Tempus Fugit …

XO'MagickMoon'OX

A/N: As we all know, Legal Drug takes place in Japan, and therefore our favorite, loveable characters are Japanese (no duh). So, as I throw Kazahaya and Rikuo into America, it's only natural that they do not understand or speak English. For anyone who may get confused with the whole language thing, let me remind you that I am not Japanese, and I do not know how to write, read, or speak the language, and therefore whatever Kazahaya and Rikuo say in my story will be written in English, though my readers will have to imagine that they are really speaking Japanese. All right? All right. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Welcome to America

We step off the plane and pull our bags behind us, looking for Kakei's friends. We see a sign with our names on it and wave. The middle-aged couple holding the sign waves back and comes up to greet us.

"Himura-kun? Kudo-kun?" the woman asks. She has a warm, friendly face, lined with age, her hair streaked with random strands of gray.

"Yes." Kazahaya smiles. "You are Mr. and Mrs. Yamamoto?" he asks politely. The two nod.

"Well, let me help you with your bags," Mr. Yamamoto offers. He's broad-shouldered, tall, and lean, with a lined face like his wife.

"It's okay," I assure. "I've got them. Thank you."

The man nods. "Very well."

Later as we sit down to dinner, the couple tells us about the old, abandoned house we're to visit to look for the necklace.

"Yes, it's a very old house. It's locked up tight, but Kakei told us this will be no problem for you two," Mr. Yamamoto tells us. Kazahaya passes me a knowing glance, and I nod. "Very well. It belonged to a wealthy couple in the mid-1700's, I'm sure Kakei already told you. The couple … they weren't married, as far as I know. I do believe they were engaged, until the man went to sea – he was, after all, a sailor – and never came back. His beloved was heartbroken. She would stand out on the widow's walk day after day, waiting for him to return. But he never did, and she passed away, some say, from her broken heart."

"How sad," Kazahaya murmurs thoughtfully.

"Yes," Mrs. Yamamoto agrees, taking a bite of her salad. "Well, on a lighter note, you two can spend time down at the beach when you like. It is very hot, and the water is lovely. We might be out now and then, but if you need us, we will not be far. You simply need call us if we're out."

Kazahaya beams. So do I … well, inwardly, anyway. Time down in the cool ocean is just what we need …

And the thought of Kazahaya in a bathing suit, soaking wet …

I shudder involuntarily, earning me three inquiring glances. Damn that Kazahaya. How can he have such an effect on me?

---

The next morning, I wake to find myself in the guest room, Kazahaya in a different bed across from me … sleeping peacefully. Japan or America … he's still the same old Kazahaya. But this morning, I'm not in the mood to give him a rude awakening. So I let him sleep, and slip out of bed, making my way towards the kitchen. To my surprise, breakfast is already on the table, along with a note.

I pick it up. It reads:

Boys,

We went out for our morning run. Later we have to work, but if you need us, we're just a phone call away! There's money on the table in case you two want to go out and do something other than work on Kakei's job. We suggest you go down to the beach … it's simply too hot to do much else! Have fun.

I put the note back on the table and gather my breakfast on a plate. I sit down, and suddenly feel the absence of my newspaper. Damn. I can't read English … guess I'm gonna have to go without it for the rest of our trip. Oh well.

That's when I hear Kazahaya coming down the hall, his lethargic footsteps shuffling across the floorboards. He rubs his eyes as he steps into the kitchen, stumbling over the rug.

"Gah!" He catches himself – barely – as he clings to the counter.

I return to my breakfast. "Idiot."

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK!" he roars unusually loudly.

I jump up. "Why do you have to be so loud!" I hiss.

" … " Kazahaya blinks. "I don't know. I guess I'm just used to yelling at you so much in the morning …" His gaze looks thoughtful for a moment as he realizes something. "Y-You didn't wake me up," he says. "So I'm just habitually yelling at you over … nothing, really." He looks at me, and I sit back down to my breakfast. "Why didn't you wake me up this morning?" he wonders.

"I didn't feel like it," I reply tersely.

"That's … very unlike you," Kazahaya murmurs.

"Yeah, so? Is it so above me to not want to ruin your morning?" I snap.

Kazahaya huffs. "Well … thanks … for not being ... so obnoxious," he musters awkwardly.

