Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Lush ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

In the end…..

***

//Thursday afternoon//

`Thanks for sending me off Ken. You didn't have to you know.'

Ken slapped Aya on the shoulder in his normal brotherly fashion.

`It's my pleasure Aya, you need someone to take the Porsche back anyway. You'd be nuts to leave it in the airport parking lot.'

`Humph,' Aya said in reply, picking up the smart leather case that contained his laptop and constituted his hand luggage. His simple ensemble of black pants and deep indigo shirt with the sleeves rolled up and shirt tails untucked along with his Dolce & Gabbana coat which he had draped over his left arm, made him stand out among the jeans and sneakers crowd. Ken noticed the many admiring glances that his comrade drew but Aya as always seemed oblivious to it.

He had already checked in and with boarding pass in hand he was just about to make his way to the departure lounge. But it seemed like something was stopping him.

Ken looked at the older man and hesitated as whether to speak. But the fact that Aya didn't have his katana in close range gave him some extra courage.

`Why didn't you ask Yohji to do this instead of me Aya?'

Aya's body immediately became ramrod stiff.

`He's on a mission.'

`It's a bogus mission. It's one of those things Kritiker pulls out whenever they want one of their operatives out of the way.'

`I know,' Aya said softly. Ken's eyes almost fell out of his head.

`You knew… You asked…' Ken clenched his fists and looked like he was going to hit him and Aya braced himself. Instead he just flung his hands up in despair.

`Why Aya? He loves you, a blind man could see…'

`He deserves better than me!' Aya's explosive reply took Ken aback and made some people glance their way. Aya tightened his lips in an effort to take back some control.

`He deserves better than me,' he echoed. Ken looked at his leader with sadness in his eyes.

`Then why do you keep looking around Aya? Why do you pause every time you see blond head?' Ken put a tentative hand on Aya's shoulder, which Aya roughly shrugged off. `All we have is each other. Why don't you let him decide how to feel.'

There was a lot of wisdom in Ken's little speech, but Aya was in no mood to take any heed of it.

`I'll be back in a month or so. I'll have my cell phone on at all times and I'll be checking my email as frequently as possible. Contact me if any problems arise. You don't have to tell Yohji anything, I've dealt with that.'

Ken recognized the dismissive tone of Aya's voice but he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

`Don't run away from him Aya,' Ken tried one last time but his words fell on deaf ears.

`Goodbye Ken and one more thing,' Ken turned to see Aya's violet eyes pleading to him, `don't tell Omi. Not until I've gone.'

`Aya, I cant…' Ken started but stopped when Aya enveloped him in a sudden hug.

`Please Ken, just a few hours until my plane takes off….for me.' Ken had never heard Aya ask for anything in his life. He hugged his leader back fiercely.

`Ok Aya, but you owe me big.' Releasing him, Aya entered the departure lounge without looking back and Ken watched him until he got swallowed up by the crowd.

After passing all the usual security measures, Aya settled down and waited for his flight to be called. For some reason his mind kept insisting on straying back to the letter he had written for Yohji which he had placed on his table. He could recall it perfectly from memory, every word ingrained in his heart.

Dear Yohji,

By the time you read this, I'll have gone. I am sorry that I had to do this to you, but it was for the best. I've come to realize how wrong this relationship is for you and the potential I have for hurting you. I have asked Kritiker for leave so I could visit my sister and nurse her back to health. I believe this break will give us a chance to end things cleanly. I also believe that by the time I get back you would have

gotten over me and things would have gone back to the way they were.

My flight leaves at 7 in the evening and I'll be flying to France for a few days. The reason that I am doing this is because Aya-chan wishes to go to France for her school holiday and I'll spend my time there arranging accommodation and such. After which I will be flying to the UK to pick her up.

I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me.

Yours,

Ran

He knew what he had written was unrealistic. By rights if he wanted a totally clean break, he shouldn't have written that letter at all. But he knew why he did.

Because deep down inside, he wanted Yohji to find him.

Ken was right, he did keep looking around, he did keep looking for a flash of dark blond hair. He had lingered longer than usual before going in, a part of him hoping that Yohji had come back from the mission and found his letter. That was why he had given Yohji such a detailed plan of his itinerary.

