Koibito
He tapped his fingers across the plastic caps, as letters appeared hundred fold until they halted in motion and was left with his history paper. Omi smiled happy that it was now out of the way. He never did like to procrastinate, especially with his nightlife and the chances of things coming up- oh, how to put it- rather suddenly. He smiled to himself anxious to put the file onto disc and safely inside his book bag.
Ken leered from the couch; his favorite soccer team was ahead six to nil. "Omi! OMI! Look at that last goal, pure gold!" Omi rolled his eyes playfully.
"Ken-kun, I have to finish up my work, you know I can't watch the game with you." He began thinking, he k new he had to do something important today, well important to the household at least, 'The groceries!' He swore to himself angrily and ran into the kitchen to grab the list.
With a large crash he landed on a broody red head that looked rather unhappy to see the boy especially sprawled on top of him clumsily. Stray plants lay at his side and clumps of dirt on the floor near shards of clay pottery that had been used to house the plants just moments ago. Omi pulled himself up mortified. He extended his hand to Aya, extremely doubtful the man would take it, unless to twist it around to give him easy access to the boy's jugular.
Ever since the Takatori incident Aya had been particularly cold towards him, and even months later, with the execution of his entire bloodline, Aya still seemed pissed off at him.
Aya, as expected, ignored the boy's hand and hoisted himself up, Omi quickly left to get the broom, "Gomen nasai Aya-kun!" Omi's face fought Aya's hair for the honor of being the brightest hue in the room.
He patted himself off and snatched the broom from the clumsy boy, "Get two more pots."
Omi, quick to avoid confrontation moved towards the supply closet.
He walked out stark white after just entering it for a moment, "Eeeeeeeee! Nani! YOJI-KUN!" He rushed back to the kitchen blushing horribly, "Gomen Nasai! GOMEN NASAI!" He cried out to the woman in the closet with Yoji.
Yoji just snickered, grabbing a cigarette and lighting up, he winked to his girlfriend-for-the-day. "I think we may have startled him." He mocked, putting an arm around the woman.
Wondering about all the commotion, Ken drew himself out of the game to look towards the scarcely clad blond playboy, quickly grimacing at the cleanliness of their closet space. "Yotan! You pervert!"
"Oh, like you haven't done WORSE Ken-ken!" He smirked all too knowingly.
Omi's cheeks grew even brighter as his embarrassment mounded. Aya rolled his eyes, he reached into the cabinet ready for a drink, preferably hard liquor but he doubted he'd find that particularly with Omi doing the grocery shopping this week. His hand reached around. He felt a presence behind him, was Omi actually hiding behind him? That thought only fermented the anger; he turned a hard, long and cold stare down at the boy.
Omi shriveled. "Where are the groceries? Omi!"
Omi moved away from the red head with the speed Ken could only dream of on the soccer field as he dodged the irate man.
"I just came in here to get the list and go when I bumped into you!" He winced, this was the end, Aya would kill him here and now, and he wouldn't even get to leave behind a pretty corpse. Not that he counted on many mourners.
Aya threw him the list, seething. "Yoji, go with him!" Aya barked angrily.
Yoji retorted, "But A~ya I have a da~te!" His voice grated the already fuming man. His caused him to glare at the blond.
"I don't care, go."
Yoji was already making his way out the front door with his date, ignoring the berated man. His eyes narrowed.
Ken quickly whistled an innocent tune and darted for his room, though he doubted Aya would require his assistance as he noticed the man reaching towards the liquor stash.
Aya grunted he glared at the boy. "I guess you'll be accompanying me then Aya?" Omi asked bravely. He smiled coyly hoping to remove the tension in the air. Somehow it only seemed to make it worse.
"Hn." He threw off his apron, he swore to himself, have it gotten on his clothes, Omi's blood would have met the same fate.
Omi carefully moved towards the door, holding it open for his leader. Aya walked through it without the slightest nod or hint of awareness to Omi's being.
***WK***
At the small market, Omi went quickly through the aisles picking up the items the household had required. Aya picked up the most essential equipment for the household, alcohol, and lots of it. Omi could barely believe his eyes as Aya carried five bottles of hard liquor, economy size, to the counter.
"A.Aya.kun."
The dry look the man gave him told him his opinion was unimportant and most definitely unwanted.
He swore Aya was staring at him until the Earth would split open and swallow him whole.
As the clerk ran up the amount due, Omi bagged the groceries and readied himself to carry the burden.
Aya exchanged the exact amount with the clerk and left, holding the alcohol in hand. Omi came beside Aya's car that he had so kindly used to drive them here. He noticed the door was locked as Aya slid into the car.
He smiled slightly a bit nervous he pulled the door handle again after a moment. 'He wouldn't.' He thought his smile large, toothy and equally as anxious as he felt.
Aya glared at him as if to say with his eyes, 'Get off my car if you want to keep that arm, Takatori!'
Omi took his hand aback, the car started and left Omi with four heavy bags to walk back, and he hadn't even been smart enough to take the delivery scooter.
He sighed, picking up the bags he began to smile trying to make the best of things. "Well, at least it's a beautiful day. And it's not even too bright, it's perfect." He said optimistically.
As if to scorn him, Mother Nature opened up the sky and the first heavy droplets of rain landed on him.
He sighed. But of COURSE! Could this day go any better? He quickly corrected himself, so to not ask for any more trouble.
