Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ I Hate Him ❯ I need to be loved just like everybody else does ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: All characters belong to WeiB Kruez and Koyasu Takehito…

Except for dirty rotten piggies!

"... And so once she gave birth to a litter of kittens, we couldn't just leave them to die!" Omi finished up his rather lengthy and emotional story of a stray cat getting knocked up in the driveway and eventually taking refuge in their house. Ken moaned, wanting to hit his head on the table repeatedly but couldn't because of the two cops staring at him. Ken knew it was all a load of bull, because Yohji would never be that caring to take in a pregnant stray cat. Aya-chan had been silent, staring at Omi the whole time as if the boy had sprouted a second head, and Ken couldn't tell if it was because the story was so ridiculous or if she was still trying to decide if Omi had been lying or not when he said he and Aya were lovers. Was she stupid and blind? For cryin' out loud, how could someone not notice that Omi and he were together? Aya-chan still had a few issues she needed to work out with that awful personality of hers.

"There were three baby kittens! We couldn't let them die!" Omi explained, like he was the Mother Teresa of cats. He was already off again, even describing the imaginary litter as Ken sighed, rubbing his face with both hands before opening up the refrigerator and staring inside miserably. Ken hadn't even tried to save the bacon, just turned off the stove and glumly wished that the cops hadn't dropped by. Yohji could have talked to Aya into cooking lunch or something, but now Ken could only settle on the last of Yohji's forgotten soda cans. Omi was too busy talking the two policeman in circles to make Ken anything to eat, and he doubted Lieutenant Samura would let them cook during his very 'intimidating' questioning which was failing miserably. Officer Mori had politely asked three times in a row to what had happened in the store, but Omi had decided to spin off on a completely different subject yet again and made them all listen to the whole damn thing, lying through his perfect white teeth. Ken would laugh his head off if there wasn't a sour Lieutenant prowling around the side of the table. Samura glared at Omi the entire time like he didn't!believe a single word, doubting Ken's lover for no damn good reason. Ken would have punched the asshole if he didn't have a badge pinned on his front chest neatly. Getting arrested was not on Ken's 'to do' list today.

"Well, actually, it all started when I was talking to Miss Mitsuki, one of our regular customers. She's actually quite nice. Miss Mitsuki is going to Tokyo University. She's very smart," Omi informed them while Lieutenant Samura groaned at this new turn in the story. Officer Mori's face didn't even drop, eagerly awaiting the next detail that could help them finish this visit. Except, Omi kept on taking a turn away from the questions to explain little details that Ken hadn't even thought about before in his life. He was also pretty damn sure that there was no regular customer named Mitsuki. Yohji had dated two Mitsuki's as well, but neither of them had visited the flower shop, usually coming and going through the back door. Omi was making up people without a care, creating his own little perfect world of what could have happened, if Aya hadn't been attacked.

"What's she studying?" Officer Mori asked, his pen still hovering over the page in case Omi was to suddenly decide to be helpful and tell the officers the information they were asking for. Samura groaned even louder that his partner had been sucked into the obvious lie, drawn away from interrogating Omi once again and starting to talk to the boy like they were good friends. Even Aya-chan closed her eyes and moaned at Officer Mori's belief in Omi, able to tell that the boy was lying across the kitchen table. Ken was trying very hard on his part not to laugh.

"Miss Mitsuki wants to be a doctor," Omi answered, his voice full of pride for the imaginary girl. Oh, Lord above, help me now, Ken moaned to himself, turning his gaze up to the ceiling. Since he couldn't laugh out loud, this was utterly unbearable. Omi could sucker anyone, just as he had done to Ken before, but it was still painful to watch it happen to someone else, no matter how awful these two policemen were. Omi could lie up and down the street if given the chance, as he was showing off now. 'Doctor?' Really, it was starting to get to be too much.

"That's great," Officer Mori nodded, still just as courteous and attentive as when he had first walked in the door. It reminded Ken of a puppy wagging its tail, waiting for any chance to play. Mori wanted to do some good in the world, but he was just too… naive to change a single damn thing. Ken had learned that lesson the hard way. Some things couldn't be altered, no matter how hard he tried or how much he wanted it to be different.

"Isn't it?" Omi smiled back at Mori, the two of them sharing in the warmth of civil conversation while everyone else at the table waited none too patiently for Omi to get the fuck on with it. Samura looked ready to blow a gasket as he drummed his fingers on the table, starting to get visibly agitated. Sebastian scratched his nose and stared at the clock on the wall, no doubt calculating how much shopping time Aya-chan and he were losing right now. Ken just discretely shoved a fist into the side of his face, trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

"So, if you would mind telling me exactly what happened yesterday?" Officer Mori politely prompted Omi again, catching Sebastian's attention to the boy again. The model starting to gawk at Omi again like he was a monster after Aya-chan had translated what Omi had said to the police. Beyond his shitty looks sent in Omi's direction, Sebastian looked very bored with the whole questioning as stopped looking at Omi to pick at dirt under his nails. Omi had made up several good lies, better than anything Ken could have come up with at the drop of a hat, and Aya-chan and Sebastian were just too stupid to realize that it wasn't true. Did Aya-chan think what Omi had said true? Could she honestly believe that her brother really had done one single damn thing with Omi? The moody bastard didn't even let people say 'good morning' to him, going from rock hard to incredible emotions outbursts that Ken didn't even get a chance to understand, much less try to stop. He wondered how Yohji even dealt with it, but the blonde must have found a way since there was no noise coming from upstairs. Ken had been expecting yelling by now.

"Yesterday?" Omi echoed as he looked back to Ken and then at Aya-chan and Sebastian in a pointed concerned look. Ken shrugged, giving Omi permission to say whatever the hell he wanted. Sebastian wouldn't even be able to understand whatever Omi told the police and there was no reason for him to say anything since he and Aya-chan had been out shopping almost the entire day. There was no reason why Sebastian had to remain sitting at their kitchen table, bored to death and not understanding a word of what they were talking about. Ken would prefer to throw Sebastian out the door with his luggage behind than let the prick sit in their chairs. It was damn irritating to sit at the same table as the man when they were going to race tomorrow and still pretend to be civil.

They're leaving tomorrow, Ken reminded himself, trying to be patient. They would race tomorrow, too. Aw, shit. Aya was really going to kill him if he lost this time. Ken might even beat Aya to it if he let Sebastian get away with kissing the redhead. Hadn't he promised Aya that they all would watch out for him? Some fine fucking job he was going of it. It wasn't much better than the last showing he had made to protect Aya.

"Well, we were all opening up the flower shop like usual. Ken-kun and Yohji-kun were at the register while Ran-kun and I worked out on the floor, with the customers," Omi answered honestly, explaining their job positions to the police who probably didn't!care. Officer Mori nodded, holding up pen and paper at the ready to write down anything important Omi might say. Ken nodded at Omi, agreeing that it had been how the day had really started. He hadn't even been thinking about Aya for once, able to forget everything that had happened to Aya and what Yohji had done, the fear of Aya being kidnapped. Ken had been simply working, everything about the place innocent like any other day, full of conversation and laughter from the schoolgirls, sunny with a lot of business after being closed for so long.. It was a balm on hypersensitive battle instincts that Ken couldn't get rid of because everything was so damn normal that there was no reason to even think things would for wrong. Bad thoughts and paranoia had been far from Ken's mind that morning when he should have been at his most vigilant.Ken had even been stupid enough to think the day would be a nice one.

That was until the customers started to scream for no reason over on the other side of the shop. Ken had turned around at the shrieking and sudden excitement in the corner!to see girls rushing at him to get out the door. Ken had enough time to curse before the whole shop broke out into complete chaos, schoolbags and flower petals flying everywhere as the girls panicked. Ken was shoved back against the racks of various potted flowers, spotting Aya's red hair over the rest of the girls in the shop, a clamorous sea of black hair and a few bleached heads. Ken had to stand up on the tip of his toes to see that Aya was standing very close to a complete stranger that was aiming a gun straight at Yohji's chest. When had Yohji tried to rush the man? Ken didn't have a clue to what was going on, but whoever was fucking huge, such a monster of a man that Ken couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the stranger come in, and he had Aya by the wrist and was forcing the thin man to put his hand somewhere very inappropriate.

Yohji better kill the bastard now, or Ken was going to beat him to it. He felt sick to his stomach to see the frightened, wide-eyed look in Aya's. Aya didn't do anything beyond frown. Many of the girls in the shop were running for their lives right now, but it was nothing compared to the pure terror on Aya's face right now. The stranger released the safety on the gun and Ken yelled out as Yohji foolishly tried to rush forward, ready to kill with or without witnesses. The stupid, overprotective, dumb shit was going to get himself killed trying to save Aya recklessly like this, the redhead frozen and pale even from this distance.!Ken didn't!know how to stop it, too far away to reach for the gun. All of their customers had started stampeding when the first shot was fired, screaming as they tried to rush past out the door that only allowed one person at time, and now Ken was trapped on the other side of the shop with that between them.

Ken could still remember the explosive shot that ruined the day, making his bones jump in his skin at the recoil. Yohji froze for a moment, looking deathly white but unhurt as plaster from the ceiling sprinkled down on the top of the girl's heads. The crowd shifted and Ken caught a glimpse of Aya dropping back from slamming a potted flower into the side of the stranger's face to throw the aim off. Girls were screaming more frantically now, woman trying to flee as quickly as possible, blocking Ken's view of what was happening again.

"Ken-kun!" Omi yelled over the screaming of the girls, trying to stop him from jumping up and down to see if Aya was okay like an idiot. Omi had a dart out before Ken even knew what the boy was doing as he leapt up onto the counter gracefully, the familiar needle spinning between his fingers, regardless of who saw now.. Ken didn't flinch the second time the gun went off, already into battle mode and numbed to screaming, gunshots, explosives, and most any noise that would distract him. One of the large, square glass windows shattered out into the street, the shards sparkling as they caught light. Ken looked up in time to see the stranger get a second pot on the opposite side of his face. Aya lashed out and probably broke the man's nose with those sharp, bony knuckles of his. A surprising amount of blood leaked down the man's nostrils and the hold on the gun was dropped, lost in the mess of girls rushing to the other side of the shop

Had he really been thinking only minutes ago that Yohji needed to go save Aya? The redhead was more than capable of taking care of himself, squaring off with the stranger while all the girls pressed for the door, giving Ken a clear view of the fight, Yohji and Omi lurking on the sidelines as well. Aya put two hands behind himself on the shelves of white lilies and kicked the man hard in the upper arm, no doubt breaking it, if not hurting like a bitch at least. The stranger took a staggering step back as Aya landed back to the ground, defending himself excellently without weapons, always so mysteriously strong when he fell apart more often then not these days. Ken could see the fear was gone from Aya's face and only a determined grimace was left, a hell of a lot scarier than the first.

The hulking meathead tried to punch Aya in the face, but he was so slow compared to the redhead the stranger might as well of been made from rock. Aya blocked it like his whole body was made out of water, just as flawless as Ken could ever remember him being. He didn't know why he had thought Aya needed protection only moments ago. All that talk about being able to do it by himself wasn't for nothing. There wasn't a single whole in Aya's defense, clearly demonstratinghe had not lsot his edge. Even Omi started to slowly relax on the counter,!lowering the dart as he watched saw Aya move in to land another blow, the ear tails following behind like red ribbons. Ken felt like he was watching it all from a distance, numbing realizing that his help hadn't been needed. Not only had he failed to protect Aya, the redhead hadn't even given a damn.

The stranger kneed Aya heavily in the gut before Ken saw the man moving. He had thought the redhead had the advantage, but Aya collapsed around the knee, choking and gagging. Customers screamed even more loudly now, a few of them turning back to see their dear flower shop worker get his ass kick. Yohji ducked into the crowd, hiding in the scattered amount of schoolgirls amazingly well. Ken could only hope that Yohji better fucking soon save Aya, because the second Ken got through all of the girls held up at the door, he'd kill Yohji for taking so long! Hadn't they all promised Aya not to let this happen again? Why did bad things come looking for them? Why wasn't he able to do a damn thing to stop it?

"Omi, I'm getting the girls out of here," Ken roared loud enough to be heard over the girls started to shoulder his way through the crowd. There was no way they could fight if there were witnesses right now. Ken had to concentrate on getting all the women out of here before there was another shot and someone really got hurt. If nobody was around, they could have easily killed the man in three seconds. It scared the hell out of him to not be staring at Aya and making sure that he was all right. He couldn't let it get to him, didn't allow himself to be worried, because right now they needed to ensure the safety of the innocent people screaming their heads off.

Ken was shoved off balance by the flying hands hitting at him and the shoes that tipped him. Ken gave up trying to be delicate with the woman and started to elbow them without restraint. Ken used his muscle and weight to get past the wild eyes and messy hair flying at him as neat, manicured hands grabbed for Ken's shirt and arms. The girls were no doubt trying to hold on to keep Ken close, thinking that a man would be able to protect them, even if all he did was make flower arrangements for a living. They don't know the half of it.

