Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Borderline ❯ Blooming Roses ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: Like the previous chapters… how I wished I owned them.

Warning: My faithful reader would definitely know by now that this is a slash fiction. If writing slash makes me some kind of a sick person, then so be it. Like The Rock had once said "It doesn't matter!" ^^

AN: I had a feeling that for the last few chapters the story line is a little bit slow. Not that I don't want to write any actions or something but if I did, I feel like rushing. So, I try my best not to make it a boring read.

I received few mails about my updating status… *sigh* I wish I could update every two weeks or something, but my brain doesn't work that way. It had this funny sense of humor, giving me ideas in a second and the next it makes me forget. I think I'm getting old. And then, there were few distractions like my work and animes that I have been watching ad drooling over the bishies like Tennis no Ohjisama (Tezuka-samaaaaa ^___^), Hikaru no Go and DN Angel.

Enough rambling…. Ahead with the story!

Chapter 10: Blooming Roses

He had been standing on his balcony for half an hour, admiring the full blossom of the red roses in his garden. The roses, they reminded him so much of the redhead. Their rich and deep red color reminded him of the young man's hair; their silky petals reminiscing the softness of the boy's skin and the thought itself had overwhelmed his body into desire. He could feel himself getting hard by just imagining the boy's pale ivory skin.

A trace of a smile formed in his lips, remembering the time he touched the boy… Oh! Don't get him wrong, the young man's virginity was still intact, although, sometimes… well, he could hardly wait to unite with the redhead.

And like the roses, he mused, though they are beautiful, they are also dangerous. Their thorns will pierce your finger if you're not careful. Then again, what is a great conquest without the presence of danger?

It was arousing.

He wanted the day of their consummation to be special. The boy was special, a rare beauty. One meant to be kept. Different from the ones he had used and discarded before. He loved, no, he desired exquisite things, especially living, breathing things. And the young man… was such thing.

Now, thanks to his son, his plans were thwarted and his birthday was coming. He hated the unpredictable.

And now, the boy was in the hand of a certain American doctor was unpredicted. He was a great believer in careful planning and was very attentive to every detail. He had planned well to make sure that the boy would be his, the admission and the drug to make sure that he had the young man. But a stupid mistake had cost him everything. The boy had wittingly evaded taking his prescribed medication and had fled from his confinement when he was unguarded. This turn of events disturbed him much.

He had to re-plan. He wanted to secure his claim and he vowed that no one, not even that damn American doctor, would be able to stop him from getting what he desired most.

The sound of his son's footsteps disturbed him from his musings. "So, what did you found out?" He asked, turning around and scrutinizing his eldest son.

"He's still in that house," the younger man answered and handed him a couple of developed photos.

The older man studied the pictures carefully. "Who is this?" He pointed at the brown haired Japanese boy. He knew the German psychiatrist and… of course his blond lover. How he knew them? Ah! Well… one of his discarded items had killed himself at the hospital where the psychiatrist worked before. He had kept his tabs on that German. Sometimes small details could come in handy. Not to mention he also knew that Crawford took care of three orphans, two of them were Japanese and one was Irish, who was now the caretaker of the American's house.

"That… His name is Hidaka Ken, a school soccer player. His brother is that blond detective."

"Brother?" He quirked a gray eyebrow at his son.

"Half-brother, different mother," his son explained.

"Oh!" He nodded in satisfaction with the explanation. "And… what is he doing in the `respectable' American doctor's house?"

"I went to his school, disguised as a gardener. Rumors from the mouth of giggling girls is that this young man is believed to be the doctor's lover."

"Lover, eh..." He began to smile widely.

His son nodded. "I believe so, I have been watching them, and they seems to be closed. The American really care for the young man."

"He is important then." He muttered to himself. "I could use him as a pawn to take back what is mine and I have the perfect plan for that."

His son looked questioningly at him.

"In time son… In time I'll tell you, but for now… Let the redhead think that he is safe." He turned his attention back to the garden. "As the moment, let's just keep an eye on what my cunning baby is up to."

Watch and wait.

In the end…

It always pays off.

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Ken was actually seething. He dumped his things in the corner of the room before throwing himself on the bed. The conversation with his brother's lover earlier didn't help him either. He was still plagued with uncertainty on where he stood in Crawford's heart.

His insecurity was heightened when he had seen the way Crawford had been holding and soothing the redhead yesterday.

He felt his heart break when he saw Crawford on the bed, cuddling Ran tightly. It was supposed to be him in there, in the older man's arms.

He hadn't meant to spy on them. He had been hungry and had thought of going to the kitchen for a midnight snack. When he passed through the room where the redhead was settled in, he heard cries. The door was slightly ajar and he had peered in, and that had been when he had seen them.

