There were many advantages to being a telepath, Schuldich decided. When he opened himself to the minds surrounding him, he could effortlessly pick out thoughts and secrets. It certainly was advantageous to him that he could know what were on his enemies' minds when he faced them in combat. More importantly, Schuldich knew when it was safe for him to approach his enemy and when this said enemy was vulnerable, unguarded and unaware.

For the third time in as many nights, Schuldich snatched his hand away from reaching over to brush the bangs off the face of the sleeping Weiß redhead. He quietly cursed himself for his obsession, while keeping gentle watch of the younger man's thoughts. Safe from discovery, at least for the moment, since the man was too deep in REM sleep to notice his presence. Schuldich was quite sure that had he intended any harm, the Weiß redhead would have exploded into action to defend himself. But all that the German wanted to do for the past few nights was to gaze at him in silent longing.

The whole pathetic business was amusing Crawford to no end, Schuldich was sure of it. The German had tried to hound his leader for some hint of what he had seen of his future. But all Crawford would say to him about his agony was a cryptic 'You can have fun trying.' Nagi was a bit more sympathetic, but even he was amused that the 'great manipulator' was 'suffering' so much over a hopeless crush.

//"Give it up, Schuldich. It's-- look, it's even more hopeless than-- than my crush on Tot."//

/Hopeless.../ How could it be anything but that, seeing how Fujimiya Ay--Ran had watched Schuldich carrying his sister in his arms and take her away from him? If there was any association the Weiß redhead would put on Schuldich, it was as a thief who had robbed him of a cherished loved one.

/Ahh, but you've stolen something from me as well, Ran./ Schuldich sighed bitterly as he observed the sleeping man.

Long before the late Takatoris interfered in his life to crushed his innocence and turn him into an assassin, Fujimiya Ran was a gentle, simple lad. The habitual scowl of the jaded assassin did not exist when he slept. The hard lines gave way to a relaxed innocence that reminded the German of the young boy he had caught the eye of more than two years ago. Schuldich liked to see the hands of time turned back during these hours of sleep. Lately though, there was a sorrowful, desolate air about him and Schuldich wished with all his heart that he could dispel this loneliness. But he could not do that without returning Aya-chan to Ran and disrupting the plans of Estet and Crawford. He was Schwarz. He was honour bound to serve them, just as Ran was bound to serve the mysterious Persia and work with Weiß.

/And never the twain shall meet./ Schuldich stalked back to the window and prepared to climb out to return to his lonely bed. It was hopeless--

The brush of a dream against his mind almost made the Schwarz redhead fall out the window. The German turned to stare at the sleeping man in calculation as he thought about the little revelation the dream gave him.

/Comfort, companionship and security--/ A devious grin spread over Schuldich's lips. /In someone's arms... Ahh, my precious, you've been alone for too long./

The seed of an idea was forming in his mind.

Schuldich returned the next night, but this time he carried with him a bottle of chloroform. He didn't want Ran to wake up while he went to work. With judicious use, he could make sure the Weiß redhead stayed safely asleep as he manipulated his dreams.

On the first night, he just lay beside the sleeping man. Close enough for Ran to feel his body heat, but not yet touching him. Over subsequent nights, Schuldich inched closer always careful to back off whenever he felt Ran's discomfort at having his personal space invaded. Schuldich would stay a few hours each night and depart before the man awoke. He quietly observed Ran's dreams, prodding them where he could towards the formation of a recurrent character that would represent comfort and trust to Ran.

Within two weeks, the German was delighted to see that he had conditioned Ran to expect him in his dreams. The Weiß redhead was imitating the dream sequence that Schuldich created, which had Ran rolling into his embrace to snuggle as soon as he lay beside him on the bed. With the foundation in place, the real challenge was to follow.

Schuldich started with touching and kissing. Gentle, teasing caresses over naked flash. Chaste sweet kisses placed on lips and brow. It took several nights before he could get Ran used to the feeling, enough that he stopped flinching away in surprise or shock. It took slightly longer for Schuldich to work him into welcoming the touches and kisses. Encouraging the sleeping man to arch his dream and physical self towards the pleasured contact. All in all, Schuldich was rather confident with the progress he was making.

Wrapped up as he was in his grief over Asuka's loss, Youji was still observant enough to notice the gradual changes that Aya seemed to be undergoing. Despite the underlying worry and despondency Aya felt over his sister's disappearance, there seemed to have appeared a quiet comfort and ease to his friend's life. The hard-edged scowl and general apathy to life, Weiß were used to seeing from Aya, seemed to have faded. Leaving behind a kind of melancholic lethargy wrapped up in a shroud of expectation. Youji would swear that he wasn't the jealous type, but this appearance of-- 'hope' drew on his being like a moth to a flame.

