Title: Shades of Gray 3 / ?
Author: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
Category: dark, angst, yaoi,
Pairings: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi (psychically). Omi+Aya, Others later.
Rating: varies - PG for this chapter
Warnings: This has yaoi in it.
Spoilers: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz, (you can find translations of the Dramatic CDs at http://www.kekai.com/wkcorner/ )
Notes: The fic should still make sense if you don't know the Dramatic CDs, but it might be a bit of a spoiler. Oh, since I don't know what Kitten in the House looks like, I took some creative license. Please don't kill me ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them.
Archive: Just ask. Fanfiction.Net
Feedback: Please! This is my first WK fic and I'd like to hear what people think so I'll continue writing.
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset//
Shades of Gray
Chapter 3
Omi sighed in frustration and wished that he were working his shift with Aya and Youji instead of Ken and Aya-chan. Usually he didn't mind working with the two younger members of their little group, but today they were acting strange and it was making him really uncomfortable. The fact that the fan girls were even more clingy than usual didn't help at all.
On top of all that, he was having trouble even looking Ken in the eye without blushing because his room was directly above the soccer player's, and the erotic sounds that had come from there last night had plunged Omi into a night filled with wet-dreams. Even worse, he'd been hiding an erection behind his apron all day because he couldn't seem to get is mind off of sex - it was like the room had been filled with an aphrodisiac of some sort. It was driving him crazy because he had no one to go to relieve the pressure. He blushed again at the thought and wondered if he'd be able to take another washroom break.
Sighing softly, he shook his head. He had to be careful how many of those breaks he took - not that the other two would really notice since Ken was continuously daydreaming with a seductive little smirk on his face, and Aya-chan kept cycling between blushes and melancholy. Ken however, was being almost as unreliable at customer service as Youji usually was, and Aya-chan's mood swings were strange all round so he didn't really feel comfortable leaving them alone in the shop by themselves especially since the fanboys were a bit more forward than usual. He didn't know what he'd do if one of them tried anything with Aya-chan when Ken wasn't paying attention and he wasn't there. This was one of the many days that he wished that Aya had let his sister take some sort of self-defense courses like she'd wanted to back when they'd first returned to Tokyo - he didn't like the thought of someone as pretty and innocent as her at the mercy of unwanted attentions. He got that type of attention all the time, but at least he could defend himself if he had to - she had to rely on them for help if someone decided to be too forward.
Glancing at the clock, he was relieved to see that it was almost time for Aya and Youji to start their shift. He couldn't wait to get out of here - it was getting even harder to keep his usual cheerful expression on when all he wanted to do was jump the nearest guy. More specifically, he wanted to jump a certain redhead he knew. Face flaming at the thought, he ducked into the back room and leaned against the wall closing his eyes. I will not think of Aya, I will not think of Aya, he repeated to himself. I will not think of doing a strip tease for him while he watches with his shirt unbuttoned, and his pants open, erection wet with desire. . . Yelping in shock he tried to think about anything but that. he thought frantically, trying not to think about gorgeous redheads.
He was so focused on not thinking about sex and Aya that he jumped and fell on his butt when someone touched his shoulder. Looking up, he was mortified to see Aya looking at him with a hint of confusion marring his usual glare.
"Omi, what's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Um, nothing, Aya-kun," he stammered, eyes glazing at the sight of the red oxford shirt that Aya had on. Tearing his eyes away he stumbled to his feet. "I just have to go to the washroom and I was waiting for you and Youji to show up. You're here so, bye," he said in a rush before running for the stairs so he could lock himself in the bathroom until his - problem - went away.
*~*~*~*~*
Aya-chan sat on the roof staring at the darkening sky and trying to sort out her feelings. Today had to have been one of the most disturbingly confusing days of her entire life. Everything had been a complete jumble for her. Whenever she had looked at Ken, all she'd been able to do was picture him naked in his window, masturbating for a cute boy in the tree. Then she'd suddenly remember why she'd been in the bushes, and self-loathing would flood her, which in turn caused her to remember the red dot from the laser sight and she'd feel proud for saving her family, then she'd look at Ken and the cycle would begin again.
To make matters worse, she didn't know what to do to stop her emotional turmoil. Omi was usually willing to help but besides the fact that he didn't know she was trained to kill, he'd been acting oddly all day, blushing more often than she did, and sneaking off for more washroom breaks than he normally needed.
Her brother and Youji were out as well because they didn't know about her new status as a killer, and, while she thought that her brother would understand the self-hate she'd been feeling off and on today, it wasn't anything she could talk with him about.
Ken was her usual confidant of choice, and would have been now, except that he'd been seriously distracted all day, and, judging by the expression on his face, he'd been thinking about sex. She wasn't entirely certain why he was obsessing over mutual masturbation, hot as it was, when he'd physically been with several other people on a regular basis, but he was, and she could never talk to him when he was like this - it was too distracting. So instead she sat alone on the rooftop trying to figure things out for herself.
The worst thing was that she couldn't follow her usual method of stress relief and lose herself in her Kung Fu forms because they just reminded her of what she'd done the night before. Sighing she leaned her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands.
The door that lead downstairs creaked open and the deliberate scuff of feet let her know that Ken had come onto the roof.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
When she shook her head, he sat on the crate beside her. "I'm sorry for today," he said softly, looking down at his clasped hands.
Surprised, she glanced up at him. "Sorry for what?"
"For not paying enough attention to you," he explained. "I've been lost in my own little world and I didn't notice that you needed someone to talk to until a few minutes ago."
"That's okay, he was pretty cute," she said, then blushed fiercely when she realized ~what~ she had said.
Ken stared at her in amazement. "Huh?" he asked intelligently. Aya-chan giggled.
"I saw that cute boy climb into the tree last night, and I think the whole block heard what happened next."
Her best friend blushed crimson, but the seductive little smirk he'd been wearing today came back as well causing the same reaction in Aya-chan that she'd been experiencing all day.
"You, uh, you. . . saw?" he stuttered before frowning. "Why can't I ever talk about sex?" he muttered to himself.
Aya-chan relaxed again as he went back to being 'just Ken' and smiled slightly. "You're just so kawaii when you blush though," she exclaimed imitating some of the fangirls who flooded the store regularly.
Ken winced and chuckled. Shaking his head he looked at her, slightly more serious expression on his face. "You were in the bushes weren't you?" he asked quietly.
The girl stared at him a moment, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she nodded slowly. The young man beside her simply opened his arms in response. Without hesitation she threw herself against his chest, sobbing softly into his shirt as his arms closed soothingly around her. This was one of the things she loved about him - she rarely needed to explain - he was always there for her.
After a while she calmed down, scrubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand and rubbing away the tears with her sleeves.
"Feel a bit better?" he asked.
