Hopefully I'll have a big story to form out of this, as oppose to just some little coupling thing. This pairing seduces me to no end…and it's horribly intriguing to write XD

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There were simply not enough hours in the day.

He was exhausted, and the heat was not making his life easier. Tokyo was ridiculously hot in the early and mid summer. It wasn't really the temperature to begin with, that was usually bearable; but once all the sunrays had bounced off the hundreds of buildings, and without any hint of breeze, the city practically became a sauna. The heat just hung there, dead and fucking relentless.

It didn't help that his destination was so un-modern that there was no chance of even hoping for an air-conditioner. Not even a fan. Having a fan around the house cost what, an extra 1200 yen a year? But no, there was no hope for that either. He was the fan, at least for himself. Him and a folded piece of paper.

It also didn't help that since the entirety of his existence was held on a microchip that could be erased with a fridge magnet, he rarely even had a piece of paper on him. So, most of the time, he was out of luck, and left to fester in the sweltering oosen.

But, even though he dreaded being there because of the temperature, it was the only place he wanted to be. Yoh was the only thing keeping him sane, the other's laid back attitude forcing him to calm down just enough to avoid a complete mental blue-screen.

So, as he turned down the street to the old inn, Manta found himself, on the whole, extremely glad to be going there.

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He barely heard the door open. He was far to absorbed in what he was reading, even if it was a subject he really had no real interest in. But, knowledge was knowledge, and although packing away tidbits of information on the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow may have seemed unnecessary to some, the doctor knew there was never useless information.

Slanted casually against the wall, one knee propped up to support his book, Faust's senses took the sound of the sliding door and placed it away for the time being. He'd pay attention to that, as well as the other noises stored away, once he was finished this page.

"Anna-san and Yoh-kun aren't back yet." He spoke, a little louder than usual, to whoever had come in. He figured it was Manta, as Yoh had mentioned that at some point earlier in the day, but the chances of HoroHoro or even Ren being the one who entered weren't slim.

The shorter boy practically jumped, and looked over into the room when he heard the man's voice. He certainly hadn't expected to see Faust here, as the doctor had been gone for over a year. Much to Anna's dismay, he found the need to return home occasionally to help others in his profession. It further annoyed her that he would leave for months on end, heading to other parts of the world to help those who needed him. But, it was far from her to hold the man back from his life calling.

Although the man's insanity was so apparent no hospital would take him as staff, his skills were known far beyond his mental state. People practically threw money at him just to have his care, although it often took no more than a 'please' to make Faust work himself to the bone for weeks, discovering a cure for a deadly sickness that had baffled the native doctors and scientists for years.

He simply had a gift that most took as extreme genius. Those who knew him best knew it was far more than just that.

"I didn't think you'd be here." Manta muttered softly, un-slinging his pack and resting it carefully by the door. "After six months past, Anna-san just figured you weren't coming back." He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, stifling a yawn as he looked over at him. He could hardly believe the other was approaching forty. He barely looked over twenty-five.

Faust's lips tilted up to a soft smile as his pale eyes finally rose to meet his. Those eyes could still flash fire in Manta's soul. "I am forever in debt to her. I would never leave for good."

Those same, calm eyes suddenly blinked as they looked on a person they did not recognize. This was not the Manta he left that long time ago. The boy had grown…an unbelievable amount from how tall he used to be. Judging from the height of the doorframe and how tall Manta stood on it, he guessed the boy was now closer to 5'...3". Yes, that was a fairly accurate guess. He looked almost more like his mother than his father now; save the sandy blonde hair he wore just slightly shaggier. His eyes were still dark and practically sucked the man in.

Forcing himself to turn his eyes back to the book, his smile widen until there was a glint of teeth. "You've grown."

Manta looked at one hand and turned it, a light smile gracing his lips. "Apparently…"

With a chuckle now, Faust returned his eyes to him once again. "It's a shame really." He closed the book and pushed himself off the wall as he finally stood.

Manta quirked an eyebrow as the man approached him to reach the stairs he stood close to. "Why?" He had to look up to meet Faust's eyes when the other stood next to him. He blinked with a slight start when Faust's hand ran threw his hair playfully.

"I can no longer lust after the science your body has to offer." The blonde smirked as his hand fell. "Although, the rapid, extreme growth you have experienced could be of further interest to me." The eyes gleamed before he continued his way to the stairs.

Manta gave the slightest squeak and visibly paled as he watched the man's back. He knew the other was joking, but sometimes Faust had a way of running his blood cold in an instant. He could never really tell if the other really meant, deep down, some of the things he said. Insanity made that difficult sometimes.

Still, as he fought to restore his color, he was even further fighting a faint blush that had spread across his cheeks. His heart pounded painfully in his ear and something had stirred in his lower stomach.

Shaking it off as just a reaction from the heat, Manta grumbled inwardly at himself for his response anyway.

What the hell was that?

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Short opening chapter acting more as a prologue. huzzah for setup. Anyway, hopefully I'll get more of this out tonight, and actually work on some deeper interaction next chapter.