Wow, I haven't written in like… forever.  I'm sorry…  I was gone for most of July and August, and now school has started and things are getting busy again.  Oh no…  Maybe writing will help keep me sane…

Disclaimer:  I don't own this.  Well, I own the actual story, but I don't own the characters…  If I did, then maybe life would be a little better…

Stepping Stones

Chapter 2

By: Meg-chan

            Afternoon was passing by and Genrou was gazing out the window.  He was so bored he was thinking about how bored he must look.  Had he been in a cartoon he probably would have been sleeping with his head down, and bubbles coming out of his nose.  Can't you picture it?  It's really quite amusing.  He chuckled at the thought (apparently Genrou agrees with me, it is amusing), and drew some unwanted attention to himself.  Oh yes, did I mention that he was in class?  Well he's in class.  Some literature class, I don't know…

            Anyways, Genrou's mind then turned to his plans for the evening.  He was planning to take Houjun out to dinner…  "Oh shit!"  Yes, he did just say that out loud.  "Heh, sorry about that sir…"

            His mind began racing.  "I have no money!  How the hell am I supposed to pay for dinner if I have no money?  Oh shit…" Genrou dropped his head down and began pounding it on his desk.  "Shit, shit, shit…"  

            Genrou's mind began going over every possible solution.  In all honesty there weren't many.  Let's see…  he could rob a bank, but jail really wasn't where he wanted to spend his weekend.  He could be a total ass and ask Houjun to lend him some money, but that would involve being a total ass.  He could search the couches in the student lounge for loose change but that probably wouldn't even get them a meal at a fast food place.  Wait, he could ask Kouji for money!  Kouji was his best friend, and man he owed him that much.  After all, he had set him up with that girl… and that other one.  Genrou seemed to have a surplus, and he was kind enough to pass them on to Kouji.  Genrou grinned to himself.  "I'll find Kouji right after class and ask him…"

            Genrou spent the rest of class trying to figure out where they would go to dinner.  He had no luck in coming up with anything so he figured he'd just ask Houjun when he got home.  The class ended and Genrou hurried out into the hallway.  He pulled out his cell phone as he was walking out the doors of the building.  He dialed the number for Kouji's cell phone and put it up to his ear. 

            Across campus a very cell-phonish version of Tainted Love could be heard.  Kouji began fumbling around in his bag, looking for his phone.  While looking for his phone he managed to find an old coffee cup, three old donut bags, a somewhat moldy looking candy bar, and oddly enough, a pair of underwear.  He also dropped a pile of books he had been carrying, sending them all over the pavement.  Eventually Kouji found his phone and he answered it. 

"Hello?"

"Hey Kouji, it's Genrou."

"Oh, hey man, what's up?"

"Eh, ya know, stuff.  But listen, I need a favor.  Can you meet me in the student lounge in ten minutes?"

"Umm, yeah if I run the whole way."

"Great, thanks buddy."

            With that, Genrou hung up.  Had our friend not been so dense and unobservant he probably would have caught on to the fact that Kouji was being sarcastic.  Give him a break, so he's a little absent minded.  Kouji started off at a slight jog, he was used to this by now.  He reached the lounge in exactly 12.236 minutes, which wasn't too bad compared to some of his other times.  He looked around only to see the young redhead running at him at breakneck speed. 

            The impact was brutal but somehow, they both made it out unscathed.  Thank god for small favors.  After getting up and brushing away the small bits of gravel that had become imbedded in their skin during the collision with the ground, they began to get down to business.  Or rather this is what happened: 

            Kouji stands up.  Genrou asks for money.  Do you see what happened there?  Okay good, I don't really want to explain it again.  Well, Kouji wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of lending Genrou $100 to take his roommate out to dinner. 

            "Kouji, buddy, come on.  I was such an ass ta Houjun an' I gotta make it up ta him somehow.  Plus, ya owe me."

"What the hell do I owe you?  You haven't given me any money."

"Nah, not money.  Somethin' you value even more than money."

            Kouji looked completely lost, but don't tell him I said that, he likes to look smart. 

"Come on Kouji, are ya really that stupid?  What about all those dates I set ya up on??"

"Huh?  Oh, right, the girls.  Ummm, yeah…  Well, then I guess I can give ya the money."  To be honest, Kouji didn't really like having all those girls thrown at him but he didn't have the heart to tell his friend.  And here he was, shelling out $100 all because he couldn't turn down his friend with a girl.  He sighed and counted the money out and then handed it over.  "I expect all of that back, plus fifty bucks."

"FIFTY BUCKS??  Man you suck!  That's steep, but I guess.  I mean, I'm desperate and all.  Then again, I could reconsider the couch option…  Naw, I'll take the money.  Thanks man, I owe ya!"  With that he took the money and ran.  "You bet you owe me…", Kouji muttered under his breath.

            Genrou ran as fast as he could, in the direction of the street.  No, he wasn't going to end it all in the rush hour traffic; he was just going to catch a bus.  He caught his bus and sat down, until, about ten minutes later, he arrived in front of his apartment building.  He ran up the stairs taking them two at a time.  He would have taken the elevator, but it hadn't been working for the past week.  By the time he reached his floor, the 8th, he was a little tired.  The red head opened the door and sort of fell into the apartment. 

