TITLE: Shades of Gray 4 / ?
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
CATEGORY: dark, angst, yaoi,
PAIRINGS: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi Omi+Aya, Others later.
RATING: varies - This one is PG 13 for language
WARNINGS: This has yaoi in it, some swearing.
SPOILERS: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them. ARCHIVE: FanFiction.Net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
NOTES: The fic WILL 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 ^_^
Feedback: Please! It helps me to keep writing!
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset//
Shades of Gray
Chapter 4
Ken moved from partner to partner within the mass of undulating humanity that made up the dance floor of the Inferno. He'd always scoffed at Youji for spending so much time in places like this, but now it acted like a lifeline of sorts for him. He loved getting lost in the hazy lust filled atmosphere where he could cut loose and simply be himself. The attention he got in places like this - the awe, fear, lust, and admiration -- gave him a high like nothing had since J-league. Not even killing had such an affect on him, though it was close. In here he had no inhibitions, nothing holding him back. Killer Kenshin could do anyone or anything that pleased him. And he did.
Raising one arm above his head with the seductive squeak of vinyl he let the other trace it's way down his chest until it rested lightly on his bared abs. He could practically feel people undressing him with their eyes and he wantonly played up to it, trying to see how hot he could make them. The skintight, charcoal vinyl top showed off every detail of his upper torso and the double zipper was positioned so that the shirt was held closed at his breastbone only, leaving his throat and abs bare and glistening with the slight sheen of oil and sweat. Rotating his hips suggestively, Ken let his hand slide into the top of his vinyl pants teasing the crowd with hopes of seeing more than he was planning to show on the dance floor. The top two buttons were undone and he knew that the contours of his muscles and erection were clear for anyone to see. Sliding one hand further down he lightly squeezed his erection to relieve some of his own sexual tension while increasing his audience's.
The hand that had been playing lightly with his glitter covered hair slid down to his throat as he tilted his head back, then made it's way back to his mouth where he slowly licked the vinyl that covered his palm in fingerless gloves that extended all the way to his upper arm. Tracing his lips lightly he licked and suckled at his bared fingers, doing to them what he had wanted to do to Prodigy's cock last night.
Shuddering in repressed desire, Ken glanced at the people closest to him and, choosing an attractive man with jet-black hair, he danced over to him and molded his body to the contours of his new partner. He felt hands grabbing his ass and he ground his throbbing cock into his partner's. Dancing backwards, Ken spun his partner around until the other man's ass was rubbing against Ken's trapped hardness. The assassin reached around and fondled his partner's crotch, delighting in the hot hard flesh he felt under the tight denim. He was backing slowly towards one of the shadowed alcoves when a commotion at the far side of the dance floor gradually caught his attention. Along with the sense of anticipation that floated through the crowd came a name.
A.C. Tease.
With a snarl of fury Ken spun his partner away and began to stalk through the mass of bodies. His rage was almost tangible and the crowd parted then closed behind him like the wake of a boat. Reaching the open circle of the crowd he saw a group of men black leather two of which were holding Aya-chan by the hair. Her eyes were snapping with anger and he knew that she was waiting for an opening to strike.
He provided the opening.
Grinning in a combination of fury and glee, Ken launched himself at the nearest man who was trying to keep people away from his friends and their chosen prey. His fist caught the man in the stomach and he wished he were wearing his bugnuks so he could feel the man's hot blood. In a flurry of practiced moves he had the man down and groaning on dance floor before lashing out at the next, his excited laugh barely audible in the pounding music. He noticed briefly that the ones holding his friend had loosened their hold enough that Aya-chan was able to escape and attack them. After taking out the second one, the assassin noticed that the remaining four were trying to escape. Ken took off after the closest two while the others tried to make it through the crowd towards the bar. He doubted they'd get too far, at least not before Aya-chan got to them.
Ken snatched a bottle off of one of the tables and threw it at the men attempting to flee. It hit one of the men in the back of the head, causing him to stumble, but not fall. The brunette was on him in a minute. Tearing into the man, he giggled at the feeble attempts to hurt him. He could almost imagine the resistance he felt as he pummeled the man was that of flesh and muscle just before it tore under his claws instead of simply being the crack of fractured ribs.
Glancing up, he saw the remaining man trying to edge away towards the door. Locking eyes with him, Ken saw him blanche then glare. The man pulled out a knife and charged the spot where Ken knelt over his now unconscious victim.
Diving out of the way, Ken rolled to his feet, switchblade appearing in his hand. Laughing, licked the blade slowly while looking the man in the eyes. The music had cut out as news of the fight reached the DJ, and Ken laughed again in the ear-ringing silence. "Tastes much better with blood on it," he said, dropping into a crouch and approaching the other man with a wild grin on his face.
The other man's eyes widened in terror and he started backing away, trying to escape as the chant of "Killer" began to grow in volume. The man, obviously desperate now, lunged at Ken. The assassin sidestepped easily and snapped his arm out, lightly slicing the man's cheek. Grinning in dark enjoyment, Ken began to play with the other man, inflicting shallow but painful cuts, watching as the man's fear grew.
"No one hurts my sister," he growled as the man finally dropped to the floor and curled into a ball. Ken laughed again at the pathetic huddle and was moving in to finish the job when a hand lightly touched his arm. Spinning with the intent to strike at the offender, he relaxed, seeing that it was Aya-chan.
"Leave him," she said softly. "He isn't worth it."
Ken snarled at her. "But he. . ."
"Isn't a target," she interrupted.
That statement, and her obvious calm and safety loosened the berserker rage that had filled him and he relaxed more fully, returning to himself. Turning, he spat on the still cowering man and snorted in disgust.
"Come on," Aya-chan said. "Let's get out of here."
Ken nodded. He could still feel his blood boiling. He needed to work off the rest of his rage - he needed to kill or fuck someone badly, but knew that anyone who wanted to fuck him after that display was probably as fucked up as he was and that would only feed the hunger. Shaking his head he decided that he could prowl the streets or look for Rex to get a quick lay later; right now his job was to get Aya-chan home safely without anymore unwanted attention.
*~*~*~*~*
Schuldich was at the bar getting drinks for himself and Asii when the commotion started. Relaxing his shields, he tried to find the source of the disturbance, catching a string of rather creative curses from his friend. Obviously someone was pissing her off because she didn't usually curse over anything. He started moving more quickly in her direction, however, as her mental curses increased in volume. He'd been having a lot of fun with her tonight, and he didn't want some jackass ruining it by upsetting her with stupidity. That, and he was curious to see what could actually anger her into this much swearing. It was times like this that made him grateful that he wasn't an empath - it was bad enough hearing people's thoughts, he'd hate to have to feel their emotions as well.
He was, therefore, seriously caught off guard when a wave of near mindless fury hit his unshielded mind. Stumbling, he dropped the beer bottles he'd been holding, only dimly aware that they shattered on impact with the floor. Trying unsuccessfully to rein in his thoughts, he turned like a lodestone then headed directly towards the place he'd left Asii, the desire to protect and kill overpowering all else.
Two men, thoughts running in circles about escaping the psycho stumbled through the crowd. Schuldich punched one of them in the gut and kicked the other one in the balls. He laughed at their mental cursing and exclamations of pain as the one collapsed, clutching his crotch and the other struggled to maintain his balance. He decided not to play with the man still standing because he could hear Asii still cursing, though it sounded slightly different this time. Nailing the standing man in the nose and temple, he let him fall to the ground in a heap.
The throbbing music cut out suddenly making the cacophony of thoughts seem much louder in comparison - loud enough to muddle the rage he still felt. Cursing, he stopped and struggled to put his shields back in place. After a few moments, the sudden drop in mental volume, as well as a reduction of the overwhelming rage he'd felt indicated that his shields were up and working properly again. Sighing in relief he continued making his way towards Asii, keeping his mind open to her thoughts, and keeping everything else to an indecipherable roar. She had calmed down considerably, cursing reduced to calling her brother a baka and hoping that he didn't kill anyone. Groaning softly, Schuldich realized that when she'd been accosted her brother must have flown into a rage and he himself had gotten caught up in the bloodlust. He began cursing himself for letting his guard down that much - he should have known that the psycho would be around somewhere if Asii was.
Shaking his head, he winced in pain; he could feel the start of a migraine coming on, and decided to check on Asii before going home. "You okay?" he asked as he came up beside her.
She looked at him, then nodded and smiled slightly. "I just have to find my brother before he kills those guys," she answered.
Opening his shields carefully, he scanned the area for the soon to be victim. The mental chant and the growing verbal one of 'Killer' was a good indication of where to look. "I think he went that way," he commented with a smirk.
Asii raised an eyebrow in inquiry, but he simply shrugged, not answering her unspoken question, though he knew what it was. She returned his smirk as she heard the chant and grabbed a double handful of his hair, pulling his head down so she could give kiss him. Snugging her up against his body, he deepened the kiss for a moment before releasing her.
