STANDARD DISCLAIMER:

Sorcerer Hunters and its characters are not mine. Never were. Never will be.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Mwahahahaha!? After what seemed to be an eternity, I'm finally back and with another Chocarron ficcie!? Fear me!? .:mad laughter:. Uhm… Ahem… As I was saying… It's nice to be back, peeps!? Well, for me, at least. Anyway… About this series… I dunno what possessed me to write a BH AU fic featuring a rather non-cannon pairing but, well… Here it is… Please don't hate me… Also, I'm sorry to disappoint Gaterron lovers out there but, though this may seem to contain slight shounen-ai themes, particularly in this chapter, this fic'd be purely Chocarron in nature. Also, this is a reincarnation fic of sorts, which explains the feelings of déjà vu that most of the characters will feel. I'm not sure yet whether to put in some Carrira goodness in but… Well, that's what reviews are for ne? Oh, and just so you know, Marron's a college student in this one but he's a professional writer too… Chocolate's… ahem… *job* will be revealed somewhere in the third chap…

So, without further ado, I present to you my first BH work in quite a long time…

SCARLET DREAMS

By: Ryuuen

Chapter One

            Fate. Predestination. Destiny.

           

            People say that everything that happens in one's life happens for a reason. Things tend to play out like a well-directed movie, slowly unfolding before one's eyes in a manner which renders one helpless. Everything follows an intricate pattern designed by One greater than us and there is nothing we can do to thwart it. All we can do is acquiesce and comply as the wheel of life continues to turn unhindered. But then, if everything about our lives had already been planned even before we were conceived on this earth, doesn't that forfeit the very essence of our existence? Or does destiny, in some incomprehensible way, not merely dictate the events of one's life but also justify and give meaning to it?

            A young man in his late teens put down his pen and surveyed the beginnings of a two-thousand-five-hundred-word essay which he was supposed to hand in as a minor requirement for his literature class. A frown creased his fine features as he pulled back his long, raven black hair, flipping it with a rather careless grace. He had chosen a pretty deep topic to work on and, though he hated to admit it, he was lost. That and the continues giggling and swooning courtesy of the slowly growing female patrons of the café he was in was staring to make his head hurt. A table of what seemed to be a group of high school girls was even trying to catch his attention for the past half hour. Ignoring them with an expertise that comes with a lifetime of practice, he scanned the crowds for the person he was supposed to meet, mentally cursing said person for his tardiness, in vain. Shaking his head, he focused his attention once again on the rough draft he had been working on since he had arrived. Unconsciously, he let out a rather uncharacteristic exasperated sigh. The stress of having college professors and editors breathing down his neck was slowly getting to him and that was, in no way, a good thing. Closing his eyes and massaging his temples, he tried to get his concentration back but was instantly distracted by a tap on his shoulder.

            He sighed and, without as much as a sideward glance, remarked tersely, "You're late."

            His friend chuckled, depositing his muscle-bound body in the chair opposite his and chuckled. "So I am. Did you miss me, Marron-chan?"

            Marron, as he was now identified, simply shook his head and continued. "I'll have you know that I am quite preoccupied as of the moment and that I cannot afford wasting my precious time waiting for someone who doesn't seem to know the meaning of punctuality."

            "Geez, Marron-chan. I was just late by…"

            "An hour, thirty-three minutes and fifty seconds, flat. I'd say that's quite a lot, Gateau," the brunette deadpanned.

            His companion sweatdropped before adapting a rather serious expression. "Marron-chan…"

            "…"

            Taking the said guy's hand into his own, he continued, "Marron-chan, I just want you to know that I also find myself counting the seconds until we meet again and…"

            Marron rolled his eye mentally. Here we go again… He had tried to be nice by actually accepting Gateau's invitation with the reassurance that it would be a *friendly* date but…

            "Why do I even bother?" he muttered out loud before prying his hands from the blonde's and starting to collect his things.

            Gateau burst into tears at that moment, dramatically stretching out his arms as he recited all the known verses on love forsaken that he knew of, which was quite a lot, considering that he was into theatrical poetry.

            Marron sighed yet again.

            "I'm leaving."

            And with that, the long-haired bishounen stepped into the early evening breeze, leaving his infatuated friend behind, oblivious to the crowd that was slowly gathering around to see hear a 'crazy bi-man and his poetry'.

· * *

·

            Remind me once again why I put up with him? Marron thought to himself while removing his reading glasses which were beginning to mist over. It was late in September and there was a certain chill in the air that subtly indicated the coming of autumn. Placing his glasses in his breast pocket, his thoughts turned back to his blond friend. A wistful sigh escaped his lips. Gateau was a good friend and, if the truth must be told, his only friend. They have known each other since birth and have stuck together through everything but lately… Marron shook his head. If only he weren't too set on winning my affections, Gateau would have made a great surrogate oniisan.

                 It was quite weird though, how Marron had always felt an emptiness within him when that particular topic was raised. Unusual, for Marron was, and has always been, an only child. Then again, images of a figure with unruly black hair and a sturdy profile would usually find their way into his dreams. In those dreams, he would always find himself sitting under a tree looking out into the field with that figure. He would remember a feeling of security and contentment that he had never felt before. He would find himself uttering the word Oniisan and the figure next to him would turn to him as though to smile. There were also three others. A tall, muscular man who always seemed to be by his side. For some odd reason, he reminded him of his friend Gateau. Then there was this girl with curly hair, casting longing looks at the figure he had accepted to be his older brother. And then, there was another girl but the only thing Marron could ever remember about her were her eyes. They were of the queerest shade of blue, further enhanced by the sparkle in them when she looked in the direction of his brother. Strangely, he felt drawn to these eyes. He had had this dream ever since he was young but he was yet to find out what it meant. Was it a remembrance of a past life he must've had or a premonition of the future? But then…

            Marron just kept on walking while keeping this silent meditation and so caught up in his thoughts was he that he was barely aware of the things happening around him. Just then…

            "Damn!"

            The next thing he knew, he was sprawled on the sidewalk, his things scattered on the ground where he had fallen. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he moved to sit up, wondering what may have caused his fall when he felt something, or rather, someone, stir against his chest.

            "What the f…"

            Taken aback by the expletive, Marron looked up to confront his assailant only to find two clear orbs staring back at him. And, in the dim light of one of the street lamps, he gasped as they flickered a familiar shade of blue.

            Mwahahahaha!? I'm evil!? How's that for a cliffhanger. So go on… You know what to do… Just write me a nice little review and you'd get the next chapter in no time… Ja ne!