Aya didn't seem to notice. He carried on with his activities, making his flower arrangements, and the occasional simple tussie-mussie for their young cliental. Unlike his friends, he seemed hardly aware that his sad distracted mood appeared to have dampened the atmosphere of 'hysteria' that usually surrounded them when their fan girls got out of school to hang around the Koneko no sum Ie. It was true that the schoolgirls still came to gawk at them, but at least now they were less likely to chatter insistently or get in their way like they used to. More often, the girls would quietly approach Aya to ask for a small arrangement, which he'd create for them with the barest of words exchanged over the type of flowers they wanted. Youji could recall Ken telling Omi in sotto voce that they were making better sales now than they ever did before, when Aya used to yell at the girls and order them to leave if they weren't buying anything.

Then, there was also this interesting new-- new-- Youji didn't know how to describe it actually-- There seemed to be a new aura around Aya... one of increased-- sex appeal? That was the only way Youji could identify this new feeling around his comrade. It was like a dawning shy awareness of his sexuality. Youji couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Aya was unconsciously making him sit up and notice. And suddenly his grief over Asuka wasn't as all encompassing as it was before. Suddenly, Youji didn't feel like wasting the energy to stay miserable and mope over his lost love, when he could flirt with Aya and try to make him blush or produce a small smile of amusement.

That Aya *wasn't* entirely adverse to Youji's flirting, had been a great revelation for them all. Though Youji had to be very careful. Aya was skittish and his reaction still showed some confusion and not a little fear to the feelings that he was evoking.

But what had cause all this? From working with Aya in the shop to taking missions with him at night, Youji couldn't identify what catalyst caused Aya's rather profound change. The mystery was driving the inquisitive PI in him crazy. Youji was quite sure that Aya was even more clueless over the changes that came over him, but he wasn't too worried. For the first time in a long while, despite the worries that plagued him over his sister's abduction, Aya felt strangely contented.

Unfortunately, that state wasn't very permanent. A different mood was soon enough making itself apparent...

With the start of the third phase in his plans, Schuldich had to be extra vigilant with his application of the chloroform on his unsuspecting quarry. He *did not* want Aya to abruptly awaken to his ministrations, but he also didn't want to overdose him with the chloroform and make him sick in the morning.

Sometime over the course of weeks, Ran had changed his perfunctory white cotton bed linens to black silk sheets. It wasn't long later that he started to sleep in the nude to luxuriate in the feel of the smooth cool cloth against his skin. Schuldich had rewarded him that night with light probing fingers that teased and stroked that special spot within him. But the German cruelly withheld his release. A fair payback, Schuldich figured, if Ran was going to 'torment' him by presenting such an alluring figure with the contrast of black silk against pale skin and blood red hair, which *essentially* was still 'untouchable' to him.

The Schwarz redhead concentrated on keeping up this delicate balance of teasing and stimulation to arouse his little kitten without letting him have his release. He 'tortured' Ran for nearly a week, keeping him frustrated and whining with need. It was just as hard for Schuldich to stand. The anticipation was killing him. Too many times, when he'd have his kitten squirming and writhing erotically on his fingers, Schuldich almost lost control to want to throw his plans to the wind and just take him. But he held himself back.

Even in the dreams, Ran would not give him the surrender of 'yes' just yet. Still... he was weakening.

/"Soon, kitten."/

The mounting frustration Aya was starting to exhibit was almost palpable. The energies that played around him seemed to charge the air. It didn't take a mind reader to tell that Aya was deeply embarrassed about something. But he refused to voice out what was bothering him.

Youji found this invigorating. Aya was almost apprehensive with him now, as if sensing that the older man could guess what he 'needed', and it scared him. Youji *knew* that Aya would never admit to feeling fearful of these sudden wants and desires that inflamed him. So he backed off, and watched carefully...

Schuldich thought about the last dream sequence he had participated in with Ran.

//"Please--" Both the dream and the physical Ran writhed sinuously under Schuldich's hands.

//"Are you sure this is what you want?" Schuldich lightly ran kisses and teasing nips over the younger man's chin and neck. He had been careful to modulate the dream voice to sound close enough to his voice, but not yet identifiable as his.

//"Yes-- No-- No!" The dream Ran was in tears at that point, confused over his desires and needs as he tried to weigh them against his fears.

//"Kitten, what are you afraid of?"

