Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Neutral Territory ❯ Sharing Trust, Making Plans ( Chapter 7 )

Title: Neutral Territory [part 7/?]

Author: Enigma

Written: begun October, 2001

Rating: R

Pairings: (Omi + Nagi) (Yohji + Ken) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Shonen ai/Yaoi Angst Friendship Romance Action Violence. AU-OOC. Giftfic.

Archive: fanfiction.net & mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"] plus Wuffie.net [author: "Enigma"]

Warnings: shonen ai/yaoi, angst, masculine friendship in many forms, various levels of romance, action, coarse language, whiffs of citrus but nothing detailed, possibly graphic violence, bloodshed, tiny bits of humor, fluff, and sap; more warnings will be added as necessary. AU-OOC. Giftfic for Rubious.

Spoilers: Aya's sister's condition and a few other small things, nothing major.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Glocksten, Charon, etc.) are © Enigma, 2003, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: Omi's first trip to the public library results in an unexpected meeting when Nagi saves his life without being aware of the Weiss archer's identity. Can two lonely teens overcome the limits of their dark purpose in life to find friendship and possibly love in the midst of "neutral territory"?

//thoughts//

{{mental speech}}

*****

Tuesday late afternoon. Unnamed café that specialized in noodles.

*****

Surprisingly and to Omi's great relief, Nagi was able to find his appetite again once he tried the various new spices the waitress had brought.

Wanting to show his midnight-eyed companion that he was glad the younger boy had found something he enjoyed and possibly find something else they had in common, Omi decided to give a couple of the condiments a try. Unfortunately, he failed to take Nagi at his word regarding the sable-haired youth's penchant for spicy foods and he ended up gasping for breath as he nearly inhaled both of their glasses of water after using the mixture that the diminutive telekinetic had decided tasted best to him.

"Oh my god!" Omi gasped even as Nagi fought to keep from openly showing his amusement, "Are you trying to *kill* me, Nagi-kun?!"

Trying to mimic the pathetic puppy dog look that Schuldich used on Crawford when he was caught attempting to abscond with the precognitive's champagne-colored BMW without permission, Nagi shook his head and answered, "No, Omi, of course not."

Even as Omi temporarily believed that he'd made a mistake and upset the other boy, Nagi finally gave in and allowed a very small grin to sneak out. With an apologetic expression, the sable-haired boy offered, "But I warned you not to leave the wasabi and the dragon spice mix on the noodles for so long. Are you alright now?"

Cerulean eyes watered with tears from the strong reaction that he'd had as Omi nodded and then laughed outright, "Yeah, I think I'll live. Besides," he winked at Nagi, causing midnight blue eyes to widen in amazement, "now I've got a great trick to pull on Yohji-kun the next time we go to his favorite noodle place! He'll never refuse a challenge like this and with any luck at all, he'll even make a bet on it and lose for a change!"

Nagi's tiny grin smoothed out into a barely perceptible smile and he nodded as he glanced into the dish in front of him. Surprised, he looked back up at his companion and remarked, "I can't believe I actually ate almost half of that. I guess I really *was* a lot hungrier than I thought."

After noting how much was in the telekinetic's bowl, Omi frowned slightly and looked into his own dish and saw that it was almost empty. His concerns for Nagi's health returned to the forefront of his mind and he was about to bring the subject up again when he heard a soft sigh of disappointment. Looking up, he realized that the other boy was gazing out the window at the slowly setting sun and he immediately knew what was on Nagi's mind.

"It's almost time for me to go," Nagi sighed again, practically radiating unhappiness despite his emotionally blank expression.

"I know," Omi pouted a little, trying to catch Nagi's eye and possibly cheer him up with his hopefully comical appearance. Failing that, he asked seriously, "Did you get in any trouble last night for coming in late?"

"No, Schuldich and Crawford had already gone out and Farfie didn't care. 'Good Eats' was showing on Food Network and nothing can distract him when that show's on." The disappointment in Nagi's voice confused both of them somewhat, but then he added, "Just the same, I shouldn't take any chances of giving Crawford an excuse to ground me or anything."

