Yeah! I've already got chapter number two for your viewing pleasure! Imagine me, Shrenee, working so hard to please the masses! It won't happen this way again, I assure you. Anyways. Go ahead and enjoy chapter two! Of course you must remember that I do not own Yami no Matsuei, or the Goldfish song. Just incase you were wondering. Anyway, enjoy!

Oh yes, I've gotten a Review I'm so happy. Thank you Mutaku ever so much. I will make sure to always post one chapter at a time. I believe I'll start by taking down these chapters and reposting. Hopefully that will help. Thank you! (I suppose everyone can tell I'm new at this!)

Enjoy!

Shrenee

Frozen Chances
Chapter Two
Uncle Muraki

Yuki was not human. Muraki came to this conclusion after only twenty minutes of sitting with the kid at a remotely casual restaurant just a few corners away from the St. Jonesberg Hospital (I don't know why I said St. Jonesberg, that doesn't even sound like a Japanese hospital. Just pretend that it's not the hospital Muraki works at he was just there conversing with doctor who actually works there). Twenty more minutes later and Muraki found out that this boy was devil spawn. It hadn't bothered him so much when he was wolfing down his chili and potato concoction as if there were no tomorrow. It also wasn't that bad when some ditzy assed waitress purposefully spilled wine on his jacket and tried to wipe it off for him (ending up smearing it into the fine threaded coat.) and Yuki laughed entirely to hard at the sight. He, however, drew the line when Yuki began blatantly flirting with the waitresses. He did not enjoy getting their phone numbers. According to Yuki, Muraki was his, gorgeous, available, Uncle. He knew he should have been monitoring the boy's conversations more. But good gods! His suit was ruined!!!

To say the least, lunch was a labored affair.

"Muraki-Sensei. I think those girls are still fighting over you. Are you sure you want to leave? They were ever so kind to give you their numbers and everything." Yuki said, smiling guilefully. He was leaning on the table ever so slightly, a hand resting under his chin while also holding his head up. It was the patented cool bad guy pose.

"Why Yuki, I never realized how nice you look in your new outfit. I do believe it suits you perfectly." Muraki shot back, satisfied with the scowl he received.

Yuki immediately began tugging on the maroon sweater covering the cream corn colored oxford top he was wearing. He grimaced before sniffing indignantly. "Gift shop clothes…mehh…" He frowned leaning his head into his hands. "Your bill sir." Came the unfamiliar voice of male waiter. Yuki looked up. "Ahhh, what happened to Mandy?" He asked, referring to their previous waitress Amanda.

"She is off the clock now. Therefore there is no fraternizing with the customers." The waiter said in an arrogant, repulsed tone. He looked Yuki over before continuing. "However, she did say to…and I quote, "Give the cute fluff bunny this,'" He paused to hand him a small box. "'On the house." Wink."

"You're not going to wink for me?" Yuki asked with watery eyes.

"No." The man answered coldly before turning to Muraki. "I'm sorry sir for the inconvenience. Just mail us the bill for your jacket and we will pay it back to you in full."

The waiter said bowing.

"I'd expect nothing less." Muraki answered standing. "Of course sir. Of course, Miss Amanda has asked me to give this to you as well." He handed Muraki a sheet of paper before bowing once more. Muraki refrained from rolling his eyes and turned to Yuki.

"Let's go." He said, finished with the whole Café de la Paris experience.

As they walked through the crowd of people making their way down mainstream Tokyo they were silent for the most part. Yuki of course made the occasional squeal of delight when he found something he liked, or some sound of disapproval for an out fit or five…or some odd hundred. "Muraki-sensei! Let's go to the park!" Yuki squealed grabbing Muraki's hand and guiding him through the people.

They made it to the park quickly as it was only a few blocks away from the restaurant. Yuki had insisted on walking, as he needed to work of the meal he had just eaten. All of a sudden becoming body-conscious. Muraki complied because there was nothing pressing happening today. "I love the park, don't you Sensei-chan?" Yuki asked running ahead to one of the trees far away from the main crowd. "Ne! Muraki-sensei. We can talk here." He said with a brilliant smile, one he actually meant.

