Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Rain Doesn't Grieve ❯ 22 ( Chapter 22 )

22

 

Hope was wasting away. Faith was wasting away. I was wasting away.

 

Ken ~ Unluck

 

This was too much! I rounded on Omi with a snarl. “What do you mean, I can't have my bike back?”

 

Omi sighed and looked genuinely hurt. Then again, he always was good at that. “Ken-kun, it's on your doctor's orders. I'm sorry.”

 

“Fuck you!” I shouted. “I'm getting out of here, I'm getting on my motorcycle and getting the hell away from this shit!”

 

“Ken, you can't. I'll have you arrested if you even try.”

 

I stopped halfway to the door and turned. Omi showed no expression at all, just an even, calm stare. “Arrested?” I mumbled. “What for?”

 

“You're on medication for seizures, Ken. You can't legally operate any kind of motor vehicle.”

 

“Fine, then I'll stop taking them,” I offered, though I had the awful feeling that it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

 

“Ken-kun,” Omi said, rising from his seat, “I'm sorry.”

 

“Yeah, well I'm sorry too.” I turned and stormed through the door.

 

 

Omi ~ Toughlove

 

“That didn't go very well.” Aya's tone held no condemnation, only fact.

 

I sighed and sat back down, my mind replaying the last three hours in fast forward mode. In spite of Aya's coldness when I'd told him about his new roommate, I'd decided to drop in on them and bring them a sort of housewarming gift: just a basket with snacks and some toiletries, things I knew each of them liked.

 

To my surprise, Aya had even smiled at my gift. I could almost believe he'd smiled at me.

 

The three of us talked and ate, and two of us even laughed, so that I felt as if we were back in the flower shop again. For a few wonderful moments, I was just Omi.

 

Everything had been fine until Ken started talking about his motorcycle.

 

I couldn't believe the hospital staff hadn't told him. Then again, maybe they did. Ken's powers of denial were always formidable if the news didn't suit him. No, he had to hear it from me. And telling my best friend he could never drive again was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.

 

“Hey.” Aya offered me a fresh cup of tea. “Let him go. He'll cool off eventually.”

 

I sighed and took the cup. Steam danced above the amber liquid. “All things cool eventually,” I murmured, not sure where that statement had come from but knowing it as true.

 

“If he can't drive, can he still fight?” Aya asked, always one for business first.

 

“That's another thing,” I told him. “He's out of practice, badly. We'll need to break him in carefully, get him back up to speed.”

 

“And I'm his nanny.”

 

I glared at Aya, tired of his grousing. “No, you are not. You will be Ken's backup until such time as he is reliable again.”

 

“What about his gear?”

 

“I'm having it sent over this evening. I didn't want it to be here waiting for him.”

 

“I can see why.”

 

For a moment we both contemplated the steam rising from the tea, cups cradled in our hands. Then Aya sighed and asked, “Do you want me to go look for him?”

 

“No,” I replied, “that would only make things worse. If he's not back by morning, give me a call.”

 

“Would you really have him arrested?”

 

I considered this for only a moment before stating, “Yes, I would. If he did something as reckless as driving a motorcycle while on this medication, I most certainly would have him arrested. For one thing to keep him from hurting anybody, and hopefully to give him time to come to his damn senses.”

 

Apparently satisfied, Aya changed the subject. “Any word on new recruits?”

 

“I'm holding off for now. We've got enough to deal with just getting Ken combat-ready.”

 

Aya glowered at me. “What's the real reason?”

 

I set down the tea cup and regarded him with concern. How much did I want to say, here? I'd consulted my bug finder when I'd arrived at Aya's apartment, but that creeping paranoia still cautioned me to tread gently. “That rift between friends is still a problem,” I stated. “Until that's fixed, there's really no point bringing new faces into the situation.”

 

“I see. When you have a target, let me know.”

 

“You'll be the first.” I levered myself up from the chair and gripped my cane. “I have to be getting back now. It was good seeing you, Aya-kun.”

 

Aya's cool mask seemed to flicker a moment, a hint of warmth stealing into his eyes. Or maybe that was just my own wishful thinking. “Take care.”

