Disclaimer: I do not profit from this, nor do I own these characters.

Warning: This chapter contains slight yaoi (more like shounen-ai)

Note: Update… wow… This digs more into Sano's past, but it's not too deep just yet. Reviews and criticism are much appreciated. Thanks to those of you who did.

Or Something...

(Chapter 2)

"Taicho!!"

Brown eyes widened, horrified at the sight displayed before them.

The tears of our heart

Fall as crimson rain

On those we love

And leave behind.

The gunshot rang loudly in his head, the only sound in the otherwise unnatural silence.

Red is the color

Of my hate and my fear.

Red is the color

I want left behind.

Someone was screaming, a sharp and unrelenting cry, filling the space the shot had occupied, as sounds of the surroundings began to filter back in. The rain fell down softly at first, the sound of a drizzle in a downpour that deepened and grew louder as reality came crashing back. The wind knocked shutters back and forth, slamming the door of an iron gate loudly. Cars honked loudly, impatient drivers trying to get home and out of the storm. But for all the sounds around him, no one seemed to notice. No one seemed to have heard the shot, no one but him….

Sano awoke with a start, eyes flashing open upon a clear blue sky, the fresh air around him stifling as he lay in the warm sun, a soft breeze stirring the grass that brushed against his face. He closed his eyes, passing a hand over them as he caught his breath.

'That dream again…'

He felt cold inside and out, like he couldn't breathe.

A bitter smile colored his features. "Three years," he murmured softly. "Has it really been three years…?"

A shadow fell over him. "Skipping again, Sano? I don't believe you… Not only did you ignore me yesterday after school, but this morning when I came to walk to school with you, you refused to talk to me, and then you disappeared at lunchtime and I didn't see you for the rest of the day."

Sano made no reply.

"Mr. Himura has been looking for you and Mr. Saitou wishes to see you about your 'lack of presence in the classroom,'" Katsu continued, looking down severely at his friend.

Sano kept his hand covering his eyes, wishing Katsu would just disappear and leave him to be by himself.

"Sano?" Katsu sounded more upset than angry. "It's okay to talk to me you know…" Maybe even a little hurt.

Sano peeked an eye open, parting his fingers slightly to look between them at his friend. He sighed softly. "I had that dream again…."

Katsu frowned. "What happened yesterday?"

Sano looked up fully at Katsu, as his longhaired friend towered over him. "What do you mean, 'What happened yesterday?' Nothing happened."

"You're a terrible liar, Sanosuke," Katsu said flatly. "You only have that dream when something really upsetting happens, and you've been acting strangely since yesterday. Don't tell me nothing happened."

"Fine, then I won't tell you," Sano said stubbornly, rolling onto his side, fingers toying with the blades of grass.

Katsu sat down beside his friend, drawing a knee to his chest, setting his bag down beside him. He looked at Sano, before taking a small breath. "Does this have to do with Mr. Saitou?"

Sano stiffened, but refused to reply.

"Why do you let him get to you? I know that he does. You try harder to get to him than anyone else, even though you always fail." Katsu brushed his hair behind his ears as the wind picked up slightly. 'But he always seems to know just how to set you off,' he thought to himself.

Sano closed his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Katsu smirked. "But at least you admit that there is something to talk about."

Sano scowled. "Shut up."

"What is it, Sano? Did he finally confess his undying love for you?" he joked, laughing freely at his friend, missing the sharp look that flashed through the brown eyes.

"I said, shut up!" Sano said, shooting up, grabbing Katsu by the collar and throwing him to the ground, his fist stopping inches from his friend's shocked face.

"Ah, shit, Katsu," Sano said, releasing him with a shaky hand. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Sano?" Katsu calmed himself, though he was still rather shaken, realizing something was bothering Sano more than he'd imagined.

"It's nothing," Sano said sullenly, turning away.

"Sagara Sanosuke," Katsu said sternly. "Don't you dare start this again. Don't you dare."

