When Lightning Strikes

by Yai-tzu Hin

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.

Keien glared out the window at the rain. His physics professor was going on about acceleration and cars, but Keien had lost interest. All I have to do is make it through this semester and I don't have to take anymore, he kept telling himself. Yatsurugi was lucky not having to take any physics, his major didn't require it. Lightning flashed and the entire class jumped. The lights flickered as everyone began praying that the power would go out. Thunder rumbled, the class took a collective breath as the lights flickered again. Go out. Go out. Go out, Keien silently chanted. They went out, everyone gasped. They came back on; everyone sighed as the professor continued on with the lecture.

Damn.

"You shouldn't feel bad Keien." Yatsurugi said later holding an umbrella over both of them. "Whenever there is a class full of bored students and the lights threaten to go out, they never do. No matter how much the students pray, the lights won't go out. Murphy can be such a jerk sometimes." Keien stuffed his hands in his pockets and grumbled about things not going right when you want them to.

"Let's go and get some lunch. Rainy weather always puts me in a bad mood." Keien growled into his jacket collar.

"I know." Yatsurugi muttered as they began to walk.

"KEIEN!" a familiar voice chirped through the rain. Turning they found a very colorful Meiko skipping towards them. She was wearing a red skirt with a gold top, a green, gold, and red plaid scarf, dark blue jacket and black boots. In her hands was a bright pink umbrella.

"Konnichiwa Oniichan!" she exclaimed stopping in front of a disgruntled Keien. "Why such the sour face Oniichan? Don't tell me that Dad called you from Hawaii to tell you to find a nice girlfriend."

"No, he's in a bad mood because the power didn't go out in his physics class." Yatsurugi replied. Meiko mouthed "oh" then smiled.

"I assume you are going to lunch? Can I join you? I'm done with classes for the day."

"Well, um Keien?" Yatsurugi looked to his roommate for affirmation that she could come. Still wearing a sour expression, Keien thought about it and finally relented. His younger sister would tag along whether he wanted her to or not.

"It's fine. Let's just get going, I'm getting wet standing here."

"But I'm holding the umbrella over you, you shouldn't be getting wet." Yatsurugi said as they began to walk.

"This umbrella isn't big enough for the both of us." He replied.

"It would be if I moved closer." Yatsurugi commented scooting nearer to Keien's side. Keien felt his face flush. The proximity of Yatsurugi's body to his was causing Keien to forget about the rain and his sister. He wanted to slip his arm around Yatsurugi and draw him even closer so that there was no space between them. Meiko's giggle brought his mind out of the fantasies it was busily creating.

"That would be a good idea Aisaku-san." Meiko snickered. "Look, you've made my older brother blush. Isn't it cute?" Keien was tempted to smack her. If she'd leave us alone, then...

"If she left us alone, then what?" Yatsurugi whispered. Keien nearly froze, but recovered quickly.

"Then we might have a quiet lunch without her carrying on a one-woman conversation with us as her audience."

"Hey! I heard that Keien! Oniichan, you are so mean sometimes." Meiko whined loudly so that everyone in the immediate area could hear her.

"What are older brothers for besides being mean?" Keien joked winking at her, his good humor beginning to return to him. Then they all headed towards the nearest café for lunch.

As crowded as it was on a rainy day, the café still had tables open. It was a European style establishment created for all the foreign students who were home sick. Considering the university had one of the largest foreign student programs, the café was a wise investment. They ordered sandwiches and drinks. While they waited, Meiko regaled them with stories from her journalism class. Keien had heard these before and didn't really care to hear them again. Meiko wasn't interested in what her brother thought; she was more interested in flirting with Yatsurugi. She didn't care if he did tease her brother, he was cute and therefore someone to flirt with.