I nod as I take another bite. "Well, sit down and eat. I guess we'll go to the beach today."

"Shouldn't we start Kakei's job?" Kazahaya asks as he gets his food and sits down across from me.

"We have … another few days. I say we enjoy our time before we throw ourselves into certain danger."

Kazahaya watches me curiously. "'Certain danger'?"

"Haven't you noticed that you always seem to be in some sort of trouble on every job he gives us? Something weird always happens," I smirk, "and I always end up having to save your sorry ass."

Kazahaya's face turns an adorable shade of red. "Bastard," he growls.

"Heh." I finish my food and rinse my plate before going to put my bathing suit on.

---

"Rikuo! Look at the ocean!" Kazahaya cries excitedly, breathing in the salty air. The seagulls cawing around us, the people laughing, the grainy sand beneath our feet, the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore … it all seems to delight him.

I roll my eyes. "You'd think you'd never been to the beach before."

"Well, I haven't … not since I was younger." His gaze becomes distant. Then his expression brightens. "Come on! Let's get in the water … it's sooo hot out here!"

We set our stuff down in the sand – our towels and chairs and such – before he pulls off his shirt and sandals. I'm careful not to let my gaze linger on his half-naked form for too long … it will only make my yearning grow, which is really the last thing I want. I, too, pull off my shirt (a very rare occurrence, really) and my shoes.

I look up to see Kazahaya staring at me. I feel my face grow hot as I avert my eyes. "What?" I snap.

"Y-You're tattoos … I never knew you had tattoos."

I glance over my shoulder and down at my arm. Oh, right … my tattoos … the black, tribal designs snaking down my right arm and across my back. I look to the sky and begin to form some sort of retort (just because it seems one would fit into this situation) when I feel someone's fingertips gently tracing the markings on my skin.

I turn to see Kazahaya, mesmerized, running across my bare flesh with his fingers, following the bends and curves of my tattoos. I shudder, a pleasant shock shooting through my body. "K-Kazahaya," I growl through clenched teeth.

His gaze focuses, his head snapping up to meet my flashing green eyes. He pulls his hand away, muttering a quick "Sorry." Then he smiles. "Let's get in the water."

I nod. I still have icy chills prickling on my skin from where his fingertips were as we head towards the turbulent waves of the ocean. That's when I hear a chorus of nervous giggles from somewhere behind us, even above the crashing of the waves. I turn to see a group of young teenage girls wearing bikinis and colorful sarongs staring at us, soft blushes tinting their cheeks. A couple wave and smile, calling out something that I can't understand. I look back at Kazahaya, who, it seems, has also noticed the girls. He smiles pleasantly and waves back.

Idiot.

Now they're waving to us to come over to them. I sigh as Kazahaya and I grudgingly trudge back up through the sand. What are we supposed to do? We can't understand them or speak to them. Where's that couple when we need them to translate? Not that I really want to talk to these gawking, giddy teenage vixens. Kazahaya looks nervous as we near them.

A blonde-haired girl wearing a blue bikini and black sarong says something that seems like a greeting.

"Hello," I say, and she seems a little surprised that I didn't respond in English.

She says something else, and I tell her, "I'm sorry. We can't understand you."

The girls trade bemused looks before smiling at us and shrugging, muttering something that sounds like an apology. We nod and walk back towards the ocean, this time determined to get into the water. It's just too damn hot.

We step into the ocean, the cool water lapping over our feet. It feels so good; I suddenly feel the desperate urge to dunk my whole body in the refreshing ocean water, however salty it may be.

Kazahaya says, "Well, they seemed friendly."

I scowl. "Hmph."

He stumbles for a minute against the tide before regaining his balance and saying, "Why are you so antisocial! You know it wouldn't hurt to smile! Can't you just admit that you're having a good time and that those girls – GAH!"

A wave crashes over his head, pulling him beneath the murky, bitter depths of the ocean. Concern flickers through my eyes. My heart seems to have stopped beating, my breath caught in my throat. Where is he?

Then he resurfaces, flustered and sputtering, rubbing the stinging water from his eyes. He spits a mouthful of the salty stuff from his mouth, wiping at his nose. His hair is drenched and glistening, plastered to his face and neck. He looks at me, his eyelashes wet and making his beautiful, gray-green eyes stand out even more than they usually do.

