Disclaimer: Since this fic contains the wonderfulness of Takouji...then obviously I don't own Digimon...sigh

Author's Notes: Okay...I know for some of you it's felt like forever since I've updated-and I'm REALLY sorry about that! I've had a LOT happen to me (and my family as well) lately, and my life has just been chaotic...so I wasn't able to update this like I had originally planned. However, now that my personal life has settled down, I've got some extra time to write! And as I've already had this chapter written up, I was able to finally spell check and grammar check it, and am now updating for your reading pleasure! And might I add that THIS chapter is probably the chapter that many of you have been waiting for? I only hope that it's up to everyone's expectations...watches as authoress gulps and glances around nervously...please don't hurt me for what happens in this chapter...I promise I'll make it up to all you Takouji lovers in the next couple of chapters...(Oh, and I also might add that there's some Koichi/Kouji brotherly love in this chapter-not a LOT, just a little...you'll see what I mean in the first couple of pages)

Rating: PG13

Warning: if you don't like slash/yaoi (or the thought of male/male pairings) then I suggest that you leave now or forever hold your peace! You've been for warned. :P

Pairings: Takuya/Kouji, Izumi/Koichi

Time Setting: five years after Eternity, the first story to this two-part story arc

Forevermore
Author: Angel Spirit

Chapter VI: You're my new what...?!?

It was one of those days where Kouji Minomoto had wished that he had never gotten out of bed.

Finals were finally finished and done with-much to his, and everyone else's relief, and now they had a week off before starting the next quarter. Not a bad treat considering all the studying that he'd been doing. But today he'd woken up with a cold...which meant, that he was probably going to spend the beginning part of their small break getting over the cold.

Not like it was a horrible cold though-at least, he wasn't going to allow him to stop from doing some of the things that he had planned on doing this week.

Like going home and visiting his parents. He'd packed his stuff the other night, and now all he was doing was waiting for Koichi to hurry up and finish so they could leave.

If it was one good thing about this week, it was that he could spend some brotherly time with his twin...as lately it seemed like Koichi had been spending more time with Izumi then himself. Not like he didn't mind the fact that his twin had a steady girlfriend like Izumi, it just felt like since he had gotten angry at Koichi when he'd mentioned Takuya-that Koichi had been a little more then distant with him.

And Kouji hoped to change that when they went home this week to visit their parents. From what he knew, Izumi was staying at the University, as her own parents had gone back to Italy. One of the key reasons why Izumi had worked so hard to get them all dorm rooms for this quarter at school-so she wouldn't have to worry about finding an apartment to stay with, or leaving with her parents-if it had come down to that. But she'd gotten lucky, and managed to figure it all out on her own. To Kouji, Izumi had always sort of seemed to be that independent type of person.

He had just walked out of his own dorm room, making sure he had some Kleenex with him as his nose was feeling all stuffed up, when he glanced over and saw Rei walking out of hers.

"So are you still going home Rei?" He asked her as he waved at her and she waved back and gave him a nod.

"Yeah, I'm bumming a ride off of Taichi and Yamato who're also going back to Odaiba for the week. I...I extended the offer for Katsume to come with me so she wouldn't have to stay here, but she said something about having to work overtime this week since there weren't any classes." Rei shrugged, and Kouji gave her a small grin as she caught up with him and walked with him part of the way.

"I take it you and Koichi are also still going home?" Kouji nodded.

"Yeah, we are. I'm hoping that maybe we can spend some time together, just the two of us...we haven't done very much of that lately." Rei nodded as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black zip up the front hooded sweatshirt.

"Anyway, I'd better get going, Yamato said that he and Taichi were planning on leaving around ten, and it's a quarter till'...they've already got my stuff, so...I'll see you after the break, okay Kouji? Don't get into any trouble." Kouji smirked and extended his arms out.

"Me? Trouble? That seems to be my middle name lately." He chuckled, and Rei smiled.

"Mine to. I'll see you next week Kouji." She waved at him as she headed down the stairs and Kouji waved back as he watched her leave. Was it just Kouji's imagination, or did Rei not seem that happy to be going home? Either way, he knew that she'd at least have Yamato and Taichi close by in case something happened.

