Thanking all my friends for the encouragement that I'm getting! I'm feeling a lot more confident about writing this story now. Also Kim Hyun Joong crooning in the background makes Rui come alive for me. So, here comes the next chapter:

Chapter 3

Rui didn't have the heart to leave Ritu and go, but there was nothing else left to do. He had performed his duty as her chauffeur for the day and had delivered her to Tsubaki's house. Since Ritu was Tsubaki's husband's friend's niece, she had decided to have her stay at the Domyouji Mansion rather than at the Kaede International. Tsubaki insisted on him staying for dinner, but he wanted Ritu to rest and feel a little more comfortable in her new surroundings. So, with his precious passenger delivered to Tsubaki, Rui decided to take their leave.

But as he turned to go, he heard a soft, "Mr. Hanazawa." When he spun around he found Ritu standing in front of him with her hand extended in front of her. "Thank you so much for the drive," she said.

Rui took her hand in his and regretted it that very moment. What was already becoming a difficult farewell for him just turned into a monstrous one. The moment their hands connected, Rui felt a sudden bolt of electricity surge through him…and from the perplexed look on Ritu's face; he could bet anything she had felt it too.

Rui wasn't the kind of guy who believed in such things. He was not the guy who could fall in love with someone at first sight, or just because the touch was electrifying. He needed to know the person properly in order to like the person even. He'd spent years with Shizuka before he realized he loved her. The same went for his relationship with Tsukushi. He loved Tsukushi's spirit, her inner strength. And it had taken him a while to realize that. But with Ritu, he was spell bound at first sight and devastated by the first touch.

Ritu, for her part, was feeling exceedingly scared now. His touch sent shivers down her spine. It was just a simple shaking of hands. Why should it leave her feeling like she had found something she had lost ages ago…something that was waiting to be found by her? She couldn't make sense of anything anymore. Japan was doing weird things to her. Maybe she was just too tired. Or maybe she was just going plain bonkers.

"Rui. Call me Rui. Mr. Hanazawa is too formal your highness. I am but a commoner in your presence," Rui smiled with a twinkle in his eye. With that, he raised her hand to his lips, kissed it softly and turned to go. But before Ritu could get her breathing to function properly he turned around and said, "Hope you enjoy your stay in Tokyo. I'll be waiting for the next opportunity to have an audience with you, your highness."

With that, Rui walked out of the house suddenly feeling elated. Well, he was also muttering what-the-hell-was-I-thinking to himself at the same time! He had clearly lost his mind…and probably his heart too. Ritu just stood rooted on the spot, unsure if her legs could manage to do anything else without making her go weak in the knees.

While driving home, Rui got a message from his friend and F4 member Nishikado Soujirou asking him to join him and Mimasaka Akira, another F4 member at the F4 lounge in the city's hottest cub. Rui wasn't into the clubbing scene but tonight he didn't really want to be alone. He was sure he would go crazy thinking about her highness! So he turned right and headed down the road that brought him to the club some twenty minutes later.

He walked in to find that at least in one part of his life nothing much had changed. Soujirou was busy entertaining his usual flock of groupies, PYTs vying for the young tea baron's attention; while Akira was busy trying to seduce a lady who clearly looked old enough to be his mother. But then again that's who they were: Soujirou the playboy and Akira the yakuza heir who always fell for women at least ten years his senior. Hmm, Rui thought, so it's just my head that's messed up.

Seeing Rui smile and shake his head at something he had just thought about, Soujirou couldn't stop noticing there was something decidedly different about his friend. He politely disengaged himself from some beauty's arms, and walked towards Rui, leaving her and other girls pouting as he left. Akira, too managed to send his girlfriend home with his driver while he came to join Rui.

Rui was sitting at a secluded table in the corner, head resting on the couch and staring into space with a rather goofy grin on his face. Akira and Soujirou looked at each other, "Is he OK?" Mimasaka Akira enquired. He had seen Rui look bored, tired, sleepy, disinterested and with unfathomably blank expressions…but this was new. "Maybe he bumped his head or something," Soujirou offered. Truth be told, even he was stumped. For some reason they could glimpse Tsukasa in Rui today. No one else could have such a silly smile on their face without a reason.

"Rui! Na Rui! RUI!" Akira finally yelled to get his friend to notice him.

"Oh hey guys! How are you guys doing today? Life's good huh? How's your girlfriend Akira…and Soujirou, how did yesterday's tea ceremony go?" Rui blabbered and saw his friends looking at him with concern.

Rui never, NEVER, spoke so much! And since when did he start caring about my girlfriend or Soujirou's work? Akira was now sure something was up.

"Yo Rui! Spill the beans. What's happening?" He asked bluntly, Soujirou nodding next to him.

