Hello folks. This is sort of a side story of what could have happened in Hong Kong, had Gui Zhang Chen ever made a physical appearance in Shenmue II. (Damn you, Yu Suzuki!) It's also a sequel (of sorts) to "Bars of Steel". Of course, there won't be a real sequel until Shenmue III comes out, but who needs logic! Right? Right?

Warning: Unlike "Bars of Steel", which was sweet and mushy shounen-ai, this tale of booty is pure YAOI. Meaning, men. More specifically, two men having sex. Described sex. Multi-chapter sex. If it's not your cup of tea, drink elsewhere. Flames will be laughed at and ignored.

It is recommended (although not entirely essential) that you read "Bars of Steel" before starting in on this story. It a) sets the stage for these events and b) makes (I think) a relatively good argument that Ryo and Gui Zhang could have easily been a couple in Shenmue.

There you have it. Rated R for pitifully childish language and rather graphic sex.

Enjoy!

I stared out of a window on the second floor of a run-down motel in Hong Kong. My room was small and musty, permeated with the odor of stale smoke, cheap liquor, and an indescribable rank smell. It reminded me of a cheap apartment building in Kowloon; rotting at the core, and practically collapsing under its own weight.

Okay, so it wasn't quite that bad. But it was still lousy.

I couldn't expect much else, though. Hong Kong was a funny city: things were either very rich and gaudy, or they were outrageously poor. There was almost no in-between to be had. But without spending nearly 2000 yen every night, there was no way to get a better living arrangement. Besides, what was I complaining for? I only saw the inside of this room right before I closed my eyes at night.

But today was a rainy day. A typhoon was sweeping inland, covering the small island with wind and sheets of rain. The radio cautioned its listeners to stay indoors if at all possible, warning that the weather was likely to be severe. So I stayed indoors, misted the window with my breath, and thought.

People went scurrying about the streets despite the dire predictions from the weather stations. The swarm lessened and swelled, but there would always be people outside. It was a given. I couldn't make out anyone in the misty rain, and eventually my eyes grew heavy. It was only four in the afternoon, but I felt beat, as if I had been running all over South Carmain all day. I had missed practice with Jianmin, and I hadn't bothered to go to Scarlet Hills, so I hadn't spoken to Fangmei today. I knew how she felt about me, but I also knew that I couldn't return the sentiment. My heart was stolen.

The person that I loved was still in Japan.

I thought about the tape that I had listened to in Kowloon, about the conversation between Joy and Gui Zhang Chen. Funny that I had never known that they knew each other, that he had saved her once, the same way that I had saved her. And she was crazy about both of us for it.

It was equally funny that neither of us wanted her. She was beautiful, in a loud, brash way. Men responded to her even as they feared her father. And she loved it, the attention that she drew through her looks and her behavior. But still, not everyone was amused by her antics, and some of us were immune to her wiles.

Why I could resist her was not a matter of importance. Women simply did not register with me; I could see their beauty, but that was about it. How our mutual friend could ignore her was more puzzling. Perhaps their long-term friendship, and having known Joy as a child, had barred any possibility of romance between the two of them.

I walked over to my hard cot, weary. The thoughts were beginning to slur together, a sure sign that I needed to go to sleep. Granted, it was far too early, but it couldn't be helped. I lay myself down and closed my eyes.

My sleep was deep. So deep that I didn't hear Joy's motorcycle as she pulled up right outside my window. So deep that I didn't hear her call me.

So deep that I didn't know that someone had come into my room.

I woke up to a dark night, and chilly rain. The wind was blowing through the open window in a steady gust, leaving goosebumps on my skin despite the leather jacket. I got up to close it, pausing for a moment to look down at the streets. Even at 8 p.m. with an icy wind about, they were still full of people. I turned away to hear my stomach growl and considered what to do about it.

"You sound hungry."

