Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Sugar on the Asphalt ❯ Sugar on the Asphalt ( One-Shot )

Title: Sugar on the Asphalt

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: shounen-ai, language, mentions of het

Spoilers: …..none? At least, none that I can think of

Pairings: KenxOmi

Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss or any associated characters

Archive: Sure, just let me know if you actually want it.

~~

It was hot, so hot that it burned. People were everywhere, pressing in on him, suffocating him. There were so many people but he had never felt so lonely. Cold eyes looked down on him. Cold and filled with malice. It hurt to be around them. It hurt so much.

Ken shoved his way through the crowd, muttering curses as people kept bumping into him. It had been a bad idea to come, he had known it from the start. Reaching the edge of the crowd, he breathed in relief before casually heading for his bike. The night air was cool against his heated skin, calming him down quite effectively. It was late; well past midnight. He could tell by the moon. You got good at that if you worked at night. Hoping on his bike, he revved it up before taking off down the road.

Where was everyone? Why couldn't he find anyone he knew? The heat was pressing in, burning him. Where was he? Why couldn't he leave? As each shadowy shape passed by him, ignoring him, he felt smaller and smaller. More alone than he ever had before. Why didn't they care? Couldn't they see him? Where was everyone?

The door slammed shut behind Ken as he crept inside. Wincing, he waited to see if the noise had woken anyone up before mindlessly placing his keys on the counter and kicking off his shoes. He grabbed a glass of water before heading up to his room trying to stifle a yawn. The moonlight bathed the hall enough to make a light unnecessary. He was able to make it to his room without incident and slip inside. A now empty glass was placed on the dresser before Ken flopped onto his bed.

He felt so lonely….so lost. He whimpered as the heat burnt him more. It wouldn't go away. Shrinking away wouldn't help; it only followed. Everything was so confusing….beginning to spin. He wanted it to stop but didn't know how to do that. He wanted the shadowy people to go away, the heat to stop burning him, the loneliness to leave him. Not knowing what else to do….he screamed.

The bed creaked beneath him as Ken shifted trying to find a comfortable position. Sleep was slowly taking over and he could barely keep his eyes open. Not that he really wanted to. Just as he was beginning to doze off, a loud noise jerked him out of his sleep. Straining his ears to catch some hint of the noise, he held his breath in anticipation. And he was not disappointed. Moments later the sound came again and it took him only a moment to recognize the voice. Ken shot out of bed almost tripping on the covers as he ran out of the room. 'Omi!'

Omi twisted around on his bed, fighting with the demons in his dreams. The sheets were wrapped around him tightly inhibiting him from moving freely. This increased his panic and made him struggle even more. Sweat drenched his sheets as his panic grew closer to hysteria.

The door was unlocked, thankfully, but with adrenaline pumping through him, Ken found it reasonable to slam into the door with all his weight. Landing on the floor with a thud, the brunette took the chance to check over the room. To his surprise, nothing was out of place; no upturned furniture, no broken windows, no scattered possessions. Nothing. But Omi was still screaming and that kept the adrenaline pumping. Ken followed the screams to Omi's bedroom and saw the small boy hopelessly entangled in his sheets. Relief rushed through Ken for a moment when he realized that no one was attacking Omi. However, that did not decrease his concern for his friend. Rushing over to Omi's bed, Ken grabbed the boy's shoulders and shook him, trying to wake him up.

"Omi! Oi, Omi! Wake up, Omi!" But Omi wouldn't wake up. His struggling only increased as Ken held him down. Not knowing what else to do he slapped Omi. Ken winced at the sound sure that he had given the blonde a bruise. Omi woke with a start, still caught in his dream, "Omi! Calm down."

Wide blue eyes turned to look at the person talking to him.

"K-Ken-kun?" Omi's voice was shaky; his whole body was shaking. Tentatively, he reached out and touched Ken's face. Ken nodded and released his grip on the boy's shoulders but didn't leave his side. Slowly Omi's breathing returned to normal and the trembling stopped. Neither boy moved; Ken not wanting to frighten Omi and Omi not wanting Ken to leave. After a few moments Ken shifted closer to Omi and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to gain his attention. One blue eye peered out from behind long bangs at the brunette.

"You all right, Omi? What happened?" From the look on Omi's face, Ken was sure he wouldn't talk about it; he never did. And that worried Ken. Omi shook his head slightly, burrowing further into his covers.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream. Sorry I woke you." Omi muttered. Silence descended on the room heavily but Ken refused to leave until he was sure Omi was fine.

"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it? I mean…you seem kinda…"

"I'm fine." Omi cut him off, "You should go back to bed, Ken. Good night."

Before Ken could protest, Omi turned his back to him ending the conversation. Ken pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything and left the boy's room. Once the door closed Ken leaned against it with a sigh. Running his hand through his hair, he bit his lower lip. Dreams or not, he was still worried about Omi. He waited for a few moments until he was sure his friend was asleep before creeping back into Omi's room. The sounds of soft, rhythmic breathing meet his ears as he reentered the bedroom. Ken's eyes never left the lump on the bed as he pulled up a chair. Seconds after he sat down, he felt himself dozing off. His head jerked up as he tried to stay awake, but fatigue finally won. Both assassins slept soundly throughout the rest of the night.