He neared the flower shop after the twelve-block hike in the downpour. The bags were as strong as wet tissues he determined after they had ripped a block before the shop. He tried to open the door and immediately spat at himself. "It's locked." he reached into his pocket. "I'm locked OUT?! Damn it!" He sighed; this would be interesting to see who opened the door.
He knocked. Nothing. He knocked for four solid minutes. "Oh come on guys! Let me in!" He whined, just then he saw Aya's car pull up. He groaned this was going to be fun, he could already tell.
Aya glared at the boy angrily as he opened the garage. "Aya-kun, I forgot my keys in your car, could you let me ."
Slam.
The garage door was closed leaving him soaked outside in the rain and the only person home, supposedly, had his keys and wouldn't let him in. "Splendid." An idea grew in Omi's mind. Aya had used the garage door opener. He raised a brow that would be easy enough, all he had to do was break into the wiring and he'd be in, easy as that.
He walked to the garage soon realizing they had wired it up at the top of the garage to deter petty thieves from doing what Omi was about to attempt. He kicked himself for making that suggestion as he reached for the wires in vain. "AYA~KUN this isn't funny anymore! Let me in!" He pouted, walking to the glass window in the back of the store, by the kitchen. He tapped on it anxiously trying to get Aya's attention. "Aya! It's cold out here!"
He began banging on the glass, he doubted that would hinder Aya, but maybe it would annoy him enough to open the door, or at least the window.
Aya slid the blind down, took out a bottle of alcohol and began to drink it straight from the bottle. Omi pouted, "This isn't funny you know! I have school work to do, and I have the groceries out here!" He scowled, "If you don't let me in, Aya, I'll. I'll break the window and let myself in! I swear!"
Ken came stumbling to the door, he apparently had finally noticed Omi's ruckus. Omi walked to the door, "Aya, it's about time you let me in. I was starting to think you wanted me to get. pneumonia. oh, hi Ken-kun!" Omi smiled cheerfully, though obviously falsely chipper. His hair was matted to his skin and he had a small shiver with his lips looking slightly purple from the temperature. Ken noticed his breathe freeze in the air as he looked at Omi in shock. "Omi why don't you have a jacket on or an umbrella."
"I thought I had a ride, it's not big deal, it's fine Ken-kun."
".I thought you went with Aya." His eyes beheld the red head as he took another swig of his alcohol. Noticing the scrutinizing view he glared back sharply and grunted. "I see. Why didn't you call me, I'd have given you a ride home."
"On a motorcycle? Ken-kun that would be silly." He smiled, walking inside the house still lugging the groceries. Ken grabbed a bag.
"Omi, get out of your wet clothes now, before you get sick."
"I'm fine, really Ken-kun. It was a beautiful walk home." His optimism bothered Ken, it was so grating to see a boy give his all to put a positive spin on everything, especially when Aya was being an asshole and the boy was practically justifying it as rational behavior.
***WK***
A petite woman with fair and milky skin came up to the door, tapping on it but once.
Aya sobered immediately and answered it abruptly.
"Weiss, you have a mission." She instructed them, heading down towards the basement, Omi speed-dialed Yoji.
After three minutes Yoji came into the door, wet, huffy and ready to attack. "This better be important Omi, she had a friend and was interested in. While hello Manx." Yoji smiled instantly.
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Balinese, there is a mission."
A light came on the television and a man shrouded in shadows appeared. "Men of Weiss, a string of violent attacks that seem related to Korin Corps. have resumed. Entire busloads of children have vanished in the past three weeks and the bodies have appeared all along the mountainsides, their bodies void of all nervous tissue. We suspect a group known as Grausam to be behind this rash of murders. Hunters of the night, deny these dark beasts their tomorrows."
The photos of several people appeared, understood to be "Grausam" next the images of twenty bodies flashed, or what may have been twenty bodies, Omi's skin crawled. That made him shutter even more, skin, these children were all void of it, all they had left were muscle tissue and clasps of hair, most everything else was dissolved away, or peeled away. Omi's stomach turned, he grabbed a folder from Manx not all that sure he wanted to see the contents.
His brother's legacy, this was his brother's final works, his final memories. Omi shuttered.
He could feel Aya's eyes burning into his neck. He groaned this was going to be a long night.
***WK***
Omi sneezed, rubbing his brown wool knit sweater under his nose, he hadn't gotten to change until Manx had left and Aya took his glare off him, which basically meant he was sopping wet for two hours straight. Aya had finally gotten distracted upon the sight of Yoji drinking one of his drinks and after a bit of a tiff, Yoji surrendered it but he got three bruises for his trouble.
Yoji swore, muttering something about Aya being an abusive drunk before he came out with a beer and Omi was in his room changing.
He slid off his top shirt and then peeled off his undershirt that stuck and clung to his skin with far too much ease. His normally golden smooth skin was wrinkled from exposure to water and pale. He rubbed off the excess water with a towel and then slid on a clean white t-shirt immediately followed by the warmed shirt he had- the soft brown sweater. The cocoa color pulled out the gold in his hair and he made fast work of stripping his pants and boxers. The baggy sweater hid his anatomy as his feet darted into the dark blue boxers; he bent down to pick them up when he felt an all too familiar stare on him. He wondered if Aya had realized he was gone and was staring through the ceiling at him or if he had no chance at all, and that he was glaring at him from the door. Whichever it was, he slipped his faded black jeans on, a clean pair of white socks and dry white canvas sneakers. He sneezed once more, again swiping at his nose with his sleeve to relieve the itchiness in his nose if only temporarily.
