Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Neutral Territory ❯ Weiss' Fateful Commitment ( Chapter 19 )

Greetings and welcome to the first posting run of "Neutral Territory" for 2003.

As some of you may already know, all eighteen of the previously posted chapters of this story have been revised and the improved versions are now available here in case anyone wanted to see them. There is also hopefully useful information in the new intro-note preceding the first chapter of the fic regarding my LiveJournal where I will include announcements regarding when new posting runs are expected to go out as well as previews.

Enjoy the Angst,

Enigma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Neutral Territory [part 19/?]

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}}

*****

Friday morning. The flower shop's kitchen.

*****

Friday morning in the kitchen of the Koneko was livelier than usual thanks to a well-rested but very excited young man who was looking forward to what amounted to his first real date.

"What do you think I *should* wear, Yohji-kun?" Omi asked, large cerulean eyes peering at the former playboy with confusion even as he set dishes of fluffy rice onto the table for the three of them. [1] They didn't expect to see Aya at breakfast since he had afternoon shift, hence no place setting was prepared for him. Feeling confused, Omi added, "You said that my black jeans were okay, but not my white cotton shirt? Why not?" He'd thought his garments' wordless play on the names of the two assassin teams might give Nagi a smile, but he trusted his suave eldest teammate's fashion sense implicitly.

"Because, Omiitchi," the former playboy smirked indulgently, "you wore that when he saw you earlier in the week, didn't you? Don't you think that something new and different might be a better choice?"

Omi looked a little frightened by this suggestion and admitted, "But I don't have the money for anything new, Yohji-kun! Or the time to go *get* something." Crestfallen, he sank into a seat at the table and dropped his chin into his hands and very nearly whined when he asked helplessly, "What'll I do?"

"Why not borrow one of mine?" Ken offered, turning from the stove to smile at him even as he stirred the miso soup he was heating for the atypically traditional Japanese breakfast they were all working on together. Generally speaking, the men of Weiss preferred western food for their first meal of the day, bacon and eggs being the usual choice, but Ken had recommended a change of pace and that was all it took for Yohji to insist on it. As he added some cubes of tofu to the simmering stock, the brunette mentioned, "I've got a great looking dark pink one that shrank a little in the wash that ought to fit you, Omi. I think it'd look great on you, too. What do you think, Yohji?"

The lanky blond lifted one eyebrow even as he removed his sunglasses from the top of his head and chewed on them contemplatively before answering, "I don't think that rose is quite his color, Kenken. Why not that dark blue silk one that I gave you instead?" With a shrug, Yohji stuck the shades back into their regular spot and proceeded to transfer carefully cut strips of folded omelet to plates that already held freshly baked fish on them.

Brown eyes flew wide as Ken realized that his partner knew he'd accidentally ruined a gift from him in the same mishandled load of laundry as the rose shirt had been, a crime that the former soccer player had thought would go undetected. With a small sigh of regret, he then nodded apologetically, "Yeah, good idea. Um, sorry for shrinking that shirt, Yohji."

"Not a problem," the older man waved the matter away dismissively before turning to the distasteful task of setting out dishes of natto for the two teens who enjoyed the healthful fermented soybeans that he himself found more than a little disgusting. With a smirk curling one corner of his mouth, he added playfully, "Perhaps it was fate since our darling little Omiitchi needs it more tonight than you ever will! After all, Kenken, I already know how good *you* look in a darkened theater, I don't need a sexy silk shirt to enhance the image!" He turned a seductive smile on his nervous lover and winked.

A bright flush splashed onto Ken's cheeks and he exclaimed, "Yohji! Not in front of Omi! He'll invoke that 'no sex in the kitchen' thing again!"

Omi, however, wasn't even listening to the two lovers' playful discussion as he forced himself back onto his feet and went to root around in the refrigerator for the last few things required for their morning meal since he did need to get to school before too awfully much longer.

Tired after another virtually sleepless night, Aya shuffled into the kitchen and went straight to the coffeepot which was thankfully fairly full. He merely nodded in acknowledgement when Omi and Ken both bid him rather surprised wishes of welcome and the harsh gaze Yohji threw at him ever so briefly for being rude was ignored entirely.

With a mug filled almost to overflowing with fresh coffee, the swordsman sank into a chair with noticeably less grace than normal and rested his forehead against one hand exhaustedly before he consumed the caffeine he desperately needed. As amethyst eyes filled with weariness and frustration sank closed, Aya merely sat there slumped forward in his chair while taking deep sips of his coffee and desperately wishing for a break in the case that had stymied him.

Momentarily silent, Yohji found forgiveness in his heart and shook his head sadly as he observed the ravages of insomnia on the team's field leader. He knew better than to insist that Aya go back to bed as he had the day before since it simply wouldn't do any good at this point. With a soft sigh of resignation, he sincerely hoped that they'd complete their mission soon since eliminating Glocksten and Charon was the only thing that would allow his scarlet-haired teammate to sleep again.

