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Aftermath	By : twistedsheets Category: +S to Z > Viewfinder Views: 4337 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Viewfinder, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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[Fanfiction] Viewfinder - Aftermath: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don�t own Viewfinder. This wonderful series and
the characters belong to Ayano Yamane. Bow down to her! :D

Author�s notes: Post Hong Kong arc. Spoilers for Naked Truth
chapters, up to NT07. Uhm, enjoy? Going to try to fit this in ten or so
chapters. Argh. Plunnies won�t leave me alone. Damn them.

Ratings: PG-13 to NC-17? Oh hell, there�s going to be smex in
the future chapters. So be warned. Violence, gore, yada, yada.

Pairings: Asami x Takaba, Fei x Takaba (flashbacks)

Summary: Because just like the morning after, the aftermath
can be a bitch. Choices must be made, and in the end, you find out �happily
ever after� is just another lie.

Chapter II: Breaking Fast with the Devil Himself

It was just a pinch, a
teeny-weeny bit of a pinch held between his thumb and index finger. Sprinkled
it on his drink, mixed it with his finger, and then drank it in one determined
gulp.

His throat burned, his eyes
stung with tears. He felt hot, every nerve end in his body afire with
sensations hovering between pain, pleasure, and the gods know what else.

He was in the middle of the
dance floor, amidst gyrating sweat-slick bodies; he was in heaven, high in the
sweet cool clouds. He saw stars burst in his eyes; he saw rainbows past his
eyelashes. He smelled wine; he smelled sex. He felt good; he felt like
God. His heart was pounding, his pulse was racing. Neurons firing
message after message, sometimes connecting, but more often not. Blood sped
through his veins, thinner now, oxygen-deprived.

Half a heartbeat later, he
dropped dead.

He was only twenty-three years old.

~*~*~*~

��Besides,� the words came casually out of the
boy�s lying lips, �why would someone want a lowly wildflower when he already
has the rare flower on the loft?�

So Takaba had seen
them together and came to his own conclusions to what had happened. �How
foolish,� Fei Long murmured softly, his warm breath fogging the cool glass of
the car�s window. He stared unseeingly at the blur of lights and shapes as the
car sped past them.

It still shamed Fei Long to
remember that night. It had been a moment of weakness, brought on by the
shocking truths Asami had forced him to face. It shamed him to remember how
easily he had fallen into Asami�s arms again, how readily he found warmth in
his touch.

Frowning, Fei Long abruptly
turned his face away from the car�s window and focused his gaze on the flute of
champagne he held in one hand. Asami. The man still disturbed him, more so
after what had recently happened in Hong Kong.

Even the boy, Takaba
Akihito�Fei Long had told him part of the truth when he said he was in the
exhibit to see art. Books and art were among the few things Fei Long was
passionate about, and with so little free time, he took every opportunity that
came to indulge himself.

He had been told that the
artists featured in the exhibit were among the best in Japan. He expected to
see beautiful art�he did not expect to see Takaba in the exhibit, nor
did he imagine seeing a nude painting of the boy.

Something about the painting
disturbed Fei Long. It was beautifully done; there was no doubt of that.
Takaba�s mother must be truly talented to perfectly capture the details, and
more importantly, the emotions expressed by her subject�her son.

Emotions. Expressions. Even in
the direst of situations, Takaba still exuded defiance and determination�the
snappy comebacks, the insolent glares, the chin held up high. It was one of the
few things about the brat that drew Fei Long�s attention and reluctant
admiration. The look of heartbreak on Takaba�s face and the defeated slump of
his shoulders in the painting were out of character for the brat. What
disturbed him most, however, was how familiar that expression felt, like an old
memory that refused to be forgotten.

Did I once
look like that, Asami?

Why do I
concern myself with Takaba? Fei Long felt little guilt in using
him. It was the brat�s own fault. Takaba should have known better than to
associate with a man like Asami Ryuuichi. The man was both fire and ice, and
would burn anyone who touched him.

As I have
learned on my own. Forgiveness for Asami, for Yantzui, for Tou, and
most of all, for himself, did not come easily to Fei Long. The truth hurt too
much, like a fiery, iron-red brand cauterizing a festering wound. One day he
might find inner peace, but Fei Long had a feeling that would not happen in
this lifetime.

