note: This is dedicated to my girlfriend, who without I never would have gotten a copy of Gluhen. She is also the owner of the computer this fic was written on. So please, read, enjoy and don't throw rocks at me.
I was tired. I was so, so tired. Oh man, that night? I was practically stumbling down the halls, hoping I could just fall into the right room find whoever the hell I was supposed to kill, whatever the hell it was I was supposed to blow up, whichever it was I was supposed to steal data from and be done with it. Did life work like that? Does it ever? I made it to that central computer room, and it was filled with stupid men and women in uniforms. And I had to kill them. That was my job. So kill them I did. I almost felt bad, but I was busy being tired. I was busy thinking of the warm arms and warm bed that should be waiting for me back home. I was thinking of a big maroon braid and an ugly necklace. And then something exploded outside and I realized that Yohji was doing his job, and I wasn't and plugged my handheld computer into their mainframe ad stole there data. Whatever the hell that Epitaph thing was, this information should help us kill it. Or whatever. I was too fucking tired to even care. My job was almost done. My computer beeped and I unplugged it, I was getting ready to leave when a door opened. I admit, I was too damn curious for my own good. I had to, HAD TO investigate. And I found more dead bodies. How pleasant. After A few minutes of poking the dead bodies with my toe, and the unshakable feeling that I was being watched I booked it out of there. Yohji had to blow this place up, I did not want to be part of that explosion. Dying was not part of the mission.
I met up with Yohji a good distance from that building. He was covered in blood and shaking a little. He wouldn't look at me, and when he pressed the button to set off the final charges, he closed his eyes. And wouldn't open them. I hugged him, we stood in the surrounding forested area with a building burn and popping in the background for a long time. Just being quiet and being thankful that momentarily, we were alive. Mission complete. He opened his eyes and shook me off, we looked at each other and he wrapped a companionable arm around my shoulder.
"Come on Kenken, we'd best get you back to the esteemed History Professor before he thinks I've stolen you away." I punched him once, affectionately, in the shoulder and the two of us staggered off to our assigned transportation.
I woke upon an unfamiliar airplane twelve hours later. I wasn't tied up, and I could see Yohji flirting with a hostess, so it was safe. I just didn't know where I was or how I'd gotten there. Yohji seemed to notice my bleary blinking at my surroundings.
"Oh! Sleeping beauty is awake. You really passed out back there, I had to drag out onto the plane. Security was not too pleased, but we both had boarding passes and passports. And you answered all the questions right when they roused you. For all of thirty seconds." He smiled at me, I batted lightly at him. "But you're awake now, and we're almost home." I felt my face smile for me, I was so elated. I had survived and I was going home. "And little Mamoru wants to talk to us when we get there."
Shit. That meant another mission. Just after finishing one. And I had formed all these plans about bringing lunch and sneaking into the school. Stupid Omi.
I settled back into my seat and closed my eyes. We weren't home yet.
Getting home is always fun. Get a ride home from the airport, dump my stuff in whichever room I've claimed for myself this week and go find Aya. He was in the basement with Rex and The New Kid. I stumbled down the stairs, with the logic of "I can be quiet when I need to be and I don't need to be right now" firm in my mind. He turned to look at me from his position on the couch, the New Kid, who was sitting next to him, also turned. Aya gave me the biggest and most sincere smile I had seen in a month. He didn't say anything, I didn't say anything. He stood, and I just moved my ass. I was wrapped in his arms in a heartbeat, he face in my hair, mine in the nape of his neck, breathing each other in. Trying to express how glad we were that the other was still alive and that the last time we'd seen each other was not the last time. I loosened my clinging grip, and he loosened his, I took half a step back and reached up and pulled his face down to mine and kissed him. The New Kid might have gasped. When we parted, he was still gawking anyway. You'd think he'd never seen a couple of people kiss. The innocents we're hiring these days.
"Are the love birds quite finished their sappy reunion?" Yohji called from up the stairs. "I wouldn't want to ruin any deep emotional moments with my gorgeous and wonderful self."
"Not to mention your humble and modest self." Aya grumbled fondly in my ear, I chuckled and pushed him back onto the couch, taking a seat in an armchair. The New Kid edged away from Aya, like he thought Aya was going to attack. He looked at me, he looked at Aya. He looked away. So that was the problem. I shook my head slightly.