"You choose here of all places." Muraki mumbled, although he found himself in an unusually good mood. Still, the fact that there was nothing to sit on was very horrid indeed. "Hai Sensei. See the lake is right below us, a very tranquil setting. But all of the tourists and other such people are over there on the bridge. Here is a nice spot." Yuki beamed, lying down in the grass on his stomach and looking out over the lake. Muraki took up residence in the spot beside him, standing, rather then sitting or lying in the grass. "Sensei, have you ever come here at night, just to look out over the water and watch the sun set into the earth…it makes the water all purple and stuff." Yuki giggled at his own musings.

Muraki watched the boy silently. "Carefree. How lucky he is to have shoulders so free of burden. I wonder how it feels…just to lay there and forget everything else." He smirked. "Stupid thoughts. He is too vulnerable there, even in my company, in which he seems to trust so blindly."

"So, Muraki-san, give me a reason to hate you." Yuki said looking up at the only adult figure left in his life. Muraki looked down at the boy; the only thing betraying his surprise was his eye. Yuki smirked, "My father, he hated you…and I don't know why. So I thought, perhaps you knew why." Muraki nodded at this explanation. He looked up to the sky momentarily as a breeze shifted the grass and tousled his hair. "Why should you hate me." He thought for a second before lolling his head to the side. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You should hate me because I'm going to kill you." He answered truthfully. Yuki studied him for a minute before lying his head down in the grass. "Death will never be the end. In a cycle of being born to die, death is only a beginning." He answered before blowing on a dandelion that kept tickling his nose. Muraki snorted at that and they both smirked at each other. Silence reigned supreme, at least between them. The water, the wind and even the trees had a different idea though. The mid-winter sun shimmered in the sky as a chilly breeze whistled by continuing on its merry way without even stopping to play in their hair. A birds cry echoed through the empty clearing and neither of them paid much attention to the beauty that was the daytime world.

"When exactly did I decide to become so comfortable around him?" Muraki asked himself forlornly. "It's odd…being this close. Perhaps this will help me to understand him better. Perhaps this will help in the end." He thought on that for awhile, deciding that closeness wasn't so bad, as long as he remembered where this relationship was headed. However, on the other end of the spectrum, Yuki was saving his deep thoughts for later. "Uhg…I'm so sleepy." To his chagrin, an important thought hit him. He spoke even as his eyes began to droop. "Muraki-chan…where did you meet my father?"

Muraki looked down at the boy wondering just how much he wanted to reveal. "I believe it was fifteen years ago, when your mother was just about as old as you are, and with child." He answered editing his information. There were just somethings one should not tell in the beginning. "Oh." Was the ever so brilliant answer.

"Tell me something, Yuki."

"Hai Sensei?"

" Are you ever going to call me one name?"

"…No."

Muraki shrugged with an out of place smile gracing his long dead and newly revived features. "At least he's honest." He thought lazily.

"One more thing, do you happen to remember your mother?"

"Mmmm, yeah…eh…uh….black hair, blue eyes…something like that." Yuki frowned, his eyebrows furrowing, as he thought further. "I want to remember more but she died when I was seven. Then there was that…something…and everything's fuzzy."

"I see." Muraki closed his eyes.

"Sensei." Yuki called opening one eye. "Since you were the soul beneficiary of my father, and you are the only one I have left, would you mind…would you mind if I took your last name?" he turned to watch Muraki as he made his decision.

Muraki seemed to consider this for a moment. "Yes." He answered his disapproval icily. Yuki turned back to the water "Old fart." He murmured angrily. This time Muraki couldn't resist as he huffed a mocking sigh, parodying Yuki's earlier movements. "If this is what family life is supposed to be like then, I'd rather not have it at all." He said seriously.

Even though he saw the attack coming he went against all ingrained reactions and stood there, letting Yuki pummel him into the water. Of course the boy was also taken down with him, but that was a small consolation for a split second change in his programmed demeanor. As both sat, soggy and wet. Waist deep in water; Yuki laughed sitting up. "Jerk! You made us fall!" he accused. Sitting there watching the laughing devil spawn Muraki merely raised an eyebrow. A thought seemed to come to him out of nowhere.

" He hated me, after all I did for him? Ungrateful bastard. Now at least his death won't weigh on me." He smirked before standing and exiting the cold refreshing waters.

"Let's go, Yuki." Muraki ordered, unhappily wet.

"Hai, hai." Yuki said, waving off his annoyance. "Have you ever thought about asking people something? It works just as well." Muraki turned to look at Yuki. With a sadistic smile he asked, "Would you like to get your¾ "

"Hai, Sensei, I see where you're going with this." Yuki grumbled joining Muraki as they walked back towards the main road.