Trying to get his own mind off things as well as to forestall comments from either of the teens who were also worried about Aya's condition, Yohji forced a smile onto sensual lips and asked, "So, Omiitchi, when are we going to get a chance to meet your Xavier, hm?"

Cerulean eyes springing wide nervously, Omi fumbled for words yet was rescued by Ken who agreed with the ploy to keep attention off their sleep-deprived teammate and interrupted with, "Now, Yohji, don't pressure the kid." Smiling fondly at the younger of the blondes as he rapidly pulled together servings of all the dishes for Aya to have in the hopes that hot food might help him feel better, he added, "His new koibito might not be ready for their relationship to be known publicly."

"'Koibito'?!" Omi blurted out in a shocked voice. He blushed slightly as he explained, "We're just *friends*, Ken-kun, not boyfriends or, or… or lovers!" The way he'd stammered as his denial had come out was far too genuine for it to not be true at some level, however the flush painting his cheeks rosy indicated he didn't find the suggestion the least bit distasteful.

Ken smiled reassuringly and explained, "Of course not, that term can be used for someone you care about a lot, too, you know! And I meant what I said, if he's not ready, then we'll wait. We just want to see you happy."

"You do?" Omi asked, his smile brighter than the sun on the finest of spring mornings.

"Of course we do, bishounen," Yohji said warmly, then he added gently, "but we also want to meet your new friend someday soon. After all, Kenken and I both want to make sure he's good enough for you. Then, if he passes muster, Xavier will be more than welcome here anytime you and he feel like getting together to study or whatever."

Delighted smile faltering only slightly as Omi realized that preventing the former detective from finding out who "Xavier" really was would most likely be impossible if Yohji ever became truly curious. Setting that worry aside for another time, he responded, "Well, Yohji-kun, that sounds really great, but I'll leave it up to him, all right? Apparently he lives with some people who aren't as open-minded as they could be."

"We understand, Omi," Ken interjected as he ladled the miso soup into bowls and topped it with freshly chopped spring onions. With a hesitant smile as he placed a steaming bowl in front of Aya who gave him a curt nod of thanks for the kindness, he said with finality, "Let's not worry the topic to death, though, guys. Why don't we enjoy some breakfast now?"

"Sounds good to me, Kenken!" Yohji added giving his lover an encouraging smile as he placed the plates he'd added assorted pickled vegetables to onto the table. With a sad gaze at Aya who was clearly miserable despite the tasty soup, he asked, "Um, Aya? Can I get you something?"

Exhaustion filled violet eyes rose and there was a faint, indecipherable emotion behind the iced-amethyst gaze as Aya responded, "No. What I need, you can't provide." What he truly wanted to say was that he needed a time and a place to eliminate the cancer that was Glocksten and Charon both, yet somehow it came across rather differently.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Yohji answered, not willing to step into the morass of questions that single glance had brought to mind.

Breaking the tension with the traditional happy declaration that it was time to eat, Omi changed the subject of conversation back to the date he was looking forward to that afternoon. The others followed his lead and before long the foursome was enjoying a pleasant meal together and not worrying over either unpunished crimes or unresolved needs.

*****

Friday morning a little bit later. The flower shop's kitchen.

*****

After Omi carefully packed the silk shirt he planned to change into after classes were dismissed into his backpack and left for school shortly after breakfast ended, Ken brought fresh mugs of coffee for all three of those left behind.

As he resumed his seat at the table, Ken said thoughtfully, "It's really great to see Omi starting to have something like a normal life finally. I was beginning to think the poor kid was going to never get a 'special friend' like Xavier."

Startled to realize he'd been reflecting on the fact that he himself hadn't had a similar relationship in far too long, Aya spoke up unexpectedly and stated flatly, "I won't bother to repeat what I said about the mission coming first. But frankly, I doubt Manx is going to be glad to hear about this." Taking a sip of coffee and missing the astounded looks on his teammate's faces, he shook his head slightly and said nothing more.

"That's her problem!" Yohji rushed to interject while continuing to be puzzled by the swordsman's earlier behavior and now his words. After sharing a glance with his equally baffled lover, he added as if it was a foregone conclusion, "I say if the two kids are happy together, we see about running interference for them. Between us, we should be able to keep Manx, Persia, or anyone else who has doesn't like it out of their hair. What do you think, Kenken?" He gestured with his head towards Aya and it was clear that he was asking two questions at once with his words.

Frowning and shaking his head in a silent negative since he was as lost as Yohji was, Ken replied, "I'm all for it, Yohji." Seeing Aya's eyes slipping shut yet not as if he was sleepy but more as if he was somehow experiencing a pain that he couldn't cope with, his chocolate gaze filled with worry of its own which he saw reflected in emerald. Sensing they were skating on thin ice to spend so much time focused on the violet-eyed mystery, he brought the subject back to the teenagers and added, "And that goes for Xavier's roommates or family or whoever the hell he lives with, too! Shit, if they're not 'open-minded' enough to welcome a great kid like Omi into their midst, then I say we see to it that the kids' secret stays safe all the way around."

