DISCLAIMER: The following characters from the anime Weiss Kreuz do not belong to me. I make no money off of my fanfiction; it's purely for entertainment purposes.
It's strange, walking outside and remembering that Tokyo is my new city. Brianna shrugged, but admitted to herself that it was unnerving to think that the cherry blossoms outside the window were thriving in sun thousands of miles away from Washington, D.C. So much was different about Japan –as though they never slowed down from work enough to have fun, yet there were more clubs and bookstores and theaters than American cities tended to have. The black-haired girl hitched the laptop case a little higher on her shoulder, and started the short walk to work. Looking around, she realized Tokyo managed to be both urban and beautiful, with parks and trees and flowers everywhere. The day was brightly sunny, warm, and the scent of spring was on the soft breeze.
A block down from her apartment, a large crowd of young girls clustered around a storefront. Excited shrieking and murmuring filled the air, and Brianna paused for a moment to figure out what they were so enthralled with. I've been by this place before…It's really popular for some reason. It was a flower shop, the "Kitten's House" – but it wasn't the flowers that the girls were exclaiming over. It was the men who worked at the store. Brianna stepped closer, intrigued.
The first glimpse the young woman had over the shorter females' heads was that of a tall, red-haired man, lean and stern, his violet eyes hard with determination as he attempted to push girls out of the way so that he could work. His voice was low and violent as he told them to get out if they weren't buying anything. A young boy, no more than sixteen, tossed back his brownish-blonde hair, grinning as he moved a heavy flowerpot. "Aya-kun, be nice to the customers!" The only response was a glare from beneath shaggy bangs. The front of the store had a single table with chairs, surrounded with flowerpots and displays of what was on sale.
Just inside the doorway, a slightly older youth sighed as he attempted to restock the refrigerator cases that ran along the wall with carnations and baby's breath. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but he had an athletic build that made Brianna think of sports rather than a gym. His hair was a rich chocolate brown, and his eyes were a deep blue. But none of that was enough to make Brianna stop for more than a moment or two – she was turning to continue down the street until she caught sight of the man at the register in the back of the store, just beyond a table and four chairs.
His blondish hair was unruly and wavy, falling into his eyes in a tumble that would just barely reach his shoulders if he didn't have it caught back into a ponytail. His eyes were a piercing green, lazy behind a pair of Lennon-type sunglasses. He was wearing a tight t-shirt, showing just a touch of male midriff, and jeans that emphasized his long legs. He was leaning against the counter, looking deceptively at ease in his lithe body. A cigarette dangled from one hand, as he rang up an order with the other. The youngest member of the shop went back inside, just as she stepped closer, browsing at the flowers to cover up the appraisal of the staff. The boy stopped dead in the middle of the store. "YOHJI-KUN! How many times have I asked you NOT to smoke in the store!"
The man gracing the register counter held up his hands in mock surrender, stubbing out the cigarette in a smoothly practiced move. "Gomen, Omitchi. I was in the middle of my break when things picked up." Brianna smiled; the flowers' scent masked the smell of nicotine, leaving the air inside the store fragrant. Lithely, she stepped into the store, sliding between a couple of teenage girls who were discussing the redhead's attributes – apparently it was one of the few times that he wasn't wearing an orange sweater. Brianna's artist's heart flinched a little. Orange with all that red hair? The black t-shirt that he had on with his jeans was a lot nicer – it showed off his muscles without being obvious about it. She noticed that their air conditioner was on, as the spring day was warm enough to wilt the lovely blooms.
She slipped past a couple more fangirls and landed on the other side of the store, near the roses. The little store had a selection that she had rarely seen, even in large florist shops. She was holding firm not to buy any when the rare silver roses in the back of the cooler caught her eye. Sucking in a disbelieving breath, she touched a hand to her stomach, stunned to find her favorite color. Roses always have been my passion. She shook her head a little, frowning, when a voice, along with subtle yet spicy cologne, intruded into her solitude. "Oi, jo-chan. Anything I can help you with?"
When she turned to look at who had spoken, it was the gorgeous blonde from the register. It was his turn to look stunned, but after a second he smiled, slow and sensual. "Yare yare. What have we here? A lovely lady, who's actually old enough not to be in high school? It's my lucky day."
