Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Karma Police ❯ Pieces of the Puzzle ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I do own Calico. And Youji and Ran own eachother, respectively. ^_^ The song Karma Police is by radiohead, and I was listening to it while I got this shindig started, so thus the title.

Karma Police: Chapter 3: Pieces of the Puzzle

::Ran's POV::

I don't bother lying to Youji when he asks if we were lovers, and he falls silent after my response; the rest of the ride back to my apartment is quiet. Upon pulling into a parking spot I glance over and realize that the brunette has fallen asleep, and it's no wonder, with all the emotional stress he's been through in the past hour. It's nothing compared to what he's going to go through, though, if he gets the rest of his memories back. I'm not sure I'd want to find out I was an assassin. And I will not tell him, either, these are things Youji must find for himself.

I poke him in the shoulder, trying to get him to wake up. Well, what do you know, Youji hasn't changed much -- the bastard's deeply asleep and there's no way in hell anything I could do right now would wake him up. It's going to take all the strength I've got to carry him up my stairs, especially with this wound on my shoulder.

But I do so without complaint, and somehow the burdened is lessened, because for the minutes it takes me to get up the stairs, I get to hold him again.

Bah. Ran Fujimiya is starting to sound like a sentimental, romantic, babbling old fool. And it's all Kudoh's fault.

"Bastard."

I murmur, getting us inside before depositing him in my bed in my room. This wound needs to be looked at.

::Youji's POV

I have always been a man who likes naps, but this one was cut short. My dreams of late have all been admittably about the damned sexy redhead who came to my rescue tonight; but not now. All I can think of was my finger on the trigger; Asuka, Midori, whatever the hell her name really was, falling to the ground in a heap.

What I can't get over is the fact that I don't care.

The way it seemed so natural to kill. To eliminate something vile. Now, however, I am ill -- what sort of man shoots his wife?

I should ask Ran, I decide, so I reluctantly open my eyes and realize I'm not in the car anymore. To the contrary, I'm lying on soft black sheets in a relatively plain room. I roll over, face pressing into the pillow, and catch the gentle scent of lavender. Must be Ran's shampoo. I sit up and notice two pictures on his nightstand. One is of a young girl who seems slightly familiar but not overly so; and the other is of the two of us, although I don't recognize myself at first -- my hair is longer now.

My eyes catch on Ran in the image, and so does my breath -- he's smiling, gorgeous, happy even; and I've got one of my arms wrapped around his waist, grinning. I may be good looking, in fact, I'd certainly go as far as to call myself handsome and charming; but ran is exotic, stunning, untouchable. How lucky we must have been. I run a finger down his figure in the picture before setting it back on his nightstand. There's a light coming from the door on one side of the room and I stand, going to check it out.

It's the bathroom, and Ran is alone, in front of the mirror, trying to patch his wound. Blood stains the pale, flawless skin; the shot is in an awkward spot so he won't be able to patch it without help, even though he'll try. For a moment I find myself picturing that white, marble skin contrasting against his black sheets, but shake the thoughts from my mind. I don't even know who I am.

He grimaces, having trouble with the bandage, and I step forward, placing a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

"Let me help with that."

I offer, and he jumps in surprise, before silently considering the offer, which he accepts with a nod. I take the washcloth and clean the room, before applying some antibiotic ointment from his first aid-kit. Once again Ran takes the pain like a true stoic, an occassional flicker of amethyst eyes the only indication of any sting the medicine is causing. But I am sure to be extra gentle; carefully bandaging the wound, my fingers brushing over his smooth skin as I tie the cloth. He's got a lot of stuff in that first-aid kit that not even all hospitals would have; and I decide to try to find a little more out about the mysterious redhead.

"You always rescue brunettes and get yourself shot?"

He turns towards me, blinks, and then shrugs.

"Hn."

Well. I guess that means he doesn't want to talk about it.