Omi looked at him strangely, "Can he really *do* that to you?" Nagi nodded and glanced at him as he added with growing anger, "But you're not *his* kid! What gives him the right to tell you where you can go and what time you have to be home?"

Nagi looked at him with disbelief, it seemed so obvious to him, how could Omi miss it? "He's team leader, that's all the right he needs. You mean to tell me that Abyssinian couldn't do the same to you if he wanted to?"

"Hell no!!" Omi exclaimed angrily, "Aya-kun can not and will not control *my* life! I'm able to make my own decisions and he knows it! They *all* do!"

The vehemence in Omi's words surprised them both, but in all honesty, the young archer was angry at Schwarz and not Weiss at that moment. The more he got to know the telekinetic, the more he liked, respected, and came to care for him. It didn't matter to Omi that the other boy was two years younger than he was, Nagi was far more mature than most people their age were and it infuriated him to think that his teammates treated him like an irresponsible child.

As he continued to fume over the issue, Omi's angry thoughts were interrupted by the tiny smile that tried to escape Nagi's control when he said quietly, "I'm glad for you. It must be nice that they care for you enough to give you that kind of freedom." With a small, wistful sigh, he added, "It must really be great to be trusted like that."

"It is," the older boy found himself agreeing and calming down even as the waitress dropped off a plastic carry-out dish for Nagi's noodles, something Omi had insisted the smaller boy was taking with him so he'd have something to eat later if he wanted it.

Even as Omi scraped the leftovers into the container for him, a process that seemed to please Nagi who was unused to someone being so overtly concerned about his welfare, the archer commented, "Well, I wanted to thank you again for all the help on that project earlier. It was a lot more fun hanging out with you here than it would've been being stuck at the library this whole time."

Nagi's battle with his attempt to remain emotionless was undermined again as he failed to hide a small blush at the words of praise, yet another thing he was unaccustomed to receiving. "You're very welcome, Omi. Actually, it was kind of fun looking all of that up for you. Maybe I can help that way again some time?" Before he lost his nerve, he added shyly, "Would you like to meet me at the library again tomorrow after school?"

Omi glanced up from where he was snapping the lid onto the plastic dish and smiled brightly, nodding agreement before pausing and frowning slightly.

Before Nagi could become discouraged, Omi responded thoughtfully, "I'd like to get together after school tomorrow, yes, but not at the library, okay? I mean, I've never gone there before and to suddenly go there three days in a row will make the guys a little too curious. Not like they'd ever tell me not to do it, but when Yohji-kun becomes curious about something, sooner or later he finds out all the details and he might not be too thrilled with just who exactly I'm spending my time with these days." Realizing how awful that sounded, he hurried to add, "I mean, I'm not sorry to be with you, but he'd only think of you as 'Schwarz' and that could get ugly before I got a chance to explain you're so much more than that, you know?"

A warm glow grew in Nagi's chest as Omi continued to smile at him, the younger assassin never taking it the wrong way in the least. "Yes, I know what you mean. I think anyone from my side would just pull out a weapon and kill us both. Now *that* would make a scene, wouldn't it?"

Snorting softly at the image of the oh-so-proper Crawford in his impeccable white designer suit entering the Tokyo public library, taking out a handgun, and killing two apparently innocent teenagers in full view, Omi just shook his head. "Good thing we're both smarter than they are, ne?"

"Definitely!" Nagi agreed firmly, then suggested, "Why don't we meet at that park where they have the New Years Festival every year?"

"The one with the all the ducks roaming around in it?" Omi stifled a giggle as he recalled an afternoon when he'd helped Ken take some of the neighborhood kids there after a soccer game and they were practically attacked by the little feathered creatures when some tiny rice crackers were spilled on the ground.

"Sure, why not?" Nagi shrugged, trying to hide how happy this prospect made him and failing.

"Hmm," Omi frowned and then mentioned cautiously, "well, it sounds like a great idea to me, Nagi-kun, but what about what we decided yesterday about the library being neutral territory? Don't we need to think about that issue, too?"

Crestfallen, Nagi nodded and looked down at the table, lost in thought for a moment before he offered, "It seems to me that an area like that is too public for Crawford just like the library is. As for Schu and Farfie, well, I think all the little kids would keep both of them away, so why not extend that designation to the park, too? Make it 'neutral territory' for the two of us?"

