Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Playing the Part ❯ Part Six ( Chapter 6 )

Part Six

"Where'd your rent-a-boy disappear off to?" Nagi turned on the hot water and began rinsing the stack of soapy dishes piled high in the sink. "Got too sick of you? Well that's hardly surprising. If I was him I wou-"

"Yeah well you're not him," Schuldich interrupted, pinching Nagi's cheeks. He knew how much the boy hated that.

Nagi yanked his chin away, glowering. "Fuck off assclown!"

"And he's not a rent-a-boy," Schuldich added, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

Farfarello, who'd been sitting placidly at the kitchen table and peeling the skin off red grapes, looked up with some interest. "His name is Ken," the Irish man offered. "He told me. He likes to iron. He told me that too."

"We know, we know," Nagi grumbled, nosily stuffing a dripping glass into the crowded dish rack to dry. "The way you keep going on about him, it's like he's your pretend boyfriend."

Farfarello blinked but his interest in the conversation had vanished. He pushed his finger into a particularly large grape and mushed it about.

Schuldich was amused, both by Nagi's childish display of jealousy and Farfarello's visible disinterest. "Are we jealous, Nagi-kid?"

"Don't call me that." Nagi scowled petulantly. "I'm not jealous and besides it's not like you're one to talk. You're so jealous of that Emilia model girl you came up with this whole dumb scheme with Ken!"

Farfarello looked up. "Yelling can break plates. It happens on cartoons."

"And clearly we're not in a cartoon." Schuldich sat down across from Farfarello and took a drink of juice. "Bard's a fool. He needs to realize that other people's opinion don't mean shit. He should do what he wants, not what's expected of him. Who gives a shit? He's rich, he can sue."

Nagi snorted. "You know that Brad hates when you call him 'Bard'."

Schuldich shrugged, unconcerned. "I like to think about how humourous a bard-Brad would be. Quoting it up with the old 'how I love thee let me count the ways' outside my balcony window with a lute...how much more amusing can you get?"

Nagi had to snicker. "Yeah keep dreaming. If you're lucky Brad'll send you an e-mail...poetry not included." He rinsed off the last plate and turned off the tap. "I already told you what I think of this stupid charade. You know how stubborn Brad is. It'll take a damn near miracle for him-"

"I saw a miracle," Farfarello interrupted, licking grape juice from his colorless fingers. "It was on TV. A lady saw Buddha in a loaf of cheese. It was a big loaf."

Nagi sat down beside his boyfriend and hugged his arm. "Loaf of bread," he corrected, sneaking a grape.

"No I don't want that," Farfarello said politely. "Breads have holes in them. I don't like my food holey."

Schuldich rolled his eyes. "Hardly anyone does."

"So where is Ken?" Nagi asked. "I thought you wanted him to stay here."

"That was the plan," Schuldich answered. "I don't know what exactly what happened. We went to the mall, split up and then he left a message on my cell saying that he needed to go back to his apartment because something came up. He said he didn't want me stopping by."

Nagi's eyes were wide. "Sounds mysterious. Maybe he's in trouble or maybe he changed his mind!"

"Maybe he doesn't like you," Farfarello put in. "Maybe he wanted to go home and iron."

"Yeah that's it," Schuldich said dryly.

Nagi patted Farfarello's arm. "It's probably for the best. I can't see Brad being jealous of Ken. He seemed nice enough but not your type at all."

"What do you know about my type?" Schuldich finished his juice and shoved the glass onto the table with a sharp thud. "I'm telling you, Ken's perfect. He's gonna be-"

The phone rang.

"Phooooooone," Farfarello chanted and threw a grape at the fridge.

Nagi shook his head as he headed towards the phone in the living room. "That's probably-"

Schuldich grabbed Nagi's arm. "It's Bard," he told the boy confidently. "Tell him I'm gone out with Ken. Make it theatrical."

"Aw come on-"

"Do you want me to get into your thoughts and talk for you?"

"Four is two twice and that's the truth," Farfarello mumbled around a mouthful of red grapes.

Nagi stuck his lower lip out and pouted. "Fine but you own me. And stay outta my mind. You know how much I hate that!"

"Whatever." Schuldich pushed the boy towards the phone. "Just answer and make it good!"

Nagi glared daggers at him but obediently picked up the phone.

Schuldich flopped down onto the sofa and picked up a magazine. He began to leisurely flip through it, giving off the air of casual indifference. The inclination to jump into Nagi's mind was overwhelming but Schuldich forcibly quelled the urge. While most people remained oblivious when he chose to poke around in their mind, Nagi did not. His mind was extremely sharp and the kid recognized his presence instantly, even he when was utterly silent and cloaked.

The phone was a cordless and Nagi, still glaring at him, moved off by the window to talk to Brad. Farfarello wandered into the living room a couple of seconds later and sat down beside Schuldich.

"I ate all the grape except some," the Irish man intoned. He yanked his sketchbook off the glass coffee table and began doodling with his finger on a blank page.

"Yeah good one," Schuldich said distractedly, his eyes glued to Nagi. He tried to read the look on the boy's face and failed.

"My next painting will be made from crumpled envelopes, copper plastic and fishhooks."

Schuldich tore his gaze from Nagi. "What the hell's copper plastic?"

Farfarello gave him a look that suggested he was visibly insane. "It's plastic made out of copper," he told him in a highly condescending tone. "I'm going to make Ken."

Schuldich grinned and shook his head. "You like Ken don't you?"

