Mirage Of Blaze Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Chasing Twilight ❯ Chapter Three: Temporary Truce ( Chapter 3 )

Well, okay, I'm finally all set up, got my computer and internet back (and cable, even if I DID practically have to install it all myself. Who says you need training to do electrical work. Heh. You think that's good? I also carried a hundred pound air conditioner up two flights of stairs this weekend, and got it in so that it's not going to fall out the window and crash and burn on the second story roof. *squeezes her manly muscles* Ow! Heh. No easy task, let me tell you, and my good buddy Mike had to climb out on the roof to get the piece that fell out the window too. Geez. Anyway, point being, I'm back. I have a lot of typing to do between this and original stuff I've been doing longhand while the internet was out, and I still have a crap-load of updating to do at my website, but regardless, here's another chapter of "Chasing Twilight." As always, my reviewers receive much gratitude and hugs.

~**~

"Chasing Twilight"

by: Banshee Puppet

Chapter Three: Temporary Truce

~**~

Chiaki shoved his hands into his pockets. Haruie had called him an hour ago and asked that he meet her here. There was only one problem:

"Chiaki!" the female possessor pulled off her motorcycle helmet and waved. "Sorry for calling you out so suddenly.

"No big deal, what's up?" Chiaki asked. In truth, he was glad for the distraction. It was all he thought about, Yuzuru's lips--he couldn't forget them; he longed for them, for their warmth, his warmth, all of him. But it was totally impossible--just like chasing a twilight that is relentlessly chasing after dawn--the two could never meet, not with an entire night stretched out between them.

"Geez, Nagahide, you look like crap. What happened?"

"I didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

"Liar."

"Any word on Kagetora yet?"

Haruie narrowed her eyes, pushing a few strands of hair from them. "Did something happen with Yuzuru?"

Chiaki's eyes shot up, 'how did you know' scribbled across his expression.

"Hah! I knew I was right!" Haruie said triumphantly. "You only ask about Kagetora when Yuzuru is in a state, you know."

"I hadn't realized," Chiaki mumbled.

"Tell me?"

"What's there to tell? Of course Yuzuru is upset. After all, Takaya is the person he loves, and Kagetora and Takaya are one in the same, so of course. He misses him. Yuzuru loves Takaya, Takaya loves Naoe, if he ever admits it." 'And I love Yuzuru,' he thought, but this was something he would never dare say, not aloud. It was far too troublesome. "Love triangles are always complicated," he finished.

"But isn't this more like a pretzel than a triangle?" Haruie commented in an offhand fashion.

"What are you implying?"

Haruie sighed. It was so obvious it was almost painful. "Don't you realize how you are, Chiaki? You're an all-or-nothing sort of guy. You either dedicate yourself to something completely, or you nearly forget it exists at all. With people, you're just the same. It's obvious how you feel, especially to someone like me, who's known you for hundreds of years."

"So what did you call me for?" Chiaki didn't even pretend to make an easy transition to avoid the conversation. He just refused to talk about this anymore.

"Naoe wants us to look into the Sweet Shop up the street. He planned to do it himself, but he's off looking for Kagetora now. You know what a one-track mind that guy has."

"Fine, then let's get to work."

~**~

Saori got up and walked over to where Ran had just tossed the instruction manual. "Are you still stuck in your masculine pride, or do you want some help?" she asked with a bemused smile.

"You know how to do this?" Ran asked.

"Well, it's been a while, but I think I can remember," she nodded.

Sitting back and repressing a relieved sigh, he asked, "why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I know a lot of men with sensitive egos," she said, chuckling slightly, before diving into the wiring, biting her lip and continually shoving her braids out of the way as they tumbled over her shoulders.

'She's...kind of cute...really cute...' he thought, noticing one of Ken's bandannas sitting on the table. While she worked he got up and lifted the blue cloth, rolling it before kneeling behind her and pulling back the renegade strands, remembering doing the same for Aya when they were much younger and cleaning house for their parents.

But Saori jumped. "Wha...?"

Ran finished tying the braids loosely and sat back on his heels. "You looked as if you were having some trouble," he said easily, much more calmly than he felt. He shoved the thought of her soft, lily hair to the back of his mind.

"Oh. Uh. Thanks. Almost done," she said, turning back to her work.