Omi walked to the door, "Yes Aya-kun?" Omi asked as he opened the door. "I was about to get started on the search."
Surprisingly, Aya was not there. Omi shrugged, his carpet would need to be repaired soon from Aya's burning eyes he assumed.
Back in the basement Omi's agile fingers made quick work of the research, finding names, schedules, and police records for all but three of the gang members. That made him nervous, the sheer number of people in this organization and they all seemed to be key parts of the operation. They were up to seven main targets.
Aya would not be pleased. Well, maybe he would, he seemed in a more- sadistic-than-usual-but-not-by-much mood.
***WK***
His elbows were propped onto a table and his face leaned against his flesh making his jaw feel a tingly tension from digging into his chin. His red tendrils of hair fell into his eyes as he leaned deeper into his elbows staring at his drinks. That boy's face just haunting his mind. The sheer thought enraged him, a Takatori on his mind and not soaked in blood? How disappointed he was in himself, he had to be partnered with that .bastard. and yet, for all the evils of his family, that boy seemed to be the only clean one there. Again, he was disappointed in himself; he glared at the direction of Omi's room, as if knowing the boy's movements more thoroughly than he was aware. Aya stalked towards the den, sliding into the shadows he watched as Omi came into the room without noticing him, sit down and start typing.
***WK***
'He's going to be furious, there's no escaping it.' Omi finally decided. He clicked on three more links, bringing up the profile of the remaining two members he had to track down.
He sneezed loudly, his nose tingling, he had just barely managed to cover his mouth before the saliva went flying.
Aya grunted, "Gesundheit."
Omi blushed furiously and turned towards the noise, "AYA-KUN?! What are you doing in here?" He quietly thanked himself for not talking out loud or doing anything embarrassing while Aya was in the room, or so he thought he hadn't done anything embarrassing.
Another grunt and then he stepped out of the shadows.
Omi's eyes went wide in disbelief, Aya was actually /DRUNK/ or at least that is what he appeared to be, as Yoji would move and act the same way when he claimed his loss of grip on sobriety. Omi's eyes went tiny, that meant he got the pleasure of working with Aya after school tomorrow while Aya was hung over. 'I am so dead.'
"Find anything yet?" It came off more as a statement then anything else.
"Um. well. yes. I just need to composite their schedules and see when we can hit them all at once." Omi said, nodding victoriously. He laid out the dates and using a graphing program plotted the data.
Aya, having lost his entertainment swaggered away with a disapproving nod.
Omi sighed. "Tomorrow is going to be a very long day." He stretched his arms into the air and yawned sleepily, looking at the time he pouted; it was 2:00AM, 'time for me to go to bed.'
***WK***
His eyes opened suddenly, then closed groggily. Opened, closed. Again. And then finally he rolled to the side of his bed to look at the time. Omi was amazed how the clock still looked so blurry. He brushed the hair out of his face only to feel how hot he truly was. 'A fever?' Omi asked himself. He slid out of the bed and towards the medicine cabinet. His hand slipped behind the mirror with precision and abstracted the thermometer instantly. He quickly cleaned it with mouthwash and slid it under his tongue.
After a minute he removed the device and read it. "40°!" He coughed slightly. "That's bad." He wobbled over to the sink and began pouring icy- cold water into the sink and soaking his face in the water.
Omi slid onto the floor, suddenly exhausted, the water still running in the sink.
***WK***
Ken could hear the sound of water droplets in a constant repetition, almost like running water.
His bladder beckoned and he dare not leave it unanswered, he slid out of his covers and rushed to the bathroom in the ritualistic dance of having to go to the bathroom REALLY REALLY badly.
He came to the door and was shocked to see it closed. He reached over to tap on it impatiently only to feel his sock dampen as he neared the door.
Ken's eyebrow shot up in concern. He began knocking on the door in a loud repetitive rapping. When no one answered his inquiry he tried the handle. 'Locked. Is it ALWAYS $%!!^# locked?!' he thought to himself, exactly like that too.
He leaned into the door, pulled his shoulder back and then slammed into it, then again, and again until Yoji and Aya stood outside of the bathroom with an equally curious and frustrated look upon their faces.
"Ken, what the hell are you doing? You realize it's 3:00 AM in Tokyo, don't you?!" Aya bickered.
Yoji moaned and wailed, "AND I have to be up by 11:00 AM! I NEED my beauty rest, just LOOK at the bags under my eyes WHAT are you DOING to me? I HAVE to look beautiful for the ladies today!"
Ken glared, "Where's Omi? I think something's wrong, help me open the door!"
Aya grunted. He looked at the floor empirically noticing the water, but in turn giving the appearance of turning his nose up at that idea. He turned away and walked towards the kitchen.
"What a dick." Yoji mentioned he shoved his shoulder into the door next to Ken. He continued to bang on the door with his fist screaming, "HEY OMI! You in there Chibi?"
Aya returned with a screwdriver, as the others' shoulders seemed to grow tired.
He grunted as he returned, signaling for the others to step out of his way.
Within half a minute the door was off its hinges and sloped towards the hallway.
Omi laid on the floor unconscious with a look of pain stretched over his face.
