Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Chocolate and Kitty Chan ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chocolate and Kitty-Chan
Scribblemoose

Thus spring begins: old
stupidities repeated
new errs invented

Issa

Part 1

"I swear I never want to go to another nightclub ever again."

Ran smirked and prodded the heap of bedclothes next to him. "Are you sure you're feeling well, Yohji?"

A tousled head emerged from under the quilt and scowled at him. "That's a stupid question, Fujimiya. And, ow. And why's it still dark?"

"You've still got your sunglasses on," said Ran.

"Oh." Yohji frowned, but made no move to alter this state of affairs.

"It's time to get up, Yohji. It's your shift."

"Fuck off," said Yohji, retreating, tortoise-like, back under the covers. "I was working 'til the fucking sun came up. I can't possibly do the morning shift."

"No," agreed Ran. "That's why I swapped shifts with you, and you're doing the afternoon shift. And it's afternoon."

A distant moan came from the midst of the comforter.

"Don't be a baby, Kudoh. You shouldn't have been drinking on the job anyway."

Yohji squealed indignantly from his cosy hiding place. "Didn't touch a drop," his muffled voice insisted. "Why do you think I feel so bad?"

Ran firmly peeled back the quilt to reveal a cowering and naked Yohji. Well, naked except for a rather appealing emerald green velvet choker around his neck, and one less appealing sock on his left foot.

Ran arched his brow.

"Do you have any idea," whimpered Yohji, "how deathly, deathly dull it is to talk to people and watch people and be around people when they're rat-arsed and you're completely sober?"

"Hn." Ran's expression made it perfectly clear that he knew exactly what it felt like.

"Oh. Well, you'll know why I'm not a happy Balinese, then," said Yohji.

"Hn."

Yohji considered for a minute.

"Is it really that bad when we go clubbing?"

"Unless you get me drunk first, yes."

"Oh." Yohji grinned sheepishly at him. "Sorry. Forgive me?"

Ran let his eyes rove over the rich expanse of golden skin before him, the long limbs, slender waist, the dark blonde hair falling over leanly-muscled shoulders. Huge green eyes twinkling hopefully at him over the top of ridiculous sunglasses.

He sighed. "I suppose."

Yohji grinned, and deftly pulled Aya down beside him. "You won't regret it," he said. "Promise. Next time we won't even consider going through the doors until we're both completely tanked."

"Next time is tonight," Aya reminded him. "And we'll be working."

Yohji groaned. "Not again. Where this time?"

"Ace."

"That's a gay club," whined Yohji. "I always get hit on in gay clubs."

"Which is why I'm coming with you."

"To defend my virtue?" smirked Yohji. "I'm touched."

Ran gave him a withering look. "To give you the room to do your job properly," he said. "They'll leave you alone if you're with me, and you can get on with detecting. Or whatever it is you do."

Yohji propped himself up one elbow, and pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. "That's not the real reason," he said.

Ran opened his mouth, ready with a quick denial, but Yohji kissed him before he had the chance to speak, teasing the tip of his tongue with his own.

Ran pulled back with a gasp. "How many cigarettes did you get through last night? Because you taste…" he cut off his own sentence this time, pulling Yohji to him to return his kiss with interest, their lips melting together as their tongues fenced.

This time it was Yohji who had to come up for air. "So what's the real reason?" he panted. "And tell me quickly because I'm going to rip your clothes off in a minute."

"It's Saturday," said Ran. "I haven't seen you all week. I missed you."

Yohji gaped at him. "Me?" he mouthed, suddenly robbed of the full powers of speech.

"Yes," said Ran. "God alone knows why, but I like being with you."

Yohji's eyes were like saucers. "I have to fuck you now," he explained.

"Okay," said Ran, with a grin, and sat up to pull his sweater over his head.

"Hang on," said Yohji anxiously, watching the sweater as it fell to the floor. "Am I awake?"

Ran cast his eyes down Yohji's body and settled, with a smirk, between his legs. "Looks like it to me," he said.

Yohji made a noise that sounded suspiciously like an 'eep' and quickly set about helping Ran out of his jeans, before he changed his mind.

"Just one thing, Yohji…"

"What?" Yohji's heart sank, waiting for the catch.

"Take that stupid sock off, eh?"

Yohji looked down at his feet and grinned ruefully. "Oh," he said, toeing it off. "Fuck, I forgot this too…" his hands reached under his hair to release the velvet choker.

"Oh no," Ran kicked his underwear swiftly down to the bottom of the bed and pinned Yohji's hands above his head, swinging one leg over Yohji's hips to sit astride him. "That stays."

Yohji's eyes widened. "Well, imagine that," he drawled. "You like it, huh?"

"Shut up," said Ran, and leaned down to kiss him, just to be on the safe side.

