Chapter 1: Nostalgia

A/N: This story contains homoerotic theme (boys' love) if you don't like it, don't read it. I will rate this T for mild coarse language and some story content, it may go up later but I will tell you then. Critics and Reviews are welcome as always. I am going to post foreign terminology that I used in the story at the bottom of the chapter.

----

He was blindly accepting the truth that nothing could escape his vision. He could see everything for as long as he could remember, beings of this world and the other world. He hated it that the residents of the other world would sometimes talk to him and bother him. He hated it even more when he couldn't do anything about it as they ruined his life. He was used to being annoyed by those spirits and ghost alike. He adopted a sort of self defence mechanism where he would just stare into the distance not paying attention other than the humans around him. Sometimes it worked, other times he was not so lucky.

He remembered once that a spirit possessed him when he talked to them in the first place. He later learned that he was wreaking havoc as he was possessed by said spirit. He then steeled his resolve more that he would not be involved with those beings if he could help it. No, he wanted to just stay as normal as possible. He just wanted to live his life like any other human being and not being hunted by the denizens of the spirit world. Though it seemed to be impossible as he was, again, trying to escape a demon when he was on his way to a hospital. He hated how those demons could sense that he knew or whatever. He just hated them.

"I got... You..." The eerily low voice chased him and Toranosuke could see that disgusting figure was approaching fast.

"Damn it. Why today of all days..." Toranosuke run as fast as he could. He was trying to gain good impression by arriving early in his new internship place. This hospital has a a good reputation so he would like to be work there later when he graduated. Though, his plan now was in jeopardy because one, he was drenched in sweat from all the running; two, his clothes were all messy, again, because of the running; and lastly, he didn't know if he could make it in time anymore. When he looked back, he could see that the demon was still hot on his trail. Trying to lose the demon, Toranosuke took the nearest left turn that he could see, though that was becoming a bad decision very soon.

"He ...he... He... I got... You..." The demon approached him slowly now. Toranosuke cursed his bad luck, why was this a dead end. Was he going to die today... He haven't even got a girlfriend yet or graduated from his school. He already paid for this semester tuition too, such a waste of money.

"I'm going to eat..." Toranosuke closed his eyes before he could see the demon approached him any closer. Please, let it be painless.

"O..ya... What are you doing here?" A cooling and gentle voice suddenly rang, and the atmosphere felt calmer and nice. Toranosuke hesitantly opened his eyes and he could see a really cool looking person looking at him. The bespectacled man smiled at him waiting for a response from him.

"Ah... I... Uh..." At lost of words, Toranosuke couldn't believe how his luck turned out.

"Are you lost? You look dazed, are you alright?" The taller man approached him and when his big palm touched his forehead, Toranosuke could feel a sense of nostalgia washed through him. It was like he finally met a part of him again. "Hello? Can you hear me?" The man waved in front of the young guy.

"Ah, yes. I..." Before he could finish his sentence, his tiredness sunk in and came back with a revenge. He was running for a good one hour, with his adrenaline subsiding all he could feel was just how powerless his whole body was.

Suzuya was surprised to see a demon's activity in the middle of the day. He could see the evil presence from miles away as he returned from his lunch break. He was concerned because the demon seemed to be heading towards the hospital that he worked in. He exorcised the demon quickly as soon as he saw the demon that was about to devour a young boy. Though, what surprised him even more was, how this boy could attract a demon so strongly. "Ah, he passed out." Suzuya chuckled when the smaller boy collapsed in front of him. Sighing, he crouched down and tried to pick the boy up. He was not sure before but he was sure now. There was a certain nostalgia coursing through him when he touched this boy. He wondered what this sensation was.

Shrugging this aside, he walked to the hospital and greeted the nurse as he walked through the lobby. "Can I get this boy admitted please? I found him collapsed on the ground nearby." He asked one of the administration staff to get a room for the boy. "Yeah, just put it under my name. That will be alright. Thank you." Suzuya smiled easily on her after he got the room number. Once he put the boy on the bed, he did a general check up on the boy. It seemed like the boy was just tired. Suzuya left the boy alone and went to his office to start his hours.

Once he was done, he was told by one of his colleague that the boy was alright and could be discharged when he woke up. Suzuya thanked his colleague and went to the boy's room once he bid the nurses goodbye. He smiled when he saw that the young boy has woken up, "Are you feeling better?" Suzuya took a seat on the chair beside the bed.