I "hmph" and look away. I can just imagine the angry blush rising in his cheeks.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" He marches through the swirling water past me, muttering, "Who needs you! I can have fun on my own."

Once he's out of earshot, I murmur, "I'm glad you're okay. Be careful, you idiot. The ocean isn't very kindly."

Then I duck down beneath the waves, raking my fingers through my hair. For once, Kakei may have done something right, sending us to a place where we could go swimming amidst this sweltering season. I resurface, my hair clinging to my skin. The water just feels so good.

Time passes slowly, seconds turning into minutes, minutes multiplying into thirty … and solitude begins to sink in. Around me there's just the incoherent English babble, the annoying cawing of the gulls, and the constant thrashing of the ocean waves. It's strangely peaceful, even amidst all the noise, and strangely … lonely.

That's when I feel this uneasiness in the pit of my stomach.

I look around. Where is Kazahaya? That idiot better not have gotten himself into trouble …

I see a hand fling up from the water … followed by a head of light brown hair. Kazahaya. My heart pounding, I hurry towards him as he disappears again beneath the surface. I dive into the water without a moment's hesitation and feel his arm brush against my hand. I grab onto it and pull him away from the unyielding grasp of the ocean, drawing painful gaps of air into my lungs as we surface.

"Kazahaya!" I yell in his ear. His eyes flicker open and he stares at me. That's when he realizes that I have him held protectively against my body, my arms wrapped around him.

"Wha –! What are you doing!" he gasps. I roll my eyes.

"I just saved your pathetic life again," I growl, releasing him.

"I … I was not drown – GAH!" he ducks under the water as a wave crashes over his head.

As he comes up again, sputtering and spitting, I say, "Then the next time you're 'not drowning' I won't save you." I turn to head back into shore, no longer in the mood for swimming.

"Fine by me!" he shouts at my retreating back.

I wince. Though I know it was just a stupid retort, it stung. Does he really not want me to save his life? Do you really hate me that much? I find myself thinking for the second time in the past few days.

I trudge across the sand, the soft, white grains clinging to my wet feet and legs as I kick them up in my path. I grab my towel and dry my hair, then my face and neck, trailing the soft cotton down my chest and abdomen, then my waist and legs before slinging it over my shoulder. I grab my shirt and sandals and fold up my unused chair, leaving Kazahaya's stuff in the sand, and head back towards the house.

I hear him clamber back onto shore, his footsteps shifting through the sand towards his belongings. He simply grabs his stuff and follows after me, not bothering to dry off.

He comes up to stand next to me as we walk across the boardwalk. He looks up at me, silently pleading with me to return his gaze, but I just keep staring straight ahead. I can imagine the pathetic, helpless look in his eyes, the look that makes my hardened heart melt, that makes me want to reach out and hold him close to me, to protect him from every danger and evil there is that plagues this stupid world and the people in it.

Once he sees that I'm not up to the idea of paying him any sort of attention, he speaks. "Rikuo, I'm sorry," he whispers.

This remark catches me slightly off-guard. Kazahaya … sorry? I chance a glimpse at his face, seeing his downcast expression, the sincere apology in his eyes.

"I really should have … thanked you for saving me back there."

I snort. Yeah, you really should have. He has no idea how worried I was, and how relieved I was once he was okay again.

"It's just," he continues, "I hate feeling like I depend so much on you, feeling like you're the only reason I'm still standing here. Although, the cruel truth of it is, is that it is because of you that I'm still here. You were the only one to help me out of the cold that day, the only one to care. And then you continue to save my life time and time again. I just feel so inferior and pathetic, and I feel like I'm a burden to you, so I guess I get defensive and flustered sometimes."

I sigh. Why are you making it so hard for me to remain angry and hurt? I feel my indifferent mask slipping as your words draw it away from my face. I mutter, "I don't mind saving you all the time." No more. I won't say anymore. I won't get all emotional and sentimental like you are. That's just not the way I am.

Usually.

We reach the house. I use the key we were given to unlock the door and step inside. Kazahaya closes and locks it behind him. I look at the clock. It's only quarter to twelve. Why is this day going by so slowly?

"I'm taking a shower," I mutter.

We spend the rest of the day inside, feeling we can put off Kakei's job until tomorrow. How's that saying go? "Why do today what you can put of until tomorrow"? Something like that.