This chapter goes out to Raksha for being the very first reviewer of Fuu's Story. She gets to have a secret prize. So secret in fact even I don't know what it is and if she'll ever get it.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own MKR or any of its characters. CLAMP does. This plot is a product of my imagination. Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

FUU'S STORY

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 2

What the heck am I doing here anyway? Ferio lightly scratched the white bandage on his left cheek as he glanced up at the building across the street.

It had been three days since he arrived in Japan from Spain. Three long days. He did not just move here to be with his sister, Esmeralda, and her new husband, Saito. He came here because he thought it was interesting to live in their parent's homeland. Their parents were born and raised in Tokyo but had to move to Spain when his father had been assigned as the ambassador of Japan to Spain.

He and Esmeralda were born there in the city of Madrid. But even though legally they were Spaniards, their parents raised and taught them the Japanese ways. For 19 years he lived his life to the fullest—meaning there were lots of parties, booze and women. His 'neechan always told him that he was too happy and too carefree. What she didn't know was that he was far from being happy...or content.

Though he was a picture of a carefree young adult, Ferio knew that something was amiss in his life. He could feel the emptiness in his heart, making him ache with desire. The problem was he didn't know what it was that he wanted...what it was that he needed. He never told Esmeralda about this ache for he knew she wouldn't understand. He didn't tell anyone about his real reason on why he decided to live in Tokyo.

He wanted to find that 'thing' that would make him complete and for some inexplicable reason his guts told him that he'd find it here. In Tokyo.

So why am I here again?

He had been standing in front of the apartment building that Esmeralda visited a few nights ago for almost thirty minutes now. He knew what he was waiting for or rather who he was waiting for. What he couldn't understand was why he was waiting for her.

What was it about her that draws me to her?

His mind instantly conjured the lovely face of the brown-haired woman he saved that rainy night. There was something about her but he couldn't point his finger on it. He had seen more beautiful women than her. Dated them too. But deep inside he knew that this brunette was someone special.

~Flashback~

He first noticed her while he was contemplating on banging his head on the steering wheel due of boredom. She was walking on the sidewalk at the other side of the street with a dejected look on her face. Normally he would have just shrugged the sight off no matter how odd she looked walking under the pouring rain at such a slow pace with no umbrella or raincoat. But something drew his eyes to her like metal to magnet.

It's her sadness, he realized. Her sadness touched his heart like nothing or no one had ever done before. He instinctively knew that she was missing someone just as bad as he was craving for another...whoever that person may be.

His eyes followed her movement and habit made him skim her body from the crown of her head to the sole of her feet. Her wet brown curls were plastered to her face and neck but he knew that it was soft and thick when dry. Her face had delicate angles that made him think of the angels painted on the massive high ceilings of Madrid's basilicas. And her body...

The cut of her dress gave him a hint that the woman was conservative. Nevertheless the way that the wet clothing clung to her soft curves made his nose sweat despite of the cold weather. She wasn't as voluptuous as most women preferred to be. It was a good thing for he never did like the big breasted type even though most of the girls he dated were such. No, this woman was just...right.

Something about that last thought made his heart jump. For a brief moment—a nanosecond really—he felt that emptiness inside him fill up. He shook his head at the absurdity of it all. He blamed everything to boredom.

What the heck's 'neechan doing up there anyway?

He forced his gaze from the woman to the entrance of the building where his sister disappeared to. It was very weird. Esmeralda had just met that Hikaru this morning and she was already making house calls. Not to mention she made several calls to 'high places' in order to acquire the redhead's address.

Ferio looked back at the woman across the street. Usually he would have laughed if he saw someone, may it be male or female, bump head-on with a lamppost but when this woman almost collided with one he couldn't help but frown. He sat up straighter in the driver's seat and almost willed his eyes to guide her safely down the path. When she was about to cross the street, a bright light reflected by the side mirror caught his attention.

An idiot driving at a great speed was heading straight to her obviously with no intention of slowing down or warning her off. Ferio didn't give himself time to hesitate. He jumped out of the car and ran towards the now petrified woman. He tackled her to the ground and protected her body from the impact as much as he could. He felt the speeding car whiz by as they rolled across the pavement.

The adrenalin ebbed out of his body after a few seconds but his heart kept on beating with rising crescendo. The woman was much more attractive up close. She got this cute little nose and soft pink lips. But when she opened her eyes...Dios! Her eyes were as green as emeralds only much brighter and much, much more exquisite.

He felt a sharp disappointment when she scrambled off him especially since her movements excited him. He didn't get to delve on any perverted thoughts since he got that pang of loss again when she got out of his arms.