"Ken, clear the girls out!" Yohji's voice was heard even though Ken couldn't see the blonde through the push of bodies. Ken wanted to yell back 'What the hell do you think I'm doing?'… But, now wasn't exactly the time for smart comments. He wasn't even sure why Yohji had yelled that out when he'd been trying to hide in the crowd before. The sudden realization that made Ken doubt for an instant that Aya might not have been able to recover from the blow to the gut, turning his own stomach cold and hard. They needed to diffuse this before someone got seriously hurt. Top priority was get Aya safe, regardless of what it took or who saw.

Ken finally reached the door with three girls stuck together in the doorway as theu all tried to get out at once, more girls hopelessly shoving at the young teenagers to get them out. Ken saw immediately what was wrong and hit the middle girl with fake, light brown hair with both open palms. She squeaked before popping out between the crush and stumbling onto the sidewalk. The other two girls stumbled as they were unexpectedly no longer pinned together and fell forward, freeing up the door. Ken didn't want to be playing door control, he wanted to know how Aya and Yohji were making out but couldn't take the time to look back and see. He could only follow Yohji's commands and hope that it would be enough, ignoring the girls' screaming and crying.

"Go! One at a time! Come on, move!!" Ken yelled at the girls still in the shop, waving his hand out the door.!They all still stared at him like dumb sheep, blinking back at him, a few familiar faces of customers who came in everyday. They didn't know what to do when someone fired shots. These girls had never dealt with real violence before, and Ken felt a bit responsible for it. He should have been watching Aya better, not believing in the lie that the world really was a good place after all. He knew better than to assume for one moment that things would work out. A rule of thumb was that it always could get work. Aya-chan and Sebastian had proved that, after all.

Ken growled as none of them moved, reaching out and to snag an arm without even trying to recognize who it belonged to. It didn't matter how he handled them as long as everyone got out as quickly as possible before someone got shot. Ken tossed the customer out the door and went back for the next one blindly as the front of the crowd was shaken out of their shell-shocked state after Ken's arrival. They seemed to understand the hint and through miracle alone, an efficient singlefile line started automatically as girls ran smartly out further past the door and sidewalk to let others still trapped inside get out as well. All the fire drills in school must have paid off, because the whole shop was emptying so quickly now Ken wondered why there had even been a problem in the first place. Some girls were still screaming or crying, but they were being shoved or pulled along by others. The store drained like the plug in the bottom of a bathtub had been pulled, the once frantic and panicking girls rushing out around to the windows so they could stare in like it was a movie, avid faces peering in.

The last girl got out of the door and Ken locked it with a shaky hand, reached up and pulled the shade over the door down violently despite the last girl turning around with wide, confused eyes pleading with him to get out as well. Ken spun around, desperate to see what had happened in the moment he took to look away and get the girls out. Had Yohji been shot? Had Aya been shot? Ken hadn't sure if he had heard another gun shot or not, too caught up in getting everyone out. What about Omi? Ken's heart lurched for a moment as he thought about what a prominent target Omi had made of himself by jumping on top of the counter. Thankfully, he was still standing next to the register, dangerously close to knocking the phone off of the counter, but Omi's face was!wan as he helplessly watched, so close and yet unable to do anything while the windows were still open. Girls were staring in, their faces concerned and all looking at the back of the man who had fired gunshots pressed against the glass, some of them sure to see just what was happening in their store, their own fucking home.

Aya was on his knees in front of the stranger, his eyes clenched closed and his teeth shut tight in a fearsome grimace, tears streaking down the side of his face. A tight had a grip on Aya's hair and the gun shoved up against the redhead's temple made all of them freeze, dispelling any idea of heroics. When did he to get the gun back? The stranger's pants were open with a huge, bobbing erection sagging out from his boxers that made Ken see only red. This stranger had his dick shoved into Aya's face and was laughing his head off. Aya made some strangled, helpless noise, like an animal dying as one eye opened to beg with them, not to save him. Aya just wanted to die. Ken knew that look, and it made him feel cold to see it in Aya's eyes. They had worked so fucking hard to make Aya feel like he was safe with them and then shit like this decided to hit the fan.

Ken growled, ready to tear out the man's throat, his heart clenching as the grip on Aya's hair visibly tightened and the redhead's face twisted up in excrutiation, pure and complete shame written all over his face. Ken wanted to do something but risking Aya's life was not something he was willing to do. All he could try to throw up when the side penis pressed against the side Aya's lips, making the redhead shake his head and try to uselessly jerk away. Girls pounded on the glass windows, their shrieking heard through the broken window at the scene inside. Cell phones were out, calling the police, the ambulance, all off the panicked screams filling Ken's ears. He would kill whoever this stranger was! He didn't care if it was long and painful or short and easy, just something, anything that would make this bastard drop cold. Ken wanted this man's existence wiped from history, find the parents and kill them too just to make sure they didn't have another child that could ever grow up to torment Aya.

"Yohji-kun, go!" Omi screamed desperately as he hit the button installed under the counter, something left over from the active duty days days and a whole lot of paranoia, mostly not their own choice. They hadn't been able to afford removing the security system installed in the place without ripping out every single wall and Ken had never been happier for it as every shade in each window, blinds rattling against windows as they hid the worried, agitated faces of the customers staring into the windows. Ken hit the lights by the door to further darken things so hopefully the girls wouldn't be able to see a murder.

He heard the metallic screech of the wire and saw a thin flash of light swerve out in a graceful wave across the small distance between Yohji and the stranger, the blonde only having to twist his hands for the thin line to wrap around the stranger's neck several times. The man's face went from a triumphant, lusty grin to a surprised terror. Yohji was smiling as he jerked the line tightonly needing to shift his feet to commit murder. A head fell off the still-standing body and for a moment everything was still as it rolled across the floor. Blood sprayed up from the neck in a bizarre, sick parody of a fountain, soaking Aya as the redhead stayed on his knees, his eyes wide as blood splattered his entire upper body.

Yohji retracted the wire in a rush, almost like he was embarrassed that he had killed so violently. Yohji should better damn well be for rushing in without thinking. Ken had no words to say as Aya blinked and looked down at his bloody hands, his shoulders starting to shake, the red blood glistening with the small lines of light that cut across the floor from the blinds. Aya screamed once, his face a red mask of wet blood as he shook his hands helplessly, trying to pathetically get off some of the blood. Not surprisingly, a fair amount of the red splattered to the floor from his arms. Because of Yohji's overeager murder, Aya had taken a shower in some jerk-off's blood, his breath rasping in panicked increasing gasps, like he was running out of air in the silence of the shop. The girls must have stopped screaming after they heard one of them cry out. Thank God they were smart enough not to try pushing the blinds back and see what was going on.

Ken had wanted to kill the stranger, wanted vengeance for Aya, but this… It was an empty kill with no satisfaction, not with the horrified look in Aya's eyes. He had wanted the man dead and gone from their store, but now that a head had rolled under a table full of flowers, Ken just felt numb. They had been too late. Yohji had stopped everything with one quick blow, almost like lighting, but look at Aya now, on his knees and ignoring them all, his eyes closed as tightly as possible with blood dripping down every part of his shoulders that were starting to rock back and forth, stronger now. Omi stared on along with Ken, a faintly sick look spreading across his face as he took two shaking steps out from behind the counter.

"Ken-kun," Omi whispered with all the reverence as if they were in the middle of prayer in the holiest of temples. Ken couldn't say anything, his lips and throat dry with disgust at his helplessness. What could he do to make things better for Aya? Absolutely nothing. Yohji was the first to move as he reached behind his back and untied the laces of the apron for work, tearing it off and rushing to Aya's side. The blonde dropped to his knees and vainly swiped at the redhead's face with the folded wad of his once blue apron that was already soaked to a dark, wet purple with blood from Aya. It was hopeless clean the redhead up without a shower. There was so much of it. Ken was always taken back every time at how much the human body could bleed.

Yohji tried unsuccessfully to pull Aya up to his feet, but the redhead stayed exactly where he was, limp with eyes blank. Aya just hadn't there right now, the vacant look in his eyes even more chilling than the best of Aya's signature glares. All Ken could see was small pinpricks of black in wide, violet pupils surrounded the whole way around by the white of Aya's eyes in the middle of his bloodsmeared face. Not even Yohji's words were getting any response from the redhead. Aya's mouth hung open in pure, innocent shock that their morning had been shattered into a million pieces, just like the glass window in the shop.

Ken really wished that Aya had never gone through any of it, not this stupid attack that they were questioned about right now, almost kidnapped weeks ago, showing up on the backdoor covered in blood months ago. It hadn't that long of time and Ken's life had completely changed to adjust to Aya screaming out in the middle of the night or having to close shop early because Aya had flipped out again and Yohji needed help picking up some mess the redhead left behind. At least Yohji was there for damage control, because Ken sure hadn't known how to deal with it anymore. Nothing he said ever got through to Aya, not like how Yohji made Aya understand him. Ken had never seen Aya listen to anyone before, but he paid attention to every word Yohji said, regardless if he got pissed off afterwards or not.

"Isn't that right, Ken-kun?" Omi asked sweetly while a small bare foot kicked Ken in the shin underneath the table. Ken jumped, biting off a curse as he shaken out of his memories as he looked around the table in surprise, realizing that he had been so wrapped up in remembering that he had forgotten to pay attention to what Omi had been lying about now. Probably about those fake kittens growing up or Mitsuki getting married. Officer Mori and Lieutenant Samura stared at him, one more displeased and irritated than the other, both waiting for some kind of answer. Sebastian gave Ken an amused look, the bastard was laughing at him, while Aya-chan put a very examining look up and down on Ken, eyeing him very closely, even more than the way she'd been treating Omi.

"Of course. Everything you said," Ken lied, not too sure what he was agreeing to but going along with Omi was probably his best bet. Ken had a fifty-fifty chance, so hopefully he said what Omi wanted to hear, since the boy was in charge of their alibi now. Officer Mori nodded and checked something off on his notepad while Omi looked at Ken with a disappointed gaze, knowing that he hadn't been paying attention but had given the right answer some how. Hopefully Omi hadn't embellished too much and no one would look twice at the report. He didn't want them to start patrolling the area or something equally as miserable.

Omi was probably proud of whatever story he had come up in the end, but Aya-chan was eyeing Omi like he had grown horns and a tail. The truth would be even worse to say to these policemen who knew nothing about Aya and his sister who just didn't give a rat's ass. Ken couldn't believe that she was so insensitive to Aya now that he was so… delicate, for lack of a better word. Aya-chan obviously meant a lot to Aya and when she barely raised her voice Aya was already cringing. Even if they had explained what had happened, Ken knew the second they mentioned the fact Aya had almost been forced to give a man a blow job, these police would no longer look on them as human beings. He had seen Samura's type of person before, and he knew that the Lieutenant would probably say it was their own damn fault for being openly gay. Ken was sick of seeing people eyes narrow whenever he was openly affectionate with Omi, no matter how much he tried not to give a damn. He was sure explaining they had an ex-prostitute on the premises would brighten up Samura's day.

"Were you even listening?" Omi hissed irritably to Ken, well aware that the brunette had been daydreaming the entire time. Omi knew Ken intimately enough to recognize the blank expression Ken always wore whenever he was thinking about something particularly deeply. More like a having a nightmare, Ken corrected his thoughts, nasty and unexpected demons visiting in the middle of day now. Who could have guessed a crazy bastard would have the balls to attack Aya in the middle of a busy store before lunchtime? Ken wondered what had happened to that rule of thumb that crimes didn't happen in broad daylight. Of course, they would just happen to be the only exception.

"Omi, I was paying attention to every word," Ken tried to sound honest as he rolled his eyes at Omi's accusations. So what if he had a tendency to drift off when things were boring? Ken wasn't about to sit at the kitchen table for over an hour listen to Omi talk about something that had never even happened when it was a perfectly sunny day outside. Omi sighed and shrugged, giving up trying to Aya-chan shrugged, turning back to Sebastian and whispering something in English that Ken couldn't catch, probably just explaining what was going on. The model nodded and glanced over to Samura to study the Lieutenant curiously, the idea that Japan had police like any other country amazing to him. Sebastian really was stupid.

"Geez, sometimes I wonder about you, Ken-kun," Omi sighed, propping one hand underneath his chin to glower at Ken in disappointment, but the smile on his face took away any sting from the words. It was Omi. Who could possibly be mad at anything he said? Ken loved the way Omi sighed heavily as he did just now, or would talk louder when he got excited, or the little moans Omi would make when he was frustrated. Ken loved all of it, but he usually ended up in a daze of just staring at Omi's face and couldn't catch a word of what the boy was saying. He was too cute to not stare at with hundred and ten percent of Ken's concentration.