On the way to the airport he had fantasized about Yohji finding him and telling him that it didn't matter what he had said and asking him not to go. He would hold Aya in his arms and tell him that he would never leave him.

But this scenario was becoming less and less likely as the minutes ticked by.

`Final call for flight VQ 078 to Paris, France….

There was no use in dreaming now; it was time to ash can the fantasy.

***

//Friday afternoon//

`Yohji-kun?' Omi rapped cautiously on Yohji's door before sticking his head around it. He winced as the scene before him unfolded.

Yohji was sitting by the windowsill smoking, discarded cigarette butts overflowing in the ashtray and a bottle of Jack Daniel's in one hand. The faint shadows under his eyes testified to his lack of sleep.

`Hey bishonen,' he replied his voice eerily calm. He didn't sound drunk which amazed Omi as he realized that the bottle he was holding was nearly empty.

`Ken told me what happened. Aya has gone to visit his sister in UK and he's taking her to France for a holiday. The flight isn't direct though, he's stopping in Paris for a few days.'

`Humph, really?' Yohji said carelessly. Not the response Omi was hoping for. Chewing his lower lip, the youngest member of Weiss took a plunge with his next words.

`I think you should follow him.'

Yohji's body almost imperceptibly stiffened and Omi saw his throat move as he swallowed hard.

`Why Omi? Doesn't this little stunt tell you how little he thinks of our relationship,' Yohji said caustically. The venom in his colleague's words made him recoil, but underneath he detected an undercurrent of real sadness.

`I'm sure Aya-kun didn't…' Omi started but Yohji interrupted.

`All I wanted was for him to love me, is that so much to ask,' Yohji angrily sighed. `He didn't even leave me a letter Omi. He just upped and left. I thought I was getting through to him. I thought I was finally making him fall in love with me but I was wrong. There's no love there.'

`Yes there is Yohji-kun,' Omi said, `I know Aya loves you, but you know what he's like. When your so used to being alone its hard to open your heart to anyone. I'm not making excuses for him, I'm just telling you why he would do something like this.'

Silence.

`I'm not sure anyone is worth this kind of shit,' Yohji finally said his voice edged with bitterness.

`But Aya isn't just anyone is he Yohji?' Omi said softly as he turned to leave, `think about it.'

Once alone Yohji viciously stubbed out his fag. The little bishonen was right on some counts but Yohji knew he had a right to be angry as well. And he had his pride dammit! After all he had done for the red head for him to betray him like this. It was like none of it had mattered

`God what should I do?' Yohji said out loud frustrated. He ran a hand through his tangled hair and only succeeded in making it worse. He flipped open his cigarette packet and almost snarled when he saw that it

was empty. Crumpling it with one hand he threw it in the trash and then dropped down to his knees and started rummaging in his bedside drawer for another pack. When one didn't turn up, he felt himself grow even more irritated.

Pulling open the second drawer he breathed easier when he saw an open packet mixed in among its contents. Reaching for it, his brow furrowed as he noticed a thin, spiral bound book beneath it. After lighting his fag he pulled the alien item out and realized that it was a rectangular sketchbook.

`This must be Aya's,' he thought. `I never knew he drew,' yet another stab of ice to his heart, `he didn't bother to tell me that either.'

Idly flipping through the pages, he saw that his drawings consisted mostly of landscapes drawn in charcoal and occasionally in chalk pastels. He couldn't help but smile at a rough drawing of Ken playing soccer with a clear outline of Omi cheering on the sidelines. There were numerous sketches of his sister along with one extremely well done portrait of her.

`He's got talent,' Yohji said begrudgingly. But as he turned over the page, he inhaled sharply and his cigarette almost fell out of his mouth.

It was a drawing done completely in pastels and filled the whole page. There was no doubt as to who it was. It was a well done picture of him leaning on the counter at the flower shop. With a few strokes Aya had managed to capture his likeness perfectly. The strong jaw, the clean handsome features, the way his wavy blond hair fell softly around his face. But more than that, he had managed to convey Yohji's personality along with it. It was in the way Aya drew his eyes, the expression in them that was halfway between dreaminess and laughter that made the image truly come alive. The sparkle in those emerald depths that told whoever was looking that the object of the portrait never took himself too seriously.

It was more than just a rendering of him, Yohji realized. It reflected the way Aya saw him.

