Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Playing the Part ❯ Part Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Part Seven

It was the sound his stomach growling that finally roused Ken from his slump. He saw that it was exactly six o'clock and sighed. The day had gone by so quickly with Schuldich and now it seemed that it would never end. He trudged into the kitchen and automatically set about making something to eat for dinner. He tried not to think about his conversation with Yohji, but naturally that was next to impossible.

He'd been dumped yet again...time number three. How fucking depressing. Something had to be wrong with him, something he didn't know about. Kase had only used him to further himself in both school and on the soccer team, Ran had found him too childish and clingy and didn't want to commit any further, and Yohji had found someone else. Maybe he was incapable of being loved. He was too plain, too lame, too 'boy-next-door'.

Ken ate his food mechanically and told himself repeatedly that he didn't care. Lots of people lived alone and they got on great. What the hell did he need all this relationship shit for? He wasn't going to grieve, he was strong. He didn't need anyone, he would be fine on his own. And like Yohji said, it wasn't like this was anything new to him.

It didn't really make him feel better, all these assertive resolutions but he kept the illusion up all the same. He finished eating, cleaned up the kitchen and went to fetch the phone. Surely what Ran had to say couldn't make things any worse could he? And in the end, what the hell did it matter? He was nothing more than a loser anyways.

Ken dialed without hesitation and held his breath as the phone rang.

Ran answered on the fourth ring.

He flopped down onto the sofa, his heart was racing. It annoyed him. He spoke curtly. "It's Ken."

"Ken." Ran's voice softened a notch. "Hi."

"What do you want?"

Ran was clearly startled by his abrupt tone. "I just wanted..." he cleared his throat. "Do you remember Aya?"

Ken blinked at the mention of Ran's little sister. "Yeah, of course. How is she?"

"She's not-"

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

"Aw fuck."

"Excuse me?"

Ken coughed slightly. He hadn't realized that he'd cursed out loud. "Not you. Sorry, I didn't...uh there's someone at the door. Just hold on." He put the phone down on the table and darted across the living room to answer the door.

"I need laundry detergent," the attractive, leggy brunette announced, sweeping past him. She left a cloud of Boysenberry perfume in her wake.

Ken closed the door behind Birman, feeling equal parts relief and annoyance. Birman, who was his oldest and probably best friend, lived across the hall from him. They'd known each other since grade school and she was like an older sister to him. She was a shrewd, wry, pessimistic cynic who loathed men, society, old people and herself, in that order. As far as Ken knew, the only person she genuinely liked was him. Because her own life was, as she so eloquently liked to put it, 'a shitfest and a half', she made it her duty to meddle in all aspects of his life. It was exasperating though strangely touching.

"I fucking hate laundry," Birman continued. "It pisses me off. Why the fuck do-"

"Keep it down," Ken ordered, annoyed. He picked up the phone and put his hand over the receiver. "I'm on the phone."

Birman frowned as she assessed him. "With who?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. "It's someone important, I can tell."

"It's Ran," he hissed. "Now go!"

"Ran? What the fuck does that bastard want?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out!"

Birman rolled her eyes. "Quit spazzing, I'm leaving. Just don't agree to anything stupid. You know what a fucker that guy is." She gave him her infamous 'obey-me-now-I'm-never-wrong' stare before heading into the kitchen to eavesdrop.

"Sorry," he told Ran, sitting back down. "That was just Birman."

"I see."

There was an awkward pause.

"I'm calling for Aya," Ran said finally. "A couple of nights ago she was in an accident. She was crossing the street at night and a drunk driver hit her."

Ken swallowed. He and Aya had got along well. She was a great kid. "Will-will she be okay?"

"Eventually. She's broken a few bones and suffered head wounds so it'll take a while before she's completely healed." Ran hesitated and sounded as though he was forcing his words out. "I wonder if you'd come to the hospital to visit her."

Ken was stunned at the request. "You want me to come see her?"

"She would like that," Ran replied coldly, emphasizing the first word.