He took a quick gulp of
champagne, angry at his own thoughts. I do not need this. He had an
important meeting tonight and he needed his wits about him. Damn the boy
for showing up like that. What was he doing there? Fei Long had assumed
that given Asami�s unnatural possessiveness over Takaba Akihito, he would have
him locked up tight in one of his estates. Asami had made it very
clear that Takaba was his and willing or no, he would not simply let
go of the brat after the pains he took to get him back from Fei Long�s
clutches.

Did you let
the boy go, Asami? Did you tire of him so soon?

�Master Fei,� his driver�s
voice broke through his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. �Pardons
for disturbing you, but we are here.�

Fei Long straightened, glanced
outside, and saw the iron gates looming ahead. It opened as soon as their car
was a few feet of it. Past the gate was a short, winding asphalt road that led
to a large western-style house.

It only took them a minute or
so to reach the house. Fei Long slowly slid out of the car, and stepped into
the night. His bodyguards quickly assembled around him, and with a curt nod,
they headed for the massive oaken double doors. Two liveried servants bowed at
Fei Long, and then opened the door.

Mikhail Arbatov himself stood
in the middle of the immense hall, impeccably dressed in a dark gray suit. He
smiled as he caught sight of Fei Long walking across the marble floors.
�Welcome to one of my homes, Liu Fei Long. It is so good to see you
again.�

~*~*~*~

�Aren�t you going to eat
breakfast?� his father asked as Akihito passed by the kitchen door on his way
out of the house.

Akihito shook his head,
adjusting the camera strap around his neck. �No, Dad. I have to meet someone
early today.� He eyed the food on the table warily. He was hungry, but the sour
taste in his mouth and the knowledge of whom he was meeting today made his
stomach uneasy and ruined his appetite.

He looked at his father,
opening his lips to ask him about borrowing the car, and then blinked. �Dad,
why are you the one making breakfast?� He resisted the urge to laugh at his
father�s appearance. The orange apron his father wore seemed ridiculous in light
of his broad shoulders and dour expression. The frying pan he held in one hand
as he put some eggs on a platter didn�t help the image.

His father gave him a blank
look. �I�m cooking until your mother�s taste buds go back to normal. I�d rather
cook that get food poisoning.� He then turned his back to Akihito to go to the
stove to get the pot of rice.

�Oh. I see. Uh, Dad,� he
began, looking outside, where the garage was, �can I borrow��

�You can�t borrow the car.
It�s not that I don�t trust you with it,� his father said, glancing over his
shoulder and giving Akihito a dark look the instantly reminded him of what
happened the last time he �borrowed� the family car. �Your mother�s going to
use it today.�

Akihito�s eyes widened.
�You�re letting her drive in her condition? Is that safe?�

�For your mother? Yes. For
others. No.� His father placed the steaming pot of rice on one of the
placemats. He gave Akihito a level stare and said in all seriousness, �Akihito.
Son. Your mother doesn�t drive. She flies.�

�I heard that.� Akihito�s
mother gracefully stepped into the kitchen, kissed Akihito softly on the cheek,
and then turned to her husband, one eyebrow raised. �You just can�t admit I�m a
better driver than you, can you, dear?�

Akihito�s father just grunted
and proceeded to spoon the rice into the blue ceramic bowls.

Akihito�s mother smiled at her
husband, and then gave her son an apologetic look. �I�m sorry, Akihito, but I
really need the car. If you can wait for me, I�d give you a lift to wherever
you�re going.�

He felt himself go pale at the
thought of his mother meeting that person. �No, Mom. I�ll just walk or
ride the bus. It�s not that far from here.�

�You can�t give him rides
anymore,� his father said. �He�s all grown up now. It�ll just embarrass him.�

�I know.� His mother gave
Akihito a strange look, and then abruptly faced her husband. �I�ll just eat a
little, and then I�ll be off. I have a full day ahead at the school and the
museum.� When she wasn�t painting her next masterpiece, his mother also taught
art in an exclusive school, and occasionally worked at the nearby museum as a
consultant for several projects, mostly involving Impressionist art.

Akihito�s father frowned. �I
thought you stopped working at the museum weeks ago.�

�I did. But they discovered another
set of possible forgeries and they want me to look at it.� Her chin rose
slightly, and her blue eyes suddenly took in a defiant gleam.

�I see.� His father�s voice
was quiet and expressionless, but the disapproving look in his eyes told them
clearly what he thought of his wife working at the museum.

