The Wanderer

[Birdie]

Wanderer

No matter where you went there would always be blank people with their blank stares. They would hurry about their little lies, pretending that they had important places to go and important things to do. The sad thing was how many of them believed it, just how important those things were in comparison to the millions of other things Kouhei found to be much more important. It is little things that people missed, the little things that were important.

He placed his chin on his hand and huffed a long sigh as he turned a page in his book. He sat behind the front counter of a book store. It was not a very big store, the kind of ma and pa place that does not usually last very long. People donated used books, old and ancient copies of volumes long forgotten. His job was simply to watch the store and sell the occasional treasure which got bought. Mostly he just read the musty smelling tomes. His jade green eyes wandered from the book to the large windows which allowed light into the store. It was late afternoon, people rushed about their daily tasks (buying food for dinner, taking the children home from a day at the park, rushing to or from their jobs). The missed the beautiful tone of the sky, the painter who painted with spray cans on bits of cardboard, or the leaves which skittered across the ground and announced fall. Kouhei saw everything. He thought of it as both a gift and a curse. Because he saw everything he could appreciate the world and also felt a sort of wanderlust which seduced his soul. He wanted to see far off places and see those things that no one else saw.

He was a pretty boy, he knew this and he took care to make the androgyny of his face and figure stick out. Light eye liner, a bit of lip gloss, and an outfit which screamed modern sixties retro. A soft egg shell peasant shirt, leather vest, and bell bottom jeans. It meshed with the bright peacock blues and purples which adorned his platinum blonde hair. None the less he wore it and he liked it.

The eyes turned back to his book as he contemplated what he should do once his shift was over. There was still so much time left in the day. He could go clubbing or just take this book with him and get some coffee. Maybe he would just go home and do nothing all by himself. Kouhei hated to be alone. The last option made him extremely uncomfortable. He would not go home alone if it was the last thing he did. Worse came to worse he would call his big brother.

The bell above the door rang and Kouhei perked up. A smile shone on his face. "Good Evening. Welcome to Woodstock books. Feel free to look around, take your time, and let me know if you need anything." His greeting over, Kouhei waited patiently for some sort of reply... or to be ignored which was more typical.

[Lord Sesshomaru]

The search began a few hours earlier as the clock struck three and the bell rang in relief to the Highschool students inside. Through the chaos of crowds and clumsy students one item didn't survive the onslaught. As the halls cleared and the wreckage remained like a crime scene witnessed by a close relative, Tsuyoi stood tense before the remains of his book. Stepped on until it was nothing but tattered remains, the book was unreadable and quickly needed to be replaced. He was on the final chapters, after all.

Having no time to lose, he left the ruined book where it was in the hallway as it was useless to him. Book stores were further in town. The well known companies, that is. He didn't have the means to go so far and wandered into the lower end stores near the school.

Woodstock Books just happened to catch his eye. Not thinking twice he crossed the street and opened the door, adjusting his book bag as he did so. He scanned the small store from the entrance, landing on the clerk at the desk before dismissing the person all together.

"Hn..." Was his short reply as he crossed the threshold and became by the aisles of books inside the store. Tugging a button loose at his collar from his exertion to get to the store, he seemed a little disheveled in his navy blue school uniform.

Agitated at the need for a new book, he formed out the rest of his evening as he searched through the shelves. Once he was finally done with the book, he would get his hair redone. His black roots were already starting to show beneath the diry blonde hair he had bleached it in defiance towards his father.

As his fingers skimmed over a familiar spine, Tsuyoi was finally able to relax. He pulled the book free, skimmed the paged to find his spot and slipped in a yen coin as his book mark (as it was the first thing he grabbed out of his pocket). He read the title again just to calm his nerves.

Dracula by Bram Stoker. Satisfied, Tsuyoi relaxed and made his way back to the front to make his purchase. Placing the book down, he looked up and recieved a much better view of the person he had dismissed earlier. The first thing that caught him off guard were those bright green eyes. Completely unnatural in his normal atmosphere they were extremely alluring. He visibly tensed, a twitch in his jar as his eyes narrowed in an intense concentration. He quickly blinked himself out of it, but now he was defensive and on edge against the allure of those eyes.