"So, after you closed the curtains? There was another scream, right?" Officer Mori asked, leaning over the table to get closer to Omi as if the boy's words were the only left to live for. He had the pen ready to go with Lieutenant Samura sighed heavily and crossed his arms, obviously not wanting to take part in this idiotic investigation. The girls must have reported Aya's scream. Ken looked at Omi out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to distract the boy as he turned back to face his audience. Aya-chan turned away from Sebastian to watch Omi intently, waiting for the rest just as eagerly as Mori was. At least she hadn't interrupted Omi and demanded to know exactly what had happened to Aya. Ken wouldn't want to deal with Aya after he found out his sister had blurted that piece of information out to the police.

"Well, that was Yohji. He pretended to know kung-fu and scared the man off," Omi wrapped it up lamely, tucking in that corner of his story away. Eyebrows shot up all around the table as Aya-chan excitedly whispered to Sebastian in English. Ken had to congratulate Omi when the boy's smile didn't even twitch at everyone's disbelieving stares, not about to correct the story and make it even more obvious that he was lying.

"Didn't the attacker have a gun?" Officer Mori reasoned with a shake of his head, disbelieving that an armed criminal would run because a tall florist threatened to use physical force. Ken licked his lips, knowing that it was a little farfetched as well. He wouldn't run from Yohji at first sight. It was after finding out about the wire that Ken started to regard the blonde as dangerous.

"Well," Omi started up again, taking a deep breath to explain the rest.

* * *

Yohji walked through the broken doorway to his room, trying to stroll and not run loudly down the hall and have the police coming up to see what the rush was. He hoped Aya was in here, or else it would turn into an all out Aya-scavenger hunt that Yohji was not fond of at all. At least there were only a few places to hide, since Aya couldn't flee to his own… old, Yohji reminded himself with a smirk, bedroom since Aya-chan and Sebastian had been packing in there earlier. Aya was still too old-fashioned to go into Ken or Omi's rooms without asking, so the only choice Aya was left with to hide out in was Yohji's or the linen closest.

Sure enough, Aya was sprawled on Yohji's bed like he had only managed to fall on his back with knees hanging over the edge of the mattress, the slightest hint of his toes peeking out from the long legs of the jeans. Aya had tossed one arm over his eyes, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow and breathing so lightly Yohji wondered Aya might even be asleep. It would make sense. Yohji had soon learned that crying tired Aya out a lot, naps coming on so suddenly that Aya might as well have fainted. It worried Yohji, but yet nothing was better than the slight triangle of bare white hip revealed by the shirt lifting up from the jeans, the tip of a red petal daringly revealed.

"Hey. Aya?" Yohji asked softly, knowing better then to try and touch Aya if he had fallen asleep alone. If he ever tried to wake the redhead when he had fallen asleep on the couch in the bed or by himself, there was such a hell upon touching his shoulder or shaking his arm that Yohji would rather stay out of range until Aya woke up enough to realize where he was. Yohji had been attacked waaaay fucking more than enough to learn his lesson.

The arm moved just a bit and Aya lifted up his head underneath the shadow of the limb to peer at Yohji in misery, not quite as asleep as he had thought at first. Tears were still fresh on his pale face, a clear sign that Aya wasn't going to stop crying for a while, now that Aya he had started. Aya sniveled and another tear made a perfect line down his temples and into his hair. The frown Aya tried to make was pathetic, not even staying in place for more than a second before it collapsed and Aya hid his face under his arm again.

It looked like Yohji had more than his work cut out for him if Aya wasn't even going to glare in greeting. Still, it wasn't half as bad as when Aya decided to start throwing tantrums like they were five again and fling stuff around the house. Less was getting broken if Aya was going to cry, but Yohji felt like he might get a little teary himself. It hurt to see Aya breakdown like this every other day, without warning or a single clue that the redhead was ready to go off like a bomb. Yohji was always walking the razor's edge with Aya, never sure how to comfort or what words to say, but a bad attempt to cheer the redhead up was better than nothing at all, which was what Aya thought he would get even now. Yohji had to care, wanted to love Aya so intensely that even Ken and Omi wouldn't be able to stand it, to make up for a hell of a lot of lost time where Aya had grown so cold and distant and unused to being utterly adored.

"How ya doing?" Yohji asked as he strolled into the bedroom like nothing was wrong and sat down on the edge of the bed, making the mattress dip with his weight. Aya sniffed and didn't move, quite content with being alone and miserable and not wanting Yohji to interrupt him in the middle of a good pity party. Yohji knew Aya loved to hate himself, pick out every single detail that was 'wrong' when Yohji had never seen anyone look so right before. Aya was silent and motionless on the bed, but Yohji didn't give a damn. Yohji could sit here until he grew old, waiting for Aya to give him permission to touch him. He wasn't sure if he could try to touch Aya with how testy Aya had been all day long, so he waited in silence for the redhead to say something, happy watching the rise and fall of Aya's stomach as he breathed.

There was no answer and Yohji knew better than to expect one. Yohji stared forward at the dresser in front of him, examining the shadows made by the sun drifting lazily by the window, impartial in whom it should shine on. Aya had snuck some of his clothes into the dresser, though he probably thought Yohji hadn't noticed it, but it was a big move on the redhead's part. Yohji knew how hard it was for Aya to trust someone enough just to respect his things.

Aya choked again, however muffled it was, one of his worst performances ever. Yohji knew Aya was crying. He could feel it. Just how much of a fucking idiot did Aya take him for? Yohji almost felt insulted that Aya thought he could hide his tears from him, if it wasn't so damn cute at the same time. Telling Aya so wouldn't help the mood one bit, though. He would just have to sit there with hands laced loosely together and forearms on his knees, slouching as he usually would and hoping that Aya would decide to tell Yohji what was upsetting him this badly. He knew there was a whole fucking list of complaints that were all damn good reasons, especially since Aya had been put up for the prize

Aya had learned to give up sooner than later, since Yohji had already proven that he could wait hours on end for Aya to finally crack and tell him what was upsetting him. Now was no different as Aya slowly sat up as well, drawing his knees up to chest and wrapping both arms around his legs and resting his forehead forward to hide his face. Yohji stared at the red head bent low next to him and wished that he really could make it all better like he had promised Aya so many times before. The only the sound was Aya doing his very best to pretend like he wasn't crying, but the small, bitter and heart wrenching hitches of his breath gave everything away.

Yohji scratched at the side of his face, feeling a little bit useless. Sometimes Aya needed a good old fashioned hug, both arms wrapped around those fragile shoulders as tightly as Yohji could manage. Sometimes Aya wanted to wallow in humiliation and bitterness, just like right now. It was no wonder that Aya was always in such a bad mood when he was concentrating on being miserable all the time. Yohji could manage to beat his own depression with some cigarettes and a fair amount of booze, but he had yet to find a cure all for Aya's varying degrees of purely being pissed off. Yohji just ended up waiting for Aya to feel better on his own, because damn few words ever changed his moods.

"I hate crying. I hate this," Aya whispered fiercely from the ball he had made of himself on the bed, his shoulders tense. Aya hated to show his true emotions, because it was a loss of control and a weaknesses to him. Yohji would hate crying as well, especially if he was crying like Aya, who was leaking more tears in these past several weeks than in had rained in the past year. There was very little he could do about it, because Aya was damaged with sensitive spots a mile long, ready to scream or cry but never able to laugh. Yohji just had to wait for time to polish down the edges of Aya's over reactive defense mechanisms.

"It's all right, Aya. You don't cry enough," Yohji said to the hunched figure next to him, studying Aya's bare feet since he didn't dare put a hand on Aya's knee to comfort him right now. Yohji wasn't dumb enough to try that sort of shit without explicit verbal consent, not going to push a point when the cops were just waiting downstairs to jump down Aya's throat. If Yohji wanted to protect Aya, he had to concede sometimes to ridiculous demands so he could stay in the same room. It had to be Aya's way or nothing at all, because the redhead too scared of anything else no matter how tough he tried to act.

Silence answered Yohji's question before Aya glanced over the top of his knees with a sour look in those bloodshot eyes. Then, Aya's forehead hit the top of his arms with a small smack as he hid his face from Yohji again. Yohji raked back his bangs in irritation, his eyes traveling down Aya's covered body and wishing that he could keep the younger man naked all the time. He had such incredible legs there was no reason to keep them in a pair of pants. Wonderful, thin white toes and smooth, perfectly curved ankles with the little dip before Aya's knees and the slight shadow of muscle on the inside of his thighs. Yohji could get a hard on just thinking about it… In fact, he might be in anger of getting one now. Who knew why seeing Aya break down into to tears, completely vulnerable was the most attractive thing Yohji had seen him do? He didn't have an explanation for it, and he didn't give a damn. Maybe it was finally seeing Aya be human, someone who hurt just like everyone else. Maybe Aya was just fucking hot.

Yohji wanted a cigarette. It was hard to make sure that Aya wasn't thinking about suicide or hurting himself, because there were more than enough times Yohji had caught the redhead staring at sharp objects with a blank and lusty look in his eyes. Aya was making a wonderful recovery physically now that he had started to put on a few more desperately needed pounds, but the desire to die was still there inside. Yohji tired to find out why, tried to dig out the reason from Aya, but it was like having a spoon when he needed a jackhammer. Yohji just had to keep Aya alive and as sane as the redhead could ever be until he got over the nightmares, panic attacks, shakes, vomiting and a hundred other little habits that Yohji had noticed. Once Aya healed, on the inside as well, perhaps… around that time Yohji could finally be able to make Aya understand how much he really loved him, cared for the younger man like he hadn't felt about anyone in a long time. Then, maybe then, Aya would finally let Yohji screw him every hour of the day. Yohji sighed heavily, knowing it was a long time coming. Aya would first have to get comfortable with himself first before he could ever feel anything for Yohji. It was hard to love someone so much when Aya didn't even give Yohji the time of day.

"Are you really serious?" Aya asked, his voice deep and muffled behind his arms. Yohji shook his head, almost startled that Aya had spoken out loud after such a long stretch of awkward quietness. Yohji wasn't sure if the man was still crying or not with that thick voice, hell, he wasn't even sure what Aya was fucking asking about. Yohji looked at the thin white hands that were in fists on either side of Aya's legs, clenching and unclenching without Aya making a noise. All he could do was stare at the red, perfectly mused hair as Aya didn't even twitch.

"About what?" Yohji asked, wondering if he could touch Aya's hair right now. It just looked so soft and shiny, unlike anything else Yohji had seen on another person and his natural color as well. It was impossible for a Japanese person, but Yohji knew very well that it was Aya's real hair. He knew every single little fucking detail about Aya, even the brand of the fake nails he had worn on their date. Being a detective had come in handy to find out everything, from the pencils Aya used to when he usually took the trash out.

"Me. Moving in here," Aya said pointedly, like Yohji was stupid for not being able to read his mind. Not everyone was fucking telepathic, but at least then he wouldn't feel like he was talking to a wall. Sometimes, Yohji wondered why they even bothered to talk when it always developed into a fight. Aya was too defensive when Yohji pressed any point, and that only made Yohji more pissed to see Aya react to anger, sometimes even throwing a hand up like he expected to be hit. Aya wasn't supposed to be afraid. He had never acted frightened before with other before, but now it was so strong he couldn't even work in the store for over an hour without needing to take a break.

"I want you in here. If it you don't want to, I won't be mad," Yohji lied through his teeth, trying to grin and look unconcerned. Actually, Yohji would be very pissed if Aya backed out right now, though he'd never tell Aya that. Then, he'd be forcing Aya into living with him, because no matter what a little bastard Aya was he crumpled so fast any time Yohji started his own rages, so Yohji just fucking knew Aya would agree to move in to keep him happy. He wouldn't ever force Aya like that, even if it could have been unintentional if he hadn't thought a little bit harder, but Yohji couldn't help starting to have serious doubts that assuming Aya wanted to move in was the correct choice. It was like the younger man was hoping that Yohji would change his mind, taking every chance to check and double check that everything was really all right between them.

"No, I don't…" Aya paused for one horrible moment, raising his head to look up at Yohji with clear violet eyes, no longer full of tears as they had been only minutes ago but still bruised and red. Yohji held his breath, waiting for the rest of that sentence with his heart hanging on the line. Aya didn't even have a clue to how much he could hurt Yohji; break him in half just as easily as Aya could be, probably even more so. Yohji had decided that Aya was the one, and he didn't even want to be with him? Well, that was just too fucking bad for Aya, because Yohji was damned determined to make the redhead his.

