Earth Angel

by Yai-tzu Hin

Warning: No part of this story or cast of characters may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author, Yai-tzu Hin. If you do, dogs will wake you at 3:00 am in the morning, your hair will go gray at an early age, all you pens will run out of ink at the most inconvenient time, and your computer will always freeze up in the middle of the best part of a fic.

Haruka drummed her fingers on the desk. He hadn't called. He was supposed to call and make arrangements to visit that weekend. It was already Friday night and he hadn't. The perpetual worrywart when any of her siblings were in trouble, she'd been told that she would go gray before she was thirty. She couldn't help it though; it was part of being an older sister.

Staring about the empty house, she wondered why she had even bothered agreeing to housesit for her parents while they were in Hawaii. It was too quiet, not like when she was younger. She let her mind drift off into that time when the three Nakabori children all lived under the same roof. All the noise, fighting, laughing, breaking of lamps and such. She couldn't imagine how her parents felt now that the youngest child, Meiko, was attending college. With a sigh she prepared to dial Keien's number.

"Shouldn't you have called your sister?" Yatsurugi asked leaning over Keien as he tried to do homework. Keien was beginning to regret taking advanced physics.

"Huh?"

"Call your sister, Haruka. You did promise that you would see her this weekend."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Keien replied as he madly erased the wrong answer and began rewriting the problem.

"I'm sure she is worried. You haven't handled yourself very well these past five days. You haven't called Haruka or Meiko. Heaven knows what Meiko is thinking about that tale you fed her on Sunday." Yatsurugi commented as he mentally noted that this was the fourth sheet of paper Keien had used for this problem. "You could have explained better about our living situation."

"What am I supposed to say? Oh, and by the way. Meiko, this is my new roommate. He is really my guardian angel who has become human in order to better protect me from myself?" Keien asked in a frustrated tone.

"No, I doubt she would have believed that I was your guardian angel. An angel yes, but yours, no." Yatsurugi replied as images of Keien's younger sister came to mind. Meiko was a short, neither too thin nor too fat, nineteen-year-old with sandy hair and brown eyes. And could easily be classified by anyone older than her as a brat, Yatsurugi thought exhaustedly as he remembered formally meeting her.

Meiko had appeared at Keien's door nearly two hours after Yatsurugi had woken up for the first time as a human. He had set himself to putting some of his possessions away in Suiichiro's old room, when Keien had asked him to meet her. Yatsurugi couldn't have said no, so he walked cautiously out to the living room. Not used to people seeing him, he'd been so nervous that he nearly fainted. No angel really cared how they saw one another; they all went about their existence with a great flurry of purpose. Having human form was new to him as well as some of the sensations. Having your stomach suddenly tighten, as you stood in front of an audience and you introduced yourself was not something Yatsurugi cared for.

Keien saved him from completely making a fool of himself by attempting to explain the situation to Meiko. Meiko had apparently believed the story that Yatsurugi was a transfer student and Keien had asked him to move in as soon as Suiichiro moved out. Yatsurugi had cringed as Keien fumbled for a believable story as to why only one day after his lover dumps him that he has a new roommate. Meiko sat through the tale, an amused smirk on her face. She'd obviously had her own ideas as to how Aisaku Yatsurugi had entered the scene. She'd left soon afterwards waving and telling her brother she hoped he'd had fun at Suiichiro's expense. Keien had turned bright red and gave his sister the dirtiest look Yatsurugi had ever seen in his career as Keien's guardian angel.

The phone rang interrupting Yatsurugi's train of thought. Moving quickly, he crossed Keien's bedroom and grabbed it before the second ring.

"Moshi-moshi."

"Hello, ah, may I speak to Nakabori Keien please?"

"Just a moment." Covering the receiver, Yatsurugi walked back and handed Keien the phone.

"Who is it?" Keien asked irritably.

"It sounds like Haruka. You should have called her earlier." Keien dropped his pencil and took the phone. Yatsurugi silently left the room and wandered into the kitchen.

"Haruka?"

"Keien, are you all right? Who was that who answered the phone?"

"His name is Aisaku Yatsurugi." Keien replied not bothering to explain further.

"Are you okay? You sound agitated."

"I'm wrestling with a physics problem that has been driving me nuts for two hours."

"It sounds like you need a break." She sighed and then continued. "Are you still planning on coming up for the weekend?" Keien remained silent. Could he leave Yatsurugi by himself for an entire two days? After all, he'd only been in human form since Sunday. What if he caught food poisoning? What if he burnt the place down trying to cook ramen?

"I wouldn't burn the place down trying to cook ramen. I know how to work a phone. I'd order out!" Yatsurugi called from the kitchen. Keien winced realizing that he'd let his safe guards down again. I hate when he can hear my thoughts.