Shocked, I jumped. Next, I turned on the lights to find Gui Zhang Chen sitting on my bed. He returned my look with those hazel eyes that had never failed to make me weak inside. I sat down, unable to function. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

He smiled wryly. "I personally delivered a package to Zhu Yuanda on behalf of my father. While I was here, I found out that you were in the area, and decided to pay a call."

"Joy."

"Yeah, she's got a big mouth. But back to the topic. Are you hungry?"

I was. He nodded. "What's on your mind?"

I didn't have to think for long. "There's a little sushi and sake bar right across the street from here."

"Sounds great. Come on. My treat."

We left the room, after I stored my bag in a concealed corner. Ren Dan, the desk clerk, gave us a look as we came down the stairs. His mouth twisted as if to speak, but thought better of it and turned his attention to the races blaring over the static-filled radio broadcast.

The little restaurant was open, and sparsely patronized. Gui Zhang and I took seats in the back corner, in a soft leather booth. We knocked knees trying to get in, and I moved away instinctively. "How's your foot?"

"Ankle, actually. It's fine. It healed pretty quickly, and now I spend about two hours a day rehabilitating it."

"You still work as your father's bodyguard?"

"Not right now. He hired someone else, and I'm working full-time as an assistant manager."

The waiter brought our drinks and an appetizer tray with assorted sashmi. I selected a piece of octopus; he decided on smoked salmon. "So basically, I could kick your ass right now."

He gave me an offended look. "I don't think so."

I sneered as I chewed. "You've been fixing a bum ankle for about three months, and I've been learning new moves. I could definitely kick your ass."

"No."

We argued for a little bit as we ate. But I could tell that he was enjoying this as much as I was. It felt like old times, and this nostalgia helped quelled the overall feeling of homesickness. We spoke about Japan, and he told me that he had seen Megumi around Dobuita, usually with a gray and white tabby cat following her. I smiled. Details like that helped me remember that the world was still progressing around me, and that there would be something to look forward to after I settled this business with Lan Di.

"I met your friend Nozomi."

"Where?"

"When I was buying some flowers for my father's birthday. I must have mentioned something about Yokosuka Harbor, because I remember her saying that she knew someone who used to work there. We figured it out pretty quickly."

"That's weird. Nozomi went to Canada."

"She mentioned that too, but she was back around for a weekend visit." He sipped his cup of sake slowly. "She cares a lot about you. Did you know?"

"Yeah," I answered, not wanting to continue in this vein.

"You don't sound too interested."

I drank my tea and filled the porcelain cup again. "I guess not."

He smiled faintly. "Unrequited love…I remember those days. High school was strange for me." I opened my mouth to ask how, but postponed the question as the waiter brought us four tender pieces of steamed halibut, stuffed full of herbs, and two bowls heaped full of white rice. I picked up the serving spoon and offered him a large slice, before helping myself. The skin crackled as I pulled a piece away from the fish; it had been flash-fried with white pepper, and looked almost snowy in color and texture. We began to eat. "Gui Zhang, would you say that you were pretty popular in high school?"

He swallowed his mouthful before answered. "Yeah. A lot of girls chased me around, too, and I didn't want anything to do with them either."

"Something else we have in common, I guess."

"Yeah," he agreed before changing the subject abruptly. "You've never eaten in this restaurant, I take it."

"Never."

"You should get out more often."

"Nah. I wasn't raised that way. My father was slightly more economical than yours."

He reached for the garlic paste. "Don't get the impression that my father is some sort of big spender. He's insanely cheap when it comes to some stuff."

"Like?"

He shrugged. "I don't feel like going into it right now. You gonna eat that?"

I shook my head and pushed the serving platter his way.

Dinner was over presently, and the dishes were cleared away. We sat there, mutually silent, until the server returned with a dessert tray. Gui Zhang motioned towards a pastry, and the man nodded as he enumerated the qualities of the dish. He looked at me. "Did you want a dessert as well, sir?"

I shook my head again. "I'm stuffed."