Yohji sank back into the mattress, his wrists crossed limp and unresisting under Ran's hold. Ran trailed feather kisses from his throat to his chest, pausing to swirl his tongue round each of Yohji's nipples in turn, raising them swiftly to stiff peaks. Denied the power of his fingertips, Yohji answered Ran's caresses by hitching his legs around his lover's waist, pressing his belly against Ran's stiff cock and shifting until their erections were rubbing together, hardness to hardness. Ran groaned softly and reached down with his spare hand, grasping both shafts in his swordsman's grip and squeezing them firmly, flesh to flesh.

"Fuck, Ran… oh fuck, that's good…"

"Mmmm…" Ran circled his hips, his eyes squeezed shut for a moment, lips damp and slightly parted. He looked so beautiful that it made Yohji moan, and he had to check yet again that he was really awake. Not that his dreams were ever this good.

It was getting harder to keep from pulling his arms out of Ran's grasp; he wanted very badly to touch the pale skin, to torment his lover's body and make him cry out with pleasure. On the other hand, there was something to be said for this passivity, for lying under Ran's lean body in forced surrender, letting him take his time and have everything his own way for once.

Ran licked the corded muscle of Yohji's stretched arms, from his shoulders to his thin, pinned wrists, and back again to nuzzle his neck, licking his ear, pulling gently on the little hoop earring with his teeth.

"Remind me to get some handcuffs," he husked. "I like you like this."

Any verbal protest Yohji might have attempted would have been immediately rendered null by the way his cock leapt in Ran's hand at the suggestion.

Yohji moaned again; Ran had a way of making him surprise himself, however unshockable he thought he was. For a man who radiated sobriety and duty like a beacon, Ran's sexual imagination was more than equal to anything Yohji might come up with in bed. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

"You want me, Kudoh?"

Yohji left it to his body to answer that question, aware that the urgent press of his cock and the sweep of his tongue up Ran's throat were far more eloquent than the rapidly diminishing vocabulary he had at his disposal.

"Fuck yes," he managed, begging a kiss from Ran's moist lips and grinding his hips against Ran's, bone to bone.

He took some satisfaction in the slight tremble he noticed in the pale hand that searched under the pillow by his head.

Ran started suddenly, snatching his hand back as if he'd found a snake under Yohji's pillow.

"Shit!" he hissed.

"Wh…" started Yohji, but his unasked question was answered as one small black and white paw emerged from under the blue cotton-covered pillow, followed quickly by another. Yohji started to laugh.

"Ronin…" Ran growled, and sure enough the little cat emerged, yawning, from it's cosy sleeping place, ignoring Ran's fury and giving a small mew before it stalked away, jumping from bed to floor with a soft thump. "Why does that thing always have to sleep with you, Kudoh?"

"I'm good at sleeping," said Yohji. "I don't get all fidgety and throw it off the bed."

"I don't fidget."

Yohji raised an eyebrow.

"You steal the covers," Ran accused.

"You look better without them," Yohji countered. "Now, are you going to find the lube or what?"

Ran threw the pillow roughly out of the way with a curse, and grabbed the fat tube that lay underneath. This mild display of aggression sent a thrill up Yohji's spine; it added to his sense of vulnerability and his cock swelled in response.

He watched as Ran flipped the tube, and deftly squirted a blob one-handed into his own palm. He reached down between them, and Yohji claimed a kiss, releasing Ran's hips from the embrace of his long legs so he could slick his cock and Yohji's ass, bracing himself for the shock of cold against delicate skin. But it didn't arrive; instead a cool hand was wrapped around Yohji's shaft, spreading lubricant from top to bottom in firm sweeps.

Yep. Ran was full of surprises.

Yohji watched wide-eyed as Ran took the tube in his teeth to squeeze another generous blob of lube, onto his fingertips this time, his other hand still pinning Yohji's arms above his head. He moaned softly as Ran reached behind himself to grease his own ass; although Yohji was unable to see he could tell, by the sensual roll of Ran's hips and the expression on his face, when he had pushed a finger inside. Just the idea that Ran was ruthlessly fingering himself was enough to make Yohji seriously consider fighting for the freedom of his arms, just so that he could watch… But before he could do anything about it Ran had repositioned himself over Yohji's pelvis, grasping his straining erection and rubbing the precome coated head against his anus.

Yohji caught Ran's heated violet gaze and kept it as he renewed the clasp of his thighs around his lover's waist, pulling down with his legs as he pushed up with his hips, fighting to keep his eyes open and his breathing even as the head of his cock opened Ran's body and popped inside.

"Gods, Yohji…" barely a whisper, but enough to make Yohji's heart sing, that small vocalisation of his lover's pleasure.

"Ready for the rest?" Yohji husked.

Ran's answer was to sink his body down, impaling himself to the hilt of Yohji's substantial length with a deep groan.

Yohji's captive fingers clenched to fists, tendons flexing under Ran's firm yet gentle grasp, losing himself in the overwhelming sensation of slick, tight heat around his rock-hard cock. "God, Ran, that's good…"

Ran smiled at him in agreement, slowly circling his hips.

