Identity Ch. 02

"Name?" I leaned back against the door, studying his chiseled face. He was about my height, with short, wavy hazel-colored hair that curled gently at the nape of his neck. His skin was a deep golden tan and I noted the well-muscled arms as he removed his denim jacket and hung it simply over the sofa.

He seemed too much at home in Chet's apartment for his own good, and I started to gnaw at my bottom lip out of worry as my eyes stalked his every move. Maybe he was just a family member…

Pft. Fat chance.

Mr. Stranger paused in the midst of stuffing Chet's refrigerator with fresh groceries. He looked back over his shoulder at me. "Using monosyllables much? And here I thought it was only polite to introduce one self before requesting the other's name."

"Asato." At the sound of my name, his eyes widened in surprise as he fully turned behind to look at me. His handsome face wore such an incredulous expression that it was almost comical.

"Asato? The Asato?"

Puzzled, I looked questioningly at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He strode towards me, a still-bewildered expression on his face. "Wow. That's really good. I'm happy for you. I think."

"What? What's "good"? Can you not speak in riddles?"

A slow smile formed on his lips as he stared me up and down, as though seeing me again for the first time. "We-ell, this certainly changes things. I guess I should congratulate you tw – mmph!"

A large hand covered his mouth before he could elaborate.

"You talk too much, Drake." Chet slowly removed his hand from Drake's mouth. Indignant, Drake swatted his hand away.

"I got it, asshole. Don't do that again. You just messed up my hair."

"Vain peacock."

"Stick-in-the-ass."

Folding my arms, I scowled at the both of them. "Is anyone ever going to enlighten me as to who he is or what he was yapping about?"

Chet slung an arm around Drake's shoulder. "Meet Drake, my evil younger brother. Drake, this is…Asato." Somehow, the hesitance in introducing me to his family member irritated me.

"We've met," I replied curtly. As I turned to head to the bedroom to change into my clothes, the towel wrapped around my waist slipped a notch, exposing my bare hips. Somehow, I managed to grab the fluffy material before it slid further below.

A wolf whistle from Drake got me shooting him an annoyed glare, but I accidentally stared at the pair of intense green eyes behind him. They were riveted on me, and coolly met my stare head-on. Green eyes that were clouded with lust, desire…and perhaps something a little more. Wherever his gaze trailed, a blazing heat followed.

I gathered some bravado. There wasn't any need to be fearful of him. He was just some nerd I could knock down in seconds if required. "Stop your fucking staring. Don't think you'll get to do this shit again."

With that, I stormed into the bedroom and closed the door. The moment it shut, I slumped down to the floor, back braced against the door for support. I buried my face in my knees as I tried to make sense of my feelings.

I liked Chet but was intimidated by him? That was just so fucking twisted. I raised my head slightly and frowned, remembering some of the phrases that Drake had so carelessly spouted.

Then, something fell into place; Chet knew me. From the past that I couldn't recall.

If that was the case, then why the pretense? Why didn't he acknowledge me? Had I done something he couldn't forgive?

A sharp jab of pain caused my head to throb, as my mind swirled in a kaleidoscope, a myriad of voices encased within. A blurred image of a man trying to tell me something. I struggled to focus on his words, although the pain was escalating. This was my only chance in regaining some of my lost memories, and there was no way I was going to allow it to slip from my grasp.

A scene from a time far away unfolded before me, just like characters in a play.

"Hey, Asato. You look nice."

"I always look nice." A voice that mirrored mine and was followed by a snort.

A slight pause. "Yeah, you do. Makes me jealous, sometimes."

"Hontou? Maji de? Kawaii ne, omae." I saw myself pushing someone against the wall, molding my body against his in a passionate embrace as my lips found his.

"Asato. Asato!" Someone was shaking me roughly by the shoulders. It jarred me awake.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain seeped away. Only then did I realize that I was holding my head in both hands, fingernails digging into my skull. My breathing was shallow and ragged as I struggled for composure.

"Daijoubu da." I batted Chet's hands away and whispered, "Sawaranaide."

It pissed him off. I knew it did.

To his credit, he got up, patted me on the head and left me to dwell in my thoughts alone. As I stared up at the ceiling, feeling vulnerably fragile for the first time in my life, I couldn't stop those words from playing repetitively in my head, taunting me.

More than those words of passion, more than words of love, I'd remembered something else; something that had saddened me to the point of almost breaking.

It had happened the night before the accident had occurred. The night my lover had delivered those cutting words.

"You bore me. Let's break up."

And yes, my lover had been Chet.

*****

Japanese terms:

Baka. Idiot.

Ki wo tsukete, ne. Be careful.

Fusaken ja ne! Don't fuck around with me!

Chotto matte. Wait a minute.

Da mé. No.

Kawaii sou. How pitiful.

Kitsui ne. Tight.

Kimochii ka? Does it feel good?

Kimochii...ja ne. Doesn't…feel good.

Mou...ikizou! Iku! Enough…I'm cumming!

Hontou? Maji de? Kawaii ne, omae. Really? Are you serious? You're really cute.

Daijoubu da. I'm fine.

Sawaranaide. Don't touch me.