Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ the rescue ❯ Chapter nine ( Chapter 9 )

Main Pairings: Nagi/Omi, Schuldig/Yohji; mention of Yohji+Asuka

Timeline: Set a year or so after Gluhen

Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz. T_T;

Chapter Nine

At this point, Schuldig could do nothing else but glare pointedly at the telephone lying idly on the stand, waiting for the thing to shrill and break the unsettling silence that seemed to envelop the whole living room. Although he could not blame Takatori Saijou for lack of response at this time; the old man's hands are tied as well. The man who had followed his principles religiously that he brought Kritiker to dizzying heights, was at his downfall for having committed the greatest mistake of allowing his enemies to use the same tactics as he had against them.

For years, Kritiker has been under the Takatoris' Machiavellian leadership. They have faced adversaries of every kind, dealt with both the natural and supernatural and still conquered. His grandson Mamoru seemed to have the same philosophy as his and has been accused of being heartless and manipulative and selfish, engaging in self-serving tactics. He cannot deny the fact that he and his family had this tendency, which was why it was no surprise that Fujimiya Ran left Weiss.

Kritiker became known to other underground organizations of its kind in other parts of the world. Alliances began to form and soon, they became unstoppable. Suddenly, a slip like this, no matter how big had changed things drastically that this time, it was Kritiker on the other side of the situation with their enemies at a great advantage. If Schuldig's assumptions were correct about Epitaph, Kritker is in great danger.

Schuldig snatched the receiver and gripped it hard before slamming it down. He was simply deluded with anger, at the thought of how the search for the captives was going so slow. 'No use bringing your anger on the poor phone, Schuldig.' The redhead berated himself. He hated waiting, but as Takatori Saijou had said, until their captors call, they are left in the dark as to where Nagi and Mamoru might be.

'No location, no back-up, no rescue mission.'

"I just need a location." Schuldig snapped at the phone. His range was limited, so he was sure wherever they may be they are about two miles away from the city. Unless he was being blocked...then he had no power there. 'Manpower's an entirely new problem, and no rescue group meant no mission. Going alone is suicide.'

"Excuse me?"

Schuldig turned to see the blonde emerge from the bedroom, his previous cropped hair now a little longer and tousled. He couldn't remember Yohji being this thin. "Oh, hi." He abandoned the phone and took a step forward. "You uh, lost consciousness in the alley so I thought I'd bring you here."

Yohji looked uncertainly at the German and took a quick glance at the living room. "Were you talking to someone?"

'Someone?'"Uhm, no." Schuldig answered, hands balled into fists in his pockets. "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

Yohji nodded uncertainly."A drink. Do you have something...strong?"

"All I have is scotch." Schuldig said, striding toward the bar at the corner of the room. Upon reaching the back, he pulled a bottle, uncorked it, drew out two glasses and started pouring the contents of the bottle into each while glancing at the blond right across the room.

For his part, Yohji had been absently studying the material of the sofa, running his hands across the soft fabric. With his eyes glued to the furniture, his mind was somewhere else, wondering about a lot of things - were Asuka's intentions solely for the good or was she pushing him away because she was afraid he might attempt to kill her again? Why did he keep on having nightmares when all he had been watching for the past few days were comedy sitcoms? Why did his nightmares always involve someone dying? Why can't he be chased by a huge bear or a freight train? How come he knew the other man's name and not remember anything else? Where had the man gotten a sofa as luxurious as this? Yohji looked up and was greeted by a grinning German with two scotch-filled glasses. Taking one, Yohji nodded his thanks.

"I got it from a non-retail store just a few blocks away. It's much cheaper."

It took a while for Yohji to realize Schuldig was talking about the furniture. When Yohji did, he laughed nervously, "Whoa, it's like you read my mind there."

Schuldig merely smiled, occupied the armchair, and offered the sofa to the younger man. After they have settled and sipped their drinks, the redhead was the first to put his glass down on the side table. "So, what are your plans?"

"I don't know, honestly." Yohji sighed, frowning at his glass in dismay. "The doctor and perhaps the police might be looking for me so I can't go back to my place."

"Were those people chasing you doctors or policemen?" Schuldig feigned innocence.

"Nurses..." Yohji answered. He thought the redhead deserved an explanation after all that had happened. "My persistent nightmares were somehow pushing me to kill my wife in the middle of sleep so my wife thought it would be better if I was treated. Either that or her friends will persuade her to file a case against me." He smiled wanly before drinking half the glass.

"Well, you can stay here." Schuldig offered uncertainly.

"Uh, that's a generous offer but I'm afraid I have to decline."

"Which brings us back to my first question. What are your plans?" Schuldig lifted his glass from the table and took a sip.

Yohji quietly stared at his own glass. While the German had a point, he found his generosity very suspicious. On the other hand, it would be very convenient to have a place to stay for a while. "What I had in mind, after you have helped me that is, was to look for a place far away where no one would recognize me." Yohji smiled sheepishly. "It's too general a plan for it to work effectively, a miracle even if it worked, but hey, aren't people allowed to hope?"

"Yes." Schuldig nodded ferverently. "Yes, they are."

Yohji bit his lip. "I think so, too." 'I hope Asuka loves me and I hope she takes me back.' "I hope for a lot of things, even though only a few of them are granted."

Schuldig refilled his glass. "Well, my offer still stands. If you like, you can stay here while you scout for a new place." He sighed as he put the bottle down, stood and strode toward the windows. He noticed he had been doing that lately. 'I was thinking of bringing you with me and giving you back your memory but you seem like you’re so intent on forgetting…' The redhead tossed the contents of the glass into his mouth. 'People hope for a lot of things, even though only a few are granted.'