And speaking of happening...he knew that he'd promised his stepmother and his father that he and Koichi would meet up with them for lunch that day-even though it was Friday morning, his parents were planning on taking the afternoon off to hang out with the two of them. And then Saturday night, he and Koichi were going over to their mother's for the rest of the weekend and then splitting up the remaining time between their families.

It would be a long haul at parts, but Kouji was still a little happy to be able to sleep in a better bed then the one in his dorm room. He had only told Koichi that it wasn't that hard of a mattress because it really wasn't, if only to just rile him up because he himself had spent the night once on Koichi's bed in the dorm room he shared with Alec, and it was as hard as a rock.

Reaching Koichi's dorm just down the hall, Kouji didn't even have to knock as Alec opened it a second later and grinned at him as he nodded to where Koichi was still tossing a few things into his bag.

"Your brother is as bad as a girl when it comes to packing Kouji, I swear." The blonde gave a shake of his head as Kouji grinned at him and shrugged.

"I've known that for awhile now...come on Koichi we should get going before we're late meeting dad and my stepmother for lunch." Koichi's eyes opened wide and he smacked his hand against his forehead.

"I completely forgot we were doing that today! No wonder why you're already ready to go! Kouji, why didn't you remind me last night?" Kouji snickered and from the corner of his eye, he saw Alec grin wildly-for some reason, it amused Alec to no end when Koichi got frenzied as he was now.

"Because I thought you remembered. Come on, we really need to get going, Shibuya's at least a three hour drive from here." Koichi, mumbling as he grabbed his duffel bag after quickly zipping it up, pushed past Kouji as Alec started to laugh.

"Why is it that they call it Shibuya University when it's not even in Shibuya?" Kouji's twin asked, as Kouji cracked a smile as Koichi tossed him the keys to the jeep and he caught them in one smooth motion.

"Because it's on the very outskirts of the city my dear brother, you should know that-you got a better grade in Japanese history then I did, remember?" Koichi snorted as he waved goodbye to his roommate, as Alec was left behind, still wiping the tears from his eyes from all the laughter he'd been doing.

"How'd Izumi react to you going back home for a week without her?" Kouji asked, blowing his nose a few seconds later as Koichi winced at the noise.

"She's okay with it. She knows that it has to happen at times-are you sure you're up to driving?" He asked, as Kouji nodded.

"For a little bit of the ways anyway-at the hour mark I'll let you finish off...I can't believe I'm sick...no one else is." Koichi chuckled and put a hand on his twin's shoulder.

"Dude, that's because you got so stressed out over the past couple of weeks, I'm surprised that this didn't come sooner." Kouji only sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, right...you try forgetting a whole afternoon and night and see where that gets you afterwards...I don't even want to talk about it." He added sharply as Koichi opened his mouth to say something, but shut it almost immediately after Kouji practically snapped at him.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the car, save for the Linkin Park music playing on low sound in the background. Kouji frowned, and Koichi shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

They were like that until they finally got to the rest stop, where, as Kouji promised he switched places with his twin and sighed as he laid his head against the window of the passenger seat. He suddenly felt more miserable then he did that morning when he woke up.

Koichi, noticing his twin suddenly get a bit paler then usual and looking quite exhausted, only smiled a little.

"Get some sleep Kouji...we've got another couple of hours before we get home and you look like you need it." Kouji only nodded tiredly, as he allowed his eyes to slowly close shut...

"You know you still love me."

"I don't love you Takuya...how many times do I have to tell you this?" Across from him, he saw the dark haired brunette cross his arms over his chest.

"You don't or you can't?" Takuya asked, and Kouji inhaled a sharp breath, feeling dizzy. He was surrounded by darkness, the only person standing in front of him being Takuya and even Takuya's lean, muscular figure was starting to phase in and out on him as though it was debating on whether or not to disappear on him completely.

"I don't know what you mean Takuya-I don't love you anymore! I stopped loving you when I realized you weren't coming back to me five years ago!" The brunette looked like he was ready to cry at Kouji's suddenly harsh words, and Kouji suddenly wished that he could take them back.