//"That-- you-- that you'll disappear once you've got what you want." He looked ashamed... disgusted at himself for appearing so weak and needy.

//"I won't, Kitten. Do you trust me?"

//"I-- who are you?"

//"Someone who wants you. Someone who loves you..." He let Ran see a faint sheen of colour in the deep shadowed dream figure. A hint of green eyes.//

The Schwarz redhead smirked as he regarded the almost empty bottle of chloroform on the sink. He wasn't going to use it tonight, he decided. Tonight, he was going to 'make his kill.'

"Crawford? What's it going to mean to Schwarz?" The Japanese boy asked over his shoulder as he leaned against the window and watched his German comrade take off into the night.

"I don't foresee any out and out disaster or death, Nagi." Crawford sighed. "That's the only assurance I have. But-- Fujimiya is Weiß-- we have his sister-- I don't understand what Schuldich hopes he can accomplish."

"He's being manipulative again." Nagi pouted as he slouched over to the couch. "Why can't he ever be direct?"

Crawford blinked. "Whoops."

"What? Does he need back up?"

"He'll be okay, but you know, Nagi?" Crawford shook his head as he came out of the vision. "I'm not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for him."

Schuldich stared at the boarded up window in shock. Jagged bits of glass shards were still evident on the frame, awaiting a workman's attention to have the window replaced.

He never cursed his powers of telepathy more at any other time than he did this night. What his ears did not pick up, his mind could give him an account of. And currently Schuldich knew what was going on in the room beyond the blocked window.

#Kudou! You--!#

/Thanks for the set up, Schuldich./ The purring smirk behind the man's thoughts was unmistakable.

Before Schuldich could react to the taunt, his instincts for danger screamed at him loud enough to get through his numbed senses. The Schwarz redhead threw himself away from the window ledge in time to avoid being impaled by a crossbow bolt.

Bombay and Siberian stood in the alleyway facing him as he landed before them. "What are you doing here, Schwarz?!"

Schuldich couldn't take it anymore. His mind felt numbed to have his plans so suddenly usurped and shattered. The two Weiß members in front of him were unconsciously bombarding him with thoughts of anger, and hatred. There was little love lost between him and Bombay, especially after his part in the death of the boy's half sister. The ever-protective Siberian radiated a determination to keep Schuldich from approaching Aya and hurting him anymore than Schwarz already had with his sister's abduction. In that so significant room above him, Balinese... Schuldich had to get away before he went mad.

"Schuldich!" Omi hissed as he swung towards the blur that darted deeper down the alley.

"Omi, wait. We better not follow him. He has the speed advantage." Ken held him back and edged them instead towards the lighted shop front.

"What's going on?"

"Hell if I know." Ken looked back down the alley in puzzlement as he started for the stairs back to their apartments. "I wonder how Youji knew that Schuldich might pay a visit to us tonight, and why he asked us not to tell Aya."

"He probably didn't want to bother Aya-kun. He's been on the edge for weeks. We could handle this without worrying him. Where is Youji-kun anyway?"

"Humph, the last time I saw him, he was helping Aya board up the window he broke. It sure sucks to know that Aya'll have to wait two days before our landlord can arrange for workmen to come in to replace the glass. He sure was pissed over how clumsy Youji was."

"That *was* unlike Youji-kun. Why did you ever give him that soccer ball to play with?"

"Well, he sounded excited about watching the game with us tonight. Took the ball and said he'd ask Aya to join us." Ken couldn't hold back his laugh as he recalled the events that happened earlier that evening. He remembered hearing the crash, and running next door to see Aya's shocked expression and Youji's embarrassed chagrin for the broken window. It was rather obvious to him where his soccer ball had ended up. "He was terrible."

Omi's eyes twinkled as he regarded his taller friend. "It was an accident worthy of you, perhaps. But he's usually more careful than that."

"Hey! I thank you to remember that *I* have professional ball handling technique. And I am *not* a walking-disaster-about-to-happen!" Ken cuffed Omi's shoulder playfully, starting them on a chase up the stairs. "Come on, if we hurry, we can get ourselves set up in front of the TV before the kick off."

"Did either of you manage to ask Aya-kun, if he wanted to come next door to watch the game with us?" Omi laughed as he stopped at the door to Ken's apartment.

"Well, Youji was supposed to have asked before he broke his window. I'll knock and check on him. Sounds like he's in--" The faint noises Ken could hear within finally registered in his mind. Ken's hand froze before his knuckles could reach the door of Aya's apartment. "Er-- I think I know where Youji is now."

"Oh." Omi slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggling. "So they probably *won't* be interested, heh?"

