Chapter One: Intruders and a Shadow

When Jack opened the door to the insistent knocker, he wasn't sure what to expect. Few visited his apartment, especially without calling first. His expression changed from mild curiosity and irritation to shock at the sight of his former friend looking just as he remembered: frosty-blue hair, cat-like golden eyes, unhealthily thin frame. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Kiryu grinned up at him. "Did you grow again, Jack? You're practically a giant." Unfazed by Jack's scowl and obvious discomfort, he added, "And that's no way to greet a friend."

Jack backed into his apartment before Kiryu did something crazy like stab or hug him, but this allowed Kiryu enough room to enter too. "How did you find my address?" asked Jack.

Kiryu shrugged and played with a dangling end of his headband. "That's not a problem for me, the leader of Team Satisfaction."

"Team Satisfaction... doesn't exist anymore." Flashes of days long past, of four high school friends playing together, getting in trouble as one, went through Jack's mind. Kiryu didn't register his words. He paced Jack's living room, trailing his fingers over a sofa's velvet upholstery before turning his attention to an Oriental vase filled with fake flowers. When Jack spotted his tiny smirk, he wondered in a moment of paranoia if Kiryu could tell Jack had tried to keep real flowers there until he'd failed enough times to give in and buy plastic replacements; surely Kiryu couldn't have guessed that. Jack was tired of being ignored anyway, so he raised his voice and spoke again. "I left for a reason."

"Then come back for one." An imploring gaze rooted him to the spot. It was so different from the final one he'd received from Kiryu two years ago, one full of hate and fury. "We made a promise, don't you remember?" Kiryu'd made his way to the kitchenette now and leaned his elbows on a marble-top counter. His proximity to a drawer of cutlery alarmed Jack, but he forced himself to give Kiryu the benefit of the doubt. He seemed well, perhaps even happy to be talking to Jack again.

"I remember."

Kiryu instantly brightened, straightening up and extending a hand. "Then let's do it! We'll be Team Satisfaction again, attending our dream college like we always planned!" Jack eyed his hand as the moments passed. He was the first to make a move, and it was turning his back.

"No. That isn't what I want anymore."

"Crow agreed."

That he didn't mention Yuusei's compliance meant more than if he had. Of course Yuusei would be sticking with him, with Team Satisfaction. Kiryu, Crow, and Yuusei, together at college, fulfilling a promise made that night long ago. It wasn't admirable to break a promise, Jack knew, but circumstances had changed so much since the oath was uttered among them.

"I'm not Crow, and I'm not going."

"Jack..." Kiryu walked into his line of sight and gave him another searching look. "You'll change your mind."

"Goodbye, Kiryu."

He led Kiryu to the front door and waited for him to go. He did, however grudgingly, shouting over his shoulder once more that Jack would definitely come back to them.

"The deadline for applying passed a long time ago, Kiryu. It wouldn't matter if Jack had said yes," Yuusei said from half under the car he was tuning up for a neighbor. Kiryu was nearby on the concrete floor, legs stretched out towards the garage's opening. The temperature was relentlessly rising as noon approached, causing Kiryu to take a gulp from another chilled water bottle before answering.

"He's definitely going to be our classmate this fall. Or are you underestimating the Jack Atlas?" Kiryu teased. "He could sway any admissions counselor into letting him in. Actually, he could probably do that just by dropping your father's name."

Yuusei muttered an oath under his breath, though it was impossible to tell if it was due to his frustration with the car's rusted state or Jack. He was glad Crow was keeping their promise but far from devastated that Jack had declined to. Hoping to turn the conversation away form him, he asked Kiryu to pass him the wrench.

"Sure, hold on." He heard Kiryu rummage through his various tools for the wrench. A hand reached under the car and purposefully grazed the exposed skin of Yuusei's stomach with the cold handle. Yuusei shivered and snatched the tool before Kiryu put it to more creative uses. Soon after, the car's parts seemed in working order, so he slid back out.

Kiryu was leaned against the side of the car, leafing through yesterday's paper. Without looking up, he handed a bottle of water to Yuusei, who chugged it gratefully. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed. "I could really use a shower."

"Oh, me too." Kiryu jumped up and started toward their front door.

"I don't think so, Kiryu," Yuusei laughed. "I'm trying to get clean."

Promising he'd make it up to him later, Yuusei hopped into the shower alone and washed the sweat and oil from his body. He stayed there even after he felt clean, blankly staring at the water swirling down the drain. In one week, he would be at college with Kiryu and Crow. It would be like the old times, when everything was good, but Jack would be missing.

Yuusei shook his head. Jack chose to be missing. He'd been given the opportunity to come back and he hadn't taken it. A quiet voice in the back of his head said he might have, if Yuusei and not Kiryu had asked.

Not wanting to waste any more water, he snapped out of his reverie and toweled off. He found Kiryu'd spent his time waiting for Yuusei on packing more of their things. They didn't have much, but they were going to have to move most of it to the dorm, since they wouldn't be renting this place anymore. Anything deemed not absolutely vital would be sold or donated.