Yatsurugi left Keien and Meiko at the café still eating. Unlike them, he had only an hour for lunch. Keien still had an hour and a half before his computer class. It had stopped raining, which made Yatsurugi happy. This meant the Keien would be in a good mood by the time they met at the train station. One of the problems with being in human form was that he couldn't follow Keien to every class any more. After all, Yatsurugi was still Keien's guardian angel; he just had certain obligations now. Being granted human form meant that he had an identity complete with birth certificate, driver's license, health insurance, and video club card. He could still use his angelic powers, but he had to be extra careful that no one saw him. While he mulled over his current situation, Yatsurugi didn't notice a young man roughly Keien's age and height step out directly in front of him. They collided.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have been paying better attention." Yatsurugi apologized helping the young man up.

"Yeah, well, I should have been watching where I was going." Yatsurugi froze. The young man brushed off his pants then ran a hand through bleached hair. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, I have a friend waiting for me. Say, are you new on campus? I thought I knew all the handsome young men."

"I just transferred in." Yatsurugi said curtly biting back the urge to turn him into a chinchilla.

"Really? I'm Tamahazura Suiichiro. How do you like the classes so far?"

"They're fine. I need to be going." He nearly growled. His tone was so cold that it could have frozen the Pacific Ocean. Suiichiro grinned.

"What? So soon? We just met."

"I'll be late and I hate being late." Yatsurugi seriously considered turning him into a rat, but decide that it wouldn't be prudent. That and it would be an insult to the rat, he thought as he brushed by Suiichiro and into the building.

Standing a bit dumbfounded, Suiichiro suddenly started laughing.

"I bet he's never been hit on by a guy before." Suiichiro reasoned still snickering. "I'll have to give him another dose of Suiichiro and see if he squirms. It could be fun."

Cleaning wasn't the most fun thing Yatsurugi could be doing at the moment, but considering that Keien was out, it was better than nothing was. Meiko had drug her brother out shopping for their parent's anniversary present and knowing Meiko it would take all day. Picking a pair of Keien's jeans off the bathroom floor, Yatsurugi began systematically going through the pockets. He might as well throw them in the wash. His fingers touched the edge of a card. Pulling it out, Yatsurugi bit the bottom of his lip.

"One-san…" he sighed as he read the card. "Aisaku Counseling Services. Experienced Cupid available 24 hours a day." He shook his head. "Just because she dated Eros for a couple decades does not make her a licensed Cupid." The writing on the card shifted. "Aisaku Counseling Services. Experienced, CERTIFIED, Cupid. Geeze, I give up." He put the card in his own pocket and told himself that he'd have to talk to Kayumi later about her card.

A sudden pounding on the door caught his attention. Tossing the jeans into the nearest laundry basket, he walked to the door. He had a bad feeling about who was on the other side. Sighing he prepared himself to get rid of the obnoxious salesman. Twisting the doorknob, he cautiously opened the door. He was nearly knocked out of the way by a young man with bleached blond hair.

"Hey, Keien. I forgot some stuff when I left." Suiichiro said heading straight for the kitchen. Yatsurugi grabbed his arm and held firmly. Suiichiro's feet nearly flew out from under him.

"And just what gives you the right to barge in here?" he demanded, his anger rising. Whirling at the unfamiliar voice, Suiichiro found he couldn't break the other man's grasp on him.

"You're not Keien."

"No. I'm not."

"Where is he?"

"None of your business. What do you want?" Yatsurugi growled.

"I used to live here. I left some stuff when I moved out. Now, could you let go please." Yatsurugi let go, but watched Suiichiro with all the attention a hawk gives a mouse.

Rubbing his arm Suiichiro wondered what this man was doing here. It wasn't like Keien could find a roommate in two weeks after being dumped by him. Keien should have been too distraught to even consider going to school, let alone a new roommate. Yet there was a man that Suiichiro didn't know in Keien's apartment. Wait, now he recognized the man. He was the transfer student he'd run into three days ago.

"So what did you forget?" Yatsurugi demanded interrupting Suiichiro's thoughts.

