[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

---

DISCLAIMER: Kyoko Tsuchiya and Project Weiß hold the copyright over all names, likeness and rights of Weiß kreuz. All these characters and materials are used without permission, and I'm not profiting from this piece of fan fiction.

---

The only thing Youji felt thankful for with the whole SS debacle was that it did not allow him any time to brood over his 'troubles' with Aya. As it was, the proceedings surrounding Aya-chan's abduction had escalated with the arrival of the SS elders and Weiß were far too busy for Youji to spare much thought over how he messed up the relationship.

Now that the SS were neutralised and Aya-chan awake and well, Weiß finally had the time to regroup and recuperate from the mission and the stress that they had been put through. However, as for Kritiker's assignment of their mountain cottage as a safe house for them to rest... Youji swore that it was the most lame-brained location Kritiker could have thought of, given the condition Weiß had turned up in after the clash with Schwartz and the SS. Hurt, cold, wet through from the dunking in the sea, and Kritiker sent them to a safe house that had no heating, in the middle of ice and snow. Aya had succumbed to catch a cold almost immediately. It didn't surprise any of them to see that the stress and worry, their redhead friend had been immersed in over the past several months, had finally taken their toll.

Youji was angry, frustrated and tired. A sentiment no doubt shared by both Ken and Omi. They had been lucky not to be in the same state. Having noticed how 'grey' Aya was looking on their first night there, they had piled their comforters over him to try and keep him warm while they made do with their thin blankets. At some time during the night, Aya had given them back their comforters and sneaked out of the bedroom. They had awakened the next morning from their exhausted sleep to find Aya collapsed against the cold stone of the fireplace, with a box of unlit matches lying beside his hand.

"Stubborn prick!" From the corner of his eye, Youji could see Ken wince as he slammed a few cans of chicken noodle soup into the supermarket trolley. He wasn't particularly concerned that someone else was witnessing his frustration. "You know, he *could* have woken up any of us to start that god-damned fire."

"Except-- we didn't have any kindling to start a fire with, remember? The fever must have made Aya forget." Ken quietly reminded him as he picked out a few cans of pasta sauce and stewed tomatoes from the shelves. "No one checked to see that the place was stocked up for us to use."

"What the hell did Kri--?"

"Youji!" Ken hissed at him urgently. "People are staring at us. Come on. Lets just finish picking up what we need and get back. Omi will make sure Aya stays in bed."

"And do you know how fucking cold--"

"Youji, do you love Aya?"

The unexpected question slammed the older man back on his heels. "Huh?"

"You-- don't have to be ashamed of it with us you know." Ken pretended to study the list of ingredients on a box of spaghetti. "Omi and I are okay about it."

"What?"

Ken cheerfully pushed the shopping cart down the aisle and turned to give him a cheeky grin. "The schoolgirls will be disappointed, but we think it's great if you're both happy together."

"Ken!" Youji launched forward to grab the younger man by his shirt and swing him around.

"Are you going to deny it?" A pair of sincere brown eyes locked with Youji's green orbs.

Youji couldn't work his mouth into voicing a refutation. He rolled his eyes and lowered his friend back on his feet. "I give up. I mean-- it-- I just--"

"Love does that." Ken grinned brightly at him as he straightened his shirt, before tugging on Youji's arm to continue their rounds of the supermarket aisles. "Come on, Youji. Omi and I could see the whole thing happening a mile off. You're not angry with Kritiker because they dumped us in the mountain safe house after what we went through. You're mad because Aya's got pneumonia from staying there after all the stress he's been under."

"Well-- You're mad too--"

"But we're not taking it personally. And neither is Aya. He looks at it as an unfortunate result." Ken smirked at him. "I didn't know you were that possessive."

Youji let his breath out in a long huff of frustration. "So what do I do about it? Aya-- he 'cut me loose' over a week ago. He firmly believes that I'm straight and that it'll never change."

Ken frowned at him in aghast. "Youji?! With all the practise you've had with girls...?"

The chestnut blonde slapped himself on the forehead as realisation hit him. "Oh-- Yeah, I could be persistent and try to seduce him."

Ken couldn't hold it back any longer. He doubled over with laughter as he clamped a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You're the perfect example, Youji. The brain stops functioning when you get bitten by love."

"Okay. Okay! So I've been stupid." Youji deliberately pulled his support away from Ken, making the younger man almost fall flat on his face before he caught his balance. He felt sheepishly upset with himself over how he handled the whole situation.