Something was shaking him….roughly. Groaning, he swatted at the thing hoping it would go away. It didn't. There were the sounds of a soft sigh, then the feeling of falling and the pain of landing on something hard. Ken winced as the pain registered in his mind. He rubbed the back of his head as his eyes focused on the person above him. It was Omi. What was Omi doing in his room? And why was his back so stiff? Seeing the confusion on Ken's face, Omi shook his head and offered the soccer player his hand. It was then that Ken remembered where he was, and why he was there. Refusing to meet Omi's eyes, Ken grabbed the proffered hand and pulled himself up. He could feel Omi glaring at him, accusing Ken of not trusting him.

Finally, Ken raised his head and looked at Omi. He took the silent reprimanding before turning to leave. To his surprise, Omi called out to him almost too softly to be heard. Stopping with his hand on the door, Ken cocked his head to the side.

"Thank you." Omi whispered, not looking at Ken. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. Ken just nodded his head slightly before leaving, not knowing if Omi had seen.

One late night show replaced the other as Ken flipped aimlessly through the channels. There was never anything good on this late at night. He stopped channel surfing for a moment and glanced at the clock by his bed. Two in the morning. Of course nothing good would be on; no one else was up this late. But, instead of going to sleep like he knew he should do, he began surfing once more. Omi would be having another nightmare soon just as he had been for the past….what was it now? Four? Five days? Two fifteen. The channels were changing less often now and Ken felt his eyelids closing.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes trying to stay awake. Any moment now, he was sure he would hear Omi. Two twenty-five. That was when he heard it; the first signs letting him know Omi was having a nightmare. He shut off the TV and waited, barely daring to breath as he listened more closely for the soft whimpers that preceded the boy's screams. Once he was sure he had heard them, Ken was out of his room in a second and running towards Omi's. It was two thirty in the morning.

Upon entering his friend's room, Ken didn't even bother taking his time. The mattress bent beneath his weight and Omi slid towards him slightly. Lying down next to the boy, Ken wrapped his arms around him, not wanting to wake him up. Omi began to quiet down immediately and curled towards Ken's body. The soft sounds of the ticking clock and Ken's whispering filled the room. Minutes later, Ken found himself falling asleep; Omi's steady breathing lulling him to sleep. It was two fifty-two by the time both assassins had fallen asleep.

It was so comfortable in his bed. He felt so secure and warm….wrapped up cozily in his blankets and Ken's arms. Ken's….arms? Rubbing his eyes fiercely, Omi took another look at the other occupant of his bed. Yes, Ken was definitely there and if he checked….yes, Ken's arms were definitely around him. For some odd reason, although he knew he should be freaking out about this odd development, Omi found that he was really enjoying his teammates embrace. Not wanting to break the moment just yet, Omi snuggled back down into his blankets and closer to Ken. He listened to the brunette's breathing, felt his heartbeat. Yes, Omi was truly enjoying the moment. But moments like those never lasted long. The shrill beeping of his alarm clock startled him and woke Ken up.

Fighting back a curse, Omi reached over and hit the button on his clock. He slumped back onto his bed glancing at Ken out of the corner of his eye. Stretching, Ken pulled away from Omi and sat up. Omi twisted slightly to watch Ken and froze when his eyes meet Ken's. He could read the other boy's thoughts clearly and see his concern. A small smile tugged at Omi's lips as he pulled out of Ken's arms. Although neither said anything, there was no tension between them. Ken lazily pushed himself off the bed. Without a word spoken between them Ken left Omi's room as the other got ready. Six days of the same routine.

"You aren't looking too good, Ken. Stay out to late? Are you trying to be like me? 'Cause if you are, it's not working. You don't have the finesse it takes to live like me." Behind Youji, Ken sighed and shook his head, his irritation growing. It was a slow day so only Youji and Ken were working. After coming home from school, Omi had gone straight to his room with the excuse that he had a lot of studying to do. Ken had watched him from the moment he entered the shop until he had disappeared up the stairs. This, of course, had not gone unnoticed by Youji; but he did make sure not to comment. Aya…was Aya. He would show up whenever he wanted and leave when he wanted.

"If you need tips on how to pick up women, I'd be happy to help. It sure seems that you aren't having any luck with whatever you're doing." Youji hadn't stopped talking for the last ten minutes. Finally tired of listening to the blonde, Ken threw down the flowers he had been working with and turned to glare at the other man.

"Oi, what do you want? You haven't shut up since the last customer left. If you're that bored we can just close early." Youji looked up from the paper he had been doodling on and grinned. Ken felt as if had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

"Can we? That would be great. Then I could teach you some of my tricks, since you've been begging me." Ken gripped the table to keep from hitting his teammate.

"I never begged you for that and I don't need your help. Just. Close. Up." He hissed the last part as he released the table and grabbed the arrangement in front of him. It found its way into the freezer with other finished and unfinished arrangements as Ken headed towards the stairs to their apartments. Youji, however, didn't notice his retreat until Ken was nearly gone.

"Hey! Where are you going? I thought we were closing early!" Ken turned his head slightly not stopping his ascent.