"You know, Muraki, if you didn't wear white you wouldn't get dirty so easily." Yuki suggested. Muraki turned and glared at him. "Urusai." He commanded and Yuki just smiled whistling and taking a few steps away from the scary looking man.

•••••••••

"Why do you find your way when you are lost beyond reason? If you find the way can you go that way or is there only one way to go? There's always a road not taken…but if we were able to take that road, would it be better. It's best to keep down the road that you're going…"

"Eck…ek…ek…this damn book doesn't make any sense!" Yuki whined, preparing to throw said book into the fireplace. "Get the gone demon book!" He yelled throwing the book. Unfortunately it didn't reach the fireplace. Muraki caught it before it went into the fire. "Don't throw my books just because you're not smart enough to comprehend, Yuki."

Yuki frowned ignoring the insult, "Let's play a game, ne Uncle? A card game." Muraki turned in his chair in front of the fireplace and regarded Yuki with a skeptical look. "You do realize that you're going to lose again?"

"Maybe." Yuki smiled producing a deck from nowhere. Muraki adjusted his glasses, holding out his hand for the deck. Yuki cheered before jumping up from his seat at the dining room table. Running into the living room he took a place on the floor at Muraki's feet eagerly awaiting his hand while the cards were shuffled. "He reminds me of a dog…I suppose this is turning out better then expected." Muraki thought wryly while dealing the cards.

…and then...

Yuki sniffed sadly as Muraki once again placed down his winning set. He drew his own cards brightening when he pulled out the one he needed. "Ne Sensei, I was thinking, since we're in Kyoto today, can we go down and see a few friends of mine?" he asked. "That depends." Muraki drawled, picking up his own cigarette as Yuki examined his cards. "On what, Sensei-chan?" Muraki frowned pushing his glasses up over the bridge of his nose. "You do realize that is not the correct usage of the honorific -chan."

"Eh…shure…yeah, what you said." Yuki agreed, scratching his head as he examined his cards further. "Now, what does it depend on?"

"The person you're speaking to. Seeing as I'm older then you, and also not female¾ "

"Muraki-chan! I was speaking on my visit. What does that depend on?" Yuki asked rolling his eyes. "Who knew crazy old guys had a sense of humor?" He mumbled under his breath. "And if I'm not mistaken you should be taking off your pants." He snickered placing down his hand. Muraki glared at him as if there was no greater annoyance in the world. "Perhaps, but I'm taking off my tie instead. Your poor skills haven't earned the right to tell me what to do." He scoffed while loosening his tie. Yuki frowned. "Fine, mean old fart." He grumbled.

"Where exactly?" Muraki asked examining his hand.

"You know, the Ko Kaku Rou. A friend of mine invited me for lunch." Yuki answered waiting boredly. Muraki looked up suddenly, eyes narrowing studiously. Yuki smiled slyly before leaning over the table, "Have you been there before?" He asked reaching for the ashtray currently holding two lit cigarettes, one considerately smaller then the other.

Muraki's eyebrow raised apathetically.

Yuki sat back down with his barely smoked cigarette intact. "Then perhaps you're not gay…like I thought." He shrugged. "Perhaps you're Bi." He stated off-handedly, wondering if he was at least close with his previous assumption. Muraki adjusted his glasses. "What exactly brought you to this conclusion?" He asked not really caring for the answer. "Well, Muraki-chan, hmm…Muki-chan…yeah that's better. Anyways, straight

guys usually like me when we first meet. They think I'm a girl." He told resting his head in his upturned palm. "You didn't like me at all, so I assumed…then there's this new development. Visits to the Ko Kaku Rou?" He chuckled. Muraki glared at him and he returned to his cards.

"I don't think I'm surprised." He said, still running over the thought of meeting Oriya again. Yuki snorted at the comment. "Today, old man." Yuki rubbed his head impatiently while waiting for an answer.

"Do you got any sixes?" came the expertly placed diversion to the question.

"Go fish." A smug answer.

"Hm." No more then a careless reply.

•••••••••

Muraki wasn't one prone to pacing, nor was he one for fidgeting nervously. However, he also wasn't one who slept easily either, especially with unexplainable problems on his hands. Therefore tonight he was seriously considering pacing. A repetitive action that could quite possibly ease his mind and give him enough peace to at least sleep before tomorrow's morning outing.

