Title: Cold November Rain [part 8/?]
Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"
Author: Enigma
Series: Weiss Kreuz
Written: January, 2002
Rating: R
Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)
Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC.
Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html
Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old.
Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.
Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.
Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him?
++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++
{{telepathic speech}}
*****
++ day: 1. time: 1000-1030 hours ++
*****
Sitting at a stop light and trying to distract himself, Nagi glanced at the interior of Schuldich's car for the first time from the driver's seat and he had to admit that his friend took remarkably good care of it despite his often cavalier attitude toward Estet property. As always, the members of Schwarz didn't own the real estate they lived in or the clothing or equipment they used, but to the telepath, the flame red Ferrari was all his and he treated it well.
As soon as the light changed, however, Nagi's thoughts were totally focused once more on his objective since finding his missing boyfriend was all that really mattered to the youth at the time.
Approaching the small city park that he and Omi had frequented even before their relationship had matured from that of tentative friendship to that of confirmed lovers, the sable-haired youth felt a sense of disquiet. Even as he cut the engine and practically leapt from the car to walk to the bench they often sat upon together to watch the sunset, Nagi was considering where to look next almost certain the first place he looked would not provide the answers he sought.
Passing a few people walking their dogs in the gray mid-morning light, the telekinetic hurried around the bend in the trail, across a small bridge over a pond, and through a thicket of trees.
Midnight blue eyes went wide as he spotted someone sitting on the bench he'd been seeking with their back to him, an unfamiliar sweatshirt's hood drawn up over their head and concealing hair color as well as facial features. Ordinarily, Nagi would have turned back at this point since he knew Omi's wardrobe intimately, but the warning about the young archer being insufficiently clothed for the cold autumn weather stayed in his mind and he became somewhat hopeful.
Rushing towards the bench, he finally gave in to the overwhelming desire to simply call out and he asked in a slightly louder than normal voice, "Omi? Koi? Is that you?"
The figure on the bench turned to regard him and the wrinkled face of an old woman peered at him before saying, "Pardon me? Were you addressing me, young man?"
Nagi froze in his steps then shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"Ah, I understand," the elderly lady nodded pleasantly then added, "Were you meeting someone here? I'll be glad to find another bench to sit upon, young lovers shouldn't have to hunt for one another in the park on a gloomy day like today."
A frown crossed the pale boy's face and he shook his head sadly, "No, that's all right. I, well, I'm not even sure where my friend is right now. I apologize for disturbing you." He turned and began to jog back to the car, eager to look elsewhere.
The woman watched the boy running off then clucked her tongue unhappily, "Such a nice young man shouldn't have to search for his girlfriend like that. I hope they find each other soon." Giving her visitor no more thought, the woman went back to merely admiring the change of seasons and watched as life passed her by at its usual slow pace.
As soon as he arrived at Schuldich's car, Nagi pulled out his cell phone and dialed quickly, nervously inserting the key into the ignition and pulling back onto the main road intending to head to his next destination quickly.
"Manx here," a woman's voice answered his call with less than friendly tones.
"I need to speak to Yohji-kun," Nagi said without explanation.
"You need to what?" The red-haired woman asked in annoyance when she realized she didn't recognize the caller and then paused as a masculine voice spoke to her beyond the range of the phone. After some noise that indicated the small device was changing hands, he heard the familiar bass of the eldest Weiss member who greeted him with, "Nagi? This is Yohji. Any luck yet?"
Changing lanes as he talked, Nagi answered, "Not yet. I've tried the park we usually go to and came up empty. Is there any word on Ken-kun?"
Yohji winced as he heard the young assassin use what he considered an "Omi-ism" by adding the honorific to the brunette's name, he'd forgotten that Nagi tended to follow his boyfriend's speech patterns when he was with them. He answered, "Unfortunately there's nothing new yet. Maybe no news is good news, but I kinda doubt that phrase is meant for when someone's in an operating room. Where do you plan to look next, Nagi?"
"I'll try a coffee shop we like to meet at after school," the petite telekinetic answered and added, "Hopefully even if he's been there and left already someone would've recognized him. If I could get even a hint as to his location, that would narrow the search considerably."
"Yeah, I guess it would," Yohji agreed feeling helpless since he couldn't do anything actively for either of the two young men he was so concerned about at the time. Sighing, he ended the conversation, "Give us a call either way, okay?"
"Sure thing," Nagi agreed readily. "I'll call as soon as I have any new information." Closing the connection, he focused on the ten kilometers of Tokyo mid-morning traffic he had to get through making good time despite the fact that he had relatively little driving experience much less a license.
Pulling up outside a small café which lay roughly halfway between the Koneko and the Schwarz penthouse, Nagi parked the car illegally and dashed inside heart hopeful once more.
Standing by the hostess stand was a young woman he recognized who smiled at him and asked, "What are you doing out of school, Naoe-san? Is there a holiday today?"
"No, Mamba-chan," Nagi smiled, glad that the strawberry blonde was on duty and he asked in a rush, "Have you seen Omi this morning? I'm looking for him."
The girl frowned slightly and shook her head unhappily before asking, "I haven't seen him, but did you two have a fight or something?"