Ken snickered to himself as he took control of the trolley to continue their exploration of the aisles. Youji shuffled after him thoughtfully.

"Err-- Ken? Could you lend me a hand to seduce our icy redhead?"

---

When they returned to the safe house, Youji found himself to be far from amused to discover Aya sleeping on an apologetic Omi's lap in the bedroom. To be fair, the house was like an icebox. "It's cold, Youji-kun." The youngest Weiß nodded to him timidly. "All the blankets and comforters weren't helping enough. He was still shivering--"

"Yeah-- sure." Youji continued to glare daggers at him.

"Er-- Do you want to take my place?" Omi started to ease himself out from under the slumbering redhead, drawing a mumble of protest from their friend for the disappearing heat source. Youji quickly stepped around the bed and slid his arms around Aya. Feeling a much warmer presence behind him, Aya relinquished his grip from around Omi's waist and happily leaned back into Youji's embrace. Omi gave Youji a lopsided grin to see the older man's face soften as he cradled their friend in his arms protectively. "I'll go down to help Ken-kun. We'll call you when it's ready."

Youji looked up at him in surprise, wondering how Omi knew what he was planning. "Wha-- How did you--?"

Omi rolled his eyes at Youji in exasperation. "Youji-kun, I'm not unobservant. Besides, why else did you and Ken-kun take so long to buy groceries?" The younger man gave him a mischievous wink as he threw a glance towards the rapidly darkening scenery outside the window. "I hope you were thoughtful enough to get candles. It would be more romantic than our electric light fixtures."

As he watched Omi exit the room, Youji couldn't help but think that he was a very lucky man to have such good friends. Left alone with Aya snuggling in his warmth, Youji felt that peace and contentment he so yearned for surrounding him again. He never wanted to let go.

---

Aya awakened to a comfortable, delicious heat, so very different to his last memory of lying against cold stone. Dimly, he could hear the snap, crackle and pop of a fire and he easily guessed how some of that warmth had come to infuse their cold log cabin hideaway. Drugged out as he was with the cold medicine, there was, however, another source of cosiness his fuzzy mind couldn't as yet identify.

"Aya, are you awake yet?" He recognised Youji's softly spoken words and opened his eyes to look up at the older man who was holding him against his chest. "Yo. Think you feel up to having some warm soup?"

The smell of chicken soup made Aya suddenly aware of how hungry he felt. With Youji helping him to hold the warm mug, Aya managed to master enough strength to sit up and drink the fortifying broth. For a long while after he finished the soup, Aya lay back dozing against the older man, letting his cold numbed senses absorb the state of his surroundings. With night having already fallen, Aya wondered where Ken and Omi were. Youji had them seated on some sheepskin rugs, with a comforter over their body, in front of a fireplace with its red embers and small flickering flames. He briefly wondered why they were using candles rather than the cabin's light fixtures. It did make the living room feel rather nice and cosy-- Aya blinked. Other little details started to make themselves known to him as well.

Youji watched in interest as Aya's eyes fell on the white candles with their little flower bouquets that decorated the mantle piece of the fireplace. He could almost see the little cogs of thought in action as the younger man worked out the significance of the flowers and leaves in the arrangements.

When they were finished with their grocery shopping, Ken and Youji had paid a visit to the library first to borrow some books on the art of the Victorian Tussie-Mussie. Momoe-san had been delighted to have them visit her and was additionally generous in giving them free rein to pick flowers and leaves from her stock. Youji felt like the whole world was playing a grand joke on him, even Momoe-san knew who he was going through all this trouble for. She also wished him luck in his courtship of Aya before they left.

The fruits of that afternoon's labour were now artfully decorating the living area; White candles with little arrangements of lavender, blue and purple violets, tiny white feverfew flowers, and rue leaves sat prettily around the room. Of the many meanings attached to the flowers, Youji trusted that Aya would know that he meant for the arrangements to speak of devotion, tell him 'you occupy my thoughts', profess faithfulness and love, 'you light up my life' and a request for a new beginning. A far cry to the presumptuous arrangement Youji remembered 'Blondie' having asked Aya to make for him about a week ago. Especially with the request that had brought a blush to Aya's cheeks... an orchid for lust.

The redhead shifted in Youji's loose embrace to look up at him.

---

"Well? Aren't they going to say anything to each other?"

