Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Love On A Leash ❯ A Flicker Of Hope ( Chapter 12 )

Love On A Leash

By: Atsureki

Disclaimers: This is getting real old. /sighs/ They aren't mine I'm just borrowing them.

Paring: Ran/Ken.

Warnings: AU, Shounen-ai, OCC, Angst, Slavery, sorta short chapter.

Notes: Stuff written in Italic are thoughts.

Chapter 12. A Flicker Of Hope

Something was different when he woke up. He was still in pain and his face felt like it had been ripped off of him and then smashed back on, but something was different. Carefully he moved a little and winced at the torment it caused his abused body. What was it that didn't feel the same?

Confused he raised his left hand. Blanket. A soft blanket covered him and he wasn't on the floor anymore. It didn't make any sense to him right away and his brain was so tired and mixed up. He let out a small sigh and stopped moving. What did it matter where he was?

So Kase had taken pity on him and allowed him to stay on the bed, it wasn't the first time. His sadistic former owner did that every now and then simply because it was too much of a bother for him to drag the slave back to his room.

"Get up!" He obeyed the order without even thinking, just like he had for the last couple of days. The pain flashed through him but his face showed nothing. "Put these on!" Clothes were thrown at him and he obediently dressed himself with difficulty. There was something seriously wrong with two fingers on his right hand and it hurt to breathe. For a moment he looked up and froze. The man standing before him was not Kase.

"Well? I don't have all day slave! Move it!" The stranger pointed to the door and tapped his foot. Ken started limping towards the door and almost fell to the floor. His body refused to carry his weight and the repeated beatings and rapes were causing him more pain than what should be possible.

"I… I can't walk," he croaked out as he carefully leaned against the wall.

"Perfect," the man growled with annoyance and disappeared for a moment. He returned with two other slaves. "Kase wants this slave cleaned up. Carry him to the bath and fix it!" The unknown slaves nodded and lifted him from the floor. They handled him like he was a sack of potatoes and added more hurt but he didn't make a sound.

//

Most people would claim that there's nothing better than a hot bath or shower when in pain but Ken knew differently. Cuts, burns and rapes did not go well with hot water; it went even worse with soap. And still he didn't show any signs of the pain he was in except for a wince or two.

It still felt like he body had no connection with his brain unless it was trying to inform his confused head that it was in serious pain. The pain was noted but nothing more happened, his brain was simply unable to understand what it was suppose to do about it.

Hands washed him quickly, thoroughly and not too gently before he was dragged onto the cold floor. Being dried with rough towels made his bruises, cuts and burns pound with pain but this time Ken managed to give voice to it and a small croaked whimper escaped him. Didn't do him much good though since it was ignored completely.

Clean, dressed in fresh clothes and with a body that knew nothing except the pain it was feeling Ken was placed in a chair. The man from before came into the room and eyed him slowly.

"Well he's clean at least," he muttered sourly and waved away the other two slaves. "In a few hours he'll be just as filthy and bloody again though." Ken winced slightly at those words but kept his brown dull eyes on the floor. He really hadn't expected anything else. "You better carry him to his room."

Again he found himself being lifted and carried. He just wanted to sleep or preferably die but it didn't look like he was going to be allowed to do either. The two slaves dumped him on the cold hard floor in the tiny room he knew as his own.

Unlike Kase's other slaves Ken had always been kept by himself. His former owner didn't want him anywhere near the others, didn't want him to be able to talk or interact with the rest of the slaves. Talking or any other kind of human contact might lift Ken's spirits and that was the last thing Kase wanted.

Carefully the brunette curled up on the floor and closed his eyes. If he was lucky he would fall asleep and dream about Aya. He drifted off slowly and only because his body was so exhausted, if he hadn't been the pain would have kept him awake.

//

Ken woke up, or rather resurfaced, due to arguing voices just outside his room. He didn't move and just lie there listening. Both voices were familiar but the second one belonged to a man whose name he didn't know.

"I did what you told me!" Kase growled and the voice caused Ken to wince slightly.

"No, you did not to what I told you to Kase! I told you to get rid of Ran, which you didn't and I most certainly did not say anything about stealing his damn slave!" the second man roared. The brunette blinked slowly and lost interest. He didn't know any Ran.

"What the hell are you talking about? I did kill him damn it! I shot him twice," Kase objected. Ken listened more carefully. There was something in his former owner's voice, something that sounded like fear.

