A/N: This story has some stalking elements in it and I am sorry if it triggers something in those who read it. In no way do I condone stalking and I am very thankful that it is considered a punishable crime. That is what it is...a crime that is very damaging emotionally, mentally, and physically.

A/N: also in this book I will be switching back and forth between Irish , Spanish, and Japanese (***) Though mostly it will be Japanese and Spanish since the two main characters are from those regions.

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The early afternoon sun shone down onto the city below it...bringing warmth to it this early Spring season as the inhabitants navigated the streets heading towards where ever they were going to. In one part of town stood a apartment complex that was neoclassical in architectural design...a perfect blend of classical antiquity yet with a modern twist. Within one of the apartments was a Asian man who was running through one of the rooms dusting away any specks of dust to be found upon his furniture...scrubbing them away with ferocity.

Kai-Anji was so excited about his date tomorrow night with a dark haired gorgeous Hispanic man that he had met at his best friends... Keiran and Jaime O'Shea... wedding six days ago, that he was practically vibrating throughout his apartment as he cleaned up the whole place before he had any company over. He knew Mitchell Ortiz was only going to be in town for another week before he had to drive back home, which was 400 miles away, but before he did leave Anji wanted to make a very good impression on the younger man. At first when Anji heard how far away Mitch lived he was hesitant to enter into any kind of relationship with this man...but after thinking about it he decided to give it a try. He had realized that by accepting one date with Mitch that it was in no way a guarantee that they would hit it off well enough to want more than that, they could find out they had so little in common that it was not even worth trying to make an attempt at a second date. But, Anji was under no illusion, he knew there also laid a chance that they would be extremely compatible and desire to give each other another try, which meant a long distance relationship. As he debated the pros and cons of a possible long distance relationship he realized that many others did this kind of thing all the time with success...so maybe it could work for him also. He stopped chasing the random dust speck trying to outrun his oiled rag and sat down on his cream colored couch as he got to thinking more...how the worst case scenario would be that they came to find out they were better as friends only but the up side was at least he got to spend an evening in such wonderful company that with one look could make his heart beat faster. The best case scenario of course would be that they discover they were absolutely perfect for each other and could not live without the other in their lives..so one of them would suddenly move themselves just so they could be together.

Anji laughed briefly then sighed out loud because his mind decided to have its little fantasy for a moment before he could reign it in again to reality. At least he did decide on giving this stunning man a chance by agreeing to go on a date with him...but that was six days ago and now here he sat worrying about the state of his public areas of his home as if Mitch was going to see the state of it any time soon. Anji was still unsure about this dating thing he was going to attempt with a man he really didn't know anything about except for he was Jaime's uncle. For Anji this was almost terrifying to the point he was on the breaking point of a panic attack over the idea of trusting someone enough to let them into his personal space. To the world, he seemed calm and collected..very friendly and open...but on the inside he was scared of the possibility of what had happened back in college of ever happening again. The only people he trusted was Keiran , who had saved him from a deadly encounter with another student who had fixated on him back in college.

Her name was Laurel Tavers, another student at the same college that Anji and Keiran were attending as they were both striving to get their degree in Advanced Education. On the surface Laurel seemed like a very friendly, if a little bit over eager to please, kind of person...she was always ready with a smile and a greeting each time they saw one another on campus. He didn't think anything at all was out of the ordinary when she seemed to just pop up where ever he happened to be...he just accredited it to coincidence ... it was after all not that big of a campus, so bumping into people was not that unheard of. He just believed Laurel was a very vibrant person and very enthusiastic about life. The first whisper he had that something was amiss was when he went out to get ice cream cone with his female friend Carol, who happened to be in the same class as him, and Laurel showed up. At first everything was fine but when the blonde turned her green gaze onto Carol, he felt a sliver of a chill run down his spine. The look she gave Carol was not very friendly and he felt a bit uncomfortable in that second. He excused him and Carol from her, telling her that he would see her later...as they both walked away, he glanced over his shoulder to look back and saw Laurel just standing there watching them walking away. Her eyes were narrowed as if she was very angry, but when she saw him looking her face shifted back into a sweet smile as she waved in his direction before moving on her way. From that moment on he began to take notice of how much she was appearing...he noticed the look in her eyes when he talked to other women or happened to get close to one. Each look he saw there made tendrils of fear slithering through him...he began to feel as if he was being hunted.