"I know you don't mean that Kouji, I know that somewhere deep down you still love me. There's something you stopping that love, and I swear to god Kouji somehow, someway I'll make you remember just how much you really love me! Because I still love you Kouji, I always have and I always will." Takuya's figure started to disappear completely, and Kouji suddenly realized that he didn't want Takuya to leave, he didn't want him to go...he didn't want to be left alone in this darkness that he seemed to be felt trapped within.

"Takuya! No! I...I don't want to be alone anymore...please...please come BACK!" He outstretched a hand to clasp Takuya's shirt, but before he could, Takuya disappeared completely and Kouji fell to his knees, his head pounding as he brought a hand up to rub his temples.

He heard a noise from behind him, and when he turned his surroundings were completely different.

He was in a graveyard, one that looked familiar-as though he'd seen it before, been there before. He couldn't place it however.

"If I can't have you no one will!" A dark, menacing voice growled up from above, and Kouji stood suddenly, whirling around as a flash of lightning from close by illuminated a figure briefly. Kouji felt like he had to run, but he couldn't...his muscles were frozen, his legs didn't seem to want to move to carry him away and he had the feeling that something horrible was happening to him...so why didn't he run?

"This'll be you're last night Minomoto. And I'll make sure you'll never forget it." The menacing figure came up and harshly kissed Kouji, and Kouji roughly pushed him away.

"Get away from me! There's only one guy I'd want to kiss, and it sure as hell isn't you! Whoever you are..." Kouji added, and the dark figure laughed.

"Oh Kouji, if only you knew...too bad you won't. Like I said, if I can't have you, no one will...including him. Have a nice afterlife Minomoto." Kouji saw the shovel come bearing down in him, the figure being quite a bit taller then him...and as the shovel came down closer, the world started to spin before him as he turned suddenly to see a freshly dug grave, and a tombstone-with his name on it.

Kouji heard himself scream and the earth shattered underneath him as he thought he heard someone-a familiar voice-calling out his name, but he lost his balance and started to fall into that grave...and he fell...and fell...

The last thing he saw when he managed to look up at where he had fallen from was a pair of very familiar dark brown eyes...

He was being roughly shaken awake, and when his eyes suddenly snapped open, he gasped-the gasp turning into a cough as he noticed that it had started to rain at some point and Koichi had the windshield wipers going. Kouji looked over to see Koichi having-of course-been the one who had shaken him awake, and was now looking at him with a deep look of concern.

"Kouji, you okay?" Kouji nodded, feeling a bit breathless as another cough came on, and try to hide is as he could another coughing fit started, as Koichi gently rubbed his back with one hand-keeping his other hand on the steering wheel. Outside, the sky had gotten dark, and he saw a flash of lightning burst through the dark charcoal gray sky.

He felt Koichi bring the same hand that had been rubbing his back a couple of seconds ago up to his forehead, and gently laid it across-and Kouji winced at the cool touch of his brother's skin.

"Bro, you're burning up...I think we should skip lunch with dad and your stepmother and get you to bed when we get home." Kouji shook his head though. He knew how much his stepmother had been looking forward to this. But when he started coughing again and found it harder to stop then the last time, Koichi only frowned as he got out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"No way bro, you're going straight to bed when you get home, you look horrible. And I know you must feel the same way." Kouji was out of breath. His mouth felt dry, and his throat suddenly scratchy-he realized that all he wanted, was just some water. Instead though, he just laid his head against the window sill again and closed his eyes once more, but this time he didn't fall asleep. Though he heard Koichi talking with someone, telling them that this afternoon was a no go, and Kouji had the feeling that it was their father who he'd called.

The dream/nightmare he'd had the last time made him not want to fall back asleep-even though he knew his sore body craved the rest he desperately needed. He hadn't had a nightmare since five years ago when Takuya left and he'd missed him so badly.

So when Koichi finally pulled up into the driveway of Kouji's house, Kouji let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Come on bro; let's get you upstairs and into bed." Though he wanted to complain about Koichi helping him out of the car-and also insisting that he go straight to bed, Kouji didn't feel as though he had the strength left.

