Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Roses ❯ Part 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Ok, now we get to meet Aya's-not-in-a-coma-completely-AU-sister. To make things less confusing for me, I've even changed her name. Sorry if you're attached to Aya-chan, `cause she won't be making any appearance at all.

Thank you, Jehanna (like the name) for your review! I completely agree with the hetero-sucks opinion. Truthfully, I never bother to read anything that isn't yaoi. Kind of hypocritical coming from the author of this lovely story, huh? I can write it, I just can't read it. Persephone, this extra long chapter is for you. I combined two that I probably would have normally separated. You're right about them being too short. And I hope your giggly feelings last a bit longer this time. Sorry it took longer to get this one up though.

^^^

The coffee shop a few blocks from the bookstore wasn't very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, and Aya picked out the familiar red head easily. Rayne's hair was more auburn than his, and usually pulled back in a pony-tail, but the violet eyes were the same.

"Hey, little brother, what's got you so worked up that you'd call me at eight in the morning to schedule this little meeting?" Personality-wise, they might as well have been raised on two opposite sides of the world.

"I'm going insane."

"Well, just show me the loose screw and I'll have you fixed up in a jiffy. For the appropriate price of course."

"Lena."

"Yikes, that one's going to cost you extra." His sister had been his one and only confidante for his entire life, and she knew everything about him. Even his job, which was supposed to be absolutely need-to-know information. "What have you done to the poor girl this time?"

The waitress delivered their coffee and he waited for her to get out of earshot before continuing, leaning his elbows on the small table and trying not to sigh like an idiot. "Gave her a birthday present . . . sort of."

"How can you sort of give a girl a birthday present? Out with it!"

There was nothing he could do to keep from sighing, and he hated himself for it. "I did little things for her that would reduce stress and generally make her life more relaxing, but she didn't know it was me. You're going to love this. I left a rose at each location, eleven times over the day. The last rose I wound-loosely-around a kitten's neck and let it find her. She actually squealed and said she loved us all even though she didn't know which one of us had done it."

Rayne looked more than a little impressed. "I never knew you had it in you, Aya. That's incredibly sweet, but why does that mean you're going insane?"

"Not only did I act like the insensitive prick I am and snuff out her buoyant mood after she found the cat-at least for a second anyway-I left a note that said `Happy birthday, koi.' Koi! As in lover!"

"Aw, Aya, the world's not going to stop turning just because you show a little secret affection. So you like her. It's understandable. She's not exactly unattractive, or unavailable. You're only twenty-one, you know. Hormones are still raging and all that great stuff."

"No, Rayne, I don't like her. I'm not infatuated. It isn't hormones. I . . . I'm in love with her."

The girl stared across the table at him, completely shocked. Not that he could blame her. It wasn't exactly typical of him to spew something that mushy. He was a little disgusted with himself and pushed the half-consumed mug of coffee away.

"Wow, you have gone off the deep end. My little brother's finally gone and found himself someone who makes him act like a complete dumbass!" She was enjoying this way too much.

"Rayne, if you don't shut up I may be forced to use desperate measures." Even if he was more than capable of the threat, she didn't pause in her teasing for a second.

"So I thought guys usually got girlfriends puppies. Decided to be a bit original? The dozen roses were a nice touch; red, right? What are you going to give her for Christmas? I have a few suggestions if you'd like to hear them."

"Rayne!!" Not a single person in the shop didn't freeze and shiver with his cold demand. His sister snapped her mouth closed and silently apologized with her eyes. "If you have nothing productive to say, I'm going to leave."

"No, no, I'll help. Come on, let's go walking. These nice people won't be able to enjoy their coffee with you in here now." She stood and whisked him out into the freezing air, pausing outside to zip up her coat before looping her arm through his and guiding him down the sidewalk. His long, black, trench coat flapped behind him, open to the wind, but he ignored it and allowed himself to be dragged.

"So you love her, but can't tell her because . . . ?"

"Because she would never believe me, accept me, or trust me. Plus, after she rejected me, there would be nothing left between us to even keep the fragile camaraderie going that we have now. One of us would have to leave the team."

"That's if she doesn't return your feelings, but what if she does?"

Aya turned to glare at the small woman, obviously dissatisfied with her attempts at helping him.

"No, listen. You may have been a dick to her, but you've never said a direct lie to anyone and she knows it. She'd have to believe you. She already trusts you enough to back her on missions, and that's equivalent to putting her entire existence in your hands. As for acceptance . . . that's a little harder. She accepts you for who you are now-and I think that's part of the allure-but you're going to change in her eyes the second you tell her you love her, so she'll have a whole new portion she'll have to accept.

"Is there any chance that she returns your feelings?"

He was about to answer "no" until he thought about all the things she'd done for him, all of which he'd rubbed in her face. "One in a billion possibility."

"Ah, but there's still that one chance. So you can either go through your shitty life alone and unsatisfied, or you can take a chance, stick your neck out on the cutting block, and tell her how you feel. And if you're as lucky as I know you are, she'll get all misty eyed, kiss you, and you'll be the happiest man alive."