"You'd better go - I don't think that guy will be around much longer."
The girl tossed him a saucy smile. "See you around, Red," she said. "And thanks for the help. You look hot in shining armor,"
Schuldich smirked. "Me in shining armor? I'm the black knight, not the hero,"
She laughed lightly. "Doesn't rescuing a maiden in distress count for something?"
This time it was the German who laughed. "If you're a maiden, I guess I can be your knight. Just don't tell your brother - I'd rather ~not~ have to watch my back whenever I go out thank you."
"Speaking of which. . ." Turning, she blew him a kiss then vanished into the crowd.
Still smiling, Schuldich winced as the music returned full blast. He definitely hadn't needed that. Sighing he turned to leave, not caring for once if he was leaving alone - he hadn't had a reaction migraine for a while, but he knew he'd be incapacitated for the next five or six hours at least. He was, therefore, more than a bit irritated when a man with slicked back blond hair accosted him just outside the club.
"I saw you dancing with that girl tonight, and I also saw the way you fight. I want you to consider working for me." He handed the redhead a business card. "Think about it. If you're interested, call me, or be here next Friday. You've got talent - I would make it worth you while."
Bemused look on his face, Schuldich watched the man go back into the club. That had definitely been strange. Looking at the card under the street lamp, he read the words embossed on the surface. 'The Harem: exotic entertainment for all tastes' was what it said, with the addition of an address and phone number. Smirking in disbelief Schuldich tossed the card onto the pavement, then paused for a moment and picked it up again. He'd give it to Crawford as a joke - after all, the American had wanted him to come here for some unknown reason, and it would be amusing to see how the man reacted to the proposed job change.
Snickering softly, he walked carefully to his car to drive home. He wanted to get there and see Crawford's reaction before his migraine got too much worse - he did ~not~ need to be driving when his vision started whiting out. Trying to picture himself as an exotic dancer or porn star made him grin despite the throbbing pain. What a headline that would make - psychic assassin turned pornstar rakes in millions. He sighed softly; if nothing else, Nagi would get a kick out of it.
*~*~*~*~*
He was running. The air was dense and fog-like, thick in his laboring lungs causing him to gasp and pant for breath. They were there, everywhere he looked - faceless enemies chasing him, trying to catch him and drag him back into the swirling charcoal void. They pursued him mercilessly, relentlessly. He'd escaped them before, but this time they were closer, more persistent - the old tricks wouldn't work now.
Ahead of him a light pierced the clouded mass, changing the surrounding fog to a silver-white color. He ran towards that area - if he could get there he'd be able to see clearly; he could escape. He could feel the enemy closing in though, grabbing and clawing at his clothing, trying to stop him from gaining his freedom.
Legs cramping, lungs burning, he was almost there. His clothing was shredded, his flesh torn and bleeding he fought through the growing masses against him. Diving into the pool of light he rolled to his feet and shrieked in dismay.
It was a maze.
There were hundreds of entrance points, and he could see from his position above it that the corridors were shifting as he watched. How could he choose a path? They didn't remain the same; they went in different directions. How was he to tell which one led to freedom, to safety?
He collapsed to his hands and knees. "HELP ME CHOOSE!" he cried pounding the shifting ground beneath his hands.
Chilling cackles came from behind him as hands reached for him, grabbing his tattered clothing, his bleeding flesh. They began drawing him away from the maze, away from his salvation, back towards the void.
"No!" he shouted desperately. "I won't go back, you can't have me." Clawing uselessly at the fluid, tractionless ground he fought to stay in the light, to stay away from their clutches.
Then he heard it.
It was faint, barely distinguishable above the glee-filled voices of the ones trying to retrieve him, but it was there and unmistakably familiar. The plinking, chime-like melody wrapped around him as it always had, comforting him, giving him the strength to fight, to escape. He lunged away from the grasping, hands. . .
. . .onto his bedroom floor where he landed in a tangle of sheets and blankets. Panting in terror, he scrambled to get out of the restraining fabric, fumbling at the bedside table for the lamp. The warm yellow light stabbed his eyes, but banished the gray shadows from the room. Still kneeling on the floor, he slumped against the bed, trying to regain his equilibrium. Already the details of the dream were fading, leaving behind nothing but the feeling of dread and urgency and the lingering sense of impending doom. That and helpless desperation.
The melody was still floating in his mind, comforting him like his mother's arms had all those years ago. As his breathing slowed and he began to relax, the melody faded, leaving nothing but a faint memory.
:: Feeling better? :: asked a soft voice in his mind.
"Yes," he replied tiredly. "Thank you," he added after a moment.
:: No problem, :: was the gruff reply. :: Now let me sleep - I have a migraine. ::
Pursing his lips in familiar resignation he looked at the bed he was currently leaning again and sighed. There was no way he would be able to sleep after a dream like that - he knew that from long time experience. So, instead of climbing back into bed, he thought about his options and decided to go out for a walk. The brisk pre-dawn air would help to banish the residue from the dream.
Going to his closet he pulled out a pair of comfortably worn khakis, a matching turtleneck and a heavy wool cable-knit sweater. After changing, he raked his fingers through his hair and let it settle back into his eyes knowing that nothing but a shower and some gel would make it behave. At his bedside table he quickly turned off the light and picked up his glasses, sighing in relief as his room came into sharp focus.
Walking silently through the house, Brad Crawford slipped on his shoes and went out into the early morning chill, trying to exorcise the lingering demons that plagued him.
*~*~*~*~*
Youji stared at the shadow-striped ceiling of his bedroom and sighed in resignation. Sleep didn't seem to be part of his agenda tonight. He'd heard Ken and Aya-chan come home a couple of hours ago, and since then he hadn't been able to sleep at all. It was strange because in the past he'd fallen asleep as soon as he heard Aya-chan moving around in her room which was directly beneath his, but tonight it simply didn't happen. Instead he was lying here with an erection, and no particular person he wanted to fantasize about to help alleviate the problem.
Sighing, he rolled into a sitting position, automatically grabbing the satin robe at the end of the bed. Even when he was sleeping alone, he hated wearing anything to bed, but there was no way he was going to run out naked if there was a problem in the shop. Not that he cared if the guys saw him, but he didn't want Aya-chan seeing him - it was just wrong.
Grabbing his cigarettes and lighter, Youji left his room and headed towards the doorway that led to the roof. Normally he left the roof to Aya-chan and Ken - he didn't want to be anywhere near Ken when he was having a temper tantrum. He knew that the soccer player wouldn't hurt Aya-chan, but he might decide to relieve his anger by fighting, and that made the rest of Weiss fair game. While Youji could and did fight, he had no desire to be on the receiving end of Ken's rage - he doubted that Ken would kill him, but he might wish he were dead when it was over. The blond man didn't know when he'd done it, but he was sure that Ken had taken combat lessons somewhere - he'd been effective before, but now he was downright deadly. Youji also noticed that Ken, like Aya, carried a gun with him, and, while he didn't think the others had taken much notice, he'd seen the knife that his friend had pulled on Korat. Ken hadn't handled the blade like an amateur, which meant that sometime in the past year he'd learned to use it.
Shaking his head he decided not to think about when Ken had learned new ways to kill people. If nothing else, it meant more protection for Aya-chan. With Esstet gone, and Schwarz dead, he didn't think that there was any threat to the girl, but no one had suspected anything the first time around either.
Thinking about the girl he wondered where she and Ken had gone tonight. He didn't doubt that they'd gone shopping, she seemed to like new clothes as much as he did, but the malls and theatres weren't open until two in the morning. He knew that they must have gone to a club, they'd done it before, but it still bothered him that they felt they needed to sneak out to do that.
Actually, he knew why they ~snuck~ out to go clubbing, Aya's reaction would be less than positive, but it bothered him nonetheless. While he knew that nothing would happen to her when she was out with Ken - he'd die, or rather kill, before letting someone touch her inappropriately -- but the thought that they felt they had to hide what they did upset him. That she didn't want to upsey Aya was a given but he thought that they'd at least be comfortable coming to ~him~ about it, but as far as he could tell, he was the only person to realize that they didn't just go to late movies.
Leaning against the chest high wall that surrounded the edge of the roof, Youji looked blankly at the tree in the yard as he smoked. He wasn't entirely certain what Aya-chan got out of clubbing; the only reason ~he'd~ ever gone to places like that was to get drunk or get laid. He knew that she always came home, and always alone, so getting laid wasn't one of the reasons - he hoped. Someone would die if it was the reason, but he just couldn't picture Aya-chan the romantic 'true love' girl sleeping around - she just didn't have a slutty personality. Maybe she could be a bit of tease - the fanboys in the shop certainly thought so, but there was a sweet cuteness about her made that idea laughable. Getting drunk wasn't one of her reasons for clubbing either because she was too cheerful and happy, even in the morning, to be suffering hangovers, so her motivation for clubbing confused him. Maybe she just liked the music.