"I do… want… to stay. With you," Aya said in a painfully hesitant voice, like it hurt to admit that he desired another human being's presence. Yohji knew how much it too for Aya to admit that he needed help lifting things, much less wanting to be around anyone in particular. Yohji was closer to winning Aya's heart entirely than originally estimated. He was smart enough to smirk silently for a moment, cherishing it, knowing it was the closest to 'I love you' he could hope to get out of Aya for now. He didn't want to say anything to ruin the mood, not when Aya had such a serious look on his face, all smooth and perfect ivory except for the pink jagged scars of his eyebrow and cheek,

"After Aya-chan leaves, I want to move in here," Aya said firmly, more to assure himself now. Yohji didn't care if Aya started to talk to himself, to make-believe friends, or even the soap dish in the goddamn bathroom, just as long as Aya wanted to stay in the same room with him. Yohji might be getting closer to breaking through all of the bullshit and finding the real Aya underneath it all. Things just might be looking up for once, beyond that fucking race Ken had agreed to. Hell, after going through so much shit, how could things not look up? They had already hit rock bottom with nowhere left to go but straight forward.

"Good. You can bring all your clothes in here," Yohji offered, knowing that Aya had fewer pieces of clothing than him. Yohji would admit to being a bit wasteful when it came to his own wardrobe, easily tiring of shirts and jean except for a few particularly comfortable ones. Aya, on the other hand, still was wearing pants from years ago. Yohji didn't even know how the fabric could have lasted that long.

"I'll leave that stuff in there. I'll put it in boxes," Aya announced vaguely was Yohji stared at the redhead's determined and tired face, not understanding what the hell he was talking about. Then, it came to him in a flash that Aya must be talking about all of those clothes, the revealing shirts and barely decent skirts that no normal man would ever have in his closet, but Aya was far from average. He probably wanted to put it all into storage so Ken and Omi wouldn't run across women's clothing. They would be able to figure out that Aya must have worn it at one point, and Yohji knew Aya would die of embarrassment if he found out those two saw exactly what he had worn. Hearing about something and actually seeing it were two very different things.

"Good. Now I can watch you change," Yohji murmured, reaching forward to finally put a hand on Aya's forearm. He felt safe enough to try and comfort Aya like usual, smiling now that the day hadn't been a complete loss. At least he had gotten Aya for sure out of this whole mess. That was more than he could ever wish for, because seeing that beautiful face filled with sadness hurt Yohji more than Aya would ever know. The redhead looked up, his weary eyes still managing to look bit offended as he hit Yohji's hand away. A red flush broke out on the top of Aya's cheeks and he looked away from Yohji's face, running a hand through his own hair in exasperation to hide what Yohji could now dare to call a desire.

"I can't believe you, you prick! All you ever think about is sex!" Aya snapped suddenly, trying to recover from bearing his soul only moments before. Even though Yohji knew it was just Aya's way to defend himself against being hurt, it still didn't help the sting of the words. Sure, he did think about sex a lot, the idea always fleeting on the edge of his focus. That was Aya's own damn fault for being so amazing and absolutely fuckable all the damn time. How was a simple man supposed to resist? Yohji had caught a real looker, and Aya thought wasn't even faintly good-looking.

"I do not! I like other things then sex," Yohji protested, trying to forget how much Aya's words had hurt and concentrate on convincing Aya to stay in the same room with him, much less move in right now. Yohji could hold a book hostage if things started to turn ugly, but he would much prefer it if Aya found it satisfactory to stay there on the bed and drink a beer with him. Yohji had a lot of time to make up for Aya-chan and Sebastian long stay. They're leaving tomorrow, Yohji sang to himself, trying to very hard to make it to the next day. He would only have to be polite a little bit longer, just as he promised Aya he would, though things were getting stretched pretty damn thin over this race.

"Like what?" Aya questioned doubtfully as he scrubbed at his face with the edge of his palm, trying to regain his composure. Aya shot Yohji a testy look as he was caught openly gaping without any shame at Aya's flushed and tear-stained face. Aya's eyes were swelling from so much crying and Yohji yelled at himself for not breaking away from the police sooner. Aya still looked utterly miserable, clearly waiting for Yohji to elaborate on his inner thoughts.

Yohji reached out, choosing to ignore the way Aya twitched away before managing to stay in one place, trembling as Yohji ran his fingers through Aya's hair just how he wanted too. He knew it could be hard for Aya to simply stay still when another person touched him, no matter how much better Yohji thought he was getting. There was a lot of abuse that needed to be undone, and Yohji knew not to get his hopes too high when he crossed into Aya's personal space. The redhead managed to relax after only a few seconds, forgetting his remembered terror and steadying under Yohji's hand. The thin, silky short strands of Aya's hair parted between Yohji's fingers exactly like he remembered from the last time he'd been allowed to pet Aya's head.

"Like making out. Waking up together. Watching you read the newspaper. That shit," Yohji said honestly, thinking about the things he had learned to be happy with since Aya was so uncertain and hesitant when it came to sex. Yohji had to be satisfied with the small things, since the times with actual intercourse came so far and few between. Aya looked back at him blankly, obviously not a single sentence getting through to him. So, Yohji didn't waste time with words, instead leaning forward onto Aya's knees and kissing his lips gently. For a moment Aya's mouth was hard and unyielding, the redhead grunting in surprising as he tried to get his lips free so he could no doubt say 'no.' Yohji couldn't, wouldn't be able to deal with being denied this time, trying put a little more passion into it.

He pulled away like he had been burned when Aya started to panic, trying to push at Yohji's shoulders. He started to push things past where Aya was comfortable and even knew it. Shit. He had messed up again!Why did he have to come on so strongly like that?!He knew that Aya couldn't take aggressive advances. Aya usually spooked and started to fight, no matter whom it was. Aya wasn't even looking at Yohji, panting harder than Yohji liked, each breath like a bullet through Yohji heart because he knew that he had caused this fear. He recognized the glazed look in Aya's eyes with a chill. If Aya went into a flashback, Yohji would never be able to forgive himself.

Aya lunged forward and grabbed Yohji's shoulders with both hands, forcing Yohji to fall flat onto the mattress with the thin redhead on top. Aya landed with his mouth exactly on top of Yohji's surprised, open lips. The redhead thrust his tongue into Yohji's unresisting mouth, so stunned he dn't know what else but to reach up and run his fingers through Aya's hair again, wanting to feel it again. Aya hadn't been pushing, but pulling.

* * *

"So, the robber ran out of the place through the back door," Omi explained, tying everything up nicely. There was no way the police would know that a body was at the bottom of the lake. Omi seemed to be content with his story and finally leaned back in his seat, finished at last. Ken wondered why they weren't being arrested right now. He took back everything about Omi being a good liar. Once Omi started going off on the watering system in the store, the officers should have been able to tell it was all one big ridiculous lie.

There was only stunned silence to meet the end of his story. Everyone around the table was gaping at Omi, disbelieving how he ran off at the mouth. Ken had seen it before, so he was a little more prepared. Aya-chan shook herself and finally managed to get her jaw closed from the surprised!it had been in the whole time Omi spoke. Sebastian was now picking at dirt underneath his nails, fascinated by the filth that had chosen to rest on his body. In Ken personal opinion, trash attracted trash.

"Mr. Kudoh has been upstairs for quite a while, don't you think?" Lieutenant Samura asked Mori in a commanding, hinting tone, insinuating that they should go up and search the entire upstairs floor. There was no way in hell Ken was about to let that happen. He wouldn't let these cops find Aya trying to hide from them and start questioning him. It would just bring up bad memories, at least from what Yohji had told Ken. He would never allow it, not now and not ever again.

"Maybe we should go check on him?" Aya-chan asked Omi, joining Samura. Ken stared at his in complete and utter shock that she agreed with the police. How the fuck could she be so stupid?!Yohji was probably upstairs trying to keep Aya from committing suicide. No matter what kind of story Omi told, she shouldn't have believed it for a moment!Now she wanted these cops to interrogate Aya when he was barely comfortable talking to them? Ken opened his mouth to warn Aya-chan to shut the hell up.

"What a good idea, Miss. Have you ever given thought to police work?" Lieutenant Samura asked in a mocking tone, like he was addressing a rather slow child. Aya-chan only giggled and shook her head, taking the words like a compliment. Ken looked to the side, pursing his lips in distaste. He was almost embarrassed to admit that he had a small fling with Aya-chan when she had woken up from her coma. She had been cute and easy to get along with at first, but she hadn't been that great between the sheets or very witty in conversation, and having Aya breathing down his neck every time he got back from a date wasn't fun either.

Thank the fucking Lord they had drifted apart when she went to Africa. Now, there was no chance in hell of an old flame being rekindled between them. Ken had Omi right now, and that was not going to change for a very long time. He was perfectly happy where he was now, never feeling this sort of contentment with life before. Things were finally becoming normal for them for the first time in his entire life. Besides, Aya-chan and Sebastian deserved each other for both being such awful people. Ken wasn't about to break up such a perfect couple.

Lieutenant Samura stood up from the table with Aya-chan and Officer Mori close behind. Ken and Omi looked at each other, both desperately wondering how they could stop this from happening. Ken decided the only answer would be to seek Yohji out first and get Aya to hide before the police went through every room in the whole damn house. He hated the cops!They were always so annoying, poking through personal belongings without a care. It irritated the hell out of Ken, through probably not as much as it did Yohji. The blonde looked ready to faint in frustration when he had been in the kitchen, glancing to the stairs in a clear wish to chase after Aya.

"What if the kitten is sleeping?" Omi asked panickedly, the code for 'Aya' clear as bell, coming up with an excuse to make the police hesitate as Ken bolted from the table. Lieutenant Samura yelled out after him but Ken was already halfway up the stairs. He had to find Aya before they did and tell him to hide in the closet, under the bed, anywhere so the police wouldn't question the redhead. Ken heard feet pounding up the steps behind and glanced back to see Samura and Aya-chan stomping up after him with equally determined faces. Well, shit. Maybe Aya-chan did belong in the police.

Ken thought about checking Aya's room first, and then decided to head straight for Yohji's. Aya was always in Yohji's room nowadays, quite a change from when they could barely stand to be in the same building. It was like Aya had never gotten over being bedridden in the playboy room. Ken skidded to a halt by the open doorway of Yohji's room ready to yell out a warning, but the sight inside was more than enough to cut him off.

Ken was not expecting to see Aya pin Yohji to the bed. The two men fell heavily on the mattress as Aya-chan and Lieutenant Samura stopped beside Ken outside the door. They all stared in stunned silence as Aya kissed Yohji aggressively and the blonde just allowed it to happen. Yohji reached up, running his hand through Aya's hair as Aya-chan made a choking noise at the scene. Samura looked like he had been run over, his eyes unblinking as he stared in complete horror at the two men making out passionately on the bed. Officer Mori and Omi finally joined them, Mori staring in mortification at the two men and Omi not tall enough to see a single thing over everyone shoulder to know what was happening on Yohji bed.

"Um... You guys, the door isn't fixed yet," Ken said very loudly, incredibly uncomfortable to be the one to say anything first. Aya broke the kiss in embarrassment, his red, tear-swollen eyes wide at the crowd in the doorway like a wild animal caught in a corner. Yohji only tilted his head back on the mattress to look over at them in curiosity and nothing more, never ashamed of being caught in the middle of what could have developed into sex. Sebastian joined them as well, his jaw dropping as he looked past Aya-chan to see Aya laying on top of Yohji on the bed, both of them frozen in humiliation. Now, this could be a problem to explain.

"Who... Who are you?" Officer Mori tried to start, flabbergasted as he stared at the interrupted make-out session before him, his face beet red as he stared at this new stranger on the bed. Yohji only sighed heavily at their untimely entrance, frustrated with being so close to Aya and yet so far after they burst in on them. Ken felt sorry for the older man, knowing how much it meant to Yohji to have a single second alone with Aya, much less have the chance to finally kiss the redhead. And, it had looked like Aya was more than willing from Ken's first glance into the bedroom.

"Ah! Ran-kun! I can't believe you're cheating on me!" Omi cried out from the door. Everyone turned on the boy, even Aya with one eyebrow raised in confusion as Lieutenant Samura looked suspiciously at the boy. Omi shoved his way past the group taking up the doorway to get into the bedroom, huffing and looking as angry as any boyfriend would. Samura was starting to doubt Omi's story now if he hadn't already figured it was a complete lie served on a silver platter. Officer Mori blushed and politely looking away as Aya and Yohji stared at the crowd from the bed with Sebastian gaping like a fish out of water at the two on the bed.

"Ran! What are you doing?!" Aya-chan screeched, her eyes wide at her brother mauling the despised playboy for a passionate kiss. There was no way to deny that the two were completely in love now, no matter how much Aya-chan wished it wasn't so. Yohji stuck his tongue out at her before licking Aya's pale neck before the poor man blushed the red of a tomato and shoved him away in embarrassment, looking ready to cry at Aya-chan's disappointment in him. Sebastian made a noise like he might be sick while Aya-chan swayed, on the verge of fainting at her brother kissing Yohji. Ken thought it was the healthiest thing the redhead had done in years.

