Paying the Devil
by Nix Winter
disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kruez, but I do love the fandom!
Warnings: I hope there aren't too many discrepancies between the last chapters and this one. I'm just writing for fun. I hope the chapter is pleasant for you.
Notes: As for my assumption that Youji is gay, for one thing this is fan fiction, for two… a psychological argument could be made that his numerous evident sexual relationships with females was done out of guilt, motivated by feelings other than genuine desire. Not saying it is, just that such an interpretation is possible. And really, I'm not much for the RanKen fandom, which sees Youji differently than the AyaxYouji group, but well.. I hope you all like this chapter.
I have three characters that are so close to my heart that, well, I identify with them a great deal. Youji, Duo Maxwell, and Jewls the Lucky, and man, I understand that people don't like Youji, but it hurts my soul. He's my baby, you know? Well, would be if he were more than just ink and cellulous. Alas, maybe that's all I am too, dark pixels on white.
Chapter Seven
Ran was done. He wasn't sure just when it happened, or if he'd stay done, but at this moment, he was done. Revenge held little appeal just then, and he wanted just one thing, hoped for this one thing so much that he knew he'd have more guilt later.
They sat together in the garden, lazy sunlight laying greens and golds around them, speckling it down through the trees around them, as if sunlight could become rain.
Ken had been so close to being cured. So close, it was like breaching the surface only to be dragged back into the dark. Evil men, who would make such vile poisons, take them and make them worse, and Ran touched Ken's hand, caressing back to the smooth skin of his wrist, as if he weren't taking his pulse on the sly, not at all.
Dark brown eyes opened, slowly, lashes still too thick beautiful to be protecting dying eyes. A smile pushed at the corner of Ken's mouth, and his pulse speeded up. Those dark brown eyes, that seemed so full of mystery to Ran, so much as if they were the eyes of some fae king deep in some European forest, lush and full of complexities that no poetic whisper could mimic, those same dark eyes looked away towards a tree then back at Ran.
"You want me to hold you?"
The nod was faint, an echo of great boisterous crashings that should have been Hidaka Kenji.
How had they come to this? It wasn't just the pursuit of evildoers. It wasn't just the evil in their own souls that lead them down the path of violence and regret. It was something more sustaining, something more painful than damnation; it was the clawing and determined will to live and thrive.
Ran was much more now than he'd been when he was just a waiter and an accountant student. He was maybe more than could fit into that role that seemed too small. His body had grown to match his path, muscled arms, speed and balance, he breathed life in a lethal dance that an accountant wouldn't understand. Arms slipped around behind Ken's solidly build powerhouse of a body and lifted him to a standing position, then swept him up easily into his arms.
The security around them, guarding the walls, watching the safe house intently, Ran didn't care for any of them. To him, there was only the two of them, and a deep lingering worry over Youji. The man had been… odd.
He knelt, Ken in his arms and he settled them against the tree, his back against living tolerance of the tree, Ken's head laying against his shoulder. "Better?"
"Yeah," Ken whispered.
"We'll retire," Ran said, hand coming through Ken's dark hair. "No more. I want to go away with you."
"America. Play. Socc…"
"Yes, we can go to America. New names. You can play soccer again. I'll cheer for you. I'll even play with you. You get well, and we can play together. You and me against Youji and Omi."
"Youji. Loves."
"Shhhh," Ran said, both arms around Ken, rocking them both slightly. "He'll get over it."
Ran hadn't meant to come to care for his teammates. He'd almost left them all more than once. After Aya-chan woke though, the walls around his heart had not been so hard. He hadn't meant for her to meet them, his second family. Youji, the meddlesome bastard, had been first.
Shopping. He'd taken Aya-chan shopping and they'd played with lipstick and dresses and she'd come back full of life and happiness and Youji had just smiled like he'd saved a kitten from dire straights. Ran had wanted to be angry, but he couldn't.
Ken had come next, meeting Aya-chan, delighting here as a way to Ran's heart, maybe.
Love was such a complicated set of human behaviors.
Ran leaned a little over Ken, enclosing him in an embrace that felt like the only grounding holding Ran to life. "You're the one in danger, and yet, I'm having my life replay for me. How did you do this to me?"
Ken took a slow breath, fingers reaching up to pull lightly on a red eartail. "Just repaying. The," he paused, taking another long slow breath, "favor."
"Youji will find the real cure," Ran said.
"Youji's ass," Ken said, tilting his head back a little, and Ran's soul fell into those deep brown eyes, "Is cute."
Ran smiled, feeling playful, forgetting the dire risk this lover was in, "It ought to be. It's had lots of practice." Ran wiggled his eyebrows, sharing this secret moment.
Ken's hand dropped away from Ran's eartail, but Ran caught it and drew the limp and to his lips, kissing rough hand, flicked the tip of his tongue against the rough palm, as if to remind Ken that his hands were clean.