She nodded, hiccupping slightly. Ken didn't remove his arms. "I was worried," she explained haltingly, sniffling like a little kid. "I didn't like the idea of Korat testing you specifically so I followed in case you needed backup. Everything was fine until I saw that little red dot on Niisan's chest. I didn't even think, I just shot that gunner, and the other one, then I shot the one who aimed at you."
"Killing someone, especially the first time, is hard," responded Ken. "I'd have actually been more upset though if you hadn't gone numb during the whole thing."
"Really? Doesn't that make me heartless?"
"No," replied Ken seriously. "It makes you well trained. If you hadn't, we'd be dead, and if you'd enjoyed it well. . ." He shrugged.
"How do you guys do it?" she asked.
Ken shrugged. "It's different for all of us," he said thoughtfully. "For Aya, it was to keep from flying apart when you were in a coma - he needed something to give his life meaning. He does it for the same reason now." Ken paused, looking at the sky before continuing. "I think it was similar for Youji - after Asuka he wanted revenge, and Weiss gave him an outlet. He's also obsessed with protecting women, so a lot of our missions suit him. And Omi. . . well he does it because he was raised to do it. The funny thing is because he was trained to think of it as a regular job, he's been affected by it the least. He could probably give it up tomorrow like quitting the flower shop for a new job. He only stays because of us."
"What about you?"
Ken didn't look at her, but stared at a smudge on his shoe. "For me, at first, it was a way for me to take my anger and frustration out because my life sucked so much. Some time after we left Tokyo it changed though - I don't know why. I couldn't stop killing now if I wanted to - and I don't." He turned to her, a serious look in his eyes. "Don't get like me, okay?" he said softly. "I never wanted you to have to kill anyone, but if you have to, don't let it fuck you up like it did to us - killing should hurt you, but it shouldn't destroy you. And please don't ever get to enjoy it - one fucked up psychopath is enough for Weiss."
Aya-chan glared at her best friend even as she hugged him. "You aren't a psychopath," she told him firmly. "A little 'fucked up' okay, we all are, but you don't go out killing just anyone, and the only ones who have to be afraid of you are targets and anyone who wants to hurt someone you care about."
The young man beside her raised an eyebrow then shrugged. "I don't really know if I am a psychopath or not - I'm not as bad as Berserker, licking my bugnuks like he licks his knives, and because of Weiss I don't kill for the hell of it, but without the team. . ."
"Well, there is a team, so let's not think about it," she paused for a moment then looked up at him. "Let's do something distracting."
"Like what? Clubbing?"
Aya-chan nodded. "Sounds good. I need to lose myself in the music and dancing tonight. . ."
Ken grinned. "A.C. Tease is in the mood. . ."
"Oh, you!" she exclaimed. "It's your fault I got stuck with that name,"
"But you are a tease," he protested with a laugh. "And you're able to get away with it."
She blushed and smiled at him. "How could I not get away with it when I can defend myself, and if that doesn't work, Killer Kenshin my twin brother will take out anyone who's too persistent."
"I haven't actually killed anyone at the clubs yet."
"Yet. Like you need to anyway after that one night in addition to that psycho look you give them while licking your switchblade."
"Everything I learned about looking psycho I learned from Schwarz," he responded with a wink.
The girl snickered. "Why don't I drag you shopping and out to a movie to make up for all the racket you caused last night? That way the others won't bug us and we don't have to wait for them to go to bed before sneaking out."
Ken groaned. "Not shopping."
Aya-chan looked questioningly at him. "Not even at that plastic and leather club shop with all the hot, half-dressed salespeople?"
"Can we freak everyone out by being all clingy in public?" he asked with a smirk.
The girl rolled her eyes and stood up. "You're sick you know that?"
"Well, we aren't really twins," he protested. "If we were I wouldn't even think about it." He shuddered at the thought and she had to agree with him. They did have the reputation for sleeping together, even though they were supposed to be related, but that had been their own fault for dancing like that when they started clubbing months ago. She also had to agree with his idea of being clingy at the store - there was a weird kind of freedom in acting that way, knowing that Aya and the others would probably freak out if they saw them.
"So, tight jeans and shirts under long coats?" Ken asked.
"Sounds good to me. Let's go though before we get stuck doing something here."
*~*~*~*~*
Aya looked up from his book as his sister came into the room dragging a desperate looking Ken behind her. "You're going, and that's final," she said.
"Ah, come on, Aya-chan," the soccer player whined. "Why can't you go by yourself, or take somebody else with you?"
"Because ~you're~ the one who kept me up all night, so ~you're~ the one who's going to take me shopping and then to a movie."
The redhead winced and hid his face in his book, refusing to look at his pleading teammate. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Omi and Youji were also studiously avoiding Ken's eyes. He hid a smirk. Aya loved his sister dearly, but he would only shop with her if she truly wanted him to go - otherwise it was too dull and painful. He didn't understand why she had to try on clothes for hours at a time - a few sweaters, pairs of pants, and some shirts were all that were necessary. Besides, the saleswomen always clung to him.
"Come on guys, give me some help here," the brunette begged.
Youji simply slumped deeper into the couch, burying his nose further into his magazine while Omi hid behind his textbook.
"Kenn-kunn," wheedled the girl. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"
Aya frowned at his book, refusing to look. He recognized Omi's influence in that phrase, and knew that Ken wasn't going to be able to resist anymore than he could resist Omi when he said the same thing - none of them could really - it made it fairly easy for the two to get their way.
Looking discreetly over his novel, he saw the helpless look on Ken's face and caught his sister's wink. He hid a slight smile, grateful that even with the negative influence of Weiss in the air, his immuto could still be cheerful and happy. He didn't want to think about what it would be like if she had to deal with the evil he and the others encountered regularly.
The thought of Weiss dampened his smile however. That his sister could still love him, even considering what he was and what he did, never ceased to amaze him. He knew that didn't really deserve to be anything other than a killer, didn't deserve to have anyone love him, but it seemed sometimes that with his sister's unconditional love there might be some hope for him. It might be possible to move on, like Omi insisted, but until that day, if it ever came, he would make the world a bit safer for his sister - he would protect her; it was all he had.
Shaking his head he discretely watched Ken and his sister lace their boots. He wondered how she'd managed to maneuver the brunette into agreeing to shop with her.
"Remind me never to masturbate loudly when she's home," muttered Youji quietly as the two soon-to-be shoppers slipped out the door.
"What?" he asked before recalling what his sister had said earlier 'the one who kept me up all night'.
"She heard that. . ." Aya gasped. Leaping to his feet he started after the duo -- there was no way he was going to let Ken corrupt his sister. That she'd actually heard him . . . that was inexcusable.
He was stopped suddenly by a strong grip on his arm. Glaring at the offending hand, and then at Youji the owner of said hand, he shrugged it off only to find that the blond man didn't give up so easily. "Let me go," he grated out.
"Don't be ridiculous," was the smooth reply. "Give him a lecture on volume tomorrow. If you stop them, then one of ~us~ will have to go with her."