"I've got to fuck you," said Yohji. "I've got to move, I…"

Ran raised himself a little, just enough that Yohji could start to thrust a bit, withdrawing halfway before plunging back as Ran sank down on him again. Yohji was happy to let Ran set the rhythm, anything would have been fine so long as he could pound into the heaven of that wonderful body. Besides, it helped him to hold back from simply fucking his lover hard and fast and coming way too soon… instead he relaxed into the slow, deep thrusting that Ran commanded, feeling the pleasure of every plunge deep in his belly, his balls and his aching, blissful cock.

Ran was clearly determined to draw this out as long as he possibly could; whenever the pace started to pick up he'd stop, wriggling his body down to make sure he was as full as he possibly could be, and lean over to kiss Yohji into oblivion. Only when Yohji's hips trembled and his lips quivered under Ran's would he be allowed to move again, and then at the same slow pace as before. His fingers twitched to stroke Ran's neglected clock, to embrace its elegant curve, to spread the dripping precome over the flare of the head. When Ran finally gave in and touched himself, he confined himself to a few full length strokes at a time, before stopping and driving Yohji wild with his lips and his tongue and the perfect heat and suck of his sheath around Yohji's cock.

Yohji wasn't far off begging by the time Ran finally got serious, giving Yohji the freedom to slam his hips up, pounding Ran's ass mercilessly as Ran stroked himself hard and fast, his slender fingers a blur over his shaft. Then Ran threw his head back with long groan, and Yohji caught the first stream of come across his face and in his open mouth, the next few striping his chest and belly as he licked his lips. Somehow Yohji managed to wait, buried deep inside Ran's body until he'd finished, before he took his own pleasure with the same frantic rhythm that had brought Ran to his. He finally came with an intensity that was almost painful, his balls crawling up tight and forcing semen up his shaft to explode from the head, flooding Ran's insides over and over. He finished with a sigh, gradually releasing his bowed back to roll down onto the mattress, unclenching the tight muscles of his butt and thighs, and slowly becoming aware of Ran's fingers, swirling patterns in the cooling semen on his chest and belly.

"Agh," he said. "Fuck."

Ran glanced at him through long crimson lashes, and smiled.

Ran looked even more beautiful afterwards, Yohji reflected. A slight flush still highlighting his perfect cheekbones and sleek chest, his skin glowing, long cock gradually softening against his thigh, and soft, thick hair falling in his eyes; his movements slow and still sensual, seductive. His eyes glinted with satisfaction, and his body was relaxed, arranged comfortably over Yohji's, every point of touch still feeling like a caress to Yohji's sensitive skin.

Everyday feelings returned to Yohji's body, and he became aware of his arms aching with being over his head so long. He wriggled his hands a little and Ran released them, twining their fingers together as he leaned over to lick the come from Yohji's face.

"Oh," Yohji whimpered. "Oh, Ran, oh, God…"

His cock started to harden again with a twitch, making Ran wiggle his hips in surprise.

"No good Kudoh," he murmured. "It's your shift, remember?"

There was a tinge of regret in his voice that Yohji rather enjoyed.

"You really want to come to work with me tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Ran. "Omi's staying in, he said he'd watch out for Aya-chan. They have some homework project to do together."

"Omi? Er… what about Ken?"

"Ken? He has football practice this afternoon, that usually goes on til sundown on a Saturday, after that I don't know… why? She'll be alright with Omi."

"Hmm. Well, yes, of course. What is it, exactly?"

"What's what?"

"This homework project."

Ran looked curiously at him. "It must be computers," he said. "Because that's the only class they take together, if you remember."

"Oh. Well, you know I have trouble keeping that stuff straight…" Yohji made a mental note to check with Omi exactly what this project was, and to make sure the kid understood precisely what would happen if it were to involve an exploration of anything other than the Internet. And very specific parts of the Internet, at that…

Ran was moving away, releasing Yohji's cock and leaving him bereft of warm body to snuggle against. Yohji liked to snuggle after sex, preferably while drifting happily off to sleep, or perhaps enjoying a cigarette. He most definitely didn't like going to work. Even a snuggle with a pillow was better than that.

He reached out for the covers, but Ran noticed and cruelly snatched them away.

"Shower, Kudoh. Then work."

"Make me coffee?"

"Not until you're in the shower."

"Oh, alright," moaned Yohji, and reluctantly dragged himself from his soft bed and out into the world beyond.

* * * * * * *

"Please, Oniichan?"

"No, Aya. I've told you before."

"You just want to keep me helpless." Her scissors attacked the rose stem she was holding, ignoring the thorns that pierced her skin as she clutched it too tightly.

Ran sighed deeply, looking across the worktable at her. "There's no need for you to be armed. You should be living a normal life, like a normal girl. Normal girls don't use swords."

"I'm not a normal girl, am I?" She winced as she pricked the palm of her hand yet again.

