Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Neutral Territory ❯ A Precognitive's Vision Fulfilled ( Chapter 10 )

Title: Neutral Territory [part 10/?]

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}}

*****

Wednesday early afternoon. Omi's school.

*****

"Earth to Omi. Come in, Omi," a young girl teased quietly during the Weiss archer's math class on Wednesday afternoon.

Distracted by thoughts of how pleased his geography teacher had been with the project on the Aswan High Dam which had in turn made him think of Nagi, Omi shook himself from his thoughts and then smiled as he replied, "Oh, sorry, Masami-chan. Did I miss something?" [1] His boyish cheeks were lightly painted pink by anticipation, yet he was unaware of the fact that merely thinking of the sable-haired boy that he was to meet at the park that afternoon was having a visible effect on him.

"Yes," the pretty brunette girl giggled before glancing meaningfully at the teacher who was busy organizing the papers he'd just received from his students and explained, "you forgot to turn in your homework. If you hurry, he might not notice."

"Oops! Right! Thanks!" Omi scooped up his papers and had almost reached the teacher's desk when the bell rang indicating that the school day was over. "Excuse me, sensei? Here's mine, too."

The harried teacher glanced at the boy who was his star pupil and smiled, "Ah, Omi, I wondered where yours was." He looked closely at the youth's slightly reddened face and asked, "Are you feeling all right?"

"Nani?" Omi looked at him with a puzzled expression then said pleasantly, "I'm fine, sir. Why?"

"Your cheeks are a little flushed. If it wasn't the end of the day already, I'd recommend you stop by the nurse's office," the teacher smiled then dismissed his student with a nod.

Quickly gathering up his books and heading towards his locker, Omi encountered his classmate again and felt even sillier as he overheard her commenting to another girl, "Mark my words, Natsume, Omi's *finally* found a girlfriend! I'd know that dreamy look in a boy's eyes anywhere!"

The pink-haired girl giggled and pointed at Omi nearly simultaneously with him beginning to choke a little as he tried to interrupt, "Ma-ma-masami-chan!! *What* are you talking about?" The tiny blush from earlier had darkened dramatically across Omi's cheeks and his words failed to disprove the evidence on his face. "I have *not* got a girlfriend! Please, don't start any rumors like that about me!"

The dark-haired girl was trapped between feeling embarrassed for being caught gossiping and feeling vindicated since the expression on Omi's face was simply too obvious for words. Trying to hide her own mixed emotions, Masami placed her fists on her hips and insisted, "Oh, really? Then where are you off to in such a hurry if not to go meet a girl?"

"Uh," Omi blinked and blurted out, "I'm going to the park. I'm meeting a friend there."

"See? What did I tell you?" Masami laughed even as Natsume giggled quietly.

Without thinking it through, Omi whined, "I am *not* meeting a girl!" He regretted it immediately, of course.

"Oh? You're meeting a *boy* then? Interesting!" Natsume insinuated then laughed easily and reassured, "Don't worry, Omi-kun, your secret's safe with us!"

Mouth gaping open and shut a few times like a fish out of water, the young assassin tried to find something to say to protect his rapidly dwindling ability to cope with the merciless teasing but failed. Even though he could face opponents twice his size and many times over his age in open combat, Omi never stood a chance against the quick-witted girls who attended his school.

Before he could falsely assert that he didn't have any secrets, Masami finally calmed down enough to stop taking advantage of his embarrassment and suggested, "Better get going or he'll be angry that you're late!"

"Thanks," Omi finally smiled before grabbing his motorcycle helmet and backpack from his locker and leaving as quickly as possible, afraid that the giggling pair would change their minds and start giving him grief again.

Trying not to look too eager, the dart-wielding assassin fled the building, glad that despite their teasing Masami and Natsume would respect his privacy and not mention the incident to anyone else. Granted, they'd probably corner him the next day and ask a million questions, but Omi shouldn't have been daydreaming about Nagi the way that he had been in the first place.

As the saying goes, love makes us all a little foolish at times, even when we aren't quite ready to admit that "love" is what we are feeling.

*****

Wednesday afternoon. A public park.

*****

Across the city in a sprawling public park, Nagi sat alone nervously watching the people and feeling out of place as he watched young mothers playing with their children.

//It's so bright out here, it almost hurts my eyes.//

Midnight blue orbs peered up at the puffy white clouds sailing along like mighty schooners adrift in the azure sky. The telekinetic didn't feel comfortable sitting there in plain sight with nowhere to hide even if he wanted to. It seemed to Nagi that some of the people were staring at him, his seemingly frail form an indictment of some unspecified adult somewhere who should have been taking better care of him.

Chewing at his lower lip nervously, Nagi felt the familiar rush of adrenaline touch his bloodstream and the desire to flee the open area became almost overwhelming as vague memories of pain suffered when he was a street child surfaced in his mind. There were times when he hadn't been able to run and hide from the other homeless waifs who hated him for various reasons and it was the recollection of sorrow from moments such as that which were plaguing him.