Ran found himself repressing the urge to run his hand over the smooth arc of her back. Attraction. He knew the word and he wasn't fool enough to deny its meaning. He knew he was attracted to her. He tried to never feel this way--with his job, he just couldn't afford it. But it was what it was. He was attracted to her. That didn't mean he 'liked' her, or anything, just that he thought she was pretty, and that he wanted to touch her, that he desired her, physically, nothing more than that. It was purely biological. He shoved the hormonal reactions down and stood, looking out the window.

'I wonder what's keeping Omi?' he wondered.

"Okay! That should do it," Saori announced, clapping her hands together in accomplishment.

Aya cheered. "Let's try it! Since you and Ran did all the work, why don't you break it in. Sing something together!"

"No," Ran blanketed. Aya well-knew he didn't sing.

"But big brother," Aya whined. "For my birthday, pleeeaaasssee!"

"Come on Ran! It'll be fun!" Saori agreed.

"I don't sing."

"Everybody sings," she replied. "You can't be any worse than I am! Sing with me for Aya, come on, Ran, live a little!" she urged, and she didn't seem as if she would give up anytime soon.

'Stubborn girl. Cute, stubborn, and mildly annoying. What the hell is wrong with her, anyway?'

"Only one," he grumbled. "Then leave me alone about it."

"Yay!" she jumped slightly, clapping her hands together in front of her chest.

~**~

"Well, he was here, but you just missed him," the man had said. "He left yesterday."

Naoe sighed heavily, watching the sun set over the mountains from the dock where he last saw the young man. "Lord Kagetora, where have you gone? Have you gone home at last?"

~**~

'I've finally made up my mind. I'll become Kagetora, Naoe, because I can't--without you, I can't do anything.'

Takaya pulled off his motorcycle helmet and knocked at Naoe's door. No reply.

"Naoe," he called. "Naoe?"

"I guess he's not in, I'll have to wait for him,' he thought, slipping the key out of the rain gutter and opening the door.

"Mail call," he said to the empty house, dropping the mail on the table on his way in. He gets himself a glass of water and sits in the kitchen. "I'll wait for you right here," he decides aloud. "Until you come home."

~**~

Ken groaned, burying his head against Yohji's chest. "It's like cat genocide, make it stop!" he whined in regard to Ran's singing.

Saori had picked the most embarrassing duet she could think of since Ran had given her such a hard time, and now he was stuck being Sonny to her Cher. Yeah, that's right, Ran Fujimiya, the man who made the scowl 'cool' once again, was stuck singing, 'I got you babe.' In short, he was miserable, and his singing wasn't any better than his mood. The only thing that made the entire situation even remotely bearable was that Saori was stuck up there with him, although she actually appeared to be having fun. No, it wasn't love or anything like it, it was more like a growing warmth in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't ignore, and of course, misery always loves company.

It was silly, but he thought, 'She's Aya's friend, so at least I know that I'll be able to see her again.' He didn't realize it was the start of something that would balloon way out of his control.

Aya snickered and whispered to Nagi, "I think big brother has a little crush."

Nagi's eyes shot up to where Ran was studiously not-looking at Saori and gaped. Well, that was just odd. As subtly as he could manage, he leaned over and asked, "but Saori likes Yuzuru, doesn't she?"

"Sure, but I have hope. After all, Yuzuru's as gay as they come. He likes Takaya."

"Who does Takaya like?"

"Dunno, but there is someone. Yuiko said so."

"Yuiko likes Saori, doesn't she?" Nagi asked, trying to keep the entire mess organized in his mind.

"Well, she thought she did, but they're just friends."

"I see."

In truth, he didn't see at all. The only straight-forward relationship he could really see was Yohji and Ken's, and as it was, that was mildly disturbing of its own right--they were nothing alike, and every other word from either one of them made his mind scream 'too much information!'

~**~

Omi groaned awake to the feeling of slender fingers kneading at the sore muscles in his back.

"You're finally up," the voice said. "You should have run," Schuldich continued, not ceasing his attentions.

That nasal voice hit Omi's ears hard and he jumped in response, yelping as he stretched already tender muscles to the extent of their current ability. He didn't know what he'd been thinking, fighting so hard to save the mind-raping telepath. He assumed it must be the redhead's concern for Nagi, it was touching. Omi didn't realize Schuldich had a side like that.

"You're badly injured," Schuldich said when he understood Omi wasn't planning on saying anything just yet. "You shouldn't move."

"Obviously," Omi returned dryly." "Have you figured out what this is all about?"

