Stranger in the Snow
Chapter One-
By Cassandra
For Bella-chan!

The winter had been extremely cold that year. The snow fell unrelentingly, covering the city in over two feet. More then any one had seen in years.

But Ryo wasn't thinking about that now as he wandered the streets. He only wished that he heart could be as cold as the snow, that his mind was as still as the winter's night. He didn't think on where he was going, his feet moved and that was all that mattered. He had to get away, he wanted to forget, forget everything. All that he felt was an endless rage and the searing sting of betrayal.

He hadn't even denied it this time, Ryo thought. No more beating around the bush, no more dodging or changing the question. I just asked and he looked at me and said 'yes'.

Sage had come home late again and this time Ryo couldn't take it anymore. He was tired of the lies and the deceptions. He knew where Sage had been, he knew where he had been every other night he was out late too. Only by now it didn't matter who it was.

Why? Why can't I be good enough for him? Why can't I be enough for him? Why does he have to go out? What's wrong with me? What don't I give him that he wants?

Tear fell swiftly from his eyes and froze on the way down his cheeks. He didn't feel them. Ryo kept walking, never looking up, pulled by some unseen force.

Why can't I give him up? Why can't I just walk away? Why can't I just fucking let go?!

Because you love him. Damn my inner voice for speaking up at the wrong time.

It is because you love him, still now and forever, no matter where he goes or who he's with or what he does to you, you can never let him go the same way he can never let go of you.

The snow was failing heavier and faster by the minute. He knew Seiji would be out looking for him. He knew how much Ryo hated the cold. His legs bumped into something, snapping Ryo back and make he look up.

He was in a park. He had bumped into a sign. The snow was undisturbed and inviting. He was tempted to turn back, to return to Sage, but he couldn't. Not after what he had done this time. Ryo need time and space between them.

Ryo took a deep, cold, breath and trudged off into the park, hoping to loose himself in its white depths and find some answers on his own.


He hadn't gotten very far when a familiar voice shattered the silence. "RYO!"

Oh, god, no. Please, no.

Sage was there running after him, slowly because he had to bound over the snow. But there he was running towards him.

Ryo didn't think, he only reacted. Ryo began to run as fast as he could away from him. Hoping by some miracle the snow would hide him and protect him from Sage. He couldn't face Seiji, not now, not so soon.

And if my that miracle Ryo was asking for, the snow fell harder, covering up everything and hiding Ryo from Sage. Everything turned white.


Casey stood by the park bench, two long stemmed red roses lay in the fallen snow on the park bench. Two roses for the lovers he had lost. This had been the place that they had shared their first kiss, the place that they had first found each other. And now they were gone. Taken away by a cruel hard fate-time.

Casey smiled sadly. Sometimes it really sucked to be immortal. He stood there in the snow and remembered it all; the good times and the bad.

The snow muffled everything and even Casey's superior hearing didn't catch someone running in the snow. He was too lost in his own thoughts and hadn't expected anyone else to be out on a cold night like this. He didn't see or hear Ryo until he landed on top of Casey.

Ryo collided with Casey and they both tumbled down in the snow, leg and arms entangled. Casey let out a started gasp and Ryo yelped in surprise.

"I'm so-," Roy started.

"Are you-?" Casey asked, always concerned about someone else.

"I didn't see you. All this snow…" Ryo's voice trailed off as he gestured with his hands to the falling snow. He looked around him, a flash of fear went through his eyes that Casey didn't miss.

Casey offered a hand up and Ryo only hesitated for an instant before accepting it.

"What wrong? Who are you running from?" Casey asked, worry in his voice.

"What?" Ryo looked over his shoulder, no sign of Seiji, but he could be here at any second.

"I asked you what was wrong. Who are you running from? Who's after you?"

"Nothing, ah, no one. I just-," Ryo glanced up into Casey's eyes and he felt he could tell him anything. "I just can't deal with him right now. I just needed to get away."

"Lover?"

"Uh, what? How did you know?" Roy fidgeted with his gloves, nervous. He expected Sage to show up at any second and drag him back.

"I tell by the look in your eyes and the sound of your voice. If you want, I can help. I can take you away from him for awhile. Until you are ready to face him and talk to him."

"How? You don't know Sage; he can find me anywhere. I don't know you…"

"My name is Casey, sorry. I-he's coming."

"What?!" panic crept into Ryo's voice as he whirled around and looked fanatically off into the snow. "Where?"

"There," Casey pointed off into the snow. Then Ryo heard Sage's voice muffled by the snow.

"Ryo! Where are you! Come back, Ryo!"

Even from the distance, Sage sounded distressed and a little pissed off.

"He's tracking you by your foot prints. We need to leave if you don't want him to see you now," Casey whispered into Ryo ear.

Ryo didn't even hesitate. "Yes, please."

Casey smiled and nodded, but Roy wasn't looking. He was watching Sage's figure get closer and closer. "Hurry! He's getting closer!" Ryo was getting desperate and he didn't know why.

"Don't worry. Now, close your eyes and you have got to trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith."

"Yes…" Ryo closed his eye and instantly he felt as though he was floating and then the wind was in his ears. A howling that covered up everything.

"Sleep, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. And when you wake up we can talk. Go to sleep now," Casey whispered and lulled Ryo to sleep.


"RYO!" Sage screamed. He was sure Ryo was here. He looked down at the snow and the rapidly covering footsteps. There were two sets of prints. What have you gotten yourself into, Ryo? Baka, why did you run away? We could have talked it out…why do you get so damned emotional? Where did you go so fast and who are you with? How am I going to know that you are safe?

Sage gave one last look at the footprints and was about to turn away, but he notice that the footprints stopped all of a sudden. They just stopped and disappeared out into nothing. That's odd. How did that happen? It couldn't have been the snow; it's falling fast but not that fast. What's going on here? Something isn't right. I better go talk to the guys.