"A blender, um, a spatula, some candles and a deck of playing cards." Yatsurugi rolled his eyes. A deck of playing cards? Give me a break, he snarled mentally wishing that he could transport Suiichiro somewhere else, like Antarctica.

"Fine. Just be quick about it."

"Yeah, sure. Geeze, don't get your panties in a bundle." Suiichiro wondered if Yatsurugi was still mad about being hit on. Or was it something else.

Keien was exhausted. Meiko had drug him all over the city looking for a gift. His feet ached and he was tired of window-shopping. All he wanted to do was collapse on his bed and let Yatsurugi cook dinner. Although that might be a mistake, Yatsurugi's macaroni and cheese could kill.

As he climbed the four flights of stairs to his apartment he noticed a woman wearing a red dress standing in the middle of the fourth flight. She was tapping her high-heeled foot impatiently. As approached her, he realized he knew her. Suzu. What was she doing here?

"Hello, Nakabori-san." Tamaide Suzu said coldly. Keien bit his bottom lip.

"Hello Tamaide-san. May I ask what you are you doing here?" Suzu brushed a stray strand of brown hair out of her face. Her hair was cut short in the fashion of the day, but she would have looked better with long hair.

"Suiichiro left a few things behind when he moved out. I drove him over to retrieve them. I trust there won't be any problems? You won't throw yourself at him like a starved puppy." It was more a threat than a question. Keien decided to change the subject slightly.

"If you knew that Suiichiro was seeing me, why are you still marrying him?" Keien asked cautiously moving up the stairs so that he was standing next to her.

Suzu crossed her arms and smiled cruelly.

"I've always known that Suiichiro swung both ways. I actually don't care. When I left to study in England for a year, he promised that he'd marry me when I got back. Our parents were very happy. Suiichiro comes from a prestigious lineage, as do I. For several generations our families have considered joining together through marriage. Considering that he and I are the only children of our respective lines, the duty fell upon us. We don't necessarily have a choice. So I tolerated his little escapade with you, until my return." She walked up the finale few stairs to Keien's apartment. Keien followed.

The apartment door was open and Keien walked straight in. Suzu lingered around the entrance, not entirely sure she wanted to step into a bachelor pad. Yatsurugi stood in the kitchen glaring at Suiichiro as he rummaged through one of the cupboards. A spatula was on the counter as was three candles and a deck of playing cards. Suiichiro glanced up and smiled at Keien.

"Well, you finally decided to show yourself. Your new roomie has been acting as watchdog so that I don't steal anything. So have you fucked him yet?" Yatsurugi's eyes narrowed further and he ground his teeth. Keien turned red, then clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.

"It is none of your damn business. Get what you came for and get the hell out of my apartment." Keien snarled.

"Whoa, simmer down. It was a simple question. Besides this was my apartment too." Suiichiro said. His voice was light and almost cheerful. Keien wanted the deck him, Yatsurugi wanted to hang him upside down from the balcony completely naked and leave him there for several days. Suiichiro returned to pawing through pots and pans, ignoring the seething men.

"What is his looking for?" Keien whispered.

"A blender." Keien looked at Yatsurugi oddly.

"He came back for the blender?"

"Also candles, a spatula, and a deck of playing cards." Yatsurugi informed him.

"A deck of playing cards?""That's what I said."

"Must be his lucky poker deck with mustaches drawn on all the queens." Keien commented as Suiichiro pulled a battered blender out from the back of the cupboard. He set it on the counter and began gathering his belongings.

"Well, I'll leave you chaps alone. I've got what I came for and more."

"SUIICHIRO!" Suzu screeched from outside. "You better hurry up or we'll be late for dinner with my parents!"

"Coming!" he yelled back. "Hey, she may be a bitch sometimes, but she's a rich bitch." Suiichiro said winking at both Keien and Yatsurugi. "And she's a hell of a lot more fun in bed."

"SUIICHIRO!" Suzu called.

"Got to run." Suiichiro trotted out of the apartment, items in hand and into Suzu's waiting arms. They didn't bother shutting the door, so that anyone walking by could look in.

