A/N: K, so... I started this back in summer, and now it's nearly winter break o-o;; I'm sorry it's been so loooong! This is my favorite story, but every time I sit down to write more I have no interest in doing so- which is my biggest recurring obstacle in writing.
But thank you all for the alerts and reviews and favorites! Really it always makes me absurdly happy to see a new email in my ffnet folder ;w;!
Thank you thank you thank you! I hope this update doesn't disappoint.
Oh, and this is dedicated to Ciell for keeping me company that morning c8!

I have a new pen name too, if you haven't noticed. I think this one will stick around for a while c8.

Waste Some Time
Chapter Nine
The Lost Rose

Kaoru knew exactly how they would first meet.

It would be some incidental meeting in some store. An accidental brush of the arm that hitches his breath and steals his attention. Their eyes would meet and the world would screech to a halt around them.

Because isn't that how it happens when you meet your true love for the first time?

So maybe his idea was a bit cliche and unimaginative, but he would have preferred it to the reality of the matter. If he'd had his way, he wouldn't have been so flustered and tripping over himself when he first laid eyes on the boy. He wouldn't have found himself struggling between the boy and the boy. He would have know who it was right off the bat... And he definitely never would have let him out that door.

But, as it stood, he had, and he'd followed him- And as he found himself lost amongst unfamiliar buildings and street signs, he wondered if that might not have been his biggest mistake. He knew the area outside his street about as well as he knew Russian, and he did neither Ryou nor himself any good being lost.

Still. Here he stood- Alone.

Before he had time to be properly terrified by that concept, the gentle push of passersby became a bump of the elbow. and he all but fell into a shadowy doorway, getting an unyielding doorknob in the kidney. A quick glance at the store told him that it was less crowded than this street and shortly he was pulling it open.

It wasn't until the door dinged shut behind him that he realized how loud it had been outside. He found his bearings with the cool breath of a fan, at least aware enough to take stock of the room and its occupants at last, and the complete lack of anybody inside caught him off guard. He peered around a bookshelf, trying to catch sight of somebody behind the counter. A few steps later, he stood before it, half hunched over to peer into the dimly lit backroom. Even on a slow day, it seemed crazy that somebody would leave their shop entirely unattended.

With his mind consumed by the absurdity of this idea, he almost didn't hear another person enter. When the door jingled closed, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Standing just inside the door, looking kindly at him was a middle-aged woman, worn face pulled into a warm smile. She made her way over and stood beside him to his surprise.

"Welcome! Sorry to keep you waiting." He caught a wiff of smoke as the fan turned in their direction. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

He blinked in his confusion for a moment before he realized he was in her store. "Ah... I haven't really looked at much yet..." he said apologetically. Her smile didn't falter.

"Don't worry about it! Maybe I can help you find what you're looking for...? Let's see if I can guess why you're here. Usually for somebody your age to come in, it's something for a girlfriend?" she suggested. He figured he was in a gift shop. He felt out of place, having just come in to get out of the street. He glanced to the floor, the reality of his situation returning to him. "Huh? You look bothered..."

"He... was keeping something from me," he mumbled, feeling as though he'd just taken a hit to the stomach

"Oh. It's that then. Then he should really be the one in here- not you." Her smile became sympathetic. "Feel free to look around. Let me know if I can help you find something, dear." She briefly touched his arm with a bow before slipping behind the counter he stood before.

Finally he allowed himself to glance around. He'd never gone 'shopping'- whether it be just to look or for something specific like a gift. The only shopping he'd done had been in the past three weeks, and that had been for groceries. And since he had no clue how to get home anyway, why not take his time? Despite the flutter of anxiousness the thought brought him, he managed to keep himself steady as he approached a shelf on the nearest wall. Displayed all down the length of it were colorful trinkets and little toys and cute little items, spread out in little bins and lined up as if for his viewing pleasure.

Something out of place caught his eye, tucked away snugly between a book and a bin of rings. He reached up and palmed a small squirt gun, picking it up to eye level. He looked it over, grinning as he recognized something about it. In a way it seemed like something CCcorp might come out with, the swirl of colors and a few decorative extras that did nothing for the gun but add a few dimensions.

The thought of Haseo wielding a squirt gun drew a soft smile to his lips, the impulse to laugh catching him by surprise. He shouldn't be so light hearted about the situation, but the foolish grin remained despite this thought as he wondered if there was another like it.

It was the sound of the door chiming again that broke him of his thoughts, drawing his attention to a couple of high schoolers as they crossed the threshold. There stood a girl in a skirt and sweater, her face flushed from the heat. Her hair curled and waved romantically, pinned up on the side with something jeweled. Her eyes were alight with excitement as she started looking through the treasures on the walls and counters. Beside her and looking for all the world like he belonged there was a boy, hair messy, face as red as hers. He seemed far less enthralled with the store, but still his eyes were fixed on her.