Ken, however, was a different story. Sometimes he saw a lot of himself in the soccer player; Ken was just more subtle about sleeping around. Youji had never felt the need to hide the fact that he was basically a slut. He hadn't been looking for someone to fall in love with, just someone to make him forget for a while. Love would be nice, but since Asuka it didn't seem to be an option for him. Youji didn't think that Ken was looking to forget as much as he was searching for a way to dull the desire to kill. His friend didn't confide in him as much now, but he knew that killing was almost a compulsion for the younger man - one that their missions as Weiss seemed to be satisfying.
Sighing he shook his head. He didn't pretend to understand his teammate but he did recognize the 'well fucked' look he wore some mornings. It was always odd seeing Ken with that look, but then, it was odd seeing Ken giggling as he killed people as well. Ken was fucked up, but that was just Ken - a walking tangle of contradictions. Thinking about Ken too much always gave him a headache.
Looking at the last of the glowing ember in his hand, he ground it out and dropped it to the gravel surface of the roof. Taking in a deep breath he looked at the stars and shivered a bit in the chill morning air. He definitely wasn't dressed to be standing around up here in nothing but a robe and the stupid white bunny slippers Ken had given him. Looking at his feet he smirked. They'd been a joke - but he wore them on occasion just because no one had expected him to. They were totally ridiculous but he loved the hilarious expressions his friends got when he had them on his feet. Besides, the gravel hurt.
The cold air had gotten rid of his erection and he was preparing to go back inside when a movement in the tree caught his attention. Looking closer, Youji saw a shadow scamper along one of the bigger branches and stop near Ken's window. It was hard to see through the leaves, but it looked like Ken was leaning out and talking to the person, whoever it was. The two kissed briefly before the person on the branch moved out of sight. Moments later he saw the same person walk across the grass to the alley that led to the street. Youji followed, watching from his rooftop vantage point as Ken's friend walked into the street. Curious about the identity of the kisser he hoped that whoever it was would look around in the lamp-light so that he could see what he looked like. The dark hair was obvious, as was the masculine build, but he only caught a glimpse of a face. Blinking several times he looked closer only to find that the guy had moved out of the light.
"I must need sleep," he said softly, massaging the bridge of his nose. "There's no way ~Prodigy~ of all people would be sitting in a tree kissing Ken." He shook his head again. "I guess if Sakura can look like Aya-chan, some other guy could look like a dead member of Schwarz."
Walking back to the door he paused and looked back. "It is a coincidence, isn't it?" he asked himself. It might be something worth looking into - after all, the last thing they needed was to be fighting Schwarz and the lunatics who wanted to bring demons into the world.
Back in his room he kicked his slippers under his bed and tossed the robe to the foot. The thought that Schwarz might be alive was bothering him a great deal. He wanted to ask Ken about his boyfriend right now, but he didn't want to kick up a big fuss in case it wasn't Prodigy. His friend deserved his trust and barging in making demands at four in the morning wasn't going to be a good show of faith.
Feeling upset and uncertain, Youji reached under his bed and pulled out a box. Turning it around, he wound the small key until the spring was tight. Setting it on his dresser, he lifted the lid, watching as the sweetheart dolls began to dance to the soft chiming music. Smiling sadly, the blond man climbed back into bed and shut his eyes. Asuka had laughed when she'd seen the music box, but then, he had always loved her smile.
He fell asleep to the soft sound of the music box, thoughts of Schwarz put off for another time.
*~*~*~*~*
Aya-chan sat at the kitchen table eating a late breakfast and smirking at Ken. His hair was sticking up at all angles as he stumbled, yawning, towards the coffee pot. He was just so funny when he didn't get enough sleep, and judging by the fact that she'd seen his boyfriend in the tree before she went to bed last night, she figured that they'd found a way to get Ken's mind off of the fight at the club. Snickering she covered the sound with a piece of toast as he glared at her.
"What's the matter, Kenken?" she asked him sweetly using Youji's nickname for him. "Not get enough sleep last night?"
Ken glared again when she used the name, but suddenly smirked wickedly. "Not much sleep," he commented. "I was busy ~doing~ something else."
"Don't you mean someone? Wait, his name wouldn't be Bates would it?"
The young man blushed brightly but managed to maintain the smirk. "Bates is it? What makes you say that?"
"Just seemed like he was the Master that's all - sitting in the tree like that. Did you do another strip tease?"
The glare he gave her was good, but nothing compared to what her brother could produce so she wasn't fazed. She just snickered again.
"Ha, ha. Very funny," he replied. "You're just jealous that you don't have anyone climbing trees to get you off."
She pouted in an exaggerated manner, then grinned as she put a business card on the table between them. "So, are you going to take the job?" she asked him, pointing at the card that had the words 'The Harem: exotic entertainment for all tastes' written on it.
"And why exactly would I do that?"
"You'd be perfect!" she exclaimed in her best fangirl imitation. "You're good looking, you're a great dancer, and you're supposedly a good fuck - you'd make millions." The way she stumbled and blushed at the word 'fuck' nearly ruined the whole game, but Ken managed to keep a straight face.
"It sounds like a dream job," he said sounding serious. "But there's no killing. That and it would interfere with Weiss. If it was a day job though. . ."
She blinked at him trying to decide what to make of his words. "You mean you'd actually consider doing that? Being a stripper or porn star that is?"
Ken shrugged. "Probably not, but it would be fun to try. Then again, I wouldn't be here with you guys so. . ."
"You're joking right?"
He raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "I guess so. I mean, I can get all my seductive stripping shit done at clubs or with Pro. . . my boyfriend if this tree thing keeps up. I don't really need to get ~paid~ for doing it if you know what I mean."
She did know what he meant, at least in part. She loved showing off for a crowd, but she had no desire to strip for people, and she definitely didn't want to trick. Aya-chan shuddered at the thought. When she went out she might act like she'd screw anything on legs, but when it came down to it, she only wanted to sleep with someone she trusted and cared about, and the only person outside of Weiss she might want to get to know better was Red. The other boys she knew were somewhat childish, and while Ken's boyfriend was cute, she didn't know him, and he was Ken's. Ken himself was an option she supposed - probably the only one in Weiss she'd consider. She couldn't picture sleeping with Youji or Omi, and, no matter how she and Ken acted together at the clubs, there's no way she could even pretend to have a sexual interest in her onichan - that was just icky in the extreme.
Aya-chan sighed. While she ~would~ like to lose her virginity, she did have her standards. She may not be able to find Mr. Right, but she ~wasn't~ about to settle for Mr. Available.
"You'll find someone eventually," Ken assured her with a snicker. " ~if~ he manages to survive the grilling he'll get from your brother and Youji."
She made a face then smiled. "Speak of the devil. . ." she said. "Aren't you supposed to be in the shop Youji-kun?"
Youji grinned and winked at her. "Yup, but since Aya and Omi are both working the shift with me, I thought I'd sneak away for a bit. I wanted to talk to Kenken here anyway, so I figured this would be a good time. Besides, the girls are all underage."
Rolling her eyes, the Aya-chan stood up. "I'll cover you for a while Youji-kun, but you'd better not be too long - I'm ~not~ doing two shifts,"
"Would I skip out on you, Aya-chan? I'm shocked and appalled that you could think so little of me."
Sticking her tongue out, Aya-chan left the kitchen and went downstairs to the shop. She didn't usually like working with her brother because he tended to get overprotective around her, but she hadn't been able to spend much time with him lately so a bit of hovering was worth it.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs without actually entering the shop, she watched her brother and Omi as they puttered about. As usual, Youji had exaggerated about the fangirls - it was too early for them to be here on their lunch break so it was actually rather quiet. Sitting on the steps, she watched the two Weiss members interact. It amused her actually, watching the covert glances they gave each other. They were both so clueless. She wondered if Youji had noticed how much they stared at each other when they thought they'd be unobserved.
Smiling gently she debated whether or not to actually enter the shop. She did want to spend more time with her brother, but in all honesty, they never had much to talk about. It was hard to have a discussion with him when he didn't know most of the real details of her life. He still thought that she was the innocent girl she'd been before her coma, and she didn't want to disappoint him by telling him otherwise. As much as she enjoyed acting like A.C. Tease and honing her fighting skills, her onichan's opinion meant a lot - it became a debate between which was the greater of two evils lying by omission, or admitting to being something other than she appeared to be. Now that she'd actually killed, she feared that her brother would hate her as much as he seemed to hate himself.
Sighing in resignation, she was surprised to see both her brother and Omi turn towards her. "Hey, Aya-chan," called Omi with a wave. "How come you're in the shop this early?"
Smiling brightly she shrugged. "Youji wanted to talk to Ken, so I thought I'd see if you guys needed any help."
"Nah, it's pretty quiet, though Youji's work won't get done without him."