"I'm going to check on Omi." And with that, Youji was left alone. Green eyes narrowed as a pen was tapped on the counter. There's no way, he thought returning to the paperwork. Ken and Omi? It was impossible, wasn't it? Besides, if they were together, they certainly hadn't shown any sign of it. At least none that Youji had seen. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the thought, Youji started counting the till.

The door clicked shut softly as Omi dragged himself to his bed. He rubbed his face fiercely as he lay on the blankets. A groan escaped him as he glanced at the clock. It was only nine o'clock and he was already dead tired. But he couldn't sleep yet; he still had a lot of work to do. Some hacking for their next mission, schoolwork and he also needed to check the books for the shop. He couldn't fall asleep….not…yet. But, he reasoned with himself, the faster he fell asleep, the faster Ken would come. It had become routine over the past two weeks; he would fall asleep and sometime during the night, Ken would come into his room and end up falling asleep with Omi in his arms. Omi wasn't exactly sure why or how it happened, though he was almost sure it was because of his nightmare that one time, but he did know that it was addicting waking up in his friend's arms every morning. And…he didn't….want it to….stop. Moments later, Omi was fast asleep.

Again the door click shut softly, only this time it was Ken entering the room. He paused and listened for any indication that Omi was having another nightmare. The clock flashed the time at him and he chided himself for worrying so much. It was only eleven at night; there was no way Omi was even asleep. Sighing, Ken backed out of the boy's room and went to his own. He quickly changed into some loose shorts before heading to the bathroom.

It was burning again. Why was it always so hot? Was this hell? There were people again…but this time they saw him. He didn't want to be seen. He didn't want this people to be near him. They burned with hate and he could feel it. Who were they? Why did they hate him? Why wouldn't the pain go away? It hurt….it hurt bad….make it go away….

Ken didn't return to his room; he returned to Omi's. Although there was no light to guide him, Ken didn't need any help. He knew where everything was in the room and knew where he could walk without risking tripping. The soft, rhythmic sound of Omi's breathing guided Ken to the bed. As carefully as possible the older boy lay down next to his friend and tried to get comfortable without moving too much. Succeeding in his task, Ken let his head sink into the pillow as he sighed in contentment. Omi had a really nice bed, he noticed. It was soft, and cozy, and….just right…to sleep…on.

There was absolutely nothing there. Empty. Inside and out. It was all empty. Why did it hurt? Wasn't being empty good? Empty meant you didn't feel…not feeling meant the burning went away. The burning wasn't going away. Or the stares of the ghost people. Where was everyone? The people he knew…where were they? Would anybody come?

The moon rose higher and higher in the sky. And yet Ken was still awake. With a groan, he rolled off the bed and left the room. Luckily the bathroom was empty so he locked himself inside, rubbing at his face with one hand as he held onto the sink with the other. What was wrong with him? It had to be well past midnight and he wasn't asleep. It wasn't because he was used to staying up. He had been sleeping in Omi's room now for close to a week. How long did that make it since he first noticed the boy's nightmares? Three weeks? Four? Did it even matter?

Nothing was real. It couldn't be real. The things that were looking at him weren't real….they were figments of his imagination…things from fairy tales. People never accused you like that with their eyes. People never knew what you really were….couldn't see you….couldn't hurt you with a look….couldn't….couldn't….He screamed. From the pain, from the terror….from the truth he saw reflected in those eyes. He screamed.

Ken's head jerked up; water running down his face. His heart stopped for a moment. Was that…? He heard it again, and it was. That was Omi's voice; that terrified scream was Omi's. Not bothering to turn the water off, Ken rushed out of the bathroom and to Omi's room. He nearly leaped onto the bed and grabbed the boy. How could he have been so stupid? Why had he left Omi? Trying his best to soothe the frantic blonde, Ken slid back under the covers and pulled Omi close to him. He stroked Omi's hair as he whispered what he thought were soothing words into the boy's ear. Apparently it worked because Omi quieted down within moments.

He continued to hold Omi close long after his breathing had steadied out and he was no longer thrashing about. He closed his eyes in contentment as Omi burrowed closer to him; his small hands coming up to grab at his sides. He felt himself drifting off to sleep with Omi still in his arms. He remembered he left the water running in the bathroom but didn't care now that Omi was safe and quiet in his arms. He didn't know when he fell asleep, nor did he care.

Morning came too quickly for Ken's liking. The sun shone brightly through the window, falling on his face and waking him up. With a groan he reached out for a pillow to pull over his head. When he reached up, however, his hand encountered something other than a pillow. Not quite ready to give up his grip on sleep, Ken felt the object for a moment, trying to figure out was it was by touch alone. Whatever it was, it was hard with something smooth and fine over it. It was also round. Deciding to give up, Ken opened his eyes and was greeted with the top of Omi's head. The boy was still nestled beneath his chin.

But he didn't care. Feeling a smile on his lips, Ken bent his head just enough so he was able to nuzzle the other boy's hair. Unconsciously, his hands roamed up and down Omi's back. He wasn't totally surprised when Omi began to stir, showing the first signs of waking up. For some reason, Ken found it endearing how Omi buried his head deeper under the covers and his chest to escape the morning light.