Brianna smiled shyly, shoving her unruly hair back over her shoulder. "The crush of adoring fans gets that old, eh?"
He rolled his eyes at the girls filling the shop. "You have no idea. They're in here every day, and TWICE on Sundays – and none of them over eighteen." His voice was exasperated, but good-humored. He blinked slowly. "But what can I help you with?"
There was the beginning of an invitation in his eyes, so she turned away, sighing a little as she gazed at the roses again. "I was being so good. I just stopped in to look around, and then I saw them…"
He stepped closer, his body a line of heat against Brianna's back. Her fingers clutched the fabric of her blouse over her stomach. "Which ones?" His voice was as smooth as silk.
"The silver ones. I adore silver roses, and they're so hard to find." She sighed, turning to leave, careful not to meet his eyes. "I think I'd better go, before I give in to temptation and end up with a dozen silver roses gracing my new desk."
He smiled down at the younger girl. Even in her heels, she was far shorter than he. His voice was smooth enough to make her shiver. "A new job? Doesn't that call for celebration?"
"It would, if it were truly a new job. But this is just a new location, and I suppose that that doesn't warrant the same thing." He looked interested, so she expounded just a little, still not meeting his eyes directly. He's dangerous, and not in any way I've felt before. "I moved from America to work for Sarisho Incorporated– I do their graphic design work." Something flickered in his eyes, but she never found out what, because at that moment, he was called away by one of his coworkers.
The rest of the day was hectic, but she made it a point to stop in and look at the roses again on the way home. She was running late to her meetings the next morning, and had to take a taxi to Shinjuku. When she returned to the office at lunchtime, she found her secretary Mereii smiling at her. Brianna greeted her politely, and asked if there were any messages. Mereii's smile got even wider, and she motioned towards the other room in the office. "You had a delivery, Brianna-san."
Shutting the door behind her, Brianna spun around towards the desk. She saw the delivery that had been made and gasped. A dozen silver roses in a crystal vase. She stepped over to the desk and found the tiny envelope among the silky petals of the roses. As she opened the card, she hit the play button on her stereo remote, and the first gentle strains of 'Teo Torriatte' filled the room. "For the pretty jo-chan – to match her eyes – and to prove that anything can warrant a celebration." Brianna laughed softly at the note. It was signed simply 'Yohji.' I can't believe he managed to track me down. I can't believe he bothered. I'll have to stop by the store and thank him on my way home. She sat down at the desk to begin some paperwork, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Hai?"
The secretary peeked in. "Gomen, Brianna-san, but you have a visitor. He says that you'll see him immediately, but he hasn't given his name."
She sighed. "I'm busy, Mereii…unless it's Sarisho-san, I'd prefer you to schedule a meeting." The secretary nodded and moved away from the door. A few seconds later the door opened again. "Mereii, I really need to get these sketches done…." Brianna rose, staring, not sure if she was seeing things or not. The soft click as the door shut behind him barely registered with the stunned girl's mind. She didn't know what to do as the man, Yohji, from the flower shop watched her reaction.
"You got the flowers." His green eyes were sharp behind the sunglasses that he was still wearing. Her silvery eyes watched as he ran a hand through his hair, and she slowly nodded. I want to be the one running hands through his hair. She stared at him in shock, not sure how to deal with her desire. "Do you like them?" His voice shook her out of her thoughts.
"I…never expected…that is…I mean…it was…a surprise. They're lovely." Brianna finally managed to spit out what she was trying to say, and blushed, knowing that she sounded foolish. Yohji was grinning at the tiny girl. He moved closer, settling a hip against the desk and leaning towards her.
"So, jo-chan, are you going to tell me your name?" Teasingly, he brushed a loose lock of hair from her face. She blushed more.
"Brianna. My name's Brianna MacLeod." Brianna stepped backwards, a little nervous. He was so masculine, and he filled the little office with his presence. He smiled at her, stroking a finger over the petals of the roses. "How did you find me, if you didn't know my name?" She tucked some errant strands of hair behind her ear, curious even through her discomfort.