A quivering slice of lemon tart appeared at the table soon enough. Despite my protestations, the waiter had seen fit to bring two spoons. I examined the food as Gui Zhang took a cautious bite. It looked like a cross between a torte and a pie, and it smelled quite appetizing; sour and tangy all at once. He handed me the unused spoon. "Aren't you going to have some?"

I declined again, but he was slightly more persistent than the waiter, coaxing me until I finally gave in and took a bite. It was as sour and tangy as it smelled, and the pure lemon juice made my mouth water and pucker simultaneously. "This is really good."

"I thought so."

We ate a little more slowly, savoring this unusually prepared treat. But at last the food was completely gone, and we were left with the bill. Gui Zhang picked it up to look at it, but I took it from him immediately. 4800 yen…not bad at all. I threw several bills on the table and proceeded to stand. "Ready?"

"This was supposed to be my treat."

"Don't worry about it. One of the fringe benefits of living somewhere where gambling is rampant. Come on, let's go."

He wrinkled his forehead. "But it's raining so hard. Shouldn't we wait?"

I rolled my eyes at his frivolousness. "You puss, it's just water."

"And mud."

"Oh, boo hoo. You never got dirty before, pretty boy?"

His frown grew dark. "Watch it, Hazuki. You're on thin ice."

"I'm so scared." I began to walk away, but he grabbed my arm and forced me to face him. "Listen, little boy. Don't think that just because I hurt my ankle that I won't beat the hell out of you."

I twisted out of his grasp and walked towards the door; he followed. As I stepped outside into the storm, I knelt as if to tie my shoes. He stood in the doorway, scowling at the weather.

"Hey, Gui Zhang."

He looked my way.

And got a mudball right in the chest for his trouble.

I can count the number of times on one finger that I've ever seen Gui Zhang Chen look so surprised. He stared at the wet earth that dripped down his suit as if it were a third arm.

Quicker than I could react, he knelt, scooped up a good fistful of dirt, and flung it directly into my face.

And then the fight was on.

The desk clerk looked up from his betting track again, but this time he said something as we came in, sopping wet and tracking mud. "Hey, look, you two. What goes on between people is their business. But I'm not gonna have you guys ruining the floor with all that mud."

I reached for my wallet and opened it, retrieving a 10,000 yen bill and dropping yet more mud on the floor. "Here. Get a janitor, then." I began up the stairs, leaving the man protesting behind me. My companion stayed downstairs to placate him, as obviously the money wasn't quite enough.

I reached his room, taking a moment to glance towards the end of the hall. There was a small community bathroom there, and I wanted to make use of it sometime soon, that is, if Ryo ever decided that it was worth his while to come upstairs. I leaned over the second story railing, trying unsuccessfully not to smirk as mud crumbles hit the floor. The clerk groaned. "Hazuki, get up here so we can clean up and not piss this guy off anymore."

He took a step backward to look up at me, trying to tell whether or not I was serious by looking at my face. He should have known better; my face almost never reflected what was on my mind. "Oh, all right."

He came up shortly and muscled me out of the way to unlock his door. "Let's see…towels…towels…" He muttered to himself as I removed my shoes and thoroughly wet socks. "I suppose it's too much to ask for dry cleaning service here."

"Well…" He finally found the elusive linen. "Actually, there's a hand wash right around the corner. I suppose I could ask Ren to take our clothes if we offer him a tip." He turned, buzzed the intercom. A tinny voice answered. "What?"

"Could you come up and take a bag of dry cleaning out for us?"

"In this storm? Are you kidding?"

"There's money in it for you."

There was a pause, and then the sound of a paper rustling. "So, how much?"

"2000 yen."

"3000."

"22."

The paper rustled again. "26."

"25."

"Deal. Bring the bag down."

The intercom clicked off and Ryo shook off his jacket. "We should probably get undressed."

"Yeah." I was nearly there myself, keeping the towel close at hand. "You gonna shower first, or should I?"

"Er…" He suddenly became very interested in the floor. "Well…" He looked at me with a mortified expression. "The shower's weird."