Immediately, Ken's cheeks burned with humiliation. Why did he always have to speak without thinking? "I'd like that too," he managed in a steady tone. "What hospital is she staying in?"

Ran gave him the appropriate information. "I appreciate this Ken," he said afterwards in a faintly raspy voice.

"Yeah okay," Ken muttered and hung up.

He so didn't need this right now! Naturally he was worried about Aya, he liked her a lot and he wanted to see her but that would mean playing up the old charade again and answering questions he didn't want to answer. At Ran's insistence, they'd kept their relationship a secret. The two of them had been assigned roommates in first year university and had ended up in a relationship which had spanned about a year. Ran had decided to 'protect' his little sister by keeping her from the fact that he was more queer than a bipolar Mongolian taxidermist. After their breakup Aya had called Ken constantly, wondering why he had moved into an apartment and why he didn't hang out with Ran anymore. He'd lied a lot and since he'd had taken the next year off from university to work, he had used that as an excuse. In that manner, he hadn't seen or heard from either Aya and Ran in better than a year.

In all honesty, Ran was the last person he wanted to see right now.

Sighing loudly and cursing fate, Ken slogged into the kitchen.

Birman was leaning against the fridge looking lithe and impossibly attractive as she sipped a cup of steaming coffee. "Well? What the hell did Ice Queen want?"

Ken sank down at the kitchen table. "Aya was in an accident and he wants me to stop by to see her."

Birman snorted. "He'd do anything for that little twerp. No wonder he had commitment problems, he's practically married to his fucking sister."

"That's sick! He just really cares for her. Ever since their parents died, he had-"

"Oh don't start up with that old sob story," Birman interrupted, looking disgusted. "So he looked after her, big fucking deal. That doesn't give him the right to treat you like shit. I haven't forgotten what he did to you."

"Well I haven't forgotten either," Ken said testily. "But I'm not going to let all that stand in the way. Aya needs me. She was in a friggin' accident!"

"Yeah well cry me a goddamn river."

"What did she ever do to you?"

"I can't stand teenyboppers like her," Birman informed him, sipping her coffee. "She was obnoxiously cute, way too fucking perky and her high-pitched, giggly voice made me wanna gauge my eyes out."

"She wasn't that bad," Ken contradicted. "You just hate everyone!"

"People are fucktards and the sooner you realize everyone sucks, the happier you'll be."

Ken rolled his eyes. "Like you?"

"Exactly. I own all." She grinned. "You're lucky you've got someone as brilliant and all-knowing like me in your life, otherwise you'd be in deep shit." She came and sat down across from him. "And speaking of deep shit, Yohji's gonna be ass-pissed when he finds out you're gonna go meet up with Ran. You know how much he hates that guy. Not that I can blame him, your Ex was a dickweed of the high-"

"Yohji dumped me." It sounded even more pathetic out loud than it did in his mind.

Birman narrowed her eyes and looked furious. "Explain."

He did, starting with following Yohji to the 'Electropolis' and ending with leaving Schuldich at the mall. To her credit, Birman didn't interrupt him once. She kept quiet, though he could see that it was with great effort, and sat there scowling as he talked. He'd barely finished talking when she smacked him upside the head. Hard.

"OWWW!" Ken rubbed at his head and glared at her. "What did-"

"Are you fucking retarded?" She spat the words at him in an irate growl, her eyes flashing. "What the hell is wrong with you? You don't even know this German guy, don't know shit-all about him and still you decided to go traipsing back to his apartment and stay the night? What the fuck happened to your common sense? How goddamn stupid are you? You could be fucking dead right now! I can't believe you agreed to his stupid scheme! He could be some kind of murderer for all we know!"

Ken stared at Birman, speechless for the moment. If the truth be told, he hadn't about thought of the dangers Schuldich might have possessed. He'd been depressed over seeing proof of Yohji's infidelities and relieved to get away from the gang of tough guys that had threatened him in the alleyway, that he hadn't really taken Schuldich's motives into account. The German had saved him afterall...and beyond that he could read minds. That in itself had been amazement enough for Ken. He cleared his throat. "I guess I never thought about all that," he said slowly, inwardly wincing at how lame he sounded. "I mean he saved me and then he could read my mind and he took-"

"The guy claims to have fucking powers and you're not at all worried?"