"Did you now? You're getting sloppy Kouichiro. Did you check if he was dead or did you just run straight to his apartment to get your little fuck-toy back?" It was quiet for a while. The brunette narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I… I… Is he still alive?" Kase's question got no answer. "Takatori-sama I… I shot him twice I was certain that…"

"Be quiet!" the nameless man roared and slammed his fist into the door to Ken's room, causing the brunette to flinch. "You had but one job to do and that was to get rid of Fujimiya Ran also known as Abyssinian but you couldn't even get that right. Now thanks to your failure Kritiker is all over me and some damn PI named Kudou Yoji, who also happens to be Fujimiya's cousin, is snooping around."

Ken felt his entire body go numb. This Ran-person was Aya? He knew that Aya's family name was Fujimiya and he also knew that Yoji was a PI but… but what about them calling Aya Ran? Of course Ken knew that Aya was a girl-name but he had never asked about it since it wasn't any of his business.

"I'll sort this out Takatori-sama," Kase almost squeaked.

"NO! I don't want you anywhere near this. And get rid of that damn slave before someone finds out he's here."

"But he's mine!"

"You lost him in a card game Kase, deal with it. You have over 20 slaves, find someone else to fuck and beat up. GET RID OF HIM!"

"Hai Takatori-sama." Heavy footsteps passed the door and it became quiet.

"Aya," Ken mumbled and swallowed. Aya wasn't dead and he hadn't given him back to Kase. It was like someone had removed the lock that had been on the brunette's brain. He had to get back to Aya; he had to be with his owner. The question was how?

//

He was pulled from sleep by a small hand that gently shook him. Eyes opened and blinked a few times before they were able to focus on the little blonde standing beside the bed.

"Ohayou Aya-kun. Did you sleep well?" Omi almost chirped and gave the redhead a wide smile.

"Hn." He smiled even wider and his blue eyes sparkled. It wasn't like he had expected any other answer.

"I've made breakfast and Yotan is here." Omi's face turned serious. "I think he's found something." Ran was completely awake at once. He got up and ran a hand through he messy red hair before he headed towards the kitchen with the small blonde in tow.

His cousin was sitting at the table smoking and the redhead only needed one look at his face to tell that whatever it was he had found it wasn't anything good.

"So?" Yoji looked up and knitted his brows together. "Well? Did you find anything?" Ran's voice was harsh and impatient.

"Do you know the first rule of holes?" the lanky blonde asked dryly.

"Nani?" Yoji took a long drag from his cigarette and tapped his slender fingers on the table.

"When you find yourself in one, stop digging!" he growled. "I've found myself in a hole and I think I better stop digging." Ran narrowed his amethyst eyes. He was about to object when Yoji raised his hand. "I'm in shit up to my elbows Aya and I don't fancy being drowned in it. Takatori sent some of his apes to my apartment last night."

"Takatori," the redhead spat out and his eyes were almost on fire.

"Easy there cousin! You can't go up against him and you know it. I have some good news however. It seems like Takatori is rather displeased with Kase and if he handles his business like he usually does there'll soon be one less spawn of the devil around. And to add to the not so good news… A German guy called Schuldig just bought several slaves from Kase, whether or not Ken was among those I don't know. If he wasn't then I'm not the only one waiting to paddle up shit-creek without a canoe. I highly doubt that Takatori is going to let Ken waltz out of there alive."

"Why not?" Ran muttered and tried to keep the worry from showing.

"Because the talk going around is that Takatori is seriously pissed of at Kase for taking Ken, just as he is extremely displeased with you still breathing. If my source is correct, which I'm sure he is, then Takatori wants Ken gone."

"Where the hell do you get this information from!?" the redhead growled and rubbed his aching head.

"This is Tokyo Aya, you can buy anything here as long as you're willing to pay for it. How do you think I got to be the best? I don't follow people around with my camera if that's what you thought," Yoji said with a sly smirk on his face even though his eyes were still worried. "I cost a lot because I prefer to buy my information rather then collect it myself. There are others who are far better than me when it comes to pressing glasses against walls to overhear stuff."

Ran rose and walked out from the kitchen. They still didn't know where Ken was and now it didn't seem to matter; the brunette apparently had very little time left to live. The redhead sank down on his bed and willed himself to not cry.

"Wherever you are you have to find away to get away from him Ken, you have to!"

~TBC~

Um don't have much to say about this chapter. /thinks for a moment/ No can't think of anything /rubs her face/ But then it's 3:35 am and my brain is fast asleep… /huge yawn/ Oh sorry /blushes/ Didn't mean to yawn you right in the face /hangs head/ Gomen nasai minna-san. Ja/Atsureki