::Ran's POV::

Hn is a wonderful word. Or is it a syllable? Anyway, I've always found it highly useful, especially like now, when Youji's just asked me a question and I don't know the answer because I was too busy thinking about the feel of his fingers on my skin. In fact, I don't know what he asked. I tune people out more than you'd think. When I've escaped the closeness of the bathroom for the relative safety of my room, I decide it's safe to actually talk again; for a moment there, I really thought I was going to turn around and initiate something we'd probably regret later. I want Youji to remember who he is and was; I want him to know that I loved him despite all of that.

"You've had a long day. You should get some sleep."

I say, pulling on a shirt as he steps out of the bathroom behind me. I get the feeling he's watching me do so; although previously, it used to be him watching me take said article of clothing off, instead of on. In typical Youji style he ignores my suggestion, picking up the picture of us from my nightstand. I'm embarassed by it, actually; to have a picture of someone on your nightstand is like a schoolgirl crush, or at least, he could interpret it as such, especially without his memory. He sits down on the edge of the bed and motions for me to do the same, which I do, reluctantly.

"We look happy in this picture. You have a nice smile."

He comments, and I incline my head slightly in acknowledgement, muttering something under my breath.

"What'd you say?"

He asks, and I feel my face heat up.

"You're one of the few people to have seen it."

I reply, and that's enough sentimental mush. I need to get out of this room, and away from him long enough to gather my senses. I move to stand but Youji catches my wrist. His quick reflexes seem to be intact; and he gently pulls me back down.

"I dreamt about you," he explains. "Little things, like what you look like when you sleep; and us...making love, but the sheets were green silk --"

"Yours." I interrupt calmly. "I still have them. They're boxed up."

He continues, "-- all the little things that mattered. And when Asuka, or Midori, whoever she was, got ready to kill us tonight, I realized I wanted them back. Tonight was horrible, Ran. My whole world's completely upside down, but I'm glad I remembered you."

"Me too." I answer, when I realize he's looking for a response. Green eyes settle on me for a moment.

"Why didn't you find me sooner?" He asks.

I sigh. "Because you wanted to forget."

"Forget what?" He asks, and I realize that this is going to be the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. I have to give Youji back his pain. I excuse myself and head to a closet in the hallway, where all of his belongings are in boxes, and pull out one of them, taking an even smaller box out of the top. I walk back to my room and hand it to him wordlessly.

::Youji's POV::

He's brought back a box, a small one, like the size of a small book, and proceeds to stare at the wall like it's about to do something interesting. Obviously my questioning is making Ran uncomfortable, but I don't know what the missing piece of this puzzle is, and I want to find it. Curiosity killed the cat, they say, but cats have nine lives... ((A/N: oh the irony))

I open the box and inside is a watch, a nondescript, plain, ordinary watch. Ran's eyes have turned reluctantly to me now, and I wonder what the big deal is as I slip it onto my wrist. A perfect fit. And somehow it feels so natural, resting there. Okay, so he's given my back my watch. Big deal. I feel like I'm missing an important point and I stare down, wrist resting in the palm of my other hand, and suddenly it dawns on me -- this was the wrist I grabbed for when fighting Midori; and not just at random -- with a smooth, practiced motion. Closing my eyes, I mimic the movement, and wire runs smoothly across my fingertips. I gasp in surprise and Ran flinches; as I stare down at the wire a series of images runs across my mind -- me, in gear not so different from what he wore earlier tonight, strangling a woman as tears flow down my face. Neu. Asuka. The real one; or at least the shell of the real one. The tears are not only in my flashback; my cheeks are wet, and I turn my head away.

"You're...I'm...we're assassins."

No wonder it felt so natural to kill her. I'm a killer.

His head is bowed and Ran falls silent for a long moment, before reaching over to gently turn my face towards him, free hand wiping away the tears that have spilled over for my first love; the real Asuka, the one Midori took advantage of while trying to keep me from remembering this, from remembering Ran.

"I'm sorry, Youji."

"Sorry isn't good enough, damnit."

I snap, knocking his hand away, although I don't know why. I don't hate Ran.

"It's been a long night." He says, cold mask firmly back in place. "Get some rest."