"Manx! This is so-- so-- *so* terrible of us." Birman grumbled as they watched the monitor, which now showed Youji and Aya staring each other in the eye.

"Do you really want to turn this off?" The redhead winked at her slyly.

"No." Birman giggled, she couldn't help it. She wanted to see this through. "Knight, I thought you've never interacted with Youji before. How did you know Youji was interested in Aya?"

"Ahh, that dear lady is my fault, actually." Rook clamped a hand on the blonde man's shoulder before he could speak. "Lets just say I had a strong hunch."

"Strong enough that you had us let the kitten get sick?" Knight grumbled as he looked at his partner unsmilingly.

"If I didn't trust you..." Manx looked at them sternly. "It was rotten of us to force Weiß to stay at the cabin after what they've been through, Rook. Aya's sick because of--"

"*Which*," Rook reminded her. "Gives Youji a chance to press his suit--"

A knock on the door stopped any further conversation until the last two members of the little conspiracy hurried into the room. "Well? Did we miss anything? Has Youji-kun made his move yet? Did it work?"

"Nothing's happened yet, Omi." Manx turned away from the monitor to nod towards the last two members of Weiß. "Aya's only just woken up. Nice cosy little scene you guys made for Youji, by the way. And your camera's in an excellent position."

"Yeah, hopefully Youji's not going to be industrious enough to clear the decorations himself or he's going to find it." Ken pulled at his collar nervously.

"Shh, Kudou's moving again."

---

Reaching behind him, Youji brought out a small Tussie-Mussie of weigela, columbine, with honeysuckle and magnolia leaves arranged around a red rose bud, and placed it in the silent redhead's hands. Aya stared at the little bouquet for a long while before he finally spoke. His fingers gently stroked the pink-white petals of the weigela. "Accept a faithful heart." Moving over to the purplish bulb of the columbine, "I cannot give thee up... Honeysuckle for 'Bonds of love'... Magnolia... Perseverance... A red rose bud--"

"Innocent hope." Youji completed his words, bringing Aya's lavender gaze back on him.

"I don't understand..."

"Aya-- I feel something strange and-- and wonderful when I'm with you. It was all I could think of for the last few weeks. It's not the sex. I like-- I like holding you like this... I feel-- possessive when-- well..." Youji nervously stroked a petal of the weigela. "Could you give me a second chance?"

"But--"

"I don't want a woman, Aya, I want you. Have you-- did you ever feel that you wanted me too? Not in a sexual way, but--"

"Yes."

Youji almost missed hearing the softly spoken word. But he did not miss Aya's gesture of placing the Tussie Mussie into the left breast pocket of his pyjamas; right over his heart. Youji remembered reading of the action as a sign of acceptance. "Aya?"

"'Ran'. My-- my real name is 'Ran'." Ran gave him a tiny, shy smile. It was enough of an invitation for Youji to lean closer to claim his lips in a sweet kiss.

---

"Jackpot!" Manx and Birman cheered in satisfaction to see the kiss.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, mission accomplished." Rook reached over to turn off the monitor.

"Awww, can't we--"

"No!" Rook looked at them sternly. "We've already intruded enough--"

"Oh, let them." Knight caught his partner's arm to stay his hand. "All they're doing is cuddling, anyway. Besides, Youji knows that Ran's sick. He should know better than to try and take it any further right now."

"Omi, we had better get back early tomorrow morning and remove that camera." Ken's face was burning at the idea of watching their two friends engaging in sex.

Omi sighed as he gazed at Youji putting chestnuts in a metal scoop over the open fire before serving Ran a cup of, what he and Ken knew was spiced apple cider from a thermos flask. "Ay-- Ran-kun is *so* lucky."

"Will our reputations be destroyed if word got out that Kritiker, Crashers and Weiß are full of romantics?" Knight sighed, not without a little regret for what he knew was a loss of an energetic lover.

"Jealous, Yuushi?" Rook nuzzled the blonde man behind the ear as his arms encircled his waist from behind.

"Nah. Just--"

"Be happy for him."

"Easily. It's about time he got a break." Knight watched the comfortable scene wistfully. "Darn, we are such suckers for romance."

"Are you sure we can't persuade you to hide a camera in the bedroom, Omi?" Manx looked at the youngest member of the conspiracy thoughtfully.

"No!" All four men in the group overrode the women's wishes.

