Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Surrounded By Darkness ❯ Falter And Reach ( Chapter 8 )

Surrounded By Darkness

By: Atsureki

Disclaimers: They ain't mine! And that is just so not fair! /pouts/

Warnings: OCC, yaoi, angst.

Pairing: Yoji/Ken, um well 'hints' of Aya/Ken or something like that…

Notes: Stuff written in Italic are thoughts.

Chapter 8. Falter And Reach

Ken lay awake with his eyes tightly shut for a long time the next morning. He was afraid of opening his eyes, afraid that his sight would be gone again. In a stubborn pretence of resting he listened intently to the sounds around him. From Omi's room he could hear the distant clatter of keys being hammered on as the small blonde worked on his computer. Ken shifted his head slightly and heard noises coming from the room next to his. Aya was sharpening and/or polishing his katana.

But loudest was the silence from Yoji. He wasn't even sure the flirty blonde was in the house. The brunette sighed deeply and very carefully opened his left eyes every so slightly. Another sigh left him, but now from relief. The darkness wasn't there. He still couldn't see all that well but at least he saw something, which for Ken was good enough. But his sight was only one of his problems and he wasn't even sure how long he'd be able to see. Aya would take him to his doctor the day after tomorrow for a regular check-up and then he could ask, but until then he was determined to remain blind to his friends. A knock on the door startled him.

"Hai?" He forced his eyes to stare into the air when the door opened.

"So you are awake," Aya's deep voice murmured and the redhead came up to him. "Do you feel up to joining me in the store for a while?"

"Sure. Um Aya?"

"Aa?"

"Could you pick out some clothes for me? I don't want to look like a retard down there." A very soft laughter came from Aya and Ken could hardly believe what he was seeing. The redhead's amethyst eyes sparkling with… something, his thin lips quirked into a small smile.

"You go take a shower and I'll get the clothes."

"Thank you Aya." Ken made a number of feeling his way out from his room and down the corridor to the bathroom.

/&/

Yoji silently watched his former lover smile at some girls while his unseeing eyes stared off into nothing. The girls gushed over him and helped him wrap a bouquet of roses. Ken thanked them for their help and kept smiling warmly, like he always did.

"Yoji-kun?" The tall blonde glanced over his shoulder and managed a half smile.

"Good morning Omi." Omi raised an eyebrow and his blue gaze was frank and a little sharp when it met Yoji's eyes.

"So… Are you hung over this morning or are you still drunk?" the petit blonde asked with a disappointed edge in his voice.

"Omi?" Shocked Yoji stared at the younger boy. He had never heard that tone from Omi before.

"Does going out and getting drunk make you feel better Yotan? Does take away the regret for what you did to Ken-kun? Does it make you love him any less? Or does it perhaps make you smarter?" Green eyes hardened and a small trickle of anger oozed to the surface.

"Watch it Omi, you're treading on thin ice here," Yoji growled quietly. He got his second shock when the little blonde refused to back down and instead matched his anger.

"No, you better watch it Yoji, before you really do lose him!" Omi spat out, just loud enough for Yoji to hear him. "You're so stupid! Can't you see what's happening? Can't you see the change?" Yoji gave him a confused look and turned his head towards his former lover again.

Ken was standing beside Aya, one hand placed gently on the redhead's arm, tanned face smiling adoringly as he listened to the older man. With a bad feeling in his gut the tall blonde shifted to Aya instead and blinked in surprise. The icy assassin was speaking quietly, his normally so bland face softened with a barely there smile and his cold amethyst gaze had warmed considerably. As Aya continued talking his left hand rose and with familiarity he brushed away a brown lock of hair that stubbornly kept falling into Ken's eyes.

"I…" Yoji started, not quite sure what to say.

"Aya-kun would never take advantage of Ken-kun, but if you don't smarten up… he won't have to because Ken-kun will go to him willingly. He loves you Yotan, but he's not going to wait forever." Omi gave him a long look when he was done and walked away. He was right, Yoji knew that, but what could he do? Beg for forgiveness for being a fucking idiot and cruel asshole? Or how about for cheating on Ken?

Hurt stabbed the blonde and he hung his head in shame. He did need to apologize but he wasn't sure how to express himself. How on earth was he supposed to ask to be forgiven for hating the brunette for saving his life? It barely made any sense to Yoji himself so explaining it so someone else was virtually impossible. With a shudder he remembered the feelings that had run through him when he saw Ken fall to the floor, saw the puddle of blood forming around his lover's head.

His life had faltered then, not sure what was up or down anymore, not sure it was even worth the effort to try to get back on track if Ken wasn't there. The anger and hate had started blossoming in the hospital when he found out that the brunette wasn't going to die, but that he was most likely permanently blind. Inside he had roared at Ken as he waited by his bed. Sharp thoughts had whirled in his head, demanding to be let out. They wanted to him to scream at his lover that he was an idiot for putting himself in danger, that he should be punished for being so selfless when it would only end up hurting Yoji.

"How dared he…" the blonde muttered out beneath his breath. "How dared he almost kill someone I care about?" The empty store paid him no mind and the only one listening to his low voice was Aya. "Goddamn you Ken!" Yoji suddenly bellowed; eyes filled with tears he had no intention of allowing to fall. "Goddamn you for hurting what belongs to me! The one person I love! Goddamn you!" Amethyst eyes observed the tirade calmly and when the blonde slumped down against the wall their owner left quietly.