Yatsurugi calmly closed the door while Keien stood in the kitchen shaking.

"That son of a…" he couldn't finish the curse. Tears filled his eyes. He knew why Suiichiro had come back. To stab him farther in the heart and twist the dagger of betrayal deeper so that he would crumble. Was this what Suiichiro did to all his lovers? Use them, betray them and then return to pour salt into the wound?

Keien's knees gave out. He collapsed to the floor whimpering, tears sliding down his cheeks. His throat was clenched tight against a wave of sobs that threatened to destroy what little emotional stability he had left. Shaking, he hugged himself and waited for the tears to subside.

Strong arms gently hugged him. Yatsurugi knelt down and pulled Keien towards him protectively. Keien allowed himself to be drawn into the embrace. He didn't have the strength to resist, nor did he want to.

"Shhh, it will be all right. He's gone." Yatsurugi whispered softly as he began rocking Keien back and forth. They remained thus for several minutes until Keien stopped shaking.

"Are you going to be all right?" Yatsurugi asked in a concerned voice. Keien slowly nodded.

"I think so. I didn't realize how hard it would be seeing him again." Yatsurugi hugged him tightly.

"Mmm, do you want me to make dinner while you go lay down?" he asked. Keien murmured yes and then wondered if it was a smart idea to let Yatsurugi near a stove.

"What do you mean is it a smart idea to let me near a stove?" Yatsurugi demanded in a hurt tone. "My cooking isn't that bad."

"You've gotten a little better, but I'm not expecting over night miracles from you." Yatsurugi frowned and Keien felt bad. "Not with your cooking at least."

"I admit I need more practice cooking, but you don't have to keep complaining about it."

"Rice isn't supposed to be crunchy." Keien said looking up at Yatsurugi. They smiled at each other and then got up. Keien lingered watching Yatsurugi start dinner before wandering to his room.

Lying down on his bed, Keien closed his eyes and listened as a light rain began to fall outside. It made a soothing pitter patter sound on his window.Yatsurugi had held him and he hadn't taken advantage of it. Of course, he'd been in no position to. Still the thought had crossed his mind to kiss him. Then again, Yatsurugi had had the opportunity to kiss him, but had not done so. Why?

"Maybe it's because he thinks I need time to get over Suiichiro. Kayumi thinks I should just jump him and get it over with, but that seems a bit extreme." Keien told himself. "She must know something I don't."

Thunder crashed. The storm had grown worse in the past ten minutes. Lightning flashed, the lights flickered. Another boom of thunder and the lights went out.

Keien fumbled to his dresser and searched through his sock drawer until he found a flashlight. Clicking it on, he cursed the power for going off now and not during class several days ago.

"Yatsurugi, are you all right?" he called out.

"Just fine, although dinner is ruined." Not much of a loss, Keien thought. They could always order out or go out.

"There should be some candles in the far left drawer along with a box of matches. The candlesticks are in the drawer directly underneath it." Keien said walking towards the kitchen carefully. Yatsurugi felt his way to the drawer and was just pulling out the first candle when Keien entered. Using the flashlight to see, they placed four candles in candlesticks. Once they were lit, Keien turned off the flashlight.

"Well, now what are we going to do?" he asked glancing out the window at the darkened city. At least one transformer must have blown, he thought sullenly. They could be without power for hours.

"I suggest we eat the ice cream in the freezer before it melts." Yatsurugi suggest pulling two clean bowls from the dishwasher. Keien stared at him, then laughed.

"Sounds good to me. Heck, ice cream is the best thing to eat by candlelight. I'll get the spoons."

"Yes, very romantic." Yatsurugi chuckled pulling a carton of chocolate chip mint ice cream from the freezer. "It's what all the fashionable couples do in power outages." He smiled. Keien smiled back. They dipped up two huge helpings of ice cream and sat down at the table.