"How so?"

"Uh…" He began stammering. "Well, see, a lot of the time there's only enough water for one person…"

"I can take a cold shower," I answered as I folded my suit expertly.

"No…um…" He coughed, clearly nervous. "See, it's not the hot water that runs out…all of the water runs out. So if you don't take a really short shower, there's not enough water for anyone else for about three hours…"

I stopped folding my clothes, trying to completely understand. Could Fate possibly mock the two of us any more? "So…either we'd have to wait three hours in between showers, or we'd need to shower together." His face flushed deeply, and he turned away immediately.

I laughed, incredulous. "God. What a choice. Well, the bag's full. How do we pay?"

His voice had become so soft that it was practically imperceptible. "Just…throw the bag down the stairs. He'll get the tip when we get the clothes back."

I obeyed, tossing the heavy bag out of the room's door. It thudded as it ricocheted off the wall and hit the ground. Not even before I could close the door, Ryo was speaking to the disembodied voice through the intercom.

"…tell that asshole to quit throwing his fancy-schmancy suits down the stairs, okay?"

I shoved Ryo out of the way, fully intending to chew the man out, but the mic went dead. I punched the button several times with no connection before giving up. Finally, I shrugged and turned to my roommate. "I guess we'd better get a shower, then."

We went down the hall towards the cramped bathroom, towels wrapped securely around our waists. I knocked before entering, stepping into the actual shower to allow Ryo room to come in as well. Once he was inside and had shut the door, I whipped my towel off and hung it on one of the hooks in the door. He seemed quite surprised at my lack of modesty. "Do you…want me to turn around, or something?"

"For what?" I scoffed. "You have one of these, too."

His expression changed slightly, his eyes slowly began to display need. I tried to adjust the tap, but it resisted my efforts handily. Ryo peeked in the stall after me. "Oh, that thing's tricky. Here, let me help." He entered, brushing against my hip as he came in.

He must have heard me sigh, yet neither of us chose to act on it. He fussed with the tap for a few moments before getting it to spray us with a hot mist. He turned to face me once the water began to run noisily through the pipes.

We stared at each other's faces. My standard mask was slowly beginning to melt. His face was glowing from the water and the two lone lightbulbs that struggled to light the entire room. His lips parted, and he licked them nervously, unconsciously. My pulse quickened. Damn it, I wanted this boy.

"Where's the soap?"

I looked around quickly. We had to shower before the water gave out on us…I found the bar of soap and lathered myself up rapidly before handing it to Ryo. He accepted, but hardly moved. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him staring at me as I rinsed the mud from my skin. He was hardly breathing; it was more like panting.

I took the soap from his hand, where it had lain unheeded, and ran it through my hair seven times before placing it back in his palm. I lathered my hair full of the faintly lavender-smelling soap, moving past the motionless boy to place myself in the direct path of the water, which was already showing signs of cooling off. I ran my fingers through my hair, hearing it squeak noisily as the soapy water splashed over my shoulders and down my back.

I saw a sinewy arm snake around my waist right before a powerful hand turned my chin to the left. Next I felt what I had been dying for ever since I had set foot in Hong Kong: Ryo Hazuki kissing me.

His kiss was soft, innocent, and entirely too brief. Just as I began to relax into it, he broke off and stepped backwards. I looked at him over my shoulder, catching a brief glimpse of his flushed face, his heaving chest, and trembling hands. I didn't dare to look lower. Not just yet.

"I'm so…so sorry," he said, voice weak. "I – I couldn't resist…you…I've wanted…" His voice trailed off, but his face held that longing, pleading expression. I read it quite clearly as I turned around completely. The now cold water washed over my burning skin.

He made a little keening noise, and I let him see me staring at his nude, dirty body. He had lost a little weight around his hips, gained some muscle here and there. Overall, he looked leaner. Not that I would have had a single objection to the old Ryo.

He licked his lips again. I was starting to think that it was a nervous habit. "You've lost some weight, haven't you, Gui Zhang?"