---

"Ran?" Youji whispered in his ear as he cuddled the younger man against him. "Don't look now but-- I just discovered a camera on the mantelpiece. Third arrangement from the left."

Ran refrained from looking up and was silent for a moment before he murmured back, "They set us up, didn't they? I suppose Yuushi and Masato must have roped in Manx, Birman, Omi and Ken to help."

"You're not surprised?"

"It would be so like them to do this. I do know the real story of how you got that black eye, you know?" Ran looked up at him teasingly.

Youji gulped a bit nervously. "And you didn't kill me?"

"I would have, but it looked like Masato got to you first." Ran shrugged. "I didn't even realise he knew about the transmitter until I noticed it missing the next morning. To be fair, I did think your punishment was a bit harsh. After all, you didn't get away with it. I switched it off."

"But I heard--"

Ran's face flushed bright red as his eyes widened at the thought. "You-- heard--?"

"Er-- Yup. Masato used it to called me out for a little 'talk'-- er-- later."

"He-- you--" Ran buried his face against Youji's neck in embarrassment. "You-- heard everything?"

"Er-- well-- I-- er--"

Ran refused to lift his head from where he had it against Youji's chest. Though muffled, his words were still quite clear. "I am going to kill Rook!"

---

Five pairs of eyes glared at Rook.

"I didn't realise he turned it off." The flabbergasted man pulled at his collar nervously. "Er-- 'oops'?"

"Youji-kun listened to you guys having sex?" Omi's cheeks were flaming at the thought.

"Omi, do you think you may have a recording somewhere?"

"Birman!" Ken's hands clamped over his friend's ears. "What kind of ideas do you think you're putting in his head?"

Manx pouted at the embarrassed brunette. "Awww. What harm would it be? Ran already knows."

"No! And if there is a recording, we're burning it!" At that moment, the colour of Ken's face would rival that of an overripe tomato.

Knight couldn't take it anymore. He doubled over with laughter at the antics in the room and at his lover's anxiety. "You had better start running, Masato."

"I am so dead." Rook buried his face in his hands. "How much of a head start do you think I have?"

---

"Yo." Youji's hand reached over to cautiously lift Ran's face and pop a shelled and still warm chestnut past his lips. "Mad with me?"

"I'll think about it." Ran scowled as he chewed the sweet nut.

"It-- doesn't change how I feel, you know?"

Ran blinked thoughtfully. "It-- No. I guess it doesn't." Youji watched in fascination as the amethyst orbs softened into lavender.

"Won't do it again, Ran." Youji's hand came up to feed him another chestnut and gently brush his lips. "Promise."

Ran's expression softened as he looked into Youji's eyes. They settled down again in a warm cuddle, no longer really caring about the camera pointed at them.

"Well... I suppose we could ask Omi for a few screen captures to frame up?" Youji ventured cautiously.

"They owe us that much." Ran looked directly at the camera meaningfully. "But if they try to hide a camera in the bedroom, all bets are off."

"They wouldn't!" Youji flushed red.

"You don't know Manx and Birman very well, do you?" Ran looked up at him teasingly.

"Yaoi freaks?" Youji looked slyly towards the camera.

"And die hard romantics." Ran chuckled as Youji pulled him into a tighter cuddle.

It seemed funny how he didn't feel self conscious about the camera. Sitting before a warm fireplace with his kitten leaning against him as they sipped hot, spiced apple cider and ate chestnuts... Youji just felt almost delirious with contentment.

*This* was the peace and fulfilment he had always yearned for but never found before. He did not want it to ever end. And given this second chance, he was determined not to mess up.

---

Flower vocabulary used in this part -
The arrangements used to decorate the living room of the log cabin
Lavender -devotion, luck, success, happiness, distrust, soothes the trembling passion of the heart, ardent attachment
Blue violets - faithfulness, love, modesty, loyalty
Purple violets - You occupy my thoughts
Feverfew flowers - You light up my life!, good health, warmth, flirt
Rue leaves - beginning anew, grace, repentance, clear vision, virtue, disdain

The Tussie-Mussie Youji gave to Aya
Red rose bud - innocent hope, young and beautiful
Weigela - Accept a faithful heart
Columbine - I cannot give thee up!, resolved to win, gifts or the holy spirit, folly, desertion
Honeysuckle - bonds of love, generous and devoted affection
Magnolia leaves - perseverance, sweetness, beauty