"Nope. I'm going to turn the volume of the TV up." Ken blushed as he hustled Omi into his apartment. "Good thing Aya's bed is against the other wall. Otherwise we'd have to drag my couch away from the wall before we sit down to watch the game."

"You mean the walls shivering would actually distract *you* from a soccer match?" Omi stared at him in disbelief.

"Omi!" Ken blushed harder. "Are you sure you're old enough to know about stuff like this?"

Youji relaxed on the black silk sheets, luxuriating in the feel of the cloth against his bare skin. Even better to his senses, was the comforting warm of the shy, young man he had cradled in his arms, and the recent memory of their passionate coupling.

/Your fingers may have paved my way, Schilduch, but I got in first. And I'm not *ever* letting anyone else have a go./ Youji purred possessively before he bent to kiss his slumbering kitten on the nose and nuzzle the love bite he had left at the joint of Aya's shoulder and neck. Aya hummed contentedly in his sleep and arched his body towards his lover's caressing kisses. As he observed his very responsive lover, Youji couldn't understand how he had missed noticing Aya's allure all this time. Asuka and Neu were a dim memory to him now.

He had been lucky. Youji couldn't deny that. Fate had him leaning on the edge of the roof, several nights earlier, in the perfect position to see Schuldich surreptitiously sneak into Aya's apartment through his window. He had been too shocked to move then, staying quietly on watch until Schuldich left.

Youji had been angry when he stormed towards Aya's apartment, determined to confront the man about his visitor. For that moment he had thought that Aya was carrying on a clandestine affair with the Schwarz redhead. But in the time it took him to hurry down from the roof to Aya's apartment, the honey blonde man came to rationalise that an affair between the two was next to impossible. Aya would never have accepted the Schwarz redhead, especially when it was Schwarz who now held his sister. By the time he reached Aya's door, Youji had cooled down considerably, but he still wanted answers.

Not desiring to make a big scene and wake up Ken next door, Youji let himself into Aya's apartment with the spare key the man had allowed him to keep as part of their support of each other in Weiß. If Youji had thought that he would find an awake and guilty looking Aya within, he was greatly mistaken.

Black-- silk-- bed sheets-- In all the time Weiß had been in each other's apartments for various mission discussions or social gatherings, *no one* could ever have guessed that-- *that* lay under Aya's boring blue and white striped bed covers.

The sight of the moonlight illuminated, nude, redhead, sensuously reclining on black silk threatened to shut down Youji's brain. And in whimsical retrospect, Youji was sure that had their lives been illustrated in one of those comedies on TV, he would have been portrayed to have had blood gushing from his nose and fainting from blood loss. That was not to say he was not left frozen in his tracks in real life.

Fortunately, Youji retained enough of his wits about him to notice the fast fading and faint, sweet almost cloying scent in Aya's apartment. Despite the distraction presented before him, the PI in Youji put two and two together to figure out what Schuldich was up to.

By force of will, Youji managed to drag himself out of Aya's apartment without jumping the man there and then. In his chloroform-drugged state, Aya could hardly have fought him off, but Youji was firm about taking him in a consensual encounter. And most importantly, he had no wish to jeopardise the friendship and trust that existed between them.

When he recalled the subtle changes that had come over his comrade, Youji realised that the Schwarz redhead was quietly conquering Aya. Unless he interfered, the German was going to successfully steal Aya from under his nose. He was not about to stand by and let that happen.

A broad grin stretched over Youji's lips as he thought about what he had done, with Ken and Omi's unknowing assistance, to appropriate the Schwarz redhead's efforts. Aya had been upset about the window, but it was a simple enough matter to distract him. Especially seeing how Schuldich had primed him over the last week. The redhead was a mess of restrained and suppressed sexual energy *just waiting* for the appropriate moves to be put on him before he'd give in. That was not to say it was easy to get him to relax or let go. Aya had been as skittish as a deer and more difficult to handle than any virgin Youji was privileged to know. The self confessed playboy could not recall ever being as patient with any of his dates as he was with Aya. However, it was time well spent in conversation to mitigate Aya's confusion and fears. Once Aya allowed Youji to pull aside the obscuring bed covers and lay him on his black silk sheets, his resistance dried up and their libido took over.

Youji chuckled as he snuggled closer to his kitten. A contented warmth grew within him to feel Aya shifting in his sleep to pull him into a tighter cuddle. Schuldich was probably furious with him, but Youji was not a least bit worried about what the Schwarz redhead might do in revenge. Aya was *his*. That was all that mattered and Youji was not *ever* going to let Schuldich get close enough to steal him away again.