So that was pretty much how the rest of his week was spent-lying in bed, getting over the miserable cold he had...though the twins mother thought that it was probably a touch of the flu mixed in there as well...so that's how she diagnosed him when she came over for dinner one night and to spend some time with the twins.

It wasn't exactly how Kouji wanted to spend his week. He'd actually planned to do things with Koichi, but he just never quite had the strength to get up most of the time.

He finally started to feel better toward the end of the week, and as he managed to get out of bed on Friday, one of their last days at home, he sighed.

What a way to spend a week free from school...sick in bed. Kouji thought miserably, as he pulled on a sweatshirt and padded down the hall and headed downstairs, wanting something to drink-and maybe something to eat...he actually felt hungry. The hungriest he'd been all week.

His parents were working, the only person home with him at the moment was his twin, who he found watching Animatrix on the DVD when he got down to the family room.

"Hey, you're up...do you want something?" Kouji nodded at his twin's question.

"Yeah...I'm actually kind of hungry..." He let his voice trail off as Koichi nodded and stood, waving to the couch that he had been sitting on.

"Make yourself comfortable, I actually just started the movie, so it's in the beginning-you haven't missed much. I'll go make you something to eat- and I actually think I'll join you, I haven't eaten lunch yet." Kouji nodded, and made himself comfortable as he watched the paused TV screen until Koichi came back about fifteen minutes later with a tray carrying two bowls of what looked to be chicken noodle soup, and a plate of bread...there were also two mugs of tea.

Grinning as he accepted his bowl as his twin sat next to him and grabbed his own bowl, he started the movie up once more.

They watched it in comfortable silence, until about halfway through when Kouji sighed and Koichi looked at him.

"Something on your mind bro?" Closing his eyes, Kouji nodded and then opened them so that he was looking Koichi directly into his own dark blue gray eyes-almost mirror images of Kouji's own.

"Yeah...I...I feel like you've been avoiding me lately...have I...done something wrong to upset you?" At the surprised look on Koichi's face, Kouji took that as a no and softly bit his lower lip.

"Why would you think that Kouji? I'm not upset or angry at you at all!"

"But you've been...avoiding me lately." Kouji whispered, and Koichi sighed and shook his head.

"There've been...some things...that I needed to take care of with the others. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I was avoiding you, you never mentioned feeling left out or anything-you were spending a lot of time with Rei, so I thought that it wasn't a big deal."

"Just because I've been spending time with Rei, doesn't mean I don't want to spend time with you too! You're family, you're my twin! We're supposed to be close, but lately it seems as though we're falling apart from one another." Koichi shook his head as Kouji said this.

He felt a little bit guilty, yes. The reason why he hadn't been spending so much time with Kouji lately was because he'd been helping out Takuya so much-there was so much to do, from getting him enrolled to Shibuya University, to finding him a dorm room that was available so he could join them all this upcoming quarter. He had never thought that his twin would thing that he was angry at him, or pointedly ignoring him. Koichi sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips before looking at Kouji again.

"Look...I'm sorry, okay? Next time talk to me Kouji...tell me how you're feeling and I'll try to figure something that'll make us both happy. Yes, I'm your twin, but I don't always have that twin ESP thing with you. After this week, things'll get better, I promise." Kouji sighed this time and stood. The movie was still playing in the background, but suddenly he didn't feel like watching it anymore.

"You know, you didn't believe me when I told you that I didn't go out drinking with Rei that night...I thought you were smarter then that and trusted me more. Koichi, I've never touched the stuff-why would I now? That actually hurt when you sided with the other's instead of sticking up for me. And I don't remember what happened that night, I don't remember much after leaving Izumi and the other's at the registration building that afternoon. And it's driving me crazy not knowing. But I know I didn't go drinking-something happened to me that night that I think I was supposed to remember, and I forgot it all Koichi. And that's not even half of what's been going on lately. You know why I hang out with Rei so much lately? Because I feel like she's the only person who understands me. She understands what I'm going through, my loneliness, everything." Koichi opened his mouth to say something, but Kouji cut him off.

