It would have been pitch black without the garish city lights. Dark clouds danced in sick patterns across the sky, strangling a moon that was already waning. The wind, every so often, would take a slash through the air. As cold as his blade.
But Aya had no time to worry about the wind or the glaring lights as he fought with his target; who stood alone on the rooftop with him. Things would have been a lot easier for the Abyssinian if the madman hadn't had a sword of his own.
A clash of blades and a slice to his arm forced the red-haired assassin to jump back. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he took a running start. The silouhette of a man jumping and the glint of a sword was the last thing the lunatic saw. Using the tenchi-giri, Aya had reduced him to a bloody corpse.
Panting, and well aware that his arm needed treatment, the Abyssinian turned away. Mission accomplished.
**********
He entered the flower shop quietly, his grace as an assassin not betraying him. Hoping his teammates were asleep, he didn't risk turning on the lights. He didn't need to. He knew the shop like his own sword.
"Oi, Aya! It is you," the familiar voice of the Balinese gave the red head a starts as the sudden click of the lights assaulted his eyes. He should have known better. Like him, the other members of Weiss hardly every slept. Especially Yoji.
"Looks like your mission was successful," the taller man had only the fact that his teammate had returned alive to go on.
Following his usual patterns, Aya didn't answer as he turned away, heading for the stairs.
"Hey, wait. What's wrong with your arm?" Yoji had gotten a closer look and followed the Abyssinian to investigate.
"It's fine," Aya replied flatly, not bothering to wait or even slow down.
"Last time I checked, "fine" didn't mean "bleeding". Just let me take a look. It could be deeper than it seems," Yoji lightly took the shorter man's arm in hopes that he could be or some help.
"It's fine. I can take care of it myself," Aya growled, jerking his arm away roughly. Without another word, he went upstairs to his room.
**********
It took him two hours to clean and properly bandage the injury by himself. As Yoji had predicted, it was deeper than Aya had originally thought. Only having his left arm to work with wasn't much help, either.
He went to the bathroom where he proceeded to take some pain killers with a glass of water. Only after downing the glass in a few gulps did he realize how thirsty he was. Pouring himself another glass, he drank more slowly as he returned to his bedroom.
He climbed into bed, grimly noting that the clock beside his bed announced that it was two in the morning with its bright, red digits. Tomorrow, he would get paid for killing the night's target. Aya couldn't say that he loved money, but he was fond enough of it. It was, as they say, a necessary evil. Not to mention it paid the hospital bills for his sister. If Aya had believed in God, he would have prayed for her awakening. But he didn't. Instead, he fell asleep plotting possible strategies for whomever the next target would be.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
The disturbing screech of the clock shattered his dreamless sleep. He sat up, stretched, and took note of the sunlight flooding his room. He had the luxury of sleeping in until nine. Still a bit stuck on last night's target, he briefly wondered why he had his alarm set at all. The distant sound of glass smashing downstairs reminded him with a simple train of thought: Ken. Flower shop. Morning shift.
He pulled on some casual clothes and grabbed his apron. Tying it as he entered the shop, he hardly had time to greet or help Ken before a girl bounded over to him. She had short blonde hair that framed two aqua eyes, a cute nose, and a gorgeous smile. She couldn't have been a school girl, it was Monday. She looked about his age.
"Hey, let's hit the town sometime," the tune of her voice was accompanied by a flash of her pearly whites.
"Why?" Did he know her? Maybe she was one of Yoji's girlfriends.
A faint blush crept over her cheeks before she replied.
"I like you. Let's get to know each other."
Clearly bewildered, Aya's eyes wandered over to Ken, who glanced up as he threw away the remains of the vase he had broken.
"She begged me and I...couldn't refuse," he answered the amethyst stare with a sweatdrop and a hand behind his head.
"Maybe sometime," Aya half mumbled, his eyes still fixated with a glare on Ken.
"Great. Call me," she beamed as she handed him a piece of the flower shop's own notepads with her name and number already written on it. She waved him good bye and gave Ken an appreciative kiss on the cheek on her way out.
"I've gotta work the morning shift more often if that's when she hangs around," Yoji announced as he strolled in half an hour late, as usual. Ken, his face as red as the roses he'd been trimming, was too flustered to answer.
"Find out if she's got a babe for a friend all right, Aya?" Yoji approached the red head, his mouth in the form of a teasing grin.