She was shivering and he wanted to pull her in his arms and give her his warmth. Then again she might think he was being too fresh and might slap him silly. So he just helped her cross the street, allowing himself the small consolation of touching her smooth elbow while guiding her.

All the while he thought how beautiful her voice was. It may sound corny but her voice really was music to his ears. It got a melodious quality emphasized by the concern and politeness of her words. When he steered her yet again from stepping on another pothole one thought came to his mind.

This girl really needs a man to protect her.

But before he could even think about volunteering himself for the job, she was already bowing in farewell. "Thank you very much for your help," she said.

"Wait! Chotto Matte! What's your name? Hey!!!" Ferio yelled and tried to follow her but was blocked by a group of people. He saw her enter the apartment building and went in to follow her when the crowd dispersed. By the time he got in, the elevator door was already closing, giving him a brief glimpse of a mop of brown hair at the back of the semi-crowded elevator.

He gave out a sigh in resignation. He watched as the numbers above the elevator door light up and stay lit every few seconds. There was no way he could guess which floor she got off. For some reason he was very disappointed.

"Ferio."

He glanced at the source of the voice and saw his sister looking oddly at him. Why wouldn't she? He bet he looked ridiculous dripping all over the marble floor with a lovesick look on his face. He felt another drop of liquid run down his cheek and glide at the edge of his chin. Lifting a hand, he caught the irritating droplet in his palm and was surprised to see that the liquid was ruby red.

Esmeralda walked up to him and pressed a handkerchief on his left cheek. "Mou. I leave you alone for a few minutes and this happens. That gash looks deep. We should go back to the hospital and have that checked up. Does it hurt?"

He just looked at her in surprise. It was just now that he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He must have gotten it when they slid against the rough pavement. Funny how he couldn't care less if he get another scar on his face. The important thing was she was safe.

~End of Flashback~

He scratched his bandaged cheek again. The cut did need a few stitches and would probably scar. He already had one at the same cheek. A long one that ran diagonally downward. He got that (as well as another across his nose) when he fell from a tree when he was just nine. And now he was going to get another that ran across the old one. That would give him an x-mark and probably a piratical look.

Not that it mattered. From what his many admirers told him, his scars made him sexier rather than marred his good looks. So what was another scar to add to his lucky charms?

But luck was not on his side today. Forty minutes had already passed since he started his stake out and there was still no sign of that woman. Why was he even bothering? She was just a woman. Plenty more of them out there. And for all he knew she was just visiting someone last night.

Probably her boyfriend.

With one last look at the building's doors he gave up waiting and strode to his parked car. He got a class in a few minutes and it wasn't a good first impression to arrive late.

~Scene Change~

Ferio chose a seat in front of the class by the door. Though he was never serious about women and relationships, he took pride at his devotion to his studies. He was not a genius but he tried his best to get good grades. From experience he knew that sitting anywhere else would distract him. People, women in particular, tend to keep on sneaking glances at him all throughout the class and it irritated the heck out of him. Even now he could hear a group of girls whispering excitedly behind his back.

"All right! Settle down people!" Their psychology professor yelled as soon as he entered the room. "If you want to talk, let it be something about this class."

"Aw, come one, doc! What's there to talk about?" yelled someone from the back of the room while the others piped in their agreements.

"I'll give you something to talk about...your term papers." That elicited a collective groan from the class and a grin from the professor. "Your paper is about assessing human behavior. Each of you is going to profile someone through letters and you're going to be profiled by that someone too."

A hand was raised. "Can we choose our partner?"

"Now that would be too easy, wouldn't it," the sensei raised an eyebrow. "You would profile a stranger. People from the other class. I've already asked them to write their pseudonyms in these papers and you should think one for yourselves. You're going to exchange letters through me and from those letters you must give me a profile or conclusion on what kind of a person your secret partner is."

"What are we supposed to write in those letters?" Ferio asked. He was interested in this project. It was different and it beats the heck out of the usual research.

"Anything under the sun! Your family, love life, the weather, your dreams, nightmares, how you think I'm such a crappy teacher..."  That got the class laughing. "BUT...but you cannot say anything about your name, appearance or anything that would clue in your identity. Where would be the fun in that if you knew who your partner is or vice versa."

"Cool! It's like having a secret admirer or something!" said another guy.

"Just try not to fall in love with your secret partner, Kagami. You might be paired up with a guy like yourself."

Excited chatter filled the room as a box with the other class' names was passed around. Ferio took one of the rolled papers and silently wished for a girl before taking a peek. For some reason his heart twitched when he saw the code name.

"Iyashi no Kaze," he whispered to himself in wonder.

Healing wind...

TBC...