Uh, oh.
Akihito could feel the tension rising in the room. �Uh, I really need to go.
I�ll see you two later at dinner.� He shifted his gaze to his father, who was
busy glaring at his wife. �Dad, is the photo shoot this afternoon at the
Sankei-en still on? Do you still need my help?�

His father gave his wife
another dark look before turning to Akihito. �Yes. Same plans as before. Be
there on time. With the kind of weather we�ve been having of late, we can�t afford
to lose the light.�

Ignoring the look her husband
gave her, his mother sat on a chair, took a rice bowl, and then said, �Oh,
Akihito, that reminds me, Yamane-san wants you to pose for one of her
paintings.� She smiled mischievously. �A nude painting. She says you
have a very nice body, and she would like��

�No!� Akihito and his father
said at the same time. Akihito had enough of the attention his mother�s
colleagues gave him at the exhibit last night. Nodding at his father, he nearly
sprinted out of the house, the sound of his mother�s laughter lifting his
spirits for a moment.

He paused at doorway, and took
a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the wisteria flowers that had just
begun to bloom in their garden. Squaring his shoulders, Akihito purposefully
began walking towards the little caf� just a few blocks away, where he would
meet the person who threatened to kill his mother.

~*~*~*~

He sat cross-legged on an
immense leather sofa, one of the few modern pieces of furniture in the ancient
house. He was old and wrinkled, his hair a sparse patch of white and gray atop
his brown head, yet his eyes were as shrewd and as piercing as they were three
decades ago, when the old man was the head of the group that controlled the
whole of Kanazawa.

The man smiled as Ryuuichi
Asami strode soundlessly across the gleaming wooden floors. Asami paused a foot
before the old man, then gave him a brief, but respectful bow. �Heh. So you
deign to visit me after seven years or so of not showing your face in this house?
Leaving an old man all alone, then barging in all of the sudden�you have grown
impertinent, Ryuuichi.�

Asami�s eyes flickered at the
seductively dressed girls clinging at both the man�s arms, giggling softly
behind their hands. �It doesn�t seem as you�ve lacked company since I�ve left.�

The old man gave a bark of
laughter, hand thumping one of the many cushions around him. �Hah! I suppose I
haven�t.� He clapped his hands sharply. �Leave us.�

A flurry of motion followed
the man�s command. The girls gave the old man a kiss on the cheek, rose, bowed,
and then gracefully left the room, along with the sharkskin-suit men stationed
beside the walls. When the room was empty save for the two of them, the old man
gestured for Asami to sit down on one of the sofa chairs across him and asked,
�What brings you here, Ryuuichi?�

�You know why I am here.�

�Hn.� He eyed Asami warily. �I
wondered how long it would take you to go come here and ask about it.�

�The matter has become an
irritating annoyance.� One that I can no longer ignore. The matter was
brought sharply to his attention by a late-night phone call yesterday by one of
the country�s most influential politician. The man�s son had died of
complications after ingesting a drug he had mixed in his drink.

Asami cared little for people
who used drugs. His involvement in the business was a simple economic decision,
a matter of supply and demand. If he didn�t provide it, somebody else would
have, and that was unacceptable to Asami.

�Annoyance? Heh, I suppose you
could think of it that way. Unfortunately, I have little to give you, save for
some disturbing rumors and unverified information. All I know for certain is
that it started in Kanagawa.� The old man frowned. �Truth be told, I only heard
of it a month ago. I had it�investigated, but the men I sent turned up dead.
Even Takeshi has not found anything helpful and most of the ports are under his
supervision.�

Asami gave a curt nod. The
same thing happened to him when he tried to get to the bottom of the matter a
week or so ago. It seemed no one was talking about it, no matter the threats or
bribes. He knew he should have taken care of this earlier, but he had
been�distracted of late.

�I trust the business with
Baishe has been concluded successfully,� the old man suddenly asked in an
off-hand voice.

Asami�s face became ice, so
cold the expression on it was. He�d taken care that his �business� with Baishe
weeks ago in Hong Kong would not get out, even to his allies. �So you�ve heard
of it.�

He snorted. �Of course. I may
be old, but I still have my ears, and my ears can still hear well.� He regarded
Asami intently. �You should have killed Liu Fei Long. Mercy is not a kindness
bestowed upon enemies.�

�How I deal with the head of
Baishe is my own business.�

The old man smirked. �As you
say. Your methods have been effective so far.� He cocked his head to one side.
�Liu Fei Long is in Yokohama.�

�I know.� He had been both
surprised and irritated at the Chinese crime lord�s audacity to come back to
Japan so soon after their confrontation in Hong Kong. And in Yokohama, of all
places.