"Why, Ran-kun?" Omi tired to sound honestly hurt, but the twitching at the corner of his mouth gave away how much he was trying not to laugh. Aya blushed at the attention, shoving a hand in Yohji's face and pushing him back into the mattress while the redhead climbed off his chest, trying to look like he had never attacked the blonde in the first place. Christ. Ken had never thought in a million years that Aya was the demanding one in this relationship. What the hell was going on here?

"Oh, Omi, it all right!!I'll be always here for you," Ken cried out dramatically, holding open his arms. Sebastian turned around in confusion, looking over at Ken sudden outburst with total incomprehension. Officer Mori only yelped and began to fumble with his notepad and pen, suddenly losing his grip as both fell to the floor while Samura moaned at his partner, trying to look calm and collected in the face of this house madness

"Ken-kun!" Omi managed as he ran into Ken hug before he pushed him against the wall, seizing the chance to make out with the boy in broad daylight. Lieutenant Samura jumped away as Ken put his lips to Omi and began to soundly make out with the poor boy. Aya-chan moaned once, her face almost as red as Aya before falling over in a faint. Sebastian barely managed to catch her with one arm around her before she hit the floor, still trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Aya-chan!!Is she all right?" Aya asked Sebastian in a panicked loud voice, forgetting in his concern that Sebastian wouldn't understand Japanese. Sebastian only sent Aya a hard look full of disgust as he put an arm under Aya-chan's legs and hefted her up. Ken didn't know what to do or say, too busy with trying to make it look real as he made out with Omi, one eye open to watch as Aya reached out one hand to help from the bed. Sebastian shot him a look that clearly told Aya to back off, showing a protection over Aya-chan that Ken had never though existed. Aya stiffened, sitting back on the bed as the model glared at him, ignoring the dangerous frown Yohji sent his way.

"Look what you did to her, you fucking pervert. You're her goddamn brother. She's you're flesh and blood and you shame her like that," Sebastian hissed in a different language to Aya's concern and simply hurt face, reddened from his . It was just as well that Aya couldn't understand the English. They all had heard it quite clearly. If Sebastian weren't holding Aya-chan right now, Yohji would have been more then happy to fix that mouth from ever opening again.

"What the hell?!" Lieutenant Samura roared in a very not-policeman like manner, disgusted and overwhelmed at the chaos around him. Ken offered no explanations except the exaggerated moans he made against Omi's mouth. His lips were just as he remembered from only a few hours ago, still soft and pliant despite the audience. Officer Mori's face, neck, and ears turned bright red, his face practically steaming with embarrassment as Aya and Yohji both tried to comb their hair back into place like they had done nothing wrong

"I think that we're done with the questions," Mori stammered, shoving his notepad into his pocket. Lieutenant Samura glared at each and every one of them for a moment, even making sure to catch Omi and Ken's eyes as they pulled away from each other. Ken stuck his tongue out the moment Samura turned to glower at Aya and Yohji, and then quickly popped it back in when the cop looked his way.

"You're dead meat tomorrow," Ken hissed to Sebastian as the asshole carried Aya-chan out to the door, shooting disgusted and abhorrent looks left and right to everyone. Even Samura raised an eyebrow at Sebastian's attitude as he carried Aya's unconscious sister out the door. Sebastian only spat at Ken's feet, his actions clearer than words could ever be as Ken and Omi both stared down at the wet, nasty stain on Yohj's floor. Thank God that Yohji was too busy staring at Aya's blank face to notice as Omi jumped away from the shiny goblet of salvia, making a sick face at it all.

"That's sick, Sebastian-kun!" Omi yelled at his back, making the 'kun' sound like 'you son of a bitch.' Ken hadn't seen Omi get mad like that at another person so easily, but spitting on the floor was crossing the line. Ken wanted to say a few choices words but decide that he had already said more than enough today, just as Yohji said. Ken decided to stay silent as Aya blinked at Yohji in confusion, waiting for his delayed translation.

"Sebastian said that he's a bastard and he's sorry for everything he's done to you," Yohji lied obviously. Even Ken thought it was a load of bull as Aya shot a hard look at Yohji, clearly not believing him in the least. Omi laughed at Yohji's silly interpretation of Sebastian's words, thinking it was funny that he had lied so badly. Even if someone didn't know English, they would have still been able to tell that the model hadn't been saying anything complimentary. Ken hated how Sebastian was able to walk away from this after saying whatever he pleased, no matter how much it hurt others.

"No, that what I going to make him say tomorrow," Ken swore from the doorway, staring after Sebastian's exit. He would make Sebastian pay for ever daring to race him. Ken wasn't an easy pushover, just as he would show Sebastian. Yohji and Omi both looked at him in the same tired, accustomed expression that said they doubted Ken's ability to even pick his nose properly, much less win a motorcycle race when Ken had been riding bikes since he learned how to walk,

"I!promise you, Aya." He turned back to face the wide-eyed redhead, meeting Aya's deadpan gaze head on for the first time in months. Aya didn't look away, his violet eyes looking right back into Ken's without the slightest bit of reaction. Ken didn't know if his words went through or not, but he would back them up no matter what. He promised Aya that he would make Sebastian pay, and now it was so tangible he could taste it. Ken would make Sebastian regret ever being born tomorrow.

"Okay," Aya sighed, a slight grin on his face for the first time in must have been years. The redhead seemed so overwhelmed that all he could do was laugh with a pained look in his eyes. Ken wanted to hold Aya for once, hug him at say that everything would be all right, instead of letting Yohji do it. He couldn't help but want to protect Aya, like someone would feel they needed to help a dog that survived being run over. Ken had seen a small dog get hit by a car once right outside the shop. He hadn't been able to think about anything else as he hefted up the poor bleeding thing in his arms and ran to the closest hospital without a thought, screaming in the emergency room that the dog was top priority over the rest of the humans in the waiting room. Aya may not be bleeding right now, but his eyes were watering just like that puppy's eyes had, glazing over at the pain but still so damn happy that someone gave a shit, wanting nothing more than a scratch behind the ears. Aya had more than enough abuse and it was all Ken could do to keep himself from turning around and beating the shit out of both of the police for forcing him to interrupted Aya and Yohji.

"Well, are we ready for lunch?" Omi asked happily, soothing the awkward silence that had filled the room as Samura, Mori, and Sebastian looked in on the two men sitting up on the bed in disgust as Aya and Yohji tugged clothing back into place and tried to brush down their hair. Yohji laughed bitterly and shook his head, unable to do anything but a smile as Omi ignored the fact everyone was quiet and upset with a big innocent grin. Omi could still be incredibly naive, less jaded than the rest of them, happier than Yohji, Aya, and Ken could ever be. Omi didn't wake up in a cold sweat at three A.M., somewhere between night and morning that felt exactly like the same suffocating night when he had ripped out a man's throat without a care.

Aya's eyes went wide and he gasped, raising a hand to his mouth in a very un-Aya like manner as he looked like he had just now remembered something very important. Ken didn't even get a word out before Aya bolted off the bed and shoved past them all with an energy Ken hadn't seen in months. He couldn't have been happier to see Aya's backside as the redhead stomped down the stairs and to the kitchen in a rush to vainly try to save the bacon that already hopelessly charred. At least Aya could still run.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Omi asked Officer Mori with a smile, always the perfect host for any guest, even police and hell-bitches like Aya-chan and Sebastian. Ken shook his head at the boy, knowing that Aya would explode if he learned there were two more mouths to feed when he hadn't even been asked if it would be all right for the police to stay longer than necessary. Yohji's face darkened, clearly not welcoming the policemen to outlive their stay even if he was remaining silent. If anything, it was more noticeable that Yohji was pissed off as all hell and ready to kill everyone in the room. Especially with the glare going Aya-chan's way, even if she hadn't been the first to barge in on Yohji trying to suck Aya's brains out through the mouth.

"Oh, yes, please! Samura would go to one of those fast-food places otherwise!" Officer Mori accepted the invitation eagerly despite Samura's quickly hidden flush as he replaced it with a glare at them all. It hadn't half as good of the dark looks Aya could manage that just smacked of death if anyone tried to fuck with him. Aya had managed to create the perfect and complete act of not giving a shit, using the scar tissue to hide something broken underneath.

"Omi!" Yohji hissed, obviously thinking the same thoughts as Ken as he glared over at Aya-chan. She sent the rude look right back, not about to back down to the blonde that had taken over her bothers life. Her displeasure with Aya's relationship with Yohji was very, very distinctive. When Aya-chan held a grudge, she didn't seem to let it go, bitter as all hell that someone else had gained her brother's complete attention. Not that Yohji didn't more than deserve it. He treated Aya like he was made of spun glass, guarding him against anyone's advances, even Omi and Ken if they were a little too sudden or excited around Aya. Ken couldn't find a reason to blame the older blonde either when Aya shied away at anyone else than Yohji, his trust a very fragile thing these days. Ken wondered why Aya hadn't been running from them all after everything he had been through.

"Come on, Yohji-kun. Please?" Omi begged, clasping his hands together so he could give Yohji his best pitiful face, his eyebrows drawing up as tears threatened to spill over. Ken could see moisture gathering at the corner of Omi's bright blue eyes, a pitiful sniff audible even over Sebastian's scratching of his curly hair with his left hand. Ken knew he wouldn't be able to resist if Omi looked at him with that much sadness in his eyes, and Yohji looked no different as he tried to cross his arms and to be stern.

"Okay, okay!" Yohji gave up, failing miserably and throwing his hands in the air as both Omi and Officer Mori cheered while Ken and Lieutenant Samura both groaned and shook their heads. Ken hated having the same reaction as the stupid cop but couldn't help it one bit. He knew there would be hell to pay for forcing the redhead to cook lunch for the two strangers after so carefully trying to keep Aya from killing the police in their house. These two jerks should be thrown out the door without a second thought, not invited to share a meal! It was times like these that Ken couldn't fucking believe how damn nice Omi could be!

There was a snarl loud enough that even though it came from all the way downstairs and the whole house shook and they all flinched as the backdoor was slammed opened, no doubt by Aya as he went to throw out the ruined bacon. Even Lieutenant Samura, likely hardened by years of serving in the force winced at the loud bang of the door. Yohji sighed and excused himself to go down the stairs, no doubt trying to keep Aya from destroying their small back lawn in a fit of anger over something burned.

* * *

Aya-chan's eyes fluttered open, looking around the room in surprise at what must be Ran's bedroom. She could tell by the books filling the shelves and the traditional Japanese sword on an expensive wood stand. Only Ran would display such weapons out in the open. Aya-chan couldn't remember how she had ended up here on her brother's bed. The last thing she remembered was going upstairs to see where that miserable Yohji Kudoh had wandered off to and if it had anything to do with poor Ran, who she hadn't seen at all that morning. She remembered them all crowding outside the broken bedroom doorway and... and then...

"Are you awake yet, love?" asked Sebastian's concerned voice in English. Aya-chan looked up at the ceiling in confusion before Sebastian leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead. He was always sort of fatherly like this. He never really flirted with her and Aya-chan had to start all of the foreplay if she ever was in the mood, because Sebastian certainly didn't ever want to make out. It was almost like Sebastian was trying to avoid having a sexual relationship even if they were passionate lovers, but it just couldn't be the case!He loved her!Sebastian wouldn't have stayed with her this long if he didn't . He must just be shy about sex.

"Oh, my God!" Aya-chan yelled, sitting up straight on the bed as she remembered what had happened. Yohji had somehow managed to wrestle with Ran on the bed and pulled Aya-chan's brother on top of him so they could make out shamelessly with the door wide open. Not they could have closed it after Yohji had broken it down when Ran had locked the door and was screaming inside. Just thinking about it made her stomach twist, though not as much as the sickness she felt when she remembered how Ran had looked, his face lightly flushed from exertion that Aya-chan didn't even want to think about while Yohji grinned like a wolf and licked her brother's neck.

"Sebastian, what am I going to do?!" Aya-chan moaned, so sick of staying with Yohji, Ken and Omi. Things were getting more complicated than they ever should of. Ran wasn't supposed to be kissing Yohji!Ran was being seduced, completely blinded by Yohji's 'charming' attitude. Her dear brother didn't deserve Yohji's insistent, arrogant, and uncaring attitude, but someone much better, someone who was a nice, clean girl that would make him happy, not a disgusting playboy. She had seen that Yohji was good at picking someone off their feet with buying a present and only needing one meal with a woman before they were already having sex. Aya-chan had seen it happen many times when she had still lived in Japan and visited the shop in the morning, uncomfortable as a woman screamed and cried while Yohji told her gently that they were over. But this was her brother, and Ran did not fall victim to some lame pick-up line.