"Not really."

He looked away shyly, edging closer to the water tap. "I guess I'd better wash off."

I nodded and slid away, bumping into him quite intentionally as we traded places. "Sorry for taking up all the hot water."

"That's okay. I'm used to cold showers…I mean…"

I laughed; he blushed.

He glided the soap over his body, bending at the waist to wash his legs. I murmured something inaudible, and he straightened back up with a jerk. Obviously there was a little fear about what I might try to do. My lips curled. "Don't worry, Hazuki. When I take you, you'll know damn well what I'm doing."

He looked back at me, uncertain. I moved closer to him, embraced him, pulled him full against me. There was no way that he could miss my arousal pressed into his backside, and I wanted it that way. The soap on his skin made me slide a little, and he moaned. "Gui Zhang, please…"

I held him up, as his knees didn't strike me as particularly steady. Grazing his flaming ear with my lips, I whispered to him, "This is how you give a kiss," right before I suckled the spot between his neck and shoulder.

My left hand was splayed over his mouth, and that turned out to be a good thing. He cried out so loudly that I clamped my hand down, trying to smother the sound. I didn't want that damned clerk coming up here. Not now, after I had waited for so long to have this one lover. I continued to kiss him, flickering my tongue all over his salty-tasting skin.

"Gui Zhang…no…I gotta get clean…" He wrested himself away into the corner of the shower, staring at me with wide, conflicted eyes. I was more interested in having the rest of his body all to myself than how clean he happened to be at the time, but I nodded and stepped back. "Okay. We've probably been in here way too long anyway."

He looked down at his watch. "Yeah, twenty minutes. I'm surprised that the water hasn't cut off yet."

"Does this place get its water supply mostly from storm barrels?"

"I think so. How did you know?"

"Wild guess. But there's a hurricane right outside, remember? Tonight, we don't have anything to worry about."

"Oh, yeah." He looked at the soap actively melting away in his hands. "Let me get clean first. You should probably go to the room. It would be bad for us to be leaving the bathroom at the same time."

I took his advice and made my way back to the room. But naturally, luck was against me, and the desk clerk was standing in front of Ryo's room with a colorful-looking scowl on his face. He was soaked to the skin. Water was puddling around his feet in a makeshift moat. I tried very hard not to laugh as he faced me, wet hair plastered to his face.

"Okay, I took your stuff to the cleaners. Gimme the tip."

I shook my head. "Not until we get it back."

He made a slightly aggravated sound. "Look. You were the last load in the door before they closed. You won't get anything until sometime tomorrow afternoon. I want the tip now."

My face instantly became frozen into its usual expression of indifference. "We're going to have to go all night without anything to wear because of you. You're not getting the tip until we get the clothes."

He looked at me, trying to tell whether or not bullying would work. I set my jaw stubbornly. I didn't mind arguing with the guy clad solely in a towel, and I suppose that unnerved him. He began to address me again, but suddenly looked past me as the bathroom door opened and Ryo emerged, wet and shivering. He came up to us both. "What's the problem?"

"I want my money," the clerk snapped. "I took your stuff out for you in a hurricane, and your friend here is welshing."

"We're not going to have any clothes until tomorrow afternoon. I already gave you 10,000 yen. You're not getting any more money out of me tonight. When we get the clothes tomorrow, you can have your tip."

Ryo scratched his head. "What if I gave you 1000 now, and the rest tomorrow when we get our clothes back?"

The man shuffled his feet. He was clearly dissatisfied, but he was also cold, and the promise of money was enough to make him give up the point for the time being. Besides, fighting with two near-naked, muscular men over money could require awkward explanations in future. Finally, he agreed and Ryo and I entered the room while he stood outside. Ryo unlocked his cabinet, grabbed out a small wad of cash that he counted quickly, and handed it to the clerk, who thanked him rather rudely before leaving.

Now we were alone in the small room, with the only light coming in from outside. I was all too ready for this.