Reunited

Discovery

Horo rattled the apartment block front door. It remained locked

"They lock it sometimes... I'm freezing." Ren muttered, shivering in the winter breeze and hugging his arms

"Is there a back door?" Ren nodded

"Um, yeah, there's one just round here.." Horo followed Ren round the building to a door. It opened easily and they walked in. The lobby was dark, gloomy and cold. Ren shivered again "I hate it here..." he said quietly. Horo held his hand reassuringly, to which Ren went bright red but accepted. It comforted him.

"Which room is it?"

"Seven, down this hall." They went down the long dreary corridor, finally coming to number 7. Ren gulped and rapped softly on the wood. No answer, so he tried harder. Still nothing "He's not here, can we go now? This place gives me the creeps.."

"No, we have to get your--" he stopped mid sentence, frowned and put his ear to the door

"What is it?"

"Shh."

"But--"

"Shhhh!" Ren shhhh-ed, trying to hear what Horo had "The TV's on."

"That might be upstairs, o-or next door." Ren said, almost begging him to stop. "Horo, please can we go?"

"No, not yet.." he muttered, knocking harder on the door "Quan! Quan, you in there?" he yelled. No answer. "There's someone in there, the TV's on and I can hear a tap running."

"Horo, stop it, y-you're scaring me." Ren said, looking at him. There was a sudden thud that made Ren jump "W-what was that?"

"I don't know..." Horo said quietly. He turned the door knob and, to his surprised, it opened. He held his breath, taking Ren's hand and walked into the room

"Horo, wait, s-something doesn't feel right.."

"It'll be fine. Come on, we need to get your stuff." he pulled Ren in. They went through to the living room. The TV was on but there was no-one watching it. "Go get your stuff.." Horo said, looking around. The place was a dump. Fast-food containers, beer bottles and clothes littered everything. Ren nodded and went off into the bedroom. Horo noticed there were no pictures on the dreary grey walls and that the window was open. There was also no curtains and a filthy rug on the uneven floorboards

He started watching the TV, a random game show. He eventually turned it off in time to hear Ren scream and a dull flump. Horo ran to him, finding him on his knees, staring into the bathroom. Horo followed his eyes and gasped.

Quan lay sprawled on the grimy tiles, his face, hair and shoulders soaking wet. The cold tap was running, the basin full and overflowing. A knife through his chest, blood pooling around his body.

"I-is...is he dead?" Ren asked, crying.

"I think so.." Horo said, venturing into the room and putting two fingers to the older boy's chunky neck. Waited. Waited. Nothing. "Yeah, h-he's dead. I'll call the police.." he said. Ren was still staring at his semi-ex-boyfriend's (now very ex-boyfriend) dead body, tears streaming down his cheeks. Horo picked him up, turning his head away. "Don't look, Renny."

Ren went to sit in the hallway while Horo called the cops.

A police car pulled up, and followed Horo's instructions to go round to the side door. He met them in the lobby and took them to the room. They asked about Ren, Horo began his story. Recounting from when they'd first met Quan in Ling's, right up to when he called them over. The cop, who luckily spoke Japanese, wrote everything down, occasionally questioning and clarifying. They called Forensics et cetera and put police tape over the apartment door. They got Ren and Horo to sit out in the lobby, Ren crying into Horo's chest.

Eventually they were taken to the police station for questioning. They were separated once there, Ren was taken to be questioned while Horo waited for his turn.

He sat in the front office, watching delinquents and yobs being brought in. Everyone was speaking Chinese so he only understood snippets of speech, he hoped he could have a translator, or someone who spoke Japanese questioning him.

After an hour or so, Ren returned and Horo was taken away. Ren was pale and shaken, obviously still in shock. He looked like he really needed a hug but Horo was taken away before he could even speak to him.

Horo recounted everything to the questioner, who spoke Japanese too, exactly how he'd told the policemen at Quan's. Everything, all true, hoping Ren had told the same. The policewoman just nodded, writing everything down.

"Your friend said Quan treated him violently before he was found. Can you confirm this?"

"Yeah, I can. We were in the park and Ren said something I didn't understand and Quan, who, like, appeared, grabbed him and slapped him. Me and my two friends tried to stop him but he was really angry and beat us away. He kept hitting Ren. Some passers by saw what was going on and stopped him. He ran off, we assumed he got caught by the police.

"We invited Ren to stay with us, because he was staying with Quan and that wasn't happening anymore so I went with him to get his stuff from Quan's place and we found him."

"And..what happened when you entered the building?"

"Well, we went round the back, because the front door was locked.. We went through the lobby and to Quan's door. I could hear the TV on so I assumed he was there so I knocked and there was no answer. I could also hear a tap running. We heard a thump and we went in, the door was open. Ren went to get his stuff and after a bit I heard him scream. I ran to where he was and he was staring into the bathroom, at Quan's body."

"What was your relationship with the deceased? Were you acquainted?"

"Well, Ren introduced us but that was it. We didn't talk to each other, he didn't speak Japanese and I only know a bit of Chinese."

"And what's your relationship with Tao Ren?" she asked, glancing at her notes

"Um, we were kind of together but he left to come back here from Japan two years ago - family issues. We didn't really stay in touch so I came here today to surprise him. He is - was going out with Quan and Quan was really over-protective of Ren - well, more possessive, actually."

"What was your first impression of Quan?"

"I didn't like him. He was quite rude and ignored us, except sort of glared at me, and looked like wasn't being very nice to Ren. I think he thought there was something going on between me and Ren."

"Do you know if he angered anyone while you were with him? Anyone who might wish death on him?"

"No.. he probably pissed-- sorry, angered the passers by when he was hitting Ren but that was really it. But we weren't with him for very long. He seemed the kind of guy that made enemies just from being him.. Ren did mention he was acting worse than usual though, like something had happened."

"I see, we'll have to look into that. I think that's all we need for now, we might have to contact you later on in the case, this is a murder. Please give your details in at the office and then you may leave, same with Ren."

"Ok, thanks, bye." he said and left the room. He found his way back to the office, where Ren was talking to the receptionist. Horo waited his turn and gave in everything asked for to the man at the desk. Afterwards, Horo and Ren got a taxi to their hotel. Ren still looked very pale and stayed quiet the whole journey. Horo sat in the back with Ren cuddled up next to him, the Ainu's strong arm around his narrow shoulders.

Poor Renny :(

Again, sorry if you don't like his OOCness but…I think he's cute..you may not…don't really care…

Reviews would be nice…