"Omi," Ken shook the boy slightly to gain his attention. He got a lazy mumble as his reply as Omi turned into the pillow. Rolling his eyes, Ken shook him a little harder. "Oi, Omi, time to get up. You still have school."

That certainly got the boy's attention. Within seconds, Omi had extracted himself from Ken's arms and had half of his clothes on. Ken could only blink as he slowly followed the boy, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm late!!" Omi yelled as he grabbed at his shirt. In his haste, Omi ran out of the room before he was fully clothed, forgetting part of his uniform.

"Omi! Wait! You forgot…" sighing, Ken took off after his friend. He caught Omi before he had crossed the doorway. Ken reached out and grabbed Omi's hand pulling him back slightly. Distressed eyes turned on Ken as Omi continued on his way out of his room pulling Ken with him.

"What? I don't have time, Ken!" Nothing would slow the blonde down and Ken knew it. Without another word, Ken handed Omi his sweater and calmly walked down the hall after the running boy.

Youji could only stare as he took in the sight before him. A half-dressed Omi and a very rumpled Ken were emerging from the younger boy's room. And they were holding hands. It couldn't be….there hadn't been anything…But, there it was. Ken had obviously spent the night in Omi's room. And they had both come out looking a little….well….He simply couldn't believe it. Maybe if he tried hard enough…but that wasn't the point! Two of his teammates were sleeping together. Were together and he hadn't known! Stunned, Youji made his way to the bathroom and locked himself inside. He needed to take a long shower.

Finally the day was over. Ken couldn't remember the last time a day had seemed to drag like this one had. Not even noticing, nor caring, where he was going, Ken walked into Omi's room and flopped down on the bed. He figured he must have passed out because when he awoke Omi was sitting at his desk doing homework. A glance at the clock proved that it was late. He stretched lazily on the bed for a moment still caught up in the remnants of sleep. Without looking away from his homework, Omi called out to him.

"Hey, Ken. Youji ordered out some Chinese if you're hungry." Ken took note of that as he rolled around on Omi's bed a little longer. A knock at the door drew both boys' attention away from their activities.

"Omi, you in here? I need to talk to you."

"Come on in, Youji." Came the reply. Ken pushed himself up so he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Omi didn't look away from whatever it was he was working on.

"I know this is kinda strange…but I needed to ask you-" Youji stopped mid-sentence as he walked into Omi's bedroom and saw Ken with him, "Or maybe I don't."

"What is it, Youji? I'm a little busy right now." One eye peeked up through blonde bangs to give the man a small glare. On the bed, Ken nodded in agreement. Pausing to gather his thoughts, Youji ran a hand through his hair and pulled out his cigarettes.

"Well, I was going to ask if you and Ken were sleeping together, but I guess I don't need to anymore." The pencil in Omi's hand snapped as his head jerked up. An exclamation of surprise came from Ken's direction and Youji turned to look at him just in time to see him jump up and catch his feet in the covers, falling back onto the mattress.

"Youji! Where would you come up with an idea like that?" Omi asked while closing his books. Cigarette smoke gently wafted around the room as Youji took a long drag. The smaller blonde's sharp stare did nothing to make him stop.

"Well, seeing as how you and Ken were looking rather messed up coming out of your room this morning, I think it was a fair assumption. Why? Do you mean you guys aren't sleeping together?" The ever-present sunglasses on Youji slipped slightly as he bent his head.

"Of course not!" Ken denied vehemently. Omi fidgeted in his chair slightly.

"At least, not the way you're thinking." After a moment's hesitation, Omi quickly reopened his books and flipped to a random page, pretending to study. Youji leaned against the doorframe completely ignoring the death threats Ken's eyes were sending his way. Instead, he decided to concentrate on the now distressed boy.

"Then how were you sleeping together?" The bright blush across Omi's face did not go unnoticed by Youji even though Omi refused to raise his head.

"I-" he began, only to be cut off by Ken.

"He was having nightmares. I was just calming him down, all right?"

"Sleeping with him calmed him down?" one eyebrow quirked up as Youji thought of that. He grinned broadly and turned back to Omi, "Omi, never knew you had it in you! Maybe you should be giving Ken tips on sex and not me."

If possible, Omi's whole body blushed.

"It's not like that!" Omi nearly yelled as Ken choked in the background, "He was calming me down and ended up falling asleep with me. That's all! We never did anything!" Finally, Youji relented.

"All right. I guess I just jumped to conclusions." Although he wasn't positive, Youji would have sworn he heard a 'got that right' from Ken. Either way, he decided to ignore it, "Well, guess I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing."

And with that, Youji left. A tense silence filled the room in his wake; Omi refused to look up from his books and Ken was fisting the bedsheets. Suddenly, Ken leapt off Omi's bed and started pacing the room. Omi still refused to look up.

"That asshole! How can he assume things like that? Does he ever stop to think? Fuck him! Why in the hell would I have sex with another guy?" A torrent of questions and insults came from Ken making Omi want to hide. The boy was completely confused. He was both mad at Youji for assuming they were sleeping together and was also rather joyful that he would think that.

"But he was right, Ken. You have been sleeping in here a lot the past two weeks." The reply was soft and directed into the open books.

"You know that's not what he meant. Do you want him thinking your gay?" Ken turned and looked at Omi, his arms crossing.