"I'll do some of it for him then," she said going over to where the aprons were hung. Seeing Youji's there she grinned suddenly and slipped it on. Fishing around in the pockets she suppressed a giggle when she found his hair elastic and sunglasses. Letting large hanks of hair hanging in front of her ears, she pulled the rest of her hair into a ponytail and slid the glasses on so they were perched on the end of her nose. Going over to the register she lounged comfortably against the counter, imitating the indolent air he usually had about him.
"Should I stand here and flirt with the girls then? Tell them how pretty they are and give them flowers for free?"
Omi and her brother, who'd been ignoring her as she got ready, turned at her words, looks of shock on their faces. It was all she could do not to giggle.
She plucked a stem of freesia from one bucket, and a red rose from another. Gliding over to Omi she presented the freesia to him with a flourish. "For you, my sweet, the beautiful freesia. It's light fragrance and delicate shape is the embodiment of your beauty, the pink blush of its petals like the blush of innocence on your cheeks." Turning to her brother she held out the rose. "And for you the red rose. Strength and beauty in one, colored for you to match the beautiful fire of your hair."
Looking at them over the rim of the glasses, she winked before swaying back towards the counter. The wink and the walk were too much for Omi whose giggle quickly turned into a full-fledged laugh. Her brother looked bemused, but when she waggled her eyebrows at him he began snickering. He didn't laugh outright, but it was enough for her.
Sliding the glasses off, and removing the hair elastic, Aya-chan stuck them back into Youji's apron and hung it back on his hook. Omi was still giggling, and her brother had a smile on his face. Youji chose this time to come back down the stairs. Taking one look at him, she glanced at Omi and her brother before doubling over in laughter. Omi was howling just as hard as she was, and when she wiped her eyes, she could see that while Onichan's back was to her, she could see his shoulders shaking in quiet laughter.
"Bye, bye, boys," she called, giggling again at Youji's confused expression. "Have fun."
She ran back up the stairs, wondering if Youji would ever find out what was so funny.
*~*~*~*~*
Ken watched as Aya-chan skipped down the stairs then turned a questioning look on Youji. "What's up, Youji?" he asked taking another sip of coffee.
"Um, I couldn't sleep last night so I went up to the roof for a smoke, and I saw something that made me start thinking,"
Clutching his chest, Ken faked total shock. "Something made you think? Sit down Youji, your brain must be tired." A sour expression crossed the playboy's face, causing Ken to smirk back at him. "Just spit it out, Yotan," he said.
"Spit it out, huh?" asked Youji as he sat in Aya-chan's abandoned seat. "Okay. I saw someone kissing you outside your window,"
Ken held his breath, wondering if his friend could possibly have identified ~who~ he'd been kissing. Judging by the blond's uncertainty and nervousness, he guessed that he had. "And?" he prompted, not wanting to say anything before he was accused of being a traitor.
"And, I saw him in the lamp light. It looked like Prodigy. Are you fucking a member of Schwarz?"
Eyes narrowed, he could practically feel the nervousness coming off the older assassin. "Not really, but what would you do if I said yes?"
"Fuck," Youji cursed softly. "What did you mean by 'not really'? How can you 'not really' fuck someone?"
Frowning, he ran a hand through his hair. "That kiss is the first time we've actually touched physically, that's how."
"Oh. So how long has this been going on?"
"You mean, am I a security risk, don't you? It started on our last mission, and before you say anything, the only reason I didn't mention it was that a -- Korat was testing me on ~something~, and b -- it was the best sex I've ever had in my life."
Youji looked puzzled, trying to take all of this in at once. "What do you mean Korat was testing you?"
"Just what it sounds like," he replied with a shrug and a sullen look. "Before you guys came down for the briefing, Korat told me that there was going to be a test for me to see if I would be able to handle the next big mission. She didn't tell me ~what~ she was testing me on, and she implied that if I failed the test I'd not be getting any missions in the near future."
"She what? That's insane. What does this have to do with Prodigy - wait, let me guess. He was there and you didn't know if she would be aware of the fact so you kept it secret in case that was the test."
Ken nodded in surprise. Sometimes he forgot that Youji wasn't the idiot he pretended to be. "I think that some of Schwarz is alive besides Prodigy - I got the impression that he was told to come to the shop after we both left the scene of the mission."
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," muttered the other man. "I can't believe we didn't check to see if they were still alive. How was it the best sex if you hadn't touched each other?"
Smirking, Ken sighed as he thought about their encounters. "He's a telekinetic," was all he said.
"So what does that have to do with. . . oh." Youji blinked several times, obviously trying to process the information. "It was good I take it?"
"Oooh, yeah. That's what you all heard the other night." Ken snickered at the memory.
Youji smirked and leaned on the table. "I thought it was too loud to be simple masturbation. Now I know why. So, what are we going to do about this?"
Blinking in surprise, Ken was starting to feel like he was missing something. "You're not upset?"
"Well, yes, but I trust you not to betray us. You're too honest." The blond shrugged and lit a cigarette. "If you were going to join Schwarz, you'd probably just leave or kill us all. I can't see you being a spy. I also can't see you endangering Aya-chan in anyway, so. . ." He shrugged as a way of concluding his thought.
Once again, Ken found himself stunned. He really needed to get on track this morning; he was misjudging everything. "All I know about Prodigy right now is that he doesn't want the news that he isn't dead to get out. I've checked for signs of them, but if the rest of Schwarz still exists, they're doing a damn fine job of hiding. Omi might have better luck, but I couldn't ask him for obvious reasons."
Youji nodded, apparently thinking things over. Ken couldn't believe he hadn't realized how observant his friend really was. He wondered how much Youji actually knew about the 'real' him.
"So we keep this thing a secret, right?" the blond asked. "At least until something comes up, or we find out what Korat was testing you for. Actually, that has me more worried than Prodigy. Why the hell did she feel the need to test you?"
Ken growled at the memory. "I don't know, but I don't trust her anymore," he said. "I wish we had Manx and Birman back again."
"You and me both," answered Youji. "Korat is beautiful, but something about her doesn't sit right with me."
"Is that why you don't flirt with her? You should," Ken said wryly. "She's easy. You'd have had her in bed before you could finish asking the question. She's fucking good too. But, that aside, she's also a total bitch, and it'll be a cold day in Hell before I ever touch her again."
Youji blinked in confusion, and Ken grinned at the expression. "Yes, I've been sleeping with her since before she became our handler."
Ken could almost see the wheels turning in Youji's head. "She's the one who taught you to use the knife and gun isn't she? That's why you were so surprised when she wanted to start Weiss up again."
Chuckling, the soccer player nodded. "I was going stir crazy without having Weiss - and she was an outlet. I had no idea that she worked for Kritiker."
"How good is Aya-chan?"
Sputtering on his coffee, Ken sighed in resignation. Today just wasn't his day so far. "She can defend herself," he temporized. Somehow he didn't think that Youji was prepared to find out that she'd already killed people, though, judging by what the blond had already observed, he didn't think it would be long before Youji realized that Aya-chan had to have been the sniper that saved them on the last mission.
"Good," Youji said with a nod. "That's one less thing to worry about in the event that Esstet is still a threat. I take it you'll be seeing Prodigy again?"
Nodding, Ken wondered at Youji's calm acceptance of everything. He was definitely going to have to start paying more attention to the members of his little family.
"I guess I don't have to tell you to try and find out if Schwarz is alive. Will you be able to handle it if we have to fight them again?"
Ken sighed but nodded. "As much as I'd like to get to know him better, we both know that it's just a sexual thing. Neither one of us are the type to betray our friends, so if it came down to a fight, I wouldn't hold back."
Youji nodded. "It sucks, but it's good to know." Standing up, he looked towards the stairs. "I'd better go down and start my shift." Pausing at the door, the blond turned back to him. "Remember, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Ciao."
"Ciao," Ken replied. He wondered if this day could possibly get more bizarre than it already was. Looking at the business card on the table, he decided that it wasn't likely, unless of course he decided to take the job at the Harem. That would definitely top the day off in a most unexpected way.
*~*~*~*~*
"Well, the hooks have been baited," the blond man said, smirking proudly. "We'll have your little fishies soon Kentaro-san. . ."
"What did you call me?" asked a dreadfully calm voice.
"Um, Kentaro-san?" the man replied nervously. "Should I have called you Montaro-san instead?"
"You should not have addressed me by name at all," was the cold response. The second man waved a hand and the blond gasped, feathered dart sticking out of his back. "Take him to the labs," he said dismissively. "The fool should have known that no one addresses me by name without my express permission. He will make a useful test subject ensuring that the process is working efficiently."
"No worries sir," replied the man who stood in the shadowed doorway. "We can always use another subject, regardless of quality."
"Quality shouldn't be an issue soon," the first man replied. "As the fool stated, the hooks have been baited - all that's left to do is catch our fish."
"Indeed sir," said the man by the doorway. "We shall pave the way for the Superior Race to be born."
"Indeed we shall, Mutsushi, indeed we shall."
