O.K. Here comes the next bit. Sorry folks, but no Lemon in this bit.
Just storyline. Maybe next time...hope you enjoy it anyway.

Windlily


						*****


	Amaru stopped his unanswered teasing when they reached the head of the
staircase and he saw the paleness behind the scowl on his brother's
face. Now that it was just the two of them Owaru dropped his brave
front, just a little.

	"Hurts, huh?" Amaru asked softly and with apology in his tone.

	"Yeah. It does," Owaru shrugged and gave him a forced smile.

	Amaru hovered close as they went down the stairs in silence. All kinds
of thoughts were chasing each other through his head. First and foremost
was concern over Owaru and what he'd just done to the Tigers. Hajime was
not going to be happy with this afternoon's events. The plan had been to
keep a low profile. Owaru hadn't done anything too extravagant, but
still, beyond normal human ability. Hopefully the Tigers would chalk it
up to superb martial arts training. There were rumors of Sensei in the
community who had remarkable control over their bodies and chi. But what
if rumor got back to their hunters? Yet surely a bunch of lowly street
punks would have no connections with The Four Sisters, would they? He
had an uneasy feeling that Owaru's actions were going to have terrible
consequences. He sighed and glanced up at his brother as they turned
onto the sidewalk and headed home. Owaru hunched his shoulders and
echoed it. Amaru imagined he was envisioning their eldest brother's
reaction also.

	Owaru actually had to grab the handrail with his good hand to help pull
himself onward after the fourth flight of stairs in their own building.
He was so tired and the pain from the bullet holes had shifted up from
dull ache into an itch filled torment that stabbed in time to the beat
of his heart. All he wanted to do was shower and pass out for a few
hours. Amaru moved up beside him, his face full of concern.

	"It's all right. I'm just tired."

	Amaru didn't answer but came up on the other side of him after Owaru
made the next step and slid his arm around his brothers waist as he
ducked under the arm that supported him on the rail. Owaru tensed for a
moment, ready to refuse the help. He hated having to depend on anything
other than his own strength of body and spirit. The refusal passed as
his youngest brother flashed him another concerned look. It would make
Amaru feel better to help him, so he allowed it. He pulled himself
straight and squared his shoulders while Amaru undid the locks. Hajime
was already home. He glanced at his watch and wondered why. He was
hoping for a little more time before he had to face his oldest brother.
Amaru pushed open the door and announced, "We're home!"

	They shrugged at each other when no one answered. Amaru took their
packs and turned into the bedroom they shared with Matsuri as Owaru
continued the few feet farther to the closed door of the bathroom. He
knew Hajime was in there and thought that perhaps Matsuri was on the
small platform of the fire escape outside the kitchen window. She liked
to go out there for a little privacy. He open the door enough to stick
his head through. His older brother had a tendency to linger in the
shower and Owaru didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to
keep this creeping exhaustion at bay.

	"Hajime, are you almost done?"

	There was a second of silence. "I'll be out in a moment."

	Owaru closed the door and leaned back against the wall next to the door
and tried to place what was 'off' about his brother's tone. Amaru stuck
his head out around the frame of the bedroom door. Checking on him to
make sure he was still on his feet, Owaru knew. The door opened and
Matsuri stood in the opening wrapped in a towel. Owaru blinked at her,
his mind slow to figure it out, then he did a double take in shock. She
blushed furiously and looked down at her toes for a moment, then raised
her head.

	"Good afternoon, Owaru-kun," she bid sweetly as if nothing was out of
the ordinary as she walked past him.

	He opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out.

	"Not one word, Owaru-kun," Hajime warned with a smile as he followed
Matsuri out, tucking the corner of towel around his hips into itself to
keep it in place.

	Owaru found himself grinning and shrugged. He caught Matsuri's shoo-ing
motion and Amaru's movement into the hallway as he stepped into the
muggy heat of the bathroom and closed the door behind him.


