Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Karma Police ❯ The River That Forgets ( Chapter 5 )

Blah, the mediaminer link didn't show up >< gomen ne. At the end of this shindig I'm going to go back and fix all my verb changes to STAY IN ONE TENSE. Yar. x_X;

Karma Police: Chapter 5:

::Ran's POV::

Yohji settles back on the couch in a lazy sprawl, while Omi bombards him with all sorts of questions -- the answers to most of which are "no," much to his disappointment. I'm unpacking the food Omi brought when the door opens; much to all of our surprise, and in step two women. Yohji's eyes, angled down from his sprawl on the ground, suddenly light up in recognition.

"I know those legs...Manx!"

He cheers with a grin, and I restrain my annoyance, replacing it with a bemused smile. He's really starting to remember more than he thinks. Manx shoots an angry glare at Omi, which is echoed by Birman.

"Persia...with all due respects, you shouldn't be here."

"I appreciate your concern, ladies, but your suggestions are not necessary. I wished to see an old friend."

Omi says, and somehow, I can tell he's tired. The boy's grown up a bit on me, in the past few months; although I suppose it's not much of a surprise -- I left Persia's section of Kritiker when Yohji lost his memory to get away from the memories, which is why Calico delivers missions to me now. Less killing, more espionage. I can't say that I'm unhappy with the change although I miss my comrades. Birman and Manx both frown, before the redheaded woman retreats back outside and comes in with several bags. Birman's smile is something of a smirk.

"Then we're staying too, sir."

Well shit. I guess this means Yohji and I won't be having any more fun tonight. Omi decides the proposition is fair and inclines his head in agreement, and as I watch him I realize there's something not quite right about his expression. A sort of loneliness. That's when it occurs to me that I haven't been the only one alone all this time -- Ken left Kritiker completely, and he had always been Omi's best friend. In our own ways, Yohji and I both left our youngest kitten to fend for himself.

::Yohji's POV::

Ah, Redheads. My favorite by far. And Manx's legs are nice, although I've never liked the socks. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks they're great though; as she and Birman tend to gravitate fairly close to eachother. Interesting. The only thing that has me convinced that Ran hasn't made me completely gay is the idea of the two of them...

However, I'm knocked out of those thoughts when Omi asks me another question. I realize with a bit of embarassment that I haven't been paying attention and glance over at Omi...Persia. It doesn't seem right to call him that.

"You're not Persia."

I point out suddenly. "Persia had wider shoulders." I accuse. Omi shoots me his first genuine smile of the evening.

"You're right. I'm Bombay."

This statement makes Manx halt in the hallway as she heads to deposit her suitcase in one of the rooms, before she heads on.

"Abyssinian, Balinese, Bombay..."

I murmur. There's something not quite right yet. Omi frowns thoughtfully, a somewhat sad curve to innocent lips, a loneliness in his eyes.

"And Siberian." He says. But before I have the chance to ponder that idea, Ran interrupts.

"Dinner's ready."

::Ran's POV::

I eat dinner in relative silence, listening to my old teammates talk amongst eachother, hiding a smile at Yohji's attempts to flirt with Manx, which seem to annoy Birman. Omi participates happily in the chatter, apparently glad that around us he can let up on his role as a manager and just be himself, and my thoughts wander again to the chibi. Taking over for Persia means he must have accepted himself finally as Takatori Mamoru, although I know he will always insist having his friends call him Omi. Oddly enough I am the opposite; almost everyone calls me Aya, and only she and Yohji are privledged enough to know me as Ran. If you could consider it a privledge. Anyway, Omi's handling more responsibility than ever, and his decision to allow Ken to leave Kritiker must have been hard. Yes, our little kitten has grown up.

When they are all finished I move to gather the dishes, but Omi stops me.

"Ne, Aya-kun. I didn't come here just to see you two."

I sigh. "I know."

Birman coughs loudly, interrupting Yohji's latest lame pick-up line. "Let's go into the living room." She suggests. "We'll discuss this in there."

So we file in. Omi brings a chair from the kitchen table for himself to sit in, Yohji sits on the couch and pulls me down next to him, an arm slung lazily behind my shoulders much to my satisfaction and annoyance; Manx takes a seat in our other chair and Birman perches on its armrest. Cats, indeed.

" A/N: Wow. Didn't want that to happen yet, but yesterday was absolutely crappy, so it sort of just came out. Ken's coming back in the next chapter, and after that the plot is really going to start moving; it should answer a lot of questions. Reviews appreciated. ^_^ -glaube.