"Well, no." The boy thought for a moment, "But he knows the truth now."

"He'll still talk about it. Probably tease you. I don't wanna put up with that shit."

"What do you think we should do then?" Omi dreaded what Ken would suggest.

"Start dating. That way he can't say anything." He missed the sigh that escaped from Omi.

"Ken, I don't see…"

You have a problem with that? You don't want to get a girlfriend?"

"No! That's not it!" Omi slammed his hands down on his desk, pushing his chair away as he stood up, "It's just…"

"Good. Then you'll do it." Ken ignored the rest of Omi's argument, his mind set against proving Youji wrong.

'It's just, I don't want to lose you.'

For the first time that morning, it was quiet in the flower shop. Aya had left a while ago to do some errands and deliveries. Youji, well, he had decided he needed to take a break once Aya had left and was now outside smoking. That left Omi and Ken in the shop finishing a few arrangements or restocking the shelves. Everything was peaceful. Almost perfect in Omi's mind. Until Ken had to bring up the one subject he had come to hate over the past month.

"Omi, you going out tonight? Because if you were, I thought we could double or something." The flower in Omi's hand barely escaped being crushed as it was shoved into the arrangement before the boy.

"No, I have a date tomorrow though." Ken leaned against the counter and played with one of the flowers lying out. It was quickly snatched from him as Omi continued shoving flowers into the basket.

"What? Tomorrow? Omi, how many dates have you been on?" Once again, Ken played with one of the free flowers, only to have it snatched away by his friend. His jaw tightened as he took the action personally.

"Two, maybe three." Came the short reply. Omi continued with his task, trying to ignore Ken's presence. Why was he acting like this? And why wouldn't Ken just shut up about this dating thing? He didn't want to hear the details about the soccer player's dates. He already heard enough each time one of those dates came home.

"Only three? That's not a lot. Having problems finding a girl? I could help you…" The offer was cut off as Omi grabbed the now finished arrangement and walked stiffly away.

"I just don't have as much free time as you do. And what's it matter to you anyway?" The response was cold enough to match one of Aya's. Ken bristled and gripped the counter.

"It doesn't. I'm just trying to help…" Again, he was cut off.

"Well, you don't need to. I'm doing fine on my own. Just because I don't have a date every other night doesn't mean I'm not happy." The left over flowers and materials were brushed off the counter and thrown away.

"Dammit, Omi. What the fuck is your problem?" Ken pushed himself away from the counter and followed Omi, cornering him. The boy's breathing picked up slightly and his back tensed. However, Ken didn't notice and continued to approach the blonde.

"Leave me alone! Ever since Youji thought we were sleeping together, you've been obsessed with proving him wrong! You won't leave it alone. You haven't even talked to me about anything but dating. I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you ignoring me!" The last part was lost as Youji walked in, banging the door shut behind him.

"Omi! Ken! Where are ya? We've got work to do. Hey…wow!" He jumped out of the way as Omi ran past him, leaving a stunned Ken behind. Clearly confused, Youji turned to Ken for an explanation. All Ken could do was shrug his shoulders and stare after Omi.

The door slammed shut behind Omi as he ran to his bed. Finally having nowhere else to go, he flopped onto his bed, burying his head under the pillows. His small body trembled as he tried to gain control of his emotions. What was wrong with him? Since when did he have a problem with Ken dating? When did it start to affect him so badly? Unfortunately, the bed offered no answers. Voices drifted up the hallway and from under the floor. It sounded like Youji and Ken were fighting; not something too unordinary. However, the voices were too muffled for him to make out what was being said.

"Figures," Omi muttered, turning over onto his back, "Can't even eavesdrop the easy way. Dammit, why is my life so difficult!"

"Because no one gets it easy." The soft, deep voice that spoke next to him startled Omi. Whipping the pillow off of his face, he turned to see Aya beside him.

"A-Aya-kun," he stuttered, surprised the usually anti-social man had voluntarily visited.

"No one's life is easy and you know it." Leaning against the wall beside Omi's bed, Aya glanced at him from the corner of his eye, "What happened?"

Omi shifted uncomfortably under that gaze. The red haired man had a way of looking at a person that seemed as if he could see what they were thinking. Omi had always hated him for that too.

"I don't really know. Ken and I kinda had a fight." An eyebrow arched upwards, encouraging Omi to continue. Pulling a pillow into a fierce hug, he did, "About a month ago, Youji found out that Ken was spending the night with me. Not-not in that way though. I was having nightmares and he was just trying to comfort me. But, of course, Youji didn't think like that. Ken freaked out and ever since he's been obsessed with proving Youji wrong. I can see why he'd be upset. But, listening to him talk about his dates….and not just that…but, not being able to be with him…."

Omi paused to try to collect his thoughts. In that span of silence, Aya said nothing nor moved.

"Aya, what's wrong with me? Why do I get mad when Ken goes out or when he talks about his dates? Shouldn't I be happy for him, since he's my friend? Why do I feel so…."

"Possessive." The word startled Omi, but he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. It's odd and I don't understand it. What…" Aya cut him off.

"There's nothing you can do about how you feel. Are you mad because you feel Ken isn't being the friend he used to be? Or is it because someone else has his attention?" Omi curled up into a tighter ball.