"Yeah, you can come down now Yohji," I called, "We're all waiting to be graced with your presence." At this, he rushes silently, gracefully, bonelessly down the stairs, arms spread wide, like he was flying. He made to hug Rex, but she moved out of the way. Yohji has cooties. So I hugged him. And he ruffled my hair. And it was like 14 ours ago we hadn't blown up a building. It was like we were normal.
My stomach ruined this by growling. We may not be normal but I am human. And I hadn't eaten in a day or two. The New Kid shot up, and made for the kitchenette in the back like his tail end was on fire. No one said anything. Yohji took his spot, sprawling onto the couch and spreading out like a stain. He made it fairly clear he planned on spreading over the whole couch. Aya sighed and stood, pushing me into the path of Yohji on the couch and going to lean against the convenient pillar we had had installed so people could lurk around it. I snickered.
"So how's the baby?" I asked, Rex raised an eyebrow. She had yet to fully grip the difference between us talking in code and us talking in crazy in-jokes and slang. The baby, in the case referred to Omi, or, Persia, as he was calling himself, and as we were calling him now. When they had first met Omi, millions of years ago, or so it seemed he had been a kid. And I had taken onto myself to give little Omi as normal a child-and-teenage-hood as I could. That meant helping him with homework, going to PTA meetings and leaving cookies for Santa. Yes, it had probably looked kind of funny when I dragged Aya and Yohji to the first PTA meeting of Omi's high school, but eventually Yohji stopped coming and it was just Aya and I. We were accepted Omi's guardians so far as the PTA was concerned. Ignoring little things like me not being more that 6 years older than Omi, at the most. Really, I was two. But I can bluff.
Omi was the baby. And Omi was our boss. But Aya and I were professionals, and we knew when it was appropriate to listen and obey Omi, and when it was appropriate to baby him into insanity. It had been a listen and obey situation for a long time. I was getting tired of the constant air of seriousness and regret that lingered over everything.
"Omi is fine. He's been telling us what to do on a regular basis." I turned to look at him, his eyes were narrowed, I could tell by the way his forehead creased just slightly that he was thinking of something that did not make him happy. "I... I really don't know what he's been up to, or how he really is. I.." Aya trailed off, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the pillar. That was my cue, I jumped over the back of the couch and hugged him, just holding him and being quiet. In the background Yohji asked Rex what had been going on since we left. She related the story as best she could. That Guy, Kyo had died, The New Kid had killed the assistant director of Kowa Academy, who had turned out to be his uncle. Aya's cover hadn't been entirely blown. Yet. She also informed us of the details of the mission we were to be assigned tonight that would be covered in the brief overview Persia would give us. We were to go under cover too. Yohji was to be an art teacher, I was to be a college student. I was only half listening, I was distracted. I had Aya to pay attention to, he was clinging to me. He was worried. He did that, it was adorable, but sometimes it just brought him minor emotional trauma. But I wouldn't have him any other way, really. Besides, my ability to soothe ruffled feathers is part of my charm. I raised one of my hands to cup his cheek and we look at each other. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but is interrupted by the reappearance of The New Kid. The New Kid has a small fruit plate. I was torn, the New Kid had food, but I had Aya. My stomach made the decision for me. In the form of one long, almost painful growl. Aya smirked, turned me around and gave me a little push towards the New Kid. I chuckled, and approached him, stealing four pieces of cantaloupe and a strawberry, I returned to Aya, generously giving him the strawberry and went to the couch to consume my melon. Yohji raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. The New Kid warily approached him and he took some fruit too. My cantaloupe was gone. It never stood a chance. I sighed, temporarily satisfied. The New Kid put the fruit plate down near Rex and went to find somewhere to sit. Now all we had to do was wait for Persia.
The wait, it turned out, wasn't too long. The screen flickered and Persia's shadowed form came into focus. His ridiculously distorted voice gave us our orders. Aya was to cease his performance so as not to blow his cover. And the New Kid.. the New Kid, who had screwed up so spectacularly, who had KILLED the assistant director of his school, was given a weapon. I wasn't too happy. I was very not happy. But Aya, ever the logical being shut me up. It was a listen and obey time. Damnit. I hated this job. I idly wondered if I could retire. Or if I would just have to die to get out of this job. Shaking my head slightly, because my train of though had actually reached a point of being too morose. I stood and walked to Aya, I reached and took his hand.
"Come on," I said, pulling him slightly. "I miss you. Let's go to bed."
He nodded and we set off upstairs. Heading home.