Omi snickered. "Why don't you go shopping with her, Youji-kun?" he asked. "You spend as much time trying things on as she does."
The rolled his eyes. "Because, Omittichi, she doesn't wear my kind of clothes, and it's no fun to wait while other people change unless you're changing too."
The sound of Ken's motorcycle interrupted the conversation, and Aya shrugged out of Youji's grip. Glaring at the two blonds, he began pacing, wondering how his sister was going to cope with Ken's influence.
"She'll be fine, Aya," commented Youji, settling back onto the couch with his magazine. "What trouble can she get into with ~Ken~ while they're ~shopping~?"
"Ken's not a good influence," he muttered.
"Since when?" laughed the older man.
"He's a killer,"
"And so are we. Your point being?"
"He enjoys it,"
"Okay, so he enjoys killing," agreed Youji. "I doubt they're going out to gut saleswomen or anyone else, though. Next argument?"
Aya glared helplessly at the smug looking blond. He didn't really have any objections to Ken - outside of missions Ken really seemed to be the same open and, well, sweet guy they'd known for years. He really wasn't a bad influence - if anything, other than Omi, he was probably one of the best influences that she could have. He didn't really know why he was objecting so much.
He heard a snicker and frowned at the offending Youji. "What?"
Youji rolled his eyes. "This is about last night, isn't it?" he said. "You're just pissed off because Ken was extra noisy and it kept you awake. Probably had to wash your sheets this morning too, right?"
The redhead could feel his face heating so he threw himself back into his armchair and hid behind his book. There was no way he was going to admit the truth in that statement. A brief memory of a blond head thrown back in pleasure, riding him . . . Youji snickered again, and Aya glanced sideways to see Omi blushing bright red himself. Their eyes met, and they both turned away quickly.
Aya wondered what Omi had dreamed about last night. Flushing again at the thought and the reaction it caused in him Aya decided to retreat.
"I'm going to read in my room," he said. "It's obvious I won't get any peace here."
Youji was chuckling, and the swordsman knew that the other man was probably aware of his real reason for leaving. Well, most of his reason. He doubted that Youji knew that Omi had been the feature attraction in his Ken-caused fantasies last night. He snorted derisively at himself. It was a hopeless fantasy anyway. Omi was so full of optimism, so hopeful for the future, while he was aimless, his only purpose being to protect his sister, something that he didn't even know if he had the right to do anymore. What would Omi ever want with a tainted, soulless person such as himself? What would anyone want with someone like him?
He sighed and locked his door. Who would want him when he didn't want himself?
*~*~*~*~*
Youji watched as Aya left the room quickly, face flushed, novel covering his lap. The redhead wasn't always the easiest to tease, but when it worked it was well worth it. Looking over towards the remaining occupant of the room, he saw that Omi was not-so-subtly watching the retreating swordsman. He rolled his eyes at the sight. Those two were so transparent it was ridiculous. He couldn't believe that no one else seemed to have noticed.
Staring vaguely at his magazine he wondered ~why~ no one had noticed. He understood Aya's blindness - that man had a lot of issues. He didn't think he'd met anyone recently who was so confident yet had such a negative self image before. He wondered why Aya had been affected so deeply by becoming an assassin - not that the rest of them hadn't been, but it seemed to have destroyed a vital part of the man and Youji wasn't sure if it was something that could be fixed.
Omi was too naïve to notice. Despite being trained as an assassin from childhood, he had little or no experience with love or even family. He'd had infatuation with Ouka, he'd had crushes at school, but none of them were experiences that would tell him what to expect from Aya. Ever the optimist, he, for some reason, didn't think he had a chance with Aya. Youji didn't understand it, but chalked it up to inexperience on the part of the youngest Weiss member. He wondered if he should interfere.
Aya-chan had a better excuse for not noticing the attraction between her brother and Omi simply since her shift was always opposite his and Aya's, so she didn't get to see the two pining lovebirds in the shop together where the attraction was most noticeable. He thought that she at least would have recognized it if she saw them together more often - she'd always struck him as an observant and practical girl, regardless of the fact that she refused to work with him. He supposed it made sense though -- he'd never had hovering older brothers himself, but he knew it had always irritated him when Aya or one of the others commented on his dating decisions, so he imagined it was just as annoying for her. He couldn't help it though; he wanted to make sure she stayed safe.
And Ken, well, he didn't know what to think about Ken most of the time. It was one thing to joke about him being such a good boy, with a clean-cut image, but the truth was whenever he was given the chance to kill he took it and enjoyed it. Youji didn't like being partnered with him as he was for most missions simply because when it came down to it, Ken scared the shit out of him. The maniacal laughter as he slaughtered the targets, or anyone who stood in their way disturbed him to no end, and he almost expected to see him lick his blades clean like that Schwarz lunatic used to do. The only thing that reassured him during those times was the fact that Ken didn't seem to like people to suffer. He killed people as quickly as possible, ending their pain as soon as he started it. Youji wasn't entirely certain, but he thought that Aya-chan was the main influence there. The brunette was a lot calmer with her around than he had been in Kyoto. Youji was no longer afraid that he'd wake up and find out that Ken was their next target. He did wish that Aya or Omi would be partnered with Ken sometimes though because they rarely saw that side of him and he knew they misjudged him because of it.
Sighing, he chuckled mentally wondering what the others would say if they knew how much he understood about them simply through observation. It wasn't as if he had much choice after all. He could watch his teammates, go on a hot date and possibly kill her this time, or drink himself stupid - something he refused to do where Aya-chan could see him. Oh, he still went out - actually he went out a lot, but now it tended to be more talk and less action. A lot less action to his irritation. But it was better than the alternative. He'd very nearly killed the last woman he'd been with - if it could be called that since he'd almost strangled her before it went farther than kissing.
The worst thing was that it didn't seem to be able to follow through with guys either. He didn't trust any of them enough to be uke, and while others might think that Omi's genki good looks were the ultimate turn-on, he wasn't particularly attracted to girlish looking men. Aya was was more his type - strong exterior, but with some vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, Aya liked Omi, and besides, the thought was too much like incest for him. They weren't actually related of course, but ever since they'd moved back to Tokyo they'd both adopted the same big-brother attitude towards Aya-chan and it gave them a more brotherly connection. The one positive thing they had in common was the need to watch out for her. Besides, he wouldn't want to risk strangling someone he was genuinely fond of - and even if he didn't kill Aya, Aya would probably kill him reflexively, and whatever friendship they had was worth a lot more than a chance to nail the good-looking redhead into the bed so to speak. That and the fact that he didn't want to alienate Aya-chan. He hadn't had much of a family before Asuka and he didn't want to lose them for anything.
He hadn't always thought that way, about Weiss being his family, but in the past year he'd had a lot of time to evaluate his life and some things just took precedence over others. Sure the others still thought he was nothing but a flaky skirt chaser, and in some respects he was since he hadn't done much to change that image - after all, he still loved chasing women, the only difference being that now he just had to make sure none of them caught him.