"I hear them more when you're agitated." Yatsurugi sang. Keien snarled.

"Keien, are you all right?"

"I'm just dealing with an annoying friend." Her brother said as he contemplated walking into the kitchen and tossing his pencil at Yatsurugi.

"It won't solve anything taking your frustrations out on a defenseless pencil and me." Chided the angel.

"You can be replaced you know!" Keien called back nearly shouting in his sister's ear. Haruka held the phone away from her. She didn't know who this Aisaku Yatsurugi was, but he was apparently causing her brother some stress. Stress he didn't need after Tamahazura Suiichiro had dumped him so coldly on Saturday. She was so ticked at the young man, that she'd contemplated avenging her younger brother in some manner. Unfortunately, that was very unladylike and not a smart idea. Haruka had more sense than to do something that would get her in trouble with the law. She'd had enough problems defending her siblings in grade school. It had mostly been Meiko she defended against cruel boys who tried to cut off her pigtails, but she had gone to Keien's rescue once or twice. The reprisals in the name of honor had gotten her in trouble at both home and school. Now, as an adult, the reality that she couldn't save her siblings ever time they got in a scrape had finally sunk in. This kept her from acting out with her fists, but not from being angry.

"Keien? I don't have an answer."

"I'm sorry. Listen, Haruka I promise I'll come next weekend. It's just that my professors piled a whole bunch of homework and if it has taken me this long to do the first problem…" he was cut off by a sigh.

"All right. Next weekend." She sounded disappointed. "You'll be on the Friday night train, right?"

"Right." Keien confirmed.

"Okay. See you Friday night." Haruka said. She added a goodnight and hung up. Keien clicked the off button on the cordless phone and set it on the desk. Suddenly physics didn't seem so interesting. Actually the silence from the kitchen was beginning to make him worry. He hoped Yatsurugi wasn't trying to work the microwave again.

He wasn't. Instead he was out on the balcony staring off into the night sky. Keien's apartment was on the fourth story of a very nice complex. His father was a doctor and his mother had been an official with the government, which meant that the family had money. Keien was paid an allowance for attending college, which covered the apartment costs, food, books and tuition.

"You should have gone to see Haruka this weekend. She'll spend the next week worrying over you." Yatsurugi warned without turning towards him.

"I couldn't leave you alone. Not when you've only been human for a week." Keien said putting his hands in his jeans pockets. The wind had picked up and was rapidly chilling him. He wondered if Yatsurugi felt cold, since he was only wearing a tank top and jeans.

"I'd be fine. It would only be two days. Besides, I'm not a child. I'm over a hundred years old." Yatsurugi pointed out finally turning to face Keien. He looked as serious as when Keien first saw him. And just as gorgeous, he thought dreamily.

"I just would feel better if you had a little more experience being human." Yatsurugi smiled.

"I appreciate your concern. But I still think that there is going to be trouble since you declined Haruka's invitation this weekend." He wagged his finger at Keien. "Big trouble."

"What possible trouble could it cause?" Keien asked leaning against the doorjamb.

"I don't know. I just have a bad premonition." Yatsurugi shrugged his shoulders. "Let's go in, I'm getting cold."

"Sure, I'll teach you how to make ramen correctly."

"What's wrong with the way I cook ramen?" Yatsurugi demanded crossing his arms.

"Everything."

Keien walked back from the market, grocery bags in hand and Yatsurugi in tow. They had gotten up early to beat the crowds and get the fresher fruit. Yatsurugi had actually been helpful in picking out the best produce. He said that even though Keien, as a child, hadn't paid attention to his mother when she went shopping, he had. That was part of being a guardian angel, you went everywhere your charge went even to the market.

As they stood at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change, Keien happened to glance up and notice a woman with wings standing on top of a light post. Startled for a moment, he realized that she must be an angel too. He wondered if being with Yatsurugi allowed him to see other angels too. Making a mental note to ask Yatsurugi later, Keien turned his attention back to the street. The walk sign flashed and Keien took a step out only to have Yatsurugi grab his shoulder and pull him roughly back onto the curb. The sudden jerk nearly caused him to drop the bags, but he managed to keep a hold on them.

"Look out!" someone cried as a red sports car barreled through the intersection nearly hitting several people. Keien turned abruptly to stare at Yatsurugi. The young man's blue eyes were wide and his face looked a touch pale. His knuckles were white where he still held Keien's shoulder. Looking harder, Keien thought he saw a translucent pair of white wings with black tips protruding from Yatsurugi's shoulders. Apparently no one else saw the wings but him.

"That was close." Yatsurugi said at last as the crowd began to hurriedly walk across the intersection. "You have a bad habit of walking in front of cars."

