A/N: This story takes place after Gluhen. I also wanted to let everyone know that Omi and Ken kept the same designs they had in Kreuz. Oh, and I'm working off of the assumption that Omi had been a member of Weiss the longest, and that he had been with the orginization from a very young age. I also think this is rather OOC, but what can you do?

Leave the Dead to Rest

By: Hanuko Youkai

He sighed softly, shifting his papers. The manila folders on his desk were scattered, and the files he had been reviewing were now disorganized and strewn about his office. Mamorou Takatori altered his position so his chin rested on his folded hands, and his elbows rested on his desk. It had been a long day, and the only thing the young politician wanted to do was go home and sleep. However, he had managed to get wrangled into one last meeting for the day, and his friend, for lack of a better word, was late. Mamorou sighed again and shifted uncomfortably. Then his phone rang and he growled irritably, picking up the receiver. At that moment, his charge walked in his office and glared at him, folding his arms. Mamorou closed his eyes, listening to his grandfather's voice, knowing that the day would not end well at all.

"I take it you find it courteous to talk on the phone when you're expecting someone?" he asked curtly, shaking his brown hair out of his blue-green eyes. Mamorou raised his hand to silence his companion and spoke quietly to his grandfather.

"Yes Grandfather, I understand. I'm sure we can discuss it later. I'm busy right now… yes, yes I know. I'll get on it soon. Yes. Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Good day," Mamorou hung up the phone and focused on the other person in his office. The brunette glared at the blonde, and Mamorou sighed for the third time in the past 10 minutes. "It's been a long time, Hidaka-san."

"I suppose it has, Takatori," Ken said through gritted teeth.

"Hidaka-san, why did you want to meet me if you were just going to grumble at me?" Mamorou said, trying to get to the point quickly. He felt a headache coming on, and he really didn't want to deal the the ex-assassin's antics.

"… I just want to know why," Ken said, squirming a bit.

"Why what?" Mamorou asked. When Ken didn't answer, Mamorou started ticking reasons off his fingers. "Why did I leave Weiss? Why did I sign your prison papers? Why is the sky blue? Hidaka-san, you need to help me out here. Despite how smart I am, I still can't read minds."

"I'm sure you can't wait to have that ability," Ken muttered darkly. Mamorou bristled.

"I wouldn't say such things if I were you, Hidaka-san," he said coldly.

"Why not? It's not as though you don't already work with a telepath."

"I try to avoid Mastermind as much as possible, Hidaka-san. He may be an ally, but he certainly isn't my friend."

"Right. Whatever."

"Why are you here?" Mamorou's headache was making him a bit snappy.

"Because I want to know… why…" Ken struggled with his question. Mamorou rubbed his temples and groaned. Ken glared at him. "Well I'm sorry that I'm taking up so much of your precious time, Persia." Mamorou looked up at him.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that, Hidaka-san. I have been avoiding the use of your codename during this meeting, so please use the same courtesy with me," Mamorou glared.

Ken sighed. "I want to know why… why don't…. What happened to Omi?" Mamorou blinked in surprise. "Omi Tsukiyono. What happened to him? What happened to my best friend? Why is he gone?" Mamorou went still at the question, and then regained his composure.

"It's best to leave the dead to rest, Hidaka-san," Mamorou said softly.

"No! Omi, you're not dead! What happened to you! Why are you like this! Since when are you a lapdog for your grandfather anyway?" Ken said in desperation.

"I've always been a lapdog for my family, Hidaka-san. I had been before I met you, and well after. Otherwise I would have never been a member of Weiss. You know that."

"Why do you call me Hidaka-san? You haven't called me that since you were 14! This is nonsense! Omi, why? Why does it have to be this way?" Ken bit his lip and stared into Mamorou's eyes, hopefully. Mamorou slowly stood and walked over Ken, almost at arms length apart. A tear fell from Ken's eye. "You used to call me Ken-kun…. We used to…. How could you forget what happened between us?"