Ken shot his view around the room immediately after seeing Omi's condition. His eyes came into contact with a thermometer on the counter and knelt beside Omi spontaneously.
His hand touched Omi's cheek and shot back immediately, "Omi's burning up! I think he's really sick!" Ken lifted the younger boy up and carried him to the tub. Yoji turned the water on to cold and turned the knob making it go from faucet to shower in seconds. Ken sat inside the shower with him, keeping his face into the shower hoping to lower the boy's temperature.
Aya returned with a phone, no one had noticed him slip out.
He spoke into it calmly, "Yes. We'll be right in." He walked over to Ken and took Omi out of his grasp. "Yoji, get the car. We need to take him to the hospital."
***WK***
Omi woke up in a hospital bed with a paper gown replacing his pajamas and an IV replacing his urge to get up. He looked around the room noticing Aya outside of the door talking to the doctors and Ken sitting to his side, Yoji hanging inside the door. "Omi! Good morning there chibi, you gave us all a scare last night!" Yoji tapped Aya's shoulder signaling them all to swoop in and talk to their comrade.
Omi smiled weakly and looked at them sympathetically, "Gomen Nasai, I didn't mean to wake any of--"
Aya's hard stare made Omi choke back his apology.
Ken chided in, "Wake us?! Omi, you had a fever of 41.7°C! You should have woken me up if you weren't feeling good."
"I'm disappointed in you Omi, you didn't think you could come to me when you were sick?" Yoji teased, he played with Omi's head lightly.
Omi's eyes fell to Aya's and then to his own chest. "I. didn't want to burden anybody, I didn't mean to make you all worry. I'm sorry."
"Chibi, you know a frown doesn't suit you." Yoji said with a smirk. Aya grunted.
Omi noticeably shuttered.
The doctor then chimed in, reminding everyone of his presence, "His blood work came in, it's as we thought. It's just a minor bacterial infection, he probably thought it was a cold and ignored it. With a couple of days of rest and plenty of liquids, and the antibiotics he should be back to himself in no time." The doctor said as he wrote up a prescription to Amoxicillin.
Omi's eyes opened widely, "Doctor. I don't know whether or not I'm allergic to any medications--"
"Don't worry, we had your records on file here. Your regular pediatrician sent them over. From Kritiker." He noted eying the door to make sure it was shut before adding that part in.
Omi nodded knowingly, Manx had seen to that apparently.
***WK***
"Does this mean the mission's off?" Ken asked Aya on the drive back, Omi leaned onto Ken's shoulder in the back sleep his eyes closed.
Aya grunted. "Hn."
"We could just do it on our own, research and all, let the chibi rest."
"What if his fever comes back while we're gone, Yoji?" Ken snapped.
Yoji nodded, "Oh. that COULD be a problem."
"Maybe I should stay be-"
"No." Aya snapped. "We can not complete a mission with only two people. When Omi wakes up we'll ask him if he wishes to continue to participate. If not, he stays behind and we all go. If he chooses to come-"
"Aya! He has a fever, how safe do you think it'll be to give him poisonous darts and a chance to accidentally throw one into one of OUR legs or chest." Yoji bickered.
"As I said, I'll stay behind and make sure he's o-"
"No!" Aya stated again, growing impatient with Hidaka.
Omi listened quietly, not daring to interrupt. Aya seemed furious at him for blowing the chance to finish the mission.
'No. I'll go through with it I'll be fine. I'll be careful.'
***WK***
Omi slid out of his bed and walked to his computer. His antibiotics rested next to the keyboard and a bottle of water by the mouse.
Omi began clacking on his keys to his keyboard making them dance with algorithms. Finally he came to a schedule.
Omi freezed as he felt eyes on the back of his head.
"." Omi turned slowly, eyes not befalling his hostile until after he spoke. "Aya. what's going on? I just pulled up the schedule."
Aya nodded. "I know you were awake. Are you in or out?"
Omi's eyes widened, even Aya wasn't normally that blunt-- oh wait, yes he was. "Y-yes. I'm in."
"I don't want you feeling forced, it is your option."
"I said I was in just like everyone else when Manx asked, I don't need you to start questioning that."
Aya shot him an odd glance. "I wasn't questioning."
"It doesn't matter. I have the schedule. We can move in tomorrow night at 11:30, the guards will be changing shift so we have a ten minute window of opportunity and on our way out have a skeleton crew, and for the most part six hours head start if I take down all communication devices."
Aya nodded. That means they'd kill any guard they ran into. A pity, but only one short lived, if they desired a job- a life with those dangers, those dangers would catch up eventually and a death would follow.
"Just keep a safe distance." Aya said.
Omi's eyes warmed momentarily, then it crashed down as Aya continued.
"I don't want to get sick from you."
Omi hung his head. "Good night Aya-kun. I'm going to bed." Omi slugged a pill down and returned to his bed.
***WK***
Aya sighed, he hadn't meant to crush him so thoroughly he was only joking with Omi. Or as close to joking as Aya could get he supposed. He was never very good with humor.
Aya leaned back into his bed, staring at the ceiling, "It's useless to dwell on it." He muttered, then scoffed at himself, 'Coming from a vengeful self-righteous cad who hasn't let the time the tooth fairy stiffed me five cents let alone a family grudge and I'm trying to tell myself not to DWELL on something?' He shook his head and turned over, he turned off his light and went to bed.
TBC.