"Nothing's up guys. Just asked how you'll were," Rui tried to cover up.

"Rui, we've known you since kindergarten. You aren't exactly Mr. Gregarious. So mind telling us what's happening or do you want me to have you followed or something," said Akira coolly.

As much as Rui would have liked this to be an empty threat, he knew that being from a Yakuza family Akira definitely had the means to have him followed, and the serious look on Akira's face told Rui that he wouldn't think twice before having him followed.

But just as he was about to say something, he was saved by Tsukasa's very boisterous arrival at the lounge.

"Rui! Are you here? Oh great you are here. Thank you so much for saving me today! Tsukushi wouldn't have let me live it down for the rest of my life if I'd ditched her!" he screamed excitedly. And that's when he noticed the confused looks on his other friends' faces.

"Rui picked up Tsubaki's friend from the airport for me today, some Indian princess…Radimberra," he said.

"It's Her Royal Highness Princess Rithumbura of Jaisalmer, India you oaf!" Rui said, irritated.

"Oi! Oi! What's happening, who's this princess?" Soujirou asked suddenly interested now that there was a girl in the picture.

"Well she's Tsubaki nee-chan's friend who's come down from India for her vacation and because she wants to learn how to make Japanese food. So she's staying over at the Domyouji Mansion. In fact, both Tubaki nee-chan and Tsukushi are with her right now," said Domyouji and added, "By the way Rui, did you see her bodyguard? The man must easily be over seven feet tall!"

"Hmm, is she pretty? Aren't princesses supposed to be gorgeous?" mused Soujirou.

"Oh she's quite lovely actually, very very beautiful. I didn't say this in front of Tsukushi – you know how she can be sometimes," said Domyouji shaking his head. They indeed knew how Tsukushi could be! She'd pretty much kept all of them on their toes back in school. But now that she was married to Tsukasa, she was majorly his problem. And occasionally the F4's problem…when the two love birds turned into angry birds!

"Maybe I should drop in then. Make acquaintance with her royal highness. I'm sure she'd like a tour of the city," said Soujirou, already turning on his charm at the thought of escorting a princess.

But right at that moment, Rui sat bolt right up and growled, "Soujirou, don't you even dare think about making a move on Ritu."

Ritu. Huh! So that's what the deal was…finally things were getting clearer to both Akira and Soujirou and they couldn't suppress chuckling at Rui's outburst.

Domyouji, on the other, hand just looked confused, "Eh?"

"Tsukasa, guess what? We have another Romeo in our midst. After you, now I think we're going to witness yet another love story taking place right in front of our eyes, and this time Rui's the lead!" laughed Akira.

Rui meanwhile was still seething over Soujirou's comment. He knew in his heart that Soujirou was just teasing him…but for some inexplicable reason, he didn't like the sound of his Ritu with someone else. His Ritu? When had she become his Ritu? What's wrong with me, he thought! God! I just met this girl some five hours ago!

And Tsukasa was still confused, "Na Akira, be careful of what you speak. Tsukushi is my wife now. What do you mean Rui will be in the lead."

"Baka! He isn't talking about Tsukushi! He's referring to the princess!" added Soujirou, shaking his head at Tsukasa's silliness. At that, Rui couldn't help but smile. He was still annoyed with Soujirou, but he knew all was good. His friends were just amused that he could actually fall for someone this way.

It's true that there had been a point in the past when Rui had been in love with Tsukushi. And he still loved her. But once he realized that Tsukushi could never love him the way she loved Tsukasa, Rui had made peace with the situation and had gracefully accepted the role of being the best friend to both of them. He loved them both dearly and no longer felt that longing for Tsukushi. He was happy to see her happy and thriving with Tsukasa. Rui was her firefighter and her friend…and he was Tsukasa's brother…in spirit at least. And he was happy having such great friends, the thought made him smile.

However, Tsukasa's next announcement jolted Rui out of his little thought bubble making him smile even wider, "Oh before I forget. Tsukushi has decided to organize a brunch tomorrow in honour of the princess. She's invited all you guys of course. And yeah Yuki is going to be there too."

At the mention of Yuki's name Soujirou went silent. He wasn't feeling so excited anymore. But of course, he couldn't decline the invite. So he just tried to push that little niggling feeling of doubt to the back of his mind and nodded his head.

Akira was already asking Tsukasa if he needed any extra help with security around the house now that there was a princess living there with him; while Rui, was once again back to being his quiet dreamy self. Only this time, he was dreaming about a certain princess from a faraway desert land whose expressive eyes were driving him over the edge!

Hope you're enjoying the build up. Excited about Rui and Ritu's second meeting? I am! Also I couldn't help getting Yuki into the picture. I just love Jiroh and Yuki too much! Let me know what you think of the story.