Present Day

He was house-sitting for a friend.  Not that he even liked the guy very much but he didn't have anything else to do.  So being the nice person that he was or thought he was Ran packed his things and moved to Tokyo for a few days to take care of the guy's house.  The only problem was that guy had two dogs that Ran was beginning to hate even though he had only been in the house for a few hours. 

"What was I thinking?" mumbled Ran as he extracted another dog from his lap.  The worse part of everything was that the dogs were not even little dogs. They were huge Siberian Huskies, the size of small bears. What the guy had been thinking when he got them Ran didn't know.

"Stop it! You're drooling all over me," the dog didn't move. "Damn it! Where's your food?"

The dog tilted his head to the side as if Ran was crazy for asking him.

"I guess I am, asking a dog of all people.  Well Kazuma said you had food. If that bastard lied to me I'll kick his ass."

Getting on all fours he started looking through the cupboard for some food only to have a dog move to his face and start licking him leaving a trail of drool.

"Damn it! Get away dog…whatever you're called."

The dog barked and the other one that had been lying on the sofa bounced off waging his tail and running straight for the redhead.

"Oh, hell no," said Ran as he got up quickly, but not quick enough and was sent flying back into the cupboard when the dog tackled him.  Sitting there he was pissed enough but it seemed the gods were having a laugh at his expense because a pack of noodles and flour came tumbling down opening when they hit Ran's head.

The dogs simply sat in front of the fallen redhead waging their tails and barking at the trail of flour dust floating in the air.

Ran glared at the dogs under his now white hair, "Fucking mutts, you think this is funny?"

Both dogs barked before launching themselves to start licking him.

Ran felt like sobbing, these were the dogs from hell. Then the dogs started sneezing at the flour and Ran smiled feeling a bit better.

"Serves you right."

After cleaning the flour mess, Ran realized that Kazuma * had * lied to him.  There was no food in the whole house.  The dogs were already barking at the lack of food and attention from their supposed sitter. 

Sighing, Ran dusted off some flour from his hair and shirt in an attempt not to look like he had a cooking accident.

"Hear me little pests. I am going to get you some food, don't break or eat anything.  I don't mind if you kill each other."

Yet, it seemed the dogs had another idea when one of them came back carrying his leash on his mouth.

"What the…?"

The other dog kept wagging his tail looking up at him with adoring blue eyes.

"The gods help me…"

Ran kept looking out the shop window; hopefully those brainless mutts wouldn't attack somebody.  What had possessed him to take those dogs out of the house? They were a menace.

"Okay, dog food…"

He kept looking through the aisles but couldn't find it, every minute that went by making him more nervous.  Where the hell was it?  Finally he found it letting out a breath he hadn't noticed he was keeping in.

"This is the worst day of my life," Ran mumbled.

"You've got that right," drawled a voice beside him.

"Wha…"

Ran was having a bit of a problem finding his voice, not because of the guy in front of him, but there was something about him.  Something Ran could feel at the edge of his mind.

"Well I'm used to people staring but I've never left anybody speechless before."

Ran chuckled a bit, "Sorry, I thought I knew you from somewhere."

"Mmm, well I would remember if I'd met you before.  Kudou Yohji and you?"

"Fujimiya, Ran," said the redhead as he hefted a ten-pound bag of dog food into his cart. "People just call me Ran."

"People just call me Yohji. Never seen you here before."

"Oh, I don't live around here. I'm house-sitting for a friend and he forgot to buy dog food so I'm getting some."

"Oh?" said Yohji raising a brow.  "Those dogs in front of the store…"

"Those are the ones. It was nice meeting you but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Sure, sure.  Will you be here long?"

Ran smiled, "No, maybe four days.  I have to go back to work in Kyoto."

"You live in Kyoto?"

"Yeah," said Ran looking out the aisle to see if the dogs were there. "Gotta go. Ja ne."

Yohji watched the retreating back of the redhead before shrugging and picking up a bag of cat food.  Omi was going to owe him, he Kudou Yohji having to walk to get a bag of cat food. Had the kid gone crazy?  Nonetheless if he hadn't come he would have never seen Ran. Ran who was so unique Yohji had never seen hair so red and those eyes.  He had to stop himself from openly staring, not that Yohji was into guys.  No he wasn't, but he was never one to only see beauty in the softer sex.  Ran was not the softer sex but he moved so gracefully, Yohji could always pretend he was. 