Keien only smiled.

"Thanks."

"What are angels for?" Yatsurugi replied his cheerfulness returning. "Quick, let's go before the light changes." As they scampered across a smile crept across the face of the angel standing on the light post.

Once home, they busied themselves putting groceries away and then Yatsurugi decided to take a nap. While his roommate slept, Keien decided to read a magazine in the living room. There weren't any particularly interesting articles in this issue, but he needed something to help him relax. He'd been reading for an hour when there was a knock at the door. Roused from the couch, Keien put the magazine down and answered it.

"May I help you?" he asked the young woman standing at the door. She looked to be in her mid twenties. About Haruka's age, he mused. The woman smiled and handed him a card. "Aisaku Counseling Services. Worries taken care of." He read off the card. Aisaku? Now why did that name sound familiar? Keien wondered as he stared into the woman's blue eyes. They were the same color as Yatsurugi's. Suddenly his sluggish mind realized where it had heard Aisaku before. It was Yatsurugi's surname.

"It's rather rude to keep one waiting." The woman stated brushing a strand of wavy deep purple hair off her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Um is there anything I can help you with?"

"That's my line." She replied. "I'm looking for a Nakabori Keien. Are you him?"

"Yes." Keien said slowly wondering who exactly this woman was.

"Oh good." She said. "My client asked me to offer my counseling services to you. May I come in?"

"I think there has been some sort of mix up." Keien began, stepping aside. "I don't know who sent you, but you may come in for a moment." I want to find out who sent you. If this is one of Suiichiro's pranks, I don't think it's funny.

"Thank you." She said striding past him into the apartment. Straightening the collar on her gray business suit, she turned and waited for Keien to join her in the living room. Keien offered her the old reclining chair while he returned to the couch.

"Mr. Nakabori, may I be frank?" she asked at length. Keien nodded. He might as well get this over with. "You have recently gone through a tough break up with a boyfriend, is this true?" Keien nodded.

"My client is concerned with your state of mind after this break up. You were together for a year?" Again Keien nodded. "Then this must have injured you greatly." Keien had heard enough. What was Suiichiro thinking sending this woman to him?

"Listen I don't know what Suiichiro has told you about me, but I don't need him sending people to talk to me about pain and hurting." Keien said firmly. "Now I've listened to your little speech so you can go and tell him that your mission is accomplished."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm perfectly capable of moving on with my life. I don't need him sending counselors over to give me free advice on how to forget him."

"Since your perfectly capable of moving on with your life may I offer my other services to you?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Oh God. You're a hooker aren't you? He sent a hooker to me." Keien blurted out realizing that his ex might want him to taste other fruit.

"NANI!? Excuse me? What are you talking about?" the woman roared. Then narrowing her eyes at Keien she told him that she was in no way shape or form a hooker sent by his ex. "Take another look at the card Nakabori-san." She said flatly. He did. It now read. "Aisaku Counseling Services. Experienced Cupid at your service." Keien did a double take. The card had not said that beforehand. He stared at the woman strangely.

"Experienced Cupid? Who exactly are you?" he asked wearily. She only smiled broadly. Awakened by the raised voices Yatsurugi wandered out of his room rubbing his eyes.

"I thought I heard…ONE-SAN! What are you doing here?" Yatsurugi demanded.

"One-san?" Keien's jaw dropped. "You mean this woman is your sister?" he exclaimed staring at her.

"Yatsurugi-chan. How are you doing? Adjusting well?" she asked happily leaping out of the chair and walking over to her brother.

"Kayumi, what are you doing here?" Yatsurugi asked again.

"You're his sister?" Keien inquired. Kayumi nodded. "That would make you an angel too, right?"

"Yes it does." To prove the point, a pair of white wings spread from her shoulders. They were identical to Yatsurugi's except the tips of her primary feathers were gold.

"One-san, you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, sorry." Kayumi laughed. "Don't worry I'm here for an actual reason, not just to pester you." Yatsurugi glared at her.

"You're that angel I saw this morning!" Keien cried. "The one on the light post." Kayumi smiled.

"You saw me? I really should be a bit more careful in maintaining my invisibility. My mind must have been elsewhere if you could see me." Kayumi said winding one finger around a purple curl.

"Wait a minute, if you're a guardian angel, why are you in human form?"

"Because, my little brother is and I wanted to meet you formally. Besides, I'm not technically in human form. That requires the proper identification."

"Kayumi! Why are you here!" Yatsurugi exclaimed in exasperation.

"My client sent me here."

"Your client?" Yatsurugi inquired raising an eyebrow.

"One Nakabori Haruka." Keien started to say something, but Kayumi cut him off. "I've been her guardian angel for years. When she gets really worried about someone, she sends me to check up on them. Normally I just talk to that person's guardian angel and let them know that if he or she needs help, I'm at their service."

