Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Ghost Story ❯ Ghost Story, Part 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Title: Ghost Story, Part 16
Author: Genuinelie(s)
Pairings: Aya/Yohji; non-graphic OmixAya-chan; KenxOC
Rating: PG-13
Status: Ongoing
Summary: Yohji's housemates decide he needs help with a problem he doesn't want discovered, but that's pretty hard when you're being watched so carefully. But is someone watching the watchers?

xXxXx

Ken listened to the hiss and scrape of Omi frying something on the stove for them. The sky had darkened outside to a misty twilight sheen.

Ken hadn't been able to bring himself to move from the kitchen table since coming back from his meeting with Jun. He half-listened to Omi prattle about school, something neither of them cared about but at least it filled the silence.

"My teacher didn't believe me," Omi was saying, "I had to spell it out for him. The textbook was so wrong. I was going to just leave it there, but I don't want the other students-"

"Aya-chan is gone, Omi, don't you care?" Ken finally snapped. He knew he was projecting.

It looked like Omi did too. He paused to look at Ken, his eyes sad. "I can't do anything about that right now. Especially if it's something Ran-kun decided..."

"Aya doesn't always think straight, in case you haven't noticed." Ken growled.

"I have to believe this will all be sorted out soon, Ken-kun." Omi replied mildly. "Ran-kun will be back too."

Ken's eyes widened. Yeah, he was worried about Aya-awww, shit, Ran. Fine. He'll call him Ran since everyone else was - but he hadn't expected Omi to pick up on that. But then again, maybe Omi was just trying to reassure himself.

"Well, it better be soon," Ken snapped. "Because who knows what the hell Yohji's doing."

Omi sighed, then put down the cooking chopsticks and lowered the heat. He turned to face Ken, hands going to his hips. "Ken-kun! Look. If we don't hear from Aya-chan or Ran by tomorrow, we'll look into it, okay?"

"If Yohji's not already," Ken muttered.

Omi sighed again. "He's at a bar. I put a tracking device in his coat."

Ken's eyes widened again.

Omi smiled a bit at him. He picked his cooking chopsticks up again.

Ken frowned. "I need to remember not to ever get on your bad side," he muttered lamely, trying for humor.

Omi shook a chopstick at him. "That's right."

Ken couldn't quite tell if he was kidding.

xXxXx

"You're sure about this, Abyssinian?" Manx was frowning heavily at Ran.

Aya-chan shifted by her brother's side. Finally, she glanced up at him, and nudged his elbow surrpetitiously.

Ran shifted his gaze to her. Aya-chan gave him a small, encouraging smile.

Her brother noticeably slouched his shoulders. By the expression on Manx's face, a mixture of concern now mixed in with the former grim lines of her features, the redhaired woman had noticed, too.

Ran turned back to her. Aya-chan watched him square his back and firm his jaw. It reminded her of the few times he'd come up against his father concerning curfews or other things like that.

"I never intended to leave Weiss," Ran said finally. His voice was quiet. He added, "Without my sister."

Manx's gaze shifted briefly to Aya-chan, but it didn't linger. "Yet you prepared for just that scenerio with this code."

Ran nodded shortly.

Aya-chan's eyes widened as she suddenly got what they were talking about. 'Leave Weiss.'

...'die.'

"I wanted to protect her myself." Ran continued without looking at Aya-chan again. "You already know that is the reason why I brought her to the Koneko."

Manx narrowed her eyes. "And the reason you'll do so again?"

"No." Ran said.

Aya-chan held her breath, looking between them. Her brother hadn't told her his decision yet. Not that it really mattered, she'd be going back to the Koneko one way or another. But she didn't want to have to fight with her brother anymore, and she didn't want to sneak around.

"No?" Manx half-snapped. "So you're taking our offer?"

"No." Ran snapped back.

Manx held her brother's eyes, mirroring the hard look he was giving her. Suddenly, her face relaxed, and her lips quirk up, just slightly. "I see." She transferred the smile briefly to Aya-chan, then back to Ran. "So you've decided this code is no longer necessary."

"I would like to keep it in case..." Ran answered.

Manx kept her sphinx-smile. "I think we both understand now that you will ensure that it will not be necessary." She paused. "A word of advice. It is good to keep ourselves as far separated from those dark beasts as we can, Abyssinian. Though Weiss may not think it, Kritiker approves of those things that keep us human."

