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Getting Oriya to visit him was easy. His friend had protested, of course he had, his business was thriving, but Muraki managed to convince him. Arranging everything else was slightly more difficult, but he wasn’t Japan’s greatest sorcerer for nothing. A suggestion here, a mind manipulation there, and Asami had agreed to help him.
Muraki had been surprised at the amount of energy he’d had to spend to get Asami to bend to his will but he had to do it. Oriya was fond of Akihito, and if anything were to happen to him, he’d feel angry at Muraki. If Muraki were there to see him angry, of course.
Asami looked down curiously. “I thought he was your friend,” he said.
“He is,” he smiled, pushing some misbehaving strands of hair away from his face. Oriya looked so peaceful when he was unconscious. “Thank you, Asami,” Muraki said honestly.
He took a step back and let Asami’s men take the stretcher with Oriya up on the plane. He watched as Asami and Akihito climbed the stairs. He watched as the door closed behind them. Was this goodbye or till next time, he wondered.
No matter. This was the most auspicious time for his plans. With Ukyou in Switzerland undergoing an experimental treatment, and Oriya on his way to Hong Kong he could finally relax. They were all the family he had, and now they could no longer be taken hostage or attacked. He could finally act.
&*&*
Oriya woke up slowly. He opened his eyes once, closed them for fifteen minutes, and then tried to stand. “What?”
Asami pushed him down. “We’ll be landing in Hong Kong in an hour. It’s best you stay with the seatbelt on. We’re expecting some more turbulence.”
“What?”
“I said…”
“No, I know what you said. Hong Kong? That fucking Muraki. He fucking drugged me.”
Takaba woke up from the screaming. “Eh? Ah, Oriya, you’re up.”
“I am. What is the meaning of this?”
Asami stared at him. “I… well… we’re going to Hong Kong.”
“That infuriating man,” Oriya screamed once more. “When I see him next, I’ll kill him.”
“Why?” Takaba asked innocently.
Oriya slumped in his seat. “Never mind. Asami?”
Asami rubbed his temples. “I need to get something for my headache.”
“Asami?” Oriya asked in a surprisingly soft voice. “Why did you agree to this?”
“It sounded like a good idea,” Asami frowned. “It was a stupid idea. Why did I agree to it?”
Oriya sighed. “I think I have a headache too.” He closed his eyes.
Asami couldn’t stop frowning. It had all sounded so reasonable when Muraki had explained why they should fly to Hong Kong, but he couldn’t remember any details of their discussion. He couldn’t remember how Muraki had convinced him, or how he had even thought that moving an unconscious Oriya from one country to another was a good thing to do. He hoped that at least Muraki had remembered to pack Oriya’s passport, because he couldn’t remember anything.
&*&*
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Feilong said when he saw them. “No matter why.”
Oriya expected it but it didn’t make him happy.
Feilong kissed him softly. “You look like someone who needs to be distracted. I’m offering sex. Lots of it. Are you up to it?”
The desire for making love to Feilong was stronger than his anxiety for Muraki. And it really was good that Feilong was up to lots of it, because he was very stressed.
&*&*
Two days later an earthquake hit Tokyo. Asami tried to get in touch with his people immediately after hearing about it, and left them in the living room watching as the story evolved.
“Look at that,” Akihito said. “The epicenter is near where Muraki lives.”
“It is where Muraki lives,” Oriya said grimly, and left them to watch the news in silence.
Feilong went after him. “Oriya? He’s probably fine.”
“He’s probably dead.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He’s done something stupid again, and he sent me here so I wouldn’t get involved,” Oriya whispered. “That stupid, reckless idiot.”
“Oriya? It’s okay, he’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
Oriya didn’t listen to him, but Feilong didn’t mind. Everyone dealt with grief differently. He held Oriya while he stared at the floor, quiet and broken.
When Oriya sighed, he held him tighter. “Do you want me to get in touch with the hospital?”
“No. If he’s fine, he’ll get in touch. If he’s gone, there’s no point in contacting anyone.”
“Not even Ukyou?”
Oriya froze. “Yes, Ukyou,” he said. “She’ll contact me. She always does.”
&*&*
Ukyou did, a day later, frantic and scared and crying. Oriya didn’t know what to tell her. He let her cry until she exhausted herself.
“He’s gone, he’s really gone,” he whispered. “And I lied to her.”
“Sometimes that’s all you can do.”
“Yes,” Oriya agreed, sighing. “Feilong, can I ask you something?”
“Yes?”
“I need to be distracted. Can you offer more love?”
“Always,” Feilong smiled. “Bed?”
“Here is good.” He pulled Feilong down on the sofa, and held him, breathing in his clean scent, feeling his warmth, listening to his heartbeat and his breaths. Losing Muraki a second time wasn’t easy, but this time, he wasn’t alone.
Oriya glanced at his little cherry tree. It was thriving in its new home. If the tree tied him to the world, Feilong tethered him to life. He kissed Feilong, who responded to him with wonderful abandon. For the first time in years, he felt his bonds lighter. For the first time in years, he felt real.
For Feilong’s sake, he wouldn’t let himself turn into a ghost this time. Muraki, too, would approve.