"I…what are you saying?"

"Think about it. Trust your feelings." Before any more questions could be asked, Aya had left. More confused than before, Omi turned to lie on his side. What was Aya talking about? Of course Ken was still his friend. Sure, he didn't hang out with him as much as he'd like, but stuff like that always happened. They'd all had moments when they weren't close with each other. With a sigh of defeat, Omi decided to stop thinking for the night and just get some sleep. He wrapped his blankets around himself and, even with so many thoughts still buzzing around his mind, fell asleep within moments.

Ken stalked down the hall on the way to his date. The argument he and Omi had had early was still on his mind. What was his problem anyway? Did he want people thinking he was gay? And he had been rather snappy. Where did that come from? Usually Omi was so easy going. Suddenly, Ken realized that he wasn't walking to the front door but to Omi's room. He paused outside the door, sorting his thoughts.

There wasn't anything he could really do….was there? And maybe it would be better if he wanted a little longer before confronting Omi again. Still troubled, Ken walked away from his friend's room.

It was hot again. But….it didn't burn; didn't hurt. It felt really, really good. Something was covering him…not something, someone. And their eyes were burning into his. There was no malice, no coldness in the look, though, like from before. These eyes were kind and filled with the same heat he was feeling. He pressed into the new feeling wanting more of it.

Omi sighed and nestled further under his covers. Moments later he was in a deeper, more restful sleep than he had been in weeks.

"Hey, Omi. Sleep well last night?" Ken grinned at his friend as the boy walked down the steps. Omi cocked his head to the side, giving the brunette a quizzical look.

"What?"

"Just said you must have slept well last night. You look better than you have all week." Feeling a blush rise to his cheeks, Omi ducked into the kitchen muttering something on his way. Once in the kitchen, Omi covered his face with his hands trying to cool his cheeks. What was the matter with him? It was just Ken. But, maybe that was the reason. Because it was Ken. Forcing the thoughts from his mind, Omi rubbed his face hard. There was work to do, a mission to prepare for. Now was not the time to think about his love life.

Determined not to think about his dream or Aya's advice or what he was feeling, Omi set off for the mission room hoping to get some work done.

"We've got to be quiet. I don't want to wake the others." Omi's ears twitched as he heard his friends voice downstairs. Who was he talking to? And at…midnight, nonetheless? Curiosity got the better of him and Omi found himself creeping to his door and opening it carefully.

"Shhh…I told you…mmmm…be quiet….mmmm…" It wasn't hard to figure out who Ken was with or what they were doing now. But still, Omi found he couldn't close the door and just ignore it. He listened carefully, feeling his chest tighten at the sounds. A rather feminine voice floated up the stairs and finally Omi closed his door. However, he still listened as he leaned against the door.

The click he heard moments later let him know that Ken was in his room. And the moans he heard shortly after let him know that Ken's date was in there as well. Great, splendid. Just what he always wanted. Ignoring the pain in his chest and throat, Omi sat back down at his desk, staring blankly at the books before him. The numbers on his clock moved towards one and still, he was up, listening to Ken and his date. In a sudden fit of anger, Omi pulled out his headphones and plugged them into his stereo.

He turned on whatever CD was already in and cranked up the volume. His head pounded with the beat as he tried to concentrate on his books once more. What kind of music was this? It didn't even sound Japanese. It was…English. Must be American music. How did he get this? But at the moment, he didn't really care. It was loud and it was keeping him from thinking about Ken…and his date. Why did it bother him so much that Ken brought his date home? Why did he feel hurt and forgotten?

Fighting to concentrate on the lyrics, Omi didn't notice the splotches of water on his paper at first. Irritated once he did notice them, he rubbed his eyes hard to try to keep the tears from flowing. Concentrate on the lyrics, on the beat. Know that every guitar rip, every drum and bass beat hid sounds he didn't want to know about. Know that Ken was with someone else at the moment. Concentrate on not caring. Concentrate on anything. Concentrate on the lyrics. Don't see the truth in them. Don't feel.

As the night wore on, Omi found himself dozing off. The CD finally ended just as the boy's head hit his books.

It was comfortable in bed. Especially with his date curled up next to him. But, for some reason, it wasn't comfortable. The girl didn't fit nicely next to him and she kept moving, jabbing him with an elbow or knee. Omi never moved much, he thought regretfully as his chest took another elbow. But, it was comfortable in bed.

Falling. He was falling and he couldn't stop. What happened? Where was everyone? There was red everywhere. Red was anger, love, pain. Red was so much. But it didn't hurt. And he was falling. Why was it red? What happened?

The woman next to him was in deep sleep. Ken, however, was wide awake. It didn't feel right; being here, with her. It wasn't right for some reason. Each date he went on was less and less fulfilling. Maybe he was just finding the wrong people. And what about Omi. Was the reason he wasn't dating because of this feeling? Sighing, Ken turned away from his date.

Who was that? They were covered in red, whoever it was. The red kept flowing away from them, like water. Like blood. Was it blood then? Was this red that person's blood? Who was that? So familiar. Not falling anymore…not falling, but lost. Lost…who was that…why were they bleeding…it wasn't, couldn't be….no…it wasn't…..it wasn't!!!