Everything finally came to a head one night around Valentines Day when Anji was out on a date with a girl from one of his classes. It was during this time that he was hiding his sexuality from everyone around because he didn't want to endure any slurs or violence towards him all because he was gay...the only one who knew about him was Keiran and he wasn't telling anyone. The night was lovely and very romantic as Monica and him went out for a romantic dinner...where later they both decided to take it back to his dorm room to extend their romantic evening a bit more. That was where his romantic evening took a turn for the worse and landed him in the hospital...almost dead. He would never forget the screams...the blood...or the insane look in Laurels eyes as she attacked Monica and him. She had allowed Monica and him to enter the room before slamming and locking the door behind them...sealing the three of them behind that wooden barrier. He could instantly tell that Laurel was not in her right mind by how disheveled her blonde hair was giving evidence of being pulled upon repeatedly as she waited for him...her green eyes were no longer showing any kindness that usually was there but were now filled with a insane rage.

"Kai! Who is this SLUT you have brought in here?" she spat out to the shocked couple while gesturing towards Monica with the knife she held in her hands. Seeing that knife in her hands glinting dangerously in the lamps light scared Anji to his bones in that moment. He had a dreadful feeling in his guts that before this night ended something horrific was going to happen and someone may not make it out of this room alive to see the morning.

"L...Laurel? What are you doing here in my room?" something inside him told him to not say anything to upset her but his fear clouded his common sense and he blurted out what was on his mind. He saw her eyes go wide in shock as she spoke in a sickly sweet insane tone.

"It's Valentines Day baby...I came to spend it with you, my love. I got here earlier to prepare everything to make it special for us, ...." suddenly her voice turned darker with a edge to it as she shrilled in anger. "...I found you not here and out with this WHORE! How could you do this to me Kai! How could you throw my love for you in my face by cheating on ME!" she clutched the knife tighter in her hands as she snarled at them...her face turning red and her those green eyes turned glacial. Monica turned her head to look at Anji ...hoping he could explain what was going on...or maybe stop this insanity she was now a part of.

"Kai-Anji? What is she talking about?" her voice trembled a bit in that moment...she should have stayed silent, but it was to late, for her voice and words drew Laurel's full attention onto her and sealed Monica's fate this night.

"He was mine, you bitch! All mine and you seduced him away with your slutty ways!" the insane woman screeched at Monica who got pissed at being called a slut and a bitch...Anji grabbed her hand to stop her from fueling this rage in Laurel but it seemed that was the wrong move to make for the second he touched her hand Laurel's mind snapped. "YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU! HE'S MINE!"the blond screamed as she attacked Monica with the knife in her hands...stabbing the poor woman into the stomach with such force that Monica doubled over before falling to the floor...clutching her stomach in hopes to slow down the flow of her blood out of her body. He saw her blood spilling onto the floor...pooling around the gasping woman as her life pumped out of her wound in a dark red flow. Everything happening was hard for Anji to process for a moment until finally his brain kicked in again and he moved to kneel down at Monica's side to help her. The second he moved, Laurel jerked around to face him and blocked his approach to the bleeding woman on the ground...her face was twisted with a obscene smile on her lips.

"There Kai-baby...I took care of that pesky tramp. Now we can be together without her getting in our way anymore." he looked at her in disbelief at her words. He couldn't believe this woman believed that him and her were an item...it was terrifying how insane that once sweet woman was. " Don't worry sweetheart, I forgive you for being lead into this harlot's clutches. I know she seduced you and as a man, you couldn't think straight past her charms. Now that I took care of her you can come back to me baby. You know I am the only one who loves you. I am the only one you need." she reached for him to hold him which shook him out of his daze and without thinking he flinched away from her touch as he smacked her out stretched hand away before it could touch him.