[Birdie]

Ah yes, sweet apathy. How it soothed his heart to know that yet another person could not stop their onslaught of life to simply greet another human being. The corners of his mouth fell into a sour pout as the handsome young man disappeared off into the shelves. Kouhei yawned, placing slender fingers daintily over his mouth. He managed to get through half a chapter of Rebecca before another book was placed in front of him. No words were spoken. Kouhei raised his eyes, the automatic smile plastered to his face.

The boy was more than handsome in the face, though one could tell his hair needed a little work. He bleached it, and often with out the proper hair product to keep it moisturized and soft. He could think of a few products which would be perfect for fixing the burned out blonde. And his roots were starting to show. What sort of bleach did he use? It was really too bad, the Japanese had such wonderful hair.

Kouhei blushed and lifted the book from the counter. The smile was momentarily accompanied by a raised eyebrow. Not many highschoolers chose a Brom Stoker novel by choice. "School assignment?" he inquired in a friendly and delicate tone. His voice was a soft and lilting tenor which drifted through the air like a spring breeze. "I hope you enjoy it." His words were spoken in the pristine and careful way of someone whose first language was not Japanese.

The register bells chimed happily as Kouhei input the total for the book. "Your total comes to 950 Yen please." He slid the book across the counter and then held out his left palm up to receive the money. His finger nails were painted a bright blue to match the exotic colors in his hair.

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Tsuyoi was staring. He knew, and couldn't help himself. She was a unique oddity, with strange hair color choice and even stranger wardrobe. He blinked slowly, light brown eyes scanning the face of the girl. But something confused him. The broad shoulders and the thicker neck, it was such a confusing mix of attributes that left him wondering if this even was a female. Yet it didn't seem to stop his attraction none the less.

It took the voice of the person that had stolen all his attentions to finally snap him out of it. He looked down, almost seeing the book for the first time and not knowing why it was there.

"No." he stiffly replied, his eyes downcast. He avoided eye contact as the seconds ticked by, keeping himself occupied by the image on the book and then the delicate hand of clerk. The nail polish only added to the girl's appeal, and he concluded this was the strangest encounter he'd ever had.

Rummaging through his pocket, he produced the money needed and gently handed it over. His fingers grazed the woman's palm and he repressed a shudder as he picked the book up off the desk with his other hand.

OOC: He's so awkward!!

[Birdie]

He did not seems one much for talking. It certainly made things a little difficult. Though, he had a wonderfully deep tone which Kouhei appreciated. He wished the highschooler would speak more. "No?" he replied, taking the money from Tsuyoi. He also felt the touch of those fingers. Another soft blush came to his checks as he quickly retracted his hand. He was acting down right foolish today! Blushing like a school girl and getting butterflies in his stomach.

Green eyes concentrated on the register so as not to deal with the strange attraction to a highschool kid. Kouhei felt a bit dirty. One could thing that youngsters were cute, but certainly not the sort of alluring this young man exuded like some sort of cologne. "Well, it's a good choice. I think it is commendable that you would go out of your way for extracurricular reading. What is your favorite book?"

The cash drawer run loudly as it slid open. He placed the money in the drawer before pulling out the change. Pushing the drawer shut, his eyes ventured back to Tsuyoi's face. He had such mesmerizing gold-brown eyes! It really was not fair! Kouhei dropped the change cheerily into the young man's hand so as to avoid the butterflies.

"Say, how do you bleach your hair? What do you do to take care of it? Just wondering." He tried to keep his voice from shaking as he spoke. It only tremored slightly, but it was noticeable. His hands gripped the bottom hem of his shirt, picking at the little fibers there. Rarely did he ever get so nervous talking to some guy. He was very good with customers, polite and proper. What was going through his head was definitely not polite nor proper.

He berated himself for the momentary day dream, his blush only darkening. Silly and childish was how he was feeling and he did not like it one bit. He was in freshman year of highschool last time he felt like this... He promised himself he would never let it happen again. 'Stop talking, let the kid go home and read his book,' he thought 'You are doing yourself no favors by doing this. Not doing yourself any either.'