Fighting away the tears that began to form in his eyes, he had walked away. As he made his way to the kitchen, he experienced an unfamiliar feeling underneath his anger, by the time he reached the kitchen; he had realized that he was jealous. Not only that, he was also envious of Ran. He loved Crawford, he was sure of it and it was not a mere infatuation. And at this rate of attention that Crawford was giving to Ran, he was sure that he would lose him.

No! He vowed to himself. No one will take Crawford away from him and certainly not the guy that the older man picked out of the drains.

With a mixed emotions, he stepped out from his room and saw that Crawford was pacing back and forth in the hall downstairs.

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As Schuldig drove the car towards the station, he remembered the day he had first met the Fujimiya family. The parents had introduced him to their daughter who had refused to come out from her sanctuary, her room. As he entered, she greeted him and even agreed to share her fear with him. She was an easy girl to talk with but her cheerful mood was reserved in her room; once she tried to step outside, she became a different person.

One day, he had tried to persuade Aya to walk out of her room but once she had passed the doorway, she had turned pale, grabbing her chest, gasping as if she couldn't breathe. Aya was not ready and he let her off the hook that day.

The next day he had tried again, and after much persuasion and promising, Aya had agreed. She took her first step outside and watching it was like a watching a baby taking its first step. He was happy with the development but his happiness was cut short when she reached a curb and had an attack again and fainted.

Her family was skeptical on her progress; after the second attack she had refused to walk out even from her room. They had begun to give up the hope that their daughter could ever lead a normal life again. But, Schu, being a German and of course, a doctor with a reputation, was not easily giving up and he was persistent.

He tried again, this time he forced Aya to walk arm in arm with him. Aya had closed her eyes while walking and to his surprise; they had reached the house's garden. Schuldig began mouthing support in the girl's ear, encouraging her to overcome her fears. She opened her eyes, gasping, Schuldig waiting and her family watching but nothing happened. She had no nervous attack.

The honking sound coming from behind woke him up from the memory. Startled, he quickly shifted into gear and continued driving.

His mind was reeling on what he would say to Ran's sister. He would prefer to break the news to Aya himself. At least, he could be there to support her. But then Yohji had the right to tell Aya too. It was his case anyway.

The Police Station was visible to him now. The building standing proudly in the name of serving and protecting the interest of the public from crimes. He parked his car and headed towards his lover's office.

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Yohji was regarding the two girls in front of him. One of them was weeping hysterically and the other was standing, looking numb. He was still astounded by how frighteningly similar both girls looked; the only difference was their haircut. Aya had a long hair, which she braided neatly, while Sakura; the girl's best friend had short hair.

When they first came in, he was at loss. Aya's hair was short in the family portraits and he had called Sakura as Aya until the girl corrected him. Not only that, he was feeling uncomfortable in his own office with Sakura's father, a high ranking politician who was trying to sooth Aya when she broke into uncontrollable sobs. Yohji somehow felt uneasy by the way the old man was holding her.

On the outside, it looked like a fatherly gesture, but somehow beneath it was something sinister. He shook his head. `What the hell am I thinking?' he thought grimly. Then if the Tomoe family was not enough to intimidate him, they had invited Takatori Reiji along. Wonderful!

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a question directed to him. "Huh?"

"My brother?" Aya asked between sobs.

"Oh!" Yohji wasn't sure if he should tell Aya about her brother, especially when there were non-related people to the family members present. He had told them briefly what had happened, and that he wanted to wait for Schuldig. But Tomoe-san, Sakura's father had insisted, telling him that she deserved to know and knowing how influential the man was, he had no choice.

He was somehow relieved that his Superior wasn't in the office. Or else, it would be hard for him to answer when the question came up. `Where the hell is Asuka when I need her?'

And now… to answer the million-dollar question.

Just as he opened his mouth, he heard a knock and Schuldig walked in.

`Aaah… Saved by the lover!!!'

Schuldig's eyes were fixed on Aya who was still crying. Sensing someone was walking in, Aya raised her head up and her eyes widened.

"Dr. Schu!" Before the German could react he was enveloped in a tight embrace by the girl.

"You told her?" He asked when Aya renewed her crying on his shoulder. He brought up both of his arms, supporting the racking body of the crying girl.

A small nod from Yohji was his answer. Schuldig sighed, eyes roamed over the other occupants of the room and his gaze fixed at the other girl he believed was the same age as Aya and both the older men.

"This is Tomoe-san's daughter, Sakura," Yohji explained, knowing the surprised look on his lover's face.

Schuldig acknowledged their presence by nodding, `What the hell is Takatori doing here?' he thought as he tried to calm Aya down. She was still visibly shaken by the news. "I'm sorry about your loss." After few moments of silence, Schuldig found his tongue again and asked, "Can I speak with Aya?" His eyes were on Yohji and then at other occupants in his lover's office. " Alone… Please?"