The candles bathed the kitchen in a soft glow. Yatsurugi looked up from his dish into Keien's eyes. Keien had beautiful green eyes that reflected the kindness in his soul. His ebony hair was ruffled from when he had lay down. Yatsurugi remembered all the times that he had watched over Keien in his sleep. Such a sweet sight. Part of him missed being able to just stare at Keien for hours during the night, every so often comforting him with whisper when a nightmare disturbed him. But in pure angel form he could not let Keien see him and if he touched him, then Keien barely felt it.

There had been times during Keien's adolescence that Yatsurugi had stayed awake all night fretting over him. Keien had been so frightened, when he'd finally come to terms with being homosexual. Telling his family was Keien's worst fear, especially his father. Yatsurugi never left Keien's side when he finally told them. Keien's father was very silent for a long time then erupted at him. His mother had tried to calm her husband down, but it was to no avail. He ordered Keien out the house forever. Keien had quietly walked out of the house.

When Keien climbed the stairs to the top of his high school late that evening in deep depression, Yatsurugi had flung himself between the edge and him. Keien couldn't see Yatsurugi in full battle armor, wings spread wide standing directly in his path to oblivion, but he heard a voice in the back of his mind trying to reason with him. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Yatsurugi desperately attempted to convince Keien that this wasn't the way to solve problems. Kayumi guided Haruka there just in time to finish talking him down. The guardian angel had never been so relieved to see any member of the Nakabori family as that night. Keien numbly walked over to Haruka and cried on her shoulder while Yatsurugi collapsed into his sister's arms completely exhausted.

"You love him don't you?" she had asked him then. He'd been too tired to answer. "You should consider taking human form. It would do both you and him some good." Kayumi could be blunt, but at the time he'd seriously considered her suggestion. He hadn't taken her advice then, but this time he had.

Keien wondered what Yatsurugi was thinking as he'd been quiet for a long time. He was staring into space while his ice cream melted.

"Hey, I thought we were supposed to be eating this so it wouldn't melt. You've barely touched your ice cream." Keien said leaning across the table missing the candles to tap his roommate on the forehead. "Hello, anyone home?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Keien. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how nice it is to have human form and to have actual conversations with you instead talking to myself."

"What about Kayumi and other guardian angels?" Keien inquired sneaking a spoonful from Yatsurugi's dish.

"I only talk to them when I'm around …HEY! That was my ice cream!"

"You weren't eating it, so I thought I'd help you." Yatsurugi narrowed his eyes. Keien grinned broadly. "If you want, you can have a spoonful of mine." He held a spoon full of slightly melted greenish ice cream in front of Yatsurugi. Closing his eyes, Yatsurugi accepted Keien's offer. It tasted delicious, like all ice cream should. But that was a special spoonful because Keien had given it to him.

"Okay. Now we're even." Keien said sitting back down. "But I suggest you finish your dish before I decide to sneak some more of it."

"Then you'll just have to pay me back." Yatsurugi replied.

"Fine." They both snickered and returned to eating. Keien finished his and scooped some more into his bowl.

"I bet Suiichiro's dinner plans with his soon to be in-laws aren't going well." Keien commented sitting back down. Yatsurugi chuckled. "Especially if the entire city's power is out." Yatsurugi started laughing harder. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm POSITIVE that their dinner is ruined."

"You are?" Keien asked raising an eyebrow. His roommate nodded. He was laughing so hard that his shoulders were shaking. "Well, are you going to tell me HOW you know this or do I get to guess?"

"Well, you see there is this angel named Murphy and he owes me a favor or two." Yatsurugi began. Keien threw up his hands. He didn't need to hear the rest. Images of Suiichiro and Suzu sitting in a darkened restaurant for hours only eating salads drifted across his mind. He could see Suiichiro hitting on a cute waiter while Suzu ordered a firing squad for the owner of the establishment if they weren't served something soon.

<"And hopefully they will have a rotten evening while we enjoy dining on ice cream by candlelight." Keien said with a smile./P>

"Indeed." Yatsurugi giggled.