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Tsuyoi seemed uncomfortable as he held the book to his side. What was with this girl? She was supposed to just give him his change quickly and let him leave. But no, she was asking him personal questions and he found himself glued to the spot, unable to leave and be too rude. Why would he bother not trying to be insulting?

"...The older classics are always good." he commented, then looked away; irritated with his word choice. The longer he lingered the more he noticed the shift in the person's character, and found it inhumanly cute. He was so used to the ordinary, the same things in an easy pattern. His life was grey, and he liked it like that. The sudden shift in colors...the blues and the mesmerizing green threw his brain for a loop and left him starstruck. He was ensnared, and knew that he could never see the grey world again. It would have some sort of color...at least with that smile.

Accepting the change with dread at his realization, he was thankful for the distraction at the comment of his hair. And for the first time Tsuyoi blushed, slightly embarrassed as his fingers combed through his bangs. "A momentary lapse in judgement." he blurted quickly, eyes narrowing in agitation. "I was going to redo it, but seeing how it turned out, I..." he hesitated, glancing behind the girl to avoid eye contact. "I'll get it dyed back to normal professionally."

[Birdie]

Kouhei nodded. When it came to lapses in judgement, he understood better than most people his age. The trick was making the best out of it. He swirled a piece of purply-blue hair around his fingers, his thick lips slightly pursed as he considered what he was told. Japanese hair was gorgeous and he often found himself jealous of the young women wandering around town with their soft, straight locks that required almost no work. It made him a little sad that it was a 'lapse in judgement' what ruined what was probably a fantastic head of hair.

That blush was cute. Super cute. Sexy. 'Hush brain,' he thought.

Kouhei leaned back on his stool, the tips of his fingers touching the counter as he surveyed the young man before him. His eyes roamed over Tsuyoi's face, hair, and shoulders. "If you were planning on changing it back because of the damage from the bleach, I would be happy to give you some product names which would turn your hair back to normal." He leaned forward on the stool again, crossing his arms and leaning them against the counter top. "I think you make a nice blonde." Kouhei felt the blush dusted across his face darken. He wasn't supposed to say that last bit out loud. Ah well, it was said and he could not take it back.

Before the boy could say anything, Kouhei picked up a pen and a piece of paper and wrote out a list of high end conditioners and leave in products which would bring his hair back to it's original silkiness. "Take your pick of whatever and with sometime it shouldn't be so damaged." With the list he offered a small smile, unsure of what to do or say next. "You'll probably be wanting to go home, huh? Sorry for having kept you here for so long."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Tsuyoi was becoming more agitated the longer the other person stared at his hair. He knew he hadn't done the best job, and at the time he wasn't trying to do the best job. But now, with someone like her scrutinizing his hair. Wasn't the best of feelings. He was slowly able to relax with the smile he was given. Not a lot, but just enough to untense his shoulders.

Tugging at a strand of hair, Tsuyoi finally recollected himself. Sliding the paper off the counter he tucked it into the book with a nod. "No, it's..." he paused, eyes narrowing. "Thank you." He gave a jerky bow with his head before turning on his heel and leaving the store. He couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Part of him wanted to linger more. But he couldn't find a reason to without revealing his slight attraction. And those green eyes might have swallowed him whole. He walked stiffly to the train station to make his way home on the other side of town. The whole way he couldn't think on anything but green eyes and blue painted finger nails.

[Birdie]

"Have a nice evening!" He waved as the boy left, a huge smile on his face. As soon as he was gone, Kouhei's smile fell out of place. His green eyes returned to his book. Time passed, a few more customers came into the store until finally the time to close approached. An older gentleman entered the store and shuffled his feet along the thick carpeting. He wore a pair of very stylish glasses. He appeared to be English in descent and very tall. He was the owner of the store. When he spoke, he spoke to Kouhei in English.

"Did today go well?" He opened the cashdrawer and removed it to the back room. Kouhei diligently followed.

"It went well enough. Nothing too interesting happened." He rocked backward on his heels, hands behind his back as he watched the man count the money in the drawer. Kouhei always wondered how the man managed to keep the store open. There never seemed to be much more in there than to pay his salary. He never questioned it though, he loved this job. It was easy. Once everything was accounted for, Kouhei was allowed to leave.