"You're the only new graphics designer for Sarisho, Inc. I found your address in the directory, but your name isn't printed." He pulled his sunglasses off in a smooth gesture and tucked them into his shirt pocket. "So, Brianna MacLeod, are you going to have dinner with me?" He was carefully looking anywhere but at his companion, giving her room to compose herself. He's asking me out. What do I do? Should I say yes? He shifted, and his shirt slid tighter across his muscles, and liquid heat shot through her body. She jerked back a little, hand fluttering to her stomach, a blush staining her pale cheeks.
"Yare yare. I didn't think women did that anymore." He was staring at the blush unbelievingly. Brianna started fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
"I…I'm not…used to, I mean, I'm not usually…it's odd that a man…" She couldn't seem to get a whole sentence out, and the laughter in Yohji's eyes wasn't helping.
"Are you trying to tell me that you're not often sent flowers and asked out by men?" His voice was amazed, and he tossed his hair out of his eyes at the same time with a practiced flip. She nodded silently. "Stupid gaijin. They obviously don't know what to do with a woman of your beauty." He moved gracefully around the desk to where she was standing and took her hand. He brushed a gentle kiss across the palm, and Brianna shivered. "I'll pick you up here for dinner. Say around six?" He was already moving away from her, assured of the answer, when she managed to nod. Seconds later, he was gone.
Brianna spent the rest of the day in a blind panic over the upcoming date. By the time that Yohji arrived at six, she had been in a complete dither; all she had accomplished that day was dozens of sketches of the man. Cursing her inability to get him off her mind, she stuffed the pages into a folder and was attempting to stuff the folder into her filing cabinet, when Yohji silently walked up behind her and touched her shoulder. Brianna jumped, the folder flying out of her hands and scattering the sketches to the four corners of the office. As she pressed hands to an upset tummy, Yohji knelt and started picking up the sketches. She stared in horror as he paused, looking at the paper in his hand.
He glanced up at the girl, surprised, but she looked away, praying that he wouldn't say anything. Please, let the floor swallow me up now.
He gathered them all up, and the folder, and sat down in her chair at her desk. He looked through every single one as the girl took a few shaking steps and collapsed into another chair. A minute or two later, she had just gotten her breathing together and was almost calm, when he broke the silence. "These are all of me." She nodded, not able to speak through the embarrassment. "They're really good."
She forced herself to speak around the lump in her throat. "You're an easy subject."
Yohji's gaze sharpened as Brianna met his eyes. "You did all these today?" She nodded again. He held one up. It was definitely him, but he was sprawled out on a bed, his shirt off and his jeans unsnapped, smoking and brooding. "A little ecchi, ne?" Her skin flushed with another blush. He laughed. "You're not real. You can't be real. A woman who can draw a half-naked man in bed but blushes?"
That made her angry enough to show her normal temper. "And why can't I be real? I have a very good imagination, that's why I'm an artist."
"Ah, but, jo-chan, you have the innocent heart of a pure maiden." He shook his head in wonder. "And I am the last person that you need to defend the female gender to."
"I'm sorry I'm defensive." Brianna's voice was quiet, nearly empty; as though she'd said the statement often enough that it was reflex. He tried to catch her eyes again, but she looked away, not wanting him to see the emotions in her eyes.
"You were hurt." His voice was flat. "You're still hurting."
Her gaze was pulled to his face. There was sadness there, and pain, and something else that wasn't easily defined. Involuntarily, she sighed, not wanting to have to explain. Not sure that she could get it out. "I…I was…attacked; nearly killed." Brianna stared at the rug, not willing to look into his perceptive gaze. "It left me with a…horror. You're the first man in four years that I haven't been terrified to be alone with." He nodded, and slipped the sketches back into the folder.
"Can I have these?" His voice was soft, gentle. Why am I doing this? This girl…I shouldn't involve her with us. She's an innocent, a victim. And we're… She nodded solemnly, her large silver eyes liquid with the possibility of tears. Deciding to go with his feelings, he took the folder, came around the desk, and slung his arm around her shoulders.
"Where are we going?" She cast a slightly nervous glance up at his face.
"I promised you dinner. And I know just where to have it."
