Title: Encoded
Content: shonen ai/yaoi and, there will be some Omi and Naginess. *laughs*
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but the situation at hand is mine. Ha! Oh yeah, and Hajime is mine.
~Chapter Three~
The late night air was quite pleasant as it brushed across the exposed areas of Nagi's pale skin. He moved stealthily through the park, the night's darkness penetrated by the nearly full moon overhead that served extensively as a flashlight and more. The young boy slowed his pace as he approached an empty bench separated from the rest of the park. Its emptiness was what attracted him so, and he took refuge there.
Nagi tilted his head upwards wistfully, the pale moonlight illuminating his seemingly innocent face. Which, in fact, couldn't be farther from the truth, and that was the exact reason why his somber mood was present. He realized what would happen to him if anyone ever discovered the things he had done. He would get, in fact, exactly what he deserved.
Maybe it would be better if that happened. I have it coming; I don't want this guilt anymore…
A sound, light and hardly noticeable, stirred the pensive young teen from his thoughts. His deep blue eyes looked intensively about the area for the cause of the noise. When there proved to be nothing, or no one else there, he let himself relax; slightly. That was one thing he tried never to do; leave himself open to attack. This just proved how deeply his own life had affected him in his actions and his mind. Suddenly, he felt a presence at his side. He didn't look to prove this; he knew.
"How did you find me?" he asked in a calm, low voice, his eyes still focused straight forward. The presence beside him shifted uncomfortably, awaiting invitation to sit.
"I just knew," a soft voice replied, almost shyly. Nagi chuckled, letting his eyes slide closed. The boy standing at his side cast a concerned look at him. One deep blue-violet eye opened.
"Omi; you can sit if you want to." A light shade of pink brushed Omi's cheeks, and Nagi fought the urge to chuckle. Shyly, Omi perched on the bench beside Nagi, all the while giving the younger boy a look of question. He coughed when met with no response.
"Why…are you out so late?" Omi finally asked, the sudden break in silence jolting to both boys. Nagi sighed, casting a distant look at the light-haired boy beside him.
"It's better to think." He replied, his voice soft and smooth. Omi still looked confused, and Nagi chuckled. "So, I'm guessing you don't do this sort of thing often?" Omi shifted in his seat.
"Not exactly. I usually don't sleep full nights, though. Not when there's so much in my head," he responded shyly. After another pause, he cocked his head curiously. "What're you thinking about, Nagi?" he asked. Nagi's expression sobered. Omi suddenly wanted to take that question back.
"I was…thinking about why things have to be the way they are," he replied in a soft voice. Omi blinked, considering whether to pursue the subject, when Nagi continued. "You know, I'm beginning to regret the things I've done," He smiled sadly at Omi. "And I think I'm going to have to pay a price for those things very soon." Omi frowned.
"I think that if you want to be forgiven, you should be." Omi told him stubbornly. Nagi chuckled dryly, laying a hand on Omi's subconsciously. Omi flushed slightly.
"Omi…I wish that were so." He replied simply, turning more so to fully face the young member of Weiss. "I wish I could be like you, you know." Omi swallowed, and looked slightly nervous.
"Why?"
"Because…you are so much purer than me. Every time I'm with you, I feel like I'll just…taint you…" Omi shook his head, his light-brown locks bouncing around his face, his blue eyes flaring indignantly.
"That's not true!" he exclaimed. Nagi smiled, moving slightly closer towards Omi.
"It means a lot to me that you feel that way," he stated just before he laid his lips upon Omi's. The latter made no attempt to pull away, nor had no regrets on the action.
Nagi paused as he was heading in the direction to leave the park. He lifted his head stiffly, silently listening for anything. A dry chuckle greeted him, and Nagi turned to see the pale Irishman jumping down from a tree branch. Nagi glared at Farfello coldly, and the latter's golden eye flashed with mischief.
"So, what were you doing with that Weiss kitty?" Farfello asked smugly. Nagi's glare hardened.
"Go away, Farf." Nagi growled, and continued walking away. However, it wasn't very long until the insane man made himself known again as he walked not many paces behind the Japanese boy. Farfello walked up next to Nagi, still retaining that smug look from earlier.
"Brad won't like that. That'd be even worse than what you did with-"
"That's none of your concern!" Nagi snapped, quickening his brisk pace to escape Farf. The Irishman watched him go, his visible golden eye perceptive.
"Maybe it is,"
Even Ran had to admit that he was nervous about the whole ordeal. His violet eyes passed over Ken worriedly many times in the interim of their sitting in the waiting room. On the other hand, Ken seemed calm enough. There was also a flair of excitement in his presence, even though he was silent about it, which made Ran happy. After all, he was doing this for Ken, and it was nice to see the brunette happy. There were times he wondered if Ken was truly happy, or if he was only using a façade. A chuckle escaped Ken as he looked at Ran.
"You look so tense, Ran," he observed teasingly. "Relax. Everything's fine." Ran frowned.
"Not everyone's so emotionally secure as you, Ken." He grumbled bitterly, only causing Ken to laugh out loud. Ran folded his arms across his chest and adjusted his position in his seat like a stubborn child. Ken chewed thoughtfully on the tip of his pen as he paused in his filling out of various papers.