He tapped his fingers across the plastic caps, as letters appeared hundred fold until they halted in motion and was left with his history paper. Omi smiled happy that it was now out of the way. He never did like to procrastinate, especially with his nightlife and the chances of things coming up- oh, how to put it- rather suddenly. He smiled to himself anxious to put the file onto disc and safely inside his book bag.
Ken leered from the couch; his favorite soccer team was ahead six to nil. "Omi! OMI! Look at that last goal, pure gold!" Omi rolled his eyes playfully.
"Ken-kun, I have to finish up my work, you know I can't watch the game with you." He began thinking, he k new he had to do something important today, well important to the household at least, 'The groceries!' He swore to himself angrily and ran into the kitchen to grab the list.
With a large crash he landed on a broody red head that looked rather unhappy to see the boy especially sprawled on top of him clumsily. Stray plants lay at his side and clumps of dirt on the floor near shards of clay pottery that had been used to house the plants just moments ago. Omi pulled himself up mortified. He extended his hand to Aya, extremely doubtful the man would take it, unless to twist it around to give him easy access to the boy's jugular.
Ever since the Takatori incident Aya had been particularly cold towards him, and even months later, with the execution of his entire bloodline, Aya still seemed pissed off at him.
Aya, as expected, ignored the boy's hand and hoisted himself up, Omi quickly left to get the broom, "Gomen nasai Aya-kun!" Omi's face fought Aya's hair for the honor of being the brightest hue in the room.
He patted himself off and snatched the broom from the clumsy boy, "Get two more pots."
Omi, quick to avoid confrontation moved towards the supply closet.
He walked out stark white after just entering it for a moment, "Eeeeeeeee! Nani! YOJI-KUN!" He rushed back to the kitchen blushing horribly, "Gomen Nasai! GOMEN NASAI!" He cried out to the woman in the closet with Yoji.
Yoji just snickered, grabbing a cigarette and lighting up, he winked to his girlfriend-for-the-day. "I think we may have startled him." He mocked, putting an arm around the woman.
Wondering about all the commotion, Ken drew himself out of the game to look towards the scarcely clad blond playboy, quickly grimacing at the cleanliness of their closet space. "Yotan! You pervert!"
"Oh, like you haven't done WORSE Ken-ken!" He smirked all too knowingly.
Omi's cheeks grew even brighter as his embarrassment mounded. Aya rolled his eyes, he reached into the cabinet ready for a drink, preferably hard liquor but he doubted he'd find that particularly with Omi doing the grocery shopping this week. His hand reached around. He felt a presence behind him, was Omi actually hiding behind him? That thought only fermented the anger; he turned a hard, long and cold stare down at the boy.
Omi shriveled. "Where are the groceries? Omi!"
Omi moved away from the red head with the speed Ken could only dream of on the soccer field as he dodged the irate man.
"I just came in here to get the list and go when I bumped into you!" He winced, this was the end, Aya would kill him here and now, and he wouldn't even get to leave behind a pretty corpse. Not that he counted on many mourners.
Aya threw him the list, seething. "Yoji, go with him!" Aya barked angrily.
Yoji retorted, "But A~ya I have a da~te!" His voice grated the already fuming man. His caused him to glare at the blond.
"I don't care, go."
Yoji was already making his way out the front door with his date, ignoring the berated man. His eyes narrowed.
Ken quickly whistled an innocent tune and darted for his room, though he doubted Aya would require his assistance as he noticed the man reaching towards the liquor stash.
Aya grunted he glared at the boy. "I guess you'll be accompanying me then Aya?" Omi asked bravely. He smiled coyly hoping to remove the tension in the air. Somehow it only seemed to make it worse.
"Hn." He threw off his apron, he swore to himself, have it gotten on his clothes, Omi's blood would have met the same fate.
Omi carefully moved towards the door, holding it open for his leader. Aya walked through it without the slightest nod or hint of awareness to Omi's being.
***WK***
At the small market, Omi went quickly through the aisles picking up the items the household had required. Aya picked up the most essential equipment for the household, alcohol, and lots of it. Omi could barely believe his eyes as Aya carried five bottles of hard liquor, economy size, to the counter.
"A.Aya.kun."
The dry look the man gave him told him his opinion was unimportant and most definitely unwanted.
He swore Aya was staring at him until the Earth would split open and swallow him whole.
As the clerk ran up the amount due, Omi bagged the groceries and readied himself to carry the burden.
Aya exchanged the exact amount with the clerk and left, holding the alcohol in hand. Omi came beside Aya's car that he had so kindly used to drive them here. He noticed the door was locked as Aya slid into the car.
He smiled slightly a bit nervous he pulled the door handle again after a moment. 'He wouldn't.' He thought his smile large, toothy and equally as anxious as he felt.
Aya glared at him as if to say with his eyes, 'Get off my car if you want to keep that arm, Takatori!'
Omi took his hand aback, the car started and left Omi with four heavy bags to walk back, and he hadn't even been smart enough to take the delivery scooter.
He sighed, picking up the bags he began to smile trying to make the best of things. "Well, at least it's a beautiful day. And it's not even too bright, it's perfect." He said optimistically.
As if to scorn him, Mother Nature opened up the sky and the first heavy droplets of rain landed on him.
He sighed. But of COURSE! Could this day go any better? He quickly corrected himself, so to not ask for any more trouble.
