If things were easy, they wouldn't be worth writing – or reading – about. If you wanted it to be sweet and fluffy all the time, then feel free to write your own story. I'm not saying it to be mean, honest; I'm honored that anyone is even looking at this. But I do feel the need to warn that: 1. There will be angst and 2. Aya is a stubborn bastard.
That being said, and with the high hopes that I haven't offended and/or alienated anyone, on with the fic.
Damn you, Bob!
The little shop seemed no different than it had been in the old days, save a few minor changes. The aprons were now all pink, reflecting the change to an all-female staff. The cash register and freezers were all more modern. There was a sale on zinnias.
"Shit," Yohji said for them all, lighting a cigarette.
Ken had chosen to move into his old room upstairs, but once Yohji discovered that Aya would not be living there too, he decided to stay at his current residence. The story to the girls now working in the koneko would be that Ken had bought it and opened the rooms to renters. The new team members they chose would be required to live there under his supervision – on Aya's orders.
"No time for memories," Aya grunted gruffly. "Come."
"I'd follow you anywhere, honey pants."
Aya ignored Yohji as if he had ceased to exist. It had developed as his new tactic for dealing with the blonde on the car ride over when he had learned that, no matter how fierce his glare, Yohji had no intention to stop touching and hitting on him.
Giving Yohji an annoyed look, Ken hoisted the box of files and followed Aya through the shop and down into the basement.
"What the hell's your problem lately, KenKen?" Yohji demanded, tramping down the stairs after his teammates.
At the bottom of the stairs, Aya stopped to turn his glare on both men.
"No fighting," he ordered sternly. "We're here to work – and I sure as fuck don't want to be stuck here all night."
"Fine," Ken agreed with a halfhearted shrug, brushing past.
Aya remained where he was, glaring at Yohji, and the blonde felt a flash of anger.
"What, you got plans tonight?" he demanded nastily. He watched his former lover's eyes widen slightly, watched his lovely skin grow even paler than usual. "Is this how it's gonna be between us from now on? You gonna ignore me – pretend I don't exist – until it's time to play all-powerful leader and fucking give me orders?"
Aya flinched, but Yohji couldn't stop himself once he had started.
"I love you, Aya. And you love me. I don't care if its been three years or thirty, you love me!"
"No," Aya answered, meeting his eyes. Neither his gaze nor his voice wavered. "I don't."
"How long are you two going to be at it?" Ken called crossly. "I don't want to be here all fucking night, either."
Aya and Yohji remained as they were, glaring at each other – love and pain and anger like miles of ocean between them.
Aya was the first to break eye-contact, turning and continuing into the basement.
"Why are you doing this, Aya?" Yohji called, heartbroken and lost.
Aya paused, but did not look at him.
"If you can't be more professional, Kudoh, I will request your removal from this team," he said at last. "I didn't want you here in the first place."
"Aya…"
"Let it drop, Kudoh." Ken demanded from where he had sat down.
"Why don't you stay the fuck out of it, Hidaka?"
"Let – it – drop."
"Do what he says, Kudoh," Aya ordered, "Or you'll never see Weiss again. Ken? Stay the fuck out of it."
He waited. Silence reigned.
"Good," Aya said at last, nodding firmly and heading for the sitting area. "Then lets get to work."
"Damn this place feels empty without Omi." Yohji sighed, tossing down his pen. He rose and stretched, working out cramped back muscles. They had been reviewing the applicant files for three hours straight and had yet to have made any kind of progress. "I keep expecting the chibi to come down the stairs with a tray full of goodies and an ingenious suggestion to make this all easier."
"Hn." Aya grunted, not looking up from the file he was looking at. "This one has army experience." he stated as if he had not heard Yohji.
Curled up in an armchair, idly toying with the end of his braid as a delicate frown creased his brow, Aya looked far too adorable for words. Yohji had to fight the urge to molest him.
Old habits die hard.
Whatever was wrong with Aya, he was still the same man Yohji had worshiped so ardently. Somewhere hiding behind those scowls and glares hid the man he loved with every fiber of his soul.
Pretending that three years apart couldn't have changed anything between them had been a mistake. Yohji knew his love better than that. If anything, just the fact that he'd had to go so long without a reminder that someone loved him could explain why the man had closed off so much.
Getting Aya back to where he had been before he left would take patience and work. Yohji should have realized that. After all, it had taken those very things to catch the man in the first place.
"Would I be accused of slacking off if I offered to go and get refreshments?"
Silence a moment.
Then:
"Go," Aya ordered. "I want - "
"I got it, babe. I think I remember what you like."
He left before Aya could comment.
The refrigerator upstairs was empty, of course. No one had used the entire back of the building in years. Yohji grabbed his jacket and set himself to walk to the little all-night take out place that had been a favorite of the Weiss boys.
"When did you start needing reading glasses?" Yohji asked.
Ken and Aya had agreed to take a break when the blonde had returned with the food. The three men had been eating in a peaceful silence for several minutes now – long enough that Yohji thought it was safe to attempt a conversation.
Aya looked at him warily and Yohji gave a gentle smile, hoping to appear sincere and innocent.
"No tricks, love," he said quietly.
Aya looked away, poking at his food.
"I've needed them since middle school…I just don't like to bother with them." the redhead answered at last. "It gives me a headache to work without them, though, and I knew it was going to be a long night."
"I like them. You look cute – if I'm allowed to say that without being accused of trying to get into your pants again."
