Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Grey ❯ Chapter 10

Part Ten

"Come in."

Ken pushed Omi's door open and slipped inside. "Good day at school?" he asked.

"Hai. What's up?" Omi gave him a quizzical look. "Is Manx here?"

Ken flopped down on Omi's bed. "No, Yoji and I talked to Aya this morning and he's going to take Aya-chan to Villa White this weekend. So you're safe." He grinned at Omi's surprised face. "It was easy."

"Thanks, Ken-kun. I didn't know what we were going to do if Aya didn't decide to go."

Ken looked at him seriously. "Are you sure about this? I know, you're not a kid anymore, but Nagi still is."

Omi laughed. "Don't let that one fool you. He was never a kid." His laughter faded into a sad smile. "After all we've done, nobody could call us children, Ken. You maybe want to see me that way, but that's not what I am. And that's not what he is."

"I'm just worried about you," Ken said, watching Omi's face.

"I know you are, Ken-kun, but it's okay. I'll be all right." He gave Ken a reassuring look. "I promise."

Ken sighed. "Okay Omi. But I get to meet him, right? When he gets here?" Omi nodded. "All right. Well, I guess I'll let you get back to your homework then." He pushed himself up and made to swing off the bed. Omi realised that this was his opportunity to talk to Ken about some practical matters he needed cleared up.

"Ken-kun?" Omi blurted out.

"Yeah Omi-kun?" Ken paused on the end of the bed.

"Um, there was something I needed to ask you," Omi said, flushing slightly.

"What did you wanna ask?"

"Well you remember what you said last night about if I had any questions…?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I did say that didn't I? Okay, well, um, what do you need to know?" Ken said in a rush, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. He was sure Yoji would LOVE to tell Omi anything he needed to know, but Omi had asked him because he'd offered. Baka, he chided himself. That's what you get for being all protective.

"Well, I sort of know what's supposed to happen but…" Omi wouldn't look at him.

Ken suppressed a sigh and tried to get comfortable on Omi's bed. This was going to be one hell of an evening.

"They're very definitely together."

Schuldich stalked around Nagi's room, glaring at the boy. "For sure? How do you know?" he asked.

"Omi told me. They told him a few nights ago." Nagi watched Schuldich pace, amused. "I think they're sort of discreetly making it public. Anyway they're not denying anything to anyone, and they're pretty obvious."

Schuldich spat out something in German that sounded pretty nasty. Of course, Nagi reflected, everything in German sounds nasty. "Look, Schu, I don't know why this is bothering you so much. So what? He's been gone for over half a year. Get over it. He was just a toy anyway."

Schuldich spun around and glowered at Nagi, who smiled innocently back. "Unless he was more than just a toy." He pretended to frown and consider things, looking back at Schuldich with wide eyes. "Schu, you didn't actually like him, did you?"

"No!" Schuldich retorted. "How could I ever like that… stupid incompetent assassin? The idea is ridiculous," he scoffed. "He was just a good fuck." He caught sight of Nagi's expression and scowled. "Stop mocking me."

"Why can't you just admit it and act like a man?" Nagi asked. "Maybe if you admit it it'll be easier to forget about him. He does hate your guts."

"He said that?" Schuldich asked. When Nagi nodded, he sank onto the bed. "He really said that?"

"Not in so many words. But whatever he told Ken has Siberian out for your blood."

Schuldich waved a hand dismissively. "Siberian can't handle me. I'm too fast and I have a gun."

"I wouldn't push him too far, Schu. He's pretty angry. And he's very protective of people he cares about."

"I can win him back," Schuldich muttered. "Siberian can't be better in bed than I am."

Nagi watched Schuldich curiously. "You really did like him that much, didn't you? Baka. You should have treated him better. He might have stayed with you."

"I'm Schwartz. He's Weiss. No way would he ever have stayed with me." Schuldich's shoulders sagged, and Nagi began to be afraid that Schuldich was going to go to pieces in his room.

