Archive of Our Own ^beta

The dim light of the computer screen lights up his bored face. Last to leave work, again.

Married to the job.

Gakushuu looks about the dark room and finishes typing an email to everyone in his management department to hold a meeting, requested by everyone else. Personally, he thinks it's a waste of a whole two hours of things that could have been addressed in a simple email.

He feels a strange feeling, but it's familiar to him when he sits alone in a dark room at 9 pm.

It does feel rather chilling though, like a prickly but light sensation on the back of his neck - like little breaths dusting his skin.

Switching off his monitor, he spins around in his swivelling chair to face another person.

He could feel his back press against his chair in recoil but tried to relax his shoulders to keep a calm composure.

Let's face it, a lot of ruthless business runners and CEOs of companies don't live past 40-50, and even though he's 26 he still expected his own comeuppance.

For example, the ex-chairman of this business, who was almost like his father (and whom he bought the company off of) came to a... well, grisly end.

"Whatever you're going to do, get it over with." Asano presses his eyelids together firmly.

"Oh, it's you: I won't bother then." A familiar voice drawls.

Wait-

Oh, no. It's him.

"Out of all the people who could've come to kill me, why did it have to be you?" he scowls, opening his eyes. It almost sounds exasperated yet desperately and pleadingly miserable when it comes out of his mouth.

Akabane Karma, 27 (older by a week) 6'1 - 6'2, average build - black gloves, hoodie, pants and utility belt.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd be offended," he pulls a knife - thankfully covered by a sheath, and adds, "I would've expected a warmer welcome."  

Asano tensed again to keep his guard up but his body betrays his again, relaxing. He knows that he shouldn't.

"Over my dead body." He snorts, slumped in his seat. He fixes his posture for the last time.

"How ironic." The sheath is passed between the redhead's hands, with the bare blade slipped into a holder on his belt. 

"The only warm thing you're getting is your blood seeping out of your skin." He threatens, picking up his own butterfly knife from inside his blazer pocket.

"Is that so?" Karma pushes his cold blade to Gakushuu's chin, sliding down to touch his neck and lifting up his chin again. 

His eyes gaze at him in a dangerous manner, but give an amused yet rabid look when a knife is pressed against him too.

"An eye for an eye." Asano prompts his knife to dig into the other's clothing.

"A tooth for a tooth." The other finishes his sentence. 

Both of them look at each other, menacing, threatening, yes, but playfully - fully knowing that neither of them would actually kill each other. Or maybe they would. 

That's the fun part.

Was that the appeal for both of them all those years ago?

Gakushuu doesn't notice how he gulps his saliva, breathing in shallow breaths because he didn't dare breathe with the chance of getting cut. The other doesn't notice it either, even though he's doing the same. 

He does not want to die.

You'd be surprised how he only just realised that, because at this point, he lives to work.

Akabane recoils his knife, and he does the same in return.

"You think I'd assassinate my old friend?"

"Hm. 'Friend'." He muses, making a quick recovery. 

'This has happened before.' His mind states, feeling a sense of Déjà vu.

Gakushuu thinks back to his high school days where he and Karma had been sparring in the old forest on the hill. Of course, with real knives because, well, why not?

It had almost been a draw if that redhead hadn't stopped to pin him against a tree, playfully yet threateningly, not bothering to hide the same looks in his eyes, or maybe he was just unable to. Or maybe it was because Gakushuu was the exact same. 

The very same chills from ten years ago quivered down his spine, but its familiar sense was somewhat welcomed. 

The other slumped himself into another chair.

"How's the job?"

"Terrible." He would've thought it was obvious right now. A boss too dedicated to his job, taking on other roles his employees should be, he muses in his head. Maybe he ought to fire the useless ones.

"Right back at you. Although," he starts, corners of his lips quirking up, "Ruthless CEO would've suited you."

He hums. "What, so you don't like killing people?" he watches the time turn to fifteen minutes past nine. 

"I don't mind, but the money is great."

"How very typical of you."

They continue to talk and laugh, like normal people with a slight edge, as if they didn't both have bloodstained hands and knives ready to kill each other. How strange the world could be. 

If he could choose, Karma Akabane is the only person he would want to be murdered by.