"That works for me," Yohji agreed wholeheartedly. He then forced them both to set aside their concerns for Aya and refocus on their mundane reality by saying, "Well, Aya, we're going to go get ready to open the shop in a couple of hours. Were you just going to hang around here for awhile or did you need to borrow my car again?"

"Huh?" Aya opened his eyes and blinked dazedly at the older assassin for a moment too long. He then firmed his lips into their usual scowl of indifference and stated, "I intend to go through the newspaper and see if that gives me any inspiration for setting up an assassination attempt on those bastards."

Being reminded of Charon brought Yohji crashing back to earth and with a hunter's gaze he replied, "Good! I can't wait to put that cop-killer out of everyone's misery!" Taking a huge risk, he placed a hand on Aya's shoulder and stated sincerely, "If you need to spend the day working on that, Aya, do it. Ken and I can handle the shop on our own if it means we can get out there and bring them down sooner."

Ken nodded his agreement and remained silent as Aya tolerated the warmth longer than one might expect and then shrugged it off as he rose to begin clearing away dishes to make room for the morning edition of one of Tokyo's leading newspapers. With a sigh he thought they wouldn't hear, he then refused, saying as emotionlessly as he could manage, "That won't be necessary. I'll need to clear my head by this afternoon anyway and making a few floral arrangements usually helps me think." Abyssinian gave his teammates a dismissive glance and then returned to his customary silence.

With a huff of breath that wordlessly said he was frustrated by the situation and yet had no better answers to offer at the moment, Ken reached for Yohji's arm, tugging it lightly then releasing it as he said, "C'mon, Yohji. Let's go get ready for work."

"Sure, babe," Yohji answered quietly and didn't even bother with their usual morning banter about showering together since they mostly needed a chance to compare notes regarding their confusing friend.

Yohji and Ken left the room together each silently hoping that the other had a better idea for how to bring Aya the comfort he obviously needed than he himself had. Neither had ever gained a sufficient understanding of what made Fujimiya Aya do the things he did or how his tortured soul might find solace, but they both knew the time had come to change that.

Alone in the kitchen, Aya allowed his façade to fall away for a brief moment and placed both hands on the back of a chair, clinging to it for strength as he took a series of deep breaths and desperately tried to clear his weary mind. The discussion about protecting the two young men whose relationship was apparently evolving nicely had brought up memories and thoughts he'd sequestered since a year before the horrible day that he had lost so much and had left his sister in a coma.

Unfortunately, Aya decided to try to force his previously frozen heart back into its quiescent state by picking up the paper and focusing on it instead of coping with the mental image of the handsome upperclassman who had ushered him into sexual awareness before his untimely death. [2] Most of the front page was taken up by the latest political scandal that was undermining the position of the prime minister and with an exasperated snort, he turned to the second page and found something he'd dreaded seeing since Monday night's mission briefing.

At the top of a column was the photograph of a heartbroken middle school student who was holding a portrait of two younger children whose identical smiles radiated the youthful joy the beautiful twin sixth-graders had always expressed. Within the body of the article, Aya found the details of a kidnapping which matched the method of operation of Glocksten's slavery/prostitution ring to the letter and which had left a grieving elder sibling suddenly an only child for all intents and purposes.

"Goddamn it!" Aya cursed loudly unaware that the newspaper was being crushed in his grip. With a snarl like that of some mythical beast set upon destruction, all exhaustion was banished and he rose fluidly as he stated, "Glocksten, you bastard! You've caused pain for the last time! Weiss *will* track you down and kill you! I will see to that personally!!"

With a swirl of scarlet hair flashing in the morning sunshine like spun flames, Abyssinian stalked from the kitchen intending to descend into the basement and spend some time sharpening his katana in preparation for the opportunity to make good on that impassioned vow. He'd left behind the newspaper whose photo would surely grab the attention of a certain volunteer soccer coach and it was fairly obvious that Siberian would be as eager for the confrontation as he was after seeing it.

Later, Balinese would find himself in the atypical position of the voice of reason and with some coaxing for both lover and leader, he'd see to it that it was business as usual in the Koneko no Sumu Ie a few hours later.

There wasn't any doubt that Bombay would be put to work on the case after his date with Nagi but for the moment, Omi was blissfully unaware of the kidnapping of two girls whose older brother's plight had reminded Aya of his own sorrow far too well.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The traditional Japanese breakfast referenced here is based on a wonderful photo essay of a sort on the matter in "Dorling Kindersley Travel Guide to Japan" © 2000.

[2] The unnamed boy mentioned in passing regarding Ran's past sexual experience is of my own invention. At a later point, possibly in a sequel to this piece, more will be revealed about the foredoomed bishounen who had once brought a true and open smile to our scarlet-haired swordsman's lips. Also, just a point of reference for the Weiss aficionados amongst us, I am disregarding the drama CDs since they were not part of the original series, therefore Aya's time with Crashers is irrelevant.