*~*~ *TBC*~*~*
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
CATEGORY: dark, angst, yaoi,
PAIRINGS: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi Omi+Aya, Others later.
RATING: varies - This one is PG 13 for language
WARNINGS: This has yaoi in it, some swearing.
SPOILERS: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them. ARCHIVE: FanFiction.Net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
NOTES: The fic WILL 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 ^_^
Feedback: Please! It helps me to keep writing!
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset//
Shades of Gray
Chapter 4
Ken moved from partner to partner within the mass of undulating humanity that made up the dance floor of the Inferno. He'd always scoffed at Youji for spending so much time in places like this, but now it acted like a lifeline of sorts for him. He loved getting lost in the hazy lust filled atmosphere where he could cut loose and simply be himself. The attention he got in places like this - the awe, fear, lust, and admiration -- gave him a high like nothing had since J-league. Not even killing had such an affect on him, though it was close. In here he had no inhibitions, nothing holding him back. Killer Kenshin could do anyone or anything that pleased him. And he did.
Raising one arm above his head with the seductive squeak of vinyl he let the other trace it's way down his chest until it rested lightly on his bared abs. He could practically feel people undressing him with their eyes and he wantonly played up to it, trying to see how hot he could make them. The skintight, charcoal vinyl top showed off every detail of his upper torso and the double zipper was positioned so that the shirt was held closed at his breastbone only, leaving his throat and abs bare and glistening with the slight sheen of oil and sweat. Rotating his hips suggestively, Ken let his hand slide into the top of his vinyl pants teasing the crowd with hopes of seeing more than he was planning to show on the dance floor. The top two buttons were undone and he knew that the contours of his muscles and erection were clear for anyone to see. Sliding one hand further down he lightly squeezed his erection to relieve some of his own sexual tension while increasing his audience's.
The hand that had been playing lightly with his glitter covered hair slid down to his throat as he tilted his head back, then made it's way back to his mouth where he slowly licked the vinyl that covered his palm in fingerless gloves that extended all the way to his upper arm. Tracing his lips lightly he licked and suckled at his bared fingers, doing to them what he had wanted to do to Prodigy's cock last night.
Shuddering in repressed desire, Ken glanced at the people closest to him and, choosing an attractive man with jet-black hair, he danced over to him and molded his body to the contours of his new partner. He felt hands grabbing his ass and he ground his throbbing cock into his partner's. Dancing backwards, Ken spun his partner around until the other man's ass was rubbing against Ken's trapped hardness. The assassin reached around and fondled his partner's crotch, delighting in the hot hard flesh he felt under the tight denim. He was backing slowly towards one of the shadowed alcoves when a commotion at the far side of the dance floor gradually caught his attention. Along with the sense of anticipation that floated through the crowd came a name.
A.C. Tease.
With a snarl of fury Ken spun his partner away and began to stalk through the mass of bodies. His rage was almost tangible and the crowd parted then closed behind him like the wake of a boat. Reaching the open circle of the crowd he saw a group of men black leather two of which were holding Aya-chan by the hair. Her eyes were snapping with anger and he knew that she was waiting for an opening to strike.
He provided the opening.
Grinning in a combination of fury and glee, Ken launched himself at the nearest man who was trying to keep people away from his friends and their chosen prey. His fist caught the man in the stomach and he wished he were wearing his bugnuks so he could feel the man's hot blood. In a flurry of practiced moves he had the man down and groaning on dance floor before lashing out at the next, his excited laugh barely audible in the pounding music. He noticed briefly that the ones holding his friend had loosened their hold enough that Aya-chan was able to escape and attack them. After taking out the second one, the assassin noticed that the remaining four were trying to escape. Ken took off after the closest two while the others tried to make it through the crowd towards the bar. He doubted they'd get too far, at least not before Aya-chan got to them.
Ken snatched a bottle off of one of the tables and threw it at the men attempting to flee. It hit one of the men in the back of the head, causing him to stumble, but not fall. The brunette was on him in a minute. Tearing into the man, he giggled at the feeble attempts to hurt him. He could almost imagine the resistance he felt as he pummeled the man was that of flesh and muscle just before it tore under his claws instead of simply being the crack of fractured ribs.
Glancing up, he saw the remaining man trying to edge away towards the door. Locking eyes with him, Ken saw him blanche then glare. The man pulled out a knife and charged the spot where Ken knelt over his now unconscious victim.
Diving out of the way, Ken rolled to his feet, switchblade appearing in his hand. Laughing, licked the blade slowly while looking the man in the eyes. The music had cut out as news of the fight reached the DJ, and Ken laughed again in the ear-ringing silence. "Tastes much better with blood on it," he said, dropping into a crouch and approaching the other man with a wild grin on his face.
The other man's eyes widened in terror and he started backing away, trying to escape as the chant of "Killer" began to grow in volume. The man, obviously desperate now, lunged at Ken. The assassin sidestepped easily and snapped his arm out, lightly slicing the man's cheek. Grinning in dark enjoyment, Ken began to play with the other man, inflicting shallow but painful cuts, watching as the man's fear grew.
"No one hurts my sister," he growled as the man finally dropped to the floor and curled into a ball. Ken laughed again at the pathetic huddle and was moving in to finish the job when a hand lightly touched his arm. Spinning with the intent to strike at the offender, he relaxed, seeing that it was Aya-chan.
"Leave him," she said softly. "He isn't worth it."
Ken snarled at her. "But he. . ."
"Isn't a target," she interrupted.
That statement, and her obvious calm and safety loosened the berserker rage that had filled him and he relaxed more fully, returning to himself. Turning, he spat on the still cowering man and snorted in disgust.
"Come on," Aya-chan said. "Let's get out of here."
Ken nodded. He could still feel his blood boiling. He needed to work off the rest of his rage - he needed to kill or fuck someone badly, but knew that anyone who wanted to fuck him after that display was probably as fucked up as he was and that would only feed the hunger. Shaking his head he decided that he could prowl the streets or look for Rex to get a quick lay later; right now his job was to get Aya-chan home safely without anymore unwanted attention.
*~*~*~*~*
Schuldich was at the bar getting drinks for himself and Asii when the commotion started. Relaxing his shields, he tried to find the source of the disturbance, catching a string of rather creative curses from his friend. Obviously someone was pissing her off because she didn't usually curse over anything. He started moving more quickly in her direction, however, as her mental curses increased in volume. He'd been having a lot of fun with her tonight, and he didn't want some jackass ruining it by upsetting her with stupidity. That, and he was curious to see what could actually anger her into this much swearing. It was times like this that made him grateful that he wasn't an empath - it was bad enough hearing people's thoughts, he'd hate to have to feel their emotions as well.
He was, therefore, seriously caught off guard when a wave of near mindless fury hit his unshielded mind. Stumbling, he dropped the beer bottles he'd been holding, only dimly aware that they shattered on impact with the floor. Trying unsuccessfully to rein in his thoughts, he turned like a lodestone then headed directly towards the place he'd left Asii, the desire to protect and kill overpowering all else.
Two men, thoughts running in circles about escaping the psycho stumbled through the crowd. Schuldich punched one of them in the gut and kicked the other one in the balls. He laughed at their mental cursing and exclamations of pain as the one collapsed, clutching his crotch and the other struggled to maintain his balance. He decided not to play with the man still standing because he could hear Asii still cursing, though it sounded slightly different this time. Nailing the standing man in the nose and temple, he let him fall to the ground in a heap.
The throbbing music cut out suddenly making the cacophony of thoughts seem much louder in comparison - loud enough to muddle the rage he still felt. Cursing, he stopped and struggled to put his shields back in place. After a few moments, the sudden drop in mental volume, as well as a reduction of the overwhelming rage he'd felt indicated that his shields were up and working properly again. Sighing in relief he continued making his way towards Asii, keeping his mind open to her thoughts, and keeping everything else to an indecipherable roar. She had calmed down considerably, cursing reduced to calling her brother a baka and hoping that he didn't kill anyone. Groaning softly, Schuldich realized that when she'd been accosted her brother must have flown into a rage and he himself had gotten caught up in the bloodlust. He began cursing himself for letting his guard down that much - he should have known that the psycho would be around somewhere if Asii was.
Shaking his head, he winced in pain; he could feel the start of a migraine coming on, and decided to check on Asii before going home. "You okay?" he asked as he came up beside her.
She looked at him, then nodded and smiled slightly. "I just have to find my brother before he kills those guys," she answered.
Opening his shields carefully, he scanned the area for the soon to be victim. The mental chant and the growing verbal one of 'Killer' was a good indication of where to look. "I think he went that way," he commented with a smirk.
Asii raised an eyebrow in inquiry, but he simply shrugged, not answering her unspoken question, though he knew what it was. She returned his smirk as she heard the chant and grabbed a double handful of his hair, pulling his head down so she could give kiss him. Snugging her up against his body, he deepened the kiss for a moment before releasing her.
"You'd better go - I don't think that guy will be around much longer."
