"Aya! Aya, wait!"
Yohji jumped forward just in time to stop the door that his teammate was trying to slam in his face. He slipped inside the room, closing it behind him. He faced a moment of indecision. If things went as he hoped, it would be convenient to have the door already locked. If it didn't, he might have to escape as quickly as possible.
A growl from across the room caught his attention. Aya was standing at the dresser, one hand resting on his katana, with an expression that had terrified many hardened criminals. "Get out, Kudoh," he said in a low voice.
"No," Yohji said, lifting his chin in defiance, "this is important. And I'm staying right here until we work it out!"
Decision made, he reached behind himself to turn the lock into place. He had always wanted to die for a noble cause, and this one would do. Nevertheless, he stayed where he was, on the other side of the room from the irate swordsman.
"I don't understand why you insist on making this so complicated," Yohji said, "I want you and you want me. Why can't we just get on with the fun stuff?"
Aya's expression shifted from angry to exasperated. The change was subtle, but Yohji had made an in-depth study of the redhead's emotions, and not much could get past him.
"Yohji, you know where my priorities lie." Aya was speaking slowly, like he would to a small, not-too-bright child. "Nothing has changed," he continued, "and I cannot imagine why you think I would agree to this now. Why can't you just drop it?"
Yohji sighed and slouched against the door. He had tried almost everything he could think of to convince Aya to give him a chance. His logic had been easily outmaneuvered. Romantic words had led to nothing more than rolled eyes. And his attempt at seduction got him punched. He was down to his last option, the one he had hoped to avoid because it was so dangerous-to him, to Aya, and to the team. But he was left with no choice. Yohji would have to try the truth.
"I can't drop it," he said gently, "because you need me."
Aya just stared at him. That was obviously not what he had expected to hear. "I need you?"
"You need me." Yohji stated, "Or, at least, you need somebody. And I'm the one volunteering."
Aya suddenly just looked tired. He stepped away from the sword, and sat heavily onto the bed. "Yohji. What the hell gives you the idea that I need anyone, especially you?"
Yohji ignored the implied insult. "Well, you see," he started, "it's like this. You have devoted yourself to caring for your sister, and hey, you know that I approve of that. It's the right thing to do. But it does take up a lot of your time. And what's left, you spend fussing over missions, or the team, or even the damn shop."
Yohji stepped slowly away from the door, hands open and non-threatening before him. Maybe, if he moved very carefully, he might be able to approach Aya without getting killed.
"And there just isn't any time or energy left over for you to take care of yourself," Yohji continued. "And so you need somebody to make sure you eat and sleep and relax, somebody to remind you that you're human too, and to try to make you happy."
He slid down onto the bed, pressed a finger to Aya's lips to stop the inevitable retort. "And don't you dare tell me that you don't deserve to be happy," Yohji insisted. "We're the good guys, Aya. We have sacrificed everything so that others don't have to. We deserve to take what happiness we can."
Yohji ran a hand through Aya's hair, smiling as the redhead unconsciously nuzzled into the touch. But he knew Aya wasn't convinced. Fortunately, Yohji had learned a lot about how to motivate his stubborn teammate.
"Besides," he asked, "how long will you be able to keep your sister safe if you're exhausted and sick? She needs you to be strong for her. And to do that, you need someone to take care of you."
Yohji nodded, pleased with himself. He had told the dreaded Abyssinian that he needed a caretaker, and he was still in one piece. But he watched carefully, having absolutely no clue how the other would respond.
Aya had frozen in place, still and silent, his eyes focused on the floor. He was shaking slightly, and it took all of Yohji's strength to not beg him to respond. He knew that waiting quietly was the best way to get Aya's answer. It was, when it came, so soft and tremulous that Yohji could barely hear it.
"I'm scared." Aya said.
Yohji slid closer on the bed, running one leg behind Aya and wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. He whispered into his ear, "I know. I am too. And I understand why, because there is no way that I'm going to survive losing another person I love."
Aya startled, twisting in the embrace to look into Yohji's eyes. "You love me?" he asked, somewhere between incredulous and bemused.
Yohji thought it was the cutest expression he had ever seen, but he knew better than to say so. He leaned in close, nose to nose, and put all the sincerity he had ever had into his answer. "I love you, Aya, more than anything in the world."
Aya was blinking rapidly, as his entire reality shifted to take into account this new and stunning information. Yohji could see the moment that it all came together, was delighted as he realized that he had finally managed to do the right thing.
Aya leaned back just a bit, his head cocked to one side and a slight grin on his face. "Well," he said mischievously, "I suppose I could give you a chance. For my sister's sake, of course."
Yohji laughed out loud, pulling his new lover in close and rolling them both down onto the bed. "I'll remember to thank her," he said. He caught Aya's lips in a long awaited and highly satisfying kiss.
Aya needed him. Not nearly as much as he needed Aya, of course. But Yohji was good with that.