It's an order now, I can recognize it by the tone of his voice and the blankness of his face. But hurt rests in those eyes; what I've said must have stung, especially after the trouble he went to while trying to save my life tonight. He stands to leave; I suppose I've made him feel unwelcome, and for the second time this evening, I catch his wrist.

"Stay."

It's all I can say, a quiet apology for my selfish behavior. "Sleep with me."

::Ran's POV::

"Sleep with me."

Says he, and I'm sure I'm blushing now. Sleeping with Youji was rarely sleep and more of an adventure. His green eyes widen when he realizes what he's said.

"No! Not like that."

Well, damn.

I hope he doesn't sense my disappointment, but he goes on to explain himself once again.

"Look, Ran, don't get me wrong. I think you're damned good looking. For one thing, you've got a nice ass,--" typical Youji, but if we're talking about asses, then I should mention that his is pretty high-quality, "-- but for another, you're quite possibly the most stunning person I've ever met. You're beautiful." He's called me that before, and I can't help but smile, although if he had ever tried it in front of our other teammates I would've kicked his ass. "So, like I said, don't get me wrong, I'd love to screw you out of your mind. But I don't remember much about us and I don't want to take advantage of your feelings."

I snort. "Who says you'd be screwing me?"

Youji's eyes widen and for once he's the one to blush. I chuckle at that, and he glares at me for a moment before pulling both of us down on the bed, having apparently decided that now is definitely the time to sleep. We lie side by side, and I stare up at the ceiling, feeling oddly content, just because he's back.

"My sheets were more comfortable."

Says he, after a moment, and I snort again.

"Maybe; but your room was a bloody mess."

He turns out the light, and that's the last thing I remember before falling asleep. Mission reports can wait until tomorrow.

::Youji's POV::

I know I fell asleep next to Ran, but somehow, in the morning, when I wake up, I'm sprawled out across him on his side of the bed. Fortunately for me, he seems to still be asleep; I can't see his face since my head is tucked under his chin, resting gently on that smooth, broad chest, one arm flung across his abdomen and legs tangled in his own. In other words, I'm using him as a giant human pillow and it feels fucking perfect. He's got an arm around my waist, the other, folded up at the elbow, has fingers tangled lightly in my hair. It takes me a while to realize that those slender, elegant digits are playing with my hair, absent-mindedly twirling the strands. I raise my head and much to my embarassment discover that Ran is awake, looking down at me with an expression of amusement.

"You're awake."

I tell him. Well, thank you, Captain Obvious.

"Yes."

He notes, kindly affirming that fact for me.

"How long?"

I ask. He smirks. "Four hours."

I glance down at my watch. It's 10 AM, so he's been awake since six and hasn't bothered to disturb me.

"Comfortable?" He asks with a wry smile.

"Extremely." I reply, and much to my delight he doesn't take his hands away. In fact we stay that way for at least another half an hour, before I hear a door swing open, heels clicking across his floor; and then his door opens to reveal a woman staring at the two of us.

"ABYSSINIAN!" She starts in, and then stares at me in shock. He gazes up at her with an impassive, unreadable face, and she flushes red, thinking she's interrupted something.

"Hello, Calico." He says calmly.

"Abyssinian, the objective was to retrieve Balinese, not kill Yuki Midori and then proceed to sleep with him."

Cat names? Oh well, I'll go with it. She seems mad at him and she's kind of cute when she's mad.

"Oh, but it was good sex." I assure her. "I think we were at it until about four this morning. Ran's stamina is as good as ever."

"Five, Youji." He says calmly, as if this was a real fact. I shrug.

"Really? Five? I guess I lost count after the fourth time.."

By now Calico's face is as red as Ran's hair, and she stares at him. "Abyssinian, you will report to the kitchen to explain yourself in five minutes." And then, she storms out, slamming the door.

"Abyssinian? Balinese? Calico?" I ask.

"Codenames." He says, rubbing fingers through my hair playfully. Ran seems to be in a good mood in the mornings, while I'm more of a night person. Carefully he untwines himself from my embrace, leaving me alone in the bed as he heads for the kitchen.