Thinking about it a bit more though, he knew that he didn't want to lose that image of himself because it was comfortable. It was something he could slip on like a pair of worn in jeans and lounge in without having to think about it. He could drop into flirt mode and not have to worry about anything else showing through - not the loneliness, or the bitterness, or the mockery of his existence. It was nice not having to be questioned about his actions, it was a relief knowing that everyone's reactions towards him were predictable; they were comfortable in their familiarity.
It would be nice though, if someone noticed that it was just a mask.
*~*~*~*~*
Stretching slowly, Schuldich settled the translucent black shirt against his chest allowing it to mold itself to his body. Checking the mirror he nodded at the image. His low-slung, skintight jeans with their forest green sheen fit him perfectly and he liked the way they defined his ass. Everyone liked the way they defined his ass, he thought, pleased with the selection. He slid an orange bandanna into his hair, enjoying the effect as it blended in almost unnoticed. It was a great way to give the illusion of having his hair free without having to worry about eating it. Deciding to forgo his sunglasses he sauntered out towards the front door. After following Nagi's exploits with the Weiss kitty, he wanted to go out and enjoy himself.
Hearing the clack of the keyboard caused him to stop and peer into Nagi's room. Sure enough, the teenager was typing away, irritated thoughts leaking through his shields. A pencil was tapping itself on the desk in counterpoint to the keys.
:: Hey, Crawford, :: he called out mentally. :: How come Nagikins isn't out psychically boinking Siberian? ::
:: Because he has work to do, :: was the bored response.
:: And it couldn't wait until tomorrow? The kid looks like he's ready to break something in frustration. Hell, he's even started kinetically tapping pencils. ::
"Where are you going?" the dark haired man asked as the telepath entered the kitchen.
"Out," was all he said, knowing how much it would irritate the other man.
"Hn. Go to the Inferno."
The telepath blinked, startled. "You ~want~ me to go to the Inferno? I thought you hated it when I go out clubbing." He knew that he should be used to Crawford's behavior by now, but somehow, whenever he did something like this it threw the redhead off. That was the annoying thing about not being able to read the precog's thoughts - he had to judge him by his actions, which were usually predictable, but sometimes, like now, they weren't.
"I don't hate it when you do anything," Crawford replied, not looking up from his newspaper. "Does it really matter to you ~which~ club you go to?"
"Well, no, but why do you want me to go there? And what if I say no?"
"Don't question me."
Schuldich managed to conceal his surprise at the tone of voice. Crawford did a lot of things, but he didn't tend to use that tone unless they were on a mission . . . or if he was acting on a vision.
:: What's so important about the club I go to? :: he demanded silently, waiting to gauge Brad's reaction. The 'obey or I'll shoot you' glare he received was enough for him. He liked to push things with the American, but only to a certain point - it wasn't wise to cross the person who could choose ~not~ to warn you about your impending death.
"So you want me to go to the Inferno. Fine," he answered gruffly. "Is there any particular reason, or will I just get lucky if I go there?" Just because he was complying, didn't mean he had to be serious about it. Wouldn't want Bradley to think he was getting soft or anything.
The clairvoyant had turned back to his newspaper again however, and Schuldich knew he wouldn't get an answer. Shrugging, the German went to the closet and debated about wearing his leather jacket but decided against it. It was a bit too chilly to be wandering around wearing only mesh and denim, but he wouldn't be outside long.
:: See you tomorrow, Bradley, :: he sent as he stepped out the door. :: Have fun; I know I will. ::
*~*~*
Ignoring the lineup, Schuldich walked right up to the door, fogging the minds of those around him so he could enter immediately. Lineups and cover charges irritated him so he avoided them whenever possible. He paused inside the entrance to adjust as the sound, both audible and mental assaulted him. It flowed over and through him; drunken, sex orientated thoughts with very little in terms of higher thinking. It was a relief to get away from the chaos humanity's usual thought patterns and wallow in the primitive, emotional thoughts that existed in these clubs with drink and drug fogged clientele. He always looked forward to the escape.
Drifting towards the bar he wondered what was supposed to happen tonight to get Crawford's panties in a bunch. Shrugging he decided not to think about the precog. He was sure that the American would tell him tomorrow if he thought that Schuldich had fucked anything up. Grabbing his beer, he threw some money down and moved towards the dance floor lightly scanning the crowd for any familiar thought patterns. He didn't really expect to hear any - the Inferno wasn't one of his usual clubs, so he was surprised to see ~her~ spin out of the mass of dancers and press up against him.
"Hey there, Red," she said. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Schuldich smirked at her, gleaning her words from her mind as he couldn't hope to hear her voice over the throbbing bass. "Asii," he answered, lightly projecting the name into her thoughts so she could hear him. "You and Kenshin slumming now? Or you going for the younger crowd instead?"
Her laughter tickled his mind like champagne bubbles. He knew he wouldn't end up bedding her; no one seemed to bed her except, if the rumors were true, her brother. He winced at the thought, but besides that quirk she was still one of the most entertaining people he knew.
"I'd thought about it, but then I saw you." She plucked the bottle from his hand and finished the last gulp before placing it on a table. "Let's dance."
The telepath grinned and shook his head following her into the writhing mass of bodies. "Like the outfit," he commented giving her the once over. She was dressed in a shimmery indigo velvet bra and hotpants with a translucent black spandex sheath dress over top that hid absolutely nothing. Her black hair hanging in loose waves down her back and swayed while she moved. She positively radiated sex appeal and he laughed as she posed. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and spun her into his arms back to chest, where he lightly ran his hands over the contours of her body.
"Fine form tonight, Asii Tease," he said rotating his hips against her ass as she laughed again. The girl turned slowly sliding her hands up his chest as they moved together.
A small circle formed around them as people began to watch them dance. This was part of what he found fascinating about her - she was so single-minded. All she thought about was dancing and driving as many people as wild as possible. That, and ways to take out anyone who went too far. It was one of several reasons he'd never done more than dance or kiss her - after all, she ~was~ capable of killing, and he'd have to fuck with her mind to get her to agree. Besides, he liked her the way she was and, while he hadn't actually met her twin, he'd felt the man's mind once when someone had decided that Asii's 'no' didn't count - he definitely didn't want to piss off that psycho. The name Killer Kenshin was definitely well earned - he had felt the bloodlust boiling in the man's mind threatening to send Schuldich himself over the edge. He made a point of avoiding any contact with that man's mind after that experience despite the vague sense of unplaced recognition. He wasn't going to risk getting sucked into a killing rage that strong; losing control like that on his part would definitely not be pretty.
Shaking the thoughts of her brother off, he slid his hands down to her velvet-covered ass letting himself get lost in the music. Fuck Crawford, fuck Schwarz, and fuck evil looming destinies - he was going to enjoy himself for a change.