"Ran is... Ran loves Yohji!" Aya-chan sobbed out, reaching out to hold onto Sebastian with both arms. She couldn't believe it, but it was the honest truth. She had never seen Ran act this way around anyone before, not even her. As much as she wanted to deny it, they were together as tightly as if Yohji had snapped a set of handcuff around his wrist and to Ran's. Sebastian only patted her on the back like a brother, comforting her as a truly concerned lover should. When had Yohji ever held Aya while he cried beyond the few times Aya-chan had seen? Sebastian was there for her, even though she was being selfish with all of this crying and worrying. Yohji was probably going to leave Aya soon. The blonde was cruel and heartless like that.

"Aya-chan, I promise you this," Sebastian said in a very low voice as Sebastian put both hands on Aya-chan's shoulders, pushing her away so he could look into her eyes. Sebastian was trying to be serious right now, she could tell by the way his eyes had hardened and his face was dark. His next words would be very important, so Aya-chan held her breath, not wanting to miss whatever would happen next. She felt butterflies in her stomach and all Sebastian had done was give her a very sober look.

"I will break Ran and Yohji up for you," he swore to her, those beautiful warm chocolate eyes promising her that Sebastian would make it better. He could solve any problem with his smile and charm, his money and connections in the modeling world, but above all because Sebastian was such a wonderful person. Who couldn't tell such just by looking at him? He really did care about her, willing to make other people miserable so she could happy. Ran would definitely get over it, and nobody cared about Yohji anyway?

"Sebastian!" she cried out and hugged him, unable to think of any words that would tell him how much she appreciated this. Sebastian smiled and patted her on top of the head, like she was some kind of pet that had done something right. Aya-chan could have died happy like this. Sebastian cared for her and was going to make everything perfect again. She and Ran would go back to being brother and sister and Yohji could go rot. Aya-chan wasn't sure what Sebastian's exact plan was, but she was sure it would be incredible. He must have something in mind if he was going to say such things to her with so much confidence.

"Aya-chan, has anyone told you about tomorrow?" he asked her sweetly, in a voice that made her a little bit suspicious. They were leaving Japan and going back home tomorrow, right? She shook her head, unsure of what he was talking about anymore. He couldn't be talking about the flight departure time, because she had reminded him everyday they left in the afternoon. Sebastian smiled at her lack of knowledge and crossed his arms across his chest, drawing himself up proudly on Ran's bed. Aya-chan clasped her hands together, recognizing the stance from whenever Sebastian was about to say very important.

"I have a plan, my pretty. I'm racing against Ken before we leave for the airport," he informed her, and Aya-chan couldn't say she was very surprised. Those two had been fighting the whole vacation. Ken was obviously still in love with her, or else he wouldn't make such a show of being nothing more than a polite host. She could tell he was trying to make her jealous by falling all over Omi, but it wouldn't work. They were over, a long time ago. She just didn't want Sebastian or Ken to get in some horrible motorcycle accident. She feared them both being injured or hurt, just like Ran had been. Maybe he hadn't been involved in a traffic crash, but Aya-chan couldn't bear it if someone else close to her was hurt again, even a rude ex-boyfriend.

"Oh, Sebastian! Why do you start these things?" Aya-chan moaned, trying not to be too mad with him. She knew it was all because Sebastian was so competitive. It was Sebastian's one and only downfall and she would have to accept it in stride. He had probably been the one to suggest a race, even though she would have liked to blame Ken and pretend that it wasn't Sebastian fault. She wouldn't stop him from racing, knowing that would only make Sebastian mad, but she very much wished he didn't act like a complete child all the time!

"I didn't start anything now, you hear?!Ken came up and made a bet with me. How am I supposed to say 'no,' ha? It was a gentleman's challenge," Sebastian defended a little too loudly. Aya-chan pursed her lips in displeasure, just like Ran did when he was irritated. They must have gotten the habit from Father, and Aya-chan found it brought her comfort sometimes. This didn't mean Sebastian was completely off the hook, but things were a little different now if Ken had sparked this whole conflict. She sighed, thinking back to when she had understood Ken so much better and would have known why he wanted to fight with Sebastian. It couldn't just be over her.

Aya-chan, of course, hadn't spoken a single word about her and Ken's past relationship. She wouldn't tell Sebastian now when he was already so fired up against the brunette. She didn't think that Sebastian would be angry to hear that she and Ken had once had something very special since he never really seemed to care about whom she had relationships with, but there was no reason to tell him either. She was almost embarrassed about it, even if Ken was a really nice guy and their past association was nothing to worry about. Sebastian might ask questions though, like if she loved Ken more than him, or if Ken was better at certain things than him. Sebastian tended to get riled up about things like this.

"You know what that crazy mate put up as the bet?" Sebastian asked her. She shook her head. Obviously she didn't know since she just now heard about the race for the first time, but Sebastian liked to talk and tell stories, no matter how trivial it was. Tea time lasted so long back at home that Aya-chan had to pinch herself to stay awake while Sebastian went on and on with his mother about the latest photo shoot. Not that Misses Andrieu wasn't a lovely person, but sitting in the same room for four hours was unbearable. Aya-chan supposed Sebastian loved it because of all the time spent under the unblinking eyes of hundreds cameras everyday. He just expected everyone to pay attention to him. There was nothing wrong with his logic either. Sebastian was very handsome, witty, and a good motorcycle driver as well.

"A kiss from your brother," he told her in a quiet voice. Aya-chan blinked once, then twice, waiting for him to say something else that would make it all not true. How dare Ken put her brother up for a bet like he was a piece of meat!Ran was not an object that Yohji and Ken could toss around as they saw fit!She could kill Ken for doing this!Was it just so he could back at her? Ken knew how much Aya-chan loved her brother, lightly teasing her that they were more than just siblings. How could he be so cruel and heartless to do this to an ex-girlfriend and poor, poor Ran? Ken knew what Aya had been through!Why was he doing this?

"Sebastian!What are you going to do? He can't win!" Aya-chan cried out desperately. Ken couldn't be allowed to kiss her brother!Ran would die if he tried. He wasn't about to allow anyone to touch him, except Yohji, but that was because the blonde had twisted Ran's thoughts when it came to him. Somehow, Yohji had tricked Aya into thinking that the blonde really loved him when Aya-chan could see the playboy was planning to leave as soon as possible. He didn't love Ran. No one could love Ran as much as she did!

She had to get him out of this house, as soon as possible. It could not be healthy to stay with these so called friends that bet kisses on motorcycle races, regularly got completely drunk, had sex every hour of the day, or was too busy with the computer to notice what had been happening with Ran. Her brother had almost died and all three hadn't thought a thing of it. Now, Ken was going to destroy what little happiness Ran had found with his sister finally paying a visit by ruining their last day together. Why was he being so awful and mean to her Ran?

"I won't let him, my little darling," Sebastian promised her, his eyes glimmering with confidence. Of course Sebastian wouldn't let such a horrible thing happen to her brother!She sighed with relief, assured that Sebastian knew how much she cared for dear Ran and he would surely share the same love. They were going be a family anyway. She was expecting the proposal any day now and then Ran could be Sebastian's brother. But, Sebastian, being the wonderful and loving person he was, already was trying to save Ran from Ken without even being asked. He would bet Ken, and then...

"But, then you'd kiss Ran," Aya-chan said slowly as she came to the realization that if Ken lost, Sebastian would win. She looked at him in confusion as Sebastian only grinned wider. How could this possibly be a good thing?!Surely he wouldn't kiss Ran!It wasn't as bad as if Ken was to do it, but... but... She couldn't believe how things were turning out!It was like God was laughing at her right now!Someone had better be finding this funny, because Aya-chan was not at all pleased with where things were going now.

"Aya-chan, I a good kisser, right?" Sebastian asked her, the question unexpected. She nodded slowly, not sure where this was going. Did Sebastian doubt himself? How could he even wonder if he was a good kisser? Who else could make her heart race a little bit faster just because he was close to her? She didn't need a kiss to feel her blood start to warm in anticipation. Just being with Sebastian was enough for her. She wasn't like the other girls he had been with who were concerned with only his super model status and big bucks. Aya-chan loved Sebastian and everything about the man. He could be a penniless orphan for all she cared. They had found each other when they had been countries apart before. This was true love. It had to be.

"Oh, Sebastian, of course you are ?" Aya-chan cried back, offended that he would doubt himself. Aya-chan thought the world of Sebastian, and he should feel the same way. Her boyfriend only smiled to himself and cracked his knuckles as he usually did whenever he was deep in thought. Sebastian was obviously thinking very hard to figure out a plan for her sake, and that was all she needed to love him. Sebastian was studying her face, considering things that she could only imagine. Whatever plan he was cooking up, it certainly was going to be very good.

"Aya-chan, darling, I'll win that race tomorrow. Then, I'll have to kiss Ran. Except, it'll be his best kiss ever, so that'll make the boy forget all about Yohji and come with us to England. Wouldn't that make you happy?" Sebastian asked her, calling her brother 'boy' even though they were only a few years apart in age. Aya-chan stared at her boyfriend in confusion, spotting one very serious flaw that she was loath to bring up. Sebastian was obviously very proud of this plan, but wouldn't it only switch the affection from Yohji to Sebastian? She didn't want Ran to get into another relationship like that. She wanted to cure whatever illness had taken over Ran and get him back to her old, reliable brother who had no interest in anyone, much less other guys.

"But," Aya-chan started, not sure how could she argue this plan without making Sebastian angry. He was always so proud of himself whenever he solved a problem on his own. She didn't want to tell him that his plan was wrong. Aya-chan had no idea on what to do either. Unless she could think of something better, what would be the point in even arguing with Sebastian? She didn't know what to say, feeling more than a bit helpless now. She didn't know what to do to look out for her brother. She was used to Ran looking out for her.

"See, Aya-chan, I love you," Sebastian said unexpectedly, explaining his motivation for everything in just a few words. Aya-chan smiled, her heart filled with tenderness for Sebastian. He cared about her and wanted to be happy, and wasn't that love? He didn't feel anything for Ran!How could he when Sebastian was in love with Aya-chan as much as she with him?

Things just took time. Ran would come around soon enough as well, and than they could all be a family again. Everything would get worked out if she could get him to come back home with Sebastian and her, away from Yohji. He would go back to being her strong, older brother and she could introduce him to a nice girlfriend in England. Then, everything would be the way it should be. There would be no more of this silly business about feeling a shred of concern for someone as undeserving as Yohji. Sebastian would make it happen for her, because he loved her.

And, even above Sebastian, she loved Ran.

* * *

Finally, the house had emptied out sometime very later after lunch. Aya-chan and Sebastian were gone for probably the rest of the evening for last minute shopping for God knew what else. The two already had the maximum amount of suitcases they could check-in on their flight back home. Omi and Ken had left a while after the police had to go find some dinner and pick up a new frying pan, since Aya broke it throwing it against the side of the garage after finding a pan full of burnt bacon. Things just weren't made to take Aya's temper and their only frying pan was lying in two pieces in the backyard, the poor, weak steel handle snapped complete off when it hit the wall. It was utterly amazing what Aya could do when he was pissed. The cement wall now had a decent dent to remind them exactly what would happen if Aya got angry again: either someone died or something broke, and there weren't any exceptions, except for the fact Yohji was walking down the hallway under his own power. Oh, he had some fucking spectacular bruises from taking Aya's shoving and fierce struggling if Yohji startled him, surprised him, came on too strong, bitch, bitch, bitch, but he was still in one piece. Small favors of being in love.

The police had left after helping themselves to Aya's cooking and Omi's hospitality. If Aya had been pissed about being forced to cook lunch for seven people, he hid it reasonably well with a sour silence as he moved about the kitchen, not quite stomping. Aya didn't say a word to anyone, pretending he was deaf even after Aya-chan admonished him for not being cooperative with the police. His face spoke for him, darkened and still tear-stained, promising a lot of pain to anyone dumb enough to approach Aya right now. The redhead glared down at the stovetop, concentrating on the new bacon sizzling in the wok Omi dragged out from the cabinets and acting amazingly calm for the homicidal look Aya had.

Omi had even served everyone tea while Mori tried to ask Aya questions about the attack and failed miserably. It was hard to interrogate a person that wouldn't even acknowledge Mori was alive. Still, it had taken both Ken and Omi to hold Yohji back from pounding Mori's face into a pulp. Mori had managed to get the hint rather quickly after Yohji almost made it across the room before the two had managed to stop him.

Mori put the cap on his pen, the click declaring his questioning was over as the officer tucked the notepad back into his pocket while Aya-chan began to complain about how much time they had lost for their final day in Tokyo. Aya finished making enough sandwiches to feed everyone and a few of the neighbors, stacking up a nice pile on a large platter that he left on the counter. Omi must have known just as well as Yohji that Aya would never serve another person a meal, so the boy grabbed plates for everyone and Ken brought the sandwiches to the table, both of them covering up Aya's foul attitude before anyone could be the wiser. Mori was just irritatingly polite, asking for a napkin with a 'please.'