"I actually wanted to hang out with you this week-as brothers-but instead I get this stupid and not to mention horribly miserable cold. Can you tell me why stuff like this keeps on happening to me? Why my life isn't perfect? Go on Koichi, you're my twin, tell me."

All Koichi could do though, was shake his head-and he had no idea why Kouji was getting so upset. He saw Kouji close his eyes a little bit and his body swayed suddenly...

"Kouji!" He was off the couch in an instant, catching his twin before he fell completely to the ground.

"Kouji, what's wrong?" Kouji coughed in response and shook his head.

"I feel dizzy...nauseated..." He breathed out, as Koichi managed to pick him up and carry him up the stairs and back to his bedroom.

"You probably just overworked yourself, stay there and I'll get you something to help, okay?" Kouji nodded but kept his eyes closed, inwardly cursing.

He hadn't meant to yell at Koichi...it was just all the frustration building up.

On top of everything, he'd had the feeling of being watched recently-not this week, since he had been at home and had spent most of the time recovering from his cold in his bedroom, but for the past couple of weeks, he'd felt like someone's eyes were always constantly on him.

And it was starting to make him paranoid.

But he didn't want to tell Koichi this, because then Koichi would go into overly protective brother mode. And Kouji hated it when Koichi did that-as he was positive that Koichi hated it whenever Kouji himself did it as well.

Koichi returned awhile later with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. Unscrewing the cap and handing Kouji a couple of the aspirin and then the glass of water, he watched as Kouji took them, and then sat on the edge of his bed with a sigh.

"I was hoping we'd be able to do stuff this weekend too...but hey, look on the bright side...at least when we get back to Shibuya U next week, we'll have some classes together. And you'll have a new roommate, isn't that what Rei told you before we left?" Kouji nodded, having completely forgotten that the night before they'd taken off, Rei had come into his room to tell him that he was getting a new roommate-that wasn't Sen. Thank goodness.

He couldn't wait to see Sen's look of disbelief when Kouji finally had a roommate-and that Sen could finally stop bothering him about moving in to open up a dorm room for two other people. It would help make things a little better at least.

But Kouji had no idea just how wrong he really was...

The school was busy on Sunday, mainly because students were coming back from their week-long break, many with tans as they'd taken off to the beaches to get some sun and relaxation in.

The moment Izumi saw Koichi, she squealed happily and launched herself at him as she threw herself into his arms, and Koichi chuckled as he hugged her back just as hard.

"Hi beautiful-did you miss me much?" He asked with a grin as she grinned back.

"It was so boring around here! All it did was rain all week long! God, I'm so sick of the rain!" Izumi declared, and Koichi chuckled as he looked back to see Kouji grin back at him and roll his eyes at the sight that Koichi knew that he and Izumi must've made.

"So how was your week?" Izumi asked, as Koichi smiled a little and waved back at Kouji.

"My twin got sick...I ended up taking care of him most of the time." Izumi glanced over her shoulder to see Kouji rolling his eyes again, as he stuck his tongue out at Koichi.

"You didn't have to take care of me, dad and stepmother, and even our own mother came by...and I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Koichi laughed merrily.

"Yeah right Kouji! You could barely get up out of bed most of the time!"

Izumi frowned at this.

"Must've been some cold Kouji." Kouji shook his head.

"You have no idea Izumi...hey, have you seen my new roommate yet?" When Izumi bit her lower lip, Kouji froze; fearing the worst...his new roommate wasn't that bad, were they?!?

"Um...no, actually I haven't seen your new roommate, I...wasn't really paying that much attention."

When Izumi avoided all eye contact with Kouji, he instantly knew that something was up-whenever Izumi avoided looking into anybody's eyes, it usually meant that she was lying. And Izumi didn't lie all too often...only when she felt like she absolutely had to. So what was her reason for lying to him?

Kouji raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as he re-shouldered his duffel bag.

"I think I'm going to go and check things out in my dorm room...I'll see you two later." He said as he waved goodbye and Koichi waved back at him as he slung his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"Izumi...what was it that you didn't want to tell Kouji?" Koichi whispered softly to her, as Izumi sighed and flipped back a strand of long blonde hair that had fallen into her eyes.