Twenty minutes later, they were walking into the apartment over the flower shop. Yohji carried a huge box of take-out Chinese food, and Brianna carried the folder of sketches along with her laptop bag. The three other guys from the shop were sitting around the living room when the pair walked in. Yohji jerked his chin at each of them. "Aya." The redhead was watching the news, slouched into the couch comfortably. "Ken." The athletic one; Brianna could see that he was reading a soccer magazine. "Omi." The youngest one, laptop and books spread out over the floor around him, was obviously studying. "This is Brianna." With that, he strode into the kitchen with the food. Aya nodded, a confused light in his eyes, but headed into the kitchen without saying a word.
"Konbanwa, Brianna-san. Don't mind Aya, he's always starving." Omi beamed, his whole being infused with a cheerful charm. He was kind enough not to ask any questions. Ken nodded at the girl, mumbling a hello, then bolted for the food. Omi took her hand, towing her along after him while yelling at the others not to eat everything before she got some.
Conversation was lively between these men. Aya was nearly silent, rarely coming out of his shell long enough to speak whole sentences. Ken and Omi were much more talkative, and Yohji displayed an easy humor. The three of them bickered like children, with Aya rolling his eyes every so often. Brianna found herself opening up to them, giggling at their antics, joining in occasionally with a word or two. They were charismatic, and she couldn't bring herself to be wary of them. By the time dinner was over, she'd heard many stories about their flower shop. She watched them talk together. They're close. Friends, certainly, but more than just that, as though they're all brothers. They put me at my ease, make me feel safe, protected. I haven't been this relaxed in ages.
Ken finally headed out the door, while Omi and Aya disappeared. Omi sat cross-legged on Aya's bed, watching the older man stare out the window. "Aya-kun?" Aya's purple eyes turned to him from the stars. "She seems so nice. I want to know her better."
"Omi-chan?" Aya looked surprised, brushing his hair out of his eyes and sitting down next to the boy.
"But she's everything we're not, Aya-kun. I wish she could stay with us." Omi sighed. "But it's not right for us to want innocence near us. We're not good enough for her love."
"Maybe…" Aya's eyes looked almost hopeful. "Let's wait and see."
Yohji and Brianna were alone in the kitchen, and she immediately started cleaning up the dinner dishes to give her hands, and her nervous energy, something to do.
As she stood at the sink, running water to wash the dishes, Yohji pulled her back to the table, sitting down close beside the younger girl. "Leave the dishes. One of the boys will do them later."
"Hai…Thank you for dinner. It was fun." She stared down at her fingers, clenched into fists in her lap. Yohji's hand covered hers.
"We didn't scare you or anything, did we? I know Aya can be cold, and Ken intense…"
"No!" The word ripped from her throat violently. "I mean…it's so strange, how comfortable you all are to be around." Brianna pulled away from his warm touch, and spread her hands. "You're all so definitely male, yet there's something about you…I can't figure it out. It makes me feel safe."
Yohji's eyes filled with that indefinable trace of emotion. Not quite sadness, not quite pain, more of a hunger than anything else. "I'm glad we don't scare you." He stretched his hand out to her. "C'mon, I'll walk you home. It's not safe at night on the street."
She nodded, accepting his hand. He held her close to his side as they walked back to her apartment building, and he left Brianna at her door with a quiet good-bye and a soft brush of his fingers across her cheek.
The next morning as she walked by the store, Ken was out sweeping the sidewalk. He stopped her with a hello, and handed her the perfect red rose he had tucked into his apron pocket. "Have a good day, Brianna-chan." He turned and disappeared into the store.
The morning after that, Omi was outside, heading out the door to school. He bounced by, pressing a quietly pink rosebud into her hand. "Smile, Brianna-chan!" He tore off down the street, as though he was late.
The day after that, to Brianna's great surprise, it was Aya who was outside the store. Without a word, he stopped her with one hand on her shoulder, and tucked a delicate blue rose just in bloom behind her ear. A tiny smile graced his lips, but he was silent as he turned away.