Taking a closer look, he noticed some words scribbled in the corner.

`Yume mite iyou,' he read out loud. `Watching a dream'.

`Aya…' Yohji whispered to himself. Giving himself a dry smile he sprung to his feet and walked to Omi's room, determination written in every step.

`Omi..' he strode in without knocking only to have a floppy piece of paper shoved in his face.

`Your plane leaves in 3 hours, which gives you an hour to pack, take a shower and get there in time for check in. By my calculations you should arrive in Paris on the morning of the day when Aya is due to fly from Charles de Gaulle in the evening.'

Omi burst out laughing at the look of utter amazement on the older Weiss's face. However Yohji soon got over it and laughed along with him.

`Why you little scamp,' Yohji ruffled Omi's dark blond hair, `how did you know I would…'

`Because I know true love when I see it,' Omi said simply. `Now go, Ken and I will deal with Kritiker and the shop so don't worry about that.'

`Is Ken ok with this?' Yohji asked only the tiniest bit concerned.

`Yes, he owes me for not telling me about Aya sooner,' Omi pouted in that adorable way of his.

`Thanks Omi,' Yohji turned to go pack when a thought suddenly struck him.

`Omi,' Omi turned around questioningly at the sound of his name, `could you do me a favor?'

Omi's face instantly became wary.

`Don't give me that look. It's nothing that bad Omi. Just; one: could you call someone to fix the window in Aya's room..'

Omi nodded at this request.

`….and two: could you upgrade both Aya and I to First Class for the second leg of our journey?'

`Yohji-kun!' Omi sounded mildly exasperated.

`I have my reasons Omi, please?' Yohji pleaded shooting him his best `Bambi eyes' look. Omi rolled his own eyes in return.

`Fine, now go!' he practically pushed Yohji out the door. Once gone, he sat back at his computer with a sigh.

`I swear if it wasn't for Ken, I'd be a

hardened criminal,' he muttered as he prepared, once again, to hack into the airline's system.

***

//Sunday Evening//

`Could Ran Fujimaya traveling on flight VQ 067 to London, Heathrow please make his way to the ticketing counter please. Could Ran…'

Aya was startled to hear his name called on the public address system.

`I hope there's nothing wrong with my flight,' he thought to himself as he closed his laptop with a click. He had just been double-checking the reservations he had made while in Paris through the Internet. They were going to be staying at a wonderful hotel on the Champs Elysee. Aya himself had handpicked the hotel after making sure that it was properly equipped so that his sister could get around in her wheelchair and eventually crutches without to much trouble.

Aya made his way to the ticketing desk and pulled out his boarding pass.

`I'm Ran Fujimaya,' he made himself known to the lady in charge.

`Mr. Fujimaya, the flight you are traveling on has been overbooked,' she told him in near perfect English with just a hint of a French accent.

`However this is due to the airline's mistake so they have upgraded you to First Class. Here is your new boarding pass and an invitation to the First Class lounge' she smiled slightly at the surprised expression on his face as she handed him a piece of gold colored card, `its situated on the first floor. The airline apologizes profusely for this inconvenience.'

`Thank you,' Aya replied still slightly stunned. As he made his way up the elevator he glanced at his mobile phone. He bit back a sigh at his phone's screen blank save for the name of the network blinking across it. Nothing, not a call, not an email.

`I suppose I didn't mean that much to him after all,' Aya didn't even try to deny that the thought hurt… a lot.

Once in the lounge, he noticed the only chair free was near the smoking section, but that didn't bother him as much as it used to. Setting his bags down he noticed that the only other occupant in the corner was a man leaning against the wall, his face hidden by a newspaper. Aya's naturally observant nature automatically took in that he was wearing a stylish Burberry coat matched with butter soft brown suede boots.

Sitting down he pulled out his own paper and started to read. But he found couldn't concentrate due to the man opposite him near inaudible singing, his foot tapping along with the beat.

`And they say that a hero could save us…'

`I'm not going to stand here and wait…'

Aya bit his lip as a wave of sadness threatened to wash over him. It was too much like Yohji, the smell of cigarettes and the sound of muted singing. He had to put a stop to it.

`Sir could you,' but the words died at his lips as the person opposite lowered his paper to reveal a pair of familiar forest green eyes.