 

My back hurt just enough to hobble me as I limped toward the door. “See if you can talk some sense into Ken-kun, would you please?” I asked, gazing up at Aya. I wanted to ask him something else, but I knew I couldn't.

 

“All right. But you know he doesn't listen to me very well.”

 

“I know.” Inspiration made me smile, and I added, “If all else fails, try calling Yohji. He can help you pin Ken to the floor and sit on him till he passes out.”

 

A faint smile touched Aya's pale lips. “Teamwork.”

 

“Teamwork.”

 

 

Yohji ~ Detective

 

“Hai?” I mumbled into my phone as I finished dressing for the evening. It was about time for Schuldig to turn up at the bar again, and I wanted to get there as soon as possible. He should be there in the next three or so nights, if all went well.

 

“It's Aya. Got a minute?”

 

I almost dropped the phone. Of all the people who could have been calling me, I hadn't expected to hear from him! “Sure, what's up? How's your new roommate?”

 

“That's why I'm calling. He got in a snit and left this afternoon. Haven't seen him since. Omi made me promise to call him if Ken didn't turn up by morning. I thought you might keep an eye out for him, before he pulls something stupid.”

 

I sighed, wishing I hadn't answered the damn phone. Then again, these guys were like family: we helped each other out of tough spots with no outside interference. Of course, families also tend to barge in on otherwise pleasant evenings.

 

“Where do you think he went?” I asked, trying to get into a Ken frame of mind.

 

“He's pissed off about his bike,” Aya stated. “Omi has it locked up so he can't get at it.”

 

“Really?” This was news to me. “Locked up?”

 

“Ken's on anti-seizure medication. He can't drive.”

 

“Oh.” Understanding dawned through a trace of lingering fog. “Oh! Shit, I bet he's furious!”

 

“He yelled at Omi. What do you think?”

 

Omi and Ken had been best friends since they met on the team. The thought of them at odds with one another just didn't set well.

 

I had to remind myself that Omi was now Persia, and that meant all bets were off. Damn.

 

A map started to form in my mind, centering on Aya's apartment and spiraling out to the places an angry Siberian might go. “I'm on it,” I stated into the phone. “I'll call you if I find anything.” Hastily I hung up and grabbed my car keys, then sprinted for the garage.

 

The evening air clung warm and muggy as I made a quick stop at the bar. If Schuldig were there, I could make my excuses and get on with the search. Then again, I could take him with me, have him help look. “Baka!” I muttered at myself, hopping out of the car and heading for the door. There was no way that taking Schuldig with me on a hunt for a missing Ken could possibly constitute a good idea.

 

This still didn't temper the rush of disappointment at not finding the red-head inside. I promised myself I'd check again later and returned to the street.

 

“Come on, Ken, where did you go?” I grumbled aloud, then silenced myself with a cigarette. If it were earlier in the day, I'd look for him near a soccer field. Maybe he'd gone there, and was only now leaving? I had no better suggestion, so I aimed for the nearest playing field.

 

This one was near a small school, and quite empty.

 

Over the course of an hour I checked every known haunt, only to find no trace of him. I got to the point that I'd have been less surprised to run into Schuldig than to find Ken. I was starting to worry.

 

Worry…Ken was worried that something crucial to his life was being taken away from him. Without a second thought I spun the wheel and sped off, hoping I was wrong.

 

The storage company had long since gone out of business, its reputation ruined by organized crime and recurring bad fortune. I parked by the gate and paused, listening.

 

The night breeze whispered, but no other sound floated my way. That didn't mean much, but at least it suggested a degree of privacy. I pocketed a small flashlight, got out of the Seven and approached the padlocked gate. It was climbable, even for someone not trained in the art of breaking and entering. I eased myself over the top of the fence and looked around.

 

When we had gone after the Creeper gang, what we hadn't known of Ken's past had become open knowledge, laying a rub of salt on old wounds. This place had been the site of his friend's betrayal - correction, his second betrayal, if not more. My instincts told me that Ken would either come here, or go to the small church Miss Ruth had once called home.