The next morning, she didn't get to go by the store, because of another early-morning meeting in Shinjuku. When she returned to her office at lunchtime, Brianna found another spray of roses on her desk, next to the silver ones. The bouquet was made up of blue, pink, red, and silver roses, with only a touch of baby's breath. She leaned in to smell their heavy perfume as her fingers searched for the card. She finally found it propped up against the back of the vase. "Please have dinner with us again. Yohji, Aya, Ken, and Omi." She tucked the card into her day-timer with the other one, and sat down in her chair to admire the roses. Now I have their roses at work and at home, balancing between my desk and my nightstand. These four men seem to make quite a statement. Brianna grinned, then looked up at the knock on her door. Her boss walked in at that moment and stopped in the doorway, surprised.
"I'm sorry to come in like this, but Mereii is on her lunch break, I believe." A slight man, dressed in an expensive tailored suit, Sarisho Takedo was distinguished in a way that implied old money. "Brianna-san, where did you get all of these lovely flowers?" He sat down in the other chair in the office when she gestured it was all right.
"I made some friends who live near my apartment. They have a flower shop, and they seem intent on sending all of their stock my way." Her laughter was a carefree sound that she hadn't heard in a long time. Sarisho's austere features made his smile all the more welcome, and he almost grinned at the young woman's happiness.
"I am glad that you are not regretting your move to Japan. It is always nice to make friends in new places, especially women that you can talk to." He leaned back a little in his chair, relaxing.
"Women? But –" Brianna stopped, unsure of how to finish that statement.
"You said that you met some women who run a flower shop, ne?" He tilted his head to one side, and she had a brief flash of Yohji doing the same thing. Yohji looks better doing that.
"My new friends are male, Sarisho-san. They run the 'Kitten's House' flower shop just down the street from my apartment building."
"I see." Sarisho's expression tightened a little, just for a second, making her think she had imagined it. His body tensed slightly. "Be careful, Brianna-san. We don't want anything to happen to our best graphic designer! But I just stopped in to see how you were settling in. I should be going so that you can get back to work." He rose, and Brianna stood; they bowed slightly to one another, and then he left.
Around six that evening, just after Mereii went home, Brianna heard a noise in the outer room. She froze, holding her breath, as a cold surge of panic filled her heart. The cleaners shouldn't be in until at least nine or ten…Maybe Mereii forgot something? Or… The doorknob started to slowly turn and the door open. Her eyes slid shut, heart beating faster with fear. It wasn't until the quiet "Jo-chan?" that she managed to open her eyes. Yohji stood just inside the doorway, a concerned frown crossing his perfect features. "I'm stupid, I'm sorry, I didn't even think that I might scare you. I called out, but you must not have been able to hear me. Are you all right?" Damnit. I should have thought before I barged in here. He crossed the room quickly, kneeling and brushing the hair out of Brianna's face. His eyes behind his sunglasses searched her features, as though he could reassure himself that she was all right just by looking at her.
"I'm ok now. I…I'm glad that it was you." She hesitantly touched his shoulder, and he tugged her into his arms, wrapping himself around the trembling girl, comforting her with the feel of his strong body. She cuddled into him, breathing in his spicy cologne, wanting to feel protected. Finally, though, he lifted both of them to their feet.
"You're coming home with me. Dinner will be ready by the time we get there." Startled, she watched while he gathered up papers and laptop and stuffed everything into her bag. It didn't seem that there was any choice, as he dragged Brianna out to the street and back to his apartment.
Dinner was a mix of dishes, as each one of the guys had made something different. There was a lot of laughter, and even Aya loosened up enough to talk. They demanded to know if she liked the flowers that they had sent, and they all had smug grins on their faces when she admitted that she loved the arrangement. "I never realized just how nice those colors could look together; it's not a very traditional design."
"Omitchi decided it would work. He's the best of us when it comes to unusual ideas." Yohji grinned as the younger man blushed.
Everyone lingered at the table after dinner until Ken yelped and bolted out the door, calling that he was late for practice. Omi saw the look of puzzlement and explained that Ken coached a children's soccer team. After his abrupt departure, the party broke up. Aya wished her a good night as he headed for his room, and Omi settled into the living room with his laptop.
Suddenly alone with Yohji, Brianna brought dishes to the sink, running water and putting in soap. She was up to her elbows in suds when Yohji slid his arms around her, tugging back a little to lean her against his body. He was tall enough that he had to bend down a little to press kisses against Brianna's neck. Her hands stilled in the soapy water, as she went limp against him, rocked by how quickly he was able to make heat explode through her.