"Why? You can have her," Aya said coldly, slipping the paper to Yoji as causally as if it had been written for him. Without another word, he went about his usual work. Having a job in a flower shop not only was a good cover up for his night activities, it made some pretty good extra money.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Walking through the drizzling evening streets, trenchcoat clad and sword in hand, Aya noticed a couple on the sidewalk. There was nothing special about them. Just a man and a woman walking arm in arm under an umbrella. He wouldn't have noticed them at all, had they not been the only people in sight. On nights like this, most people preferred to stay indoors. Though they were passing him on the other side of the street, Aya switched his sword from his right hand to his left, the side that wasn't facing them. Better safe than sorry. As expected, the passed without even looking over. The only movement was of the woman, slowing their pace for a split second while she snuggled closer to her smiling lover.
Aya quickly wiped them from his mind and switched to the plan for his next target.
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
The rain had transformed from a drizzle to a down pour by the time Aya stumbled back into his apartment. This time he was fortunate enough to have completed the mission with only a few scrapes and bruises. However, he was shivering nearly uncontrollably and the cold felt like a mortal wound in itself. Shutting and locking the door behind him, he proceeded to peel off his trenchcoat and the clothing underneath. His eye caught the entirety of his pale, trembling form as he crossed in front of the mirror on his way to the dresser.
With his hands shaking, he pulled on his warmest bed clothes and crawled into bed. Clutching the covers as tight around himself as possible, he looked out the window at the icy sheets of rain mercilessly pounding the city. When he fell asleep a few minutes later, he could hardly feel his cold limbs.
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
When Aya next opened his eyes, he thought it was still night. The sky was dark and the rain had only just begun to slow its assault. A knock on the door made him sit up and call to whoever was on the other side.
"Ohayo, Aya kun," Omi said cheerfully as he entered, a steaming bowl in his hands.
"What is it, Omi?" Aya asked with his usual cold glare.
Omi hesitated a moment before continuing his advance.
"I...um...thought you would be hungry, so I brought you some food," Omi's smile came back as he held out the bowl.
"I don't want it. I'm not hungry," Aya replied shortly.
"B-but..." Omi started, taken aback.
"I don't want it. I'm sleepy," Aya replied with a hint of venom as he looked out the window.
Omi, his gesture rejected, had nothing to do but leave.
Aya remained motionless for a long time after, watching the rain slide silently down his window.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late
But Aya had no time to worry about the wind or the glaring lights as he fought with his target; who stood alone on the rooftop with him. Things would have been a lot easier for the Abyssinian if the madman hadn't had a sword of his own.
A clash of blades and a slice to his arm forced the red-haired assassin to jump back. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he took a running start. The silouhette of a man jumping and the glint of a sword was the last thing the lunatic saw. Using the tenchi-giri, Aya had reduced him to a bloody corpse.
Panting, and well aware that his arm needed treatment, the Abyssinian turned away. Mission accomplished.
**********
He entered the flower shop quietly, his grace as an assassin not betraying him. Hoping his teammates were asleep, he didn't risk turning on the lights. He didn't need to. He knew the shop like his own sword.
"Oi, Aya! It is you," the familiar voice of the Balinese gave the red head a starts as the sudden click of the lights assaulted his eyes. He should have known better. Like him, the other members of Weiss hardly every slept. Especially Yoji.
"Looks like your mission was successful," the taller man had only the fact that his teammate had returned alive to go on.
Following his usual patterns, Aya didn't answer as he turned away, heading for the stairs.
"Hey, wait. What's wrong with your arm?" Yoji had gotten a closer look and followed the Abyssinian to investigate.
"It's fine," Aya replied flatly, not bothering to wait or even slow down.
"Last time I checked, "fine" didn't mean "bleeding". Just let me take a look. It could be deeper than it seems," Yoji lightly took the shorter man's arm in hopes that he could be or some help.
"It's fine. I can take care of it myself," Aya growled, jerking his arm away roughly. Without another word, he went upstairs to his room.
**********
It took him two hours to clean and properly bandage the injury by himself. As Yoji had predicted, it was deeper than Aya had originally thought. Only having his left arm to work with wasn't much help, either.
He went to the bathroom where he proceeded to take some pain killers with a glass of water. Only after downing the glass in a few gulps did he realize how thirsty he was. Pouring himself another glass, he drank more slowly as he returned to his bedroom.