"You need help because you are insane Laurel. We have never been together. I have never been yours..not now ...not ever. You need to get that through your head and let me help Monica before she bleeds out. She is going to die without any medical help soon!" he shouted at her as he tried to move to his wounded friends side...it was no use for Laurel blocked his advances with her blood coated knife poised in between him and Monica.

"No Kai. I can't let you near her." her face twisted in her rage as she snarled at him...spittle flying from her lips. "God! I can't believe it...even dying and that BITCH is coming between us! Fine! You want her so much more than me then I'll help you be together...IN DEATH!" Laurel suddenly lunged at him and he stumbled over his feet as he tried to avoid her sharp blade...it was the opening she needed to vent her rage. She leaped upon his prone form and began to plunge the sharp metal into him as she screamed loudly. "YOU'RE MINE! MINE! MINE!" over and over. He threw up his arms and hands to stop her but she was strong...her rage fueling each stab. As he tried to defend himself his mind knew he was about to die and he prayed for someone to save him...his prayers were answered with a loud crash as his locked dorm room door flew off its hinges to admit a furious Keiran. It seems he heard Anji's screams and he slammed his shoulder into the door with such force that he broke it down. Seeing the enraged Irishman in the doorway gave Anji hope as Laurel paused in her attack which gave Keiran the opportunity he needed to tackle the deranged woman off of his friend and deliver a punch that rendered her unconscious onto the floor. He saw his dark haired friend breathing hard as he rushed over to Anji, who groaned in agony, to stop the bleeding with one hand while with the other he dialed 911 on his phone...a prayer on his lips for help to arrive soon.

That night would haunt Anji's mind for many years after...the screams of the sirens of the ambulance...the horrified gazes of the students who saw their two school mates covered in blood as they were removed from the dorm room with blood spattering the walls like in a horror movie...all of it haunted him. The outcome of that hellish night was Monica lived and within two weeks was released from the hospital into her parents care,never to be seen again...he heard she couldn't abide to be there anymore with the memory of what happened. He on the other hand had to remain in the hospital for nearly a month because he got an infection from one of the stab wounds in his shoulder that she had inflicted upon him...two in his left shoulder and three deep ones along his arms and hands from where he had tried to deflect the slicing blade from puncturing anything vital. He was lucky that the knife did not cut an artery but each slice was destructive enough for him to bleed profusely..enough to the point he flat lined once upon the operating table before they brought him back and stabilized him again. The whole time Anji was there, Keiran never left his side...he had some friends bring them both their school work from their classes...he was the one who convinced the professors to record their lectures so they both could watch on their computers in the privacy of the room. Without Keiran , Anji knew he would have failed every one of his classes that semester for it was only with the fierce Irishman's unwavering friendship and dedication that he was able to brave life again. During his stay in that cold sterile room they both had learned that Laurel was hospitalized in the mental ward which happened to be located in an adjacent building to the main hospital...Anji felt such terror in that moment that the very woman who had hurt him so brutally was so close to where he helplessly laid upon that bed. The moment he heard that he begged Keiran to not leave him alone, which his friend quickly reassured the trembling man that he would not vacate his side...he would keep him safe.