"Ah, yes. I, um, thank you...I was told that..." Toranosuke was bowing when his shoulder was touched lightly by the older guy. He couldn't help but have this nostalgic sensation again. He was told by the nurse, when he woke up that the person who found him was a doctor here and that the doctor was really handsome. He could see that now, the doctor looked normal with his black eyes and hair, but his kind expression made him look so easy on the eyes.

"Take it easy." Suzuya gave the boy one of his calming smile. He gave the boy a once over and thought that he seemed fine, though he did notice the stare that those off green irises gave him.. "Well, you seemed fine to me. You can go once you are ready." Suzuya nodded to himself.

"Umm, I... Thank you very much! If you didn't find me, I ..." Toranosuke almost slipped up and told this kind stranger that he was chased by a demon. He didn't know why but he could feel that he could let his guard down around this person.

"Don't mention it. You looked like you need help and I was just passing by." Suzuya saved them both the excuse to explain themselves by cutting the boy mid-sentence.

"Thank you once again." Toranosuke smiled boyishly. He had to remind himself not to be so glum and did his best to smile.

"Well, I should be going now. Take care of yourself." Suzuya rose and patted the boy's teal shaded hair before he left. Toranosuke was in a daze until the doctor left. He never felt this way before let alone to a guy, a much older guy by the looks of it. He squeezed his shirt as a pang beat in his heart. Soon afTer, he got out of the room and went to administration to pay his bill. He dreaded how the extra cost was gong to put a dent on his budget this month. He was surprised that his fee was already taken care of, by that doctor whose name he had learned, by effect. He also asked the administration lady if she knew the person in charge that handled all interns. Toranosuke apologised to the person named, Sakurako Kiku, whom supervised the interns for pharmacology department. He explained his situation and promised that tomorrow he would come on time and make sure to work extra hard to make up for today.

Thankfully, there was nothing that disturbed him on his way to the hospital the next day. So he clocked in 30 minutes early and tried to learn how things were operated here. It was midday and he was manning the prescription counter when he heard a familiar voice.

"So, you just need to eat these antibiotics and make sure to not let him get too cold. He should be fine in a few days then." Toranosuke could see Shimizu Suzuya-sensei from afar, approaching his counter.

"O ya... Do you work here?" The doctor stopped chatting with the lady and smiled at him. Toranosuke could swear that the room just felt slightly hotter then.

"Ah, yes. I am interning here. I was supposed to start yesterday but...," Toranosuke blushed when he remembered how pathetic he might have looked yesterday.

"Well then, I would leave them in your capable hands then...," the doctor halted before smiling again, "Kiyomizu-kun." Toranosuke nodded vigorously when Shimizu-sensei said that.

"Yes. How can I help you, mam?" Toranosuke smiled his brightest smile and proceeded to serve the lady. He was enjoying his day so far and he was on his lunch break when he saw the doctor once again.

"I wonder what he eats..." Toranosuke mumbled as he chewed his tamagoyaki. Turned out the doctor only bought a sandwich and a cup of coffee, which surprised Toranosuke because he thought with a built like that, the doctor would have a bigger appetite.

"We keep on seeing each other, don't we?" The bespectacled man stopped in front of him. Toranosuke was staring at him, slightly agape.

"Ah, yes. Have a seat if you like." The young boy tried to suppress his emerging blush and extended his hand to the seat in front of him.

"Thank you." The doctor seated himself and tore the packaging. "Your lunch seemed appetising. Do you make it yourself?"

"Ah yeah. I do." Toranosuke nodded and blushed after all when he realised that the doctor was talking to him about his lunch box.

"How talented. I can't cook so I always ended up with take-away." The doctor started to eat his sandwich, Toranosuke couldn't help but notice how graceful the doctor's eating was. "Ah right, I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly. Shimizu Suzuya, nice to meet you." The doctor extended his hand by ways of introduction.

"Kiyomizu Toranosuke, nice to meet you." Toranosuke took the proffered hand and shook it firmly. He shrugged the feeling that came every time he had physical contacts with each other. He would just conclude that the doctor gave him a really tranquil feeling and settle with that.