The girl tossed him a saucy smile. "See you around, Red," she said. "And thanks for the help. You look hot in shining armor,"
Schuldich smirked. "Me in shining armor? I'm the black knight, not the hero,"
She laughed lightly. "Doesn't rescuing a maiden in distress count for something?"
This time it was the German who laughed. "If you're a maiden, I guess I can be your knight. Just don't tell your brother - I'd rather ~not~ have to watch my back whenever I go out thank you."
"Speaking of which. . ." Turning, she blew him a kiss then vanished into the crowd.
Still smiling, Schuldich winced as the music returned full blast. He definitely hadn't needed that. Sighing he turned to leave, not caring for once if he was leaving alone - he hadn't had a reaction migraine for a while, but he knew he'd be incapacitated for the next five or six hours at least. He was, therefore, more than a bit irritated when a man with slicked back blond hair accosted him just outside the club.
"I saw you dancing with that girl tonight, and I also saw the way you fight. I want you to consider working for me." He handed the redhead a business card. "Think about it. If you're interested, call me, or be here next Friday. You've got talent - I would make it worth you while."
Bemused look on his face, Schuldich watched the man go back into the club. That had definitely been strange. Looking at the card under the street lamp, he read the words embossed on the surface. 'The Harem: exotic entertainment for all tastes' was what it said, with the addition of an address and phone number. Smirking in disbelief Schuldich tossed the card onto the pavement, then paused for a moment and picked it up again. He'd give it to Crawford as a joke - after all, the American had wanted him to come here for some unknown reason, and it would be amusing to see how the man reacted to the proposed job change.
Snickering softly, he walked carefully to his car to drive home. He wanted to get there and see Crawford's reaction before his migraine got too much worse - he did ~not~ need to be driving when his vision started whiting out. Trying to picture himself as an exotic dancer or porn star made him grin despite the throbbing pain. What a headline that would make - psychic assassin turned pornstar rakes in millions. He sighed softly; if nothing else, Nagi would get a kick out of it.
*~*~*~*~*
He was running. The air was dense and fog-like, thick in his laboring lungs causing him to gasp and pant for breath. They were there, everywhere he looked - faceless enemies chasing him, trying to catch him and drag him back into the swirling charcoal void. They pursued him mercilessly, relentlessly. He'd escaped them before, but this time they were closer, more persistent - the old tricks wouldn't work now.
Ahead of him a light pierced the clouded mass, changing the surrounding fog to a silver-white color. He ran towards that area - if he could get there he'd be able to see clearly; he could escape. He could feel the enemy closing in though, grabbing and clawing at his clothing, trying to stop him from gaining his freedom.
Legs cramping, lungs burning, he was almost there. His clothing was shredded, his flesh torn and bleeding he fought through the growing masses against him. Diving into the pool of light he rolled to his feet and shrieked in dismay.
It was a maze.
There were hundreds of entrance points, and he could see from his position above it that the corridors were shifting as he watched. How could he choose a path? They didn't remain the same; they went in different directions. How was he to tell which one led to freedom, to safety?
He collapsed to his hands and knees. "HELP ME CHOOSE!" he cried pounding the shifting ground beneath his hands.
Chilling cackles came from behind him as hands reached for him, grabbing his tattered clothing, his bleeding flesh. They began drawing him away from the maze, away from his salvation, back towards the void.
"No!" he shouted desperately. "I won't go back, you can't have me." Clawing uselessly at the fluid, tractionless ground he fought to stay in the light, to stay away from their clutches.
Then he heard it.
It was faint, barely distinguishable above the glee-filled voices of the ones trying to retrieve him, but it was there and unmistakably familiar. The plinking, chime-like melody wrapped around him as it always had, comforting him, giving him the strength to fight, to escape. He lunged away from the grasping, hands. . .
. . .onto his bedroom floor where he landed in a tangle of sheets and blankets. Panting in terror, he scrambled to get out of the restraining fabric, fumbling at the bedside table for the lamp. The warm yellow light stabbed his eyes, but banished the gray shadows from the room. Still kneeling on the floor, he slumped against the bed, trying to regain his equilibrium. Already the details of the dream were fading, leaving behind nothing but the feeling of dread and urgency and the lingering sense of impending doom. That and helpless desperation.
The melody was still floating in his mind, comforting him like his mother's arms had all those years ago. As his breathing slowed and he began to relax, the melody faded, leaving nothing but a faint memory.
:: Feeling better? :: asked a soft voice in his mind.
"Yes," he replied tiredly. "Thank you," he added after a moment.
:: No problem, :: was the gruff reply. :: Now let me sleep - I have a migraine. ::
Pursing his lips in familiar resignation he looked at the bed he was currently leaning again and sighed. There was no way he would be able to sleep after a dream like that - he knew that from long time experience. So, instead of climbing back into bed, he thought about his options and decided to go out for a walk. The brisk pre-dawn air would help to banish the residue from the dream.
Going to his closet he pulled out a pair of comfortably worn khakis, a matching turtleneck and a heavy wool cable-knit sweater. After changing, he raked his fingers through his hair and let it settle back into his eyes knowing that nothing but a shower and some gel would make it behave. At his bedside table he quickly turned off the light and picked up his glasses, sighing in relief as his room came into sharp focus.
Walking silently through the house, Brad Crawford slipped on his shoes and went out into the early morning chill, trying to exorcise the lingering demons that plagued him.
*~*~*~*~*
Youji stared at the shadow-striped ceiling of his bedroom and sighed in resignation. Sleep didn't seem to be part of his agenda tonight. He'd heard Ken and Aya-chan come home a couple of hours ago, and since then he hadn't been able to sleep at all. It was strange because in the past he'd fallen asleep as soon as he heard Aya-chan moving around in her room which was directly beneath his, but tonight it simply didn't happen. Instead he was lying here with an erection, and no particular person he wanted to fantasize about to help alleviate the problem.
Sighing, he rolled into a sitting position, automatically grabbing the satin robe at the end of the bed. Even when he was sleeping alone, he hated wearing anything to bed, but there was no way he was going to run out naked if there was a problem in the shop. Not that he cared if the guys saw him, but he didn't want Aya-chan seeing him - it was just wrong.
Grabbing his cigarettes and lighter, Youji left his room and headed towards the doorway that led to the roof. Normally he left the roof to Aya-chan and Ken - he didn't want to be anywhere near Ken when he was having a temper tantrum. He knew that the soccer player wouldn't hurt Aya-chan, but he might decide to relieve his anger by fighting, and that made the rest of Weiss fair game. While Youji could and did fight, he had no desire to be on the receiving end of Ken's rage - he doubted that Ken would kill him, but he might wish he were dead when it was over. The blond man didn't know when he'd done it, but he was sure that Ken had taken combat lessons somewhere - he'd been effective before, but now he was downright deadly. Youji also noticed that Ken, like Aya, carried a gun with him, and, while he didn't think the others had taken much notice, he'd seen the knife that his friend had pulled on Korat. Ken hadn't handled the blade like an amateur, which meant that sometime in the past year he'd learned to use it.
Shaking his head he decided not to think about when Ken had learned new ways to kill people. If nothing else, it meant more protection for Aya-chan. With Esstet gone, and Schwarz dead, he didn't think that there was any threat to the girl, but no one had suspected anything the first time around either.
Thinking about the girl he wondered where she and Ken had gone tonight. He didn't doubt that they'd gone shopping, she seemed to like new clothes as much as he did, but the malls and theatres weren't open until two in the morning. He knew that they must have gone to a club, they'd done it before, but it still bothered him that they felt they needed to sneak out to do that.
Actually, he knew why they ~snuck~ out to go clubbing, Aya's reaction would be less than positive, but it bothered him nonetheless. While he knew that nothing would happen to her when she was out with Ken - he'd die, or rather kill, before letting someone touch her inappropriately -- but the thought that they felt they had to hide what they did upset him. That she didn't want to upsey Aya was a given but he thought that they'd at least be comfortable coming to ~him~ about it, but as far as he could tell, he was the only person to realize that they didn't just go to late movies.
Leaning against the chest high wall that surrounded the edge of the roof, Youji looked blankly at the tree in the yard as he smoked. He wasn't entirely certain what Aya-chan got out of clubbing; the only reason ~he'd~ ever gone to places like that was to get drunk or get laid. He knew that she always came home, and always alone, so getting laid wasn't one of the reasons - he hoped. Someone would die if it was the reason, but he just couldn't picture Aya-chan the romantic 'true love' girl sleeping around - she just didn't have a slutty personality. Maybe she could be a bit of tease - the fanboys in the shop certainly thought so, but there was a sweet cuteness about her made that idea laughable. Getting drunk wasn't one of her reasons for clubbing either because she was too cheerful and happy, even in the morning, to be suffering hangovers, so her motivation for clubbing confused him. Maybe she just liked the music.