            Houjun was sitting at the kitchen table looking over some of his notes from that day when he heard the thump that signified the arrival of his friend.  "Genrou?  Are you okay?  Do you need me to get a glass of water?"

            Now Genrou wasn't feeling all to verbal at the moment so he grunted in response.  By some strange ability that we won't even attempt to understand, Houjun understood this and stayed put.  Eventually Genrou made his way into the kitchen and sat down next to the blue haired young man.  Houjun looked over at him with a questioning look.  Concern laced his one eye.  Oh yes, Houjun only has one eye, and no he isn't a Cyclops.  He lost his eye in a freak fishing accident when he was… god damnit!! Who the hell keeps messing with my stuff??  Houjun's never even been fishing!!  He lost his eye in a car accident that killed his friend and his girlfriend.  You know, tragic driving accidents, teenagers behind the wheels of fast cars.  Sorry about that…

            Anyways…  Houjun looked at his friend and asked, "Are you okay?  You look a little pale."

"Climbing up all those damn steps 'll do that to ya.  But other than that I'm fine."

"So…  How was your day?"  Houjun was doing his best to avoid the subject of eating or their argument.  He was doing a good job avoiding it but he was being more than a little obvious.  Genrou responded, "Ehhh, it was okay.  I'm exhausted now.  My last class was just so boring…"

"Maybe you should get to bed early tonight…"

"Hell no!  You an' I are goin' out, or did ya ferget?  Don't tell me ya did?"

"No!  I didn't forgot, I just thought…"

"We're goin' out, I owe it to you.  Now get yer coat and we're going."

            Houjun smiled as he walked to the closet in the hall.  He really did want to go, he just didn't like to have people feeling like they owed him anything.  But seeing as Genrou was so adamant about it he had better go.  Genrou soon approached him carrying his keys and he was also wearing a nice shirt.  It was very nice, some sort of material, a nice blue color that complimented his hair.  It was also a bit tight…  One thought went through Houjun's mind.  "Oooo, sexy!"  These were very un-Houjun thoughts, and he blushed like an over-ripe tomato and shook his head until all the little hentai Houjun's were gone from his head.  Yes, as much as we may like those hentai Houjun's they were not welcome at the moment.

            They walked back down those eight flights of steps and then another to the parking garage.  They hopped into Genrou's car (a nice little black one) and drove off.  Houjun had no idea where they were going and the look on Genrou's face gave him no hint.  Genrou on the other hand knew where they were going (thank goodness).  Soon Houjun figured out where they were headed, his favorite restaurant, Fire And Ice.  They had just opened on up near their apartment.  The nearest one before that had been in Boston.  Houjun soon began bouncing up and down in his seat.  It's like catnip to him, ya know?  Fire and Ice = Houjun-nip. 

            Genrou chuckled to himself as he pulled into a parking space.  They got out of the car and entered the restaurant.  After they had been seated and had ordered their drinks, they started talking.  About things.  Like class, their friends, who would win the football game that night, Thai philosophers, you know, normal stuff.  They got up and got their meals and sat back down.  The conversation then turned to Genrou's last date.  It had been with this really tall blond girl.  It seemed as though she had been trying a little to hard to be Brittany Spears. 

"So, when you took her to the karaoke bar she really sang 'Oops I Did It Again'?"

"Yeah, can you believe it?  I almost told her that pop music has been on a downward spiral fer the last 2 years, but I couldn't crush the poor girl like that, ya know?"

            Houjun smiled at his friend, "Oh, you are just too kind."

"I know, what can I say?  I'm just a nice guy.  Ummm, Houjun?  About last night, I'm really sorry."

            Houjun shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat.  Either a bug had fallen down his pants or he had suddenly become nervous.  "Genrou, I'm the one who-"

"God Houjun, stop it!  Ya didn' do anything an' you an' I both know that.  I was an ass an' I probably would deserve it if ya decided to tie me ta the back o' the cross town bus and let me drag along.  Just sittin' here with ya like this makes me feel like a jerk.  Why can't ya just get mad at me?"

"Do you really want me to be mad at you?"

"Well, naw.  But I mean, I don't deserve ta have ya bein' all nice ta me.  I don't want ya to be mad at me, but I don't want ya ta force yourself ta be civil with me.  I want ta actually have to work fer this fer once.  Do ya understand what I mean?"

            Houjun sighed.  He understood.  In all honesty, Houjun was still livid with Genrou, he just felt bad when he held grudges so he suppressed them.  However, if that was really what Genrou wanted…  "Okay, fine.  Genrou I'll have you know that your flimsy apology has made nothing better.  I'm not going to tie you to a bus though.  I will say that I have thought long and hard about stringing you up from the flagpole outside our building.  I'd like to leave now, seeing as I have nothing left to say to you."

            Genrou sort of jumped, except it wasn't really a jump considering he was sitting down, but he was surprised.  He hadn't really expected Houjun to take him up on that.  He sat there, his mouth only slightly open.  Have you ever seen someone when they're reading or singing almost out loud when they think no one's looking?  Ya know just kinda hanging there?  Well, that's what he was doing.  Except he looked a lot stupider.

Well, I wrote something cause I felt bad for not updating, but my life's been more than a little hectic lately.  But a good kind of hectic, ya know?  R&R please!!!