"Well then, I'll see you around, Kiyomizu-kun." The doctor gave him a brief smile before rising up from the seat and went away. Toranosuke couldn't help but let his stare linger a bit longer. Just what was in that man that was so different than the others. Toranosuke couldn't figure out why he was especially drawn to this person. Sighing, he closed his lunch box and returned to the pharmacology area.

Once he was done with his shift, he went to the library. He needed to look up more about the things that he didn't understand during his placement. He wanted to catch up as soon as possible and if he go to the library, he could use the computer as well. Living alone was certainly not the easiest. He had to balance between his internship shift and his part time job. Rent alone was already taxing on his budget so he couldn't buy a computer, even if he could, he couldn't use the net at his old apartment anyway. So Toranosuke always went to the university library or the city library to study.

He stifled a yawn when he realised it was already eight in the evening. He packed up and went to the park to eat his leftover lunch. He was glad that today that nothing much happened. He was half afraid that when he stepped out of the library, he would be chased by demons. Since they were much more active at night. Though tonight, it seemed to be quieter and calmer. Once he finished eating, he started to walk back home. He was walking his usual route when he noticed something slightly different.

"Huh, was the light this blue before?" He remembered the street light to be white, maybe a bit bluish at times but never this blue. Maybe he was just tired and imagining things, since everything seemed to be slightly bluer. He shivered when it seemed colder in this summer night.

"Wah!" He was surprised when he saw something flashed through his periphery. He slowly turned his head to the side and saw a scalpel was planted on the ground. What the heck just happened. Did someone just throw a scalpel at him? He heard water sounds now, Toranosuke looked up to see if it was raining but there was no sign of it. "What the hell is going on here?" He said exasperated as the sound was getting louder. Toranosuke continued on waking cautiously, clutching his satchel bag tightly to calm his nerves. When he made the turn to his apartment complex, he could see a man standing on the air, supported by pillars of water. Close to him was a big spiritual dragon whom appeared to be grinning as if he was enjoying this fight. The young college student could not believe what he just saw. Sure, he was used to seeing spirits and demon but nothing this big.

"You just never give up, don't you?" Toranosuke looked up when he heard the man's voice, it was really familiar.

"I told you, I will keep challenging you until one of us submits." The spirit whom appeared to be a dragon spoke with a rather benevolent voice. "Both of us will benefit from this arrangement, you want my eyes and I want your power." Toranosuke could only gape during this exchange, the floating man was Shimizu-sensei. He could not believe that the doctor was...

"Obey me lightning, pierce my foes with your heavenly lance." The doctor chanted a what seemed like to be an onmyouji spell. Toranosuke could only watch in awe as the dragon dodged the lightning bolts and countered it with a sort of sonic boom. Toranosuke could not separate his eyes away from this sight. There was something in the doctor's presence that just drew him in. His eyes were completely fixated on the fight. How can a person be so calm when they were fighting a demon or a spirit. He would have been scared shitless. Toranosuke was perfectly still when a deflected blade flew to his direction. This time, he was not so lucky as it struck his shoulder blade. He did not feel the pain at first until the realization dawned. He screamed loudly when he saw the blood seeping on his clothes.

"A human." The dragon growled impatient. "Why is a human here?"

"It doesn't matter. This fight is done." The doctor dismissed the growl nonchalantly. The dragon growled again before it dissipated in the thin air. The doctor descended slowly on the ground and looked at his victim. "O ya... Kiyomizu-kun. Fancy meeting you here." The doctor smiled at Toranosuke, though it was not like the kind smile that he saw in the hospital. This smile brought the chills down his spine and his body shivered just from seeing that smile.

"I, uh..." Toranosuke could not feel the pain any more. All he could feel was this immense fear, it grew stronger each time the doctor stepped closer to him, bringing that colder atmosphere with him as well. He couldn't think, what would happen to him now. The fear had seized him completely, he was paralysed. He felt like time has stopped along with his numb body. When the doctor started to extend his hand towards Toranosuke, all he could think that he was going to die. When the hand was close enough to cover most of his vision, all he could see was black. The last thing he saw was the memories of his father dead, crushed under on a fallen pillar. He could see a blurred silhouette and his hand was covering his sight as well. What was that he wondered.

Sensei - a doctor/teacher, a honorific that is used when addressing a person of such degrees

Tamagoyaki - Japanese cooked egg rolls, usually sweet but can also be salty.