"You selfish, obsessive, bastard," Aya groused tiredly. "All this time you've hated Ken because you love him and he unknowingly almost took that away from you. Kudou no baka!"

/&/

"Um Aya?" Ken carefully felt his way out from his room and towards the redhead's door. It was a lot harder to fake blindness than he had thought. Luckily enough Aya had told him about how his eyes strayed aimlessly now and how they never settled ON something but rather focused on nothing at all, always slightly off centre. His hand made contact with the redhead's door and he carefully schooled his eyes. Hesitantly he entered the dimly lit room and forced himself to not look around.

"Ken?" Aya was standing by the window clad in nothing but a pair of black silk pants, his fair skin almost glowing in the pale moonlight; his face was left in darkness though, making it impossible for Ken to read his expression. The redhead was absolutely beautiful, but there was an aura of sorrow and loneliness surrounding him.

"Aya, I…" His words faltered when his friend turned around and revealed his face. Weariness, sadness and longing were etched in his eyes and his whole body had the defeated stance of someone who had fought alone for much too long.

"Yes Ken?" Aya's voice sounded as bland as usual, but his mask had slipped. Ken blinked and made himself not to look straight at the redhead. He knew why Aya partially had dropped the façade, there was no longer any need for it around Ken. The brunette wanted to search his friend's face and as he pondered just why he had gone to Aya's room in the first place, his eyes wandered on their own. His focus was still way off but the unhappiness in the silent man's features were crystal-clear. Ken blinked, still staring into Aya's eyes. They widened in surprise and Aya let out a gasp when he obviously realized that the brunette was looking AT him.

"Aya, I…" he tried. The redhead seemed to be in shock and he failed to correct the vulnerable state he was in, standing there with his pain on display for anyone to see. Ken would never be able to explain, in words, why he did what he did next. It was just something he needed to do; something Aya needed him to do.

Without hesitation the brunette walked over to the slightly taller man, only stopping when they were chest to chest, and gently cupped his pale face in his hands. A few heartbeats went by before Ken covered Aya's mouth with his own. At first the older man didn't respond but as his friend's lips softly moved against his he gave in. They kissed slowly, chastely, hands covering the other's cheeks almost as in a strange embrace. Time ticked by but neither man withdrew, paused or wavered, nothing was noticed at all. Eventually the need to breathe and mentally deal with what they had done forced them apart.

"Ken?" Aya whispered, voice thick and slow, deeper than normally.

"Can… can I sleep here tonight?" It became quiet for a while as Aya searched Ken's eyes, looking for something, and then he nodded. They got on the bed without a word, positioning themselves forehead to forehead, nose to nose, sharing breaths, eyes locked and hands joined.

/&/

Yoji snuck out of his room late in the evening. He had been sitting in the darkness and contemplated just what the hell he was doing to his life… and Ken's. After his little episode in the shop he had really started to think about his reasoning, about his unwanted hate for his former lover. Maybe his change of view had happened because he had finally spoken the words out loud? Didn't really matter. What mattered was that he needed to sit down with Ken and talk, explain, apologize and start the process of rebuilding their friendship.

Yoji sighed quietly to himself. He wanted more than friendship but he seriously doubted he would get it now. There was so much for Ken to forgive him for, probably too much. Not only had he treated the sweet brunette despicably, but he had also cheated on him, albeit that had been an accident he didn't remember. Same difference really, cheating was cheating and Yoji wasn't about to blame it on being drunk. He crossed the hall and paused in front of his former lover's room.

Ken never closed his door anymore. Omi had asked him why and the brunette had answered that since he couldn't see he needed to hear instead, and closed doors 'blinded' him even further. With uncertainty the blonde drew a deep breath and walked inside. The air whooshed out of him when he found the room empty. Ken couldn't have gone far though because his bed had been readied for the night and the clothes he had worn earlier were thrown over the back of a chair.

As Yoji looked around he realized that Ken's room had changed a lot since the brunette had started to accept his blindness. There were no shoes, balls, clothes, CD's and whatnots scattered across the floor, no empty plates left under the bed along with empty cups or mugs. It wasn't really Ken's room in his eyes. Ken WAS messy, had always been messy and by all that was sappy and corny Yoji loved him that way.

When he started pondering just where his former lover had gone his head immediately suggested Aya's room and he gritted his teeth in annoyance. Ken had never shown any interest in the stoic redhead as anything more than a friend! Huffing Yoji stomped towards the icy assassin's half opened door and popped his head in.

It was rather dark and very quiet, but not empty. Near the window on the other side of the room stood the missing Ken, lip locked with Aya. Yoji wanted to run away from the scene but his feet were rooted to the ground by some masochistic need to know what was going to happen next. He didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Ken?" The redhead's voice was husky; almost purring and Yoji swallowed thickly, feeling hurt and jealousy burn in his chest.

"Can… can I sleep here tonight?" That sentence released the blonde from his invisible ties and he slowly straightened his back, brushed a few stands of hair from his face and left. Omi had been right. He had waited too long and Ken had gone to Aya, willingly.

~TBC~

YAY! Can you believe it I actually managed to squeeze out another chapter? Go me! /waves ugly pom-poms and cheers/ Well hope you enjoyed and let's see what happens? Ja/Atsureki