They nodded in agreement and left the room reluctantly.

Schuldig waited until Yohji closed the door to his office. "Are you okay?" He asked and handed the tissue box from his lover's desk over to the girl.

Mouthing `thank you', Aya shook her head and began crying again. "Why?"

"We don't know Aya, but the police are trying their very best to solve this case. Did your parents have any enemy?"

Aya shook her head.

"Or someone that you know hold any grudge? Wanted to hurt your family?"

Again Aya shook her head. "I don't know." She sobbed and wiped away fresh tears. "I can't think of any … We…. Tousan never told me anything, everyone liked him. I'm sorry."

Both of them were lost for words for a moment when Aya spoke between her sniffles. "Schu?"

"Yes?"

"My brother? What about him?"

"He survived."

"Is that so," she mumbled to herself.

Schuldig, who didn't hear her, asked, "What?"

"Huh? Nothing! Where is he?"

"He's safe." Schuldig took a deep breath and waited for Aya's response.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I know." For the third time he sighed again. "He's with me. To be exact, he is staying with a friend of mine."

"WHAT?" Aya's eyes nearly bulged out and her voice was pitched. "What friend? Who? Why?"

"Calm down, Aya. It was lucky we found him. He was attacked by some men and nearly drowned in the drains. My friend is a doctor and he insisted to keep watch on your brother."

Aya stood up, suddenly agitated, and began pacing in the room, mumbling something that the German could not understand. After a while she took a deep breath and turned her face back to her ex-therapist. "Can I see him?"

Schuldig nodded. "Where are you staying now?"

"With the Tomoe's," she answered, leveling her eyes at the German.

"Are they okay with it?"

"Yes. Tomoe-san offered me to stay with his family."

"Takatori, what is he doing here?" he asked, trying to satisfy his curiosity.

"Takatori-san happened to be in Tomoe-san's office today. He heard the news when the police told me about my family. He insisted in following us to the Station. He promised that he would do whatever within his power to help me."

"What about Ran? Did Tomoe-san or Takatori-san know you have a brother that is still alive?"

Aya hesitated, lowering her gaze and refused to meet Schuldig's eyes when she answered. "Yes." Her voice was barely heard. "They don't mind taking care of him. They know…" she stopped.

"They know what Aya?"

"I… He… You… you don't know about him. He's trouble."

"What exactly happened to your brother? I wish to help him."

"Please, can we not talk about him now. I'm still shocked. Can I just see him?"

"I'm sorry," Schuldig scolded himself for being insensitive to the girl whose life had been turned upside down. He was too concerned about her brother. He heard a knock at the door before his lover came in, followed by Sakura and her father.

"I'm taking Aya to see her brother." He informed them.

Yohji nodded. Aya walked towards the Tomoe family and whispered something into their ears. The older man nodded, his eyes were fixed on both Schuldig and Yohji.

"What's your friend's name?" She asked suddenly.

"Crawford" Schuldig answered without noticing that one of the older men's lips were quirking upwards.

"Shall we go now?" he asked.

Aya gave a slight nod. "Tomoe-San and Takatori-san will be coming with me," she stated decisively and began walking towards the door.

Schuldig suddenly had an uneasy feeling and he couldn't put his finger on it.

Something was not right.

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He couldn't concentrate on reading when Schuldig informed him that Yohji had found Ran's sister. He had been reading same page with the same sentence almost three times, until he finally realized that he couldn't concentrate any longer and walked out of his study room.

And now, he was pacing back and forth in the hall, alternating from the glass window and the sliding door. He stopped abruptly in his tracks when he heard a ruffling noise from behind. Turning, his eyes met the confused gaze of the young soccer player.

Walking over to Ken, he smiled, embracing the boy as he tilted his chin up to face him. "Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked as he kissed the young man's forehead.

"Can't sleep." Ken answered and buried his head at the American's chest, folding both his arms around the older man's waist, content at the offered warmth from the strong body that he was leaning on. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting!" Crawford answered absently. His mind was occupied elsewhere.

"Waiting? For who?" Ken asked curiously.

"Your brother and Schu. They're at the Station. They found Ran's sister." He answered and looked through the sliding glass for any sign of the two lovers.

"Oh!" Was all Ken could come up with. He was always nervous whenever Crawford hugged him and the lacking attention towards him from the older man was beginning to take its toll and he began to cry.

Sensing that something was wetting his shirt; he pushed Ken gently away and was surprised when he saw that the young man was shedding tears. Raising his hands to the younger man's face, he wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "What is it? Why are you crying?" He asked gently.

"Nothing" Ken answered and tightened his embrace.