Aya-chan's eyebrows shot up with her brother's.

"Be sure it does not interfere with Kritiker." Threat was laced acidly through her tone.

Ran narrowed his eyes again.

Manx continued to smile placidly. "Congratulations, Abyssinian. Kritiker is glad to keep you as Weiss."

Ran suddenly looked confused, then glowered. Aya-chan couldn't even begin to guess what her brother had realized in that moment. She looked between the two redheads, watching them face off silently.

Manx turned on her heel, raising a hand as she walked away from them.. "I trust you'll show yourself and your sister out. I'm happy we were able to counteract the poison, you're very valuable to us." She paused at the door, and smiled over her shoulder. To Aya-chan, it seemed the most personal thing she'd done during the whole meeting.

The door opened, and shut, leaving them alone. Ran turned to her.

Aya-chan smiled at him. "I'm a good cover, you know," she pursued, in case he was thinking of changing his mind.

Ran actually rolled his eyes at her.

xXxXx

It was night when the door handle turned and made both Ken and Omi jump. At Omi's suggestion, they had started playing cards to keep their minds off things. They were now on their nineteenth or maybe twentieth game. Omi made sure to keep the win/lose numbers approaching equal for Ken's sake.

They both threw down their cards immediately at the noise, scraping their chairs back from the table in unison.

Omi had been expecting Yohji, or maybe even a representative from Kritiker.

He could tell it was Aya-chan at the first glimpse of her braids. He ran toward her before she got all the way through the door.

Her entire face lit up and she tackled him back. "Omi! Oh, Omi! We're back! I'm so sorry, Manx came and took me last night and I didn't know where my brother was or if any of you had been hurt-"

A throat cleared behind her, from outside. Aya-chan maneuvered them more inside the room, throwing a fond look over her shoulder. It tipped Omi off to who it was immediately.

"Ran-kun!"

"Ran!" Ken sounded every bit as jubiliant. Omi stared hard at him, suddenly realizing it was the first he'd automatically called their oldest teammate by his given name. He shared a look with Aya-chan; she'd noticed, too. "You're alive, man! Jesus, what the hell were you thinking? Where'd you go?"

Omi normally would have chided Ken for attacking Ran so quickly after his return, but he found he couldn't disagree with Ken's worry. "We thought you might be dead," he added, then shot an apologetic look at his girlfriend. "But welcome home!" Omi added quickly, beaming sincerely.

Ran shut the door behind him then gave them both a small smile. It took Omi aback; glancing over, he saw Ken looking equally shocked. "I'm sorry. The guard poisoned me and Kritiker didn't give me the option of contacting you." Ran frowned then, and surveyed the room. "Is Yohji here?"

Omi exchanged looks with both Ken and Aya-chan. "No."

"Where is he?" Ran asked shortly, sounding and looking more like his usual self.

"I'll get the information about what happened from your sister," Omi warned, looking to Aya-chan for confirmation. She nodded.

Ran pressed his lips thin.

"Since when do you care?" Ken snapped suddenly, surprising Omi. The brunet had his arms crossed over his chest, looking stubborn.

Ran narrowed his eyes at Ken, then actually answered, "I have always cared. Stay out of our business."

It took Omi a minute to get his mouth working. Beside him, Aya-chan was beaming at her brother.

"According to his tracking device," Omi finally ventured, "He's at a bar in Roppongi." He gave him the exact address.

It was only after the door closed behind Ran that he realized the older man was still in his mission gear.

At least he won't look out of place at a club, Omi tried to console himself.

He turned to Aya-chan. He wanted to hug her more, but he and Ken both needed to know what, exactly, had happened to provoke Kritiker into kidnapping the Fujimiyas.

xXxXx

Yohji traced the crack in the countertop by his nose for what had to be the hundredth time, tracking the motion of his finger lazily. Around him, the club had picked up and the lights had dimmed, flickering with the flash of colored strobes. He kept having to shrug off hopeful dance or conversation partners. Drinks that were sent his way were quickly snatched by his bartender. Michiru was cleaning glasses from behind the counter, he could sense she was still there watching him. Guess she didn't trust him to not grab another drink from another bartender when she wasn't looking.

