Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi mine is not. **wise nod**
Author's Note: Wow… you guys are awesome! I didn't really expect to get many reviews for this, since I went and made Tasuki a girl… so I was pleasantly surprised! Arrigatou! ^____^
Desperately WantingChapter 2: No #$^$&& chick flicks!
"Gen-chaaaan!"
Ryuuen was home. He worked full time at an expensive hair salon, which was the only reason he could afford the apartment. Genrou was lying on her stomach on her bed, and ignored him until he slammed into the room.
"What are doing lying there?" he asked, walking over to bounce on the bed.
"I went to see Kouji today," she replied.
"Oh," Ryuuen said quietly. "What happened?"
Genrou turned over, looked at Ryuuen thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. It turns out that he ended up doing 3 years hard time, and that's why he never came back 'til now. He also told me that he tried to come back for me, but his so-called friends wouldn't let him."
"And?"
She jumped off the bed, let out an exasperated sigh. "And I don't fuckin' know! It was so easy to hate him when he wasn't here and I didn't know the full story. But now… I just don't know."
Ryuuen clapped her on the back. "Well, you best cheer up, everyone's coming over in about an hour to have a movie night."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah. Miaka and Taka and Doukun are on their way in, Houjun, Sai, and Myojuan will be here shortly."
"Miaka, Taka, and Doukun are driving in for a movie? They live 3 hours away!"
The purpled-haired man smiled. "Well… they're staying for the weekend. Doukun was allowed to come because it's not a school night."
Genrou rolled her eyes. "That poor kid is never gonna have a normal life with parents like those." She followed Ryuuen out into the living room.
"Ne, Gen-chan."
"Yeah?"
Ryuuen opened up a cupboard, looked over his shoulder at Genrou. "You wanna go to the store and get some junk food?"
"Yeah, sure. Be right back."
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Genrou strolled through the aisles, grabbing bags of chips, soda, popcorn, any junk food she could find. She rounded a corner to pick up cheezits and connected with something solid.
"Sorry," she mumbled. She looked up to see who she had run into, and gasped.
"Hey," he said softly.
Genrou took a step back. "What are you doing here?"
Kouji gazed down at her, his green eyes full of sorrow. "Just getting' some food for the house," he replied.
She looked away. "Don't fuckin' looking at me like that."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Like you just fuckin' ran over my dog and you're about to apologize!" she yelled in response.
"Sorry." Kouji brushed past her, shuffled down toward the checkout.
God damn it! I was doing fine… until I saw him! She turned and ran after him. "Hey, Kouji!"
He paused, turned back to her. Genrou skidded to a halt when she saw the tears running down his face. Oh my God… she thought, bringing a hand to her mouth. I caused that, didn't I? I made him cry… Kouji turned back to pay the cashier, and walked slowly out of the store, leaving Genrou to simply stare after him.
She took a long a time getting back to the apartment.
About half an hour later, the rest of Genrou's and Ryuuen's friends showed up, and the apartment was happy and lively. Genrou was standing in the middle of the living room when they arrived, and promptly found herself on her back as Miaka tackled her. "Tasuki!" she cried.
"Oi, Miaka!" she laughed, squeezing the girl around the back. "Can ya let me up, now?"
Miaka stood, offered her hand to Genrou, who pulled herself up. Doukun ran up to Genrou, threw his small arms around his waist. "Tasuki-san! I missed you!"
She laughed again, ruffled the young boy's hair. "Missed ya too, kid."
"So," Saihitei said, with his arm around Ryuuen's waist. "What are we watching?"
"Miaka has the movies," Taka announced.
Miaka held up a bag. "We have Legends of the Fall, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman…"
"What the fuck?" Genrou snatched the bag from Miaka. "Chick flicks? You brought CHICK FLICKS?!"
Ryuuen walked over and smacked Genrou upside the head. "There is nothing wrong with chick flicks!"
Genrou stood up, rubbing her head. "Yes, there is… I ain't watchin' no chick flicks."
"Ano… Tasuki-san…"
She looked down at Doukun. "What?"
"That's a double negative. Basically, what you said was that you were watching chick flicks."
That kid is too damned smart for his own good. She threw her arms up. "Argh!"