He neared the flower shop after the twelve-block hike in the downpour. The bags were as strong as wet tissues he determined after they had ripped a block before the shop. He tried to open the door and immediately spat at himself. "It's locked." he reached into his pocket. "I'm locked OUT?! Damn it!" He sighed; this would be interesting to see who opened the door.
He knocked. Nothing. He knocked for four solid minutes. "Oh come on guys! Let me in!" He whined, just then he saw Aya's car pull up. He groaned this was going to be fun, he could already tell.
Aya glared at the boy angrily as he opened the garage. "Aya-kun, I forgot my keys in your car, could you let me ."
Slam.
The garage door was closed leaving him soaked outside in the rain and the only person home, supposedly, had his keys and wouldn't let him in. "Splendid." An idea grew in Omi's mind. Aya had used the garage door opener. He raised a brow that would be easy enough, all he had to do was break into the wiring and he'd be in, easy as that.
He walked to the garage soon realizing they had wired it up at the top of the garage to deter petty thieves from doing what Omi was about to attempt. He kicked himself for making that suggestion as he reached for the wires in vain. "AYA~KUN this isn't funny anymore! Let me in!" He pouted, walking to the glass window in the back of the store, by the kitchen. He tapped on it anxiously trying to get Aya's attention. "Aya! It's cold out here!"
He began banging on the glass, he doubted that would hinder Aya, but maybe it would annoy him enough to open the door, or at least the window.
Aya slid the blind down, took out a bottle of alcohol and began to drink it straight from the bottle. Omi pouted, "This isn't funny you know! I have school work to do, and I have the groceries out here!" He scowled, "If you don't let me in, Aya, I'll. I'll break the window and let myself in! I swear!"
Ken came stumbling to the door, he apparently had finally noticed Omi's ruckus. Omi walked to the door, "Aya, it's about time you let me in. I was starting to think you wanted me to get. pneumonia. oh, hi Ken-kun!" Omi smiled cheerfully, though obviously falsely chipper. His hair was matted to his skin and he had a small shiver with his lips looking slightly purple from the temperature. Ken noticed his breathe freeze in the air as he looked at Omi in shock. "Omi why don't you have a jacket on or an umbrella."
"I thought I had a ride, it's not big deal, it's fine Ken-kun."
".I thought you went with Aya." His eyes beheld the red head as he took another swig of his alcohol. Noticing the scrutinizing view he glared back sharply and grunted. "I see. Why didn't you call me, I'd have given you a ride home."
"On a motorcycle? Ken-kun that would be silly." He smiled, walking inside the house still lugging the groceries. Ken grabbed a bag.
"Omi, get out of your wet clothes now, before you get sick."
"I'm fine, really Ken-kun. It was a beautiful walk home." His optimism bothered Ken, it was so grating to see a boy give his all to put a positive spin on everything, especially when Aya was being an asshole and the boy was practically justifying it as rational behavior.
***WK***
A petite woman with fair and milky skin came up to the door, tapping on it but once.
Aya sobered immediately and answered it abruptly.
"Weiss, you have a mission." She instructed them, heading down towards the basement, Omi speed-dialed Yoji.
After three minutes Yoji came into the door, wet, huffy and ready to attack. "This better be important Omi, she had a friend and was interested in. While hello Manx." Yoji smiled instantly.
She rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Balinese, there is a mission."
A light came on the television and a man shrouded in shadows appeared. "Men of Weiss, a string of violent attacks that seem related to Korin Corps. have resumed. Entire busloads of children have vanished in the past three weeks and the bodies have appeared all along the mountainsides, their bodies void of all nervous tissue. We suspect a group known as Grausam to be behind this rash of murders. Hunters of the night, deny these dark beasts their tomorrows."
The photos of several people appeared, understood to be "Grausam" next the images of twenty bodies flashed, or what may have been twenty bodies, Omi's skin crawled. That made him shutter even more, skin, these children were all void of it, all they had left were muscle tissue and clasps of hair, most everything else was dissolved away, or peeled away. Omi's stomach turned, he grabbed a folder from Manx not all that sure he wanted to see the contents.
His brother's legacy, this was his brother's final works, his final memories. Omi shuttered.
He could feel Aya's eyes burning into his neck. He groaned this was going to be a long night.
***WK***
Omi sneezed, rubbing his brown wool knit sweater under his nose, he hadn't gotten to change until Manx had left and Aya took his glare off him, which basically meant he was sopping wet for two hours straight. Aya had finally gotten distracted upon the sight of Yoji drinking one of his drinks and after a bit of a tiff, Yoji surrendered it but he got three bruises for his trouble.
Yoji swore, muttering something about Aya being an abusive drunk before he came out with a beer and Omi was in his room changing.
He slid off his top shirt and then peeled off his undershirt that stuck and clung to his skin with far too much ease. His normally golden smooth skin was wrinkled from exposure to water and pale. He rubbed off the excess water with a towel and then slid on a clean white t-shirt immediately followed by the warmed shirt he had- the soft brown sweater. The cocoa color pulled out the gold in his hair and he made fast work of stripping his pants and boxers. The baggy sweater hid his anatomy as his feet darted into the dark blue boxers; he bent down to pick them up when he felt an all too familiar stare on him. He wondered if Aya had realized he was gone and was staring through the ceiling at him or if he had no chance at all, and that he was glaring at him from the door. Whichever it was, he slipped his faded black jeans on, a clean pair of white socks and dry white canvas sneakers. He sneezed once more, again swiping at his nose with his sleeve to relieve the itchiness in his nose if only temporarily.