"I'm Schwartz and Omi wants to stay with me," he pointed out. "But then I don't treat him like a cheap whore."

"Shut up," Schuldich sneered. "Your precious Bombay who looks like a little girl. What do you do, dress him up and pretend to play house?"

Nagi's eyes iced over. "I think you should go, Schuldich. I have work to do."

Schuldich glanced up and shivered at the look in Nagi's eyes. Scheisse, he thought. I really pissed him off. A pissed off Nagi was not someone he wanted to be around. Nagi might be the youngest member of Schwartz but he could do some scary stuff with that telekinesis of his. Schuldich stood up quickly and went to the door, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob, then went out quietly and closed the door.

Nagi felt the cold fury drain out of him as he heard the redhead walk away. Poor Schu. He could only imagine how he'd feel if Omi left him for someone else.

Nagi shook his head and went back to his geography homework.

Brad put down his paper with an irritated sigh. "Schuldich. What's the matter with you today?"

Schuldich blinked and stared at the piles of shredded tissue he was making on the table, then looked back at Crawford. "Nothing."

Brad watched him with narrowed eyes. Schuldich had been jumpy all day, rarely staying in one place for any significant length of time. He'd been up almost as early as Brad himself, which was unprecedented. Something was very definitely bothering the telepath. "Are you having trouble with your shields?"

"No." Schuldich snapped, shredding another tissue.

Brad frowned, eyeing the mounds of tissue and the tissue dust flying everywhere, settling in a thin film on the dark stain of the dining table.

"Somebody stand you up last night? I didn't hear anyone come home with you."

Schuldich grimaced. After his talk with Nagi he'd gone out and hit every open bar he could find, looking for someone to take his mind off of Yoji. Nobody had appealed to him, and he'd gone walking until nearly dawn, trying to deny to himself that the only person he wanted to be with didn't want him. He'd even searched out Yoji's mind, only to find the blond otherwise occupied with that damned Siberian. Finally he'd come home and spent a miserable few hours trying to sleep before he left the house again, driven by his restlessness to do something, anything.

And now Crawford was getting on his last nerve.

"I didn't find anyone worth fucking," he retorted, then said sweetly, "There's just nobody as sexy as you, Brad." He watched with satisfaction as Crawford's face darkened. That should shut him up.

Sure enough, Crawford picked up his paper again, ignoring Schuldich, which suited the redhead fine. Absently he toyed with the shreds of tissue. Nagi's voice kept replaying in his mind. He does hate your guts. He couldn't block out the memory of Yoji's conviction when he'd said, You're nothing but another target, Schuldich. The voices chased around in his head until he felt like screaming.

How could Crawford sit there calmly reading his paper and drinking his coffee when he was miserable? It wasn't fair. If he had to be miserable everyone else should be too.

"Why, Brad? Did you miss him last night?"

"Miss who?" Crawford asked in a bored voice.

"The boy I would have brought home… were your dreams boring last night?" Schuldich smirked. Crawford didn't take the bait.

"I don't dream." He turned a page in the paper.

"Sure you do. Just because you don't remember them doesn't mean you don't dream."

"And how would you know, Schuldich?" Still in that same indifferent tone that set Schuldich's teeth on edge. He decided to pull out his trump card.

"I can show you what you dream, Brad. I've had some good shows at night from your dreams."

That got his attention.

Brad laid the paper carefully down on the table. His glasses flashed as he stared at Schuldich.

Schuldich shifted in his chair. Damn it, why wouldn't Crawford say anything? He wished the other man would stop staring and just say something that would make it easy for him to yell back.

"Stop it. Stop staring at me!" he shouted. "Say something damn you!"

"It's a bad idea, Schuldich. It won't go your way." With a cold smile Crawford picked up his paper again.