Walking to the cashier, Yohji started chuckling when he saw Ran struggling with the bag of groceries and the two-leashed dogs.  He could see those lovely lips mumbling, more than likely cussing the dogs, at least he would be.

Ran hated these animals.  He had get back to the house, he was tired and cranky enough to just let the things go and grow into wild dogs.  He didn't care.

"Help me here, I am trying to get you back where you belong."

The dogs just wagged their tails and started running when Ran grabbed hold of their leash. 

"Wait…crap," said the redhead pulling at their leashes until both dogs stopped trying to wipe the sidewalk with his person.

"Let's go."

"Ran! Wait a sec," yelled a person behind him.  Ran turned to see the blond guy running to him.  What was his name again? Hopefully he wouldn't need it.

"You need a lift? I'm driving back to my place I could drop you off on the way."

Ran eyed the guy, there was something of him that was making him uneasy, "Thanks a lot but I can get there.  Just a few blocks."

"Come on I don't bite," Yohji drawled putting a cigarette to his lips.

Ran glared.  The guy was talking to him like he was an idiot.

"I can get there okay."

"Well your pets seem to think otherwise."

Ran looked down at the dogs that seemed to have calmed down in Yohji's presence. 

"I'll walk you then, nothing wrong with that and I can help you with one of the mutts."

Ran smiled at that, "Okay you can help me."

Yohji took hold of one of the leashes walking beside Ran who seemed to have flour on his head.  Ran noticed him staring and gave a small chuckle.

"Dog tackled me into the cupboard."

"Oh I see, so are you always this friendly to people?"

Ran stiffened a bit, "No."

"I see, you shouldn't.  People here are dangerous."

"I know."

"So your last name is Fujimiya. Why does that sound familiar?"

Ran gave a wry smile, "My family was killed about five years ago.  Came out on the news."

Yohji blinked, "Oh that. I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"It's okay.  Bad things happen it's just a matter of fact."

"Well you don't have to accept them sitting down."

Ran sighed, "It's helped me move on."

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"What is this? Are you questioning me?" asked Ran sounding more annoyed than he actually was.

Yohji smiled sucking on his cigarette before dropping it on the ground, "People usually call it getting to know each other."

Ran blushed, "Gomen, people usually avoid me."

"Maybe it's because of your hair."

Ran blinked at how blunt the guy was being.  He knew people were uneasy with his features but people usually avoided telling it to his face.
"Guess nobody told you that. Well what do you do?"

"I'm a banker."

"Just like your father?"

"Yes."

"I know you might not do this often but I was wondering if you'd like to go watch a movie or something before you leave?"

Ran blinked turning to stare at the guy beside him.  He liked Yohji, which was part of the problem.  He didn't want to like him having enough problems accepting that he liked guys, but now one of them was asking him out even though he put it forward in a very subtle way.

"A date?"

"Well…," laughed Yohji putting a cigarette on his lips. "I know it's a bit sudden but I dunno, I feel like a teenager."

Ran laughed, "This is it," said Ran having reached the house.

Ran opened the door and Yohji followed behind.  Part of him knew the guy wouldn't hurt him, his intuition that had always helped him.  It usually helped but it wasn't telling him anything about Yohji.  As if there was a block, it made him uneasy.

A small laugh came from behind him as Yohji saw the flour mess on the floor.

"They got you alright."

"They like playing too much."

"So will you come with me?"

"Hmm?" asked Ran distracted as he poured food into the dog plates

"Movies, with me?"

"Oh, when?"

"Tomorrow, I would come pick you up and everything."

"I guess."

"Well then it's settled," smiled Yohji.  "Tomorrow I pick you up around 7pm, okay?"

"…okay."

Yohji smiled before walking up to him to whisper softly, "You won't regret it," before leaving the house.

Ran was left there thinking why he hadn't felt anything but uneasiness from the guy. It wasn't bad but it was sending warning bells off in his head.

"Why did I say yes?"

[Because you want to see what it feels like.]

"Maybe…"