"Somebody bullied you at the soccer field?"

"No" `It's you'

"Did Yohji scold you?"

"No" `and that damn redhead'

"Then, what makes you sad?" Crawford asked again

"I…"

Their conversation was cut short when Crawford heard the sound of cars coming through the driveway. He quickly freed himself from Ken and sprinted towards the main door to press the gate switch.

Three cars were parking outside, one he couldn't recognize. A Black Mercedes SLK. He read the plate number and suddenly recognized the owner of the car. What the hell is the State Assemblyman doing here and why is he following Schuldig and Yohji?

Again, he was surprised when he saw that Takatori Reiji was with them and he frowned when he saw them heading towards him.

He opened the door to greet them, "Takatori, Tomoe." He nodded and extended his hand for a handshake. "What a surprise, both of you, out of all people visiting my house. At this hour."

Takatori smirked as he accepted the handshake. "Nice meeting you, Crawford. Arrogant as always, I see."

The American snorted. "Why are you here?"

The older man saw Ken and chuckled lowly. "Visiting. Nice house. Still keep young boys with you, I see. Is that your latest prize?" The older man's gaze went towards Ken who was blushing.

"That's none of your damn fuc…."

Yohji was gritting his teeth trying to control his anger, `How dare this old bastard talk about my brother like that!' He felt like hitting that old man's smug face senselessly.

"Brad…" Schuldig could feel the tension between the guests and his friend and by looking at his lover who had balled his hands into fists, quickly interjected before the situation turned worse.

Crawford directed his glare to his friend.

"I bring Aya to see Ran. She allowed them to come with her," Schuldig explained.

Crawford's eyes narrowed at the explanation.

"She's going to stay with the Tomoe family. It's her brother, Brad. She had the right," he clarified further, knowing that his friend would definitely be angry with him later for allowing these people to follow him.

"Well, Crawford, now you're keeping her brother as well. Four is not enough, I see." Takatori said slyly.

"Stay out of this, Takatori," Crawford snapped.

The much older man let out an impish smile before replying, "Maybe it's not healthy to let her brother stay here. He should be with his family member. What do you think Tomoe?"

"He is not going anywhere!" Crawford stated firmly when he saw the other man nod.

"We'll see about that."

Crawford breathed in deeply, trying to control his anger and directed his eyes towards Aya. "Your brother is in his room, sleeping. I'll go and wake him up. I'll only allow you to meet him. The others can wait here." With that he dismissed himself by calling out for Farfello to fix drinks for the guests and climbed the stairs towards Ran's room.

-TBC-

My thanks (not in particular order cause I love all of you who reviews):

Mini-san: Thank you *hugs* Don't worry about more, I'm currently on page 4 for Chapter 11 and waiting for a friend of mine helping me to write a lemon scene between……… *huge grin* for the upcoming chapters.

Pandora: Fuuma: *grinning madly*

Me: >_< He's been grinning like that ever since he received the picture of you and Mini.. and I wonder why… Anyway, thanks for helping me posting this fic in ff.net. *hugs*

Fuuma: *leeeeeeeeeeers at the hug*

Anna Hibiki: Thanks for the email review. Okay, I updated Borderline, now you have to update Obsession Confession ^____________^ *chanting the sentence More Ran making out with Brad. *

Rei Eien: ^^Thank you! thank you! thank you! I feel bad for Ken too *sheepish grin*

Hele: Hmmm…. I see… you are injured^^ *send over Aragorn from LOTR to you for a day to heal you* Yup! I agree with you, those are still drugs but then again if the scientist says nothing, who am I just a layman to defer them ^_______^ Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter too, although it was not that much action!

Tygrrlyli578: Thank you ^__^ .Yeah! Damn Brad Crawford with his evil and sexy look! I have been drooling over him since the first time I saw him. Not to mention other bishies that I have been drooling like Muraki-sensei in Yami no Matsui, Tezuka in Tennis no Ohjisama, Ogata-sensei in Hikaru no Go and the list will go on and on if I don't stop now!

Koji-chan: Thank you *hugs* Fantastic? *blush* Thank you again. I don't know if I deserve such compliment but I really feel happy about it that now I'm working on Chapter 11^^.

Kato-chan: I am continuing the fic but it will be in slow paces. Glad you still like the story *hugs* The Company that I'm currently working had this stupid policy of last minute deadline for reports and they love to change it again and again, so my time in writing was taken over by preparing the report over and over again. Sometimes, I wish I could strangle the HR directors! Hehehe…

Bc() and everything(): I got this strange feeling that you both are the same people*

^^ Anyway, here is the update.

And to those who had send me a private email, I really appreciate it and of course to he readers too… btw, does anyone know if there are any new Brad/Ran stories that were not posted in ff.net? I really loved to read them.