But Yohji had been cut off hours ago, and felt he was nearing painful sobriety.

"Tonight," he muttered. "Fine. Fuck them. I'll do it tonight." Threats or not, he couldn't just wait like this. He would go face his employer on his own, at least that would save Ken and Omi from the backlash. "Fuck you, Ran, too, yanno?" He slapped a hand down on the counter and sat up straight on his stool. It made Michiru jump, but she was apparently getting used to him talking to himself. Maybe she thought he was still drunk.

"I remember that being pleasant," A deep voice came from by his left elbow.

Yohji spun around so hard on his stool that he actually stumbled off of it. He ran into a few passerby, but they managed to hold onto their drinks and continue on without caring.

He steadied himself with a hand on his vacated stool.

He worked his mouth, then peered over the edge of his unnecessary sunglasses to verify the coloring. But that coat isn't a liar...

Ran.

Aya.

Yohji tore off his sunglasses and jammed them on top of his head. He took a step forward, then worked his mouth.

He admittedly thought the other man might have been a ghost. Another apparation like his companion Asuka. His eyes raked over the other's face.

"Alive..." Yohji choked out. He wasn't sure whether his voice was loud enough to be heard or not. He recovered enough to rephrase that sentiment. "You're really here, Ran?"

Ran regarded him with his deep violet eyes. His bangs were pushed to the side, no strands obscuring his expression this time.

But the man was still in mission gear.

Though the redhead's face was grim, it also contained the faint hint of a smile. It was full of both worry and a definite hint of 'idiot Kudoh.'

Something had changed. Yohji couldn't be sure what it was, but he was sure that it was.

Without taking his eyes off of him, Yohji threw a wad of bills for a tip on the counter for Michuru. "Outside," he had to shout to be heard over the music, though his contricting throat made him hoarse.

Ran nodded, and turned on his heel. He got checked out more than once as he made his way through the club, coat flourishing behind him despite the press of club-goers. Yohji followed closely behind, almost on his heels.

"I thought you were dead!" Yohji screamed at him the second they rounded the corner into the alleyway.

Ran whirled around to face him, face surprised and eyes narrowed. "Is that what they said?"

"...no." Yohji ran a hand through his hair. "But shit, Ran, they usually tell us when one of us is injured on a mission, and as far as I know you didn't do anything that would make them kidnap you, yanno? So what the hell was that about? Where did you go?"

Ran regarded him. Yohji felt as though he were being measured, which infuriated him coming from this man he'd worked with and slept with and trusted.

Cars drove by the ends of the alleyway, casting their faces in waves of light and shadow.

"Kritiker took me in at my request," Ran answered him finally.

"Your request?" So what if his voice was shrill. The only reason a punch hadn't been thrown yet was because he...

"Yes." Ran thankfully cut off that thought. "I thought I was going to die. I have a code in place with Kritiker to take Aya-chan in if that happens."

"A code?" Yohji parroted. His fists clenched. "You bastard."

Ran didn't seem to follow. He watched Yohji silently, apparently waiting for an explanation.

"Don't you trust us at all?" Yohji hissed. "Don't you trust me at all? Why the hell didn't you tell us-"

"It wasn't your problem!" Ran countered.

"She lives with us! Yeah, she's your sister, but don't you think we might just care about what happens to someone we risked our lives for and who we've cared about like a sister for months now? Huh? What about Omi?" Yohji shouted, waving his arms. "And you're sure as hell my problem, Ran-Ayan. Or is that-"

Ran suddenly invaded his personal space, throwing him with one hand on his shoulder against the wall. His face wasn't angry, however, and that observation caught Yohji with his mouth open.

Ran invaded that too, swiftly, before Yohji could react. The other man's lips were both firm and warm. He brought a hand up to thread fingers into the hairs at the nape of Yohji's neck.

He pulled back too soon.

Ran caught his eyes, flicking back and forth intensely to meet both. "I'm sorry." His mouth was still close enough to Yohji's for him to feel Ran's breath on his lips.

Yohji worked his mouth. The thump of the music from the club was pervading their moments of silence. "So that explains why Kritier took you. Why the hell didn't they tell us you were still alive, and why the hell did they take your sister if they knew that?"