Schuldich stormed out of the room and went back to his bedroom. Stupid cryptic bastard. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He fumed silently, lying on his bed. It was already noon. Nagi would be back in a few hours, and he could enlist his aid. He lay looking up at the ceiling as a vague idea began to blossom in his mind. He wouldn't lose Yoji to Siberian.

Omi sat in class, ignoring the sensei and thoughtfully contemplating the information Ken had given him. After the first few awkward minutes things had been less weird than he'd thought they would be, and he hadn't been afraid to ask Ken the questions he'd had.

It was much as he'd thought anyway. He probably hadn't needed to talk to Ken about it at all, but he'd figured it was better to be sure. Now that he was surer of himself, he couldn't wait for the weekend… and Nagi.

Aya watched the clock impatiently. He was closing today, and there were still two hours left before he could leave to pick up Aya-chan. The shop was always empty this late and there was nothing to do. He glanced at Omi, who was reading a textbook behind the cash register. Almost as if Omi felt his eyes on him, the boy looked up at him.

"I heard you're going to Villa White this weekend," Omi said with a cheerful smile. "I'm sure Aya-chan will love it. Are you leaving tonight?"

"As soon as I close the shop," Aya replied, trying to suppress a smile of his own and failing. He gave up and let a fond smile linger on his lips.

Omi was glad to see that smile. Aya was starting to heal from the scars on his soul; it was happening slowly, but it was happening. Maybe his hatred of Schwartz would die down too… Omi could only hope. He watched Aya's eyes flick to the clock again. "Aya-kun, it'll be an easier drive the earlier you leave. Why don't you go now? I can close. There's only two hours left."

Aya's eyes flicked back to Omi's. For an instant suspicion darted through his mind. They were all so eager for him to leave this weekend. He shook his head, forcibly derailing that train of thought. Omi was just trying to be nice. The boy was always looking out for the rest of Weiss, trying to help out whenever he could, and that's what he was doing now. It would be easier the earlier he left, Aya thought quickly. He nodded at Omi with a smile. "Thanks, Omi. Have a good weekend." He hastened to the back of the shop to hang up his apron and sprinted upstairs to grab his bag and call his sister.

Omi hid a grin. Quite apart from the fact that he couldn't wait for tomorrow night, he was genuinely glad to see that Aya was so much happier today. He had really needed this break. Lately Aya's eyes had been tired and he'd had dark circles around them for the last couple of days. Omi was sure he wasn't sleeping, but he didn't know how to approach Aya and ask what was wrong. Aya didn't talk about himself very often to anyone, and the boy was afraid he would resent it if Omi asked what was wrong. So Omi watched him carefully, but didn't say anything. He hoped this weekend the older man would be able to relax a little more.

"Close your eyes."

Aya obediently did as she was told, smiling a little at Ran's excitement. He'd planned this surprise for her and he wasn't letting anything get in the way, not even the day of school she was missing tomorrow. He'd written a note to the principal with a lie about a wedding or something, so she was free to spend the whole weekend with her brother. She squinted a little, trying to see where they were.

"No peeking!" Ran reprimanded, tossing a glance her way as he pulled off the main road and drove down a dirt road through the trees. "We'll be there in a minute." He laughed as Aya stuck out her tongue at him, her eyes shut. They drove for another minute before pulling up in front of Villa White. "Okay you can open your eyes now."

Aya looked around with delight. "It's beautiful, Ran!" she exclaimed happily, undoing her seatbelt and opening the car door. She stood in the moonlight in front of the house, drinking in the beauty around her. Ran smiled and began to unload the things they'd brought with them. "Can you grab the groceries?" he called out, dropping the bags on the porch so he could unlock the door. He propped the door open to let in some fresh air and took Aya's bags to her room, shaking his head. How Aya could bring four bags for a weekend was beyond him. When he'd asked why she'd brought so much she'd swatted him playfully.

"You won't tell me where we're going so I have to pack for every possibility," she'd said, laughing. "Besides, one bag is shoes." Ran had looked at her in horror. He didn't own enough shoes to fill a closet floor let alone a duffel bag. Aya had smiled sweetly and pointed to the trunk of the car. "Better get packing it's getting late."