His hands were gentle as he held her close, and tilted her chin enough to capture her lips in a kiss. It was powerful and demanding and gentle and rough all at once. Brianna groped for the dishtowel, and dried her hands so that she could turn and run shaking fingers through his hair and across his shoulders. The silk of his shirt slid across his muscular frame, and the warm scent of his cologne filled her senses. Don't let go. Not yet. Let me stay here a little longer… But he pulled away and searched her face with his piercing green gaze, for once not hidden behind dark lenses. "I'm not scaring you, am I?"
"No…no, I don't think it's possible for you to scare me." She blushed again, and ducked her head a little. Yohji laughed, low and deep, and he brushed a kiss across her temple. He hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry…You were just so pretty, standing there with your hands all full of soapsuds, your hair tumbling down your back, and I just wanted to taste you." He stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair. His shirt rode up a little higher on his stomach, and Brianna could see each muscle. "I'd better take you home."
"Let me finish the dishes? You guys made dinner, it's the least that I can do." She turned back to the sink and started washing the dishes. Yohji's breath grew ragged as he watched her. She was so busy listening to see if he would touch her again, that she unthinkingly shoved her hair out of her face with wet, soapy hands. Water dripped down her silk shirt, and Yohji sighed. Brianna turned to look at him. He was watching her intently, and a glance that she couldn't resist confirmed what his problem was. His jeans were very tight, after all. She blushed a little, and redirected her attention to the towel she'd grabbed, blotting the water off of the expensive blouse.
"You're trying to torment me, aren't you, jo-chan?" Brianna stared at him, not sure what he was talking about. He pushed the chair out of his way and stalked towards her. "Unless you want to spend the night, you're going home right now, dishes be damned."
"Oh." She breathed in quickly, a little shaky. I can see the desire in his eyes…As though he wants to eat me up. I've never seen a man look at me like that…as though I'm everything he wanted. Her voice was quiet as she dried her hands. "Maybe I'd better get home now then."
Yohji nodded, and invited Omi along for the walk. They left Brianna at her door, and the only way she knew that Yohji was serious about wanting her was from the longing glance that he threw over his shoulder as he left.
"Yohji. You let her go." Omi stared up at the older man in shock as they walked back to the flower shop. He giggled as his teammate cursed.
"Is that so hard to believe, Omitchi? I do have some control over myself. And she…well, she's an innocent." He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He stopped to look up at the stars as he exhaled the fragrant smoke. "She's…"
"Different." Omi's voice was suddenly serious, and his normally painful cheerfulness was subsumed by a look of pain-filled longing.
"Yes. I don't want to strip that from her. Nothing that pure can stay pure around us. I don't want the stain of blood to wash off onto her brilliant white light." Yohji crushed the cigarette stub in his hand and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.
"That's why we should let her go." Omi sighed and started walking again. He didn't stop, even when he heard his friend whisper longingly into the night.
"I wish we didn't have to."
Brianna's steps slowed as she reached the flower shop on her way home. As usual, there were girls six deep around the door. I shouldn't stop. I should go home and do my work. She found herself sliding through the crowd and into the shop. She stood uncertainly by the roses, not looking around.
"Brianna-chan? Is that you?" Ken touched her arm and she looked up. He was cradling a pot of flowers in his other arm, and his smile was huge. "What are you doing here?"
"I – I was just walking home, and thought I'd stop in." She smiled at him a little, and his grin grew. He tucked the pot of flowers onto one of the shelves, and took her hand, towing her through the store to the cash register.
"Oi, Omi, look who's here." Ken jerked a thumb behind him at Brianna, and the younger man's eyes lit up.
"Brianna-chan! How are you?" Omi came around the counter and leaned towards her as if to hug her. She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"I'm fine. How are you guys?" She smiled at the two of them. Ken was leaning on the counter beside her, and Omi was still at her side. They were both smiling like the sun had just come out after a rainstorm.
"We're fine. Yohji and Aya are going to be mad that they missed your visit." Ken laughed, turning the heads of many of the girls in the shop.