"What do you think, Yuusei?" Kiryu asked, holding up a boombox someone had tossed and Yuusei had repaired. "Keep or sell?"

"Keep." He could think of several instances where it would be useful to drown out other noises in their room.

When they made it through a pile of random belongings, they took a break and lay down on the carpet side by side. "This year's gonna be great, Yuusei."

"Yes," Yuusei affirmed, despite that nagging voice telling him not to be so sure.

The bed in the spare room was where Jack retreated to think. Without posters on the walls or other distractions, he could focus more clearly on analyzing a problem. Right now, however, he wasn't sure he even had a problem. Kiryu had visited, but Jack didn't have to follow through on the promise; he didn't have to see Kiryu or Crow or Yuusei again, and that had worked out well enough for the last two years. The pang of loneliness he felt when he pictured the three of them hanging out at college wasn't nearly enough to change his mind.

Someone knocked on his front door. Jack ignored whoever it was, hoping they'd go away or, if it was Kiryu again, that he'd at least have the decency not to break in. After realizing no one was coming, the person shouted, "Jack, I brought ramen!"

That was worth leaving the comfort of bed. He unlocked the door and let Kazama in. He was still wearing his cop uniform so he must have just gotten off work. Two containers of Jack's favorite flavor of ramen were balanced in his left hand. "I knew you were home," Kazama said, smiling at him. Jack grunted and locked the door behind him. Kazama walked to the kitchenette to heat up the ramen. "Bad day? Or should I wait until you've eaten and ask again?"

"It's nothing." Jack waited impatiently for the microwave to beep and surrender his meal. When it did, though, Kazama refused to hand it over.

"You can tell me what's wrong."

Jack pouted, feeling so close yet so far from the delicious ramen. Ordinarily he'd just deck Kazama and grab it, but he didn't want to risk spilling even a noodle from his preferred brand. "...Fine. Kiryu came to see me." He was rewarded with the cup ramen, but Kazama clearly wanted to know more. Concern shone in his eyes at the mention of Kiryu's name.

"Is he okay?"

"Seemed like it." Jack spoke between mouthfuls. "But he's under the impression I'm going to be friends with him and the others again."

"So those three are still friends."

"Crow left for awhile, too," Jack said. "But Yuusei and Kiryu-" He frowned. "I thought Kiryu would hate me for testifying against him, but he didn't bring any of that up. Just a stupid promise that we'd all go to Tokushima together."

"Maybe he knows you did the right thing," Kazama offered. "So I take it you aren't going to attend college with them?" Sensing the hardest part of the conversation was over, he started preparing his own ramen.

"Of course not. I've had my acceptance and scholarships settled for months."

"What if you get lonely at college? You don't make friends easily, Jack."

"Hmmph. I don't need friends."

"Then who will bring you ramen?"

"I'll get my own!"

Kazama laughed. "Sure. But I am worried, Jack. You'll probably manage to break your cell phone the first day and I'll have to drive five hours to make sure you haven't died."

"So that's your ulterior motive," Jack smirked. "You know Tokushima's just an hour away, and you want to keep me here."

"Only because I know you need me." A beep from his phone caught Kazama's attention. "Situation downtown. Gotta go." All business now, he pushed his leftover ramen toward Jack and put his jacket back on. "Think about their offer, Jack," he said, then he was gone.

He did, if only so he could tell Kazama so. Still, he could think of no arguments for it and too many against. It was be easier, better, to continue on the path he'd started carving out for himself two years ago, when he'd broken away from Team Satisfaction.

Then Crow showed up.

When the door to his apartment opened without Jack's help three mornings later, he leapt around the corner and readied his fist to send the would-be burglar straight to the hospital. A shock of orange hair and a face tattooed in yellow made Jack instead choose to glower at the intruder. "Seriously? Now you're breaking into my house?"

The cocky grin widened. "The security here sucks, Jack. Pretty sure I could have picked that lock in my sleep." Jack scowled and tried to look discreetly past Crow. If he were here, maybe someone else had tagged along. Crow picked up on his train of thought and said, "Don't bother. Yuusei's still too pissed at you to come along. I think he's more pissed than Kiryu, honestly. You're both too stubborn for your own good, you know that?"

"I'm being stubborn? I told Kiryu no, and now he's sending more people to drag me off to college!"

Crow's grin faltered. "You told him no?" He whipped his phone out. "He told me to come help you pack your things! I'm going to let that liar-"

"Calm down. This is hardly surprisingly."

Crow had to agree, stowing the phone back into his vest pocket. He looked down at his feet and admitted, "I was hoping it was true. The four of us, together again."

"Things can't be like they were before."

"I hope not." Crow shuddered. "But I'm telling you, they wouldn't be. Kiryu saw that therapist and got the medication he needed. And if you would just stop being angry at Yuusei, he'd do the same for you."

"He has no reason to be mad at me! I did the right thing, and I'd do it again!"

"Come on, Jack. You can't tell me you don't miss us." His tone wavered between playful and hopeful.

