AN: Firstly, you trolls need to stop trolling on other authors just because you don't like their stories. There's a difference between critique and flames, you idiots are flamming others. What you people did Kunoichi of the Moonlit Night wasn't critique, it wasn't helpful, it was just bullying! Stop being such cowards, log in and PM her if you don't like her stories, but don't flame her just because you don't like her story.

Also, I send my prayers to Ryuakilover, whose struggling with a death in her family.

I was inspired to write this a few days, when the weather in Texas finally decided to act right, and my friend and I walked our high school track for the first time in a long time. There's a kind of simplicity in just walking and talking to someone you haven't spoken to in ages, you start to learn things.

Summary: ( Asami and Takaba meet differently) A businessmen submerged in a life of scandal and riches, incidentally sparks an awkward relationship with "ill-fated" hospital patient who dreams of one day becoming a famous photographer, despite his uncertain end.

This will have a happy ending, I tell you, it will! So don't worry, be happy, and stick with me! I don't plan to make this incredibly long, five chapters at the max! So it'll be done pretty quickly (or at least I hope so).

Disclaimer: I do not own The Finder Series.

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While never entirely fond of winter itself, the restless photographer was eager to break from the familiar confines of his white-walled cubicle, and escape to the outside world, even if it meant being a little cold.

His escape had gone smoother than it had other times, and in all honesty, he concluded that the hospital staff had given him a "freeby" of sorts. Besides, what young man wouldn't go insane if they had been forced to live in hospital for the past thirteen years.

The details of his condition had been withheld from him at the dawn of his illness, and during this time he'd spent every waking moment of his life attempting to pry the information from his parent's lips.

He knew that at the time, he was young and afraid, and his parents reasoning for withholding such powerful_potentially fatal, was actually justified.

But now? He was twenty four, old enough to know the severity of his own disease.

Though the medication dulled the pain for the most part, he could feel a permanent stiffness about his body, and every so often menial tasks left him drained completely of his energy.

Throughout the years, he'd become considerably paler and thinner, and while minor body changes were to be expected due to this prolonged stay in the hospital, his deterioration was increasingly irregular and fast for the amount of time he'd spent in the ICU.

His weight fluctuated during the months, and took both an emotional and physical toll on him.

Sighing, he snapped a close-up shot at a frozen leaf.

Though the frost that draped Japan in ice had nearly disappeared, Takaba had managed to snag some shots of still frozen objects, and the warming weather enabled him to take shots of the ice nearly melting from the said objects.

Time, life and death all came together so perfectly after a frost, and Takaba felt these shots mirroring his own cruel life.

How much longer would the frost remain, how soon would it be until his body slowly and painfully melted away?

"Don't think like that, Akihito," he brightly reassured himself, as he lowered into a crouching position to get a better perspective of his target, "You're going to be a famous photographer one day! So work, work until you get better than everyone else!"

Selfish thoughts, yes, but considering his situation, he didn't care.

He had the right to be selfish, as he did not have much to be selfish about.

A cool breeze blew through the small playground he had escaped to, and tightly, he pulled the large white doctors coat around his thin form.

His doctors had become his second family, and weren't like those mindless goons that enjoyed chewing patients out of their money. With his own family and friends never around they had managed to fill the void.

Other patients were more like friends, he concluded. They came and went, some longer than others.

Some just died.

He sighed as his thoughts drifted, his absence would be noticed very soon. His doctor would be delivering him his medication in a matter of minutes, and while he wouldn't be there in time to receive his medicine, he would most defiantly arrive soon enough receive the raging of a proper scolding.

Holding his camera to his face one last time, he took a glamorous snapshot of the frozen playground before him.

The slides, swings and benches had small traces of ice about them. Ice ice cicles hung off the slide, and stuck to various braces and leaves on the trees standing tall in the background.

With the sun slowly peaking through the leaves, and shinning its wonderful glory on the park, Takaba reckoned this scene fancied that of a child's fairytale.

Serenity and peacefulness coexisted in this small oasis, not even the beeping cars, or noise of the bustling city could deter such beauty from this tiny haven.

