A/N: This is something I've been wanting to start for a while. The title is based on The Fray's song You Found Me.

A/N2: This story is co-authored by IsidoraAngst.

On The Corner Of First And Amistad

Prologue: The Beginning

The Afterlife. It's something that some believe in while others don't. Regardless of whether someone believes in it or not, that's where they all end up; all of the souls of humans passed away end up in the Afterlife. Every single soul is allowed entry into it, regardless of the deeds they committed whilst alive. Although there are places where the most 'evil' of souls are kept and held until they are deemed ready to be released and sent back to Earth as reincarnated souls, all the souls are allowed to wander freely and do as they please. The souls have everything they could ever want. Truly, the Afterlife was a place of ultimate happiness.

Located in the center of the Afterlife is an academy called the Guardians Academy, though it's often just referred to as the Academy. The Academy is a training school for the select few souls who have been chosen to become what humans would call guardian angels – although they are actually known simply as Guards – and is run by the most powerful soul dwelling within the Afterlife, Sarina. As the eldest and most experienced Guard, Sarina has the responsibility of choosing those who will enter the Academy to become Guards. For the most part, the Guards that are trained at the Academy do what most people believe guardian angels do: they watch over and protect the living human souls on Earth. While Guards remain located within the Afterlife to do their duty there, some are sent to Earth on special cases, cases that involve a special person and a special soul.

That is how is has always been and that is how it shall forever remain.

Before he became the newest and youngest member of the Guard, Michael Mizanin was just an average soul – at least, he was in his own eyes. Prior to him arriving to the Afterlife, he had served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Before his life had even began, he had been killed, brought down in a horrific hail of bullets and smoke. And pain, lots of pain. But that's all he could remember of his life on Earth. When he woke up, he was in a hospital, although it was nothing like any hospital he had ever seen. It was so white and so pure that he felt extremely dirty, almost as though he were tainting the place just by being there.

He quickly learned about what had happened to him and where he was. It took him a while to get used to being dead and to being a soul living within the Afterlife. After he got settled in his own place – free of charge! Who needed a job in the Afterlife? – he began to roam around and, eventually, made a few close friends. For a few years, he wasn't sure how many exactly, he was content just hanging around and being with those he cared about and saw as his family. However, Mike soon became incredibly restless; the itch to just do something, anything, of significance was overwhelming and, at times, unbearable. None of his friends understood what he was going through and he felt alone and isolated even while being crowded with loved ones.

That's when Sarina showed up. Mike was startled when he first saw her. He had been told about the Academy and had passed it several times. But it was weird and startling to see the eldest and highest ranked Guard sitting on his couch when he got home from hanging out with JoMo. She smiled gently at his puzzled and somewhat frightened expression and she tossed her white-blonde hair behind her shoulders as she explained why she was there. Sarina told him that he had been chosen to go into training as a Guard at the Academy, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. At first, it had been upsetting and strange and completely different from what he was used to, but then, as Mike got used to it, he realized why he had felt so restless. Finally, he had met his calling and he liked doing what he did.

But even with all of his training and experience, Mike wasn't prepared for what Sarina had wanted from him when he was suddenly summoned to her office. Which was where he was currently located, standing nervously and waiting for her to say something, anything. Finally, when she did, a shiver ran down his spine at the no nonsense way she spoke.

"Michael, I realize that you've only been a Guard for a few decades, but I need you specifically for the assignment you've been given." Confusion replaced apprehension on his face as he spoke.

"What assignment?" Sarina leaned forward on her desk and stared evenly at him, her pale green eyes watching his every move.

"I'm happy to announce that you will be going to Earth tomorrow to watch over a new charge. He's gone through a lot of…hardships in the past year and, if his pain and sadness continues, he's going to end his life and he is too important to the world for us to allow that to happen. Therefore, you are to go down and keep a vigilant watch over him and to help him through his ordeals by any means necessary. Use your training and your intelligence to guide you. And remember, Michael, that I'm here if you need higher assistance."

Nodding, he left and returned to his room to prepare for his departure.

Dwayne Johnson has had a rough year.

Three years ago, his father was diagnosed with cancer and, after fighting a long, painful battle, he had passed away. At the same time, his lover of nine years walked out on him, leaving him for a much younger, much better man than what he was. And, as if that wasn't enough icing on the cake, his daughter had been taken away from him by a fatal car accident along with his ex-wife. So, needless to say, he was feeling pretty shitty at the moment. Actually, he was feeling more than shitty; he felt downright horrible, and it had been a long, long time since he's felt so bad.