"That's what I'm telling you. And what does it matter anyway? College is about to start, I can't-"

"There's nothing that college wouldn't do for a friend of Dr. Fudo's son," Crow said. "They worshipped the ground he walked on there, with all the research money and everything he brought in. I'm sure if Yuusei asked, you could be admitted this late."

"But if Yuusei hates me-"

Crow interrupted again. "He doesn't, Jack. He still considers you a friend, I know he does. And I do too."

Jack had to look away from earnest hazel eyes. Surely Kiryu and Crow couldn't expect to just barge into his life like this. "I'm not going."

Crow threw his hands up in frustration. "You just can't let the past go! Whatever. I have better things to do than try to convince a stubborn idiot to see his friends!" He stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

Kiryu leaned all his weight against the overflowing luggage, trying to press it back far enough to get the car door closed. Since Yuusei was the only one with a vehicle, the three of them were carpooling to Tokushima. The trunk was full of Kiryu and Yuusei's belongings, and Crow's dominated the backseat. "Seriously, Crow, I think you might be more of a pack rat than a bird."

Crow retorted, "Hey, just be glad Jack's not coming! He probably would try to bring that velvet couch or something, along with three hundred outfits. And I think you guys will appreciate my bringing a television."

"We should have a movie night when we get settled in," agreed Kiryu. "I'll pick something good."

"You always pick! Let Yuusei pick."

Kiryu whispered conspiratorially, "He'll be too distracted to watch, anyway."

"Gah! I don't wanna hear it!" Crow covered his ears, shaking thoughts of Kiryu and Yuusei making out from his mind.

Yuusei appeared a moment later after checking the house for anything they might've left behind. With his help, they got the car door closed and then piled into the front, Crow willingly taking the middle so Kiryu couldn't distract Yuusei from driving.

"Let's go!" Yuusei sped off, as excited for this trip with his friends as he was about their destination. The worries of the last few days disappeared as the miles flew by. Crow and Kiryu sang along to old rock songs, arguing over who had a better voice and unable to make Yuusei play the judge.

When the radio started rattling off advertisements, Crow turned it down sighed in contentment. "It's hard to believe we're finally making good on that promise."

"This is gonna be a year to remember." Kiryu leaned his seat back as much as Crow's stuff allowed and stretched out, earning a gentle smack from Crow when his arm grazed his head. "Eh? Am I messing up Crow's hair?" He poised a finger over a button on the car door.

Crow growled, "Don't you dare!" but Kiryu pressed it anyway, lowering the window all the way. The resulting blast of air had Crow's hair flying wildly and visibly knotting. He lunged over Kiryu and tried to close the window, but Kiryu grabbed his arms and wrestled him away.

"Do you two mind?" Yuusei asked, leaning over so as to avoid stray flailing limbs.

"Sorry, Yuusei," Kiryu said, straightening up but holding onto Crow's wrists.

"Close the window, Kiryu."

"Make me."

"You'd like that," Yuusei muttered.

Crow took advantage of Kiryu's momentary distraction and slipped out of his grasp. He jabbed the up arrow victoriously, ending the wind's assault on his hair. "Dammit, Kiryu, this'll take forever to comb!"

"Aw, were you hoping to impress the ladies your first day?"

"Maybe," Crow said darkly. "Just because you and Yuusei have been dating practically since you met doesn't mean you should ignore the pain of us singles." He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the knots loose enough not to need a comb.

"Don't worry," said Kiryu. "We'll find you a girlfriend. Consider it the new Team Satisfaction's first mission!"

"Okay, calm down. I don't think girls appreciate being thought of as a 'mission.'"

"I don't know, wouldn't they like someone fighting for them?"

"Who the hell am I fighting?"

"The Jack Atlases of the world," explained Kiryu. "The ones the ladies flock to."

"Oh, if that's all," Crow said. Yuusei had to join in their laughter when he remembered Jack's earnest confession one day that he couldn't even buy a cup of coffee without someone falling in love with him. Only someone like Jack would be annoyed by this fact.

They passed a sign telling them Tokushima was close. "We should call Jack," said Kiryu. "Make him realize what he's missing out on."

"Drop it." Yuusei adjusted his speed at the influx of city traffic and glanced over at Kiryu. "If he doesn't want to come, he won't."

"Who needs him anyway?" Crow demanded, fingers working more desperately at his hair now that they were almost there. "Like Kiryu said, we're the new Team Satisfaction, right?"

He held out one fist. Kiryu's joined it and then Yuusei's. They pounded them together and smiled at one another, three inseparable friends doing their best to ignore the looming shadow of their missing fourth.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Team Satisfaction could always use another college AU, right?

I wonder if it seems strange to make a rare ship like justiceshipping (KazamaxJack) one of the main pairings? I adore it, though, and I can't watch a single episode with Kazama in it without falling for this ship even more.

I just chose a common place name for the university (thanks google search engine). Apparently, it means "virtue island." You know, the kind of place an M-rated fic would definitely belong.

next chapter: Roommates and a Pill