Ran glanced around the room he'd picked for Aya, moving to open the windows and air it out a bit. It was a little musty and an hour or so would let fresh air in and drive out the stale air. He'd chosen the room right next to this one for his own, just so he could hear Aya if anything happened. Ran grimaced. Nothing was going to get them out here, but it was better to be prepared just in case. He hadn't forgotten Michiru, but then they'd drawn those guys out here on purpose.

Satisfied, he dropped his own bag in his room and went outside to get the rest of the groceries. Aya was standing at the porch railing, looking up at the sky. "You can see so many stars out here," she said in a hushed tone. "Not like Tokyo at all. They're the only lights around here." She turned and saw Ran getting the bags of groceries. "Oops I forgot! I'll take those." She tried to grab the bags from her brother but he lifted them out of her reach.

"Just go inside and unpack your stuff. We don't have to leave until Sunday morning." He tipped his chin in the direction of the kitchen. "When you're done you can help me put these away and figure out what you want to eat." Aya bounced into the house. "Your room is down this hall, the second door on the left. Mine is next to yours. Your bags are already in there." Ran put the groceries down in front of the fridge in the kitchen, and started pulling items out to put away. He was startled when Aya flew at him, hugging him tightly.

"Arigato, niichan. This is wonderful." Aya kissed Ran quickly on the cheek and darted down the hall to her room, the door banging shut behind her.

"He's gone!" Omi announced triumphantly, the phone wedged between his shoulder and his ear as he sat behind the cash. "I'm just about to close up the Koneko. I'll call you when I'm back upstairs, okay?" At Nagi's affirmative he hung up the phone and hastened to the front door, flipping the sign to `Closed' and pulling down the metal shutters. He swept the shop and made sure everything was tidy before hanging up his apron and tripping lightly up the stairs.

"Tadaima!" he called out as he opened the door to the apartment, kicking off his shoes and entering the living room. Ken and Yoji were sitting on the couch with boxes of Chinese takeout littering the table in front of them.

"Hungry?" Yoji asked, nodding to the boxes. "There's lots left."

Omi nodded gratefully, going to the kitchen for a plate. "I'm starving," he announced, filling his plate and collapsing in an armchair. "Aya-kun's gone," he mumbled around a mouthful. "I told him he could leave early."

Yoji glanced at Ken and caught the amused glint in his eye. "No doubt you were worried about him driving too late," he said, nodding sagaciously. "That was nice of you." Ken laughed as Omi made a face.

"Well, that was part of it," he said defensively. "Have you noticed how tired he's looked lately? I'm a little worried that he hasn't been sleeping properly. That's one of the reasons I wanted him to go this weekend. He looked so happy before he left."

Ken and Yoji exchanged guilty glances. Ken was reasonably sure he knew why Aya might not be sleeping too well of late. He resolved to be quieter next time, and changed the subject. "So when's Nagi coming over?"

Omi smiled happily. "Tomorrow after school. He wanted to come tonight but I can't miss class tomorrow." He hesitated a fraction of a second. "So you guys get to meet him tomorrow night. We're going to watch a movie or something and order food, and he wanted you to hang out with us for a bit."

"We don't want to be a third wheel," Yoji said quickly. "We can stay out of your way."

Omi's cheeks got a little pink. "No, he wanted you to stay," he replied quickly. "Sort of like a double date." His cheeks flushed darker as Ken smiled understandingly.

"All right Omi, but we won't stay here all night. And we'll be in Yoji's room this weekend. When's Aya coming back?"

Omi frowned. "He didn't say. But I'm guessing Sunday night. He won't want to come home before then, he'll want to spend as much time with Aya-chan as possible."

"And you want to spend as much time with Nagi-chan as possible, huh?" Yoji teased.

