Warnings: Different couples... really... Saitou/Sano, Chou/Sano. Bastardization of Jime ;

The Electrical Storm

By: Emmy and Erin

Part Two: Rainy Days

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On rainy days we'd go swimming out On rainy days, swimming in the sound On rainy days we'd go swimming out

For Sanosuke, walking, or rather limping, into Chou's apartment brought forth different reactions. It was a different setting in a different time but Sanosuke could still tell that Chou still lived there. Sanosuke hadn't been to Chou's home in a long time, but it still seemed familiar to him, almost as if he'd only been gone a week or two, not for the years that had actually passed.

"You okay?" Chou asked Sanosuke from where he stood behind him, holding open the door for the crippled man. Sanosuke shook his head and snapped himself out of his thoughts. He turned his head and gave Chou a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Chou flashed a crooked grin. "Damn, sounds dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah. Harass the poor cripple," muttered Sanosuke as he slowly made his way on his crutches into the apartment. Behind him he heard Chou laugh and it brightened his spirits a little. Sure, he hurt like hell, but at least some one was amused by it.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I really don't have a really good spot for you, it's actually you're typical bachelor pad... so messy as hell. Just because you're so damn broken up I'll let you have my bed, and I'll take the couch, but as soon as you can walk without a crutch like me, fuck, are we gonna trade as fast as you can blink!" He laughed as he led me into his room.

Sanosuke looked around and shrugged, "Not bad. Man, why don't you just share with me? I don't snore that bad. It's not like it's not something we haven't done before..." he trailed off once he realized just what he said, and then instantly regretted it. He didn't want to start things off like this, and he didn't want him to be pissed off...

"This is true." As Chou began, he sounded a little bitter, but then as the two continued, he just started to shake it off. Sanosuke wondered why was he being so... agreeably nice. "But I don't think I could take it. You're a bed hog, and over the years, that's the way that I've been going, so I don't think I could really deal with fights in the middle of the night over the bed."

Sanosuke nodded, seeing the sense in what Chou said.

"Besides, with you bein' hurt and all, it probably wouldn't be the best idea for us ta be fighin' in the middle of the night. Ya might re-injure yourself or somethin'."

"Yeah, you're probably right, Chou," agreed Sanosuke. He really did understand where Chou was coming from but it seemed a little weird to him that Chou had somehow found a perfectly feasible way out of talking about their past, almost as if he were afraid of talking about it. But as soon as the thought appeared he pushed it away. Chou wasn't afraid of anything, much less talking.

"So, brat, how're you feeling? Ya want something to eat or do you just want to go to sleep? The doc said the pain killers would make ya pretty sleepy and loopy for a while."

Sanosuke paused and thought about it for a minute. He did want to sleep, but he also wanted to talk to Chou. "I could do with something to eat before I go to sleep, if you don't mind," he admitted.

"Naw, it's not a problem. Why don'tcha head over to the couch and I'll go see what I have in the kitchen. Is there anything you don't want?"

"Yeah, soba. I'll eat anything but soba."

"Even a corndog?" asked Chou with a playful grin.

"Fuck you, man."

"Heh, still the only thing on your mind? Aren't you gonna buy me a beer first? Or how about dinner and a movie? I'm not that easy." He chuckled as he walked away and Sanosuke hobbled to the couch. Sanosuke could still hear him, the place wasn't very big, so it was rather easy to get around and be in constant contact with Chou.

For some reason, Sano was very comfortable with that thought and smiled to himself slightly as he thought about it. "Nah, not interested in the fucking right now, but I tell you what, I wouldn't mind some cuddling." I laughed right back.

"Cuddling? Damn, you're really that fucking needy? Heh."

"Meh, just need something to hold onto... like that when I'm in pain."

"Yeah, I know. That was something that I always noticed about you. Always the buddy-buddy, touchy-feely person. How does some ramen sound?"

"Damn, Chou, don't ya have anything else? Or are ya on the college diet, still?"

"Hey, just because I'm poor doesn't mean that I don't care! If you want some gourmet food, I can heat ya up a TV dinner."

"Oh, how gracious." Sanosuke chuckled and rolled around a little, wincing as he did so. "I think I'll stick with whatever food you have less contact with."

In the kitchen Chou laughed and Sanosuke thought how odd it was. He hadn't heard Saitou laugh in so long, and suddenly he was back here with Chou, making him laugh without meaning too.

"Hey, I'll have you know that my cooking skills have improved tremendously since you last saw me. In fact, I can now make tea all by myself."

Sanosuke laughed once more. Chou really was a funny man when he was relaxed and he finally seemed to be relaxed around his former lover.

"Yeah, sounds like a big accomplishment, Chou. Really, it does."

"Glad to please ya," said Chou as he walked from the kitchen carrying a steaming, unhealthy looking TV dinner. "Here ya go. What can I getcha ta drink?"

Sanosuke shrugged and took the food. "Water sounds like it'd be pretty good, actually."

"I heard that being hydrated was a good thing... nice choice." He chuckled and disappeared for another moment, coming back with a tall glass of water. He set it down on the small coffee table he had in front of Sano.