//I know I'm overreacting to all of this and if I can just calm down a little, Omi will be here any minute now and I won't feel funny anymore. Er, at least I *hope* that he's here soon, I *really* don't like just sitting on this bench all alone in broad daylight like this.//

This exact moment was what Crawford had foreseen as Nagi's instinctual response to the increased levels of adrenaline in his system grew almost irresistible and it was a blessing for the two new friends that the precognitive's vision didn't include much past this point.

Before the telekinetic could become even more agitated, a cheerful greeting caught his attention, "Nagi-kun!! Hi! I'm over here!"

Nagi quickly turned to see his friend practically running down the paved path towards him, waving happily before flopping down onto the bench beside him with a playful grin. Restraining his desire to throw his arms around the older boy in relief, the telekinetic merely nodded and said quietly, "Hello, Omi. It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, it's great to see you again, too!" Omi was at genki-maximum, a bright smile pasted on his features as he scanned the park, pleased to see so many families out enjoying the weather. He took a deep breath and let it back out slowly, sighing as he remarked, "It smells so good out here, doesn't it? Fresh air, sunshine, trees, grass, everything! It's great!!"

The young archer's cheerfulness was very nearly overwhelming for the other boy.

Even as Nagi was trying to phrase a response that would sum up his own uneasiness about feeling exposed and vulnerable, Omi hopped back onto his feet and grabbed him by the hand, urging him to rise and walk with him. By way of explanation the older boy said, "I spotted an ice cream vendor on my way here from the parking lot. Would you like a cone or a sundae, Nagi-kun?"

Nagi was shocked that Omi had taken his hand so casually in a public place, but the moment they were both on their feet, the blond had released his grip and that disappointed the younger assassin much to his own surprise.

Finding it increasingly difficult to remain emotionless, Nagi forced himself to shrug as if it didn't matter that Omi's suggestion sounded perfectly wonderful to him even as he slipped his now lonely-feeling hand into a pocket just to keep from reaching out to recapture the warmth he'd felt so briefly. Human contact had rarely appealed to him at all, yet somehow the touch of the Weiss tactician's hand against his own made him yearn for more of the same.

With a small nod of his head, the Schwarz member remarked simply, "I like ice cream." When his companion flashed him a day-glo smile, Nagi added inquisitively, "My favorite flavor is chocolate, what's yours?"

Omi grinned even more as he answered confidently, "'Omi's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Extravaganza'! I make my own at home!" Curious dark blue eyes gazed at him following this pronouncement, so he continued, "Yohji-kun and Ken-kun got me an ice cream maker for my birthday last year. I get that ready-to-bake cookie dough from the store and mix it with half-and-half and whatever other stuff I feel like. It's really messy, but it's good!"

"Sounds awfully rich," Nagi frowned slightly, the concoction Omi was describing sounded more like candy than dessert.

"Oh, it is!" Sunshine-bright hair bounced up and down as Omi nodded vigorously. "Would you like to come over and try it sometime, Nagi-kun? I'd love to make some for you so you can see how good it is."

Nagi's tiny frown deepened substantially as he looked down and away, unwilling to let Omi see how badly the friendly offer bothered him. Taking a breath to help him try to regain his emotionless mask--something the other boy could see through as if it wasn't even there--he said quietly, "I really don't think that's such a good idea, Omi. I rather doubt that the other members of Weiss would welcome me into your home."

For the first time since arriving at the park, the blonde's genki smile faded and Omi frowned, too, momentarily unhappy as the reality of their situation came back to haunt him. "Oh, yeah, you're right. Well, *that* sucks!" He sighed and looked over at Nagi, then forced a small smile back to his lips as he promised what he wasn't sure he could deliver, saying, "That's all right, Nagi-kun. We'll work something out sooner or later, you'll see. But right now, let's get some ice cream cones, okay?"

Midnight blue eyes glanced up and Nagi failed to suppress the relief that shone there as the subject was neatly changed by the presence of a sidewalk vendor.

Omi reached into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet and unexpectedly came across a few slips of paper he'd meant to sort through before leaving the flower shop for school that morning. Glancing at them distractedly, he tucked them in the pocket of his jacket instead and then asked courteously, "Why don't you get your cone first, Nagi-kun? It'll give me an extra minute to decide what flavor to get since they certainly won't have my favorite."

"All right," Nagi shrugged and ordered plain chocolate ice cream, patiently watching as Omi peered at the list of flavors available. When he was handed the heavy cone, the telekinetic almost groaned, certain he'd never be able to eat all of it, but the urge was smothered by a conflicting desire to laugh at his companion.

With what Nagi had secretly labeled an adorable pout, Omi looked at the vendor and asked unhappily, "Do you *really* only have chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry? Nothing more exotic like chocolate chip cookie dough or butter brickle?"