"Ah! Kenni, look at this!" she all but squealed, a cry that had Kaoru cringing. She hurried forward and scooped up a little plush dog. He couldn't see from his vantage point, but something made her squeal again, a laugh punctuating the quiet atmosphere.

Kaoru returned to the counter, setting the gun down with a quiet sound. The shop's owner eyed him, but stayed quiet as she rung it up to the sound of the girl's voice again filling the small space. He forked over the price and pocketed the tiny item, looking back to the couple as the excitement quieted.

The two of them were close together, talking. They matched each other, he thought. Just seeing them together you knew they were a couple. Then they kissed, and Kaoru suddenly felt like he was intruding on something sacred. He averted his eyes, heading quietly for the door so as not to disturb them anymore than he felt he already had. As he neared the door, he remembered his manners and looked back toward the counter to thank the shopkeeper. She was gone by then, however, and instead he was met with another eyeful of the couple. Seeing how well they melded into each other, a spark of jealousy came to life. It wasn't fair that after all this time, he'd met the man of his dreams offline and yet hadn't been able to embrace him like that, thee way he'd always wanted to. His hand found the door knob and he wrenched it open, tears threatening to fall at the immediate and overwhelming desire he had to see Ryou.

Back amidst the bodies that dotted the street, he wound his way back in the direction he thought he'd come from. It seemed less threatening than it had before, but he was still lost in a city far larger than he was. He froze up as he finally broke free of the crowd, wondering which direction he should try.

"Kaoru-chan!"

He turned on his heel to see the girl from the store, waving an arm high above her head with a smile on her face and the boy in tow. They made their way to him, weaving through the throng of people as though they were a single unit. When they drew up to him, he realized with a start that he knew her. She was among the group of girls that always called him over to their table at work. Seeing her outside of work, he felt suddenly very vulnerable and even more out of his element. She looked so different today, though he had no chance of knowing why.

"We missed you today at the cafe. Did your schedule change?" she asked, smiling just as kindly as she usually did- something that set him at ease for the first time since he'd watched Ryou run from him.

He shook his head to rid it of that less-than-pleasant thought and responded, "No. I took the day off to spend time with a friend."

"Do they live far away?" she frowned, looking genuinely interested.

"No, it's just been a while so we stayed up all night playing a game together."

"Eh? What game was this?" A small smile stole across her lips.

"The World."

"Aah. I remember you telling us about playing that game. Hm... Michiko said you were with Misaki-kun today. He's the friend, right?" she concluded, looking pleased with herself.

"As it turns out, yes." The relief of there not being two people to worry about returned, bringing a small smile to flit across his face.

"That's good. Misaki-kun's in our class. Michiko and he used to be close friends. He's a nice guy, even if he doesn't always come across that way..." she trailed off when she saw the smile and her own returned. "But I'm sure you know that. Ne, Kaoru-chan?" And arm tucked around her waist, calling her attention back to the boy at her hip. "Ah! We should be going if we're gonna catch that movie," she huffed, whipping out her cell phone and checking the time in a practiced manner.

Kaoru wrestled for a few seconds with the idea of asked her to help him find his way back to the cafe. She had plans, but maybe she could just tell him which way to get started in, or some quick directions?

Oblivious to his internal struggle, yet almost as if on cue, she looked back up to him with a quizzical look. "Wait a second. Do you know where you are? Didn't you say you only knew the immediate area of the cafe?" he nodded, thankful she brought it up. "You should come with us. The cafe is just down the road from where we're going."

To Kaoru, in that instant she looked like an angel. "That- that would be great. Thank you."

Then he saw it as she linked arms with the brooding boy and called for him to follow them. The way her face lit up and softened when their eyes met. The difference wasn't just in the street clothes or the curly hair. With the boy at her side, she just looked so completely happy.

The summer storm came just in time. He wiped his eyes as he walked along behind them.

Soaked to the bone and shivering, but safely in front of his apartment, Kaoru bid the pair farewell. The woman behind the front desk smiled warmly at him as he entered the building. He nodded a greeting, somewhat out of breath from the sprint he'd taken to get across the street, and made his way up the stairs.

When the door to his apartment was safely shut behind him, he shrugged off his windbreaker and combed his fingers through the wet tangles that clung to his shoulders. He groaned at the feeling, grabbing the brush up off the counter and running it through his hair. He hated nothing so much as tangles.

He looked to the window and approached the glass, eyeing the heavy clouds with distaste as they hid his sun... not that it would be up for much longer. And as they were wont to do, his thoughts traced their usual route back to Ryou. Hopefully he'd made it home safely.

He thought briefly that the boy might be online and before he could stop himself with the thought that the boy might not want to talk to him, he had his laptop open and a pressed button beneath his slender finger. As he sat in wait, a frown settled onto his features. Had he done something wrong for Ryou to just up and leave like that. Even if the secret was out, it seemed a little rash. He felt a drop in the pit of his stomach at the recurring reality. Why did Ryou feel the need to hide who he was?

