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AWOL by MzMilo
Anime » Finder Series Rated: T, English, Romance & Friendship, Liu Fei Long, T. Akihito, Asami R., Mikhail A., Words: 8k+, Favs: 44, Follows: 54, Published: Feb 15 Updated: Aug 7
32 Chapter 1: Wanderlust
Disclaimer:

All cannon plot, setting, characters, and etc. of Finder Series belong to their respective owners. No money was being made off this piece of fiction.

Author's Notes:

A gift to Ashida's Grey Over St Petersburg which was the source of the plot dragons urging me to add this fic.

AWOL Summary

Takaba Akihito was aptly described as a hellion firebrand. But he could also be like a wind sprite influencing everything he touched and encountered with his presence alone. Like an untamed tempest in international scale.

Warnings:

AU, MAJOR canon divergence, language, spoiler of Finder Series manga Chapter 1: Love Prize, pilot chapter,

Chapter 01: Wanderlust

Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.

Josephine Hart

Akihito's head swam as he groaned in pain.

He pushed his body forward but was prevented by a firm grip pushing him back to his previous lying position. He felt warm all over, but he was more acute to the burning sensation coming from his butt.

There was a glass of water. Several pills.

He frowned as the sight of them hauled back horrifying and humiliating flashbacks at him. He struggles fiercely. Then, a shot like a sting to his shoulder was instantly applied to his system.

The last thing he heard was a sharp bite of command as blackness overwhelmed him.

◊{AWOL}◊

"You were raped?" Takato's voice came out flatter and colder inside the room.

The words nailing Akihito thoroughly and cruelly after the man suffered in a long wait witnessing his miserable state and listening to his forced confession. Shrinking Akihito further on his position as shame and disgust flowed over him like a cold shower.

"This is the consequences of courting danger in line with that man. And I should be relieved that instead of outrightly killing you into bits and pieces he chose to break you, Akihito?" Takato demanded sarcastically, appearing ready to commit murder in broad daylight for Akihito's sake.

Akihito instantly stirred from his pathetic position to pin the bottle bleached blond a fiery, determined look. "That bastard did not break me." The interjection that was stilted at best but its power of solid conviction soothed the rallying murderous urged from Takato.

"I know," Takato agreed with certainty, hinting the glowing pride of his tone at Akihito's ears even if his black eyes were subglacial, achieving that near flawless calm on the surface.

"Dibs to Asami Ryuuichi," Akihito claimed, ruining the moment instantly.

Takato twitched an eyebrow, and uttered a comment that could successfully thwart any further death defying attempts from Akihito. "And now, this is the result: Asami Ryuuichi's solution in teaching you a lesson had turned one Takaba Akihito to someone with an extreme case of masochism."

Akihito froze in mortification from this clear-cut observation which changed drastically as if to inflict damage to Takato by death glare alone. "He did not!" he contested vehemently.

Takato merely deigned him a mixture of exasperation, irritation and dark amusement in one go.

Inwardly, Akihito could not help but be grateful for this reaction. Pity had no place in his life and Akihito could really count on Takato not to treat him differently like he's some fragile, traumatized victim. Also mentally thankful, that his other best-friend, Kou was busy in his job project.

With Kou added into the mix, he knew that this won't end well.

Fretting mother hens, Akihito thought.

A slight tap on the shoulder jostled Akihito out from his musing. He barely resisted the urge to flinch from another's touch. Instinctively, he straightened, careful not to show visibly to Takato how unhinge he still was.

"Akihito," Takato began a steely tone underlying his next words, "never ever think that tears are a sign of weakness."

A second ticked by, then two.

Any emotions Akihito had kept under wraps finally spilled to its breaking point. He wept silently, shaking with self-loathing and hate-filled rage. More than anything else in the world, Akihito wanted to forget the shitstorm in the form of Asami Ryuuichi had dished him in for three fucking days.

Takato's silent support held on until Akihito cried himself to sleep.

◊{AWOL}◊

While nursing Akihito back to health and emotional condition, Takato's calm countenance did not reveal even a crack to where his dark thoughts were headed. Damning the source of his best-friend's latest situation won't do anything. Not to mention Asami Ryuuichi was an untouchable person. What could he do...

◊{AWOL}◊

A week later, the front page news dragged Akihito out of his funk.

They looked good together, Akihito thought as something inside him tightened in discomfort.

As a photographer, Akihito was adept in psycho-analyzing the human interaction in gleaning what was beneath the underneath. The beautiful actress was hopelessly in love to his escort, Asami, whose face was comparable to that of an ice king. Who knew what's behind that impassive expression?

Well, Akihito reckoned, rumors often had half-truths in them.

Word had it that Asami cared little for his playthings. The indomitable man took pleasures easily, never worrying about the consequences. No restraint. No remorse. A line of flings that seemed no end to it, as he left another discarded toy in his wake.

Akihito gave himself a mental shake. Such thing about Asami Ryuuichi was none of his business. He would not gave more than a rat's ass to this after confirming that he's safe from any sort of disease like syphilis or worse HIV/AIDS that man had brought with him after that lesson. Whatever had transpired between them had cut to Akihito's character. He would not delve anymore further to that man's affairs.

Akihito then eyed thoughtfully the numerous brochures, several plane tickets and meal coupons that his grandfather had supplied him for his birthday. With the means already provided like golden platter, he could travel around the world to his heart's content. In addition, one perk of his job as a freelancer meant much more flexible schedule. Akihito even conveniently had forgotten Yama-san's betrayal. He had no furthermore obligation in working as a crime photojournalist to the turn-coat detective.

What he needed for now was a well deserved break. The stress from the past weeks seemed out to get him. With that decided, Akihito left the newspaper on the table, pulled out his reliable backpack from his closet which contained his visa, satellite phone, his bomber jacket, a bit of cash, a stash of sweet confectionaries, and his DSLR camera bag.

With a sense of exhilaration, he set off to his adventure.

◊{AWOL}◊

On second thought, Akihito opened the door to his apartment. Giving one last look at the front page, he rolled it to a ball and sailed it to the trash bin. Akihito would rather explicitly implied that he was not stalking, admiring the subject or something equally preposterous of the sort if anyone found it lying on top of his working table. Worst, someone might throw it at his face that his reason for leaving was jealousy.

As if.

◊{AWOL}◊

Takaba Akihito's self-sufficient, free spirited character was his most obvious attractive aspect. It was also his most dangerous aspect. Especially when the inherent wanderlust of his nature was roused to its slumber. It was as rare like rain in the desert for Akihito to pass a message to inform his friends and family out of obligation or politeness of how and where he was. His disappearing acts lasted for months to no end. It was truly an irksome tendency of Akihito because admittedly, all of his friends were worrywarts. And here was a footnote—that any return would be only due until Akihito decided when to.

So it came as an unwelcome surprise to one underworld crime-lord, Asami Ryuuichi, who unfortunately stumbled on it in the most critical time of his obsession.

Author's Notes:

This is a what-if-scenario. We would be experimenting with this wanderlust-driven Akihito and how much this would change the cannon events in the VF series. In order to answer our curiosity of how much different would Akihito might be in this path he had taken.

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