Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Scars ❯ Meeting Again ( Chapter 2 )

Okay, Genrou has blocked out the memory of `that day', because he couldn't believe he had hurt someone so badly, never mind forgive himself for it. (I know, that's just going to make it a hell of a lot worse when he remembers, since I'm going to wait until he's fallen for Houjun...I know, I'm awful.). Houjun didn't get a good look at the pickpocket who slashed his eye. So...they don't know the other one when they meet...

Also, the POV of this story will shift between Houjun, Genrou, Kouji and Hikou. Since it's more than 2 characters, this time I'm going to label the POV.

------Scars------

-Kouji-

"Knock knock!

"Who's there?

"Why, it's Kouji, Genrou's best buddy, with great news fer Genrou!

"Why, come in, Kouji!

"Thank you!"

I pushed open the door to what my friend called an apartment. It was one room, not counting the bathroom, and there was only one tiny window set high into one of the walls. Genrou was extremely proud of it, since he paid for it himself. I have no idea how he did. He was also putting himself through college, one course at a time. He did it all while working every job he could. I'd swear he'd gone back to stealing if I didn't know that Genrou never lies.

At least, not if he can help it.

"'Ey, Kouji." Genrou grinned at me, showing his unnaturally pointy canines. "What's this about `great news'?"

"I've come ta get ya outta this hellhole." I returned his grin, which had disappeared at my statement.

"It ain't a hellhole, Kouji..."

"Aw, ya know it is." I put on a disinterested look. "But if yer not interested in movin' inta a place with real light in it sometimes..." I turned towards the door.

"'Ey, wait! I never said I didn' wanna leave!"

I turned back. "I thought so," I said, smiling widely. "Ok, ya know how Hikou's movin' in with me?"

Genrou nodded. I'd told him a month or so ago that my boyfriend of about a year and a half was going to be moving into my apartment. Actually, one year, seven months, three weeks and two days...but who's counting?

"Well, his ol' roommate is lookin' fer someone else ta move inta th' apartment."

Genrou raised an eyebrow. "'S a nice place?"

"'Course it is!"

"Kouji...how'm I gonna pay fer it?"

"That's th' best part. This ol' roommate of Hikou's-name's Houjun, by th' way-his family must be some kinda rich, or somethin', cause Hikou says that he's only askin' about three-quarters a' what yer payin' fer this dump."

I sat back, satisfied, as Genrou's eyes bugged out.

"That...that ain't possible..." he looked truly shocked. "I don' believe it..."

"Believe it," I advised him, "An' get ready, `cause I'm takin' ya ta meet Houjun in-" I consulted my watch-"Twen'y minutes."

"Kouji!" he yelled. "Couldn' ya have given me a little more warnin'?"

I laughed. "I like ta keep ya on yer toes, buddy."

Growling, he walked to his dresser and pulled out a fresh T-shirt. After yanking off his old one and tossing it into the heap of dirty laundry in the corner, he paused for a second and turned to me.

"Hey, what's Houjun like?"

"I dunno. I only saw th' guy once."

Again he paused, this time in shock, his shirt half over his head. "Ya set me up to be th' roommate of some guy ya never met? " He said in disbelief.

"Relax," I told him. "He's gotta be a good guy, he's Hikou's bes' friend."

He pulled the shirt down with a jerk. "Yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot better..."

"Hey!" I was offended. "Hikou's a good guy."

"Yeah," Genrou replied, "but if he's got bad enough taste ta date you, I shudder ta think what his best friend'll be like." He ducked quickly as I came after him.

"Aw, c'mon, ya set yerself up fer that one," He laughed.

"I guess so..." I admitted. "But never mind that now, we gotta go."

"I thought ya said we had twenty minutes!"

"I lied." I laughed. "Actu'lly, we're meetin' `em in that cafe that just opened, an' it'll take a few minutes ta get there..."

Genrou sighed and followed me out to my car.

--Hikou-

They were late. I expected them to be, but I made sure that Houjun and I got there on time on the off chance that Kouji actually remembered to tell Genrou that they were going somewhere in time. Houjun was sitting in the booth with me, waiting for them nervously.

"So, Hikou," he said suddenly. "What's Genrou like?"

"Umm...I don't know, exactly." I admitted. "I've never met him."

"What? " Houjun looked around and noticed that his cry had drawn stares. He lowered his voice a little. "You set me up to be the roommate of a guy you've never met? "

"It's all right." I tried to reassure him. "He's Kouji's friend. I'm sure he's nice."

"Nice!" Houjun exclaimed. "Didn't Kouji used to be a thief?"

"Well, yes," I allowed. "But he never hurt anyone, or anything."

Houjun unconsciously lifted a hand to the bangs that covered his left eye. Or, rather, the scar where his left eye had been. He'd lost his eye when he was mugged four years ago. He looked slightly beyond nervous now.

"Genrou wasn't a thief, by any chance, was he?" I could barely hear him.

"Um..." I was reluctant to answer that.

"He was?! Hikou, I can't do this. I can't share my apartment with...with..." Houjun looked terrified.

"Well, you don't have to let him room with you." I said reasonably. "But it's a little late to back out of the meeting now, since they're here."

Houjun's good eye widened. He looked around frantically.

"Hey, Kouji!" I called. "Over here!"

I waved to him, smiling. He grinned back at me, gesturing to a young man with vibrant, flame-colored hair beside him. The young man also grinned. Damned if the boy didn't have fangs.

Houjun's face had reassumed its terrified look.