They sat there in the shade for a while, Ken laying in Ran's arm. "Ran."
"I'm here."
"Youji," Ken said, fingers lightly caressing Ran's cheek. "Secret."
"I'm sure he has many," Ran said, confused about why his lover wanted to talk about a blond playboy who'd probably slept with half the women in Tokyo and a measurable percentage of the rest of the world. The man was occasionally suicidal and lazy and lacked any sense of commitment. That fate suddenly seemed open to him too, if Ken died here in his arms, he'd mirror Youji more than he could say, just become a worthless shell of a soul."
"Listen," Ken nearly growled. "Friend. He's my friend. Before."
"I understand. He was your friend before I came to the team." Ken was loyal, so loyal, and Ran respected that truly.
"Virgin."
"You?" Ran asked, confused. "Aya-chan? Did Youji sleep with Aya-chan?"
"No." Ken said, and it was moment's more, just laying there, Ran trying not to smolder. "Youji. Liar. He's a virgin."
"That's not possible, Ken," Ran said, not able to put much energy into disbelieving what his love had told him. "He's slept with women, and men, for missions and he's always out on dates. He reeks like a whore of sex sometimes."
"Lies. Hiding. Scared. He's afraid," Ken said, "Don't be mean to him, Ran. Please? Omi's too young to understand and…"
"He's a bastard," Ran said, wanting very much to cut off what Ken was aiming at. "If you die, I'm going to blame him and I'm going to make him blame himself. You have to live."
"You're a bastard," Ken said, but his tone was accepting, and they both knew neither of them believed Ran would carry out his threat against Youji.
"Fine, we can take him with us when we got to America. I'll make him wear a cheerleader dress."
"Short."
"Yeah. Make. Him shave," Ken said, losing his breath as he laughed, "his legs."
"Anything that will make you smile," Ran said, meaning this promise completely.
Youji twitched internally as he waited for the data connection to complete the handshake. Information was the easiest kind of 'kill' and they had been right. This was a one person mission.
As soon as he'd gotten away from watching the lovebirds the intense jealousy and feeling of being left out had evaporated. Ken was his best friend. Omi his little brother. Aya the untouchable love interest. So…. if Aya and Ken found love with each other, that would be okay. Better that way. Safer for everyone's secrets. He didn't really want anyone that close to him anyway.
"You are such a liar," a sultry voice said, slow as sun melted chocolate. "You should listen to your thoughts, sometimes, Kitty, Kitty."
Youji spun. Black mission clothes, small communications room, multi task sunglasses masking predatory green eyes, and he was trapped there, black on black, by the feral red head blocking the door. "Schuldig."
"I'm so flattered and you almost find me attractive too. I think you're pretty hot and I bet that ass of yours is sooo tight."
Youji swallowed, hands on the arms of the chair he sat in. "We let them go because they turned out not to be compatible with our employer's experiment. You, on the other hand might be perfect. Yes, we are manipulative bastards. What compliments. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement for your cooperation?"
Youji turned, looked at his connection that hadn't connected. "Make this connect. Give them the data they need to save Ken."
"Don't feel too bad, Yotan," Schuldig said, using a very familiar form of Youji's name as he leaned over Youji's shoulder to type a code into the computer. "It's very easy to manipulate people's behavior if you have some time to read their thoughts. You're not going to miss anything, really. They'll be happy together and they'll get over you."
"I want to know that Ken's okay," Youji said, moving away from Schuldig's breath on his cheek, "Then I'll cooperate."
"I expected that you would, Sweetheart."
Omi and a doctor ran towards where Ken and Aya still sat, leaning against the tree. "He did it," Omi yelled.
Ran shifted a little, pulling Ken up out of the slouch. "Ken, Youji sent the information!"
The doctor dropped to her knees, swapped Ken's arm and made the injection in one fluid motion. She watched her watch the moment she withdrew the needle. "The information we received said the antidote should take effect within fifteen seconds."
At about fourteen seconds, Ken went stiff, teeth clenched shut on a growl. Both the doctor and Ran reached for Ken's wrists. Twenty-five seconds, the brunette was sitting up on his own, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hot damn, what was that?"
"Let's get you into the clinic and see if it was a more permanent cure than the last one," the doctor said, getting to her feet.
Ran was on his feet almost as fast as she was, holding his hand out to Ken.
The satellite image was fuzzy, but clear enough for Youji to be convinced. Ken walked on his own power, Aya next to him. Omi on the other side.
"He will be fine now," Schuldig promised.
"That's good," Youji said, touching the screen, first Ken, then Ran. "I'll cooperate."
"A man of your word," Schuldig asked, "Or just the easy way out?"
"Does it matter to you?"
"Not really," Schuldig said, is hand moving faster than a mortal, his hand coming around to cover Youji's mouth and nose. Much stronger than the slender blond, he held him until Youji went limp.