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They ended up watching Legally Blonde. Despite the fact that Genrou hated movies such as that with a fiery passion, she suffered through it, and even managed a laugh or two. She was in good spirits, until the phone rang.
"Hello?" Ryuuen answered the phone. He stared at Genrou for a minute. "Yeah.. she's here.. hang on a sec." He put his hand over the speaking end of the receiver. "Ne, Genrou… phone's for you."
She got up off the couch where she had been sandwiched between Miaka and Houjun and looked at Ryuuen questioningly. "Who is it?"
Ryuuen looked as though he would say something, but just held the receiver out.
Genrou took it. "Yeah?"
"Genrou… I know you don't really want to talk to me… but can you please meet me in the park? It's important."
It was Kouji… and he sounded weird.
"Kouji… you all right?" she asked.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Please… just meet me." Then there was a click.
Genrou stared at the phone before placing it on the counter. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach, a feeling that she didn't like. A warm hand on her shoulder made her jump.
"Gen-kun, daijobu ka, no da?"
She turned to Houjun. "I dunno. It was Kouji. He wants me to meet him at the park. He sounded weird."
Houjun's chocolate colored eyes narrowed. "Weird how, no da?"
"He sounded almost, scared." Genrou felt an unbidden frown tugging her lips down. Something was definitely not right. "I'm going, Houjun. I don't know how I know… but he needs me."
Houjun stared at he for a moment, then nodded. "Always trust your instincts, Gen-kun, no da."
She hastened out the door, a fear of some unknown force driving her to run to the park. When she got there, Kouji was pacing around the fountain, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
"Kouji, what's wrong?" she asked, through gasps of breath.
He turned when he heard her coming, and now looked at her, fear apparent on his face. "I'm in trouble, Genrou."
"Trouble how? What the fuck is going on?"
He sat down heavily on the edge of the fountain. "When I was in jail, I sort of make a few enemies. The worse one just got released, and he's coming after me."
Genrou shook her head. All this was happening too fast. "Wait a minute, what are you talking about?"
"Prison is no cake-walk, you know that," he replied. "When I was thrown in, I was pretty pissed, so I just picked fights with everyone. Those damned people hold worse grudges than you, Genrou. One of the guys… the one who gave me this scar, in fact… just got released. I stabbed him in the eye with a fork at supper because he said something nasty about you."
Genrou looked at him, her mouth hanging open. "You stabbed some guy in the fuckin' eye because he said something about ME?" She walked up to him, punched him in the arm. "Were you fuckin' born yesterday? What the fuck are you doing stabbing someone in the eye because of a lame-ass remark about me?"
Kouji chuckled. "Genrou… you get mad over all the wrong things. The point is that this guy and his goons are now after me. I don't want you involved, so I—"
"BAKAYAROU!" Genrou yelled. "I was involved the second you called me. So, what's the plan?"
The blue-haired man shook his head. "No… I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't leaving because of you… but I have to run or this guy'll kill me."
Leave, again? the thought struck Genrou like a slap to the face. He can't leave again! Suddenly, all the anger and hate that she had felt toward Kouji melted away. If he left her again, she'd be lost, she knew it. Before she even realized what was happening, she had thrown herself into his arms, buried her face in his chest, and gripped him tightly.
Kouji was thrown off guard as Genrou launched herself at him. Does this mean that she doesn't hate me? he asked himself. Her presence filled him, and he wrapped his arms around her, breathed in the peach scented shampoo, her woodsy-smelling perfume, and the scent that was uniquely Genrou. It was spicy, peppery, and completely intoxicating.
Fall… Genrou thought. He smells like fall… leaves, rain, all of it. She couldn't let him go… not after all that had happened in the span of twenty-four hours.
"Hey…" Kouji whispered. He reached up to stroke the flame-red hair he loved so much. Genrou lifted her head, looked at him. "Does this mean you're coming with me?"
She appeared thoughtful for a moment, then flashed him her signature fanged grin. "Fuck yeah! Let's kick some ex-convict ass!"
He grinned back. Suzaku, he had missed her smile, and her hair, and her temper… but also her compassion, and her devotion to her friends… and just everything about her.
Except maybe her temper…