"Aya, let me look at that, you'll need antiseptic on it…"

"It's fine," she barked at him, slamming the scissors down on the table.

Yohji barely stifled his laughter from the other side of the room, where he was ostensibly re-pricing some potted arrangements.

"What's so funny, Kudoh?" said Aya and Ran, almost in unison.

"Nothing at all," murmured Yohji, suddenly losing his sense of humour under the power of two Fujimiya-strength shi-ne glares.

"Yotan…"

Yohji's heart sank. Aya's sweet-as-syrup voice, drawing out the syllables of his pet name, meant one thing. Kudoh Yohji was in trouble.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he ventured, cautiously.

"You think I should be able to defend myself, don't you?"

He could feel Ran's eyes burning into him, just waiting to pounce if he said the wrong thing. And not a good kind of pounce, either. "Of course, sweetheart. But you already can. That's what the Aikido classes were for, remember?"

"Yes, but… what if…"

Ran's stern voice cut across hers. "That's enough, Aya. I said no. It's not right for a… it's not right, that's all."

Yohji let out a little sigh of relief as she turned her glare back to her brother. "A woman!" she yelled. "You were going to say it's not right for a woman to use a sword!"

"No! I…" Ran paled visibly at the expression on her face. "A girl, I was going to say a…"

Ouch, thought Yohji.

"You're impossible!" She threw the butchered rose and the scissors at him, and scrabbled to undo the knot in her apron as Ran deftly caught her missiles. "You have no idea what it's like to be a woman around here, with all you fucking men everywhere!"

"Aya!"

Yohji noted that Ran was apparently more shocked at Aya swearing than that she'd thrown sharp, pointed objects at him.

Aya gave up on trying to undo her apron, pulling it savagely over her head instead. "I'm sick to death of it," she screamed, irritably brushing sudden tears from her eyes. "Arrange your own fucking flowers. I'm going out."

"Aya!" Ran started after her as she flounced out of the back door, towards their apartment, but Yohji stopped him with one calm hand to his shoulder.

"Steady, Ran. Leave this to me, eh?"

Yohji saw the conflict on Ran's face, before he finally relaxed under Yohji's touch and nodded. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Not a problem." Yohji gave him a sidelong grin as he left the room. "Look after the shop 'til I get back, huh?"

"Kudoh…"

Yohji was already gone.

* * * * * * *

"Hey, Sweetheart? Can I come in?"

The question was rhetorical, at least from Yohji's point of view. He opened the door just in time to see her stuff something under her pillow, although he didn't quiet catch what it was.

"Fuck off, Kudoh."

He laughed. "Doesn't work with me, I'm afraid," he said. "Ran's the one with the easily offended sensibilities, remember? I'm the thick-skinned dimwit."

He thought he saw the twitch of a smile before she buried her face in her pillow.

Ronin watched her from the nightstand, his head on one side, and gave a little burrup noise.

"See? You have the cutest kitten in the world." Yohji crossed to the bed and sat cautiously on the edge. "Things can't be that bad."

Aya-chan reached out and grabbed a surprised Ronin, settling him close to her neck and stroking him within an inch of his life. He started to purr, although Yohji thought to himself that was probably an act of diplomacy as much as pleasure on the cat's part.

"Swords are difficult for Ran," said Yohji, deciding it was probably as well to get straight to the point. "Don't forget he uses his katana every day, and he kills people with it. I think it's the killing he doesn't want you involved in."

"It's my father's katana." She raised her head, normally pale cheeks stained pink with crying. "My father never killed anyone with it. It doesn't have to be for killing."

"Oh, sweetheart," Yohji reached out to stroke her hair, but pulled his hand back sharply when she flinched irritably from him. "It does for Ran, I'm afraid."

"Well then, you teach me the wire," she said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

The thought made Yohji feel sick to his stomach. He looked at her long fingers, gently mussing Ronin's silky fur, twining round his stiff little tail, and for a moment he could see her wrapping a wire around them, snapping it taut…

"No," he said, his voice choked. "Ran's right. It's not… There's no need for you to get involved in any of that."

Her eyes narrowed. "I knew you'd take his side! You always do! Now fuck off out of my room and leave me alone!"

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, making Yohji's heart ache. She hardly ever cried. Well, except…

"Are you feeling okay, Aya?"

"What part of fuck off don't you understand? Shouldn't you be working? Oh, no, of course, this would be part of your plan to stick Ran with a double shift again, I suppose!"

That hurt. Yohji couldn't remember the last time he'd asked Ran to work a double for him. Ken, maybe, when he'd wanted so badly to show Ran the new delivery of compost in the greenhouse last week…

"Aya…"

"Leave me alone!"

"Alright," he got to his feet. "But just think about what I said. Ran's only trying to do what's best for you." And so am I. But I suck at it.

"Ran's trying to wrap me up in cotton wool until I fucking suffocate."

Yohji sighed.

"You're not really going out, are you, Aya-chan?" he said.