Sano cringed. He'd locked Katsu out before, out of his mind, his heart, and his life. He'd sworn never to do it again, finding his friend's strength and relentless friendship an element he couldn't do without. "I'm sorry, Katsu," he mumbled, forcing himself to his feet.

Katsu stood up, brushing himself off. "And don't you dare start feeling all guilty, even if you do deserve to. Just tell me what's bothering you."

Sano ran a hand through his hair, brown eyes looking tiredly at his friend. Dreaming of Taicho's death always left him feeling exhausted and testy, sometimes depressed, oftentimes angry and upset. It didn't help that Katsu happened to be around. He didn't like being all emotional in front of others, no matter how close to him they were.

He felt sick at the memory of the previous afternoon, not knowing how he could bear to tell Katsu the truth. He felt ashamed, disgusted with himself, and angry with Saitou. He was even more furious with himself, however. Sano wasn't one to give in so easily. He had always put up a better fight than he had with Saitou. Then why? Why had he fallen so easily under Saitou's command? That thought had plagued him, drawing up memories of the streets and ultimately the memory of Taicho.

"Why the hell d'you hafta know me so well…" he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Katsu smiled. "Because I'm the one who got stuck with you for a partner."

Sano laughed. "You know you love me."

Katsu scoffed. "You wish."

Sano's smile faded, his brown eyes darkening. Katsu took in Sano's mood, his own teasing gaze sobering quickly.

"Katsu…" Sano said slowly.

Katsu gave him a questioning look, as he turned to face his friend.

He was caught by utter surprise as Sano pressed his lips against his, one hand going to steady him while the other gripped his chin gently, but firmly. He'd been kissed by Sano before, but it'd always been childish kisses out of a deep need for comfort in times when Sano was a little less than stable.

Katsu remembered that horrid day when Taicho had been killed, murdered by the police who promptly covered the incident up by calling the Sekihoutai a group of terrorists. It had been raining that day. Katsu and Sano had been left behind, as they usually were when something big was happening. But that day, something went wrong. The sirens and the gunshots were clear signals, and unable to stand by, not knowing what was happening, the two had gone off in search of their beloved leader.

They were in time to watch him shot, only to be dragged away by surviving members of the bloody battle that had ensued, separated for what would be years to come. During that time, Sano withdrew into himself, leashing out with his fists, striving harder than anything to become stronger, his hatred for the police, for the government, and for authority altogether, growing with him. Katsu's hatred flourished quietly, as he turned his efforts to more lucrative pastimes, while guarding his knowledge of firearms and bombs. It would be years before they met again and many changes had happened to them each, but still they managed to retain the warmth their friendship offered.

Sano pulled back slowly, his eyes hooded and dark. Katsu felt a small flush on his cheeks as his friend released his hold on him.

Sano shoved his hands in his pockets, turning back to the school. "Thanks, Katsu," he said solemnly. "Remind me to pay you back sometime…."

Katsu watched in silence as his friend walked toward a tall, dark-haired man smoking beneath the shade of a tall tree. "Sano?" he asked himself, reaching his fingers to his lips in the vain hope of finding the remains of that fiery warmth, separated by a thin layer of detachment. "Please tell me what's going on." Never before had his friend been so passionate yet so very far away. Physically, it had been very arousing, but Sano's heart had been somewhere else, somewhere beyond Katsu's reach, but hopefully not his help.

"You weren't in class."

The brown-haired boy was silent to the wolf's accusations.

"We'll have to work on that as well."

More silence ensued.

Soft footsteps tread lightly over the grass and a second pair followed soon after.

"I hate you." The boy chose finally to speak.

It was the dark-haired man's turn for silence.

"Why are you doing this?" the boy demanded helplessly.

Strong fingers grasped the boy's chin as demanding lips crushed against his. "Because you need me to," Saitou replied, as he headed for his car.

Sano stood there dumbly, the thought of the possibility of being seen not crossing his mind once.

"We will continue this tomorrow," Saitou said, as he unlocked the door, the remaining two keys on his ring hitting each other with a clinking metallic noise.

"There's no school tomorrow," Sano answered automatically.

Saitou replied by starting the car and driving off.