Aya only snorted.
"Look," a yawn cracked Yohji's jaw, and he offered his teammates a silly grin. "It's getting really late and we haven't been able to agree on anyone."
"I'm not coming back tomorrow, Kudoh." Aya stated without looking up.
"Well then, let's just pick someone at random," the blonde suggested. "They're all Krittiker agents, right? So we're assured that they all got skills that'll be useful to us. So let's pick somebody."
"Miyo's dead."
Yohji blinked, turning his eyes on Ken in surprise.
"Huh?"
"Miyoko. She's dead."
Yohji wracked his brain a moment and suddenly remembered the bright and cheerful girl Ken had been dating three years ago. They had been pretty serious, if Yohji remembered correctly.
After Aya had left, Yohji had refused to see either Ken or Omi. He vaguely remembered receiving a wedding invitation about a year ago though.
"I'm…sorry, man."
"It wasn't even a month ago." the dark haired assassin said quietly. "She was at the grocery store and there were some…people, I don't know, gang members or something…they were tracking a witness, the police think. A gunfight broke out…a gunfight, because there was no more Weiss to keep the city clean."
"That's why you agreed to come back?" Aya asked quietly, concern for his friend breaking the ice in his voice.
"She was pregnant."
"I'm sorry," Yohji offered again.
Ken looked up at last, eyes a burning glare directed solely at the blonde.
"The world needs people like us – the world needs Weiss. No slacking off, Kudoh."
"Okay," he agreed quietly. "Okay. I'm sorry."
Ken glared a moment more, unshed tears making his dark eyes gleam.
Then, just as quickly, he lowered his head to his work once again.
"I'm sorry." Yohji said again.
Aya shook his head. His eyes remained unreadable as he turned his attention back to the file he was reading.
"Shit," Yohji murmured quietly, sliding down to sit on the floor and reaching for a file.
If Ken needed a direction for his anger, then that was fine. But he didn't need to use it to make Yohji feel worthless.
He felt enough of that on his own.
Yohji banished that train of thought quickly. Worrying about Ken was low on his list of priorities.
All that mattered was Aya. All that mattered was finding out what was wrong with the man and fixing it.
All that mattered was getting his lover back.
Glancing at the stern-faced redhead, Yohji had the sinking feeling that the task would be harder than anticipated.
"Thank you, Yohji." Aya stated quietly as the two men went up the stairs on their way out. It was nearly four in the morning, and Aya had at last ceded the need to stop for a while and get some sleep.
Ken was going to stay, and would probably continue looking at those damned files until he passed out from exhaustion, but Yohji didn't feel bad about quitting "early" if Aya was quitting, too.
"For what?" he asked, missing a step. He'd thought for sure that Aya wouldn't be willing to speak to him if they were alone.
The man glanced at him, eyes dark and unreadable.
"For behaving yourself."
"Around you or Ken?"
"Either. Both."
"I'm not finished with you yet, love."
"It's too early in the morning for that, Kudoh. Don't. Start."
"I wasn't planning anything, honestly." Despite himself, Yohji reached for his lover, managing to brush his fingers across his cheek before the other man jerked away. Yohji let his hand drop, smiling. "I just thought it fair to warn you that I'm not planning on giving up any time soon."
"You're a fool then."
"A fool whostill loves you, then."
Aya shook his head, turning away.
Yohji quickly lashed out and grabbed his hand.
"Not even an explanation, love?" he demanded,desperation breaking though the barriers and seeping into his voice at last. "You leave without a word and come back hating me - !"
"I don't hate you, Yohji."
"Don't I at least deserve to know why you ruined everything?"
"You do deserve it." Aya answered in a whisper. "That doesn't mean I can give it to you."
Yohji brought the pale man's hand up to his lips, kissing it gently as he drew near. He caught and held Aya's eyes, saw the pain swimming there, and came even closer.
"You still love me," he stated gently, pressing the smaller man against the wall. "You still want me."
"Don't, Yohji."
The blonde gave a quiet laugh, pressing Aya's hand to his cheek and holding it there, even as he continued to hold his eyes.
"You know," he murmured quietly, "I meant it when I said those glasses were cute."
"My sister would tease me about them."
"Heathen!" Yohji pressed closer, felt his lips brush Aya's with an electrifying jolt that felt like home. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss desperately, sliding his knee between Aya's legs.
It lasted only a moment longer before Aya shoved him violently away. Yohji flew back, crashing into the opposite wall of the stairwell. The handrail bit painfully into his back and he slipped down a few steps before managing to gain himself enough balance to prevent a broken neck.
He stared up at Aya, and for a moment, the man appeared pale and frightened and worried.
As he watched though, the spark of humanity left those lovely eyes. That pretty face turned cold.
"Don't touch me again," he ordered in the voice of Abyssinian.
The long haired man glared at him a moment longer and Yohji could only gape at him in surprise and pain. At last Aya nodded firmly, assured he had gotten his point across, and turned to leave.
"Still love me now, Yohji?" he asked softly.
He left before the blonde could answer.
To Be Continued
Response to Unsigned Reviews:
Kirai - I'm sorry! But I have to follow the rules, so the hair had to be cut. As for Aya...he thinks he has his reasons.
Acesha - Thanks; I'm glad you think so...I kind of think Inferno just reads like more chapters of B though. Angsty chapters, but chapters nontheless.
All right, thanks everyone! Hope to see you next time.