Ken, however, was a different story. Sometimes he saw a lot of himself in the soccer player; Ken was just more subtle about sleeping around. Youji had never felt the need to hide the fact that he was basically a slut. He hadn't been looking for someone to fall in love with, just someone to make him forget for a while. Love would be nice, but since Asuka it didn't seem to be an option for him. Youji didn't think that Ken was looking to forget as much as he was searching for a way to dull the desire to kill. His friend didn't confide in him as much now, but he knew that killing was almost a compulsion for the younger man - one that their missions as Weiss seemed to be satisfying.
Sighing he shook his head. He didn't pretend to understand his teammate but he did recognize the 'well fucked' look he wore some mornings. It was always odd seeing Ken with that look, but then, it was odd seeing Ken giggling as he killed people as well. Ken was fucked up, but that was just Ken - a walking tangle of contradictions. Thinking about Ken too much always gave him a headache.
Looking at the last of the glowing ember in his hand, he ground it out and dropped it to the gravel surface of the roof. Taking in a deep breath he looked at the stars and shivered a bit in the chill morning air. He definitely wasn't dressed to be standing around up here in nothing but a robe and the stupid white bunny slippers Ken had given him. Looking at his feet he smirked. They'd been a joke - but he wore them on occasion just because no one had expected him to. They were totally ridiculous but he loved the hilarious expressions his friends got when he had them on his feet. Besides, the gravel hurt.
The cold air had gotten rid of his erection and he was preparing to go back inside when a movement in the tree caught his attention. Looking closer, Youji saw a shadow scamper along one of the bigger branches and stop near Ken's window. It was hard to see through the leaves, but it looked like Ken was leaning out and talking to the person, whoever it was. The two kissed briefly before the person on the branch moved out of sight. Moments later he saw the same person walk across the grass to the alley that led to the street. Youji followed, watching from his rooftop vantage point as Ken's friend walked into the street. Curious about the identity of the kisser he hoped that whoever it was would look around in the lamp-light so that he could see what he looked like. The dark hair was obvious, as was the masculine build, but he only caught a glimpse of a face. Blinking several times he looked closer only to find that the guy had moved out of the light.
"I must need sleep," he said softly, massaging the bridge of his nose. "There's no way ~Prodigy~ of all people would be sitting in a tree kissing Ken." He shook his head again. "I guess if Sakura can look like Aya-chan, some other guy could look like a dead member of Schwarz."
Walking back to the door he paused and looked back. "It is a coincidence, isn't it?" he asked himself. It might be something worth looking into - after all, the last thing they needed was to be fighting Schwarz and the lunatics who wanted to bring demons into the world.
Back in his room he kicked his slippers under his bed and tossed the robe to the foot. The thought that Schwarz might be alive was bothering him a great deal. He wanted to ask Ken about his boyfriend right now, but he didn't want to kick up a big fuss in case it wasn't Prodigy. His friend deserved his trust and barging in making demands at four in the morning wasn't going to be a good show of faith.
Feeling upset and uncertain, Youji reached under his bed and pulled out a box. Turning it around, he wound the small key until the spring was tight. Setting it on his dresser, he lifted the lid, watching as the sweetheart dolls began to dance to the soft chiming music. Smiling sadly, the blond man climbed back into bed and shut his eyes. Asuka had laughed when she'd seen the music box, but then, he had always loved her smile.
He fell asleep to the soft sound of the music box, thoughts of Schwarz put off for another time.
*~*~*~*~*
Aya-chan sat at the kitchen table eating a late breakfast and smirking at Ken. His hair was sticking up at all angles as he stumbled, yawning, towards the coffee pot. He was just so funny when he didn't get enough sleep, and judging by the fact that she'd seen his boyfriend in the tree before she went to bed last night, she figured that they'd found a way to get Ken's mind off of the fight at the club. Snickering she covered the sound with a piece of toast as he glared at her.
"What's the matter, Kenken?" she asked him sweetly using Youji's nickname for him. "Not get enough sleep last night?"
Ken glared again when she used the name, but suddenly smirked wickedly. "Not much sleep," he commented. "I was busy ~doing~ something else."
"Don't you mean someone? Wait, his name wouldn't be Bates would it?"
The young man blushed brightly but managed to maintain the smirk. "Bates is it? What makes you say that?"
"Just seemed like he was the Master that's all - sitting in the tree like that. Did you do another strip tease?"
The glare he gave her was good, but nothing compared to what her brother could produce so she wasn't fazed. She just snickered again.
"Ha, ha. Very funny," he replied. "You're just jealous that you don't have anyone climbing trees to get you off."
She pouted in an exaggerated manner, then grinned as she put a business card on the table between them. "So, are you going to take the job?" she asked him, pointing at the card that had the words 'The Harem: exotic entertainment for all tastes' written on it.
"And why exactly would I do that?"
"You'd be perfect!" she exclaimed in her best fangirl imitation. "You're good looking, you're a great dancer, and you're supposedly a good fuck - you'd make millions." The way she stumbled and blushed at the word 'fuck' nearly ruined the whole game, but Ken managed to keep a straight face.
"It sounds like a dream job," he said sounding serious. "But there's no killing. That and it would interfere with Weiss. If it was a day job though. . ."
She blinked at him trying to decide what to make of his words. "You mean you'd actually consider doing that? Being a stripper or porn star that is?"
Ken shrugged. "Probably not, but it would be fun to try. Then again, I wouldn't be here with you guys so. . ."
"You're joking right?"
He raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "I guess so. I mean, I can get all my seductive stripping shit done at clubs or with Pro. . . my boyfriend if this tree thing keeps up. I don't really need to get ~paid~ for doing it if you know what I mean."
She did know what he meant, at least in part. She loved showing off for a crowd, but she had no desire to strip for people, and she definitely didn't want to trick. Aya-chan shuddered at the thought. When she went out she might act like she'd screw anything on legs, but when it came down to it, she only wanted to sleep with someone she trusted and cared about, and the only person outside of Weiss she might want to get to know better was Red. The other boys she knew were somewhat childish, and while Ken's boyfriend was cute, she didn't know him, and he was Ken's. Ken himself was an option she supposed - probably the only one in Weiss she'd consider. She couldn't picture sleeping with Youji or Omi, and, no matter how she and Ken acted together at the clubs, there's no way she could even pretend to have a sexual interest in her onichan - that was just icky in the extreme.
Aya-chan sighed. While she ~would~ like to lose her virginity, she did have her standards. She may not be able to find Mr. Right, but she ~wasn't~ about to settle for Mr. Available.
"You'll find someone eventually," Ken assured her with a snicker. " ~if~ he manages to survive the grilling he'll get from your brother and Youji."
She made a face then smiled. "Speak of the devil. . ." she said. "Aren't you supposed to be in the shop Youji-kun?"
Youji grinned and winked at her. "Yup, but since Aya and Omi are both working the shift with me, I thought I'd sneak away for a bit. I wanted to talk to Kenken here anyway, so I figured this would be a good time. Besides, the girls are all underage."
Rolling her eyes, the Aya-chan stood up. "I'll cover you for a while Youji-kun, but you'd better not be too long - I'm ~not~ doing two shifts,"
"Would I skip out on you, Aya-chan? I'm shocked and appalled that you could think so little of me."
Sticking her tongue out, Aya-chan left the kitchen and went downstairs to the shop. She didn't usually like working with her brother because he tended to get overprotective around her, but she hadn't been able to spend much time with him lately so a bit of hovering was worth it.
Stopping at the bottom of the stairs without actually entering the shop, she watched her brother and Omi as they puttered about. As usual, Youji had exaggerated about the fangirls - it was too early for them to be here on their lunch break so it was actually rather quiet. Sitting on the steps, she watched the two Weiss members interact. It amused her actually, watching the covert glances they gave each other. They were both so clueless. She wondered if Youji had noticed how much they stared at each other when they thought they'd be unobserved.
Smiling gently she debated whether or not to actually enter the shop. She did want to spend more time with her brother, but in all honesty, they never had much to talk about. It was hard to have a discussion with him when he didn't know most of the real details of her life. He still thought that she was the innocent girl she'd been before her coma, and she didn't want to disappoint him by telling him otherwise. As much as she enjoyed acting like A.C. Tease and honing her fighting skills, her onichan's opinion meant a lot - it became a debate between which was the greater of two evils lying by omission, or admitting to being something other than she appeared to be. Now that she'd actually killed, she feared that her brother would hate her as much as he seemed to hate himself.
Sighing in resignation, she was surprised to see both her brother and Omi turn towards her. "Hey, Aya-chan," called Omi with a wave. "How come you're in the shop this early?"
Smiling brightly she shrugged. "Youji wanted to talk to Ken, so I thought I'd see if you guys needed any help."
"Nah, it's pretty quiet, though Youji's work won't get done without him."