The man took his fork and began to poke at the food, but then turned his attention back to Chou.

"Hey, are you going to eat, or what?" Sanosuke asked with a concerned face.

"Nah, not right now. I wanna concentrate on making sure you don't choke to death or something. I'm your babysitter now, I'm gonna do my job and take care of you!" He said, and off-handedly took a sip of Sano's water.

The injured man shrugged. "I don't wanna keep you from eating... and you know that I always enjoy it more when you eat with me, anyways. Why don't ya want to?"

This time it was Chou who shrugged. "I don't know. Just not very hungry right now." He leaned forward, this time a little more serious. "I don't know if you want to answer this just yet, so let me know when it's OK... but what happened with things between you and Saitou?"

Sanosuke froze at the name. It didn't seem as bad in his head, but as soon as Chou spoke it, it froze Sano up. Sanosuke didn't know what to say... but he at least owed him and answer...

"Things just didn't work out."

"Took you five years to figure that out?" He sounded angry and Sano could see why. He had left Chou for Saitou, left him for what had to be the biggest asshole on the planet. Sano suppose if he were him he'd be pretty pissed too.

"Yeah, five years. I don't know. It was good at first, it really was. But then he just stopped being the guy I got together with and he became the guy you use to work with. He was just such an asshole. And I could take it for a while. I wasn't all that happy, but it wasn't like I was miserable either."

Sano poked at his food and Chou took another sip of his water, not saying anything. "And then, a coupla months ago he got really cruel. He'd hurt me as much as he could during sex and then he wouldn't talk to me at all. It was like I was some whore he hired for the night. That seemed to be the only time he'd notice me."

"That musta sucked."

"Yeah, it did."

"And still, you stuck it out with him, huh? Got a masochistic side to ya, rooster head?" Chou sneered. "Shit, I don't know if you're devoted, or just a chicken."

"Hell, I don't know either, but finally I knew that enough was enough, and so I ended it. He won't do anything about it, though, he probably doesn't even fucking care. Man, all he's probably wondering about is why his dick is hard and it's not going away."

"Heh, don't degrade yourself too much. He was probably at least wondering where the noise ran off to." Chou laughed, and I just rolled my shoulder.

"Hate to think about it, but yer right…"

Chou noticed that it was probably time to change the subject before anything got too sore. Now that they both knew it wasn't a taboo, they could just as easily come back to it later. Chou laughed and nodded towards a piece of paper, "So, when you get this fun drugs, ya gonna share?"

"As long as we don't get high enough to burn the house down!"

"Sounds like a plan! Ya gonna be all right for a while so I can get along and pick these up?"

Sanosuke nodded and stifled a yawn. "Yeah, I think so. I'll probably just fall asleep anyways. I'm really tired all of a sudden.."

Chou nodded and dropped an extra blanket around Sanosuke. "Well, I'll leave the phone next to you. My cell's programmed in as the first number, so just hit that if you need anything."

"'Kay," Sanosuke mumbled, already starting to fall asleep. Chou laughed to himself and set the phone next to Sanosuke's head before he left.

The drive to the pharmacy wasn't too bad, but the line at the counter was ridiculously long. Impatient, Chou stood in the line, arms crossed across his chest.

"Sawagejou? What are you doing here?" A voice asked from behind the blonde. Chou turned around and immediately recognized the chief of police.

"Hey, sir. Just picking up a prescription for a friend of mine."

The chief, who Chou had known for quite a long time, smiled in understanding. "Ah. That's nice of you. I'm here getting some medication for my youngest. He's got strep throat again. What's wrong with your friend?"

Chou gave a little half smile. "Nothin' so simple as that. He got in a pretty bad wreck and I'm getting him some stuff for the pain."

The chief nodded in understanding and the two fell into silence, the line slowly moving forward.

When there was only one more person in front of him, Chou remembered something. "Hey, chief? Think it'd be a problem if I took the next week or two off? My friend can't really take care of himself, he's pretty banged up."

The chief smiled in understanding. "I don't think that'll be too much of a problem."

"Thanks."

"Can I help you, sir?" The pharmacist called to Chou.

The blonde stepped up to the counter and put Sanosuke's slip on the counter. "Yeah, I'm here to get Sanosuke Sagara's medication."

"Just a minute," the clerk said as she turned and riffled through the drawers.

"Sawagejou, did you just say Sanosuke Sagara?" The chief asked from behind Chou, worry coloring his voice.

Chou looked over his shoulder for a moment, "Yeah, I did. He's my accident-prone friend."

The chief hesitated, wondering to himself about whether or not it was wise to bring up what he was thinking. He dismissed it, too curious and concerned to keep it in any longer.

"Are… you talking about a former officer's Sagara?" That was as nonchalantly as he could think to put it.

Chou inwardly cringed. "Yes. It is."

"Why is he here, then?"

"They… split up and while he was driving up here he had his accident." Chou was trying hard to make it as brief as possible.

"They spilt up? Is that true?"

Chou was beginning to get annoyed with the conversation. He could deal with it when he was talking to Sanosuke about the boy's former lover, but when it came to another man where he didn't have obligation, he was irritable. "Sanosuke broke it off."