`Yohji…'

`Hey Aya,' Yohji folded his paper and tucked it under his arm. Half of him wanted to shake his errant lover till his teeth rattled. The other half wanted to hug him and never let go. Instead he just settled for taking the chair next to his.

`You know I still cant figure you out,' Yohji waggled his finger playfully in Aya's face but there was a serious note to his voice.

`Yohji…how'd you?' Aya started not actually believing that the blond was actually here.

`Lets just say I owe Omi big time,' Yohji put his hand over Aya's and gripped it tightly. `Why'd you leave Aya?' he asked dejectedly, `why are you running away from me?'

`Didn't you get my letter?' Aya said. Yohji shook his head.

`No, what letter?' he seemed truly puzzled and it made Aya feel a little better. `What did it say?'

`It doesn't matter. The gist of it is, why are you with me Yohji? I'm so damaged…'

`So am I, we all are,' Yohji took Aya's face in his hands and stroked his cheek with the tenderest of touches.

`I love you Aya. I've loved you longer than you can imagine,' Yohji's voice was just above a

whisper. `And when you love someone, you love a person, both the good and the bad.'

`Yohji…I know you love me, but I don't….,' Aya started to pull away but Yohji wouldn't allow it.

`You know what I see when I look at you Aya,' Yohji said firmly, `I see me, hopelessly in love with you. And I know you feel the same, you just haven't gotten around to telling me yet.'

`Yohji,' Aya's voice softened as the implication of his lover's words and actions finally hit home. That Yohji knew what he was like and he didn't give a toss about it. That Aya was worth sticking around for. But then his skeptical side kicked in.

`You're not going to go soft on me and start promising forever are you?'

Yohji shook his head.

`In our line of work, forever isn't an option. I'm perfectly happy with right now,' Yohji brushed back a crimson side bang, `as long as its right now with you.'

Without warning Yohji leaned over and planted a deep kiss on Aya's lips. In the span of a few seconds, Aya managed to stiffen, melt and push Yohji away.

`Yohji!' Aya admonished in his best commander-in-chief tone, `people are looking!'

`Do you mind Aya?' Yohji asked, his voice stripped of its usual joviality. Yohji swore he could see the wheels turning in Aya's head and his heart soared when he saw Aya smile.

`Not at all.'

Yohji's grin said it all. He leaned over to give Aya another kiss when his foot brushed against something. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar black and yellow paper bag mixed in with Aya's hand luggage. Aya followed his gaze and had the grace to blush.

`Lush have a store here and I needed shampoo,' Aya tried to explain in as a dignified way as possible, `and..'

Mercifully Yohji stopped him with another searing kiss.

`Now I know we are perfect for each other,' Yohji said mischievously.

`We have to stop by there on our way to the plane,' Yohji nuzzled Aya's temple, `to pick up some massage bars for all that kinky make up sex we're going to be having.'

`You'll have to wait a few more hours for that,' Aya teased right back. He almost laughed at Yohji's crestfallen expression.

`Cant we have a quickie in the bathroom?' Yohji pleaded.

`When it snows in the Sahara Yohji,' Aya shot back more than half-serious, `read your paper and keep your mind out of the gutter.'

Yohji gave a resigned sigh and slumped back in his chair. Once a cold bastard, always a cold bastard.

`Well,' Yohji thought as he unfolded his paper, `at least he's my cold bastard.'

Still a small part of him couldn't help but think how long before another one of these kind of fights would erupt. Whether or not they would end up killing each other in the long run.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that Aya had said something to him.

`What was that Aya?' Yohji asked lowering his paper.

Instead of replying Aya just leaned over and kissed him on the nose.

`I love you too Yohji.'

It was then that Yohji knew everything was going to be just fine.

~Owari~

Songs used in this story (in order of appearance):

Kirei na Kanjou (Beautiful Feelings): Arai Akino frm: Noir OST

All You Wanted: Michelle Branch frm: The Spirit Room

Kirei na Kanjou: as above

Breathing: Lifehouse frm: No Name Face

Alone: Mikuni Shimokawa frm: OST Saiyuki

Yume Mite Iyou (watching a dream): frm: Sakura Wars OST

Hero: Chad Kroeger feat. Josey Scott frm: OST Spiderman.