"Well he knew all kinds of shit," Ken defended himself halfheartedly. "He knew about Ran and Kase and soccer and my-"

"Oh who the hell cares what he knows!" Birman exploded, thumping down her mug violently. Coffee splashed onto the table. "The point is that you're a fucktard! How can you just go off with some psycho who-"

"First of all, I'm an adult," Ken informed her testily. He hated when Birman gave him lectures and acted like he was some stupid kid who couldn't manage to tie his shoes without her lofty assistance. She was only three years older than him for frig's sake! "I can handle myself. And second of all, I just saw Yohji kissing someone else. What else would you expect? I wasn't thinking rationally so stop yelling at me. I don't appreciate it."

Birman softened and patted his hand. "I worry about you Ken, you know that. You're the only person in this social shitfest I gave a crap about." Her eyes narrowed suddenly and she seethed, her calm mood evaporation as quickly as it had come. "As for Yohji, he's gonna wish he was born without a dick by the time I'm through with him! And that goes double for this German punk. I'll bust his nuts if he hurts you!"

"He can read minds," Ken reminded her. He had to grin. It was hard to stay annoyed with Birman for too long, especially when she told him things like he was the only one she gave a damn about. Her protectiveness towards him was rather flattering actually, though he saw no reason to feed her ago and let her know it.

"Then he'll know exactly what kind of trouble he's gonna be in!" She folded her arms across her breasts and scowled. "Next time you see him, I'm coming too."

"Oh no you're not," Ken cried. He could only imagine the scene she'd cause. Birman was all about scenes. She loved embarrassing others. "I already told you, I can handle myself. You're not my friggin' mom."

"And you're not capable of ass-kicking," Birman accused. "You're way too nice. You're a pussy. But I'm not. I'm a hard-hitting bitch. I'll let your telepathic buddy know who he's dealing with."

"Why don't you go take a hike?" Ken suggested brashly. "Seriously, go home. I'm not a kid, okay? I don't need you."

But Birman was Birman and that meant being stubborn as shit. She never did anything just because someone told her to and she wasn't about to start now. Ken knew that but he figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. She gave him a dirty look.

"You could be more appreciative you know," she snapped. "There are people who pay to have tough-ass bodyguards like me."

"You're meddling," he corrected. "And I don't need it." He got up, fetched the box of laundry detergent he kept under the sink and thrust it at her. "Knock yourself out. You know how important laundry is so get to it. I have stuff to do."

She took the detergent and gave him a deeply suspicious look. "You're going to the hospital aren't you?"

"So what? Frig, why're you making it sound so accusatory? I told Ran I'd go and I will!"

"I'm coming with you."

"Oh hell!" Ken exploded. "What is wrong wit-"

"The last thing I want is for you to come home and say to me," Here she developed a high-pitched falsetto that sounded nothing like him. "Me and Ran hooked up again! I know you Ken, you're soft."

"Gimme some damn credit will you?" He rolled his eyes. "Like I'm stupid. After the shitty way he treated me, yeah I don't think so. I'm not that weak."

Birman didn't look convinced. "You really loved him at one point and that's why I'm coming with you. I don't trust you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Ken sighed very loudly. Why did he even bother? Birman was like a friggin' brick wall. "Fine," he spat grouchily. "But you better stay out of the way and if you embarrass me or are rude to Aya than I'm not ever gonna talk to you again!"

She smiled sweetly. "You're the boss."

If only that was true.

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Author's Note

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Hey peoples. Just me with a quick note. I think that I pretty much butchered Birman's character but it was done conscientiously. I know that in the comic she's way more feisty than in the series but I don't think she was quite as hard as I made her. I also forgot what her real name was but oh well. I could have used Manx but her hair annoys me and none of the Schrient chicks seemed right so I stuck with Birman 'cause she's hot and cool. Whatever, she's not the main character so gives a crap.