It was Keiran who called the Sakata family to let them know what happened and to let them know their son was alive....it was around this time that he was adopted by the Sakata family as one of their honorary sons. In that phone call Anji learned that neither of his parents could come because his step-mother was not fit for travel since she had recently miscarried what would have been his step-brother and his father didn't want to leave her alone at this time....it also was because his other brothers, Kaihei-12 and Kaijirou and Kaitarou-7 his half brothers, and his sister Kiri-15 were all underage. Needless to say the entire Sakata family was extremely thankful to Keiran and his Aunt Evie O'Shea for being there by their son/brothers side. Both of the O'Shea's would call Anji's family and give them daily updates on how he was doing and managing it all. The head of the Sakata family, Kaishi, who was Anji's father, tried to convince his eldest son to come back home where he would be safe and could recover...but unfortunately stubbornness ran strong in the Sakata bloodline for Anji refused...telling his father that he wasn't going to run away because some maniac had threatened him. Eventually his family relented and let him stay in the states...mostly because both Aunt Evie and Keiran had swore they would look out for him. That was eleven years ago and now here sat Anji making another attempt at trying to date once more. Since that fateful night he has eluded all endeavors to get him to go out on a date by Keiran and Evie...both always telling him that life and dating was like riding a horse. ~Each time that horse throws you, you just need to climb back on and try...try again~...so far he has been able to evade getting on that demon horse a second time...until now it seems. Don't get him wrong, he has been interested in many men but each time he even thought about giving it a try, Anji would remember that insane look in Laurel's eyes and his heart would slam out of his chest in fear of it happening again. But, there was something about Mitch that made him want to try again...maybe it was the way he laughed , so full and open...maybe it was the kindness in his eyes that held a twinkling of mischief within as he looked upon his sister. Anji wasn't exactly sure why this dark haired man made him feel this way, but he knew Keiran and Evie were right, he needed to try again. Thinking about Keiran's words of dating wisdom, made Anji's mind wander to what his friends would be doing right now. He knew right about now they would be witnessing the yearly blooming of the Sakura blossoms in Kyoto, his hometown in Japan. Anji could just imagine the beautiful blossoms falling like colorful rain as one walked along the paths or picnic under them with family and friends. Suddenly, it was if the very thinking of Keiran had called to the man across the vast ocean into calling Anji's phone...the musical sound of the ringtone shattered the peaceful calm of his home. He saw it was Keiran on the ID and he quickly answered...a teasing tone entering his voice.

"Hey Keir-kun. How's the honeymoon going? Is that boy of yours still able..." suddenly his teasing tone dropped as he heard one word from his friend.

"Anji-san." it was deep and serious over the line. "There has been an incident ...otousan (father) has been diagnosed with prostate cancer...stage 2." suddenly Anji's heart gave a lurch and he was thankful he was already sitting down on the couch...eyes glazing over in fear as tears began to fill his eyes. " He had been complaining of pain in his back and legs for a few weeks...and other problems like urinary and...uhhmmm... getting it..up. So okasan (mother) Cora convinced him to go and see the doctor yesterday..that's when they found it. It's stage 2-b...which means it's metastisized in both sides. The good thing is it hasn't spread beyond and is still treatable...but otousan is not going to be able to work for some time. Otousan and Okasan are talking about closing the Ryokan, since Okasan Kora is going to be focused on taking care of Otousan Kaishi and neither Kaihei or the twins Kaijirou and Kaitarou can run the place by themselves and Kiri can not cook alone..so..." suddenly Anji interrupted Keir. Hearing that his family was going to have to close the Onsen Ryokan for family illness sent a cold dread through him...Anji could not allow that to happen.

"Ke-chan (brother). Tell the family...I am coming home. I'll take the soonest flight there that I can get. Can you stay and help them a few days till I arrive...please ke-chan?" he jumped up off the couch as he rushed around to gather the numbers he needed to call...the people he had to let know what had happened tonight.

"Yeah dearthair (brother). We will wait for you here. Let us know the details of your flight and we will pick you up at the airport. Be safe ke-chan (brother). Ja ne (goodbye)."

"Ja ne, Ke-chan (goodbye, brother)" quickly he hung up the phone and dialed the airport first to see about any flights out...hoping they weren't to expensive at such a short notice. It took less than 20 minutes for him to book a flight from here to Osaka International Airport which laid almost thirty miles from Kyoto, but it was the closest he could get. So, he quickly sent a text to Keiran with the details....