"Hidaka-san, I am not that boy anymore. We aren't… we aren't that anymore. Please, try and understand," Mamorou brushed the tear away from his eye. "And we can't go back there anymore. I'm… I'm sorry," Mamorou smiled at Ken apologetically.

"But… I didn't even get to say goodbye to him," Ken said softly. Mamorou frowned and looked away.

"It's not like I can just be Omi again, Hidaka-san. I already told you, he's gone. He's dead. You should let him be."

"You didn't say goodbye to me, Omi. You didn't let me say goodbye to you."

"Because I knew you would try to talk me out of what I was going to do! I knew you would be able to prevent me from making this decision! God damn it, Ken, of course I wouldn't say goodbye to you! I couldn't… not after…." Mamorou trailed off.

"Then why did you want to end up here? Why do you want to be Mamorou? Why do you want to be some damn bastard who pulls the strings in the background? You're sending people to their deaths and you know it!" Ken said harshly, pulling away. Mamorou lowered his blue eyes to the ground. "Omi would never do something like that. So why did you want to become something Omi was so opposed to?"

"Why?" Omi said, bitterly. "I'll tell you why I'm here. So no twelve-year-old will be forced into training for assassination. So no fourteen-year-old will have to console his older partners that what they do is okay, even though he knows it's not. Damn it, Ken-kun, I thought you could see that, at least. Apparently I was wrong." Mamorou was shocked at his sudden openness about the issue. It was the sort of thing Omi would say, not him. Ken certainly seemed to think so. He reached out and held the younger man tightly.

"Omi, please..."

"I'm not Omi!" Mamorou shouted angrilly.

"Yes you are. I remember years ago when you said your name was not Mamorou Takatori. The resolution in your eyes was not something that could go away so easily. Why won't you listen to reason?"

"You're the one who isn't listening, Ken-kun," Mamorou cried, trying to pull away. Ken wouldn't let go though.

"Yes I am. You've been saying 'Ken-kun,' and only Omi does that. I don't care what you say, I know who you are."Mamorou shivered slightly. He knew what he would have to do to get rid of the older assassin, and even though he didn't like to lie he was a politician, so he could be damn convincing.

"Alright Ken-kun, right now I'll agree with you. I'm Omi," he said softly, pressing his head into Ken's shoulder. Ken buried his face into Mamorou'shair. "I'm leaving now, though. I'm sorry, Ken-kun, but I have to prevent them from making more people like me. Goodbye, Ken-kun." Ken pulled away and looked at the man in front of him.

"Omi?"

Mamorou turned around and walked back to his desk. He shifted through some papers and picked up a few files. He lifted his head.

"You've gotten what you wanted, Hidaka-san. Omi said goodbye. Now let him rest."

"I didn't get to say goodbye to him," Ken said, walking over to Mamorou and placing a hand on his cheek. Mamorou flinched slightly, but didn't move. Ken bent forward with a small smile on his face, and Mamorou had a distinct urge to run away.

"Well, say what you need to say to get closure, Hidaka-san."

"What I need to say can't be expressed in words," Ken said softly. Before Mamorou knew it, Ken's lips were pressed against his own, gentle but firm. A hand held his head in place and he could feel Ken's dark hair brushing against his forehead. His eyes briefly shut as memories washed over him, and he realized how much he truly missed the older man. When he got to be so much smarter, Mamorou wasn't sure. There was a sudden lack of warmth and Mamorou's eyes snapped open. He wasn't aware that his hands had made their way to Ken's shoulders. Actually he wasn't aware of much anything, except for the emptiness inside him. Ken pulled away and walked out, leaving Mamorou's office. Mamorou watched his door swing shut and put a hand on the edge of his desk to steady himself.

"Oh Ken-kun," he whispered. "I keep telling you to let the dead rest, but you just won't listen to me, will you?" he chuckled, as a tear streaked down his face.