 

Carefully, quietly, I prowled around, looking for my wayward friend. Ken had always turned to his motorcycle the way I turned to the Seven: a magical steed to bear one away from all problems for just a few breathless moments. I could only imagine his anguish at Omi's news; if I couldn't drive, I'd feel utterly helpless.

 

“Go home, Yohji.”

 

I looked up. Ken sat at the edge of the roof, watching me. “Oi, Ken! Let's talk.”

 

“There's nothing to talk about.”

 

I sighed and began looking for handholds. Soon I joined Ken on the rooftop and sat down next to him. “Aya called.”

 

“That's nice.” Ken picked a piece of roofing loose and tossed it to the ground.

 

“He told me what happened.”

 

“Great, now everyone knows! Tell me, Kudou, how did you get here? You see, I walked; can't blow off steam on a bus.”

 

I pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and let the smoke drift into his face. “It's not a death sentence, Hidaka. Stop acting like such a martyr! So you can't drive for a while, big deal. You've got my number, and your roommate has a car.”

 

“For a while? What, you think this is temporary?” Ken glared at me and flung another piece of shingle off the roof. “You think that one day I'll be all better, and they'll let me have a motorcycle again? That's bullshit, Yohji, and you know it!”

 

“I think,” I growled back, “that anything is possible, so long as you don't give up. You're well enough to climb buildings in the middle of the godforsaken night, aren't you?”

 

Ken ran a hand across his face; the hand shook. “But what if they're wrong? What if I'm not all right, Yohji? I thought everything was going to be the way it was, but none of it's the same! Until Omi told me I couldn't drive anymore, I was really thinking that things were gonna be okay. But now? I'm scared shitless.”

 

“You're cleared for combat, right? That has to mean something.”

 

I knew I'd said the wrong thing the moment it left my mouth.

 

His eyes bright with anger, Ken snarled, “Yeah, I'm good enough to fight but I can't be trusted to get myself around. What about you, Kudou? Why haven't you come back? It's not much of a team, just half a team.”

 

“I've already told Persia my stand on that,” I told him, my tone warning. “I'm not coming back. I won't turn away from a friend in need, but I draw the line at missions. Period.”

 

“And if I fail, Weiß is finished.”

 

“You won't fail, you're just scared. Worried,” I emphasized, recalling my search for him. “You'll find your way, Ken. We all do. Your way happens to lie with Kritiker right now, and with Aya. Just trust it for once.”

 

“I hope he's at least getting me some new weapons,” Ken growled, not even seeming to follow the conversation anymore. “No bike and rusty claws, may as well just shoot me.”

 

“Ken, have I ever steered you wrong?” I asked, searching his eyes for some sense of reason. If he wasn't going to listen to me, I didn't want to waste my breath.

 

“No, you haven't,” he murmured, looking away from me.

 

“Go back home, go to bed, get some sleep. This is your first night back in Japan. Be confident about yourself, Ken. Don't let this evening set the tone for the rest of your life.”

 

“I thought Omi was my friend,” Ken grumbled.

 

“Omi is your friend,” I replied, “but Ken, sometimes you have to piss off your friends to save their lives. When I was just out of the hospital, I didn't drive, either. I took the bus, or walked.” Holding his gaze, I told him, “Don't let a motorcycle get in between you and Omi. It isn't worth it.”

 

Ken heaved a sigh and nodded. Moving cautiously, he eased himself down from the roof. “Oi, Yohji?”

 

“Hai?”

 

“Give me a lift?”

 

 

 

 

A/N:

Hope was wasting away. Faith was wasting away. I was wasting away.

“The Great Disappointment” - AFI Sing the Sorrow

 

Ken ~ Unluck

Seizures and driving don't mix. Ken is getting one hell of a reality check.

 

Omi ~ Toughlove

Here we have another glimpse of Persia's son, the Takatori with a heart of gold. He has to be tough as nails about this; it can't be easy to call the cops on a friend…

 

Yohji ~ Detective

Yohji does have an uncanny knack for solving mysteries. Either that, or there's something between him and Ken that binds their souls together. Or both.