Sorry about my slow updates guys, I've got a crap-load of stuff to do. This chapter is a bit slow, but I promise I'll make it better in the chapters to come.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you make me so happy. I wish I could hug you all. :) :)

Disclaimer: I don't own MFB.

Ryuusei wakes in a cold sweat, forced into consciousness by something unmerciful that has gone on in his head while he slept. He can't remember what the dream was about; he just knows he heard his father's voice.

"Who're you calling 'Daddy'? You're pathetic, how the hell could you come from me? I'm not your Daddy."

Shame. He'd had enough of those words while awake; he doesn't need to hear them in his dreams.

Collecting himself and rubbing sleep from his eyes, he makes his way out of the train station. The ascending glow of dawn warms his skin, getting his blood moving. He walks for about 10 minutes and he comes to a river-like man made dam, and it is here that he bathes. The captured rainwater, pure and cool, proves to be better than a steaming cup of coffee by way of jolting him fully awake. While he submerges himself, he rinses his clothes. Then he hangs them off a tree branch and skips a few stones across the water as he waits for them to dry.

After he's sure he's clean, he tries his best to look presentable. With his pocket knife he cuts away as much of the newly sprouting facial hair on his chin, but it's hardly an effective form of shaving and he's still left with a bit more than stubble.

There's a tightness in his lungs, like his breathing organs are being squeezed by an interior hand, and he coughs. He has a bad cold on the way.

When he arrives back at the train station, he assumes his normal morning ritual of climbing atop a kiosk roof from behind. He stays low and holds on to the edge for dear life. The roof tilts forward a bit but it's high enough for people not to be able to spot him. Though, it doesn't help that last night's rain has left it all slippery.

Then, right on time, the girl arrives and takes a seat in wait of her train. She crosses her legs and rests her chin on her palm, her elbow propped up on her knee.

She is formally dressed. Not so far as to be wearing a ball gown or suit, but she definitely looks like she's venturing out to do more than her morning shopping. Her attire consists of a black pencil skirt and a tangerine, long sleeved and collared blouse with pink shoes. She's covered herself in so much dangly silver jewelry that you could easily mistake her for a Christmas tree. Ryo smiles to himself, thinking about how quirky she describes herself just by what she chooses to wear. He's a male, and even he knows that that outfit is terribly coordinated, yet somehow she manages to make it work.

Long, bright red hair is kept neat in a low pony. It's a little teased around her crown, and it falls just above the small of her back in twisty waves. Her eyes are green like sparkling emerald gemstones, and sometimes, Ryo notices, she wears glasses. With skin so porcelain, cheeks that flush a warm pink, and a rather slender but girlish frame, Ryo wonders where his fair maiden is going every morning, for she always appears to be in a great rush to get there.

Suddenly, the girl does something that is out of her normal routine of simply waiting for her train and glancing around un-excitedly. She quite literally jumps to her feet, and approaches the kiosk where Ryuusei is perched unseen. She begins searching around in her handbag until she pulls out what seems to be her purse. It's covered in navy-blue and silver sequins, it looks like it's littered with stars.

Through the tin roof, Ryuusei can hear her voice as she greets the shop keep. He turns his head and puts an ear to the roof, attempting to get a better listen.

"Ah Nami, it's been awhile since you've come in here. How's your father?"

Ryo lets a sigh escape his lips when he hears her voice; it's soft and sweet like the beautiful melody of a songbird.

"Mr. Tendo, how nice it is to see you. Father is well; he's just made a new discovery actually. I've forgotten my breakfast, so might I be please be able to trouble you for a rice ball?"

"Anything for you, dear,"

There is the sound of small change being passed before Nami bids Mr. Tendo goodbye and Ryo hears her footsteps pass beneath him as she prepares to leave the shop. Crouching down further Ryo notices that his tattered pant hem has become snagged on an extended nail. He jerks his leg away, trying to free himself before he's seen, Ryo's other foot loses grip on the wet, metal roof and he slips. He tries to regain his balance using his hands, but he misses, and then he feels himself falling.

He clenches his eyes shut expecting to crash into the pavement below him and he's surprised, to say the least, when the pain doesn't come to his head, back or, rear end. Instead, he feels an excruciating pull at his ankle.

Biting his lip, trying to hold in a scream, he opens his eyes and is at first perplexed as to why the world is upside down. He then looks down (or maybe it's up from his point of view) and realizes that he's suspended in mid-air, dangling from the edge of the roof by his pant leg.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?"

That same tinkle of a voice comes from behind him and before he has a chance to curse himself, Nami runs around from his back to face him, rice ball in hand and worry creasing her features.

Wracking his brain for something cool to say that will hopefully make him look a little more casual, he folds his arms, attempting to push a meek smile on his pain-struck face.

"Uh," he doesn't have time to finish talking, maybe that's for the best because what could he honestly say that sounds even halfway to normal in his position? He tumbles down again, and now, he's looking up at Nami, embarrassment masking his pain.

"I'm okay,"

"But you just fell off a roof…"

"Well,"

Suddenly, an elderly Japanese man pokes his head into Ryo's view. His hair is combed back and grey, yet you could clearly see that it used to be nice shade of blonde in his younger years, there's still a little bit of yellow at the ends. He glares down at Ryo, his green eyes full of suspicion. He prods Ryuusei's cheek with his frail finger.

"You boy, what choo doin' on my roof?"

"I can explain,"

"Mr. Tendo I think he's hurt," states Nami with very much genuine concern.

"Serve him right for lurking around on people's roofs. What you think you are kid, a cat? The roof's no place for people."

All Ryo can manage to do is cover his face with his arm. He can hear the chicken-like squabbling of a crowd of people nearby.

'Real smooth, Ryo. Real smooth.'