Often times, Takaba wondered if Heaven looked like this.

Since he was practically going to go there in a matter of time (he learned to study the looks on various doctor's faces, when the death of a patient neared, their expressions tended to change drastically. Though their faces weren't completely grim, they were border-lining hopelessness), he liked to wonder what it would be like, what it would feel like.

And, in all honesty, if he were to die in some cruel way, he would not mind becoming a ghost and hanging around this playground for the rest of his immortal life.

This, technically, was his Heaven on Earth.

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Despite his urge to remain at the park slightly longer than he had originally intended to, the chill had finally gotten to his bones. On top of the original stiffness associated with his normal condition, the frost was doing nothing to ease his now ebbing pain.

How an artist suffered for his masterpiece...

Not only had his prolonged stay damaged his declining health, but he was certain that his doctors were in a frenzy, looking for their escaped patient.

He needed to get back before they raised hell looking for him, he needed to run.

A smirk graced his features as he swung his camera sash around his neck, and jumped into a sprinting position.

In seconds, he was off.

It was times like these when Takaba tended to forget his ailment completely.

He ran, jumped, climbed and soared, he soared through trees, through cars, on fences, on buildings_his alter ego took full control, and no longer did the will of his disease confine him.

Free running made him feel alive_It made him feel free.

Cold wind assaulted his pale face as he plowed off the sidewalk, and into the busy street. He didn't mind the tingling sensation too much, it felt slightly relaxing.

He was practically flying, flying higher and higher into the sky, darting to the street and running into impending traffic.

He'd dodged so many cars in his short life, that running past these vehicles just seconds before the street lights turned green had become second nature to him.

The beeping and cursing was to be expected always during his runs, and he'd actually grown to admire the attention. It felt nice to have someone other than his doctors, though he still loved them, to acknowledge him in such a different way.

It made him feel human.

In the midst of his adrenaline rush, he barely missed a blazing BMW that came flying down the street, ready to hit him in an instant. The side of the car gently brushed his borrowed doctors coat as the metal object flew past him at great speeds.

Had this not been his first near death experience, he would have most likely been scared...well...to death!

But such occurrences were normal to him, and he happily planned to go on about his running business.

However, the cars halting stop, and sudden reversal deterred any plans to continue with his happy-go-lucky activity.

In fact, that cars reversal was so fast, that the driver had managed to tap him with metal object itself, thus causing Takaba to fall over on the side walk.

"Hey, watch where-"

Before he could even begin to fuel his complaint, the window of the backseat rolled down slowly, revealing a very pissed_very good looking, young man, who glared at Takaba with dark gold eyes.

Takaba scooted back quickly as the man opened the car door, and began to step out.

For starters, he was rich. If the BMW hadn't said that, then his extravagant three pieced suit had.

Looking down at Takaba, the golden-eyed man blew a cloud of smoke towards his offender.

"Doctor, huh?" he inferred, taking in the white coat wrapped around the boy. However, his eyes found the camera that hung off of Takaba's neck, and his gaze turned into something nasty.

"Photographer?" he corrected, a hint of disdain in his voice, "I wish insects like you would stop snooping around other people's business, you brats just get in the way."

Despite the fact that Takaba knew nothing about this man, or what on Earth he was talking about, his rage ignited at his careless to insult others so quickly.

"I don't know who, or what you are, but you've got no right to talk to me like that! What gives you the nerve?!" standing up quickly, he glared at the man, "you shouldn't judge people without getting to actually know them! That's incredibly rude! Didn't your parents teach you manners?"
Perhaps he stepped a little over the line with the parent comment, as his assualter's eyes pulsed ever-so -slightly, but the man should have seen it coming.

Golden Eyes removed the cigarette from his mouth, and tossed it to the side.

He scanned Takaba up and down, smirking at the fight that this young man had just displayed. In his life of power and control, hardly anyone had the courage to stand up to Asami so willingly, and so stupidly.

He leaned in close, near the side of the boy's face, just close enough so that his warm breath brushed the ear.

Takaba could smell the intoxicating scent of smoke and cologne.