The apron-clad college student shook his head apologetically and replied, "I'm afraid that's all I have left. If you'd been here earlier, I had cappuccino and mint chip, but they sold out. Sorry."

"Oh well, that's okay," Omi smiled generously then caught Nagi's eye and winked in a manner reminiscent of Yohji when he was teasing his own chosen love as he said, "I'll have what he's having, then!"

Nagi utterly failed to hide the small giggle that snuck up on him, but it was lost as the ice cream vendor laughed and hurried to provide the requested snack, making Omi's cone even larger than Nagi's in an effort to make up for the lack of variety.

Pulling a few bills out of his wallet, Omi paid the man and then the two young assassins walked away with their cold treats.

Licking at the ice cream that seemed in a hurry to melt and drip all over his hand, Nagi asked, "Now what? I've only been here a couple of times before and that was always at night. What do you like to do here at the park, Omi?"

"Hmm," Omi thought for a moment as he munched on his own ice cream cone then brightened, "I like to go down to the lake and watch the little kids feed the ducks! As long as we're not eating popcorn or anything the birds will want, its nice to just sit on the grass and watch the people."

"'Sit on the grass'?" Nagi echoed, disbelief in every word. "Um, doesn't that get messy?"

Omi snickered softly and shrugged, "I guess it could, but I never thought about it much. Um, don't *you* ever just sit on the grass, Nagi-kun? Or, better yet, lay on the grass and watch the clouds go by?"

"No, not really," Nagi glanced down at his school uniform and wondered briefly what kind of punishment Crawford might mete out if he got grass stains on the expensive garments. Then he looked back into eyes so blue they put the sky to shame and he allowed a tiny, shy smile to peek out as he added, "But I'd like to give it a try, Omi, if that's what you want to do."

Warmth spread through Omi's heart as he gazed back at entrancing eyes that looked like a pair of glittering sapphires in the afternoon sunshine. Before he could get lost in their depths, though, realization hit him as to his companion's problem with sitting on the grass and he offered, "That sounds good to me! You can sit on my jacket if you like, that should keep those gray slacks of yours from picking up any unwanted 'green trim', if you know what I mean!"

A humorous version of one of Ken's "knowing winks" was added and they both relaxed even as Omi pointed to a spot at the edge of a cluster of trees where they'd have an excellent view of the peaceful activity around the lake.

Handing Nagi his ice cream for a moment, Omi slipped off his jacket and spread it on the ground gallantly then bowed, saying, "For you, good sir. Best seat in the house!" Straightening up with a slight blush, he added, "Oh, and I don't know about you, but that is *way* too much ice cream for me to eat!"

Nagi looked at the two half-eaten cones in his hands and sighed before answering, "I'd have to agree with you. I think there was enough on mine for both of us."

"True," Omi commented thoughtfully. Smiling shyly, he wondered aloud, "So next time, do you think we should just get one and share it?"

The resulting flush on the younger boy's cheeks happened so quickly, Nagi had no chance to either hide or deny it. Wishing he could duck out of sight instead of being embarrassed so publicly, he forced himself to answer but the words surprised both of them, "I don't see why not, Omi. Um, er, well," he stammered as he realized how forward that sounded and added somewhat coolly, "it's better than wasting so much, you know."

Wide cerulean eyes were blinking kittenishly in surprise as Omi simply nodded and watched as Nagi quickly walked to a trashcan and discarded the unwanted ice cream before coming back to sit carefully on the youngest member of Weiss's jacket. It never even occurred to the Schwarz assassin to worry if there were any poison-filled darts or other hazards hiding in the denim since it wasn't the usual dark leather one the archer wore on missions.

Gazing up at the older boy who was looking at him with a sweet, slightly wistful expression on his face, Nagi allowed the tiny smile to return as he asked, "Care to join me, Omi? You *did* say it was best to sit on the ground, not just stand on it."

"Huh? Oh, right!" Grinning at his own temporary lapse, Omi dropped down to sprawl comfortably on the ground beside the other boy. For a moment he tried to think of something more to say, but upon realizing that Nagi was lost in thoughts of his own, he contented himself with watching the children feeding the waterfowl.

Omi's observations of human-duck interactions, however, were interrupted in favor of stealing glances at a certain dark-haired telekinetic, a boy who was doing much the same himself and the time slipped away in pleasant, companionable peace.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Omi's classmates in this chapter are actually characters from a wonderful though little known Sci-Fi/Fantasy anime entitled "Generator Gawl". The thirteen episode series is a mixed bag of battles, philosophy, time travel paradox, slapstick, romance, pseudo-science, and more weirdness than even I have words for. There's also a character in it that could easily be Omi's future twin, a blue-eyed blond bishounen named Ryo who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders yet smiles a genki smile and does all he can to save humanity in spite of it. The overt shonen ai undercurrents are so thick you couldn't cut them with Abyssinian's katana and it's simply wonderful.