~My flight leaves out at 11 tonight...4 pm your time...Arrive at Osaka International Airport 6 am your time...C U then....Thx.~

....then he rushed around packing as he proceeded to call the Dean of the University he worked at as one of the English Literature Professors. Anji was thankful that the Dean picked up his phone within short time and he explained the situation which his boss showed great compassion and wished him well. He also told Anji that unfortunately he could only hold his job until the Fall semester started up...if his father was well enough by that time then Anji's spot would still be open for him...but come September he would have to hire a replacement. Of course Anji understood ...he was very grateful that the Dean was willing to hold his spot open for him that long...so with reassurances that he would keep the man appraised and not left in the dark, Anji thanked him before hanging up the line. He knew he had five months to figure things out and find a solution that would work for both sides...five months to figure out his life too, probably. He knew some of the problems that the family was under...one was the business would be losing two workers for many months until his father and mother were able to resume their duties once more. As he was packing and thinking about his family's situation he suddenly remembered his date with Mitch tomorrow night and he groaned loudly at having to cancel it...he swiftly dialed the number he was given...hoping he understood and forgive him.

"Hello, Mitch speaking." that smooth voice came over the line a bit eager sounding as if he was waiting for Anji's call.

"Hey Mitch...it's Kai-Anji." he heard a soft gasp of pleasure come over the line. "Look...I'm sorry to call you about this...but I have to cancel our date tomorrow night. I...I...have to go back home to Japan. It's my father...he is sick, so I won't be able...." he stammered out...nervousness and worry evident in his voice that Mitch obviously heard for he broke through Anji's apology to interrupt him.

"Kai-Anji...hey..hey, it's alright. I understand. I'm sorry he is sick. Is there anything I can do?" Anji breathed out a deep sigh of relief that Mitch wasn't mad at him for this...he truly did want to see this man. " What time does your plane leave?" that smooth voice echoed softly across the line and the sound of it was soothing to Anji's ears as he answered him. "11 PM tonight? Hmmm...how about this. Let me take you out to dinner tonight and drive you to the airport so you will not have to worry about your car or having to take a taxi. This way, we can still have that date, if you want...or it can be just a good farewell between friends if you rather do that. Either way, I can still get the pleasure of your company." Anji could not stop the surprised gasp from leaving his lips or the shivers of pleasure running through him that this man still wanted to see him...a feeling of warmth spread through his chest at that thought.

"Uhmmm...Yeah...I think I would like that. Thank you Mitch." he tried to mask how this man effected him with his lovely offer...thinking he didn't do so well by the soft chuckle flowing into his ear which caused his cheeks to bloom with heat from the blush caused by that rich sound.

"How about I pick you up at 7 tonight for dinner? We can talk before you have to catch your flight." by the tone in Mitch's voice, he sounded like he wanted to spend more time with Anji than just a few hours...or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

"That sounds...good...like a plan. I ...will see you at 7 tonight. Here's my address." he quickly gave Mitch his address then they both hung up as Anji went back to quickly finish his packing for his long trip back to the place he once called home...a thought entering his mind as he moved about...

~Maybe it's the way his voice makes me feel safe that makes me want to try again?~

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*1 MONTH LATER*

It had been a very long and tiring month for the Sakata family...from the very moment Kai-Anji got off the plane to meet his best friends, Keiran and Jamie at the airport, he had practically hit his home soil running with no time to do much of anything else. The last time he was able to relax was that time when Mitch had taken him out to dinner before his flight out. That was one of the memories he would forever treasure...the meal at a new French Polynesian restaurant was great...the company was fantastic and it felt like a balm to his worried soul. But the greatest part of it all was the kiss Mitch and him had shared in the airport bathroom before Anji went past the line where Mitch couldn't go. It was filled with desire and a promise of more whenever Anji came back to the states...whenever they would meet again in the future. Even now, a month later, that kiss would fill his mind with the memory of it and make him feel that same coiling of desire inside for it once again. He could still remember the taste of the chocolate drink upon Mitch's lips that were pressed tightly to his own...the way they moved...the caress of his tongue along the sensitive bottom that heated his blood to the point he forgot they were practically making out in a stall of the men's restroom. It was sexy yet filthy at the same time...those warm lips moved so enticingly upon his that he opened his mouth as a loud moan slipped forth which allowed entrance of Mitch's tongue into his own mouth where it wrapped around his own...sending pulses of heat down into his shaft, making it harden within the tight confines of his trousers. In that moment of time, if Mitch had asked to have sex with him in that stall against that dirty restroom door, he would have in a heart beat. He would have yanked his pants down till they pooled around his ankles, begging to be fucked hard and filled up with Mitch's hot seed as he tried to keep quiet so no one would hear them. The thought of it alone was enough to almost make him orgasm in his pants...but that did not happen at all. Just as they both stopped so they could gather their breaths...Anji went to open his mouth to beg for Mitch to do it but a finger stilled his words as Mitch placed a finger upon Anji's lips... smiling down at him as he huskily whispered.