He climbed into bed, grimly noting that the clock beside his bed announced that it was two in the morning with its bright, red digits. Tomorrow, he would get paid for killing the night's target. Aya couldn't say that he loved money, but he was fond enough of it. It was, as they say, a necessary evil. Not to mention it paid the hospital bills for his sister. If Aya had believed in God, he would have prayed for her awakening. But he didn't. Instead, he fell asleep plotting possible strategies for whomever the next target would be.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
The disturbing screech of the clock shattered his dreamless sleep. He sat up, stretched, and took note of the sunlight flooding his room. He had the luxury of sleeping in until nine. Still a bit stuck on last night's target, he briefly wondered why he had his alarm set at all. The distant sound of glass smashing downstairs reminded him with a simple train of thought: Ken. Flower shop. Morning shift.
He pulled on some casual clothes and grabbed his apron. Tying it as he entered the shop, he hardly had time to greet or help Ken before a girl bounded over to him. She had short blonde hair that framed two aqua eyes, a cute nose, and a gorgeous smile. She couldn't have been a school girl, it was Monday. She looked about his age.
"Hey, let's hit the town sometime," the tune of her voice was accompanied by a flash of her pearly whites.
"Why?" Did he know her? Maybe she was one of Yoji's girlfriends.
A faint blush crept over her cheeks before she replied.
"I like you. Let's get to know each other."
Clearly bewildered, Aya's eyes wandered over to Ken, who glanced up as he threw away the remains of the vase he had broken.
"She begged me and I...couldn't refuse," he answered the amethyst stare with a sweatdrop and a hand behind his head.
"Maybe sometime," Aya half mumbled, his eyes still fixated with a glare on Ken.
"Great. Call me," she beamed as she handed him a piece of the flower shop's own notepads with her name and number already written on it. She waved him good bye and gave Ken an appreciative kiss on the cheek on her way out.
"I've gotta work the morning shift more often if that's when she hangs around," Yoji announced as he strolled in half an hour late, as usual. Ken, his face as red as the roses he'd been trimming, was too flustered to answer.
"Find out if she's got a babe for a friend all right, Aya?" Yoji approached the red head, his mouth in the form of a teasing grin.
"Why? You can have her," Aya said coldly, slipping the paper to Yoji as causally as if it had been written for him. Without another word, he went about his usual work. Having a job in a flower shop not only was a good cover up for his night activities, it made some pretty good extra money.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Walking through the drizzling evening streets, trenchcoat clad and sword in hand, Aya noticed a couple on the sidewalk. There was nothing special about them. Just a man and a woman walking arm in arm under an umbrella. He wouldn't have noticed them at all, had they not been the only people in sight. On nights like this, most people preferred to stay indoors. Though they were passing him on the other side of the street, Aya switched his sword from his right hand to his left, the side that wasn't facing them. Better safe than sorry. As expected, the passed without even looking over. The only movement was of the woman, slowing their pace for a split second while she snuggled closer to her smiling lover.
Aya quickly wiped them from his mind and switched to the plan for his next target.
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
The rain had transformed from a drizzle to a down pour by the time Aya stumbled back into his apartment. This time he was fortunate enough to have completed the mission with only a few scrapes and bruises. However, he was shivering nearly uncontrollably and the cold felt like a mortal wound in itself. Shutting and locking the door behind him, he proceeded to peel off his trenchcoat and the clothing underneath. His eye caught the entirety of his pale, trembling form as he crossed in front of the mirror on his way to the dresser.
With his hands shaking, he pulled on his warmest bed clothes and crawled into bed. Clutching the covers as tight around himself as possible, he looked out the window at the icy sheets of rain mercilessly pounding the city. When he fell asleep a few minutes later, he could hardly feel his cold limbs.
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
When Aya next opened his eyes, he thought it was still night. The sky was dark and the rain had only just begun to slow its assault. A knock on the door made him sit up and call to whoever was on the other side.
"Ohayo, Aya kun," Omi said cheerfully as he entered, a steaming bowl in his hands.
"What is it, Omi?" Aya asked with his usual cold glare.
Omi hesitated a moment before continuing his advance.
"I...um...thought you would be hungry, so I brought you some food," Omi's smile came back as he held out the bowl.
"I don't want it. I'm not hungry," Aya replied shortly.
"B-but..." Omi started, taken aback.
"I don't want it. I'm sleepy," Aya replied with a hint of venom as he looked out the window.
Omi, his gesture rejected, had nothing to do but leave.
Aya remained motionless for a long time after, watching the rain slide silently down his window.
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late