Omi walked to the door, "Yes Aya-kun?" Omi asked as he opened the door. "I was about to get started on the search."
Surprisingly, Aya was not there. Omi shrugged, his carpet would need to be repaired soon from Aya's burning eyes he assumed.
Back in the basement Omi's agile fingers made quick work of the research, finding names, schedules, and police records for all but three of the gang members. That made him nervous, the sheer number of people in this organization and they all seemed to be key parts of the operation. They were up to seven main targets.
Aya would not be pleased. Well, maybe he would, he seemed in a more- sadistic-than-usual-but-not-by-much mood.
***WK***
His elbows were propped onto a table and his face leaned against his flesh making his jaw feel a tingly tension from digging into his chin. His red tendrils of hair fell into his eyes as he leaned deeper into his elbows staring at his drinks. That boy's face just haunting his mind. The sheer thought enraged him, a Takatori on his mind and not soaked in blood? How disappointed he was in himself, he had to be partnered with that .bastard. and yet, for all the evils of his family, that boy seemed to be the only clean one there. Again, he was disappointed in himself; he glared at the direction of Omi's room, as if knowing the boy's movements more thoroughly than he was aware. Aya stalked towards the den, sliding into the shadows he watched as Omi came into the room without noticing him, sit down and start typing.
***WK***
'He's going to be furious, there's no escaping it.' Omi finally decided. He clicked on three more links, bringing up the profile of the remaining two members he had to track down.
He sneezed loudly, his nose tingling, he had just barely managed to cover his mouth before the saliva went flying.
Aya grunted, "Gesundheit."
Omi blushed furiously and turned towards the noise, "AYA-KUN?! What are you doing in here?" He quietly thanked himself for not talking out loud or doing anything embarrassing while Aya was in the room, or so he thought he hadn't done anything embarrassing.
Another grunt and then he stepped out of the shadows.
Omi's eyes went wide in disbelief, Aya was actually /DRUNK/ or at least that is what he appeared to be, as Yoji would move and act the same way when he claimed his loss of grip on sobriety. Omi's eyes went tiny, that meant he got the pleasure of working with Aya after school tomorrow while Aya was hung over. 'I am so dead.'
"Find anything yet?" It came off more as a statement then anything else.
"Um. well. yes. I just need to composite their schedules and see when we can hit them all at once." Omi said, nodding victoriously. He laid out the dates and using a graphing program plotted the data.
Aya, having lost his entertainment swaggered away with a disapproving nod.
Omi sighed. "Tomorrow is going to be a very long day." He stretched his arms into the air and yawned sleepily, looking at the time he pouted; it was 2:00AM, 'time for me to go to bed.'
***WK***
His eyes opened suddenly, then closed groggily. Opened, closed. Again. And then finally he rolled to the side of his bed to look at the time. Omi was amazed how the clock still looked so blurry. He brushed the hair out of his face only to feel how hot he truly was. 'A fever?' Omi asked himself. He slid out of the bed and towards the medicine cabinet. His hand slipped behind the mirror with precision and abstracted the thermometer instantly. He quickly cleaned it with mouthwash and slid it under his tongue.
After a minute he removed the device and read it. "40°!" He coughed slightly. "That's bad." He wobbled over to the sink and began pouring icy- cold water into the sink and soaking his face in the water.
Omi slid onto the floor, suddenly exhausted, the water still running in the sink.
***WK***
Ken could hear the sound of water droplets in a constant repetition, almost like running water.
His bladder beckoned and he dare not leave it unanswered, he slid out of his covers and rushed to the bathroom in the ritualistic dance of having to go to the bathroom REALLY REALLY badly.
He came to the door and was shocked to see it closed. He reached over to tap on it impatiently only to feel his sock dampen as he neared the door.
Ken's eyebrow shot up in concern. He began knocking on the door in a loud repetitive rapping. When no one answered his inquiry he tried the handle. 'Locked. Is it ALWAYS $%!!^# locked?!' he thought to himself, exactly like that too.
He leaned into the door, pulled his shoulder back and then slammed into it, then again, and again until Yoji and Aya stood outside of the bathroom with an equally curious and frustrated look upon their faces.
"Ken, what the hell are you doing? You realize it's 3:00 AM in Tokyo, don't you?!" Aya bickered.
Yoji moaned and wailed, "AND I have to be up by 11:00 AM! I NEED my beauty rest, just LOOK at the bags under my eyes WHAT are you DOING to me? I HAVE to look beautiful for the ladies today!"
Ken glared, "Where's Omi? I think something's wrong, help me open the door!"
Aya grunted. He looked at the floor empirically noticing the water, but in turn giving the appearance of turning his nose up at that idea. He turned away and walked towards the kitchen.
"What a dick." Yoji mentioned he shoved his shoulder into the door next to Ken. He continued to bang on the door with his fist screaming, "HEY OMI! You in there Chibi?"
Aya returned with a screwdriver, as the others' shoulders seemed to grow tired.
He grunted as he returned, signaling for the others to step out of his way.
Within half a minute the door was off its hinges and sloped towards the hallway.
Omi laid on the floor unconscious with a look of pain stretched over his face.