Yohji had preferred not to eat at the same table as Sebastian and two policemen. He wished that they would arrest Sebastian, get him thrown in jail and find a friendly new cell mate. Samura could go swallow a grenade for all Yohji cared as everyone started to dig into their sandwiches after grace and a round of 'thank you's that Aya didn't even turn his full attention to as he started to do the dishes. And, Yohji couldn't forget how much he wanted Aya-chan dead and rotting when piped up to complimented Ran on his 'homely' cooking. That was all it took for Yohji to dig into the refrigerator and fish out a beer from behind the pickles which he knew Omi hated, so it would be unlikely that the boy would move the jar and find out where Yohji was hiding his latest stash of alcohol.

Yohji snapped the cap off the bottle on the edge of counter while Aya scrubbed at the assorted dirty dishes, new ones and older plates piled up in the sink from the past few days. There wasn't going to be anything left to clean in the entire house for Aya at this rate. The man had turned into a cleaning machine, dusting things and adjusting pictures on the wall every day when he thought Yohji hadn't been watching. Yohji supposed it was good to have such a neat person for a lover, since Yohji only cleaned once a year, but whenever Aya cleaned he seemed nervous. Yohji supposed it was a way for redhead to distract himself from thinking about certain things, but he would have preferred it if Aya would just lay down on the couch and watch television like a normal person, so Yohji would be able to watch Aya without the redhead wandering off to re-organize the linen closet for no reason.

In the end, it was a good thing Aya made so many of Ken's stupid B.L.T.s, because everyone wanted seconds. Samura and Ken even went for thirds, each laughing as they recognized a fellow glutton. Lieutenant Samura stopped playing cop and started to talk in a decent, civil manner with everyone, becoming very warm and friendly, almost like a distant uncle. Yohji couldn't blame them for opening up under the pressure of Ken's honesty and friendliness. Besides, very few people could resist Omi's innocent charm as the boy laughed perhaps a little too loudly when Mori made a bad joke. Yohji hadn't even noticed the cop was trying to be funny until Omi laughed for his sake.

Yohji started to regret that he hadn't eaten something, feeling hungry as he sipped on the beer and watched everyone else eating. Well, he could have plenty of chances to get Aya's cooking later, and hopefully Aya would make something a little better than a fucking sandwich. Yohji took the last swallow of the beer as he stared at Aya, watching the way he moved his hands in circular motion with the sponge on a plate. Yohji had never thought it was a turn on before, but seeing Aya wash the dishes made him horny as a dog in heat. So, he stood quietly in the corner with the refrigerator, eyeing Aya and biting his bottom lip as he wistfully thought about all the things he could do the redhead when he finally got him alone.

By the time Officer Mori and Lieutenant Samura left, which had taken far too fucking long in Yohji's opinion, they had ended up with two friends who for once had absolutely nothing to do with assassins, Kritiker, and were, for the most part, normal. Well, Samura might not be with his lousy police-superiority complex, but Mori was likeable enough to make up for his older partner. Yohji supposed it was kind of nice to have a meeting planned at a bar in a few weeks with friends they had made all on their own, or at least Omi and Ken had. The cops were the first male companions around their own age, though Samura was even older than Yohji. It had been so long since he had an ordinary citizen for a friend that Yohji wondered what the hell they could do, if not kill people together.

Well, Omi apparently had it all planned out, excited as all hell after the cops cleared out over meeting new people, already planning out the lunch they had scheduled. That was fine and dandy since Yohji didn't have a clue how to act around their newly acquired friends. He couldn't be himself, because that would more than likely get him arrested by Samura. If they ever found out about Monique, the minor Yohji had picked up when he was too drunk to see his own nose, he'd be brewing in a jail cell for the rest of his life. Yohji had better plans than that, thank you very much. Cops did not make good lasting relationships with people like him, but it seemed like they had new friends if he wanted them or not.

All of them except Aya, that is. Complete silence was pretty bad, even for Aya. The redhead had disappeared while they all had finally shown the policemen the door. Yohji knew better than to immediately chase after him when Aya was trying so hard to be alone. Whoever thought he'd turn into such a hopeless mess over Aya? If someone had told him a year ago that he was going to fall in love with the stoic leader, Yohji would have laughed so hard he'd cry. Now, he'd just nod in agreement, just as he had long ago when Omi had tentatively asked if he was planning to stay with poor Aya-kun for a while, 'like... forever?' If Aya only knew how concerned everyone was for him, but he thought nobody cared. Ken had nearly kicked Yohji's bony ass in backyard and Omi had had a long talk with Yohji about how important it was for Aya to have a steady, permanent relationship like Yohji didn't have a clue how badly Aya needed him.

Here he was now, hopelessly in love. It was almost pathetic. Yohji wouldn't be able to deny the fact he was head over heels for one person. And his old flings used to accuse of not having a heart at all. Yohji had thought he buried those feelings long ago, finding comfort in an orgasm that robbed him of all his senses and then moving onto another to keep away the loneliness. Nobody could make him forget what a horrible piece of shit he was twice, because the sex only worked once per person. Yohji wondered what Aya would say if he explained that Aya was the first person he had ever really, truly found happiness with. Not even Asuka had healed his heart. In fact, she was the one to break it. With Aya, Yohji found himself wanting to forget everything that hurt and just wanting to be there with the irritable, pissy, thin man.

But, that didn't really matter now that Yohji walked down the hallway to his room. After waving goodbye to Ken and Omi, the last couple to leave the house, Yohji had decided it was more than high time to have a private conversation with Aya. His explosion this morning had really been uncalled for, even if there was that stupid race tomorrow. Hopefully Aya was cooled down enough to talk courteously about it. Ken was going to have to win, because there was no way in hell Yohji was letting Sebastian kiss his Aya.

Yohji opened up the door and barged in on Aya glancing up from the sock drawer in surprise, a folded pair of boxers in his hands. Aya blinked curiously as he placed the underwear into the drawer, his eyes not leaving Yohji's face. Aya was waiting for an explanation without a single sign of the depression Yohji had figured he'd be wallowing in right now. In fact, there was a pile of clean clothes on the bed, most of it Yohji's as he did a double take, a little taken back that Aya had done his laundry, as the redhead dropped the rolled pair of socks into the drawer and slid it shut with a soft tap of wood against wood.

"Hey, uh… thanks, Aya," Yohji managed, still a bit too confused to form a proper sentence. It was the weirdest thing to watch Aya nod as he went back to the bed and picked out a pair of Yohji's jeans. Aya snapped the waist straight, shook the folds out of the legs and folded the pants with the efficiency of a military officer. Yohji numbly held his hands out and Aya wordlessly handed the folded jeans over to him, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moments before Aya looked away in barely hidden embarrassment. Yohji supposed they had some sort of teamwork, just as good as Omi and Aya's was if not better, since Aya could understand he wanted to take the pants over to the dresser. And Ken said they had 'communication problems.'!

"You don't have to do this, you know," Yohji tossed over his shoulder to Aya as he turned to march over to his dresser. Yohji didn't want Aya to think that he needed to pick up after him. He eventually got around to cleaning and laundry, but it usually took a while until he thought it was actually necessary. Aya was by far much cleaner and stricter with himself than Yohji ever would even dream of being. It was probably half the reason Aya was wound so fucking tight all the time, keeping the house as sterile as museum when there were three other people living there. Yohji knew it was a hell of job, but he didn't have the fucking foggiest idea why Aya felt like he needed to do it. Oh, no doubt because Aya was more than just a little messed up now, but no one was stupid enough to say so out loud.

"I do if you want clean underwear," Aya snapped back to remind Yohji that he was guilty as charged for wearing his last clean briefs today and hadn't put much thought into what he would do for tomorrow. Yohji put the jeans into the dresser, shrugging as he tried to be nonchalant about it. Aya was more responsible than him, taking care of everything in the room even if it wasn't for himself. Of course Aya would know that Yohji was out of clean boxers because… Wait a second…

"How the hell did you know I was out of underwear?" Yohji asked before he even had the sense of mind to shut the hell up. Aya's profile didn't even twitch as Yohji realized it probably wasn't the smartest thing to point out the little habits Aya tried to hide from Yohji. He didn't care, long ago accepting the fact that Aya was fucked up and loving him for it as the redhead regarded Yohji out of the corner of his eye warily. Then, a very light plush almost the color of a peach took Aya's cheeks and he licked his lips nervously. Aya didn't do nervous.

"I…" Aya tried to explain himself and failed, floundering as his mouth moved to form words that he couldn't even give a voice to. Yohji raised up an eyebrow and knew in that instant that Aya had been digging through his drawers. He wondered if the sneaky little bastard had gone through the other boxes, cabinets, and collected crap in his room. If it had been Ken, Yohji would have beat the crap out of him, or if it Omi he would have maybe only yelled for a while, but since it was Aya, Yohji felt pretty damn complimented.

It was a new thing to have such a curious lover, but Yohji was confident it meant Aya had to feel a little more than just passing affection. There was no way a person could hate someone and want to handle their personal garments. Yohji knew of a redhead who had to be in love, and he'd be damned if it wasn't him. Just because Aya couldn't say 'I love you' out loud didn't mean that he didn't try to in different ways, smaller gestures that anyone else wouldn't have even noticed.

"What else do you know about me, Aya?" Yohji taunted, knowing it was dangerous as fuck to bait Aya but actually enjoying it in a sick way. Aya arched one fine eyebrow, dropping a shirt that he had picked up to fold in disdain. Yohji wasn't always on the top of these verbal spats, so he knew well enough to appreciate it when he got the chance to tease Aya, lightly, of course. If he was too mean, there was real danger of feelings getting hurt with how easily Aya's heart bruised. The smallest bit of discomfort was enough to make Aya withdraw into his shell again, like a game restarted when Yohji had finally reached the final level.

"You're almost out of cigarettes too, you prick," Aya said with enough chill in his voice to start the next ice age. Okay. So, he had already teased Aya past the point of no return. Perhaps Yohji had been a little too romantic just than in thinking Aya had something like a heart. Aya was probably right and even if he was wrong, Yohji wanted to smoke whatever was left in the wrinkled pack on his dresser. He felt anxious all of a sudden, wanting so badly to yell out how much he loved Aya and wanted to get a better answer back than 'hnn.' Why did Aya always have this affect on him, turning Yohji into a nervous mess when he was usually confident and self-assured?

"Thanks for reminding me, Aya," Yohji ground back, polite as always no matter how hard it was as Aya glared back at Yohji with his hands in tight fists in front of him. Yohji felt like grabbing the redhead by the shoulders and shaking some goddamn manners into him, but instead he pretended to be civil and forced an uncomfortable grin on his face. It felt so fake that it was a wonder Aya didn't punch him right then. Yohji had always thought that Aya was the better actor out of them but apparently Yohji was now that Aya's mask had broken.

"You're welcome," Aya grudgingly returned, just as polite as Yohji was trying to be with a gruff expression on. Yohji was floored. And he thought Aya didn't have any manners. Really, whenever he thought there was no hope at all, Aya could do a complete turn around and show that underneath his 'hard as nails' act, there still was a human being. Yohji want to see more of it than just those few flashes of personality Aya let slip sometimes if the redhead didn't get a nap that day, or was really tired. He wanted to know what Aya was really like beneath that cold exterior as the redhead picked up the same shirt he had dropped only moments ago and snapped out the folds on the shoulders. Yohji could tell that there was a damn polite and modest person in front of him that was ravenous for the slightest scrap of affection after so many years of being by himself. Oh, Aya would never let anyone know that no matter how lonely he got. It was just that Yohji had hung around long enough to see what Aya was like every hour of the day and night. Somewhere behind that cross expression was a person that was desperate for the even slightest bit of love and affection, and Yohji had more than enough ready to give whenever Aya finally broke down… or through, and was able to say 'I love you' without forcing it.

"So, what's for dinner?" Yohji asked curiously, secretly hoping that he could get Aya to cook something for just the two of them. He was pretty sure Aya would likely make something nicer than what lunch had been, being the hidden domestic he was. Yohji didn't have a clue where Aya had learned how to cook like a gourmet, dance better than a professional, play the piano decently, and even a good hand at writing calligraphy. Someone had spent a lot of time with Aya when he was a kid to make sure he grew up into a cultured, well-educated, and old fashioned gentleman, but Yohji just couldn't imagine the redhead ever being able to listen to another person tell him what to do. Even when he was five years old Aya must have been screaming and cursing like a sailor.