	Amaru's even regard as he passed made the heat rise in Hajime's face.
He waited for the question as his youngest brother followed him into the
main room as he headed for the closet and his clothes. What came took
him totally by surprise.

	"Owaru got in a fight with the White Tigers today."

	Hajime paused with his hand on the closet door knob and his eyes
narrowed.

	"He what?"

	Amaru winced inwardly at the hint of anger that colored those words.
His brother turned and stalked back towards the bathroom.

	"Hajime! Wait! There was a good reason!" Amaru protested as he hurried
to follow.

	"There had better be!" Hajime bit out as he knocked once then opened
the door.

	He doubted that any reason Owaru could give would be enough to explain
the potential danger he had just put them in.

	"Owaru! What did I tell you about fight..." the word died as his third
brother turned towards him and he saw the raw circular wound on his
upper arm and the pain and exhaustion that mixed with the guilt and
defiance in every angle of his body and face.

	"I didn't have a choice, Hajime! They were going to rape her!" Owaru
rushed his answer to fill in the hole Hajime left.

	"What happened?" Hajime's tone was much calmer as he took Owaru's arm
and turned it gently into the weak light to examine the extent of the
damage.

	Owaru bit back the obvious response and hurriedly explained what had
happened as Hajime nodded at the progress of the healing holes in his
arm and let it down gently.

	"You did the right thing, Owaru-kun. I'm sorry I yelled," Hajime
apologized.

	"You have every right too, Elder Brother. I screwed up and I know it.
But I just couldn't..." Owaru paused, hunting for words to explain his
reactions.

	"If anything comes of it, we'll deal with it, Owaru. Take your shower,"
Hajime gave him a reassuring smile as he squeezed his shoulder and
turned to leave his brother to clean himself up.

	
	"What are we going to do about the dinner tonight?" Matsuri asked as he
stood in the doorway and watched another brother's sleep with concern
for the second time that day.

	Owaru had wobbled out of the bathroom and collapsed onto the bedding
Matsuri had just finished spreading for him, out by the time his head
had hit the pillow. Yes, they healed quickly, but it took it's toll on
the body. At least Owaru hadn't Changed.

	"I guess we'll have to cancel," he answered.

	"What dinner?" Amaru piped up from his position between his brother's
hip and the door.

	"We were invited to dinner by one of Tsuzuku's acquaintances," Hajime
answered with a slight frown.

	He had really wanted to meet Lebeau Remy face to face.

	"Well, you and Matsuri should still go."

	Hajime looked down at Amaru and raised an eyebrow at the mischievous
gleam in those deep blue eyes.

	"Owaru is going to be out until tomorrow and I have to work on my
science project anyway. I'll stay with him. And I don't think that any
of the Tigers are going to be in any shape to come hunting for a few
days, even if they knew who we were and where we lived. And you two
should go out!"

	Hajime ran his hand through his hair and debated. Amaru was probably
right. And he needed to find out about Lebeau. If he was ally, enemy or
neither and what his true intentions toward Tsuzuku were. But then
again...

	"No. I'll call and cancel."

	Amaru almost started to argue but the expression on Hajime's face as he
watched Owaru kept him silent.

					
						***


	Tsuzuku opened his eyes slowly, still muddled by sleep. The phone had
been ringing...he sat up suddenly as he remembered where he was and what
had happened. His eyes darted around the room as he had a moment of
panic, but he was alone. The music of a guitar began, muted by the
almost closed door of the bedroom. He relaxed slightly as he pulled his
knees up and wrapped his arms around them.

	*Gods!* He knew he was blushing and hid his face by resting his
forehead on his knees.

	His thoughts and emotions were a confused jumble and he had no idea
where to start to try to untangle them. Remy. Those silver-flecked eyes
in their handsome face gazed at him in his memory. He swallowed hard as
his skin remembered the feel of Remy's touch and he felt his desire stir
again. It had been exquisite. And an experience he found he would like
to repeat again.

	*With Lebeau Remy...* his essence whispered to himself.