Omi pointedly ignored him, concentrating on finishing his food.

Ken poked Yoji hard, grinning. "Leave him alone. Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Now that you mention it…" Yoji drawled lazily, "I can think of a few things I'd rather do."

Omi rolled his eyes. "At least have the decency to go to one of your rooms first!" he protested, taking his empty plate to the kitchen. "I don't need to walk in on you again thanks very much."

Ken laughed and pulled Yoji to his feet. "Oyasumi, Omi. Don't stay up too late talking to Nagi."

Omi made shooing motions with his hands. "Don't you two stay up too late. You volunteered to open tomorrow!"

Yoji groaned. "The things I do for you, kid."

"Never mind him," Ken pouted. "What about the things you do for me?"

Omi shook his head good-naturedly as his teammates went upstairs, wondering if he and Nagi would ever be able to acknowledge their relationship so openly, and hoping against hope that they could.

Ran waited patiently for Aya to catch up to him. They had hiked some of the trails around the house this morning, and they were heading back to have lunch and to grab their bathing suits so they could take a dip in the hot spring a few kilometres away. Aya made it up the hill and stood catching her breath.

"Your legs are longer than mine. It's not fair to walk so quickly," she scolded cheerfully, poking her brother in the stomach. Her eyebrows rose. "And you're in way better shape than I am. Professional hazard, I guess." She glanced at Ran's face and hastily changed the subject. She'd forgotten that he didn't like her talking about what he did for a living, even though it had paid her hospital bills and saved her life. "What do you want for lunch?"

Ran relaxed. He'd been afraid she was going to embark upon a conversation he had no interest in continuing. "I don't know. Are you really hungry?"

"Starving." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You can't tell me that after all that hiking you're not very hungry? No wonder you're so skinny."

"I'm not skinny," he protested.

"Oh okay. Slender, then." Aya laughed at him. "Very slender. What do your girlfriends say?"

Ran tried unsuccessfully to hold in his laughter. Aya always did this to him, chattering on about silly stuff until he was relaxed, the brother she remembered from before the tragedy. It had been a major shock for her to see the change in him after she woke up, because for her there had been no time lapse between her sixteenth birthday and the day she had awoken. She tried so hard to get him back to the brother she knew and loved.

"That's none of your business. Now get inside and figure out what you want to eat. I'll even cook it for you since you burn everything you touch." Aya stuck her tongue out at him and walked into the house. Ran perched on the railing of the porch, watching the leaves sway in the soft breeze. He'd give her some time to clean up before he went in. He leaned back against the wall, sitting with his feet balanced on the rail in the shadows. This weekend had been exactly what he'd needed to get in touch with himself again, to get over the depression he'd begun to feel, the dissatisfaction with his life that only seemed to get worse the happier everyone around him was. Even Ken and Yoji had managed to find something that made their lives easier, and Omi… Ran frowned. Omi was really happy about that boy he was with too. He really had to meet that kid and make sure everything was okay.

"Niichan! I know what I want!" Aya's voice broke through Ran's reverie and he stepped lithely to the ground, a smile on his lips as he went to make his sister her lunch.

Aya closed her eyes and floated in the hot water of the spring, letting her sore muscles relax in the warmth of the water. She cracked her eyes open and stared at her brother surreptitiously. He looked less tired than he had yesterday, which was good, but his eyes were still shadowed. She wondered if she could get him to talk about what was bothering him. She missed being the one he talked to about whatever was troubling him and she suspected that now he just didn't talk to anyone at all, not even his teammates. Unsure of how to broach the subject, she decided to ask about the other boys.

"How are the boys doing?" she asked softly, watching his face from underneath her lashes.

Ran's expression didn't change. "They're doing fine. They said to say hello to you."

Aya hesitated a moment, then plunged ahead recklessly. "I heard some interesting rumours at school."

"Rumours?" Ran raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "About what?"