Telepathically, Schuldich said, "They think that you're Nagi. They may kill you if they find otherwise, so just go with it for now."

"They want you for something, who knows what," he said aloud. "We'll have to work together for now if we want to get out of here alive," he added mentally.

'Are you proposing a temporary truce?' Omi thought.

"I guess I am."

"Alright, so what do you suggest?"

"For now, nothing. You need time to heal, Nagi."

Omi sighed. "Well, I don't like it."

Sculdich chuckled.

"What?!?"

"You really are adorable, you know, in that cute and innocent," ('and sexy,' Schuldich thought, careful to keep that particular thought to himself.) "sort of way."

"What is it with you and the touching?" Omi asked, finally having had enough of it.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Schuldich teased, feathering fingers over the side of his neck.

'Too good,' Omi thought, hoping, after the fact, that Schuldich didn't hear the mental commentary. "Not really," he said aloud.

Schuldich smirked and leaned in to whisper in the young man's ear, "Well, I'm a hedonist, you know, and I think it feels pretty damn good."

He smirked as he suckled the lobe of Omi's ear teasingly and slid gentle hands over his shoulders. He purred at the little shivers he felt coming off of the kitten, trailed lips along his jaw. "Bombay, so sweet, the taste of your skin..."

"Omi," the boy's mind gasped out the correction, unable to push away this feeling, as much as he wanted to, knew that he should. "My name is Omi."

"Mm. Omi. Can I kiss you, Omi?" Schuldich chuckled mentally. He was being uncharacteristically polite, even if he was playing with the young Weiss.

"You are kissing me," the white hunter thought.

"Your lips," Schuldich said, his lips coming closer until he lapped gently at the corner of Omi's mouth.

Uncertain as to why, Omi allowed it. "Okay," he thought, glorying in the heady feeling, the musky scent. His fingers tangled in the other man's long hair. He even opened his mouth in an attempt to invade Schuldich's with his tongue. He forgot where he was, the situation, who he was kissing. The feel of the redhead's lips just seemed so natural, as if they belonged to him and no one else.

Schuldich was surprised, but pleasantly so. "Mm. Omi." He groaned mentally. He felt like he was drowning, unable to separate Omi's thoughts from his own. "Mn. Like kissing you, Omi. Don't want to kiss anyone but you, ever."

The thought surprised them both. The moment Schuldich realized how true it was, he found himself unceremoniously distributed on his ass by a gasping white hunter--a gasping white hunter with flushed cheeks and kiss-swollen lips, and the most exquisite blue eyes he'd ever seen. The redhead felt a twinge in his abdomen, a slight flop, as he stared, startled, at the brunette.

"D-don't do that again," Omi stuttered.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because?"

'Because you're starting to think weird stuff,' he thought in the exact same instant as he said, "Because I'm not a hedonist."

The simultaneous thought and speech confused Schuldich, in addition to the sudden addition of the usual voices swimming around in his head all at once. He focused his mind, shoving them all down to a dull whisper and focusing on the young man that had gotten him in this mess in the first place.

"Come again?" he asked.

"Because I'm not a hedonist," Omi said more clearly, more surely. "I don't believe in..."

"Romance?" Schuldich offered, knowing full well that wasn't really the word that Omi was looking for at all.

"Yeah, sort of. I don't believe in 'romance' without love, and I definitely don't love you, pervert."

"O--..." Schuldich wondered why that stung so much. He felt so strange. "I'm sorry Nagi."

Omi wasn't sure what he was trying to say, or more specifically, to who. Nagi, but was he apologizing to the real Nagi, or to him?

'Love?' Schuldich thought to himself. 'Am I really capable of, do I...? No, no way, but...those lips, that talented tongue, soft skin, and those dramatic blue eyes--I'm just a hedonist. It's not love, right? I...it can't be...but I want...to kiss him again, to hold him, to not be pushed away.'

~**~

Well okay, little bit of action weaseling its way in there in this chapter. I know the Omi/Schuldich pairing is totally bizarre, but I think I like it. I'm having fun with it. *shrugs* What can I say, I like blazing the path into uncharted territory when I can find it! Heh. Well, there's probably an Omi/Schu out there somewhere though, I won't pretend I'm that brilliant and original to be the first to try it. Meh, no worries. Hope everyone is still at least remotely in character. And now, onward. I have to leave for work in an hour. Gek.

~Banshee Puppet, signing off.~