"I'll do some of it for him then," she said going over to where the aprons were hung. Seeing Youji's there she grinned suddenly and slipped it on. Fishing around in the pockets she suppressed a giggle when she found his hair elastic and sunglasses. Letting large hanks of hair hanging in front of her ears, she pulled the rest of her hair into a ponytail and slid the glasses on so they were perched on the end of her nose. Going over to the register she lounged comfortably against the counter, imitating the indolent air he usually had about him.
"Should I stand here and flirt with the girls then? Tell them how pretty they are and give them flowers for free?"
Omi and her brother, who'd been ignoring her as she got ready, turned at her words, looks of shock on their faces. It was all she could do not to giggle.
She plucked a stem of freesia from one bucket, and a red rose from another. Gliding over to Omi she presented the freesia to him with a flourish. "For you, my sweet, the beautiful freesia. It's light fragrance and delicate shape is the embodiment of your beauty, the pink blush of its petals like the blush of innocence on your cheeks." Turning to her brother she held out the rose. "And for you the red rose. Strength and beauty in one, colored for you to match the beautiful fire of your hair."
Looking at them over the rim of the glasses, she winked before swaying back towards the counter. The wink and the walk were too much for Omi whose giggle quickly turned into a full-fledged laugh. Her brother looked bemused, but when she waggled her eyebrows at him he began snickering. He didn't laugh outright, but it was enough for her.
Sliding the glasses off, and removing the hair elastic, Aya-chan stuck them back into Youji's apron and hung it back on his hook. Omi was still giggling, and her brother had a smile on his face. Youji chose this time to come back down the stairs. Taking one look at him, she glanced at Omi and her brother before doubling over in laughter. Omi was howling just as hard as she was, and when she wiped her eyes, she could see that while Onichan's back was to her, she could see his shoulders shaking in quiet laughter.
"Bye, bye, boys," she called, giggling again at Youji's confused expression. "Have fun."
She ran back up the stairs, wondering if Youji would ever find out what was so funny.
*~*~*~*~*
Ken watched as Aya-chan skipped down the stairs then turned a questioning look on Youji. "What's up, Youji?" he asked taking another sip of coffee.
"Um, I couldn't sleep last night so I went up to the roof for a smoke, and I saw something that made me start thinking,"
Clutching his chest, Ken faked total shock. "Something made you think? Sit down Youji, your brain must be tired." A sour expression crossed the playboy's face, causing Ken to smirk back at him. "Just spit it out, Yotan," he said.
"Spit it out, huh?" asked Youji as he sat in Aya-chan's abandoned seat. "Okay. I saw someone kissing you outside your window,"
Ken held his breath, wondering if his friend could possibly have identified ~who~ he'd been kissing. Judging by the blond's uncertainty and nervousness, he guessed that he had. "And?" he prompted, not wanting to say anything before he was accused of being a traitor.
"And, I saw him in the lamp light. It looked like Prodigy. Are you fucking a member of Schwarz?"
Eyes narrowed, he could practically feel the nervousness coming off the older assassin. "Not really, but what would you do if I said yes?"
"Fuck," Youji cursed softly. "What did you mean by 'not really'? How can you 'not really' fuck someone?"
Frowning, he ran a hand through his hair. "That kiss is the first time we've actually touched physically, that's how."
"Oh. So how long has this been going on?"
"You mean, am I a security risk, don't you? It started on our last mission, and before you say anything, the only reason I didn't mention it was that a -- Korat was testing me on ~something~, and b -- it was the best sex I've ever had in my life."
Youji looked puzzled, trying to take all of this in at once. "What do you mean Korat was testing you?"
"Just what it sounds like," he replied with a shrug and a sullen look. "Before you guys came down for the briefing, Korat told me that there was going to be a test for me to see if I would be able to handle the next big mission. She didn't tell me ~what~ she was testing me on, and she implied that if I failed the test I'd not be getting any missions in the near future."
"She what? That's insane. What does this have to do with Prodigy - wait, let me guess. He was there and you didn't know if she would be aware of the fact so you kept it secret in case that was the test."
Ken nodded in surprise. Sometimes he forgot that Youji wasn't the idiot he pretended to be. "I think that some of Schwarz is alive besides Prodigy - I got the impression that he was told to come to the shop after we both left the scene of the mission."
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," muttered the other man. "I can't believe we didn't check to see if they were still alive. How was it the best sex if you hadn't touched each other?"
Smirking, Ken sighed as he thought about their encounters. "He's a telekinetic," was all he said.
"So what does that have to do with. . . oh." Youji blinked several times, obviously trying to process the information. "It was good I take it?"
"Oooh, yeah. That's what you all heard the other night." Ken snickered at the memory.
Youji smirked and leaned on the table. "I thought it was too loud to be simple masturbation. Now I know why. So, what are we going to do about this?"
Blinking in surprise, Ken was starting to feel like he was missing something. "You're not upset?"
"Well, yes, but I trust you not to betray us. You're too honest." The blond shrugged and lit a cigarette. "If you were going to join Schwarz, you'd probably just leave or kill us all. I can't see you being a spy. I also can't see you endangering Aya-chan in anyway, so. . ." He shrugged as a way of concluding his thought.
Once again, Ken found himself stunned. He really needed to get on track this morning; he was misjudging everything. "All I know about Prodigy right now is that he doesn't want the news that he isn't dead to get out. I've checked for signs of them, but if the rest of Schwarz still exists, they're doing a damn fine job of hiding. Omi might have better luck, but I couldn't ask him for obvious reasons."
Youji nodded, apparently thinking things over. Ken couldn't believe he hadn't realized how observant his friend really was. He wondered how much Youji actually knew about the 'real' him.
"So we keep this thing a secret, right?" the blond asked. "At least until something comes up, or we find out what Korat was testing you for. Actually, that has me more worried than Prodigy. Why the hell did she feel the need to test you?"
Ken growled at the memory. "I don't know, but I don't trust her anymore," he said. "I wish we had Manx and Birman back again."
"You and me both," answered Youji. "Korat is beautiful, but something about her doesn't sit right with me."
"Is that why you don't flirt with her? You should," Ken said wryly. "She's easy. You'd have had her in bed before you could finish asking the question. She's fucking good too. But, that aside, she's also a total bitch, and it'll be a cold day in Hell before I ever touch her again."
Youji blinked in confusion, and Ken grinned at the expression. "Yes, I've been sleeping with her since before she became our handler."
Ken could almost see the wheels turning in Youji's head. "She's the one who taught you to use the knife and gun isn't she? That's why you were so surprised when she wanted to start Weiss up again."
Chuckling, the soccer player nodded. "I was going stir crazy without having Weiss - and she was an outlet. I had no idea that she worked for Kritiker."
"How good is Aya-chan?"
Sputtering on his coffee, Ken sighed in resignation. Today just wasn't his day so far. "She can defend herself," he temporized. Somehow he didn't think that Youji was prepared to find out that she'd already killed people, though, judging by what the blond had already observed, he didn't think it would be long before Youji realized that Aya-chan had to have been the sniper that saved them on the last mission.
"Good," Youji said with a nod. "That's one less thing to worry about in the event that Esstet is still a threat. I take it you'll be seeing Prodigy again?"
Nodding, Ken wondered at Youji's calm acceptance of everything. He was definitely going to have to start paying more attention to the members of his little family.
"I guess I don't have to tell you to try and find out if Schwarz is alive. Will you be able to handle it if we have to fight them again?"
Ken sighed but nodded. "As much as I'd like to get to know him better, we both know that it's just a sexual thing. Neither one of us are the type to betray our friends, so if it came down to a fight, I wouldn't hold back."
Youji nodded. "It sucks, but it's good to know." Standing up, he looked towards the stairs. "I'd better go down and start my shift." Pausing at the door, the blond turned back to him. "Remember, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. Ciao."
"Ciao," Ken replied. He wondered if this day could possibly get more bizarre than it already was. Looking at the business card on the table, he decided that it wasn't likely, unless of course he decided to take the job at the Harem. That would definitely top the day off in a most unexpected way.
*~*~*~*~*
"Well, the hooks have been baited," the blond man said, smirking proudly. "We'll have your little fishies soon Kentaro-san. . ."
"What did you call me?" asked a dreadfully calm voice.
"Um, Kentaro-san?" the man replied nervously. "Should I have called you Montaro-san instead?"
"You should not have addressed me by name at all," was the cold response. The second man waved a hand and the blond gasped, feathered dart sticking out of his back. "Take him to the labs," he said dismissively. "The fool should have known that no one addresses me by name without my express permission. He will make a useful test subject ensuring that the process is working efficiently."
"No worries sir," replied the man who stood in the shadowed doorway. "We can always use another subject, regardless of quality."
"Quality shouldn't be an issue soon," the first man replied. "As the fool stated, the hooks have been baited - all that's left to do is catch our fish."
"Indeed sir," said the man by the doorway. "We shall pave the way for the Superior Race to be born."
"Indeed we shall, Mutsushi, indeed we shall."
*~*~ *TBC*~*~*