Ken jolted awake as he heard it again. Instinctively, he knew who it was. Without a second thought he jumped from his bed, pulled on some clothes and flew to Omi's room. Not again…not again. Why was he still having nightmares?! He hadn't had them in weeks now. Why now? Bursting into the familiar room, Ken ran to Omi's side.

"Omi! Wake up! Omi!!" Omi wasn't moving around. In fact, he was just curled up on his side, screaming. Still, Ken pulled the smaller boy to him and held him close, "Omi, wake up. It's just a dream. Please wake up."

After a few minutes, Omi finally calmed down. Sighing in relief, Ken placed Omi back on the bed and turned to leave.

As Ken reached the door, Omi tried to call to him, to make him stay. Instead, the words got caught in his throat and he watched as Ken left him to return to his date. Curling up on his cover, Omi bit his lip to stifle the half-sob that rose to his lips.

"Ken-kun, I'm sorry."

"Youji, have you noticed anything wrong with Omi lately?" Ken closed the door as his date walked away, hips swaying and blonde hair blowing in the breeze. Without looking up from his breakfast, Youji shrugged.

"Dunno. Wrong as in what, exactly? That he hasn't been talking much, hasn't been eating and looks like he hasn't slept in weeks?" Out of the corner of his eye, Youji saw the brunette flinch. Yep, leave it to Ken to be the observant one.

"I…I haven't noticed all that. I just realized that, well, I dunno. He just seems different. Like something is always bothering him." The chair squeaked against the linoleum as Ken pulled it out, allowing him to fall in an ungraceful heap on it. Still, Youji didn't look up from his breakfast. Minutes ticked by as the two assassins sat together. Ken stared at Youji, hoping to get an answer out of him. Youji, however, was still not looking up.

"When was the last time you talked to Omi?" The question was muffled by the food in front of his mouth. Ken opened his mouth quickly in response, then shut it as he actually thought about the question.

"I don't know. One, maybe two weeks." Eyes widening in astonishment, Ken ran his hands over his face, "I didn't notice this for that long? Haven't noticed not talking to him since…"

He gulped at the thought. He hadn't really spoken to Omi since their fight. Sure, there was the time he had calmed him down from another nightmare….but that really didn't count. The shuffling of feet broke Ken's train of thought and he watched as Youji rose and cleared away his dishes.

"How many other things do you think you've noticed about Omi?" Sunglasses were casually pushed up his nose as Youji made his exit. Stunned, Ken remained in his seat staring at the table top. Youji was right. How many things had he not noticed about Omi? How many things did he take advantage of because Omi was his friend? And why was it bothering him so much that he hadn't talked with Omi? That the boy hadn't told him about whatever problem he was having?

"My mother keeps telling me that it's a perfectly fine job. Perfectly respectable, and I shouldn't be turning away from it so quickly. But I know that that's not the job for me; I'm waiting for something much better. Something where I can really show my skill. I don't want to be a secretary forever. I find it rather degrading and…" Ken blinked and nodded as his date continued on. His elbow was resting on the table and his head resting on his hand. It looked like he was interested in his date. Looked like he was paying attention and totally focused on her. And the girl across from him believed it as well.

'She's not bad; just a little chatty. It's good that she has a lot to talk about, right? Means she's interested in stuff. Being interested is good. Means you care about stuff, right? No. Being interested in something and caring about it are two different things. I guess being around Omi has sorta blurred that idea.'

"…think, Ken?" Blue eyes stared at him in expectation. Silently cursing his inattentiveness, Ken straightened up and cleared his throat, trying to come up with some answer.

"Er, well, I think that…." Unfortunately, or fortunately, his date didn't seem too interested in his answer.

"I just don't think that it's right, tearing down that old building for a parking lot. I mean, it does make sense. The place was old and falling apart, but I think a few people…." Ken drifted off once more as his date took off on some topic. He frowned as he looked into her eyes. Although she was looking at him, she wasn't looking at him. She seemed to be lost in thought or something.

'Her eyes don't light up like Omi's when she's happy about something.' He noted, taking a sip of his drink, 'They also aren't as open as his. Just looking at his eyes, you could tell what he's thinking. She seems so closed off'

He glanced down at his watch and forced himself not to sigh. Only forty minutes in the date? Why did it seem to take so long? Ken nodded absently as the woman asked for his approval on something. Finally, the dinner arrived giving the brunette something else to concentrate on.

'Was she this bad last time? I remember having a lot more fun last date. How long ago was that, though? Two weeks? That means it's been about four weeks since I last talked to Omi. I wonder what's wrong with him, why he won't talk to me? He was never this reclusive before. Has he stopped having nightmares? Does he talk to Aya or Youji? Is he ignoring them….'

The hand that came to rest on his forearm interrupted his train of thought. Curious, he glanced up to see his date looking at him in a rather, seductive way. Except Ken wasn't affected by the look at all. Instead, he saw Omi looking at him, half-asleep, and thinking it was damn sexier that the look he was getting now. One eyebrow arched upwards as he finished chewing his food. Fingers danced up his arm, toying with his sleeve.