"Um, about Ken-kun and Yoji-kun. The girls are saying that they're more than just friends or co-workers." She peeked again at her brother's face. This time she saw the lines etched between his brows as he frowned.

"Why do girls gossip so much? It's none of their business."

This was not precisely an answer, Aya noted. She decided to be persistent. Ran rarely got irritated with her, even when she was being a nosy brat.

"Well, are they?" she asked innocently, bright curiosity in her voice. Ran turned his head and looked at her for a long moment.

"It would appear that they are," he admitted slowly, capitulating. He knew Aya would never give up until he told her. "They haven't actually said anything to me, but it's pretty obvious."

Aya sighed happily. "I'm so glad. Ken-kun's so cute." She ignored Ran's sharp look. "He deserves to be happy. And maybe he can keep Yoji-kun from devastating the ladies." Her eyes twinkled at Ran, willing him to relax.

Ran's frown deepened. "It would be nice if they weren't quite so… enthusiastic," he muttered.

Aya looked at him, momentarily puzzled. Ran hoped she hadn't caught his meaning, wishing he hadn't opened his mouth. Unfortunately for him Aya was quick-witted. Her peal of laughter rang out, and her eyes sparkled. "Oh, poor niichan. No wonder you've looked so tired! They're keeping you up at night, ne?" Aya watched her brother flush, and instantly sympathized. "Gomen, it's not funny. Maybe you could ask them nicely to use Ken-kun's room?" Aya had spent enough time at Ran's apartment and in the other boys' rooms to understand the problem.

"And make Omi listen to them? No way," Ran replied vehemently. "I'll just buy earplugs."

"Maybe you should get a girlfriend and fight back," Aya giggled. "Do you have one?"

Ran glared at his sister. "No thanks. Girls are too much trouble. Look at you!"

"A boyfriend, then?" Aya asked innocently, batting her eyelashes. She squealed as Ran ducked her underwater, bubbles exploding from her mouth. She came up sputtering. "What's wrong with boys? I like them."

"You're a girl." Ran said flatly, trying to end the conversation. Aya would not be diverted.

"So does Ken-kun. And Yoji-kun. And Omi. You can't tell me you never thought Ken-kun was just a bit sexy."

Ran stared at her in shock. "Ken? Don't be ridiculous."

"Well, he is," she insisted. "Too bad he's gay. Maybe I could make him switch teams."

Ran eyed her narrowly. He wasn't about to admit to Aya, or to himself for that matter, that he'd ever found Siberian sexy. Aya's eyes were far away, and he wondered if she had a crush on his teammate. They were the same age, he realised, and Aya had spent a fair bit of time with Ken in the first few months after she'd awoken. Well, Ran thought grimly, at least Ken was occupied with Yoji and wouldn't look to his sister. He might have had to murder the other assassin.

"Anyway there's nothing wrong with it. It's cute." She eyed Ran speculatively. "You need to date more. Find someone who makes you happy. I can't be the only person in your life, Ran."

Ran looked up, startled. "I'm happy the way I am."

"No you're not. You're miserable. Find a girl, or a boy, anyone. Follow your heart, Ran. Being alone is a terrible thing." She smiled sadly. "I'm not enough to keep you happy."

Ran dragged Aya into his arms. "Aya-chan, you always make me happy," he whispered fiercely. "Getting you back was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Aya pulled slightly out of his embrace. "I won't always be here, Ran. One day I'll find someone of my own and start a new life. And then where will you be? Who will you talk to? You can't close yourself off from everyone, niichan." She hugged him tightly. "I don't want you to be unhappy. Find someone who can make you laugh. Promise me you won't pass up every opportunity to be happy."

"I promise," Ran whispered, holding her tight, wishing that everything was as it had been before the accident, before Weiss, before Takatori, wishing he was still a normal young man who had his whole life ahead of him, not behind.

I claim no responsibility for Nagi-kun's sentiments! They are not the sentiments of the author! Bloody characters that will speak their minds….

Shit