"Of course not. Where would I go? It's bad enough having the embarrassment of a permanent escort, without the shame of Ran coming and dragging me off the street if I dared to go anywhere by myself."

"You've got to understand what he went through while…"

"No!" She sat up suddenly, a startled Ronin scampering under the bed for safety. "I do understand. Fuck knows you've all told me often enough! That's not the point. Does anyone ever stop to think what I went through? I was asleep for two whole years! I missed out on school and parties and grieving for my parents, and my first kiss and all the things my friends had done by the time I woke up. I lost so much, Yohji, and now all you and Ran want to do is stop me from having any of it now I'm awake! I'd have been better off if you'd left me asleep! At least then I didn't know what I was missing!"

Yohji swallowed hard.

"Aya, I had no idea…"

"No. Well, you do now. So go tell Ran-katana-up-his-arse-san that I'm going to be a good girl and stay put. Then you can all stop worrying about me and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She shoved her head back into the pillow, her shoulders heaving with huge sobs.

Defeated, Yohji slunk obediently out of the room.

* * * * * * *

Omi came sadly down the stairs, and set a tray laden with soup and an assortment of Aya's favourite fruit carefully on the table.

"She says she's not hungry," he said, confusion plain in his huge cornflower-blue eyes.

"What did you say to her, Yohji?" growled Ran.

"Nothing! She was… I said what you'd said, that's all."

"She was crying," said Omi. "She said she was sorry."

"She never cries," observed Ken.

"No," agreed Yohji, a sudden thought returning to him. "Unless…"

The four assassins surveyed each other with the kind of serious trepidation with which they embarked on their more challenging missions.

Yohji glanced at the calendar on the wall and counted swiftly on his fingers.

"I thought so," he said, grimly. "Chocolate, guys. Do we have any chocolate?"

The others looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"Ran," said Yohji, "go buy chocolate. Now. Lots of it. And this time take money. We don't want a repeat of the vending machine incident."

"Manx was scaring Omi," said Ran in a dangerous voice.

"She really was," murmured Omi.

"Never mind that. Money's easier, believe me."

"Alright," said Ran, getting to his feet and pulling his car keys from his pocket. "Want a lift to soccer practice, Ken?"

"Thanks," said Ken, enthusiastically. "My kit's in the hall, I'll pick it up on the way out. Come on." He looked positively relieved to be leaving the house.

"I'll go and see if we've got ice cream," said Omi, scraping his chair back. "That might do as a stop gap." Ken clattered his way out of the door, followed by a tutting Ran.

"Hang on just a minute." The overhead light glinted dangerously off Yohji's sunglasses. "You and I need a little chat first."

"Yohji-kun?" Omi's eyes went even rounder and more innocent-looking than ever.

Yohji's determination failed him a little. Surely Omi wouldn't… sweet, innocent Omi? What was he thinking?

"If it's about Aya-chan, Aya-kun's already asked me to look after her. We have a project we're working on for school, and I think it's a good idea for the two of you to spend some time together. You know I'm always happy to…"

"Oh yes, Chibi." Suddenly all of Yojhi's fears were re-ignited as he remembered exactly how willing Omi was to be Aya's personal taxi, bodyguard and homework-buddy. Especially when he and Ran were out of the picture for some reason. "I know you are. That's what I need to talk to you about."

"Yohji-kun?"

Eyes as big as dinner-plates and as blue as the summer sky. Omi was naïve innocence personified.

"Omi, when you look after Aya-chan…"

"Yes, Yohji-kun?"

"Do you ever feel… I mean do you…"

"Do I what, Yohji-kun?"

Yohji pushed his sunglasses up onto the top of his head, in the vague hope that Omi might look more threatening if lit more brightly.

"If you were ever to…"

"Yohji-kun." Omi gently put his little hand on top of Yohji's, with a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay. I'll protect her with my life. You and Aya-kun can trust me."

Yohji could practically hear Ran's voice in his head: Never trust a Takatori.

But Omi wasn't a Takatori anymore. He was just Omi. Of course he'd never take advantage of Aya-chan. What kind of paranoid hentai have you turned into, Kudoh Yohji?

"Of course we can," Yohji heard himself say. "Thank you Omi. I just wanted you to know we appreciate it, is all."

Omi beamed. "It's no trouble," he said. "No trouble at all."

A voice shrilled down the stairs at ear-splitting volume.

"Have any of you stupid men got any fucking chocolate? I need chocolate!"

Omi's smile faded.

Just a little.

* * * * * * *

Ran had been right, his presence did deter anyone from attempting to pick up Yohji, despite the very sexy suede pants that sat low on Yohji's hips, the slashed, sleeveless crop top that showed off his slender, toned body, or the emerald choker that was making its second appearance in as many nights. Yohji had hoped Ran might fend off potential admirers by making it clear to the world that Yohji was his, preferably through continuous flirting, touching, and the occasional judicious application of a shi-ne glare to the more persistent members of Tokyo's gay community.