Omi giggled. "You'll have to come and see them tomorrow. Then they won't be cranky."
"Ok. I'll stop in again tomorrow then, on my way home." She looked at her watch. "I should get going. I have an early meeting tomorrow to show some of my new art." She smiled a good bye at the two of them, and started walking out.
"Oi, Brianna-chan!" Ken raced up to her on the sidewalk and caught her around the waist. "Have a good meeting tomorrow, ok?" He slid a silver rosebud behind her ear and smiled. "It matches your eyes." He hugged her quickly and disappeared back into the shop, ignoring the angry eyes of the fangirls. Brianna blushed, walking quickly away.
The next afternoon, she stopped in to see Yohji and Aya. Yohji was stocking one of the cases when she came in, and she startled him when she touched his shoulder. "Brianna-chan, you came back!" His charming smile graced his eyes as well as his lips, as pure pleasure radiated off of him. He hugged her tightly, brushing a quick kiss over her hair.
"I wouldn't want you guys arguing over my visits. Besides, I like seeing you at work." She wouldn't look at him as she spoke, but she was smiling. Just then, Aya walked out of the back and spotted her. "Aya-kun! How are you?" Yohji let her go, smiling as the usually icy demeanor of the redhead softened perceptibly.
"Brianna-chan." His lips almost tweaked in a smile, and his purple eyes weren't angry. He held his hand out to the girl, and she shook it. She grinned to herself to notice that he was wearing the black shirt still. Thank heaven. I don't think I could stop myself from saying something if he was wearing orange. "Are you staying for dinner?"
Brianna didn't know what to say. Dinner? He's inviting me to stay for dinner? But…No, I don't want to make a nuisance of myself. She shook her head. "I was just stopping by to say hello."
Yohji draped himself over her shoulder. "You should stay. Omitchi is cooking tonight, so it should be pretty good."
"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to intrude." She raised her hands and tried to step away from Yohji.
"It's not a problem. Aya's just cranky cause Aya-chan is away at school right now, and so there's no peacekeeper."
"Aya-chan?" Confused, she looked back and forth between the two men.
"My little sister." Aya did smile then.
"You have the same name?" Brianna hiked the strap of her laptop case higher on her shoulder. Strange. Oh, this offer is so much more tempting than my empty apartment. I can't justify doing it, though. I shouldn't let myself get used to being around them. I…I don't want to get hurt again – I seem to set myself up for falls.
"It's complicated." Aya shrugged. Yohji shrugged and looked apologetic.
"I see…but still, I shouldn't stay much longer. I have a ton of work to do." The lie rolled off of her tongue as she tilted her head, trying to look sincere. "But I'll stop in again soon."
Over the next week Brianna found herself stopping in at the flower shop every day after work.On Sunday, she gave in to her desire and decided to bring her sketchpad with her, hoping to work in the shop instead of her apartment. The horde in the store was even larger than normal, and it took her a couple of minutes to work her way inside. All four boys were working, and she caught Omi's eye first. "Omi-chan? Is it all right if I camp out in the corner and work?"
"Of course, Brianna-chan. We'd love to have you here." He installed her on a stool behind the cash register and left her with Ken. While she worked, she chatted with Ken, and then Omi when he took over checking people out. Aya and Yohji stopped by the counter often to make comments.
The fangirls started getting jealous of the attention. A short brown-haired girl remarked to her friends, "Why is she getting so much special treatment? I've never seen her in here before."
"That girl's been in every day this week. You've had your club after school. All the guys seem to know her really well."
"How dare she try to get close to them? She's not even that pretty."
"It's not fair, letting her stay even though she's not buying anything. We get yelled at all the time for that."
Aya heard the girls, and his glare silenced them. "Brianna-chan is special. You will leave her alone, or you will leave and not come back." His voice was calm and even; he didn't yell, or get mad, he just looked at them. She caught her breath at his completely serious tone. Aya wants me around? He defended me…I didn't think he'd do that. He…protected me. She watched him, her eyes wide with surprise, but he didn't say anything to her, or even look at her.
After that, the girls left Brianna alone. No one wanted to be exiled from watching the men work.