Van walked down the main street and kept thinking about that woman who had clumsily ran into him. Her hair was short, barely touching her neck and very much a beautiful shade of honey. Her green eyes were gentle and the sight of her made him smile. She was beautiful, in an odd way, and she had even had the courage to ask him his name.

He wanted to see her again because he could still feel her gentle hands on his chest and her warm body in his hands.

Van put his head in his hand and took a swig of his beer as Gaddes walked up to him and ordered the same thing.

"What's up, bro?" Gaddes asked in his casual voice, though he was anything but casual. He only trusted his brother, Allen.

"Nothing." Van said with a depressed sigh.

Gaddes rolled his eyes. "It's a broad, ain't it?" Van's head shot up.

"NO!" he hissed and that only made Gaddes laugh. Gaddes rolled his brown eyes and he shook his head making his short brown hair move a little.

"So how's Merle?" he asked in an even more casual tone.

"She's ok. She's gonna come up and stay with me in a couple months. To think she's still in school. She's staying for her Doctorate and she's being real cool that she has to stay in college for another 7 years." He snorted a laugh and took another swig of beer. Once the bottle was empty, he jumped from his stool, his black hair shifting with the movement, and he patted Gaddes on the shoulder. Gaddes raised his mug in approval and shouted, "Tell Allen I'll be home late. Real late." Just before Van left.

Van nodded and escaped back into the rain. The cool water calmed his throbbing head and he was able to think. He flipped on his black leather jacket, flipped up the collar, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He took his sweet time as people scurried past him, trying to find shelter, and just thought about what tasks lay ahead.

Since a name didn't do one much good in New York, Van knew there was no possible way that that girl could contact him. He let out another depressed sigh and his warm breath chilled his already cold lips, forcing him to lick the water off them. He stopped and looked up at the sky.

Even though it was raining, the sky had cleared a bit and the moon and some stars were visible. Van smiled slightly at the beautiful sight and grinned his entire way back.

Hitomi awoke to the light of the full moon against her face. She looked out her window and a sigh of amazement escaped her lips when she saw the moon and some stars that had managed to part the cloudy sky even through the rain. A gentle smile spread on her lips and her eyes gentled. Her "moment" was ruined by the screeching of bedsprings in Yukari and Amano's room.

Hitomi rolled her eyes and looked at her alarm clock by her bedside. The red numbers read 2:45 in the endless dark. She exhaled, annoyed, and rolled out of bed. She stumbled over the clothes on the floor and made her way to her desk. She shoved some objects aside and grabbed what looked like the outline of jeans and a tank top. She slid the thin clothes on and made her way to the kitchen.

There was silence in the apartment and she could her the soft breathing of Yukari and Amano's breath.

She made it through the doors that led to the kitchen and she pulled out a crystal glass and opened up the teal door and pulled out the carton of orange juice and ice. She dropped some ice into the glass and poured it halfway full of the liquid. She put everything away and walked to the balcony. She smelt something like a mix of beer, stomach acid, and cigarette smoke next to her and she looked at her neighbors balcony.

There, an oh so familiar man lay face down, his back moving barely and his black hair swamped in vomit. Hitomi gasped and dropped her glass where it shattered to pieces. She heard the man groan and she called out, "Are you all right?"

Al the man did was groan, prop himself on his elbows, and vomit again. Hitomi drew back a bit, cutting her foot on a shard of glass. She drew in a sharp gasp of pain, but her mind was locked on the man across her balcony. With a bloody foot, she made her way across her own balcony, on top of the rail, and somehow jumped the three feet to his balcony, landing on her feet next to him.

With her good foot, Hitomi nudged him. HE didn't make a sound, and Hitomi realized his back wasn't moving up and down. Even the slightest. In a bit of panic Hitomi got down and rolled him onto his back. His brown eyes were rolled back and his pale skin was even paler. Hitomi's eyes widened.

Doing what she had been taught by her friend Millerna, Hitomi tilted back his chin, opened his mouth and closed her eyes. She drew in a breath and placed her lips over his, blowing in air. She did it three times and put her ear to his chest. No heartbeat.

She put her hands in a crossed form over one another and pushed forcefully on his chest 5 times. She put her ear to his chest again. Still no heartbeat. She tilted his head back and blew air into his mouth again. She did it more forcefully this time and in response, his eyes shot open and he reeled over, coughing. Hitomi sat back, a small smile on her face and a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.

He looked at her through dilated eyes and a small smile left his crusted lips. His expression read thanks and Hitomi smiled wider. "I didn't know that kinda thing worked." She whispered and tucked back a piece of hair that dangled in front of her eyes. Van immediately became aware of the fact that he wasn't in the cleanliest position. He winced, "Sorry you had to see me like that." And he rose to his feet. His knee's buckled slightly under their new task and he ended up supporting himself against the black railing. He winced in embarrassment.

"I probably should get going." She whispered and started to climb onto the bar again, but before she could raise her foot, Van noticed she was bleeding rather badly. "Wait," he called to her. She put her foot down slowly.

"Yeah?" she asked rather meekly.

"I never caught your name." he asked sheepishly.

She smiled and looked down. "Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki." She replied.

"Hitomi, that's pretty." He smiled and Hitomi blushed and looked at the floor where she grimaced slightly. Van looked down and winced at what she was looking at that had emerged from his stomach. He looked up at her, a little weary, and asked, "You wanna come in?" Hitomi grinned. "Sure."

R&R please