Ken shot his view around the room immediately after seeing Omi's condition. His eyes came into contact with a thermometer on the counter and knelt beside Omi spontaneously.
His hand touched Omi's cheek and shot back immediately, "Omi's burning up! I think he's really sick!" Ken lifted the younger boy up and carried him to the tub. Yoji turned the water on to cold and turned the knob making it go from faucet to shower in seconds. Ken sat inside the shower with him, keeping his face into the shower hoping to lower the boy's temperature.
Aya returned with a phone, no one had noticed him slip out.
He spoke into it calmly, "Yes. We'll be right in." He walked over to Ken and took Omi out of his grasp. "Yoji, get the car. We need to take him to the hospital."
***WK***
Omi woke up in a hospital bed with a paper gown replacing his pajamas and an IV replacing his urge to get up. He looked around the room noticing Aya outside of the door talking to the doctors and Ken sitting to his side, Yoji hanging inside the door. "Omi! Good morning there chibi, you gave us all a scare last night!" Yoji tapped Aya's shoulder signaling them all to swoop in and talk to their comrade.
Omi smiled weakly and looked at them sympathetically, "Gomen Nasai, I didn't mean to wake any of--"
Aya's hard stare made Omi choke back his apology.
Ken chided in, "Wake us?! Omi, you had a fever of 41.7°C! You should have woken me up if you weren't feeling good."
"I'm disappointed in you Omi, you didn't think you could come to me when you were sick?" Yoji teased, he played with Omi's head lightly.
Omi's eyes fell to Aya's and then to his own chest. "I. didn't want to burden anybody, I didn't mean to make you all worry. I'm sorry."
"Chibi, you know a frown doesn't suit you." Yoji said with a smirk. Aya grunted.
Omi noticeably shuttered.
The doctor then chimed in, reminding everyone of his presence, "His blood work came in, it's as we thought. It's just a minor bacterial infection, he probably thought it was a cold and ignored it. With a couple of days of rest and plenty of liquids, and the antibiotics he should be back to himself in no time." The doctor said as he wrote up a prescription to Amoxicillin.
Omi's eyes opened widely, "Doctor. I don't know whether or not I'm allergic to any medications--"
"Don't worry, we had your records on file here. Your regular pediatrician sent them over. From Kritiker." He noted eying the door to make sure it was shut before adding that part in.
Omi nodded knowingly, Manx had seen to that apparently.
***WK***
"Does this mean the mission's off?" Ken asked Aya on the drive back, Omi leaned onto Ken's shoulder in the back sleep his eyes closed.
Aya grunted. "Hn."
"We could just do it on our own, research and all, let the chibi rest."
"What if his fever comes back while we're gone, Yoji?" Ken snapped.
Yoji nodded, "Oh. that COULD be a problem."
"Maybe I should stay be-"
"No." Aya snapped. "We can not complete a mission with only two people. When Omi wakes up we'll ask him if he wishes to continue to participate. If not, he stays behind and we all go. If he chooses to come-"
"Aya! He has a fever, how safe do you think it'll be to give him poisonous darts and a chance to accidentally throw one into one of OUR legs or chest." Yoji bickered.
"As I said, I'll stay behind and make sure he's o-"
"No!" Aya stated again, growing impatient with Hidaka.
Omi listened quietly, not daring to interrupt. Aya seemed furious at him for blowing the chance to finish the mission.
'No. I'll go through with it I'll be fine. I'll be careful.'
***WK***
Omi slid out of his bed and walked to his computer. His antibiotics rested next to the keyboard and a bottle of water by the mouse.
Omi began clacking on his keys to his keyboard making them dance with algorithms. Finally he came to a schedule.
Omi freezed as he felt eyes on the back of his head.
"." Omi turned slowly, eyes not befalling his hostile until after he spoke. "Aya. what's going on? I just pulled up the schedule."
Aya nodded. "I know you were awake. Are you in or out?"
Omi's eyes widened, even Aya wasn't normally that blunt-- oh wait, yes he was. "Y-yes. I'm in."
"I don't want you feeling forced, it is your option."
"I said I was in just like everyone else when Manx asked, I don't need you to start questioning that."
Aya shot him an odd glance. "I wasn't questioning."
"It doesn't matter. I have the schedule. We can move in tomorrow night at 11:30, the guards will be changing shift so we have a ten minute window of opportunity and on our way out have a skeleton crew, and for the most part six hours head start if I take down all communication devices."
Aya nodded. That means they'd kill any guard they ran into. A pity, but only one short lived, if they desired a job- a life with those dangers, those dangers would catch up eventually and a death would follow.
"Just keep a safe distance." Aya said.
Omi's eyes warmed momentarily, then it crashed down as Aya continued.
"I don't want to get sick from you."
Omi hung his head. "Good night Aya-kun. I'm going to bed." Omi slugged a pill down and returned to his bed.
***WK***
Aya sighed, he hadn't meant to crush him so thoroughly he was only joking with Omi. Or as close to joking as Aya could get he supposed. He was never very good with humor.
Aya leaned back into his bed, staring at the ceiling, "It's useless to dwell on it." He muttered, then scoffed at himself, 'Coming from a vengeful self-righteous cad who hasn't let the time the tooth fairy stiffed me five cents let alone a family grudge and I'm trying to tell myself not to DWELL on something?' He shook his head and turned over, he turned off his light and went to bed.
TBC.