TBC
Author: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
Category: dark, angst, yaoi,
Pairings: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi (psychically). Omi+Aya, Others later.
Rating: varies - PG for this chapter
Warnings: This has yaoi in it.
Spoilers: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz, (you can find translations of the Dramatic CDs at http://www.kekai.com/wkcorner/ )
Notes: The fic should still make sense if you don't know the Dramatic CDs, but it might be a bit of a spoiler. Oh, since I don't know what Kitten in the House looks like, I took some creative license. Please don't kill me ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them.
Archive: Just ask. Fanfiction.Net
Feedback: Please! This is my first WK fic and I'd like to hear what people think so I'll continue writing.
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset//
Shades of Gray
Chapter 3
Omi sighed in frustration and wished that he were working his shift with Aya and Youji instead of Ken and Aya-chan. Usually he didn't mind working with the two younger members of their little group, but today they were acting strange and it was making him really uncomfortable. The fact that the fan girls were even more clingy than usual didn't help at all.
On top of all that, he was having trouble even looking Ken in the eye without blushing because his room was directly above the soccer player's, and the erotic sounds that had come from there last night had plunged Omi into a night filled with wet-dreams. Even worse, he'd been hiding an erection behind his apron all day because he couldn't seem to get is mind off of sex - it was like the room had been filled with an aphrodisiac of some sort. It was driving him crazy because he had no one to go to relieve the pressure. He blushed again at the thought and wondered if he'd be able to take another washroom break.
Sighing softly, he shook his head. He had to be careful how many of those breaks he took - not that the other two would really notice since Ken was continuously daydreaming with a seductive little smirk on his face, and Aya-chan kept cycling between blushes and melancholy. Ken however, was being almost as unreliable at customer service as Youji usually was, and Aya-chan's mood swings were strange all round so he didn't really feel comfortable leaving them alone in the shop by themselves especially since the fanboys were a bit more forward than usual. He didn't know what he'd do if one of them tried anything with Aya-chan when Ken wasn't paying attention and he wasn't there. This was one of the many days that he wished that Aya had let his sister take some sort of self-defense courses like she'd wanted to back when they'd first returned to Tokyo - he didn't like the thought of someone as pretty and innocent as her at the mercy of unwanted attentions. He got that type of attention all the time, but at least he could defend himself if he had to - she had to rely on them for help if someone decided to be too forward.
Glancing at the clock, he was relieved to see that it was almost time for Aya and Youji to start their shift. He couldn't wait to get out of here - it was getting even harder to keep his usual cheerful expression on when all he wanted to do was jump the nearest guy. More specifically, he wanted to jump a certain redhead he knew. Face flaming at the thought, he ducked into the back room and leaned against the wall closing his eyes. I will not think of Aya, I will not think of Aya, he repeated to himself. I will not think of doing a strip tease for him while he watches with his shirt unbuttoned, and his pants open, erection wet with desire. . . Yelping in shock he tried to think about anything but that. he thought frantically, trying not to think about gorgeous redheads.
He was so focused on not thinking about sex and Aya that he jumped and fell on his butt when someone touched his shoulder. Looking up, he was mortified to see Aya looking at him with a hint of confusion marring his usual glare.
"Omi, what's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Um, nothing, Aya-kun," he stammered, eyes glazing at the sight of the red oxford shirt that Aya had on. Tearing his eyes away he stumbled to his feet. "I just have to go to the washroom and I was waiting for you and Youji to show up. You're here so, bye," he said in a rush before running for the stairs so he could lock himself in the bathroom until his - problem - went away.
*~*~*~*~*
Aya-chan sat on the roof staring at the darkening sky and trying to sort out her feelings. Today had to have been one of the most disturbingly confusing days of her entire life. Everything had been a complete jumble for her. Whenever she had looked at Ken, all she'd been able to do was picture him naked in his window, masturbating for a cute boy in the tree. Then she'd suddenly remember why she'd been in the bushes, and self-loathing would flood her, which in turn caused her to remember the red dot from the laser sight and she'd feel proud for saving her family, then she'd look at Ken and the cycle would begin again.
To make matters worse, she didn't know what to do to stop her emotional turmoil. Omi was usually willing to help but besides the fact that he didn't know she was trained to kill, he'd been acting oddly all day, blushing more often than she did, and sneaking off for more washroom breaks than he normally needed.
Her brother and Youji were out as well because they didn't know about her new status as a killer, and, while she thought that her brother would understand the self-hate she'd been feeling off and on today, it wasn't anything she could talk with him about.
Ken was her usual confidant of choice, and would have been now, except that he'd been seriously distracted all day, and, judging by the expression on his face, he'd been thinking about sex. She wasn't entirely certain why he was obsessing over mutual masturbation, hot as it was, when he'd physically been with several other people on a regular basis, but he was, and she could never talk to him when he was like this - it was too distracting. So instead she sat alone on the rooftop trying to figure things out for herself.
The worst thing was that she couldn't follow her usual method of stress relief and lose herself in her Kung Fu forms because they just reminded her of what she'd done the night before. Sighing she leaned her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands.
The door that lead downstairs creaked open and the deliberate scuff of feet let her know that Ken had come onto the roof.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
When she shook her head, he sat on the crate beside her. "I'm sorry for today," he said softly, looking down at his clasped hands.
Surprised, she glanced up at him. "Sorry for what?"
"For not paying enough attention to you," he explained. "I've been lost in my own little world and I didn't notice that you needed someone to talk to until a few minutes ago."
"That's okay, he was pretty cute," she said, then blushed fiercely when she realized ~what~ she had said.
Ken stared at her in amazement. "Huh?" he asked intelligently. Aya-chan giggled.
"I saw that cute boy climb into the tree last night, and I think the whole block heard what happened next."
Her best friend blushed crimson, but the seductive little smirk he'd been wearing today came back as well causing the same reaction in Aya-chan that she'd been experiencing all day.
"You, uh, you. . . saw?" he stuttered before frowning. "Why can't I ever talk about sex?" he muttered to himself.
Aya-chan relaxed again as he went back to being 'just Ken' and smiled slightly. "You're just so kawaii when you blush though," she exclaimed imitating some of the fangirls who flooded the store regularly.
Ken winced and chuckled. Shaking his head he looked at her, slightly more serious expression on his face. "You were in the bushes weren't you?" he asked quietly.
The girl stared at him a moment, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she nodded slowly. The young man beside her simply opened his arms in response. Without hesitation she threw herself against his chest, sobbing softly into his shirt as his arms closed soothingly around her. This was one of the things she loved about him - she rarely needed to explain - he was always there for her.
After a while she calmed down, scrubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hand and rubbing away the tears with her sleeves.
"Feel a bit better?" he asked.