"I know what you might ask of me and any other day I would in an instant. Know this, that I would have you naked before me ...begging me to fuck your tight hole for so long, so hard that you will remember it for a long time. I would leave you yearning for more so that you would race to Japan to do everything you needed there and come flying back to me as fast as you can." at the sound of those dark husky words of promise in his ear, Anji whimpered in need for that very thing and he saw those blue-green eyes darken in desire. "But....querido (my darling), I don't want just one night to have to remember you by. I want so much more than that...but I have this feeling that you may not be coming back...for a very long time. I...Anji, I don't think I can handle just one taste of you then let you disappear from me. So, I guess what I am saying is this...let's part on a kiss and next time we see each other once more then we will see what happens next." his voice seemed like it was confident this was the best thing...but those sea colored eyes were pleading with Anji to ask for Mitch to take him right here, this moment...then they closed as he took a deep breath. " Let us do this...part as friends who are very attracted to one another for now and pray that we will see each other again." his words made Anji's chest ache but he could see the reasoning behind them. He gave a pained nod and leaned in one last time...taking a deep breath of Mitch's clean scent into his lungs as he placed a soft warm hand onto Mitch's cheek....giving a tender chaste kiss that was part sorrow and partly the beginnings of love, upon those warm lips. As he moved away, Anji saw those eyes still closed as they held onto the last memory of his face and the kiss of goodbye they shared between them...he turned around , leaving out that door and without looking back he made his way past that barrier to board his plane...then Anji was gone into the night.

Thinking of Mitch, he realized he had not spoken to the man since...except for a brief moment when he got off the plane to let him know that he made it safely to Japan and that he would call him when he could. It seemed the universe was against them every time, for each time he had a moment to steal away to call Mitch, Anji realized that it was the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning ,when no one in their right mind would be up at such a indecent hour , and stopped himself from dialing that number no matter how much he wanted to. He would make a promise to himself that he would call Mitch in the middle of Japan's night when Mitch would be awake but every time Anji tried he would pass out before he could do it from exhaustion. After two weeks Anji began to hope that maybe Mitch would call him instead but not a single ring from the one person he prayed would call him. By that point Anji began to give up all hope of ever hearing that smooth voice in his ear again and attributed it to the universes way of telling him that him and Mitch were never going to be together....maybe dating was a lost cause for him after all. It didn't matter in this moment if the universe decided to not let them be together...Anji needed to hear his smooth rich voice one more time.

With a deep sigh Anji grabbed his phone and made his way outside to sit upon a step outside in the fresh air...a loud and weary groan slipped past his lips as he scrolled through his contact info looking for Mitch's number. While searching he also thought about his two friends who several weeks ago went back to the states. He was so grateful and relieved that both Keiran and Jamie had stayed on for two weeks to help the family in running the Onsen while his mother Kora was busy setting up surgeries and treatments that father Kaishi would need to help cure his cancer. With quick fingers , Anji found Mitch's number and dialed...hoping the man would not be to upset at him for calling at such a late hour...it may be only be 6 PM here in Japan, but in the states it was after 4 AM. The phone began to ring and he waited with breath held...his heart beginning to speed up at knowing any second a dark sexy voice would echo over that line. It rang only a few times then suddenly a high pitched whistling tone came over followed by a electronic woman's voice...

~I'm sorry; the number you have reached is not in service, or temporarily is disconnected. The number you have reached is not in service at this time. This is a recording.~

In that moment Anji's heart plummeted into his stomach...a gasp broke from his lips as the phone slipped from his fingers to fall and clatter onto the ground.. a loud echoing sound rang out into the darkness as his mind froze on a single thought.

~Oh Gods...I'm to late.~