Sage began to run as fast as he could back to the house. Ryo was in trouble, he knew it. And he'd be damned if he didn't do something about it.


"Wha ya talkin' about that Ryo's gone? How can he jus be gone?" Rowen asked when Sage got home.

"You heard me the first time," Sage snapped, annoyed that Rowen wasn't taking Ryo's disappearance lightly.

"But how can he just be gone, I mean, isn't there some logical explanation?" Kento asked.

"Yeah, maybe the snow did cover up his tracks…" Sai shut up at the glare Sage gave him.

"Then how do you explain TWO tracks?! Come on guys, I wouldn't be telling you this if it wasn't important! Now be serious for once!"

"Okay, why did Ryo "run away" in the first place. Can you tell us that, Seiji?" Rowen asked, glaring himself at Sage.

"Don't start with me Rowen. That's my-,"

"I know, I know. But now it is our business. You brought us into this. So, what did you do this time?"

"Shut up, Rowen, I mean it," Sage warned.

"Okay, you two, break it up," Kento said. "Right now, we don't know anything. He hasn't been gone even 24 hours. We'll wait until morning. Maybe he'll come back," Though I don't see why he does the way Sage treats him somethimes… "Until then, all we can do is wait. Agreed?" Kento looked between Sage and Rowen. Slowly they both nodded and stormed off to separate parts of the house-Sage to his room and Rowen to the living room.

"God, those two…" Kento trailed off.

"I have to admit," Sai said, walking over and slipping his arms around Kento to comfort him, "Rowen is right. Sage isn't treating Ryo all that great lately and we would all like to know why."

"Why he does it or why Ryo stays?"

"Both. Give him a brake, Ken. As much as Sage can be a cold-hearted bastard toward Ryo sometimes, he still does love him. He's just worried."

"Well he should show it a lot better."

"I don't treat you like a cold-hearted bastard," Sai murmured into Kento's ear. He began to nibble on his ear lobe.

"No, love. You don't, oh, god that feels so good you little tease," Kento sighed.

"Always and forever," Sai smiled and gave a finial nibble to Kento's ear lobe. "Seriously, now. Do you think Ryo's in trouble? It is cold out and snowing…"

"As much as Ryo hates the cold, I think he can take care of himself of one night. What ever happened between him and Sage, Ryo needs to be by himself and cool off for a night."

"I don't think Ryo is the only one who need to cool off. I honestly thought Sage was going to punch Rowen."

"Yeah," Kento turned around and gave Sai a warm kiss. "Why don't we go to bed ourselves?"

"Sound good…"

They trailed up to their room hand in hand, Sai blushing and looking sheepish when they passed the living room with Rowen in it. Rowen gave Sai a goofish grin back.

At least someone is happy around here. Rowen turned back to the TV, the late night new was coming on, and since he had seen all the late night movie that were on, it seemed like the news was the only thing good on at the moment.

He wasn't paying that much attention at first, lightly dozing in front of the TV, until he heard the words "breaking news-disappearances and dead bodies".

"Uh?" Rowen sat up and listened intently.

"Last night a couple found the dead body of a missing person, James Hanson. His body was found, half buried by the snow, in a park on the outskirts of town. Mr. Hanson had been reported missing last week. This has been the first found of the string of missing persons, and we all hope that they are alive. For more information on this and other related cases, check tomorrow's paper of log onto our web page at www.news4U.org and our links page. Thank you and good-night."

That's odd, a big case and only the last minute report on it. Well, no one's using that blasted computer… Rowen lugged himself over to the computer the small study off the family room.

He logged on and started to read numerous reports on the missing persons and the dead body of James Hanson.

"Body found in park…HEY! That's the same park Ryo was in! Body found in the snow…frozen…" he kept reading. "Hey, this is strange…the body was found with out any blood inside…gross…the coroner jokingly says it looks like the work of a vampire…humf…yeah right." Rowen yawned and stretched. "Okay, enough for me." He turned off the computer and quickly made it into bed before he fell asleep on the floor. I'll ask the guys tomorrow if they think we should look into it…Rowen thought before he fell asleep.


In Sage's room, Sage stood by the window, looking out at the moon reflecting off the new snow. He couldn't sleep, his mind swarmed with images. The hurt on Ryo's face…it swam in front of Sage every second. Why did I do it? What possessed me?

You like it…sneered his inner voice that was now more vocal then usual.

No, no I don't and you can't tell me I do.

Go ahead and keep lying to yourself and then tell me you don't like to feel that power. That power when he cowers under you, isn't that why you are always on top?

Yes…but it isn't… I don't want to hurt him. I love him.

Ha! You call that love? The snickering lasted until Sage managed to fall asleep after he took a few sleeping pills.


Casey traced the contours of Ryo face, brushing some abstract stands of hair off his cheeks. He sat on the edge of the bed, a few candles making Ryo's skin glow gold. Ryo looked almost peaceful when he slept, Casey noticed. Maybe I can give him something, if only for a little while, I know I will have helped him.

Casey silently got up and closed the door. He walked to his own room across the hall. He sat down in an over stuff armchair and put his feet up on the coffee table. On the table was the morning's paper. The headlines screamed in capital letters: Vampires Stalk the City!

"If only they knew, what chaos would it bring. There is nothing they can do about it," Casey sighed. He got up and went over the mini fridge and pulled out a wine bottle. He took a long swig and closed his eyes as if in ecstasy. "Ah, delicious…type AB, how unusual. Female…in her prime, how nice of them." He looked back at the newspaper and smiled. "Looks like I'll just have to show them what they are dealing with."


Wasn't that beautiful! Email Cassandra

On to chapter 2
back to Ronin fics