She nodded, hiccupping slightly. Ken didn't remove his arms. "I was worried," she explained haltingly, sniffling like a little kid. "I didn't like the idea of Korat testing you specifically so I followed in case you needed backup. Everything was fine until I saw that little red dot on Niisan's chest. I didn't even think, I just shot that gunner, and the other one, then I shot the one who aimed at you."
"Killing someone, especially the first time, is hard," responded Ken. "I'd have actually been more upset though if you hadn't gone numb during the whole thing."
"Really? Doesn't that make me heartless?"
"No," replied Ken seriously. "It makes you well trained. If you hadn't, we'd be dead, and if you'd enjoyed it well. . ." He shrugged.
"How do you guys do it?" she asked.
Ken shrugged. "It's different for all of us," he said thoughtfully. "For Aya, it was to keep from flying apart when you were in a coma - he needed something to give his life meaning. He does it for the same reason now." Ken paused, looking at the sky before continuing. "I think it was similar for Youji - after Asuka he wanted revenge, and Weiss gave him an outlet. He's also obsessed with protecting women, so a lot of our missions suit him. And Omi. . . well he does it because he was raised to do it. The funny thing is because he was trained to think of it as a regular job, he's been affected by it the least. He could probably give it up tomorrow like quitting the flower shop for a new job. He only stays because of us."
"What about you?"
Ken didn't look at her, but stared at a smudge on his shoe. "For me, at first, it was a way for me to take my anger and frustration out because my life sucked so much. Some time after we left Tokyo it changed though - I don't know why. I couldn't stop killing now if I wanted to - and I don't." He turned to her, a serious look in his eyes. "Don't get like me, okay?" he said softly. "I never wanted you to have to kill anyone, but if you have to, don't let it fuck you up like it did to us - killing should hurt you, but it shouldn't destroy you. And please don't ever get to enjoy it - one fucked up psychopath is enough for Weiss."
Aya-chan glared at her best friend even as she hugged him. "You aren't a psychopath," she told him firmly. "A little 'fucked up' okay, we all are, but you don't go out killing just anyone, and the only ones who have to be afraid of you are targets and anyone who wants to hurt someone you care about."
The young man beside her raised an eyebrow then shrugged. "I don't really know if I am a psychopath or not - I'm not as bad as Berserker, licking my bugnuks like he licks his knives, and because of Weiss I don't kill for the hell of it, but without the team. . ."
"Well, there is a team, so let's not think about it," she paused for a moment then looked up at him. "Let's do something distracting."
"Like what? Clubbing?"
Aya-chan nodded. "Sounds good. I need to lose myself in the music and dancing tonight. . ."
Ken grinned. "A.C. Tease is in the mood. . ."
"Oh, you!" she exclaimed. "It's your fault I got stuck with that name,"
"But you are a tease," he protested with a laugh. "And you're able to get away with it."
She blushed and smiled at him. "How could I not get away with it when I can defend myself, and if that doesn't work, Killer Kenshin my twin brother will take out anyone who's too persistent."
"I haven't actually killed anyone at the clubs yet."
"Yet. Like you need to anyway after that one night in addition to that psycho look you give them while licking your switchblade."
"Everything I learned about looking psycho I learned from Schwarz," he responded with a wink.
The girl snickered. "Why don't I drag you shopping and out to a movie to make up for all the racket you caused last night? That way the others won't bug us and we don't have to wait for them to go to bed before sneaking out."
Ken groaned. "Not shopping."
Aya-chan looked questioningly at him. "Not even at that plastic and leather club shop with all the hot, half-dressed salespeople?"
"Can we freak everyone out by being all clingy in public?" he asked with a smirk.
The girl rolled her eyes and stood up. "You're sick you know that?"
"Well, we aren't really twins," he protested. "If we were I wouldn't even think about it." He shuddered at the thought and she had to agree with him. They did have the reputation for sleeping together, even though they were supposed to be related, but that had been their own fault for dancing like that when they started clubbing months ago. She also had to agree with his idea of being clingy at the store - there was a weird kind of freedom in acting that way, knowing that Aya and the others would probably freak out if they saw them.
"So, tight jeans and shirts under long coats?" Ken asked.
"Sounds good to me. Let's go though before we get stuck doing something here."
*~*~*~*~*
Aya looked up from his book as his sister came into the room dragging a desperate looking Ken behind her. "You're going, and that's final," she said.
"Ah, come on, Aya-chan," the soccer player whined. "Why can't you go by yourself, or take somebody else with you?"
"Because ~you're~ the one who kept me up all night, so ~you're~ the one who's going to take me shopping and then to a movie."
The redhead winced and hid his face in his book, refusing to look at his pleading teammate. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Omi and Youji were also studiously avoiding Ken's eyes. He hid a smirk. Aya loved his sister dearly, but he would only shop with her if she truly wanted him to go - otherwise it was too dull and painful. He didn't understand why she had to try on clothes for hours at a time - a few sweaters, pairs of pants, and some shirts were all that were necessary. Besides, the saleswomen always clung to him.
"Come on guys, give me some help here," the brunette begged.
Youji simply slumped deeper into the couch, burying his nose further into his magazine while Omi hid behind his textbook.
"Kenn-kunn," wheedled the girl. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"
Aya frowned at his book, refusing to look. He recognized Omi's influence in that phrase, and knew that Ken wasn't going to be able to resist anymore than he could resist Omi when he said the same thing - none of them could really - it made it fairly easy for the two to get their way.
Looking discreetly over his novel, he saw the helpless look on Ken's face and caught his sister's wink. He hid a slight smile, grateful that even with the negative influence of Weiss in the air, his immuto could still be cheerful and happy. He didn't want to think about what it would be like if she had to deal with the evil he and the others encountered regularly.
The thought of Weiss dampened his smile however. That his sister could still love him, even considering what he was and what he did, never ceased to amaze him. He knew that didn't really deserve to be anything other than a killer, didn't deserve to have anyone love him, but it seemed sometimes that with his sister's unconditional love there might be some hope for him. It might be possible to move on, like Omi insisted, but until that day, if it ever came, he would make the world a bit safer for his sister - he would protect her; it was all he had.
Shaking his head he discretely watched Ken and his sister lace their boots. He wondered how she'd managed to maneuver the brunette into agreeing to shop with her.
"Remind me never to masturbate loudly when she's home," muttered Youji quietly as the two soon-to-be shoppers slipped out the door.
"What?" he asked before recalling what his sister had said earlier 'the one who kept me up all night'.
"She heard that. . ." Aya gasped. Leaping to his feet he started after the duo -- there was no way he was going to let Ken corrupt his sister. That she'd actually heard him . . . that was inexcusable.
He was stopped suddenly by a strong grip on his arm. Glaring at the offending hand, and then at Youji the owner of said hand, he shrugged it off only to find that the blond man didn't give up so easily. "Let me go," he grated out.
"Don't be ridiculous," was the smooth reply. "Give him a lecture on volume tomorrow. If you stop them, then one of ~us~ will have to go with her."