Yohji leaned forward to put the empty glass on the center table. He slowly stood and carefully made his way toward the other man – a very rich gaijin who can afford to live in a luxurious flat as this one and whose name he happened to know. A lot was amiss, and he was dying to get to the bottom of it. "Why are you helping me? I know I asked help from you, but I didn't expect you to give this much. I mean, it's so nice of you to help a stranger, but then, are you?"

"Am I what?"

"A stranger?" Yohji trailed his fingers across the armrest of the chair in which Schuldig had previously occupied.

"I have my reasons for helping you, which I hope you will respect." The German answered after a while. 'Most of which you wouldn't understand, but hey, aren't people allowed to – okay, stop that Schuldig. You sound like a broken record.'

So absorbed was he in his thoughts that Schuldig failed to notice Yohji's sudden close proximity. It was Yohji's voice, which brought him back to reality. "How did you know my name?"

"Would you believe if I tell you it's the same thing as you knowing mine?" Schuldig pasted a smile on his face as he glanced at himself on the mirror while swirling his glass idly. Catching the reflection of the blond's doubtful look, he laughed softly. "I thought so."

“I have amnesia.” Yohji explained. “My doctor and I are considering the possibility that some of my memories are coming back. We think that I’m starting to remember a few things.” If Schuldig knew his name just like that brunet Hidaka Ken he met long ago, maybe this man might help him remember who he was, provide him answers to his questions and give names to the faces he had been remembering. This man must somehow be special; while Ken had to introduce himself to Yohji and tell the blond that they were friends, Yohji was quickly able to remember Schuldig without introductions.

A few more steps forward brought Yohji right beside the other man. He gazed outside the windows, twenty floors below, then beyond the horizon. The late morning sun shone fiercely over the city, driving most of the people out of the streets and into restaurants and coffee shops. He could not feel that heat here, in this lavish living room. And aside from the air conditioning, which kept them cool, he sensed a storm brewing; Schuldig looked troubled. "Would it be too much trouble to ask you how we came to know each other?"

"To what point and purpose?" Schuldig frowned. "I'll be leaving in a few days and you’ll be having the place to yourself while I’m away. You would have found a new home by then. You don’t need to know anything."

"You're the only person I have as of now who can help me remember. I know you have your own problems to deal with so I am asking a big favor. I need to know who I was so I can put an end to this."

Schuldig turned and headed for the side table. He set his glass down and grabbed the bottle. "If only fate would allow the younger you to see you now." Schuldig snorted at the blond before taking a swig of scotch. "Plus, you’re right. I have my own concerns; a whole lot, in fact."

"Right." Yohji muttered as he watched the German make his way around the center table and drop himself on the sofa. Yohji followed suit, taking the armchair. "You said something about helping you save someone. That's the one you're worrying about, yes?"

The redhead grunted as he nursed the bottle with his hands. He glared at the phone on the side table. 'Damn it, ring!'

"You were asking for help from me. Do I know the people you have to help?"

"Look." Schuldig sat up and scowled at him. "I'm going to tell you something, and I hope you will think upon it for a while. Afterwards, I want you to decide whether you still want to know about your past or not."

"All right."

Schuldig sighed, placing the bottle on the table. "The last time we met, it was a few years ago. The last time, you also asked me a favor and believe it or not, it was the exact opposite of what you are asking me now. You wanted me to help you forget everything."

The other man stared at him doubtfully. "So…so you did this."

"Somehow I was able to."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Yohji's forehead creased. "I mean what kind of answer is that?"

"It means in my own way, I fulfilled your wish to forget everything." Schuldig answered.

"What, did you hit my head with something to grant my wish?"

"Do you think this is a joke?" Schuldig snapped. "After all I've done for you, you have the nerve to make fun of me! Oh, right, it's because you don't remember, you ungrateful bastard!"

"I'm sorry!" The blond slightly raised his hands in surrender. "There's just too much tension in this room so I thought maybe I could lighten things up a little bit."

Running his hands through his tousled hair, Schuldig took a deep breath to help him expel his irritation. He was annoyed not because of Yohji but because of the whole mess he was currently in. It only took a little more to make him explode. He frowned at the other man before asking, "After I tell you what you want to know, what will you do?"

Yohji shrugged. "I want to fix my life."

Schuldig sneered.

"I don't see anything funny about that."

"We're even, then." Schuldig set the bottle down.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Yohji asked impatiently.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe it's better for you not to remember anything at all? That your past must be very awful for you to ask me to help you forget?"

"You're depriving me of my identity, you know that?" Yohji scowled.

"Well maybe I'm just concerned! Do you think I don't want you to have your memory back? I mean, you have no idea how much I need the old you right now. Do you think I would deprive you of your identity if it would help me?" Schuldig fumed.

"Then help me help you!" Yohji cried exasperatedly. All this discussion was making him hungry. He leaned back and placed a hand on his stomach, remembering he hadn't eaten breakfast since he was in a hurry to meet Asuka in the park earlier. He turned to the redhead and sighed. "Will you?"

Schuldig leaned as well and closed his eyes. The clock struck twelve in the afternoon, formally announcing that it was time to eat lunch. He already felt tired, and he had not even started anything with Yohji yet. On the other hand, helping him might prove to be beneficial, for Yohji and for him as well. He had all the time in the world to help him while waiting for Saijou's call. He peered at the other man through tired eyes. "Can we eat first?"

Yohji laughed.

"I take that as a yes." Schuldig grinned.

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