Quick little one shot Aya/Youji. Not mine, never will be (sobs) just messing with them…I wrote this in eight minutes…
The cash register closed with a secure thump. Omi sighed, the books done for the night and the opening register counted out. Momoe-san would be pleased, for some reason ever since the boys started working at the Koneko no Sume Ie the profit's the little flower shop could call profits rose almost three hundred percent. Ken was just coming out from cleaning the refrigerator, Aya sweeping the last of the work area mess into the trash, and Youji was bringing in the plants from outside.
Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Youji in almost half an hour, and there were still the ferns that had been on special outside. It was getting dark.
"Aya-kun…can you check to see if Youji's flirting again. I want to close on time."
"Aa." The red head headed outside, then stuck his head back in.
"You two can go upstairs, Youji will finish and I'll lock up." Omi smiled brilliantly even as Ken smiled in thanks.
"Arigato Aya-kun!" He waved them off and went outside.
Youji was standing, leaning on a broom and staring at the sky, listening to some song in a language Aya didn't recognize. Aya went over to him.
"You're supposed to be cleaning." Youji nodded to acknowledge his presence, but didn't move. Aya was about to speak again, but Youji beat him too it.
"Did you ever notice that no matter how dark it gets here, you can never see the stars?" Aya blinked. Youji chuckled self depreciatingly.
"Ah, never mind." Suddenly bereft of broom Youji held out his hand.
"Will you dance with me, Aya? Please?" The red head felt his face warm, but instead of out right rejection he found himself nodding. Youji smiled as Aya took his hand.
The taller man immediately placed his hands on Aya's hips and leaned his chin on top of Aya's head, swaying slightly to the music that could barely be heard over the traffic a couple blocks down. The song ended, but instead of turning of the talk song that came on or pulling apart, Youji kept on swaying to the now imaginary beat. Aya found himself in a half doze when the older man spoke again.
"Aya, if you ever find someone, make sure to tell them…don't let the ghosts of the past keep you from finding happiness. Love is what it's all about…but there's so much uncertainty in the world the gentle reassurance of the words can mean the difference between happiness and living hell. I've lived in that hell, Aya…it's not a nice place. Be true to yourself." The embrace broke.
"Youji…" A finger went over Aya's lips.
"Shh. I love you Aya. Never forget that." Aya blinked, his mask of indifference broken by the three words he had desperately wanted to hear.
"I…"
"When you find someone, Aya, no, Ran. Tell them…be happy. You never know when it'll all end, natural or not. My happiness was destroyed by Schwartz…don't let yours go to…"
"Youji, what are you…" The finger came up again, cold as ice against Aya's lips.
"Don't let ghosts, the past, disappear…but be happy Aya, please, be happy." Youji pressed his cross pin into Aya's hand, and…were those tears in Youji's eyes? Aya felt himself gap. "Be happy. I love you." Then Youji…faded. Aya stood up and walked to where he had been seconds before and looked around for how he had disappeared. Stupid Youji and his pranks.
Then he saw the alleyway, saw the black cloth turned darker by blood…Aya ran over, not believing his eyes but having to believe the acid copper smell that reached his nose and the grey and red mess behind the gaping hole in the middle of his forehead, his glasses shattered…always wearing sunglasses, even at night. He resisted the urge to retch and fell down to his knees beside the staring dull emerald eyes, seeing the message written in the mural behind the shell of his team mate, his…love.
Katze.
Schwartz.
Or, more specifically…Schuldich. He felt hot on his face and raised a hand, it came away wet. He was crying. As if that knowledge released the floodgates, a ragged sob burst forth, growing in size…
Upstairs, in pajamas, two members of Weiss were enlightened by the sound of a heart breaking screamed into the night.
"YYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!"