Omi snickered. "Why don't you go shopping with her, Youji-kun?" he asked. "You spend as much time trying things on as she does."
The rolled his eyes. "Because, Omittichi, she doesn't wear my kind of clothes, and it's no fun to wait while other people change unless you're changing too."
The sound of Ken's motorcycle interrupted the conversation, and Aya shrugged out of Youji's grip. Glaring at the two blonds, he began pacing, wondering how his sister was going to cope with Ken's influence.
"She'll be fine, Aya," commented Youji, settling back onto the couch with his magazine. "What trouble can she get into with ~Ken~ while they're ~shopping~?"
"Ken's not a good influence," he muttered.
"Since when?" laughed the older man.
"He's a killer,"
"And so are we. Your point being?"
"He enjoys it,"
"Okay, so he enjoys killing," agreed Youji. "I doubt they're going out to gut saleswomen or anyone else, though. Next argument?"
Aya glared helplessly at the smug looking blond. He didn't really have any objections to Ken - outside of missions Ken really seemed to be the same open and, well, sweet guy they'd known for years. He really wasn't a bad influence - if anything, other than Omi, he was probably one of the best influences that she could have. He didn't really know why he was objecting so much.
He heard a snicker and frowned at the offending Youji. "What?"
Youji rolled his eyes. "This is about last night, isn't it?" he said. "You're just pissed off because Ken was extra noisy and it kept you awake. Probably had to wash your sheets this morning too, right?"
The redhead could feel his face heating so he threw himself back into his armchair and hid behind his book. There was no way he was going to admit the truth in that statement. A brief memory of a blond head thrown back in pleasure, riding him . . . Youji snickered again, and Aya glanced sideways to see Omi blushing bright red himself. Their eyes met, and they both turned away quickly.
Aya wondered what Omi had dreamed about last night. Flushing again at the thought and the reaction it caused in him Aya decided to retreat.
"I'm going to read in my room," he said. "It's obvious I won't get any peace here."
Youji was chuckling, and the swordsman knew that the other man was probably aware of his real reason for leaving. Well, most of his reason. He doubted that Youji knew that Omi had been the feature attraction in his Ken-caused fantasies last night. He snorted derisively at himself. It was a hopeless fantasy anyway. Omi was so full of optimism, so hopeful for the future, while he was aimless, his only purpose being to protect his sister, something that he didn't even know if he had the right to do anymore. What would Omi ever want with a tainted, soulless person such as himself? What would anyone want with someone like him?
He sighed and locked his door. Who would want him when he didn't want himself?
*~*~*~*~*
Youji watched as Aya left the room quickly, face flushed, novel covering his lap. The redhead wasn't always the easiest to tease, but when it worked it was well worth it. Looking over towards the remaining occupant of the room, he saw that Omi was not-so-subtly watching the retreating swordsman. He rolled his eyes at the sight. Those two were so transparent it was ridiculous. He couldn't believe that no one else seemed to have noticed.
Staring vaguely at his magazine he wondered ~why~ no one had noticed. He understood Aya's blindness - that man had a lot of issues. He didn't think he'd met anyone recently who was so confident yet had such a negative self image before. He wondered why Aya had been affected so deeply by becoming an assassin - not that the rest of them hadn't been, but it seemed to have destroyed a vital part of the man and Youji wasn't sure if it was something that could be fixed.
Omi was too naïve to notice. Despite being trained as an assassin from childhood, he had little or no experience with love or even family. He'd had infatuation with Ouka, he'd had crushes at school, but none of them were experiences that would tell him what to expect from Aya. Ever the optimist, he, for some reason, didn't think he had a chance with Aya. Youji didn't understand it, but chalked it up to inexperience on the part of the youngest Weiss member. He wondered if he should interfere.
Aya-chan had a better excuse for not noticing the attraction between her brother and Omi simply since her shift was always opposite his and Aya's, so she didn't get to see the two pining lovebirds in the shop together where the attraction was most noticeable. He thought that she at least would have recognized it if she saw them together more often - she'd always struck him as an observant and practical girl, regardless of the fact that she refused to work with him. He supposed it made sense though -- he'd never had hovering older brothers himself, but he knew it had always irritated him when Aya or one of the others commented on his dating decisions, so he imagined it was just as annoying for her. He couldn't help it though; he wanted to make sure she stayed safe.
And Ken, well, he didn't know what to think about Ken most of the time. It was one thing to joke about him being such a good boy, with a clean-cut image, but the truth was whenever he was given the chance to kill he took it and enjoyed it. Youji didn't like being partnered with him as he was for most missions simply because when it came down to it, Ken scared the shit out of him. The maniacal laughter as he slaughtered the targets, or anyone who stood in their way disturbed him to no end, and he almost expected to see him lick his blades clean like that Schwarz lunatic used to do. The only thing that reassured him during those times was the fact that Ken didn't seem to like people to suffer. He killed people as quickly as possible, ending their pain as soon as he started it. Youji wasn't entirely certain, but he thought that Aya-chan was the main influence there. The brunette was a lot calmer with her around than he had been in Kyoto. Youji was no longer afraid that he'd wake up and find out that Ken was their next target. He did wish that Aya or Omi would be partnered with Ken sometimes though because they rarely saw that side of him and he knew they misjudged him because of it.
Sighing, he chuckled mentally wondering what the others would say if they knew how much he understood about them simply through observation. It wasn't as if he had much choice after all. He could watch his teammates, go on a hot date and possibly kill her this time, or drink himself stupid - something he refused to do where Aya-chan could see him. Oh, he still went out - actually he went out a lot, but now it tended to be more talk and less action. A lot less action to his irritation. But it was better than the alternative. He'd very nearly killed the last woman he'd been with - if it could be called that since he'd almost strangled her before it went farther than kissing.
The worst thing was that it didn't seem to be able to follow through with guys either. He didn't trust any of them enough to be uke, and while others might think that Omi's genki good looks were the ultimate turn-on, he wasn't particularly attracted to girlish looking men. Aya was was more his type - strong exterior, but with some vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, Aya liked Omi, and besides, the thought was too much like incest for him. They weren't actually related of course, but ever since they'd moved back to Tokyo they'd both adopted the same big-brother attitude towards Aya-chan and it gave them a more brotherly connection. The one positive thing they had in common was the need to watch out for her. Besides, he wouldn't want to risk strangling someone he was genuinely fond of - and even if he didn't kill Aya, Aya would probably kill him reflexively, and whatever friendship they had was worth a lot more than a chance to nail the good-looking redhead into the bed so to speak. That and the fact that he didn't want to alienate Aya-chan. He hadn't had much of a family before Asuka and he didn't want to lose them for anything.
He hadn't always thought that way, about Weiss being his family, but in the past year he'd had a lot of time to evaluate his life and some things just took precedence over others. Sure the others still thought he was nothing but a flaky skirt chaser, and in some respects he was since he hadn't done much to change that image - after all, he still loved chasing women, the only difference being that now he just had to make sure none of them caught him.