"I'm not feeling up to that movie right now. How about just calling it a night?" He wanted to roll his eyes at the blatant attempt but just smiled and nodded. Signaling for the check, one more thought crept through his head.

'Omi would've blushed and stumbled asking that. It would've been much cuter.'

Shaking his head to rid himself of the idea, he signed the receipt and left with his date.

The door slammed shut as Ken was pushed back into his own room. He winced as he heard something fall on the floor. The woman was being extremely aggressive tonight and, frankly, Ken found it rather annoying. Fighting back a growl, the soccer player turned them so his date landed on the bed. He held himself above her for a moment taking in the scene. Blue eyes were heavily lidded and her blonde hair was scattered across the pillow. Both their breathing was rapid and faces flushed.

In a matter of moments, they were tearing at each others clothing, frantic to feel skin on skin. Ken's moment of power was taken away as he was pushed on to the mattress, his date straddling his hips. Even lost in passion, Ken still found himself comparing his date to his blonde friend. How Omi's hair was much softer and kept in better condition. How Omi's eyes would sharpen to a dark blue when concentrating on something. Again, his thoughts were interrupted by his date. He was finding this pattern rather annoying.

The sound of the door slamming alerted Omi to the fact that Ken's date had come to stay the night, again. Closing his eyes tightly, he reached for his headphones and turned on the same CD he had been listening to every time this happened. It was really just one song he listened to, over and over again. Until he was sure everything was quiet again. He mouthed the words as he fought to clear his vision.

'Salt sweat, sugar on the asphalt, our hearts littering the topsoil…'

Even during sex the woman had to make noise. Any noise; as long as it was loud. Squinting his eyes, Ken found that he could pretend it was someone else above him. Anyone else. So, he let his mind wander, letting the first image his mind come upon replace his partner. He soon found himself looking up at Omi and, surprisingly, he wasn't shocked by this. Instead he closed his eyes to try and get a clearer image in his mind. Omi above him, eyes bent with concentration, head thrown back in pleasure.

Ken had to bite his lip to keep from moaning loudly. How would Omi react to him? Would he make so much noise? Would he want to be on top? Ken soon lost himself in his fantasy, hardly hearing when his date screamed. With his eyes still closed, he too soon reached his climax. He arched up, holding his date's hips firmly and finally let a noise escape his lips.

"Omi," He moaned. However soft it was, the name was said loud enough for the woman to hear. She paused as she leaned down for a kiss, her brain working quickly. Pushing herself off of Ken, she stared down at him.

"Omi? Omi?! Who's Omi? You fucking asshole." Not feeling any guilt, Ken watched as the blonde picked up her clothes and dressed in a hurry, "You ass. Don't ever call me again!"

And with that, she left.

The door slammed again. Omi felt it more than heard it. But he wasn't ready to take his headphones off; wasn't ready to leave his little protective bubble. Who knew if she was gone? She might return to Ken's room in a few minutes. So the headphones stayed on and Omi continued to mouth the lyrics.

'I'm not alone because the TV's on, yeah, I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills…'

Ken continued to lie on his bed, his mind blissfully hazy and not quite up to date on the previous events. Had he just called out Omi's name? Had he just fantasized about his younger friend? And hadn't his date just left him? Yes, yes and yes again, his mind counted off. What did that mean then? Did he want Omi? And if he did, did Omi want him? Was that why Omi was ignoring him? Because Ken was seeing so many woman and Omi was afraid of….of what? Rejection? Bingo. Everything seemed to click at once in his mind.

Just barely taking the time to grab some clothes, Ken rushed out of his room.

It didn't seem like Ken's date was coming back, so that meant the headphones could come off now. Slowly, Omi reached up and pulled off the headphones. He shook his head a little and ran his hand through his hair. What now? He didn't really feel like doing his homework; didn't really feel like doing anything. The chair creaked slightly as Omi leaned back, his hands behind his head. Just as he felt himself drifting off, the knock at his door jerked him back into full consciousness. Hesitantly, Omi left his seat and headed for the door.

Opening it slightly, Omi glanced at his visitor expecting to turn them away. His breath caught as he saw Ken standing outside his door, a sheepish, nearly guilty look on his face. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment before Omi regained his senses and shut the door. He would have succeeded, too, if Ken hadn't been a second faster. The brunette wedges his body between the door and the doorway effectively keeping the door open. Slightly panicked, Omi backed away and was again stopped by Ken.

Ken reached out and grabbed the boy's hand, pulling him closer. Without a second thought, Ken bent his head and caught Omi's lips in a fierce kiss. Time seemed to freeze once more; Omi's mind went blank. Then, regaining his sense again, Omi pulled away giving Ken a questioning gaze. Ken stood there for a moment, also giving Omi a questioning look. He had just kissed Omi. And he had liked it. He liked being with Omi.

"Ken-kun?" He asked quietly, fingers itching to touch his lips. Ken smiled at his friend and pulled himself out of the doorway and into Omi's room. The door clicked shut behind him as he once again pulled Omi into another kiss. This time, Omi returned the kiss happily.

~~

AN: Did this for a contest. I think the ending is really anticlimactic. As for the title…I wanted to use the lyrics and had to twist a meaning out of them. If you *really* want to know, contact me and I'll tell ya. Let me know what you think of this.