"Ran, do you suppose Yoji would want to be a godfather?" Ran raised an eyebrow, and smirked slightly.
"Think about that question for a moment," he replied with some amusement in his tone. Ken paled slightly.
"Better make it Omi, then," he amended, scribbling something down on the paper. Ran, forgetting about his grudge against Ken, leaned in closer and peered over the brunette's shoulder.
"Why am I not taking part in this fun?" he queried. Ken smiled at the redhead.
"I thought you wouldn't want to," he admitted shyly. Ran grabbed the papers, proceeding to look them over.
"Of course I do. It's my child too, isn't it?" Ran was greeted by an awkward silence.
"He." Ken stated softly. Ran looked at Ken with a look of inquiry.
"What's that?" Ken smiled at Ran.
"Our child is a he." Ran blinked for a few seconds, and then cocked his head. Sheepishly, Ken rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you see, when I originally applied, they sent us pictures, and I simply fell in love with him, and you weren't around, and I kinda wanted to surprise you, and…I'm sorry Ran! I just…" Again, Ran used a kiss to silence the brunette. He pulled away once that was accomplished and smiled warmly.
"I trust you," he told Ken, gently but firmly. Ken relaxed visibly, and pulled out a folder from the stack of papers, handing Ran a few pictures. He pointed to them, and gave captions.
"That's him," Ken declared, his voice betraying the excitement he felt. "See? He has your eyes! I just knew he was meant to be ours the minute I saw those!" Ran's eyes fell over the picture, and he could tell what Ken meant. The child bore a strange resemblance to him, and Ken for that matter. Not to mention the unearthly feeling he got just looking at the baby, a strange, yet warm sensation. Ran smiled.
"Looks like he has your face, Ken," he observed. Ken raised an eyebrow, and Ran chuckled. "So, what happens? Does he, like, get delivered to us?" Ken's eyes widened, and then he laughed. Ran simply stared as his lover doubled over in fits of laughter. After a few minutes, Ken sighed, wiping the tears that had formed in his eyes away with his hand.
"Ran! No, we'll get him here. I've made an appointment for us to come pick him up, and hand in the final papers." He shook his head, grinning.
"Oh," Ran nodded, slightly embarrassed. "So that's how it works."
A woman entered the room, then, with a small bundle in her arms. She smiled at them, and Ken immediately went to her, lifting the baby from her arms carefully, despite his pent-up anticipation and eagerness. He beamed at Ran, who was slowly standing from his seat.
"Here he is! Ran!" Ran walked over, handing the stack of papers to the woman as he did so. Nervously, he looked down at the child in Ken's arms. The baby had a round face, with wide violet eyes, and wisps of brown hair that was beginning to grow on his head. He blinked up at Ran, and both of them held the same expression of curiosity and question. The baby was the first to smile, unsurely, causing Ran to smile as well. He already liked the kid.
The woman flipped through the papers, nodding to herself as she read them over. She looked up at the two men and the child.
"Looks like everything's in order here. Except that you don't have a name for the baby yet." Ken flushed slightly.
"Oh! I forgot! I'm sorry!" The woman laughed light-heartedly. Ken looked to Ran, who was still examining the baby. The latter was also trying to make heads or tails of the situation, yet seemed to be comfortable around the two. "What do you want to name him, Ran?" Ran, without any pause looked Ken right in the eye.
"Hajime." He stated. Ken seemed to be thinking over the name, then smiled.
"Ah. So it is then," He swayed the baby in his arms gently. "Hajime," He handed the child to Ran before the redhead knew what was going on. Dumbfounded, he stood there, awkwardly holding the baby in his arms. Ken smiled tenderly. "Just make sure you support his head with your hand…there. That's right. See? He likes you," Ran stared down at the baby, and a slow smile made its way to his face.
"Hajime," he repeated. "Our Hajime."
The light, yet annoying sound of keys clicking penetrated the air of the entire house. No other noise was to be heard, which made it worse. Schuldig turned over onto his side as he lay in bed, straining to ignore the incessant tapping, yet failing. He knew that it was Brad attempting to uncover those files. Schuldig again shifted his position. Those damned files. Those were the cause of all the trouble lately. For awhile, the four of them had been getting along well, better than when they had actually been "Schwarz". Now, really, they were just four men, minus Nagi, who was a boy still, living together. Long since had they given up their ways of slaughter and death, and tied to bury that past.
Some would say it was a wonder they had stayed together, Schuldig included. Whether it was the bond that had grown between them, or the forged dependence on one another, Schuldig wasn't sure. He only knew that none of them had ever even called attention to the idea of splitting up. In all honesty, it was probably because none of them anted to be alone. They were only human.
And me? Let's face it; I can't turn my back on a challenge, and if Brad isn't a challenge, I'd like to know what is.