Ran frowned. His knee had found a resting place in the area between Yohji's legs. Yohji was almost offended at the thought that Ran had been trying to distract him from asking questions.

It took all of Yohji's willpower to push off from the wall and make Ran take a step back. "Because it looked like you were looking for a way out of this, Ran-Ayan." Yohji pushed harshly. He didn't specify whether he meant Weiss or their relationship.

Ran looked shocked. "Manx offered me a choice. It was their decision not to contact you. I wasn't awake to argue with them."

"A choice?" Yohji echoed grimly.

Ran's voice was quiet. He looked toward the street on his right, not meeting Yohji's eyes. "A way out."

A cold wire of dread wrapped itself around Yohji's heart. "Then..."

Was this goodbye?

Did Ran only come back to pay his respects?

Ran turned back to him. "It was a test, Yohji. It's over."

Yohji suddenly remembered he should be breathing. "What does that mean?"

"My sister convinced me that..." Ran looked like he was fighting for words. "To turn their offer down."

"How?" Yohji whispered, searching the other man's pale face.

Ran appeared bemused. "She said she would remain here with Omi regardless of what I decided."

"And?" Yohji snapped. He wasn't connecting the dots of Ran's logic. Still shaky from the prospect that he'd lost yet another partner, he was having a hard time accepting that the status quo was back in order.

And he couldn't accept just the status quo. Not any longer.

"And..." Ran visibly took in a breath.

Then he smiled.

Yohji's own breath caught. He took a half-step toward the other man.

Ran tilted his chin up to keep his eyes on Yohji's. "She said I was out of excuses. She said this was my life." He took in another visible breath. His shoulders squared. "If my sister is here, if she would come back anyway, I have no where and nothing other than Weiss."

Yohji examined his face, but frowned. "Really. Is that it?" It wasn't enough. Yohji's hands balled into fists.

It was worse, because the swordsman had looked happier than Yohji had seen him in a long time, and it wasn't because of him. It had nothing to do with him. So Ran was becoming human again, and he was still unable to connect with him.

"But it wasn't really that," Ran seemed as if he were continuing to himself, eyes unfocused. "It was something she said before. I brought her to Weiss instead of a safehouse in the first place so I could protect her myself. She told me I had always protected her, and I've always tried, as her older brother. It's something I've felt recently but not understood. I joined Weiss for selfish reasons, to pay for Aya-chan's protection, to get revenge, but since then I've been trying to figure out what's kept me here. It's not just that I have no where else to go, Yohji."

"It is my life now. I have finished with my revenge but there are dark beasts that need to be stopped and innocents protected." Ran had lost his smile, and was looking intently at him. "My last reasons to leave are gone. My sister and you are both here."

It took a moment for Yohji to be sure he had heard correctly.

Unbelievably, Ran continued, quietly. "If we are both in this, I am willing to be in this together with you."

Not the most sentimental proposition Yohji had ever heard, but it was the only one that struck him hard enough that he couldn't think of a proper reply. "Does that mean...?"

Ran was smiling again.

Amazed, Yohji managed to keep it together enough to pursue the matter at hand. "Next time-the code -there had better not be a next time, yanno, but if you ever-"

Ran reached into Yohji's back pocket. He came back with his cell phone in hand. He pressed a series of keys and put it back in. He managed to come flush against Yohji. He felt the swordsman's heart beating, even through all that fabric. "Now you have the code." Ran said, eyes trained on his face. "Send it backwards to cancel the code if it's already been sent. I have told Manx to notify all of you if..."

It left Yohji's mouth dry. Fuck, he was a goner if a simple demonstration of trust made him hard.

"...if I send the code. That means you will have an option of..." Ran looked worried, and faltered. "Being involved with her placement."

"Fuck!" Yohji repeated aloud.

"I had told her that it was none of your business and that it was too much to ask..." Ran began.

Yohji grabbed the back of Ran's head and pulled him forward into a fevered kiss. He broke away only long enough to mutter, "You're damn right I'm gonna take care of your sister for you if you're gone!" He pulled Ran's forehead to his own. He drew in a shuddery, relieved breath. "I fucking love you."

He felt Ran tense, then relax. He heard the man let out a breath of his own.

"Okay," Ran said.

It was a start.

Yohji smiled.

xXxXx