"Let's get him into the shop, sir,"

"Alright," Ryo hears Mr. Tendo reply as he pulls him over his shoulder. Surprisingly, the little man packs quite a lot of strength. "And I got a shirt out back that I can't sell. He can't go round wearing that potato sack lookin' thing he's got on, people gonna think he's homeless."

Nami does her best to try and help Mr. Tendo get Ryo into the shop. They set him down on the only seat behind the counter and Mr. Tendo disappears into his back room, mumbling to himself.

Then Ryo turns his head only to redirect his attention to the floor in an attempt to hide his blushing face. He's just laid eyes on the girl standing in front of him, and has never felt so small before. Briefly, he wonders how something as tiny as Nami can be so intimidating. The shyness he experiences is crippling. He remembers how just a few hours ago he'd been praying for a chance to talk to her, and now that he's gotten his wish, he's not sure he knows what to do with himself.

"How's your ankle?" He hears her ask, and at the risk of tripping over his own words, he forces himself to meet her eyes.

"It's alright," 'Geez, Ryo. Can't you manage to even give her more than a two word answer? Get your act together, man!'

Readjusting her bag on her shoulder, Nami gets to her knees and lays a hand on Ryo's ankle; she applies light pressure to it with her fingertips in a massaging motion. Her touch is gentle, caring.

"Well," she begins as she climbs to her feet again. "I think you'll survive. It's badly twisted, but it's nothing that some good rest won't heal."

Ryo mumbles a thank you, before letting his eyes fall to the ground again.

"What's your name then, huh? At least give me that."

"Ryuusei. My name's Ryuusei Hagane." Ryo pauses for a bit, shuffles in his seat and then spits out, "What's yours?"

"I'm Nami Kiyomizu. Hey, what were you doing on the roof anyway?"

At this question, Ryo looks up again. "Just stuff," he states, almost a little too quickly.

He watches her raise an eyebrow, quiz him up and down and part her lips to ask another question, when Mr. Tendo shuffles back into the shop with a red T-shirt in hand.

'Oh, , you lovable old man.'

"Here, boy, I got a shirt for ya. Dunno if it's gonna fit you, you such a tall and big boy." He throws the shirt at Ryo and Ryo catches it, then he nods and utters another quiet thank you.

Nami speaks up again, "Sir, he's not 'boy'! His name's Ryuusei," she giggles. Then, in the midst of her laughter, she snorts. Snorts just like a tickled piglet.

Ryo blinks and watches Nami's face pool with blood in the most intense blush the world has ever seen. Ryo gives her a smile of approval before she continues to giggle a little more.

"Ryuusei, eh? Nice name. Yeah, nice strong name."

Ryo's eyes flutter between the two people and he's overcome with a very real feeling of warmth, yet he doesn't know quite why. He will later go on to know that these people are the only people who have shown him string-free kindness in a long, long time. This is something so unusual for Ryo, that the simple gesture of being given a shirt, or having someone check his injuries, almost makes him feel uncomfortable. Already, he feels himself soften as Nami and Mr. Tendo slowly chip away at the concrete wall he's built around himself, even if they don't realize what they're doing.

Nami turns on her heels then, and points her face over her shoulder as she begins to stroll (for she was definitely strolling in such a casual, leant back way) out of the door. " I've got to go before I miss my train," she calls. " I'll drop by later to see if you're still here, okay? Thank you for everything, Mr. Tendo."

"Very much welcome dear, have a nice day," replies Mr. Tendo.

Nami pauses halfway out the door and turns the Ryo. "Oh and Ryuusei,"

"Yeah?"

" Don't hurt yourself." She winks. And then, with a flick of her ponytail she is gone, leaving Ryo dumbfounded.

Mr. Tendo inhales a big breath, his nose whistles as he does, before turning to Ryo and saying, "I see the way you lookin' at little Nami. Don't get any ideas. She's a good girl, studying at college and doing her father proud. I known her since she was a baby, I'm good friends with her father, see. So don't you go corruptin' her."

Ryo throws his palms up in defense. " Don't worry, sir. I'm not thinking what you think I'm thinking."

"Good, you keep it that way." Mr. Tendo relaxes. He sighs again, nose hairs singing, "Well, I guess you with me for today."

"Guess so."

"You got any parents I can call for you or somethin'?"

"No sir, I've forgotten their phone numbers," he lies through his teeth. The lie, even though a very trivial one, still makes him want to reject the soup in his stomach. Ryo hated to lie. He could often go about leaving out details so as not to let someone in on a whole story, but never could he lie straight and comfortably.

"Irresponsible," Mr. Tendo mumbles. "My son knows my number off by his heart."

Deciding to change the subject because of how bitter any sort of talk relating to his parents tastes on his tongue, Ryo asks, "You have a son?"

It is like a spotlight shines from heavens knows where, because the thought of speaking about his son seems to brighten the man's face. For a second, the sheer happiness and delight he shows erases all evidence of a life long-lived, making him look 10 years younger.

"Yep, sure do. His names Ken, named after my grandfather. He recently got married too, to a very pretty young girl. They gonna give me a grandchild sooner or later."

Ryo forces interest with a smile and an urging nod to continue.

"He promise me, he did, that he gonna name his son after me."

"What'll the baby be called? What's your name, sir?"

Tendo blushes, trying to conceal his pride. "My name, the baby's name too, is Yu. I'm Mr. Yu Tendo."

Yeah, in case you're wondering, Mr. Tendo is Yu's Grandfather. He hasn't really got a big part in the story, he's kind of just there. But he does serve a purpose later on.

Thank you to everyone to suggested names for Ginga's mother. I liked them all but decided on Nami because it means 'Wave' or 'Surf' in Japanese according to Google. I've affiliated her with water for a reason.

Thanks again guys, you're all incredible. Every single one of you. :)