Sadly that wasn't the case. No-one attempted to pick up Yohji for a much simpler reason.

They were too busy trying to pick up Ran.

Yohji was a naturally jealous and possessive person, and, he would be the first to admit, just a little vain.

Yohji wasn't happy.

He sat at the bar, drinking water, which did nothing to make the garage music pounding in his head sound any more interesting than having a bullet removed from your thigh. Which, as it happened, Yohji could testify from personal experience.

"Cheer up, Kudoh," came Ran's soft baritone through the bedlam of the music.

"Another?" said the barman, reaching out for Yohji's empty glass.

Yohji nodded. "With ice," he said.

"And for you?" The smile he offered Ran was warmer, Yohji noticed. Much.

"Yes please," said Ran, sliding onto the stool next to Yohji's, apparently oblivious to the barman's wink.

"This place is dead," said Yohji miserably. "They wouldn't be here on a Saturday, for fuck's sake. What was Manx thinking?"

"She said they'd had a tip-off," said Ran. "A new source. Must be unreliable."

Yohji noticed a drop-dead gorgeous piece of male perfection sauntering casually towards the bar just to the other side of Ran. He snarled menacingly, and his face broke into a grin as the other man smoothly turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

To his surprise he felt Ran's fingers thread through his.

"You want to dance?" Ran whispered in his ear, gently nipping his earlobe with sharp teeth.

Yohji groaned softly, his teeth clicking against the side of his glass. "Anything," he murmured.

"I like it when you get all territorial," came the voice in his ear as they headed for the dance floor. "Sometimes. Sometimes it annoys the fuck out of me."

Yohji gave him a curious look. "And those other times? When you like it?"

"Then it makes me want to throw you on the floor and fuck you senseless."

Yohji draped his arms over Ran's shoulders and started to grind his hips sensuously against him, almost purring with pleasure. Ran was wearing snug leather pants and a soft silk shirt that left a tempting amount of pale skin bare at his chest; Ran's hair was thick and soft against Yohji's face, and smelt of strawberry shampoo; Ran's body was moving sensuously against his; Ran was holding him possessively and showing the world that Yohji was his; Ran was kissing him, sliding his tongue inside his mouth and making him dizzy with lust.

The night was looking up after all.

* * * * * * *

Hidaka Ken concealed himself carefully behind a tree, and watched.

He was dimly aware that he was shivering, but then, it was a chilly night.

He couldn't say what had made him duck away from the pavement and hide like this, just an instinct that was too finely honed, that had saved his life too often to be ignored.

He could just about make out a figure in the distance, a silhouette that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

It couldn't be. Could it?

* * * * * * *

Yohji dragged himself away from Ran's kiss in order to snatch air into his lungs.

"Yohji… want you… d'you want…"

"Oh fuck, yes, lover. More than you could… hang on, who's that?"

"Who's who?" Ran raised his tousled head to follow Yohji's gaze out of the car window.

"It's… I just thought I saw someone I …" Yohji shook his head. "Probably a shadow, or something..."

"Let's go home Yohji," Ran sucked firmly on Yohji's earlobe. "I can't fuck you here and I want to fuck you so much…"

Yohji turned back to his lover, drank in the sight of pale skin flushed, lips moist and parted, violet eyes bright with lust.

"Now would be good," he groaned. "Take me home now, Ran."

Ran forced his hands away from Yohji's body, and started the car.

* * * * * * *

When they got back they found Omi by the back door, looking up and down the alley that ran alongside the garage.

"Everything alright, chibi?" said Yohji.

"I thought I heard something," said Omi. "But it was just a cat, I guess."

"Oh, that's alright then, great, goodnight," said Yohji, pulling Ran into the house behind him with indecent haste.

"Did you find out anything, Yohji-kun?"

Damn. Of course. It was a stupid mission.

"No, no-one showed. Looks like Manx's contact was a dud. Which reminds me, I must have words with her about that, she…"

"She's here," said Ran. "That's her bag." He pointed to the small leather bag on the kitchen table. "What's she doing here at this time of night?"

"She just came to see Aya-chan," said Omi. "I thought it might cheer her up, you know, to have a woman around for a bit…"

"That's kind, chibi," said Yohji. "Are they upstairs? I could give Manx the report in person, save me the paperwork."

"No, they're downstairs, but I wouldn't…" Yohji was already moving for the stairs, and didn't notice the brief flash of panic on Omi's face.

But Ran did.

"What's wrong, Omi?" he said, his eyes narrowed to slits of dark purple.

"Nothing, but they asked not to be disturbed, Yohji, please don't…"

Yohji hesitated, looking at Omi with a frown.

Ran didn't hesitate for a second. He was down the stairs, three at a time, before the other two could stop him.

"Aya!"

Yohji bolted after him. "What's wrong? Is she… oh."

Aya stood in the middle of the briefing room, Manx leaning against the opposite wall.

Aya held her father's katana in a perfect grip.