Finally his computer chimed as it woke up, the motor running smoothly after a few hours' rest. As soon as the Internet connection registered, the message flashed over his favorite background. He had a new mail. Deft fingers brought it up in a few short motions. It was from Minoru. He breathed a sigh of relief, fearing for a moment it might have been from Ryou. His eyes ran down the list of read mail until they fell on those he'd gotten from Ryou during his short abstinence from The World and an idea came to mind.

Hadn't he been given a number to reach him at?

The mouse hovered for a moment over the first one before he clicked it open and scrolled to the bottom to see those numbers staring out at him. He looked around himself, moving the blanket around and standing to see if he was sitting on the one pen he owned. After throwing the blanket around a few times and rooting around on his futon, he checked the counter in the bathroom and the windowsill and finally found himself standing in front of the window again, decidedly pen-free.

He heard his neighbor moving about in her apartment and looked to the conjoining wall. His dwindling social anxiety would have to wait. He stepped outside of his room and approached her door, his hand stilling for a moment before connecting with a sharp knock. Without much incident, he found himself back in his room, scrawling the number across the back of his hand with a fat marker, and moving fast back down to the lobby to use the public use phone.

Despite the three people standing around conversing, nobody was using the phone. As he stood before it, he glanced back around to the bodies in the room. He steadied himself, feeling the embarrassment creeping over him the longer he thought about what he was about to do. With a shaking hand he took a hold of the phone, and with another like it he dialed the number. It rang a few times. Then again. And again. Kaoru was about to put down the receiver when he heard it.

"...Hello?"

He jumped in surprise, pressing the phone firmly to his ear in disbelief. He recognized that voice, if only just.

"Ryou?" he asked eagerly, feeling his pulse kick up in his excitement. After a few seconds, he wondered if maybe he'd sounded too eager. "Misaki-kun?" he murmured. Maybe it had been a mistake to call him.

"Kaoru..." the voice choked off and Kaoru frowned. He could barely hear him.

"Ryou, why did you-"

"..I'm so-y! I di-'t me-n for -t to la- th-t lon-."

"Ryou, I can barely understand you- it's cutting out a lot. There's a lot of background noise too. Where are you?"

"A-. J-s- - sec-" it fuzzed out, leaving Kaoru holding a silent phone to his ear.

Suddenly the dial tone beeped loudly, startling him into nearly dropping the phone. He hurriedly pulled the cord until the receiver was in his hand again and typed in three numbers before the phone started ringing. Kaoru awkwardly held it in his hand, not sure how to answer it when it was off the hook. He looked back to the woman behind the counter, who was giggling in her chair. She told him to press one of the buttons and when he did, it was silent again.

"Ryou?"

"Kaoru! Good. I'm at the train station. I had bad reception where I was."

"Still? Why aren't you home?" he fretted, combing his fingers through his still-damp hair.

It was silent for a few seconds before the response came, if a little muffled. "I was... trying to talk myself into stopping by your apartment to apologize."

Almost as if his world hadn't been capsized just a few hours prior, the butterflies were back and he was flying high. He knew he was grinning like an idiot by the way his cheeks were aching. He must have been silent a few seconds too long in his giddy moment, because Ryou spoke up again, sounding a little concerned. "Kaoru?"

The man collected himself, trying to force his voice to stay even. "It's late, isn't it? How late do the trains run?"

After a few seconds, Ryou replied, "I... I'm not sure."

Once again, nerves and excitement coursed through him as a thought came to mind. "Why don't you- why don't you stay here for the night?" he mumbled, his voice dropping with each word.

"Would that be alright?" The surprise was obvious to both of them.

"Of course."

"Cool. You live across from the cafe, right? What floor?"

The grin grew wider and his control of his voice failed him. "I'll meet you in the lobby," he breathed, beaming at the lined pattern wall paper before him.

"I'll see you soon," Ryou sounded hurried.

"Wait, Ryou, it's raining..." he heard the dial tone again before he finished his warning.

He let the phone fall back into its place and timidly spun around to face the crowd he knew had heard his half of the conversation. His face flushed deeply as he saw their knowing grins and heard the kind-hearted laughter and sporadic clapping. His eyes found the maroon carpet as he went for the door, moving to wait outside to get some air.

A/N:: -/epic love pose of love that is filled with love- Seeeeee? WAY before I expected to have it done, it is done. I'm so glad I finished it. And (don't quote me, but...) I think I've gotten my inspiration a little. The last section came easily c8!
I just realized that I don't think I've described them the way I see them. If you have a certain mental image of them, that's fine- if you're curious:
I see Ryou with shaggy dark brown hair and reddish-brown eyes and Kaoru with blonde, shoulder-blade length hair (which is why he hates tangles) and light yellowy-brown-grey eyes. I'll be sketching them out tonight and I'll put the link on my profile at the bottom if you'd like to see it.

ALSO! Let me know if I have and /i's or /b's or anything, please.