::Ran's POV::

I slept better last night than I have in months; although I woke up intially, when Youji's body found its way to mine sometime after midnight. I saw no reason to disturb him; the man had a hard day and could use some comfort. Besides, it gave me an excuse to accidentally put my arms around him while he slept; and those four hours this morning before he woke were absolute bliss. Of course, Calico shattered that, which is why I didn't mind playing along with Youji's round of teasing. She deserved it, for interrupting that little slice of heaven. I report to the kitchen as ordered, and she immediately launches in on me.

"One, Abyssinian, you know it is standard procedure to file mission reports after the mission has been accomplished to let us know of your health and your wheareabouts as well as the mission's results. Two, you were not ordered to kill Yuki Midori, and now, thanks to that idiotic mistake, Kreiger knows that Weiss may come back and will boost their security. Three, I can't believe you'd be cheap enough to take advantage of a man with no memo---"

A tan hand clamps over her mouth.

"You're pretty, but you talk too much." Says Youji lazily, stretching as he releases her, shirt sliding up to reveal his tan abdomen. "One, I asked him to stay with me last night, which is why he failed to file whatever mission report you're talking about. Two, Yuki Midori would've killed me and him, and I'm the one who shot her, so why don't you let me deal with the guilt for that one. Three, he didn't take advantage of me, I've known about my situation with Ran for months, I just wasn't sure he existed."

"How much do you remember?" Calico asks sourly.

"Not much." Replies Youji.

"I suggest you hurry it up then." She says coldly, "Or Kreiger will make you wish you had been killed by Midori. Since they're worried Balinese will recover, Abyssinian, staying in Tokyo is not an option for his safety. You two will go to Villa White."

"What about Siberian and Persia*?" I ask.

"Persia will reevaluate your situation and decide if bringing back Siberian is advisable. It would, however, be hazardous to reinstate Bombay, for obvious reasons. I suggest you pack. I expect better from you, Abyssinian."

Youji shoots her another miffed gaze. "Hey, I'm back, aren't I?"

"Not to an extent where you're useful, Balinese. I suggest you show respect for your superiors." Says Calico icily, and Youji whistles as she leaves.

"A woman in authority!" He teases with a grin. "Can I have your number?"

And the only response is Calico slamming my door. I can't help but smile. Villa White. A vacation with just Youji. Nevermind blessings in disguise; that's a bloody miracle.

((A/N: Ran inquires Persia instead of Bombay, since Omi's acting as Persia in this fic; if he deemed it neccessary though, Omi would return to the team as Bombay.))

And now, for my lovely reviewers:

Vampire Louis: I agree; I like AxY because of the chemistry, and because I love Youji. *pets him.* Hopefully school work won't bog me and this fic down so that you'll continue to find it enjoyable.

Silvermaiden: As soon as I can, barring evil schoolwork, which makes my writing craptastic. *shudders*

Honoo Moeru: I'm an Asuka hater; what can I say? I couldn't leave it with him marrying her and popping out lots of little Youji's and Asuka's. Little Youjis are cool. Little Asukas are not. But yeah, he's had a rough day. I actually haven't seen all of Gluhen, so I'm trying to dodge some details. x_X; damn people who ruined the spoilers for me though, lol, although it enabled the writing of this fic.

Chibi-chan v2.0: Once again, I'm an Asuka-hater, lol, so she was doomed from the beginning. And that's doomed with a capital D. Don't worry, Yotan will get his happy ending!

I'd like to mention that when I write this fic, I'm thinking of their original appearances; because I like them better. Although a braid does seem somewhat elegant and I can picture Aya having one, and Youji bleaching his hair if trends said it was sexy, I just don't like them quite as much; plus all the other characters are horrible. So, with that said, it's post Gluhen with pre-Gluhen looks. Spiffy.

HIT THAT REVIEW BUTTON! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! And seriously guys, let me know if this starts to go downhill; I don't want my excess homework to negatively influence my writing. Thanks! ^________________^ - glaube.