Yohji reached out to touch Ran's arm, but he wrenched it away.

"Aya. Put that thing down. Now."

"Oniichan, I was only…"

"I don't care what you were doing. Put it down. Now."

"But…"

"I said now."

"No."

They stared at each other across the room, a silent battle of wills.

"Abyssinian…" said Manx softly.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Ran snapped. "I'm waiting, Aya."

"You can wait as long as you like," said Aya in a low voice. "I want to do this, and you can't stop me."

"Aya, do as your brother says," said Yohji. "He'll play hell with me afterwards if you don't, and you don't want that, do you?"

"I don't give a toss, Kudoh. This is really important to me." She darted her gaze from Ran for a second to flash him a look. "And I can't take you seriously when you're dressed like a whore," she added.

Yohji fell silent, a little hurt.

Ran walked slowly toward Aya, one arm outstretched.

"Aya, give me the sword. It's not right that you should touch it, let alone hold it like that."

"Why? Because you're the only one in the family allowed to use it? Because you're the boy? Because you're the eldest? Why can you learn to defend yourself, while I have to depend on fucking babysitters all the time?"

"She's got a point," murmured Manx.

Ran ignored her, his eyes still firmly fixed on Aya. "Because swords aren't for defending yourself," he said. "Swords are for killing. Do you have any idea how many people I've killed with that sword, Aya? Can you imagine how much blood it's soaked in?"

"It's just a sword," said Aya, lowering her stance just a little.

"Give it to me, Aya. This has gone far enough."

"No. It's just a sword," she said. "You're the one who's drenched in blood."

Yohji could feel the pain shoot through Ran at those words, and it incensed him. "Aya, give him the fucking sword, and go to bed," he said. "Or I'll take it off you myself!"

She glared at him, but before she could speak Ran had made his move and disarmed her in a second. The katana clattered to the ground; Aya gave a scream of outrage, even as her eyes filled with tears.

"Go to bed, Aya," said Ran. "I'll talk to you in the morning."

She ran up across the room and up the stairs, pushing Yohji none-to-gently out of the way. He heard her swear at Omi before her footsteps clattered up the next flight of stairs to her room.

"And what the fuck do you think you're playing at?" Ran turned on Manx, holding his sword in a grip chillingly familiar to Aya-chan's.

"She wanted to learn how to defend herself," said Manx. "You should listen to her, both of you. She usually talks more sense than the pair of you put together." With that, Manx picked up her jacket from the back of a chair and stalked to the stairs, her heels clicking on the metal of the bottom step. "Have that report to me first thing Monday, alright?" She looked Yohji up and down with a critical eye. "She was right, Kudoh. You do look like a whore." Her face broke into a crooked grin. "Well done, Balinese."

Yohji took no notice. His eyes were fixed on Ran. He was breathing hard, still gripping his katana tight in one hand.

"Ran," he said, softly, when Manx had gone. "You did the right thing. Manx had no right…"

"She's right," he murmured.

"I don't think so. Kritiker probably want…"

"No, not Manx. Aya. I am drenched in blood. What kind of brother would…"

"Ran, don't."

He turned to Yohji, his eyes cold and dark. "I don't deserve to have her back."

"Of course you do." Yohji retrieved the sheath of Ran's katana from the floor and offered it to him. "Put that thing away and come to bed. We'll sort it out in the morning."

Ran sheathed his sword with a click. "She's right," he said.

"No, she isn't," said Yohji. "If she was in her right mind she'd never have said such a thing. You shouldn't take any notice, it's the hormones talking. She would never normally…"

"I bet she thinks it, though."

"Come to bed, Ran. Please. Things'll seem better in the morning."

"That's your answer to everything, isn't it? Block it out with liquor or fucking, and hope it'll go away?"

Yohji sighed. This wasn't a new argument, but fighting with more than one Fujimiya in one night was too much. "Have it your own way, Aya," he said. "I'm going to bed anyway. Join me if you want."

He turned wearily towards the stairs.

"Yohji, I… I'm…"

"It's okay, baka. Come to bed."

He felt Ran's hand slip into his as he started to climb the stairs.

* * * * * * *

Omi had wisely made himself scarce, Yohji noticed as they returned to the kitchen. It was gone three in the morning, and he was suddenly tired beyond belief, as well as horny. He waited for Ran to pour himself his customary glass of water to take to bed with him, and realised he could hear something strange.

"Is that a cat?" he said. "That howling noise?"

Ran shrugged. "Probably. Omi thought he heard a cat, earlier, remember?"

"Yeah. That's it, I expect. Only… it's coming from inside the house."

"Ronin?"

"Ronin doesn't make a noise like that. You know him, if it isn't cute he doesn't do it. And that's not cute. That's going to be fucking annoying if it carries on all night."

"I'm sure you'll cope, Kudoh."

Yohji went to the stairs and looked up. "Fuck me," he said. "It is Ronin. He's sort of… howling outside Aya's door."

