Of Love and Fame

chapter 2

Angst…

Hakkai: Crys-sama says thanks for the reviews!
Sanzo: Eh? Where is she anyway? (looks around)
Hakkai: Somewhere…(shrug)
Gojyo: I did see her a while ago, she was staring at a small piece of paper and she looked somewhat…forlorn?
Hakkai: Bingo! She was all teary on that piece of paper that contained her class schedule for this semester…apparently, her schedules all gone crazy and she doesn't have any free time so she will have to have less time in finishing this fic…
Gojyo: She has the weekends...
Hakkai: Bingo! She will be using it for internet purposes and that means her internet access card from school will be of no use again...
Gojyo: I tell you, they should just stop giving out those cards…there're lots of internet cafes outside that give their services for a lower price than twenty-one something.
AngelCrys: Yey! Finally! I agree with you guys! (pops out of nowhere)
Hakkai, Sanzo and Gojyo: (jump)
Gojyo: You gave us the creeps…
AngelCrys: Have fun! It's Halloween!
Sanzo, Gojyo and Hakkai: (nod nod nod) Hai, hai…

Disclaimer: I don't own Flame of Recca…for the nth time…argh! This is too much! I should've continued with making this an original…--UUU

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"You will come tonight, ne, Fuu-chan?" Yanagi called in Fuuko's mobile phone since she knew her friend was still working.

"Ee…we will." Fuuko replied. "Kurei-san will be arriving at around six thirty tonight."

"We'll be expecting you." Yanagi said and placed the phone down.

Fuuko stood up from her seat, took her bag and went into the bathroom to check her appearance before going out for lunch with Ganko, Kaoru and Tokiya since the three were all free that afternoon.

The day was supposed to be light for Fuuko knowing that Kurei was finally coming home, but unexpected news came and took away the light from her day and life.

"Fuu-chan…" Akira was the one who bore her the devastating news and he didn't even know how he was going to say it without hurting her. "Kurei-san met an accident on the intersection from the airport."

"But he's just a little shaken, ne? Maybe just a little wounded and some scratches?" Fuuko held onto Akira's arms for support.

"He's in the hospital…" Akira replied grimly. "…in a critical condition. His head took a fatal blow."

"Then let's…I'll go…" Fuuko said in a shaky voice.

"Ee…" Akira placed an arm around her shoulders to steady her as they went down the stairs and onto his car.

"I'm sorry, Kirisawa-san, demo…he didn't…"

The words of the doctor hit Fuuko hard, her fingers fisted around the locket pendant resting on her cleavage. She choked back a sob. "He can't…he can't…" Tears started gushing out of her eyes as if they would never end their pouring. Akira stood up to catch the woman before she fell to the floor. She was breaking down and that was something hard to deal with.

The sounds of rushing footsteps prompted Akira to look towards the direction they came from.

"We came as soon as we knew…" Recca said as understanding came to him slowly when he saw Fuuko's fragile state. "He didn't…'nii-san didn't…" Recca fell back, sitting on the chair behind him and stared aimlessly on the floor.

It took a good thirty minutes until they could speak again. "We'd best take Fuu-chan home." Akira said, his voice was tired and devoid of the energy it once contained.

"No…! No! No! No!" Fuuko was becoming hysterical. She didn't want to leave the hospital, she didn't want to leave him and she didn't want to believe this was happening.

"There's nothing we can do…" Recca said hoarsely. "We couldn't do anything…"

Tokiya stood up to assist Akira and took a hysterical Fuuko from him. "We'll take her home." He said quietly. Knowing full well that Fuuko's body wasn't functioning well with her grieving, Tokiya had to carry her out of the hospital and seat her in the backseat of his car beside Ganko and Kaoru. They left the hospital solemnly and without any word to go back to their homes.

"How is she?" Kaoru asked Ganko when she went out of Fuuko's room. They brought her to her apartment.

"Crying herself to sleep." Ganko replied sadly. "Yanagi-neechan is with her inside."

Recca, Tokiya and Domon hadn't spoken a word since they left the hospital. Recca and Domon were sitting on the sofa, staring at the floor. Tokiya leaned against the wall, staring at space.

They heard the door to the room open and close. "She's finally asleep." Yanagi sat beside her husband and held his hand.

Recca felt for the tiny box on his shirt pocket. The doctor had given it to him before they left the hospital. He had said that it must have been for Fuuko. Recca took it out, opened it and touched the ring. "He…wanted to ask her to marry him." He said quietly, staring blankly at the purple stone.

Ganko fell against Kaoru on the chair and wept silently.

"Sa…I guess we'll have to go." Recca stood up with Yanagi.

Kaoru stared at Ganko. "Maybe Ganko-san and I should stay here with Fuuko-neechan." He said.

"I'll be staying with them as well." Tokiya offered.

"Hai…sankyu." Yanagi thanked the three and handed Tokiya the box. "Just give it to her when she wakes up in the morning." She left with Recca and Domon.

It was going to be a long night.

Fuuko awoke the next morning and felt the coldness and the emptiness of the room without Kurei beside her and began to cry again. There came a knock on the door and she immediately wiped her eyes dry. "Come in." She said.

Tokiya came in, carrying a tray that contained her breakfast. "Ganko-chan made these for you. She and Kaoru-chan are downstairs, having breakfast." Tokiya set the tray down on the foot of the bed. "I should also be joining them…" he had already excused himself and was about to go out when he remembered the ring in his pocket. "Fuu-chan…" He walked towards her and half-kneeled, in his hand was the red, velvet box. "Kurei-san…" He took a deep breath when he heard her sob. "Recca-san asked me to give this to you. It's from Kurei-san."

With a shaky hand, Fuuko reached out and took the box from his palm.

Tokiya knew it was his turn to exit the room but he hesitated.

Fuuko opened the box and stared at the ring and the purple stone perched on top of it. "Kurei…Baka yo! Baka yo!" She threw the box away with the ring in a mixture of anger and grief. It landed on the floor across the bed after it hitting wall. "I told him to be careful. I told him to…" Her voice wavered. She covered herself with pillows and broke into tears.

"Fuu-chan…" Tokiya knew there was nothing else he could do about it and that the wound was still fresh. He stood up and left the room. She should be able to make it by herself. It might take her awhile before she could recover, but she will. She was a strong woman.

Ganko called Akira to tell him Fuuko would not be in the studio. Akira, himself, knew she was still grieving.

It was going to be a long, dark day.

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AngelCrys: Kuso…haven't even finished this stuff…daijoubu!
Hakkai: Ehehe…heh-he…you'll get it finished, don't worry…
AngelCrys: I did receive some comments about it and well…one did love the Fuuko-Kurei pairing…keep the reviews coming!
Hakkai: You have unlimited internet now, right?
AngelCrys: Yeah! Which still means…as much as I'd like to update as fast as I could…I still can't…I have a lot of stuff to study…and with the midterms coming up! How fast time flies…
Hakkai: Heh..heh! See you at the next chapter…!