	He felt heat burn in his face again. Then he narrowed his eyes and
frowned. Remy had called him by name and Tsuzuku knew he hadn't given it
to him. How did Remy know who he was? And how had he known what was
wrong with him? Distrust and caution rose up in him as he slid out of
the bed and headed for his clothes which were draped neatly over a
chair. He realized that they had been washed as he dressed quickly and
went to the bathroom to wash his face. He had to get himself back under
control, needed all his thoughts and senses un-muddled when he went to
face Lebeau again.

	He exited the bathroom and started slowly for the closed door. He was
still all nerves. *Gods! What was he going to say to this man?*

	He detoured as his gaze fell on a picture on the long dresser. It was
of Remy and Lee-san. Everything about their easy postures, her head back
against his chest as she laughed up at him and the familiar way he had
his arms around her showed that they were intimate. Kieko had said they
were lovers. So, what was he to think of what he and Remy had just done?
And Remy had said that Tannis wasn't going to make it home in time to
help him, before. If Tannis was Lee-san as he suspected, would she have
taken Remy's place? And why? He had so many questions with no answers
that made sense. He straightened and took a deep calming breath. Time to
find out.

	Remy was seated sideways in one of the chairs of the formal dining room
table in the open room beyond the door, an acoustic guitar propped on
one knee. Sheets of hand written music were spread out on the table
before him. He glanced up at the movement of the door and his hand
covered the strings, bringing the music to a halt.

	"Have a nice nap?" He asked as he leaned to carefully set the guitar
against the wall.

	"Hai."

	Remy favored him with a small, surprisingly shy, smile. He felt himself
start to smile back and schooled his features back into a neutral mask.

	"Good. You be wanting something to eat now, neh?" He rose as he asked
it and headed for the kitchen without waiting for Tsuzuku's answer.

	Tsuzuku trailed him, arms folded across his chest and stopped in the
doorway as Remy went to the refrigerator and pulled out a plate.

	"How do you know who I am?" Tsuzuku demanded as Remy kept his back
towards him.

	"That be hard to explain, Cher," Remy answered softly as he pulled the
plastic wrap off the simple meal he had prepared for their Dragon's
awakening.

	"Try."

	Remy turned back to face him. Tsuzuku saw unease and a bit of fear in
his expression as Remy ran his top teeth over his bottom lip. Then he
shrugged.

	"First you be need'in to see this. Then maybe it make better sense."

	Tsuzuku stepped quite a bit away from him as Remy approached. A retreat
and they both knew it. Tsuzuku wondered if he had really seen that
flicker of hurt pass over Remy's face as he passed. He followed the
other man into the living room then froze, stunned, as his gaze rested
on the long painting on the wall in front of them. It was a full length
portrait of himself leaning against the big maple tree that was in the
back yard of their house in Shinjuku.  It's leaves were in fall colors
and he recognized the outfit and remembered the day. It had been his
seventeenth birthday and Matsuri had gifted him with this outfit that
she had seen him admire in a storefront. She had demanded he pose for
her under that tree so she could get a picture of him. He stepped up to
read the signature.

	T.Lee
	1994

	A little shiver went up his spine. It was the right year. He started to
turn to demand an explanation when a splash of color on the other wall
caught his eye. This canvas was long also, but vertical and ran above
the length of the sofa. Dragons. Blue, black, white with the red one
dominant. And not just any dragons. This was how he and his brothers
looked in their dragon bodies. He must have been really out of it to
miss these when Remy brought him up.

	"I don't understand. How...?" He got out.

	Remy started to reach for him, then changed the action to a gesture
back toward the dining room. "Good question, Cher. Come sit down and eat
and I see what I can do to be explaining it."

	He settled into the chair at the end of the table away from the sheet
music as Remy went into the kitchen. His thoughts spun as he tried to
find an explanation. Remy set a tray down in front of him with a plate
full off fruits and cold meats and cheeses and two mugs of coffee. Remy
took one of the mugs and set it on the table in front of the chair to
Tsuzuku's left.

	"You eat some of that, Cher. I be right back."