 - Asami

One of the great advantages of Croatia was, that with the right amount of money, everything was possible. By 10am, both the Police and the Fire Department had lost all interest in whatever might have happened on the grounds of the mansion behind the now shattered cast iron gate. Neither the fact that obviously people had been killed nor that some Asian looking men had stolen a fire truck in the dead of the night was of any concern to them anymore.

About one hour later, Maxim had released all his staff except for two very loyal servants into a week of paid holiday and had gotten hands on new guards who he had hired from a security firm that sold their services to about anybody who was able to pay the right price. They also provided the cleaning of the house off all traces and evidence, and did not care the slightest bit about what had actually happened.

The story that was about to be spread would be that there had been an attack on the family's home which had cost the lives of many men, including that of Richard Asami. Probably it had been some Russian Anti-Government Organization named Chernobog, yet that was of course only speculation.

It was noon when Asami stepped out onto the porch in front of the large portal. Beneath him on the steps, Akihito had thrown his arms around Fei Long and hugged him – just as he had done in the basement hours ago.

Back then, while his father's blood was still spilling onto the floor, Asami had turned away from the tiny moment of intimacy – of Fei Long kissing Mikhail. The sight had made him feel a little pang in his heart – not one of jealousy, though, not one of regret about chances lost. That he had felt in that instant, maybe stronger than ever before. No, he had not felt any romantic connection with Fei Long. He never had. So, this was not of seeing the other finding someone else, or about a path he had not taken.

However, in a way regret it was, nonetheless. Seven years ago, he had screwed up. That he had always admitted, yet for the wrong reasons. He had indeed bungled a job, had returned to Japan with that failure and had to digest the defeat – thus had been his train of thought to which he had clung. But ultimately, it had been a lie. The truth was a very different one: The job had been to screw up a person, and he had not been able to actually do it. He had cared too much for the other. While he had pretended in front of himself that he was just playing Fei Long, that he was just 'working', he had effectively tricked them both – and had only realized that he had cheated himself when it had been much too late.

Disaster had followed, and his ignorance had cost him ... Yes, what? Not a lover, no. But ... a friend? Or something as cheesy as a soul mate?

Not to mention that it had cost Fei Long far, far more.

Staring down the corridor to where his father's blood had now built a large puddle on the floor, he had felt his mouth twitch into a pitiful smile – yet with his parent's death that had nothing to do.

Akihito had taken his hand then, his skin warm, his grip strong. He had looked tired, but his eyes had been clear and bright.

Only when some men of Baishe had come down the hallway had Fei Long taken a step back from Mikhail. The Russian had been brought upstairs then, when his consciousness had already faded from the hurt and the exhaustion. And only then had the Chinese actually taken a look around, until his eyes had focused on Akihito as if now for the first time, he had really understood that the other was here.

"Are you alright?", he had asked, which had seemed kind of out of place as indeed he had looked far more fatigued and distraught than the Japanese.

Akihito had smiled at him, had shrugged, had nodded, had appeared as if he had not really known what to do or what to say. It had then dawned on Asami that the two of them had not met since their last encounter on the Casino Ship. They had sent messages to one another for months, had talked on the phone. Yet, the first time they had been in the same room had been when Akihito had still been in hospital – unconscious – and then here in the mansion when he had believed his name to be 'Arata'.