Thinking about it a bit more though, he knew that he didn't want to lose that image of himself because it was comfortable. It was something he could slip on like a pair of worn in jeans and lounge in without having to think about it. He could drop into flirt mode and not have to worry about anything else showing through - not the loneliness, or the bitterness, or the mockery of his existence. It was nice not having to be questioned about his actions, it was a relief knowing that everyone's reactions towards him were predictable; they were comfortable in their familiarity.
It would be nice though, if someone noticed that it was just a mask.
*~*~*~*~*
Stretching slowly, Schuldich settled the translucent black shirt against his chest allowing it to mold itself to his body. Checking the mirror he nodded at the image. His low-slung, skintight jeans with their forest green sheen fit him perfectly and he liked the way they defined his ass. Everyone liked the way they defined his ass, he thought, pleased with the selection. He slid an orange bandanna into his hair, enjoying the effect as it blended in almost unnoticed. It was a great way to give the illusion of having his hair free without having to worry about eating it. Deciding to forgo his sunglasses he sauntered out towards the front door. After following Nagi's exploits with the Weiss kitty, he wanted to go out and enjoy himself.
Hearing the clack of the keyboard caused him to stop and peer into Nagi's room. Sure enough, the teenager was typing away, irritated thoughts leaking through his shields. A pencil was tapping itself on the desk in counterpoint to the keys.
:: Hey, Crawford, :: he called out mentally. :: How come Nagikins isn't out psychically boinking Siberian? ::
:: Because he has work to do, :: was the bored response.
:: And it couldn't wait until tomorrow? The kid looks like he's ready to break something in frustration. Hell, he's even started kinetically tapping pencils. ::
"Where are you going?" the dark haired man asked as the telepath entered the kitchen.
"Out," was all he said, knowing how much it would irritate the other man.
"Hn. Go to the Inferno."
The telepath blinked, startled. "You ~want~ me to go to the Inferno? I thought you hated it when I go out clubbing." He knew that he should be used to Crawford's behavior by now, but somehow, whenever he did something like this it threw the redhead off. That was the annoying thing about not being able to read the precog's thoughts - he had to judge him by his actions, which were usually predictable, but sometimes, like now, they weren't.
"I don't hate it when you do anything," Crawford replied, not looking up from his newspaper. "Does it really matter to you ~which~ club you go to?"
"Well, no, but why do you want me to go there? And what if I say no?"
"Don't question me."
Schuldich managed to conceal his surprise at the tone of voice. Crawford did a lot of things, but he didn't tend to use that tone unless they were on a mission . . . or if he was acting on a vision.
:: What's so important about the club I go to? :: he demanded silently, waiting to gauge Brad's reaction. The 'obey or I'll shoot you' glare he received was enough for him. He liked to push things with the American, but only to a certain point - it wasn't wise to cross the person who could choose ~not~ to warn you about your impending death.
"So you want me to go to the Inferno. Fine," he answered gruffly. "Is there any particular reason, or will I just get lucky if I go there?" Just because he was complying, didn't mean he had to be serious about it. Wouldn't want Bradley to think he was getting soft or anything.
The clairvoyant had turned back to his newspaper again however, and Schuldich knew he wouldn't get an answer. Shrugging, the German went to the closet and debated about wearing his leather jacket but decided against it. It was a bit too chilly to be wandering around wearing only mesh and denim, but he wouldn't be outside long.
:: See you tomorrow, Bradley, :: he sent as he stepped out the door. :: Have fun; I know I will. ::
*~*~*
Ignoring the lineup, Schuldich walked right up to the door, fogging the minds of those around him so he could enter immediately. Lineups and cover charges irritated him so he avoided them whenever possible. He paused inside the entrance to adjust as the sound, both audible and mental assaulted him. It flowed over and through him; drunken, sex orientated thoughts with very little in terms of higher thinking. It was a relief to get away from the chaos humanity's usual thought patterns and wallow in the primitive, emotional thoughts that existed in these clubs with drink and drug fogged clientele. He always looked forward to the escape.
Drifting towards the bar he wondered what was supposed to happen tonight to get Crawford's panties in a bunch. Shrugging he decided not to think about the precog. He was sure that the American would tell him tomorrow if he thought that Schuldich had fucked anything up. Grabbing his beer, he threw some money down and moved towards the dance floor lightly scanning the crowd for any familiar thought patterns. He didn't really expect to hear any - the Inferno wasn't one of his usual clubs, so he was surprised to see ~her~ spin out of the mass of dancers and press up against him.
"Hey there, Red," she said. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Schuldich smirked at her, gleaning her words from her mind as he couldn't hope to hear her voice over the throbbing bass. "Asii," he answered, lightly projecting the name into her thoughts so she could hear him. "You and Kenshin slumming now? Or you going for the younger crowd instead?"
Her laughter tickled his mind like champagne bubbles. He knew he wouldn't end up bedding her; no one seemed to bed her except, if the rumors were true, her brother. He winced at the thought, but besides that quirk she was still one of the most entertaining people he knew.
"I'd thought about it, but then I saw you." She plucked the bottle from his hand and finished the last gulp before placing it on a table. "Let's dance."
The telepath grinned and shook his head following her into the writhing mass of bodies. "Like the outfit," he commented giving her the once over. She was dressed in a shimmery indigo velvet bra and hotpants with a translucent black spandex sheath dress over top that hid absolutely nothing. Her black hair hanging in loose waves down her back and swayed while she moved. She positively radiated sex appeal and he laughed as she posed. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and spun her into his arms back to chest, where he lightly ran his hands over the contours of her body.
"Fine form tonight, Asii Tease," he said rotating his hips against her ass as she laughed again. The girl turned slowly sliding her hands up his chest as they moved together.
A small circle formed around them as people began to watch them dance. This was part of what he found fascinating about her - she was so single-minded. All she thought about was dancing and driving as many people as wild as possible. That, and ways to take out anyone who went too far. It was one of several reasons he'd never done more than dance or kiss her - after all, she ~was~ capable of killing, and he'd have to fuck with her mind to get her to agree. Besides, he liked her the way she was and, while he hadn't actually met her twin, he'd felt the man's mind once when someone had decided that Asii's 'no' didn't count - he definitely didn't want to piss off that psycho. The name Killer Kenshin was definitely well earned - he had felt the bloodlust boiling in the man's mind threatening to send Schuldich himself over the edge. He made a point of avoiding any contact with that man's mind after that experience despite the vague sense of unplaced recognition. He wasn't going to risk getting sucked into a killing rage that strong; losing control like that on his part would definitely not be pretty.
Shaking the thoughts of her brother off, he slid his hands down to her velvet-covered ass letting himself get lost in the music. Fuck Crawford, fuck Schwarz, and fuck evil looming destinies - he was going to enjoy himself for a change.
TBC