"Well...its Kouji's new roommate you see Koichi...Kouji's not going to be happy with who he sees when he walks in there...it's..."

"TAKUYA!?!"

It was the one person who Kouji wasn't expecting to see, needless to say.

But when he saw the light haired brunette turn around to face him, his eyes opened almost as wide as Kouji's were sure that his was, he knew that it was none other then Takuya Kanbara who was standing in his dorm room. And he felt a wave of shock come over him as he took a step backwards and shook his head.

"No." He whispered, closing his eyes for a second and then opening again, not sure if he was able to believe his eyes. He was dreaming again, he had to be...this wasn't real. Any minute now he'd wake up and be back at home in his bed sick with the cold that he had had, and that it was the fever that had caused him to dream that Takuya Kanbara was standing in his dorm room.

But when he had opened his eyes again, Takuya was as real as ever...and getting over his shock quicker then Kouji did as he took a few tentative steps forward toward him. Kouji didn't know what to do...didn't know how to think or how to react or even act in this situation. He felt his hands start shaking, and wondered if he was hyperventilating.

This was almost worst then any nightmare he'd ever had before. Takuya wasn't supposed to be here...no, he was in America...and Kouji wasn't supposed to still be feeling...well, feelings for Takuya anymore...he'd gotten over him five years ago when he realized that he wasn't coming back for him as he said he was-he had realized that Takuya had broken his trust and his heart as well. He wasn't going to let it happen again-ever.

Kouji took a deep gulp of air before finally managing to look Takuya right into his dark brown chocolate eyes. The silence between the two of them was getting to be to the point of unbearable, and all Kouji could do, was drink in Takuya's appearance. If possible, he looked cuter-and almost even more handsome then when Kouji had first met him nearly six or seven years ago in that elevator when they first started their journey into the Digital World.

He was taller then Kouji by a few inches, his hair which Kouji had remembered used to be a dark brown was now lightened with blonde streaks here and there and was slightly more wavy with a hint of curl to it instead of as wild as it used to be...it actually looked quite a bit more tamed the way it was...and Kouji suddenly found himself with the irresistible urge to run his fingers through those wavy curls. Takuya's skin was tanned, darker then Kouji remembered it being, and figured that Takuya had probably spent most of his time outdoors-and wondered if he still played soccer as much as he had used to back then. But what really caught Kouji's attention was Takuya's lean and muscular body. He wore a fitting black T-shirt with a pair of semi-baggy blue jeans and his feet were only in socks at the moment, though there was a pair of shoes by the bed across from Kouji's.

"W-what are you doing here?" He finally managed to choke out and Takuya looked startled by the question, as he took a second before answering.

"Um...this is dorm number 317-am I right?" Kouji barely managed a nod, and Takuya looked relieved.

"For a minute there, I thought I was in the wrong dorm room..." Kouji suddenly had a hard time breathing, and he choked back a sob as he shook his head one more time and started to walk backwards.

"No way...no...don't tell me...don't tell me you're my new...you're my new roommate?" Takuya shrugged.

"They didn't really have anywhere else to put me...Kouji; I swear I didn't know that this was your dorm room..." But Kouji continued to shake his head as he looked around wildly.

"No. No, no, no, no, no...not again! I won't go through with it again Takuya! I can't...I just can't..." And with that, Kouji somehow managed to get his feet working properly as he fled the room.

Takuya blinked once, and then inwardly cursed underneath his breath as he stumbled to the doorway to see Kouji flying down the stairs and quickly brushing past a startled looking girl with her shoulder length brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a pair of black flare jeans, a black tang top, and a black zip up the front hooded sweatshirt with a pair of black ankle high boots to top off the outfit.

"Kouji wha-?" She didn't get to finish off her sentence, as Kouji disappeared a few seconds later.

Takuya saw her look up at him, and he sighed as she raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you're his new roommate...I haven't seen you before. So what happened that made him so upset? He looked like he'd seen a ghost or something." Takuya sighed as the girl made her way up the stairs, duffel bag in one hand and backpack slung over her shoulder.