Once again did the rhythmic pounding on the keys penetrate the assumed silence surrounding the redheaded German, who finally found he could take no more of it, at least not alone. So, he decided to go to the source. He leaned against the doorframe of the office, quietly watching the dark-haired American as he went about his work. Sometimes, Schuldig wondered how he could have ever become attracted to someone so distant, but then he would remember those few precious moments where, in fact, Brad had actually proved he had emotions. And, truth be told, they were the right ones. Deep down, Schuldig knew that Brad was a good person. A stick in the ass, but a good one.
The redhead entered the office silently, approaching Brad's back. He carefully peered over his shoulder, taking a look at what exactly the older man was doing.
"Schuldig." Suddenly, Brad pushed away from the computer, nearly hitting Schuldig with the chair, causing the German to topple backwards onto the floor. Brad stood, and looked down at Schu, who was muttering various curses in different languages. Brad smirked slightly, and chuckled slightly. Schuldig glared at him with fiery eyes of jade.
"Think that's funny, eh?!" he exclaimed angrily, pushing himself off of the ground. Brad stopped, and simply stared at the younger man. Schuldig titled his chin upwards arrogantly. "That's what I thought!" he snapped haughtily, then grinned. "So, what were you doing?"
"Still trying to figure out that lock. But I can't manipulate it like Nagi could, and even he couldn't. I'm guessing they meant to proof it against us." Schuldig nodded. Then he became serious.
"So, you really think that they have a child? But that's impossible," Brad shook his head.
"Not in today's world. With genetic engineering and test tube babies, it's not surprising that they could pull something like that off." Schuldig nodded reluctantly, yet was still skeptical.
"But wouldn't they know about it? It certainly doesn't seem like they do." The German pursued.
"Maybe they do, and maybe they don't. Who knows what Kritiker has done, and not informed them of. Just like Esstet…" Brad stopped, not wanting to travel down that path. His gaze once again fell over Schuldig, who seemed deep in thought, his face almost…wistful. Brad had never seen him this way, not that he could remember, at any rate.
"Brad?" Schuldig's voice was softer now than usual. Brad leaned forward a little, not really sure why, but was interested in what his red-haired companion had to say. "Would you ever think of doing something like that? I mean, combining genes to make a child…that way…" The German trailed off. After a moment or two he grinned. He began rubbing the back of his head. "Eh, what a stupid question to ask, huh?" Brad regarded him with a calm even stare, making him feel all the more stupid. Then a tiny small lit Brad's features. Schuldig watched as the older man made his way to leaving the office. Just before steeping out, Brad cast a look at Schu over his shoulder.
"Maybe." And he left Schuldig to ponder on that answer.
Excitedly, Omi bounced on his tows hovering around Ken and the baby in his arms. He peered at the bundle, which was sleeping at the moment. Ran stood beside Ken, glancing warily at the energetic teen every so often.
"Ken! Can I hold him? Puh-leeeeaaaasssse!?" Omi exclaimed, acting very much the part of a curious young child with a new sibling to play with. Ken shushed Omi gently as not to disturb Hajime. "Please, please, please?" Omi continued in a whisper. Ken sighed.
"All right, but sit down so you don't wake him up." Omi nodded anxiously, and plopped down on the couch, extending his arms for Ken to place the baby in. Carefully, the brunette laid the small child in Omi's arms. Immediately, Omi settled down, holding the baby like spun glass.
"Awww, he's so cute!" Omi exclaimed in a soft voice. Ken grinned, and even Ran gave a small smile of pride. "And he looks like you too! Isn't that something!" Yoji, who had been lingering in the doorway to the kitchen, walked over to the couch and leaned over the back of it to examine the child.
"Hey, I'm Uncle Yoji." He stated with a grin. "This'll be great! I'll teach the kid all my best pick-up lines, and how to attract the ladies, and…"
"No you won't." Ran and Ken chorused as one. Yoji frowned at them, and looked back at the baby, who was now starting to stir in Omi's arms. Large violet eyes opened, and peered up at Omi and Yoji. The infant knew at once that they were not the people he'd come home with. His little round face scrunched up and he let out a jerking wail. Omi's eyes widened in horror, and the young teen tried rocking the baby to calm him.
"Shh….shhh…Ahhhhhhh! Ken!" Omi cried out as the baby's wails grew stronger. Ken quickly moved to grab the baby from Omi, and held the child against his shoulder, stroking his back. Omi looked frightened and about ready to cry himself. "I…I didn't do anything!" Ran gave Omi a half-hearted glare, and Ken sighed.
"Don't worry. Babies cry." He began bouncing slightly to soothe the child. "There, its all right, I'm here. Shhh, that's right," Yoji now looked like he swallowed a bug.
"You mean it does that often?!" he exclaimed. Ken chuckled. Ran looked at Ken.
"He will sleep, right Ken?" the redhead asked. Ken smiled warily. "Ken? Tell me he won't be like this all the time."
"Oh, of course not. And babies do sleep," the brunette stated. And then, a pause. Ran, Yoji, and Omi looked at Ken expectantly. "Just…not at night…"
"Ken!"
Author's Notes: Ah, how uneducated the Weiss boys are in the ways of children, aside from dear KenKen. Anywho, that was chapter three. But wait, there'll be more! *laughs evilly*
Pinku: That is not a good sign…
Lorelei: *still laughing*
Pinku: *frightened*