I nudged him. "There's no reason to act as though you're about to be killed," I said in an undertone. "They're perfectly nice people, and even if they weren't, we're in a public place surrounded by law-abiding citizens who would leap to your aid if something horrible happened. You're safe."

Houjun nodded and tried to conceal his terror. The result was the most unconvincing smile I've ever seen. I sighed. Hopefully he'd loosen up when we got talking.

--Houjun-

How could I help but be nervous? It was perfectly natural. Anyone with a three-and-a-half inch scar as a souvenir of their last meeting with a street thief would be nervous the next time they met two of them, even if these thieves were on the straight and narrow.

And how can you trust someone who's got fangs?

In spite of said teeth, though, I had to admit that Genrou was attractive. He was well-built, or at least I thought so, and he had truly striking hair. Not to mention those mischievous amber eyes...

I slapped myself mentally. He was an ex-thief, for crying out loud! Not to mention that he was a he. There's nothing wrong with being gay, some of my best friends are, but I just wasn't that way.

I didn't think...

I made myself put my eyes back into my head. Or, rather, eye. That thought brought me back to the earth with a rather unpleasant thump. I couldn't be attracted to a thief. The last time I'd met one...I tried not to shudder.

By this time, Kouji and Genrou had reached the table. Kouji greeted Hikou with a quick kiss and introductions were made all around. Genrou acknowledged Hikou and me with a nod and another flash of his overlarge canines.

I hoped I didn't look as scared as I felt.

"So, yer Houjun?" I glanced up to see Genrou looking down at me.

"Yeah. You must be Genrou," I winced inwardly. Of course he was Genrou. We'd been introduced not two minutes ago. But seriously, what do you say to a question like that, particularly when you've just found out that the questioner has a voice to match his looks? That thought earned me another mental slap.

"Yup," Another grin. His teeth were starting to grow on me. `Like a fungus,' I thought, smiling slightly.

"Nice t' meet ya."

"Nice to meet you too," I said, taking the hand he'd held out with his statement.

And there the conversation stuck.

-Genrou-

Damn. Why hadn't Kouji warned me that this guy was cute? Maybe he didn't think so? I shrugged mentally. Still, he knows my standards, he could've warned me when I asked about Houjun.

Though, come to think of it, Houjun wasn't the type I normally found appealing. Light brown hair, mahogany eyes and pale skin weren't usually what I thought attractive. Still, I had to admit that I saw Houjun as very good looking.

He was looking at me like I was about to pull a knife on him, or something. I grinned as Kouji introduced me, hoping to relieve some of his nervousness. `See, I'm friendly,' I thought. But my smile seemed to make him even more anxious.

Damn, again. I'd forgotten the affect my teeth have on most people.

Kouji was talking to Hikou, leaving me to talk to Houjun, who looked as though he'd rather be left alone. I tried to come up with something to say.

"So, yer Houjun?" `Great, now he won't be scared, anyway. He'll just think I'm an idiot.'

"Yeah." He answered. "You must be Genrou."

Ok, maybe he won't think I'm so much of an idiot.

"Yup. Nice t' meet ya." I grinned before I realized what I was doing, but it didn't matter. He didn't seem any more frightened. He even smiled back, though it was a very small smile. I stuck out my hand and he shook it with a "Nice to meet you, too."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

`What the hell do I say to this guy? ' I wondered.

"Uh...so, Kouji says yer lookin' fer a roommate?" `Another brilliant comment.'

He nodded, looking nervous again. Oh, shit. Had I already made such a bad impression on this guy that he didn't want to let me share his apartment?

"Um, yeah," he said. "I think Kouji and Hikou were going to take you to have a look at it after we have coffee."

I tilted my head to one side. "Ain'cha comin', too?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course, since it is my apartment and all..." His voice trailed off.

I had thought that the pause before was uncomfortable, but it was nothing to this one.

Houjun looked around, as though trying to find a topic of conversation in the air.

I shook my head slightly. I knew nothing about him. He, I assumed, knew nothing about me. How could we possibly find anything to start a conversation about?

`That's stupid,' I realized. `How can I ever find out anything about him if I don't ask? '

"So, uh, what're ya interested in?"

He recognized my feeble question as the sincere attempt at conversation that it was, and he smiled.

"Well, I've always had an interest in ancient cultures, especially China. Sometimes after I read about it, I can close my eyes and almost see some of the places I've read."

My eyes widened. We actually shared an interest? This was good...

"Really? I'm interested in China, too. Except, sometimes I get such a clear picture a' stuff in my head that I'd swear I'd seen it, an' then I'll read somethin' else and find out that it isn't th' way I thought...but I still got this picture in my head a' the way my brain thinks it should be."

He nodded. "I know what that's like. If I believed in past lives, I'd say that that was what caused all this. But I don't, so I'm not sure what to make of it." He sipped something from a cup in front of him, coffee or tea, I thought.

I watched him. There was something very familiar about him...he caused this odd tugging at the back of my brain. I couldn't for the life of me think what it was...

---------To be continued

This chapter just sort of got long on me, but I couldn't find a good place to break it off, so it ended up like this. This chapter probably isn't what you were expecting, after that teaser...I'd like to apologize to all of you who were looking forward to a depressing chapter full of self-loathing. That one will come later, after Genrou remembers what he did to Houjun. I have to spend some time developing Houjun and Genrou's relationship, though. Maybe I'll be really cruel and have Genrou regain his Seishi memories at the same time that he remembers about Houjun...

~Mikazuki