"I could you now, kid. You don't know who you're messing with," his whispered, then slowly pulled a way, smirking wider at the state of shock those eyes were now displaying.

However, the look quickly molded into smug expression, and the young man's eyes darkened considerably, "I'm not afraid of death, old man," quickly, he lifted his leg in an attempt to strike down his offender, "It's second nature to me now!"

In mere seconds, the man's body guard had reversed the impending attack, thus, knocking Takaba to the ground once again.

Suddenly, the aspiring photographer realized that, yes, he may have messed with the wrong person, and yes, he was about to pay for his offense.

However, Takaba Akihito planned to live for just a bit longer, and no stuck-up rich man was going to rob him of his right to life.

Jumping up quickly to dodge a foot coming his way, he swung his leg into the gut of the bodyguard with glasses, and spun around in a quick attempt to escape.

However, he hadn't noticed the giant blond bear that had snuck up from behind him, and was now nearing him at dangerous speeds.

Quickly, he dodged the blond's arms as he made to grab him, and took off as fast as he could. He cast a quick glance back, smirking at the scene in the distance.

Glasses guy was on the ground, heaving for air, and the Bear was by his side, kneeling down to aid him. Smugly, he stuck his tongue out at the golden-eyed man who started it all, and hurriedly continued his exodus to the hospital.

As he ran, he cringed as he felt his finger ache at the slightest movement.

Dammit, he thought, realizing that he broke his pinkie finger. There was no way he could hide this from his doctors.

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"I didn't know someone like that had it in him," Asami spoke calmly, though his emotions blazed like a white hot inferno within him.

The obnoxious attitude, the rage within the boy's eyes, his authoritative tone, his exotic looks_It all aroused Asami, burned him from the inside.

He craved the photographer for his defiance, he wanted such a soul to himself.

He wanted him, he needed him...and he would have him.

Sighing, he stepped into the car as his subordinated regained themselves out on the pavement.

He tried to offer his help, but they had assured him they were fine.

His mind drifted to the energetic youth.

A liability such as that brat had no business entering his life...no matter how entertaining he was.

Asami had things to do and deals to make, even if souly for pleasure, this boy could be the end of him...but this was a one in a lifetime chance.

A photographer, frail and thin, stood up to him. No one in their right mind would dare even approach Asami without an appointment or scheduled meeting.

Perhaps, the photographer wasn't in his right mind then.

It wasn't every day that Asami met someone who wasn't in their right mind.

Needless to say, he had ridden his own mind of any doubt regarding his decision.

This free spirit, this arrogant spirit, would be his and his alone.

He smirked at the boy's idiocy.

There was only one hospital in the direction that the boy darted away in. He'd find him, even if it meant waiting outside of that building for days on end, he'd find him.

However, if they drove to the building now, perhaps they could catch him.

He was fast, yes, but not as fast as a speeding car.

Asami wasn't afraid, nor ashamed to admit it. In the short time he'd encountered the eccentric photographer, he'd become obsessed with him.

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I freaking swear, my Algebra teacher just loves to hand out assignments with only odd numbers. ODD NUMBERS CANNOT BE DIVIDED EVENLY, thus fractions are born, and then long-ass multiplication that takes up an entire page, and i'm only on question two. And decimals! Oh, why should I even say the cursed name? That word is a curse word on our class room, we just can't use decimals!

And calculator...what calculator? Ho no, uh-uh, this assignment is to be done by mind only, MIND ONLY!...I just can't stand Algebra, or physics... and AP English? What the hell was I thinking, I must've been on some real happy juice. And AP US History, don't even get me started on that. I CRASHED AND BURNED on my AP World History exam...anyway, just a small, sad rant. Fanfiction helps me all the time, I guess it's an escape from the stress I deal with. With that being said, this is menial compared to other problems others deal with, so to the trolls, consider that when you piss on someone's story.

Unless you can offer helpful information, than shut up and ignore it. Some people need fanfiction more than I do, some people need the mental escape, and spamming their stories denies them of whatever serenity it provides them.

Sigh...i hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'll put more about Asami and Akihito's current situation in the next chapter..please review, tell me what you think. Have a nice week, and God bless!