"Whatever the hell you want. I'm not hungry," Aya disregarded Yohji's question as walked over to the closet and reached in to grab an empty hanger with Yohji's clean shirt in hand. Aya hung up the shirt quietly to the silence of Yohji's disappointment in his appetite without looking at him even once. The redhead was still too damn skinny, but the scarce fat Aya had gained back was a relief. It was a long way from where Yohji thought Aya should be, preferring his lovers to have at least a little bit of padding and squishy spots to hold onto. Aya was all bony angles with scattered soft expanses of flesh and sleek muscles that weren't nearly as gaunt and stringy as they had been months ago. Yohji couldn't deny that Aya was irresistible even now, but a few more pounds would put the redhead off the chart. It would be enough to make all those ninety degree angles turn into curves that Aya should have to look healthy.

"I'll cook something, then. What do you want?" Yohji asked, ignoring Aya's last statement because it was just so fucking ridiculous. Aya needed to eat more, end of argument. At least, that was how Yohji saw it. Aya obviously did not think the same way. If the redhead had been a cat, all his fur would be sticking up straight in a dangerous and defensive manner from the sharp glare he sent at Yohji. He suddenly realized that Aya was still in the middle of a very bad day and forcing the redhead to eat when he didn't want to might not be a good idea. Every instinct was screaming at him to try and run as Aya took the few steps to stand straight in front of Yohji. Aya's cold anger made him a little bit taller even though he was fuming underneath Yohji's nose, close enough to breathe on.

"I'm. Not. Hungry," Aya clearly enunciated each word, just in case Yohji tried to pretend that he hadn't heard him. Aya had to tilt his head up to meet Yohji's eyes from this distance, violet eyes narrowed at him threateningly. Oh, God. Yohji could smell Aya, the soap from his latest shower, the lack of clinging cigarette smoke that had settled on all of Yohji's possessions and instead a soft and weaker scent that was uniquely Aya's. He could die happy like this, teasingly close to Aya with sex probably the farthest thing away in the redhead's mind. It was first and foremost for Yohji, brought forward by mere closeness, but he managed to ignore the desire to toss Aya down on his damn laundry and screw until tomorrow.

"And I'm asking you what you want for dinner," Yohji answered right back, in no mood for Aya's bullshit no matter how good he smelled, looked, and probably tasted if Yohji could get away with it. If Aya just wasn't such a stubborn son of a bitch, he'd be perfect. Yohji stood there with his hands in tight fists, expecting Aya to start yelling at that one. Instead, the younger man sighed heavily and rested his knuckles on his hips, looking up at Yohji as though he was the most repugnant thing in the world. Dark eyes were almost hidden behind the fall of Aya's long bangs and Yohji didn't know if he should slap him or kiss him. It was a good thing that Aya was so damn pretty, or Yohji wouldn't let the redhead get away with saying half of the things he did. It was hard to stay pissed at someone that was drop dead gorgeous.

"Whatever the hell you want. I don't care," Aya conceded for who the fuck knew what reason with a dark expression on his face, permanently pissed off. Aya stood fuming underneath Yohji's chin, most likely angry with himself for agreeing to Yohji. Maybe Aya had finally ran out of rage after all the yelling and crying he had done today. Yohji really couldn't even care what Aya's mood was, because his hair looked like it was made out of silk and the fine curve of his cheekbone more than made up for his shitty conversation. Yohji usually managed to ignore the sound of Aya's voice and stare at the beautiful man in front of him, wondering once again why the hell the younger man couldn't have been born as a woman.

He just couldn't resist anymore. Yohji leaned forward and landed one innocent little peck on Aya's cheek, nothing more than a brush of his lips by the soft rise of Aya's jawbone. There was a different sigh then, so quiet that Yohji wouldn't have heard it if his ear wasn't right next to Aya's mouth. There wasn't the single hint of irritation in that gasp Aya had accidentally let slip. Yohji could feel the warmth of Aya's breath on the side of his face, the slightest bit of trembling visible in his eyebrows and lips. Yohji pulled back a bit to allow Aya some space, still significantly closer than before. Yohji knew how damn touchy Aya could be if he started to feel crowded.

"Then… stir-fry," Yohji announced like nothing had happened. Hopefully Aya would think it was all a dream and not hit him for being so daring. Yohji just couldn't help himself when Aya was looking so irritable and cute. Aya's brow furrowed in confusion, thoughts running rampant behind those narrowed and swollen eyes. Aya had probably cried when he had disappeared out of Yohji's sight for the second time today. Again, the lightest touch of color to Aya's pale face spread across his cheeks, flustered for some reason that Yohji couldn't even begin to phantom. He was just happy to get a reaction out of Aya. He was getting through now, day by day, every damn single little hard-earned time Aya finally gave up and let Yohji get his way.

"That sounds nice," Aya remarked absently, as if their closeness didn't matter. Yohji didn't know if he should be complimented or not, because Aya's eyes were drifting toward the bed full of clean and unfolded laundry, eyeing the unfinished chore instead of paying attention to Yohji. He was being outright fucking ignored right now! Yohji's disappointment must have shown through on his face, because Aya glanced back at him with a studying look for a moment, silent and thoughtful with his thin, perfect arms loosely crossed over his chest.

"What?" Aya asked back with a little bit of heat in his voice now, however faint it was. Yohji could have slapped him, really, but he dared not. He loved Aya too much for that, but it was always damn tempting at times when Aya got really tedious. Yohji sighed heavily, ready to get pissed off now if Aya was thinking that some clothes that needed folding were going to take priority over him, but Aya beat him to the point with his own exasperated sigh and a toss of his hands.

Yohji opened his mouth to repeat Aya's own question with a few more choice words added when it was covered by something warm, soft and familiar. Aya was kissing him, a set of incredible lips pressed over Yohji's. He wanted to make it deeper and something more, but Aya put a hand on Yohji's upper arm, a delicate warning not to push it when Aya was already trying so hard with just this small gesture. Yohji took the hint and stopped there, standing still and only accepting Aya's kiss like a gentleman. He took a deep breath through his nose, calming down enough to keep himself in check. As long as Aya had a bare hand on the skin of Yohji's arm, he'd have to be happy. How could Yohji want anymore than this?

When Aya pulled his mouth away but not the palm cupping the curve of muscle on Yohji's arm, they both were silent. It was just a fact of life that Aya probably wasn't going to say anything for the next couple of minutes the way he was blushing now, but Yohji couldn't think of any words to say. Yohji could count the number of times Aya had kissed him of his own accord off of a mattress on one hand. They still made him breathless, dizzy, and wanting even more of Aya. He was starting to feel hot, everything going crazy for Aya. It was enough to make up for all of the shit Yohji had to go through for the redhead.

"I'll," Yohji started, having to pause and lick his surprisingly dry lips. "I'll start it, then," he finished lamely, unable to sound smart or particularly witty when Aya regarded him with two sets of violet eyes. Aya could still look like a predator at times, still an assassin that had hair-triggered responses programmed in if Yohji moved wrong. There had been a few times, granted most of them where when he was absolutely shit-faced, when Aya had flipped Yohji onto his back without a single clue to how it happened.

"I'll finish this," Aya answered back, tossing the hint of his fingers peeking out from the cuff of the shirt at the laundry on the bed. Yohji nodded and took one step back, wanting to put distance between them before Yohji couldn't even control himself. Aya licked his own lips slowly in an echo of Yohji's gesture, making him wonder if the redhead was tasting the last trace of him.

I'm… I'm supposed to be doing something right now…Yohji reminded himself as he started to breathe again. Aya didn't even say 'goodbye' as Yohji rushed out of the room, heading for the bathroom before he even thought about the kitchen. He wouldn't be able to cook like this. There was a hardness that was starting to turn painful between his legs as Yohji walked awkwardly down the hall. Damn how mind-blowing fucking sexy Aya could be sometimes. If Aya had noticed the sudden bulge in Yohji's pants, he had said nothing and that was just as well for him.

* * *

"Are you smoking?" was the first thing Aya said when he finally chose to come downstairs in a sour tone. Yohji glanced up from the wok he had cleaned out and put to use again, his second cigarette since entering the kitchen amber at the end. He had opened a window and the backdoor since the weather was actually decent for once to let the place air out before Yohji could fill it with smoke. Aya was still glaring at him for smoking and cooking at the same time, and Yohji didn't do anything but continue to toss the noodles and the lucky score of a pre-made stir-fry packet he had found in the cabinets. He had already tossed the evidence in the trash and covered it with a few crumpled towels so Aya wouldn't be the wiser.

"Why? You want one?" Yohji asked right back, stabbing into the sizzling mess in the wok with chopsticks to keep the noodles from burning on the side of the pan. Here he was, slaving away over a hot stove for Aya when they both knew damn well Yohji wouldn't do it for another living soul, and he was getting bitched at for smoking. It was Aya's own fault for driving Yohji to smoking away the last shred of his heath. Yohji's lungs might give out before he ever got Aya to admit that he was in love. He couldn't help it though; it was either nicotine or go insane because of the temperamental redhead.

"No," was the cold answer which didn't invite anymore conversation. Yohji shrugged as he took another drag and eyed the stir-fry as he tried to judge if it was finished or not. Yohji heard the scrap of the chair legs on the floor as Aya sat down at the kitchen table, but he didn't turn around to look. It was a miracle Aya had come down from Yohji's room at all with how much time he spent in there these days. It was like Aya had just made his room into a secondary hideout like Aya's old bedroom had been.

"So, you wanna move your stuff in after Aya-chan and it leaves?" Yohji asked as he reached up to pull the cigarette out of his mouth for a moment and tap out the ash hanging on precariously at the end before it fell into the wok out in the sink. He didn't say after the race. Yohji didn't want to think about that, not that goddamn stupid bet Ken had agreed to. Yohji should have punched the rash bastard before things have even gotten this bad. He felt like tomorrow was the end of the world. If Sebastian won, how much of Yohji's work would he destroy by one kiss?

"Okay," Aya agreed lazily from behind Yohji's back, the answer Yohji had half not expected to hear. He'd had figured on Aya asking it would be 'all right' again or checking if Yohji really wanted him, like a toy worrying that he wasn't fun anymore. How could Aya think that Yohji didn't love Aya with all of his heart? He was making dinner for the man! Yohji Kudoh most certainly did not do this for just any old person, only when he was trying to impress them. Aya was someone he was trying to astonish and amaze just as much as the redhead did Yohji.

"You better be ready to eat something after all that laundry, Aya," Yohji warned the redhead. He didn't care how long they'd have to sit at the table, but Aya was going to get something down his throat if Yohji had to shove it in himself. Aya had already skipped lunch today, and Yohji wasn't about to let that go unnoticed either. He popped the cigarette back into his mouth, ready to finish off the last little bit as the stir-fry seemed just about finished as well.

"Okay," Aya sounded very resigned as Yohji opened up the cabinet to the side of his head and pulled out two bowls for each of them. At least Aya realized he was going to have to eat something if he was going to leave the kitchen. He should after how many times they had gone through the same routine with Yohji clamping a hand around Aya's wrist to keep him at the table until the plate was cleaned. Yohji learned not to mind Aya's sulking so much and to be strong when Aya had learned looking pitiful was a severe weak point for Yohji.

"You want a fork or chopsticks?" Yohji asked, knowing that sometimes Aya's fingers would ache too much to use chopsticks when he was too cold, tired, upset, or anything that was a complaint at the time. Yohji couldn't even remember how Aya had been before he'd managed to break or bruise every bone in his body. He started to serve up one bowl for Aya, making sure to put in extra pieces of meat in his. Every little bit counted these days.

"Okay," Aya said in a strange and quiet voice behind Yohji's head before he realized Aya had repeated the same answer three times in a row. He turned around with a full bowl of stir-fry in one hand and the last bit of smokeable cigarette before the filter going down his lungs to give Aya a piece of his mind. Yohji hated being ignored more than anything else in the world and he was ready to smack Aya upside the head like he was a punk-ass student.

But, Aya was already out on the top of the table with his elbows folded underneath his head. One ear tail waved down the side of Aya's face with the bangs brushing over the closed eyes. Yohji wasn't sure where Aya had found the time to fall asleep, but he could see across the kitchen the redhead had practically passed out. Yohji pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed the butt out the window with a grimace. Of course Aya would choose to nap now.

Yohji sourly turned off the stove and only took the bowl he had meant for Aya, leaving everything else on the counters for clean-up later. Yohji would just use the chopstick he'd been cooking with to eat Aya's own serving with. Aya didn't stir when Yohji pulled up his own seat perhaps a little too close to the sleeping redhead and set the bowl down on the table. Even if Aya was asleep, just staring at the small curve of a profile Yohji could spy around his hair would be enough for dinner entertainment.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, sorry about the long wait. I've been really busy lately, especially since I ripped my rib cartilage away from my lungs. I had to go to the emergency room where they announced me as officially dead because the nurse couldn't find my heartbeat and when they took my temperature it was like 50 degrees because I drank water before and messed it all up. At least I got the super sexy doctor. I also started an art classes and just got swamped with all these commissions too, so I'm having fun, but it takes up a lot of my writing time. Damn this life of mine!