The 1000-watt smile returned to the genki youth's face and Omi nodded. "Perfect! I'm sure that no one from Weiss will be there since they've got to run the shop without me, so let's meet at the park, then? Right after school again, okay?"

Nodding and rising to put his jacket on before heading to the subway, Nagi answered, "That'll be nice. And the concert hall with the gaijin will be in the other direction so no traffic hassles for you, too!"

The slightly taller boy snickered softly, "So true! America can keep its boy bands in the future, I'd rather listen to electronica! Oh well, time to get going." He pulled on his own jacket, pushed the container of noodles and broth towards Nagi with a smile, and then grabbed the backpack that contained the materials he'd need to finish his project on the Aswan High Dam later in the evening.

As Omi struggled to get the heavy thing onto his shoulders, one strap slipped and it threatened to fall.

"Damn it!" Omi exclaimed, fingers grabbing at the offending strap only to discover that instead of crashing to the floor the backpack was floating a few centimeters above his back as if patiently giving him a second chance to get it in place correctly. "What the?" he demanded in confusion, forgetting that his companion's unique abilities were the most likely explanation until he glanced at Nagi and saw the amused non-expression there as well as the slight shadowing of midnight blue eyes, indicating he was using his powers.

"Try again," the dark-haired boy urged quietly. "No one's noticed yet, but I shouldn't keep this up for long."

"Right," Omi answered gratefully, pulling the backpack firmly in place and feeling the weight of it settle against him even as the other boy's eyes lightened once more as the telekinesis faded away. The cerulean-eyed boy leaned close and whispered, "that is *so* cool, nagi-kun! thank you!"

Pale cheeks flushed pink as the words of praise sent shivers of happiness through Nagi and he simply nodded, unwilling to trust his voice to respond to the kindness or the sensation of warmth where Omi's breath gently tickled his neck.

Fighting an almost overwhelming desire to drop the smallest of kisses onto the now rose-touched skin near his lips, Omi, too, began to blush and he straightened quickly. "Well, um, er, time to head back to the parking deck for my bike."

"Uh, um, yeah. I need to go catch the subway, too," Nagi said, usually nimble fingers fumbling with the buttons on his jacket due to the atypical euphoria he felt.

Without thinking about it, Omi reached out and helped the other boy by adjusting the placket of buttons that Nagi had gotten entirely mixed up, buttoning two of the buttons as Nagi got the others and blushing even more. The older teen decided that he might not have gotten a second full smile from the younger boy, but the attractive blush on Nagi's cheeks more than made up for it at that point.

"I'll see you at the park tomorrow, okay, Nagi-kun?" Omi asked, smiling since he just couldn't stop at that point.

"Certainly," Nagi responded, realizing that his face was red and for once not caring to try to deny it. He picked up the carry-out container and held it close as they walked out the door, truly happy and almost relaxed as he walked in one direction even as Omi went in another.

Inside the noodle shop, the waitress was watching out the window and she sighed wistfully, "I wonder if those two have any idea how cute they are together? I'm just glad they got past whatever it was they were both so upset about earlier! Oh well, I hope it all works out for them sooner or later."

Turning away from thoughts about the two handsome boys' troubles, the young woman went back to clearing the table they'd been at and smiled at the adorable little origami flower that Omi had left for her made from a sheet of notepaper. "Too cute by far!" she smiled.

*****

To be continued.

[Posting Run Dedication for Chapters 5-7] It is a distinct pleasure to be able to dedicate tonight's bonus-sized posting run to my dear friend Yanagi-sen who just happens to consider Halloween her favorite holiday! How serendipitous, ne, my willowy friend? {beams and explains more fully why this one's for her since the llama had no idea she loved October 31 until tonight!} Long ago and far away, I promised her a nice angsty glimpse at one of the infinite versions of Nagi's past as I envisioned it in the context of a larger story and I finally got a chance to do so here. She offered another more detailed and decidedly delicious version in her recent work "Fading Away" which will hopefully be available someday for your reading pleasure at her wonderful website located at: http://willownymph.1accesshost.com/www.1accesshost.com/home%20page.htm