They didn't have every class together. All of their basic classes like English, psychology, or math Rei made sure they shared those. But Shougo was here for music and entertainment degree. Rei was taking classes for business and management. Therefore they had to separate. Shougo kissed Rei's palm before hurrying off into the mass of swirling bodies.
Rei felt slightly despondent as he walked to his next class. Once it got started, he felt like this was going to be a good thing for him. The teacher was cute, energetic with a deep voice that would make anyone swoon. Rei was more excited now.
He walked out of his last lecture, stopping to take the time to shake the professors hands. They were strong, he had a firm grip. Rei smiled at this as he headed down to the common area. Walking out into the late summer sunshine, he drew in a deep breath. It smelled like rain. He smiled. He always loved the rain.
Recalling the days as a child his mother would be out, leaving him home alone. Rei would often curl up in a chair beside the window when it rained. Reading and watching the rain slip along the glass made him feel safe. Plus the TV hardly ever worked, mother always forgot to pay the bills!
Rei heard his name called. Expecting it to be Shougo, he turned slowly toward the direction it came from. He froze. Standing in the center of the walk way was a man Rei had hopped to never see again.
He was tall, well built, with a scar that ran from just under his hair line, jaggedly down his left cheek, to vanish in the collar of his pressed white shirt. The eyes were still as dark as he recalled. Yet now they held a life in them Rei was shocked to see.
"Tenai?" Rei whispered the name.
The man lunged forward as Rei instinctively flinched back. He grabbed Rei's arm dragging him toward a side building.
"Not here." He hissed.
For some reason, Rei actually followed him. Not even he could figure that one out. Rei was the reason the man had that scar. Tenia was the reason Rei nearly died the night Seiya found him. Their relationship had been nothing but abusive from the moment they met.
Rei was turned, gently for Tenia, to lean against the building. The man before him let him go. Running a hand through his short dark hair, he eyed Rei with a mixture of fear, wonder and maybe just a little excitement.
"I gave it up." Tenia whispered.
"What?" Rei questioned still trying to make sense out of this whole situation.
"All of it, everything. I'm no longer in the business. Why are you here?" he muttered then even lower he whispered.
"How are you alive?"
"You thought you killed me, so you what? Went straight?" Rei looked shocked.
The feelings bubbling up inside him were uncommon for him. He had loved this man, or appeared to at one point in his life. Yet they were so far beyond toxic for each other it wasn't funny. He recalled making love to Tenia while he bled from the cut on his face. It was fast, hard and furious, just like Tenia had always been.
"Yeah." Rei hardly heard the whispered word.
They stood looking at each other. Rei's eyes drifted to Tenia's lips. Tenia, wither he was aware of it or not, took that moment to moisten them with his tongue. Rei looked away.
"In fact I went straight in a lot of ways. I'm married now. Wife's pregnant with our second." Tenia smirked.
"Re, really. Um congrats." Rei muttered.
"Also, um, don't call me Tenia any more. I um, I left Japan, came here to change everything about myself. In fact I took your name."
Rei blinked. "What?" he whispered.
"Well, your first name. I thought I had killed you, but I wanted to keep a part of you alive so I took the name Ray for my first name." Tenia rushed on to say.
"Oh, ok." Rei hid his feelings.
It was something he learned early on. His mother never liked it when he was 'too emotional' for her to deal with. It was easier for Rei to school his facial expressions into a neutral alignment.
"What do I call you then?" Rei demanded.
"Professor." Tenia smirked. "Professor Yakamora." He went on.
"You, you can read?" Rei gasped.
Tenia burst out laughing. He clapped a hand onto Rei's shoulder. "See, you did teach me a few things!" He laughed heartily.
It might have been his deep booming laugh bouncing off of the brick buildings around them, or it may have been seeing Rei standing like a frozen statue that drew the attention of the teen. Shougo walked toward them. He called out Rei's name. Both men turned to look at the sandy haired singer.
"Oh, um, that's uh..." Rei stuttered.
"Never could get the word boyfriend past those lips of yours." Tenia whispered with a smirk.
Shougo strolled over to them. He had his backpack slung across his shoulder with both hands filled with steaming cups. He looked uncertain as he eyed the two men still standing just a little too close to each other. It was as Rei glanced back to his once lover that he saw the grey creeping into the temples of the man's hair. Tenia had been at least ten years older than he was...
"Shougo, you won't guess what I found." Rei smiled at the bewildered grimace on the teens face.
"This is Ray, or um I assume I have to call him professor now!" Rei rolled his eyes as Tenia and Shougo chuckled nervously.
"How do you know the Japanese language teacher?" Shougo asked.
"Oh, is that what you teach?" Rei arched his eyebrow.
"I would think it would be more of history or something." Rei added.
"Well, it was easier to get the language degree." Yakamora chided.
"I see. Still the same old sloth." Rei stepped around the man.
He had a strange feeling having Tenia too close to Shougo. Once Rei reached the younger male's side they both turned to regard the teacher. Tenia eyed them together.
"You look good Rei. I'm glad you survived that life." Ray nodded.
"Same goes for you. Keep your little ones safe, Te... Ray." He caught himself just in time.
"I will. Maybe one day you could meet them." He offered. They both knew it was an empty sentiment.
"Sure." Rei agreed anyway.
"One day, you have to tell me how you..." Tenia gestured to the fact that Rei was standing before him still alive.
"One day." Rei took his coffee from Shougo. He waved to his old lover.
Turning his back on the man sent chills up his spine. He knew from experience not to do it. The fact that no blows came had him tensing even more. As he reached the end of the walk way, right before turning toward the bus stop out of view of that building, he couldn't take it any longer. Rei turned to glance back to where he left Ray. The man wasn't there any longer.
A fear set into his gut as he quickly scanned the area. Rei saw the broad-shouldered back making his way carefully through the throngs of students. Ray waved as different people called out to him. He never looked back to see Rei and Shougo. Maybe people can change. Rei thought as Shougo caught his arm.
"How was your first day?" Rei asked as they found seats together.
"Fine." Shougo sipped his drink as he eyed Rei.
"You going to tell me who that was?" Shougo pressed.
"Nope." Rei eyed the cup in the long fingers of the singer next to him.
"What do you like with you're dessert drink?" he changed the topic. Shougo huffed.
"It's not dessert!" He argued.
"It has more sweets in it than a candy store." Rei declared.
"Just because you like your coffee to be black and bitter...." Shougo began.
"Just like my soul!" Rei peeked at him as he managed to hold back his grin.
What he saw nearly traumatized him. Shougo sat there with his mouth open slightly. His large two toned eyes wide in his head. A tear was leaking out from one. Rei knew this wasn't him faking it. What he had said had truly touched the sensitive soul within the teen. He reached out to brush away the tear.
"Hey, I was just kidding." Rei muttered.
"You, you never talk about before..." Shougo whispered.
"Because I don't want to bring that darkness to your eyes." Rei leaned his forehead against the teens.
"You're my light Shougo." He whispered.
"I'll led you to safety every time." Shougo clutched at Rei's sweater near his waist.
"I'm counting on that." Rei smiled.
"How was your day?" Shougo inquired as they separated.
Rei smirked looking over at him. "Well, my business professor is tall, lots of shoulders and this deep voice that could..." a hand slapped over his mouth as Shougo leaned closer to him.
"Are you trying to make me jealous?" he asked.
Rei reached down to squeeze Shougo's leg. He could feel the slight rise in the jeans the other wore. He chuckled.
"Is it working?" he purred.
"You'll find out when we get home." Shougo insisted.