Pulling on a warm grandpa style sweater, he exited the building, pulling from his purse a cigarette. He paused only to light it as he walked. The dun was dipping below the skyline and star were beginning to light up the sky. Around him was a dizzying swirl as people moved, the throng lessening as he walked. It was getting late, people had families to return to and dinners to make. He rubbed a hand against his upper arm as the other pressed the dirty habit against his lips. With each exhale he felt a bit like a dragon. He would be a mighty dragon with great wings and a feathered body (scales were too ugly, he would be a pretty dragon damnit!)

He stopped by a bar on the way to his home, grabbing a quick drink and saying hello to friends. It was a comfortable, hole in the wall sort of place. The music which played was mellow in nature. The people who gathered here did it for the talking more than the bump and grind found in the average bar or club. This was a place held sacred for discussion made free with obscene amounts of alcohol.

He was greeted warmly by a woman in her late thirties, his first friend since coming back to Japan. She helped him find his current job and apartment. Her name was Suki. She was a college professor, teaching history. She would often discuss with him past events in both the Eastern and Western worlds. It was not long before he found a drink in his hand, a smile on his lips, and the lust for knowledge burning through his veins. A small group had formed and for three hours they chatted about the War of Roses. Everyone bought each other drinks. Kouhei was sufficiently lubed before he begged forgiveness from Suki. It was time to head home, but for what? He would be all alone. The thought scared him for perhaps the eighth time that day.

Through the streets he walked. It had grown dark and the stars fully lit up the sky. At least, they shone only as brightly as the city would allow. He breathed steam and shuddered as the warning nip of fall beginning pushed through the sweater. He paused when he found a park. Trees surrounded it, but at the center it was clear. A set of swings, a see-saw, a slide, and tiny merry-go-round that was people propelled. Kouhei took a seat on one of the swing and leaned back. His sweater covered fingers gripped the chain and his pale white and blue and purple hair fell back from an equally pale face. He imagined he could feel the warmth of the suns billions of light years away. He was flying through the void to reach them, greet their planets, and wander through the dust of a nebulae. His nose and cheeks were growing red from the cool air.

Leaning forward, he held himself up against the swing chains using his shoulders. He lit another cigarette and drew patterns in the sand with the tip of his shoe. Home alone... He hoped to avoid this and at the same time he kept procrastinating contact with the human race. Maybe he would get a pet.

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Yes, he had planned to get it professionally fixed. That was what his father thought. But the comment stuck in his head for a long time as his father drove him to the hair salon. They had agreed to let the whole argument blow over now that Tsuyoi was being obediant instead of a delinquent.

"You'd make a nice blonde." She had said that, didn't she? The drive was quiet, and when his father dropped him off to get his hair fixed alone, something in him locked into place. Stubborn and determined again, he told the hair stylist exactly what he wanted. Oh, his father would be surprised.

More than Tsuyoi hoped. Instead of taking his defiant son home after his change in decision, he was ditched and left to fend for himself with new silky smooth blonde locks. A night in the middle of town with no means home? First for everything.

Too angry to feel the list bit afraid of his new situation, Tsuyoi wandered the district. He avoided crowds and found the best place to wait things out was the small park he could see across the street. Taking large strides through the cross walk he side stepped a tree and stopped short.

Tokyo wasn't really this small, was it? The person's back was facing him, but he recognized the odd hair color and the clothing he had stared at for way too long. Once again his grey world was lit up with color, and he found it all the more agitating. From this angle, though...the stranger looked less feminine from behind. Those broad shoulders really left him questioning.

Scowling he walked his way through the park towards the swings. He was much taller from this angle, and without thought he gripped the chains on each side and leaned forward so their eyes met as she...no, he...leaned back. Tsuyoi had never been so close to the clerk before. Nor under the bright lights of the street lamp. But there was masculinity in there that he couldn't believe he missed before.

"Are you not a little too old for parks?" He asked casually, a brow arching upwards. Either this was the oddes girl he'd seen, or this was indeed a man. He was so busy trying to figure it out that he was less mesmerized than before. A puzzle was always distracting.