"She must have shut him out."

"She never does that. Poor neko-chan…"

"I suppose you want him to sleep with us?"

Yohji grinned. "It seems mean not to," he said. "The poor little chap's so distraught. Besides," his grin faded a little. "It might make him shut up that awful din." He started up the stairs.

"Oh, alright," said Ran, "I'm too tired to argue."

Yohji bent down to pick up the little black and white cat from it's station outside Aya-chan's door, and paused for a moment.

That's odd.

She hadn't shut the cat out. The light was on and the door was open; just a crack, but plenty wide enough for a kitten.

He knocked gently on her door; there was no reply.

"Sweetheart? You okay?"

Silence.

With dread in his heart he pushed the door all the way open.

She wasn't there.

Yohji felt as though his heart had stopped for a moment; he sensed Ran behind him.

"Ran, she's…"

"AYA!"

Ronin sprang from Yohji's hold, ran to the open window, and wailed.

"Yohji-kun? Aya-kun?"

Omi appeared in the hall, wearing unbelievably cute pyjamas with little sheep on, Ken not far behind him.

Yohji spared a moment from his panic to berate himself for ever imagining that Omi might have had indecent designs on Aya-chan. No-one who wore pyjamas like that could ever have so much as a wet dream, he was convinced of it.

"She went of her own accord," he said to Ran, trying to breathe. "She took all the chocolate. And her bag. She'll be okay, Ran."

"I have to go get her." He pushed past Yohji, headed for the door.

"You don't know where she is!" Yohji turned to follow him.

"WAIT!" yelled Omi. "What happened?!"

"Aya's missing," Yohji shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared down the stairs after Ran, followed swiftly by Ken.

"Phone Keiko," said Omi. "She will have gone to Keiko's!"

Ran and Yohji stopped in their tracks and looked at each other; Ken charged onwards without a word, rushing through the kitchen and outside.

"He's right." Yohji pulled his phone swiftly out of his pocket and handed it to Ran. "That's where she'll have gone."

Ran dialled the number with trembling fingers. They could hear Ken in the street outside, calling Aya's name.

The others watched as Ran barked questions down the phone to Keiko's mother, waiting for the moment of relief to fall over Ran's face. It didn't come. Eventually he said goodbye and clicked the phone shut.

"She's not there," he said. "They haven't heard from her. I'm going to…"

"Baka!" said Omi, startling them both. "Her phone, Aya-kun! It has a tracer on it, remember? Let me get downstairs and I'll go find her on the computer."

They rushed down to the mission room and waited anxiously as Omi started the computer. Before the screen had leapt to life, Ken joined them.

He was breathing hard, panic all over his face.

"Have you found her?" he panted.

"Not yet," said Yohji. "Omi's going to pick up her signal from her phone."

"Don't bother," said Ken. "I found her bag a ways up the street. And I don't know if it means anything, but this was with it."

The three other assassins stared at the fuzzy black and white object in Ken's hands.

"Kitty-Chan?" said Yohji, incredulously.

"Oh no!" said Omi, distress clear in his huge eyes.

"What?" said Ran, irritated beyond belief and unable to think through the storm of emotions clouding his brain. "What the fuck has kitty-chan got to do with this?"

"It's Aya's, isn't it, Omi?" said Yohji, watching the youngest assassin closely.

"Yes," said Omi. "And she wouldn't have dropped it by accident. I know she wouldn't."

"But Aya doesn't have anything like that. I would have noticed," Ran said dismissively, still desperately trying to think.

"Yes she does," said Omi sadly, taking the cuddly toy from Ken and clasping it to his chest.

"And you should know, I guess," said Yohji, reassessing his opinion of Omi yet again.

"Aa," said Omi. "Because I gave it to her."

"You gave her a kitty-chan?!" said Ken, "why would you give her a…"

"Why not?" said Yohji smoothly, keeping an eye on Ran, who thankfully was concentrating on searching Aya's bag for her phone. "It's sweet, Omi. A present to mark the day she got Ronin, ne?"

Omi looked gratefully at him. "Yes," he said. "Er.. .that was it…"

Ken rolled his eyes. "Hey, Aya, found anything?"

"No," said Ran, "it's not here. Come on Omi, I want it traced, now!"

"Thank you, Yohji-kun," murmured Omi as he started to click at the keyboard.

Yohji leaned over his shoulder, ostensibly to scrutinize the map of Tokyo that was starting to form on the screen, and whispered into his ear.

"Don't thank me yet, Chibi. We have a little chat that's way overdue."

Omi gulped.

* * * * * * *

Aya stared sullenly at the wall, biting her lower lip.

"He'll come for me, and he'll kill you. You may as well let me go," she said.

"But Aya, my love," she caught a faint scent of lilies as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Where would be the fun in that?"

She glared at him.

"Fuck off, Schuldig," she said.

* * * * * * *

with many thanks to Gwendolyn for beta-ing :)