Although he's had rough patches in his life before hand, what with his mother passing away six years ago, they had never been this bad, this hard to deal with. Never before had he ever felt so completely and utterly alone. Even with the world at his feet and with being the CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the world, he felt isolated, completely alone. Were he a stranger looking in on his life, he may have found it heart breaking, however, that didn't help anything at the moment. During a briefing this morning at his company, he realized that he needed to just…get out, go for a walk – or a run, a very long run – and so, that's what he did. Just up and left. Granted, he got a look of looks and people tried to stop and ask him what he was up to, but he simply ignored them and stormed out of the building.

And that's what he was doing right now: walking along the city street, heading for some unknown destination. Being outside, in the fresh, cool air of October, made him feel…something and he needed that. Lately, he hadn't felt like much of anything, except hollow and numb, and he didn't like that he felt that way. Hell, he didn't even feel angry or disgusted; no, all he felt was empty, and maybe defeated, but there was no passionate fire burning within him, not anymore at least. It probably wouldn't have been too bad if he weren't so alone. All he wanted was someone, anyone, to talk to, to make him feel as though he actually mattered…

Look across the street.

That thought crossed his mind and hit his gut with such a force that he nearly hissed out loud. Luckily though, he caught himself and instead he stopped. He didn't know why he suddenly had that thought, but Dwayne wasn't one to second guess his instincts, so he looked across the street. Staring at him were the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. Those wide, blue eyes were staring into his very core, into his soul even, and it created pleasant shivers all over his body. Dwayne looked over the owner of those gorgeous blue eyes, and what he saw pleased him immensely. Tanned skin, toned body, brunette hair, and luscious, pouty lips; the boy was beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on.

Without looking both ways, the brunette started walking across the street. Dwayne's heart started beating a little bit faster at the idea that maybe, just maybe, the kid was heading towards him. He wanted to meet him half way, to talk to him, to hear his voice. Before he took a step forward, he looked down the street both ways and his heart nearly stopped when he realized that a car was headed towards the brunette. Without even thinking, he started running towards the boy, adrenaline fueling him the entire way, making him move even faster than usual. Just before the car was within a few feet of the mysterious brunette, Dwayne had him pinned to the side walk and was panting heavily, cursing a bit as he stood up and held a hand out for the younger man to take.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have been hit by that car and then that would have been the end of you!" Panting, gazing wide eyed at Dwayne, the brunette looked at the car that would have ended his life. He exhaled and nodded before he took the offered hand and pulled himself up, brushing his clothes off.

"Yeah, I…I guess it would have…" Dwayne would have made a snarky comment, but he decided against it. He was stressed out and he definitely shouldn't be using the gorgeous boy before him as a releaser. Instead, he decided to change the topic.

"Have I seen you around here before?" Blue eyes looked up at him as the brunette shook his head no.

"No, I…I'm new here. Just arrived today."

"Where do you live? I'll buy you a coffee and walk home with you, just in case you decided to try another suicide attempt." A frown crossed the younger man's face and Dwayne felt an immediate stab of guilt and, for some reason, he wanted to make sure that he never frowned again.

"I'm not suicidal. I just…I saw you and I…I felt drawn to you. Besides, I don't have any place to live so…"

"I see." So, the younger man was just as drawn to him as Dwayne was. It made his heart skip a beat, but he tried to ignore it. The last thing he needed was a love affair, especially with so much going on in his life right now. After all, his ex still wasn't completely moved out of his house, so he still saw a lot of him. Too much actually. A frown worked its way onto his face; the younger man was homeless? That bothered him, way too much for his liking and, before he even thought about what he was saying, the words were coming out of his mouth.

"Come live with me then, at least until you find a place. Or, if you want, you could just take up a room and I'll rent it out to you. Or something like that; we'll work on it and shit."

"Why would you invite a stranger into your home? You barely even know me."

"Because I'd rather you be in my home than on the streets. Do you know what life is like on the streets? It's not pretty, and with a face like yours, it'll be exceptionally hard if you don't find a place. Besides, we're not strangers, not anymore. My name's Dwayne, Dwayne Johnson." He held out his hand. The other man studied it warily before he took his hand and shook it, a small smile forming on his luscious lips.

"Mike. Mike Mizanin."

"Interesting last name."

"A lot of people think so."

"Well, shall we go get that coffee and then be on our way?" Mike smiled and nodded up at him. Together, they made their way to the nearest café, neither one knowing what exactly was in store for them.