"If that wise, Chou?"

He gritted his teeth as the woman slowly came back with the medication in her hands. "I don't care if it's wise. The man's a fucktard and Sanosuke finally got out of something that he should have a long time ago."

The woman couldn't get there fast enough as Chou reached out and snatched the bag out of her hands. "Look, I've gotta get going. He needs this shit, so I need to get it to him. I don't really want to stand here and talk about this. I've too much shit to take care of. So if you'll just get me that time off, I'd really fucking appreciate it."

With that Chou stalked away, the crowd realizing his was in a bad mood and getting out of his way quickly.

He didn't stop walking until he got into his car. Throwing the medicine on the seat next to him, he slammed his fist into the dashboard.

"Why the fuck can't people just leave me the hell alone?!" He growled to himself as he started the car. He was just pulling out of the parking lot when he cell phone rang. Cursing again, he fumbled for the phone, finally managing to get a hold of it.

"Yeah?" He snapped, frustrated with everything that was happening.

"Chou?"

"Sano? Are you okay?"

"Uh, I was just wondering if you had any gauze? I managed to hit my head on the table next to your bed and my forehead's bleeding pretty bad."

"Did you tear yer stitches?" Chou asked worriedly.

"No, I just made them bleed."

Chou rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"I know… um, but yeah…"

"Don't get up, you won't be able to make it to the bathroom with friggen broken bones and a bleeding head, all right? Just… take a pillowcase off the pillow and press it to your head. I'm about three minutes from being home, I told you that I was going to take care of you, remember?" Chou said, wanting to make a face.

"Yeah… can you please hurry? I don't mean to rush you, but, yeah, it's bleeding pretty bad and I'm feeling hella dizzy…" His voice was almost fading in and out.

Chou nodded. "I'm gonna go as fast as I can."

Chou abruptly grabbed a handful of the bag and ran to his building. He ran up the steps, keeping up a pace of three at a time and swiftly unlocked and opened the door.

"Hey, I'm here, rooster, ya not dead on me, are ya?"

He heard a loud groan coming from the couch, "Nah… not yet."

"Good to hear," Chou replied and quickly rounded the couch, laughing as he saw the rooster. "Damn. You did fuck yourself up."

He was trying to cover up just how worried he was. There was a lot of blood… it was practically soaking the pillow case. It hadn't even slowed the bleeding.

"Sorry I redded all over…"

"Um, I don't think that's a word… but at least it's not like you shit yourself on my couch. Besides, head wounds bleed like a bitch, I think you're gonna make it." Chou dropped the medicine off next to Sanosuke and picked up speed to grab the gauze that the rooster had asked for. He rummaged through his cabinets and grabbed a few wads full. He had gotten into his fair share of gauze-worthy accidents on the force, so his supply was plenty.

"Hey, we're gonna play doctor now, man, so you're gonna have to sit up."

Sanosuke grumbled, "Then where is your sexy nurse outfit?"

"Drycleaners, sorry 'bout that."

Sanosuke laughed. "Well, I guess that's okay. Wouldn't want to get it all bloody anyways."

"Nah, probably not." Chou joked as he pulled the pillow away from Sanosuke's face. The brunette winced, but didn't say anything.

"Damn," Chou winced as he looked at the cut. "You really did do a number on yourself. You didn't tear your stiches, but you pulled 'em pretty bad." He grabbed some of the gauze from the table and looked at Sanosuke in pity. "This is probably gonna hurt."

Sanosuke laughed. "Somehow I didn't expect anything different."

"Yeah, you always have been hella accident prone, man. Do you remember that one time that you, me, Saitou and Murai went out for a burger on a break one time that you showed up? And you totally nearly got hit by the subway because you lost your balance on the edge?"

"How could I not?! That was one of my nine lives!"

Chou laughed and continued to wrap the gauze over the wound. "Ah, so you're a cat now? That's hot. But I'm not into bestiality. Sorry, man."

Sanosuke looked offended, and gave a cute pout, "But I'm a sex kitten…"

Chou flicked Sanosuke in the cheek and finished up the gauze. Before he drew away, he noticed that the man was feeling a little warm.

"Hey, man, you might have a fever."

Sanosuke looked hesitantly away. "Isn't there some kind medicine in there?"

Chou nodded, "I'm sure the pain killers are some kind of fever reducer, no problem."

Sanosuke just kept looking at the man, not turning away. "Hey, Chou?"

The man was fiddling with the bag full of medicine for a moment, looking around as he talked to Sanosuke, while trying to read through the labels. "What's up?"

"Come here."

Chou turned around to face him. "Yeah?"

Sanosuke leaned in and tenderly kissed a startled man, trying his hardest to balance himself on the couch without falling over. His lips were soft, almost as soft as the kiss was completely unexpected. What was he doing?

The brunette pulled away and fell back down to the bed. "Chou… thank you."

Chou blinked as the man closed his eyes, and fell fast asleep. He must have lost too much blood. Chou just hoped that the kiss wasn't brought on by the amnesia-esque state and it meant something. He wasn't going to be led on again…

That was something that he promised himself.

End of part