[Birdie]

He felt the chains move as someone else grabbed hold of them. He slowly tilted back. Green hues met with golden-brown. The shadows from the lights played games across the boy's face. They made deep valleys and high peeks. His face was a map to be navigated. He just wanted to look... but then, he did not want to be creepy. He leaned forward slightly, puffed, and then exhaled blowing the smoke away from the highschooler behind him. What was he doing here? He was not prepared for this! His heartbeat fluttered wildly. It was a dangerous combination for him, the nervousness he felt and the cigarettes.

"Depends on your definition of old, kiddo." He twisted in the swing and smirked up at Tsuyoi. "I will never, ever be too old for a park... nor too old to feed the ducks, jump into leaf piles, or build snowman. Growing up sucks. Don't ever do it, because then you can't do the fun stuff anymore." Inhale, exhale, smoke drifting upwards towards the heavens. If he could not race through the stars, let something he touched make it there.

"Your hair looks nice by the way. If you want to keep it looking well, you'll have to take constant care of it. The dying and bleaching process and what not can really dry things out. Ruin it if your not careful." His slender fingers poked out through the sleeve of the grandpa sweater and showed him the peacock coloring in his own silvery hair. Kouhei stood and realized just how much shorter than the boy he really was. He was shorter than most anybody, but for whatever reason he was absurdly conscious of the other male's physical presence. "I'm Kouhei, by the way." He hoped he would catch his name. Something to put with the face for the fantasies which would inevitably play through his head later. Then he had to wonder... Wasn't it sort of late? "What are you doing out here at this time of night kiddo."

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Kiddo. It immediately struck a chord and he pulled back, releasing the chains from his grip as he straightened. His eyes narrowed and with the clenching of his teeth his jaw did a little twitch. And all of a sudden his urge to be here was decreasing. It was childish to get all worked up over a name...that meant that kiddo fit him. That made him even more bothered by it.

Tsuyoi looked away, glancing at the shorter boy...girl...he hadn't figured that out yet. But he couldn't stop thinking how cute she was for being so short. Sticking his hands into his pockets he ignored the comments of his hair, but couldn't stop the reaction the compliment did to him. At first he was going to answer properly but that damn 'kiddo' thing again..

"Seishuku Tsuyoi. Not Kiddo." he corrected sternly, a scowl on his face before he remembered the question that went along with the insult. "And nothing." he replied haughtily. After a few short seconds of him thinking over he decided to be very giving and add more to his answer. "I am not permitted home. For how long, it is uncertain."

Because surely his father wouldn't let his son; heir to his fortune, to sleep on the streets until his hair was dyed black.

[Birdie]

Kouhei almost laughed. It bubbled inside of his throat, but he kept it pushed down. The young man seemed to have a problem with that little nickname. It was understandable, most young men did not want to be considered children. They were grown now. No silly business and nonsense for them! This became obvious by the tone he took with Kouhei. It was a very amusing situation. "Sorry, sorry Seishuku-san." He crushed the butt of his cigarette beneath his shoe.

Somehow, the thought of someone with out a place to stay, a real home, made him uneasy. No one should be with out shelter and food. It was a sickening thought to be standing here with someone who would be left to the whims of a harsh and cruel world. Left to a society which had no cares but of themselves. Kouhei looked out across the park, thinking. He really wanted someone to come with him so that would not have to be alone. But what were the consequences of bringing an underage child into his home? After that long moment of silence, he turned jade yes back onto Tsuyoi. Fuck consequences, when you were given such a gift you certainly weren't about to look that horse in the mouth.

"Well, if you're looking for a place to stay I have a very comfortable couch at my apartment. It's not far off from here, just a couple of blocks" He gestured in the general direction of his apartment building. "It isn't anything grand or fancy, but it's clean. And I make a mean tuna sandwich." He gave Tsuyoi a childish grin, showing off white teeth. For the first time in years he actually blushed at inviting a man into his home. How silly! He had done it so many times without batting an eyelash and the intentions were much less pure than the ones he had now.

[Lord Sesshomaru]

Satisfied with the apology given, he relaxed his stance a bit. Still defensive, he crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing down Kouhei. He blinked, thoughts overwhelming as he stared at Kouhei. Seriously was Kouhei a boy or a girl?! For how cute the shorter person was, it had to be a girl. But the broad shoulders and the flatter chest...or maybe she was just lacking.