"I could do that. But here's a better idea. You talk to her."

"You're such a wimp."

"No, I'm cautious. You should be thankful of that; otherwise you might be short one brother."

"Hmph."

"I'll take that as agreement."

<#> <#>

Lena had just finished her novel, very satisfied with the course the author had chosen to wrap up the events with, and was about to spend some time playing with Sable, who was just waking from her nap on her stomach, when the doorbell rang. Yohji was in town, Omi was working, Ken was playing soccer with some friends, and Aya was . . . somewhere else.

Sighing, she stood, let her kitten get situated on her shoulder where she could watch the proceedings, and went to answer it. The red-haired girl standing on the front porch, bundled up in a thick jacket with a container held securely against her stomach and grinning with big violet eyes was instantly recognized. "Hey Rayne, come on in. I don't think Aya's here right now-"

"Actually, I wanted to wish you a late Happy Birthday. Aya mentioned it when I met up with him earlier. And that must be Sable. She's a cute little thing. Kinda fuzzy. Here, I bet no one thought to make you a cake, huh? Are you here all alone? Perfect, we can talk. You probably get tired of having all those big, strong, gorgeous guys crowding your space all the time. I hope you didn't have anything else planned."

She'd never been able to figure out how the stoic man and this girl had come from the same woman's womb, but she knew it was true. "No, I didn't have anything else planned . . . exactly." She looked down at the little cake that had been pushed into her arms. "Come into the kitchen. You can help me eat this thing. Otherwise the guys will devour it." A small part of the rapid greeting she'd been given finally registered. Aya had mentioned her to his sister? Had told her it was her birthday?

Plates were set out and they each took a huge slice of the white cake with chocolate icing. Sable was deposited on the table with the little mouse toy Ken had brought home from work before running off to practice to keep her amused.

"So you don't know who gave her to you, huh? What a shame. The way Aya explained it, you've got one hell of an admirer. Do you think it was one of the guys?"

"It has to be, but I checked them all out and none of them are it!" She took a small bite of the dessert and was pleasantly shocked to find that the cake was delicious. "This is great! Did you make it?"

"Yeah, thanks. Aya's always been the better cook though. Odd, since I was the one to teach him in the first place."

"He can cook? Why hasn't he ever offered to make dinner like the rest of us do?" The look Rayne gave her was enough to make her realize what she was saying. "Ask a stupid question . . . ."

"He just likes to keep a low profile. That and he can be an ass occasionally."

If it had been anyone but his sister she was talking to, she would have spat out the rather callous agreement that was on the tip of her tongue.

"So you checked all the guys out? What about Yohji? This kinda thing is right up his alley. Well, maybe a bit more complex than typical, but he seems like the best suspect to me."

"The whole thing started before six-thirty. Yohji wasn't even alive at that hour, let alone running about the house, planting roses. He was also completely sincere in his curiosity when I told him what was happening. None of them even knew it was my birthday in the first place."

"But they could have found out. What about Aya?"

"I don't get it! You of all people should know how completely against his nature a stunt like this would be." Maybe she was missing something, because she was the only of the five people that knew him best to not consider him the culprit.

"Actually, this is just like Aya. Sometimes he does little things to make up for his mood swings. Sometimes he does big things to make up to people he's unjustly offended. Ring any bells?"

Why yes, yes it did. "You're telling me that Aya was the one doing all those wonderful things and leaving me roses and . . . he gave me Sable?!" The kitten looked up at the sound of her name and gave a little meow before returning her attention to the toy.

Rayne shrugged noncommittally. "I'm just saying it sounds like something he might do. You might have ruled him out a bit fast. But don't tell him I'm saying any of this. God knows he'd finally make good his threats and off me if it got out he was an ok guy."

She couldn't believe that it had been Aya. And more importantly, she couldn't believe he'd called her koi in the note. She knew what it meant, but maybe there was another meaning that she was unaware of.

"Just out of curiosity, if you found out it was him, what would you do?"

Lena stared at her for all of five seconds before breaking into a huge grin. Rayne had made a mysterious appearance right after talking to Aya. The house was conveniently empty, which she hadn't been very surprised about. With the skill of a politician, she'd led the conversation exactly to where she wanted it and popped the question. How did she feel about her brother?

"Where is he?"

"Damn, I rushed it, didn't I? He's gonna kill me!" she moaned, ignoring the question.

"Rayne, he won't kill you, but I might if you don't tell me where the hell he's hiding."

"What are you going to do? If you break his heart, which is a lot more vulnerable than he lets on, I'm not going to be the one six feet under. Assassin or not."

"After pounding it into his thick skull that he's an arrogant bastard, I'll very likely smother him in a very undignified way."

"In his room, he snuck in there about the time I got here."

"Watch my cat, will you?"

^^^

TBC

I won't bother with the review comment for this part since I plan on putting up another tonight. Why waste the time thinking up two when I can get away with one? Hm, I think I just gave away my lazy nature.