Page 38 of Fatal Temptation

IT WAS dark. So dark and cold. Every breath hurt his throat and seized his lungs. The floor was hard under his hands and knees, the cold biting into his skin.

“Pathetic,” a voice whispered. His voice.

He snapped his head up and seeing the black bars of his cage sent shivers down his spine.

“Look at you.”

His father stood in front of him, that bloody shirt of his sending pangs of guilt through Akio.

He knew it was a nightmare. He could feel his body moving, trying to fight it off, but the nightmare had its claws sunk too deep inside him.

His father laughed at him, his face changing, morphing into his own. That evil version of him that had given in to his father’s cruel ways stood before him, looking down at him with dead eyes and then it was Lucas standing in front of him, a cold smile on his lips.

“Pathetic,” he taunted Akio.

“No,” he gasped out, tears stinging his eyes. “No. Please.”

Lucas crouched down in front of him, laughing when Akio reached through the bars for him. He remained just out of Akio’s reach, eyes on Akio’s fingers trying desperately to touch him.

The laughter turned into a scream. His own.

Then he felt hands on him, holding him down, drowning him in the stale air of his cage.

He gasped for breath, eyes snapping open. He was in a dimly lit room. Someone was holding him. Talking to him in a hushed voice.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Lucas kept repeating the words, arms wrapped around Akio as he rocked him gently. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to slow his frantic heart along with his breathing.

“Sorry,” he croaked out, tears in his eyes as Lucas pulled back, hands moving to cup Akio’s cheeks.

“Don’t you ever be sorry for that, sweetheart.”

He took a shuddering breath and tried for a grateful smile.

“I guess it all just came back at once with…”

“I’m so fucking sorry,” Lucas said, remorse filling his voice. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into it.”

He punched Lucas lightly in the arm, the man’s startled bark of laughter making his lips try to pull into a smile.

“If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have found those people, would you?”

Lucas tilted his head to the side, gaze running over Akio’s face.

“How about we skip the sorry’s and you just kiss me until I fall asleep?” Akio suggested.

Lucas’ smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Happily,” Lucas agreed.

The man’s lips were soft against his skin and drew a chuckle out of him when Lucas placed those kisses all over his face. He wasn’t sure when he fell back asleep, but he knew it was with Lucas’ arms around him.

∞ ∞ ∞

He was sitting on the couch, eating the breakfast Lucas had made for him when Lucas sat down on the coffee table in front of him, a cautious look on his face and his phone in hand. He cleared his throat before he spoke and Akio held his breath, clutching his bowl of cereal tight between his hands.

“We got footage of the men coming and going in that place from the store across the street. I wanted to see if you’d recognize any of them. If you’re okay with that?” he asked and handed Akio his phone.

---