Girl. Tsuyoi was determined to stick with girl until proven otherwise. At least to not make his attraction look wierd for himself. Except thinking she was a girl made it seem even more inappropriate to consider staying at Kouhei's house. Including with his attraction. Brows furrowed in distaste, he was quickly considering to decline such a rediculous offer.

Sadly he couldn't resist that grin Kouhei forced his way. No smile had been so welcoming or so alluring in his life. He couldn't resist and knew he never would be able to. "I don't like tuna." he stated crisply, straightened his shoulders and looking away, he continued; "But I will except your offer."

Tsuyoi did not like the idea of sleeping on a stranger's couch, much less accepting charity as he was given. But the idea of sleeping outdoors was just too much for him to think of...the smile was just a bonus.

[Birdie]

This time he did laugh, and he could not keep himself from giving his hands a little, excited clap. "Fair enough," Kouhei replied. The chill was beginning to get to him and so he decided to start home now would be better than hanging out in a park at night. You never knew if some hooligans might show up and decide to rough up a pretty young thing. It had happened to Kouhei on more than one occasion, typically with humorous results but once with an extremely negative one.

"So, if you don't like tuna, what sort of foods do you like hun?" It was after he had said it that he realized that Tsuyoi probably wouldn't like any of the endearments he tended to tack onto conversations for just about anybody. Hun, sweetpea, dear, etc. all those things could be held on the same level with kiddo considering how the Japanese tended to be. "Aaah, Sorry again Seishuku-san. It's a force of habit. If you ever catch me at it let me know, kay?" He looked over his shoulder at the taller boy with a small, more apologetic sort of smile on his face.

The sidewalks led them through Nice looking, residential areas. The houses had fencing and little gardens. They were well maintained. Not the sort of houses those with a lot of money would have, but the kind which looked comfortable. Finally, after turning one last corner they pair came upon a large, two story building. The whole building was painted flamingo pink. The door was a darker shade of the same color. It certainly stuck out amongst the other buildings in the area. No one could miss the bright pink house. "I know, it's atrocious. But rent is cheap and the rooms are soundproof. It's nice not having to listen to the newlyweds next door..." He paused, considering what he was saying to a younger person. Blushing he shook his head. "Forget I said that."

Kouhei opened the front gate using a key. He stood aside, little Tsuyoi go first before he let the gate close silently behind them and making his way to the front door. The porch light made it easy to grab the correct key from the chain and unlock the front door. The hall was painted white and brown welcoming colors. A row of mailboxes lined up next to the door caught Kouhei's eye. He opened the box up that read '203 Mitska'. He removed the two letters from the box and headed up the carpeted stairs before them.

Unlocking the front door, the pair entered Kouhei's apartment. It smelled of incense with a slight hint of baked goods. Kouhei slipped off his shoes in the entryway. This was something he rarely did, but considering he had non-American type company he figured it would be best to leave off the shoes. Kouhei sniffled as the warm air caused his shivering to abate. It felt nice to be home! "Come in, come in." He waved for Tsuyoi to follow him into the living room area. There was one huge couch set against the wall. It looked especially fluffy, the sort of couch that would swallow you up, but not enough to be uncomfortable. Just enough to feel cradled in a bed of clouds. There was one coffee table, a nice little television, and not a single chair in the place. Instead of chairs, bean bag were scattered about in a dizzying array of colors and patters. Across one wall was a mural of pictures and colors. It was only partway done, but it would look lovely when finished.

Quickly he tore open the letters as he wandered through an archway into his tiny kitchen. "Go ahead, take a seat," he said absently. The first one was a bill. The second was a letter from Jun. He stared at the handwriting for a long time before he finally tossed the letter in the drawer to deal with later. He put a kettle on to boil water. When it finally screamed he quickly brewed some tea. Kouhei came out of the kitchen, all smiles and bubbles. In his hands he carried a cup of tea for Tsuyoi as well as a plate of chocolate chip cookies. He set them on the coffee table. "You have to eat at least one, I made them myself so I would be offended if you didn't!" He spoke in a way which was obviously teasing. "If you want you can take a quick shower or wtach television or something. I'll make us some dinner."