Takuya almost missed the bruise that was starting to fade along her temple, but it looked like it had been a nasty one. He didn't ask the girl about it though...he didn't want her to think that he was trying to sway the conversation elsewhere.

"I think Kouji thought he did see a ghost...that's probably part of the problem. It's...complicated."

"Try me." Was her response, as she dropped her duffel bag next to him and crossed her arms over the other as Takuya heard someone coming up behind him and saw Izumi and Koichi hand in hand. He saw Izumi wave slightly at the girl, and raised an eyebrow as the girl shook her head at her.

"Don't want to talk about it Izumi-kun. Not now...maybe not ever...and can someone explain to me why my best friend just rushed out of here looking as he did?" Koichi sighed.

"As Takuya here said, it's a long and complicated story Rei-kun...one that happened about six years ago. Rei, meet Takuya, Takuya, this is Rei- Kouji's best friend." Takuya took the hand that Rei outstretched, as Rei frowned.

"I think I remember Kouji mentioning you once, but when I tried to ask him about you, he clamed up and said that he didn't want to talk about it. If I go after Kouji, I want to have at least someway of understanding what just happened here." Takuya sighed and blew out a breath as he put his face in his hands.

"Kouji is...I mean was...my boyfriend. Before I went to America five and a half years ago...there was no way I could stay in touch really, my father...my father was strict, and wouldn't let me." Rei bit her lip, looking like she was ready to hear the whole story, and Takuya had the feeling that she'd actually maybe understand what happened all those years ago...it felt like so long ago...

But before he could even say anything more, the rain came pouring down once more, and Koichi cursed softly as he let go of Izumi's hand and she gave him a worried look.

"Kouji's just gotten over a cold. I don't know if he'll have enough sense to stay out of the rain and I know that if I were him I wouldn't want to get sick again so soon...his last bug was pretty nasty, I'm glad I didn't get it, but..." Rei sighed at Koichi's concern for his brother, and placed a gentle hand on Takuya's shoulder as she gave it a light squeeze and looked directly into Koichi's eyes.

"I'm willing to go out there and find him to make sure he's okay-there's a couple of places I think he could've gone. But both include the outdoors...let's call Yamato and Taichi, I think they'll be willing to help...and if we don't find Kouji within the next forty five minutes or so, we can call Kai and Kita-I'm not sure if they're back yet from the beach, I haven't seen them arrive." Koichi nodded.

"Alright...Takuya, why don't you actually go with Rei? She's close enough to Kouji so that maybe she can get him calmed down enough so that you two can talk and figure something out. Rei, when you find my twin call me-I'll be there ASAP to help." Rei gave him a thumbs up sign as she pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and then remembered that she had her duffel bag still there.

"I'll take it to your room Rei no problem." Rei smiled at Alec, who had joined the group wondering what all the commotion was out in the hallway.

"Thanks Alec." Alec only nodded as he took her duffel bag and backpack as she sprinted down the stairs with Takuya close on her heels. They saw lightning flash in the background as Takuya heard Izumi call out his name from the top of the stairs. He turned to see her flinging his coat at him, and he caught it with a nod of thanks.

She watched as he and Rei took off into the pouring rain, and turned then to see Koichi handing her own coat to her, which she took with a look of thanks.

"Come on...let's get out there before Kouji catches pneumonia again." Agreeing with her, Koichi followed her down the stairs and out the door, taking the opposite route that Rei and Takuya had.

From where he was standing in the dorm, Alec shook his head.

"You know, I don't think I even want to know what's going on here...but why is that I have the feeling that I'll be dragged into this eventually?" He muttered, as he passed by Sen's closed door and glared at it for a half of a second before heading back to his and Koichi's dorm. Rei would flip out if she found out about the party that Sen had held while she was gone...she'd flip out even more, if she found out what Alec himself had found out...

TBC

AN2 (I think I FINALLY have ff.net's new editing ordeal figured out...FINALLY)-Gives out a mischievous grin to audience-so, was that what you guys were expecting to have in the plot I've got going on here? I hope it was! Because this chapter was actually so much fun to write! Especially the reactions between Takuya and Kouji...and let me say just this: It's so far from over...