"He's a good boyfriend for you," Farfarello said in what was a rare bout of lucidity. "He irons."

"I'm aware of that."

"I never thought I'd say this," Nagi declared, sticking the phone back into its cradle. He flopped down on Schuldich's other side. "But I think your stupid scheme might actually be working!"

Schuldich smirked. "Now tell me what I don't know."

"Brad didn't even ask how I was or start badgering me with a hundred questions about the apartment and school like he usually does," Nagi reported. "He didn't even say hello! All he did was demand where you were. He was even using his super-pissed voice!"

"Dear ol' Bard's jealous," Schuldich proclaimed with great satisfaction. He leaned back against the pliable leather and looked smug.

"Jelloooooo," Farfarello chimed in. "I will make a sculpture of Jello. It will be of Godzilla fighting Mothra."

They both ignored him.

"I told him you were out with some guy you just met at the 'Electropolis' and then there was this silence before he started grilling me. What did the guy look like, where did you meet him, where did you guys go, what was his name and blah blah." Nagi laughed. "It was kind of funny actually. He sounded like mom or something. But I guess you covered your bases because he'd already heard about Ken. Reiko's been gushing like anything about how cute you and Ken were and I guess some of his associates here saw you with Ken and remarked that you looked happy and that they knew you were gay. Brad was practically seething but you know how he is. The more pissed off he is, the colder his voice gets. He sounded like he wanted to murder you!"

"I murdered once." Farfarello nodded, lest they doubted. "It was with a rusty toothpick."

"I knew this would work," Schuldich gloated, propping up his feet onto the coffee table. "Bard's possessive. It's okay for him to date it up in the name of his work but the other way around isn't so sweet. He thinks he's got everything figured out and then I do this. He must be fuming. You know how he has to have every situation under his control."

"Yeah that's true," Nagi agreed. "But jealousy's still a long way from affection. I wouldn't get too excited though. It's Brad we're talking about. He's like emotionally stunted or something."

"Well I'll take jealousy and pissed off over indifference and apathy any day." Schuldich shrugged. "I've still got a week before he comes back. I'll make this work."

Farfarello frowned down at his sketchbook. "This book doesn't work."

~*~*~*~*~

Ken picked up the phone and pressed exactly four numbers with his shaking index finger before slamming the phone down. His heart was racing and he felt like ten kinds of a shitty fool. Glancing at his bedside alarm clock, he saw that he had been sitting in his room for the past twelve minutes, working up the courage to phone Ran back.

"I'm such a lame-ass," he grumbled, raking a hand through his hair agitatedly.

The phone rang.

"Aahhh!"

Clearly startled, Ken jumped to his feet, dropped the phone, picked it up and fumbled with the receiver. He managed to retain his grasp on the phone and without thought blurted into the receiver, "Ran?"

"Ken?"

Ken managed not to gasp out loud like a moron. The unexpected familiarity of the voice on the line made him to feel slightly lightheaded. He plopped back down onto his bed. "Yohji?"

Yohji's voice was cool. "Expecting someone else were you?"

For a few moments Ken sat there in silence, utterly stunned. His fingers tightened around the phone and when he found his voice, it was equally as cool. "Tell me you aren't sitting there trying to pass judgment onto me."

Yohji had the grace to sound faintly contrite. "Ken I-"

"Because it's a bit too late for that old shit, wouldn't you agree?"

There was a silence. Ken was frowning fiercely, getting more annoyed off as the seconds passed.

"So you've gone back to Ran then?"

Brown eyes widened and he was simply unable to believe Yohji's gall. What a fucking assclown the guy was! Yohji had no right to pry into his business, not after what he'd done! "How the hell is that any of your business?"

"Ken I'm sorry," Yohji said quietly. "Everything that happened was unexpected. I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me when I say that. I know your past, I know about-"

"Shut up," Ken whispered. His heart was pounding very fast and anger was quickly rising to the surface. "Just shut up."

"I would never intentionally hurt you Ken. You know Ran's a total asshole," Yohji continued doggedly. "Don't go back to him. The things he did...Ken you deserve so-"

"Oh fuck you!" Ken exploded, seething. He couldn't remember the last time he was so pissed off. "This is fucking rich, coming from you! Who the hell do you think you are? You gave up any and all rights to give me advice when you decided to suck face with that little kid!"

"That was a mistake. It never meant to happen and I'm so sorry that-"

"That I found out?"

"It happened without any warning," Yohji answered, his voice still soft. "I was going to tell you as soon as I figured things out. After everything we've been through, everything I know about you, I could never hurt you, not intentionally."

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Ken had to ask. "What were you going to tell me when you figured everything out?"

Yohji hesitated but didn't lie. "I was going to break if off, Ken. I'm sorry but Omi needs me. He's completely alone and I can't let him down. What happened between us, it's intense. I don't know how else to describe it. He's what I've been looking for. I thought I had it in you but it wasn't there. I'm sorry Ken. You don't need me, you never really did. You're too strong to let this drown you."

Ken clenched his eyes shut for a moment. The anger drained away, leaving him with an empty ache inside. "You mean I can handle being dumped. It's happened enough times already right?"

"Ken..."

"I don't need you to sugarcoat the truth for me Yohji." Ken was suddenly tired. He sighed. "At least you were honest with me. It's done now."

"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Ken. I won't ever forget you. If I could come by to see-"

Ken had to force the words out before he made a blubbering fool of himself. "Good-bye Yohji."

With trembling fingers, he put the phone down. It was a long time before he moved.