�And so is Mikhail Arbatov.
The two was in Arbatov�s estate last night.�

Asami�s expression did not
change. That last detail he did not know. Mikhail Arbatov. One of the
rising leaders in the Russian Mafia. Asami had heard the Russians have been
making overtures to their Chinese counterparts, a truly disturbing
development.

Despite both being Communist
countries, history and varying cultures have made the relationship between
Russians and the Chinese more than a little strained at times. The two had
several things in common other than Communism, though, and one of them was
their hatred of Japan, a country that had beaten both of them once or twice,
both in military and business�undertakings. For the Russians it had been the
Russo-Japanese War; for Chinese, the most recent would be World War Two. Old
grudges die hard, even among crime lords. Especially among crime
lords.

Should the Chinese and the
Russians join forces, they would be more than an irritating annoyance to Asami.
Do you mean to challenge me again, Fei Long? He had to give the man
some credit for his impudence, though. Coming to Japan so soon after
his�chastisement, and even meeting with Arbatov here, in Asami�s territory, was
something he did not expect of Fei Long.

Asami rose to his feet. He had
what he needed; there was no use dawdling here. He also had other matters to
take care of. �Thank you for your time. I�ll inform you if I find out anything
else to what we�ve discussed.�

The old man�s brows rose, but
then he nodded approvingly. �It�s a pity you could not stay for breakfast.
Takeshi will be coming in today. Perhaps he�ll have further details on the
matter.�

Asami�s eyes narrowed briefly.
�Give my regards to Takeshi. It has been a long time since we�ve seen each
other. But I have other things to attend to.�

�As you say.� The old man
clapped his hands, and moments later, the two girls entered the room and took
their places beside him, pressing their lush bodies against him. �Now leave; you�ve
disturbed me long enough.�

Asami smirked. �Then I�ll leave you to your amusement.�
After brief bow, he left, not speaking the whole way to his car.

As soon as he was in his car,
his driver said, �Sir, I have the information you wanted. He�s going to be in
the Sankei-en gardens this afternoon with his father for a photo shoot.�

Asami gave a curt nod. Good.
Then he still would have time for breakfast before seeing the brat again.

~*~*~*~

�You�re late.�

Akihito pulled out one of the
wooden chairs and sat on it. �I had breakfast,� he said flatly.

The newspaper rustled as it
was put down then carefully folded into half. �Oh. How disappointing. I thought
we�d have breakfast together. This is such a romantic place.�

They sat on a table partially
hidden by thick, leafy branches of a nearby tree, shaded from the morning sun
by a large, brightly-colored umbrella. Behind them was tall, wooden fence
covered from top to bottom with wisteria blossoms, their purple petals spilling
on the floor. Their scent was so overpowering it made Akihito want to throw up.

�It�s the time of the year for
wisteria, isn�t it? I love wisteria, with all those weeping, scented blossoms.
I believe your mother likes wisteria, too, doesn�t she? You have one in your
garden.�

When Akihito replied with
sullen silence, she smiled, and tossed back her mane of raven curls, showing
her smooth, white neck. Akihito briefly wondered what that neck would look like
if he strangled her and snapped it in two. �That reminds me, Takaba-kun. I
wonder if you�d care to sell me that nude painting your mother did of you. It�s
such a beautiful work of art.�

�Fuck you. I�m not giving that
painting to you.�

Her smile widened into a grin.
Akihito�s fingers twitched slightly as he restrained the urge to punch the woman�s
mouth until it was a bloody mess of broken teeth and spit. He�d never hurt a
woman before, but he would love to make her the first one. The way she casually
spoke of his mother after threatening to kill her unnerved him. �Is that so?
Too bad. I�d love to show it to Asami.�

�Asami wouldn�t care,� he
snapped back. �What is it about you guys using me as bait for him, like I�m
stupid smelly kipper? Why don�t you face him head on? I did. You�re
just a bunch of sorry cowards.�

�All is fair in love and war,
Takaba-kun.� She took a delicate sip of her coffee, and then cradled it in her
hands. Her fingers were long and delicate, smooth except for a few
calluses. �And in case you haven�t figured it out yet, this is a
war.� She looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face. �You
underestimate your worth to him. He came to Hong Kong for you. Need I tell you
how many died because of that?�

At her words, something
twisted inside Akihito�s heart, something both sweet and painful. His fingers
curled on his lap, digging into his flesh. �You have it wrong. He came to Hong
Kong because Fei Long challenged his pride. I was only a pawn for their sick
little power games. Then when he got me back, he let me go. If you
want to bother someone, bother Fei Long. He�s the one Asami��

��wants. And that hurts, doesn�t it?� Her smile and voice was kind
and gentle, but her serpent�s eyes were bright with malice as she stared
intently at him. �Did your mother ever tell you fairytales, Takaba-kun? Mine
used to. You know there are just lies, don�t you? There is no happily ever
after.�

My mother
never told me any fairytales, he wanted to say, but held his
tongue. �Just tell me what you want. I have other things to do.�

�Of course. I�m terribly
sorry,� she said, sounding so contrite that Akihito felt sick. He knew nothing
of this woman, save that she appeared out of nowhere, and threatened his
family�s life. He did not even know her name.

�Asami is in town. He�ll be
paying you a visit, I�m sure.� She smiled slyly. �Say what you will, but he
wants you. And we want something from him. It�ll be
the same thing as in the exhibit. And don�t worry, you won�t be wearing that
silly little earpiece I gave you yesterday.� She leaned over and tugged his
ear. Akihito fought the urge to flinch at the touch.

�Please be reminded,
however, that even without the earpiece, we will know if you betrayed us. Do
your part well, Takaba-kun.� Her eyes hardened for a moment when she saw the
anger in his eyes. Then she sighed, and looked wryly at Akihito. �And you know
what will happen, don�t you? Your mother is such a sweet, delicate, little
thing, especially in her condition. It would be such a pity to��

�Stop it,� Akihito said
through clenched teeth. �I�ll fucking do it. Just leave her and the rest of my
family alone.�

She grinned, dimples blooming
on her cheeks. �Good. I�m so glad we understood each other so well.� She placed
her coffee on the table and rose gracefully from her chair. She donned a pair
of dark sunglasses. �See you soon, Takaba-kun.� Then without warning, she gave
Akihito a soft kiss on the cheek.

Akihito immediately recoiled
from her, so suddenly he almost fell from his chair. Laughing softly, she waved
at him, and then sauntered towards a waiting black car (it had heavily tinted
windows and did not have any plate numbers), which quickly left after she got
on it.

Akihito sat on his chair,
numb. A few moments later, he began shaking. Asami is here. He won�t see
me, he won�t. She�s wrong. Asami didn�t want him anymore. But what if
he does?

Then either
way, I am damned.

~T.B.C.~

Author�s
note: Wah. This came out very�long. A lot of conversations,
too. And yay for foreshadowing! I hope I didn�t end up confusing everyone. And
I hope I kept everyone in character. The OCs� gave me trouble, too.

Sankei-en: It�s
a garden in Yokohama. Very pretty, and a well-known tourist spot. You�ll see
more of it next chapter. Never been there, though. I�ve never been to Japan.
*cries*

Japan, China,
and Russia: I have no idea why I put this in. They do
dislike each other. Chinese and Russians both have histories of losing to
Japan. Right now, China is an economic (and military) threat to Japan (and just
about every country in Asia, or should I say the world). China has a bigger,
cheaper workforce, and it has nukes. China is making her presence felt in the
world, and is partici�okay, I�ll stop my political ramblings now. I�m most
likely incorrect, I�m sure.

Fei Long: It
was weird writing him for a while. He�s still dwelling at what happened at Hong
Kong. XD

Mikhail
Arbatov: Yay! Mikhail�s here! Perm-san! I don�t know whom exactly
he�s working for, but I�m guessing he�s working for the Russian Mafia.

Asami:
Finally, I wrote him. He was so frikkin� hard to write. Keeping him IC is EVIL.
Fei was a lot easier writing than Asami. So what�s up with him? Asami�s been
out of the loop for a while. :D

Akihito�s
family: I�m sorry, but I love playing with them. I hope they
weren�t weird or anything. Ahahahahaha. Oh, and in case anyone�s curious, I�m
not painter or a photographer. But I am a graduate of journalism. :D

Next chapter: Asami,
Akihito, and Fei finally cross paths. And a little more on what Akihito has
gotten himself into. Hint: Asami and drugs have something to do with it. XD
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Aftermath