It wasn't so much that he was nervous, or anxious. Not about the morning at least. He had long since planned tomorrow and was more then confident that he'd get the desired reaction. The morning was the least of his problems. It wasn't so much the afternoon either. Since Yuki had planned to visit his friend at the Ko Kaku Rou, he would of course accompany him until he was able to go visit his own old friend. The meeting, perhaps, would be strained at the least. But nothing much to worry about. Oriya, for all of his faults, was not going to deny himself and dismiss Muraki from his life (or anything big like that.) However beneficial to his health and sane state of mind it was.

What was bothering him was the odd lack of magic that he was experiencing. At the most unseemly of times, it would appear. The worst part about such an inconvenience was that he hadn't seen it coming until it was upon him. How bothersome.

Muraki ceased his pacing, which he had decided to take up in the end, and turned towards the couch. He had been slightly worried (such a word is used lightly) when the occupant on the couch ended his incessant snoring. However he found that the following thud on the floor ended the eased any ill-brooding thoughts that may have come to mind. As he turned towards the couch he saw a teenage owl looking creature blinking wide-eyed while being trapped inside his borrowed covers. The teen watched him for a few more seconds before recognition registered in his eyes. "Oi, Muki-chan, are you an insomniac?" He asked obviously still half asleep.

He had the urge to chuckle while shaking his head, though instead he just smirked. " Good night, Miyuki." He stated before walking out of the living room. Yuki blinked a few more times before shrugging and trying to get back on the couch. After a few minutes of twisting and turning while trying to get up he realized that he wasn't coherent enough to get out of his bindings. Giving up he grabbed his pillow with his teeth and threw it on the floor before settling down like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

••••••••

There was a pleasant yawn followed by the equally pleasant feeling of bones popping into place after a night of stiff and uncomfortable sleep. Muraki watched quietly, with a slightly amused expression as Yuki walked into the kitchen with an unfamiliar scowl stealing the place of his usual sickeningly genki smile. It wasn't until the boy had had at least two cups of black coffee and one with cream that he became vaguely

amiable. And even then not much could be said about his mood.

"Is this the after affects of a late night party or are you too used to waking up with a hangover?" Muraki asked placing down his own half-empty mug of coffee. "Piss off old man." Yuki bubbled into his cup before taking a seat at the table.

"I believe that I will have to take a rain-check on tonight's activities as it were I have a job to do."

"Demo! Sensei, I already told them I was coming…Oh yeah, and my friend said you were an ass, however she told me not to tell you. Wanna tell me that story?" Yuki smiled mischievously, the affect was lost in the cup though. Muraki raised an eyebrow fighting to keep a smirk of his face. "Now I am curious as to who you've befriended." He said, neither his voice nor his face giving away the reason.

"Oh no, I know that look. Forget it compadre! Knowing you, you'd probably try to kill her or something." He joked cheekily.

"So now we know it's a girl." Muraki mused with a smile. Yuki rolled his eyes. "Be serious, Muraki-chan."

"Forgive me, Yuki, but I find myself being incapable of doing anything but." Muraki answered with a slight shrug.

"Alright Muraki. You're of the hook today. But I expect a full report on what happened and your punctual attendance no latter then lunchtime tomorrow." Yuki said as if he were a general. This affect was also lost with the lazy position he was sitting in, with his feet reclining on the table and his mug not far from his mouth.

"Sure." Was Muraki's answer as he totally dismissed all of what Yuki had proclaimed. "I'll be leaving now." He informed turning to leave the kitchen. "Hai, Hai, Sensei." Yuki waved unconcernedly.

"Muraki-san," He asked quickly, jumping up to catch the doctor before he left the house. "Yes Yuki," Muraki asked patiently, while placing on his coat. "Why are you working today? Aren't you on vacation here in Kyoto?" Yuki asked with small suspicions. Muraki didn't seem nonplused by this question. "Such is life, in my profession." He answered easily.

Yuki frowned before sighing boredly. "Alright, go have fun." He pouted as he walked back into the kitchen. He heard the door shut and his frown grew. "I just wonder which profession he was speaking of." He mused before his stomach growled. "Eh? I guess I'm hungry." He said moving to the cabinets. As he opened one he found exactly what he was looking for. "Yay! I love the fishes cause they're so delicious! Gotta have Goldfish!" He sang opening the bag and fishing out a handful. (No pun intended. AN: Hell, who am I kidding? snickers)

T.B.C.

Yay, So that's the second chapter! Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think! Review please! Thanks lots!

Shrenee