"You're Haruka's guardian angel?" Keien said getting off the couch.

"Didn't I just say I was? Anyway, do you realize how worried your sister is that you might snap and throw yourself off some building?"

"I wouldn't try that again." Keien stated firmly.

"Doesn't matter. The point is that you promised Haruka that you'd visit. Now you've canceled and she was afraid that you'd gone and done something stupid."

"Like what?" Keien wasn't sure where this was going, but he had a bad feeling.

"That you were having a fling with someone you probably met in a bar while depressed over the break up. And that you'd asked this complete stranger to come live with you."

"Where would she get an idea like that?" Yatsurugi asked.

"Meiko" Kayumi and Keien replied in unison.

"Oh dear. I told you that you didn't explain things properly to her." Yatsurugi remarked crossing his arms. Keien sighed. He wasn't going to win with two angels in the apartment.

"But since the complete stranger, is my younger brother, there is nothing to worry about. Just call and explain the situation more clearly to Haruka please Keien." Kayumi said.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Tonight." Kayumi gave him a "you better do it or else" look.

"Fine." With that conflict solved for the time, Yatsurugi inquired if his sister wanted to stay for lunch. Shaking her head no, Kayumi expressed that she really should get back to Haruka as she really shouldn't leave her post for too long while Haruka was in a fretful mood. So unless Keien wanted an unexpected visitor later that evening, she better go.

"Keien, could you walk me out please?" she asked as she opened the door. Keien nodded and followed her out leaving Yatsurugi wondering what his sister was up to.

"Keien were you really in love with Tamahazura?"

"What sort of question is that? I did love him, but it's over." Kayumi nodded.

"You know my brother likes men."

"Yes." Keien replied remembering how Yatsurugi had said he was loved.

"Then you should be taking advantage of this situation."

"What situation?" he asked as they walked to the stairwell.

"My brother is in love with you, but you haven't made a move yet!"

"WHAT? NANI?" Keien stopped dead in his tracks. Kayumi faced him and held up her index finger.

"You've been alone, together for a week and you haven't kissed him! Are you really having problems getting over Tamahazura? He is a waste of protoplasm! Besides, isn't my little brother cute enough for you?"

"Suiichiro and I were together for a year. Of course I'm having problems! You don't just dump a whole year down the drain and start over! And Yatsurugi is the most desirable man I've ever met."

"Then why haven't you slept with him?"

"Because he's only been human a week!"

"That's not an excuse!"

"What do you want me to do? Jump him?"

"If that's what it comes down to." Keien felt like screaming. No wonder Yatsurugi hadn't looked thrilled to see her. He knew this was coming.

"Listen. Keep my card. If you ever need a professional Cupid to help you, then just write my name on the back of it and I'll come. Right now I need to be going. Talk to you later." With that she ran down the rest of the stairs and disappeared from view. Keien walked back to the apartment. That woman is guarding my older sister. No wonder she worries. I would with an angel like that.

Pushing open the door, Keien strode in and over to where Yatsurugi was still standing.

"Your sister is insane." He stated.

"You noticed. Don't worry she really isn't all that bad once you get past some of her more annoying qualities." Yatsurugi said patting Keien on the shoulder. Then he headed back to his bedroom claiming that he was still tired and wanted to sleep. Keien remained in the living room mulling over what Kayumi had said. Maybe she was right and that he should just jump Yatsurugi. No, that was crazy even if deep down he wanted to do it. He respected the angel too much to give in to animal urges so quickly.

Presently he heard a faint whimpering sound coming from Yatsurugi's room. Curious, he tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it. Yatsurugi was curled up asleep on his bed, one hand under the pillow, the other under his chin. His blankets had fallen on the floor in multicolored pile. He began to whine and whimper as he clutched the pillow tighter. Keien stared at the sleeping youth and pondered how innocent he looked curled up. For a moment Keien thought about waking him by covering him in kisses, but he couldn't. It would be wrong to disrupt such a precious sight as this. Instead he bent down and reached for the blankets. Replacing them back on Yatsurugi, he watched for a moment longer before turning to leave. Pausing by the door, Keien thought for second, then walked back over to Yatsurugi. Leaning over the sleeping form, he kissed him lightly on the cheek. Yatsurugi sighed and smiled in his sleep.

Keien left the room, shutting the door behind him. Deciding that he should make some lunch for himself, he put his hand in the pocket of his jeans. He felt the edge of Kayumi's card and pulled it out. It read, "Aisaku Counseling Services. Love is on your side, don't be afraid to show it."

"Thanks for the advice Kayumi." He chuckled walking into the kitchen.