"No, nothing like that," the sable-haired boy tried to reassure her, then he asked, "if I give you my cell phone number and you see him later, could you call me please? It's really important."
"Of course!" The woman handed him an order pad and pencil and said, "Just write it on here and if we see him we'll give you a call, okay?"
Nagi took the offered items and quickly wrote down his cell number and returned it to her saying, "Thanks, Mamba-chan! I appreciate your help!"
"No problem at all," the woman smiled encouragingly then offered, "I hope you find him soon."
"So do I," Nagi responded somewhat dispiritedly. He'd hoped against hope that he'd find Omi there sipping a warm latte and he'd be able to get him back to the hospital quickly, but it was not meant to be. He waved good-bye then made his way back to the car where he called Yohji once more.
"Still no luck?" The emerald-eyed man asked, not pleased that the young blond Weiss member remained unaccounted for and feeling guilty all over again that Omi had evaded him in the hospital only a few hours earlier.
"None," the worried Schwarz assassin responded, dread building in his heart as he noted he'd already been searching for nearly a half-hour without success. Feeling like a total failure, he added, "If you get any ideas of places I should look, let me know, okay? Omi's spent more of his time with you and the others, maybe I'm *not* the best person to send to look for him."
The older man frowned when he heard this. After Manx had bitched them out for giving the Schwarz psychic her cell phone number, Yohji had argued vehemently that if anyone could find Omi it was Nagi and he believed it wholeheartedly. Now he needed to convince the worried youth of it and hope for the best.
"Nagi," Yohji said comfortingly, "you *are* the best person for this, trust me. He may have spent a lot of time with us but it's not the same. Omiitchi once told me he was never as happy as he was when he was with you, so it stands to reason the places he might go when he's upset are places that make him think of you."
"Really?" A spark of hope rekindled in Nagi's heart and he asked, "When he said that, did he mention any places in particular that he'd felt that way?" Despite his misgivings about not being able to find the missing boy, the telekinetic was driving to his next destination while talking to Yohji and he turned the car towards a tourist area the young couple often disappeared within. As the ancient saying has it that it is easiest to hide a tree in a forest, the two teenaged assassins had discovered that they could hide wherever large masses of people gathered, wonderfully safe anonymity granted by simply being lost in the crowd.
"Not really," Yohji admitted then shrugged as he said, "Just trust your instincts, okay, Nagi?"
"Okay, I'll call as soon as I check my next location." Somewhat more confident, Nagi cut the connection and pulled into a parking spot amongst the various tour buses and cars whose license plates indicated residence in other areas and he took a deep breath, trying to center himself again.
Once he felt as if he could face the throngs of happy sailor-suited school children they tended to encounter in the park-like grounds surrounding one of Tokyo's many museums, Nagi got out of the sports car and made his way towards a nearby elevated bridge. The scenic structure that crossed a broad waterway was a place that the young couple often used to meet while their relationship had been a clandestine one. A half-smile graced the psychic's face as he noted that it looked as beautiful in the gray light of a chilly November morning as it had so many other times.
Stepping into the crowds who gathered on the bridge to get classic tourist photos of the architecturally impressive museum, however, he saw something far more wonderful than anything made of steel and glass. Roughly half-way across the bridge and leaning against a railing was a male figure he'd never fail to recognize regardless of the fact that it seemed to be shivering in nothing more than drab surgical scrubs instead of its usual attractive and stylish "teenwear".
Pushing his way through the crowd, Nagi raised one hand above his head and called out, "Omi!! Over here! Omi!!"
The previously missing Weiss assassin failed to hear his name above the cacophony of the crowd and he continued to peer at the water far beneath him with a look of infinite sadness etched upon his gentle face.
Feelings of guilt and remorse had increased as Omi had wandered among the city's numerous subway routes searching for something his confused mind couldn't identify. It had been sheer luck that Manx had given him some cash at the hospital before they had approached his teammates but it hadn't been enough to get him very far or even enough for something to eat or drink. The medical team at Tokyo General would've been furious to know that the boy they had bled far too much in the name of saving a friend hadn't been resting or rebuilding his strength as he should have been.
In his current weakened and badly chilled state, Omi was lost in the recesses of his mind. The desperately unhappy youth had no idea that trying to force his way past a clot of bubbly schoolgirls was a young man who loved him dearly and desperately wanted him to be safe.
"Omi!!" Nagi called again, now only a few meters from his boyfriend's side, yet the blond failed to turn his way and it made his heart ache as he rushed closer still.
Feelings of dizziness had come and gone for the cerulean-eyed teen with increasing frequency during the previous hour or so and as one gripped him, he shuddered almost violently, frightening the youth who was almost within touching distance.
"OMI!!!" Nagi cried out, drawing the attention of all those around him and as the Weiss assassin spun to see who had called his name, time suddenly slowed to a crawl.
"Nagi?" The older boy gasped as realization hit him as to the identity of the one calling for him yet the dizziness hit him forcefully and he stumbled backwards against the low railing he had been leaning on moments before. Vertigo swept through Omi and his legs felt as if they had turned to rubber and he continued to fall backwards against the empty air above the waterway beneath the bridge.
Seeing Omi begin to fall away from him, Nagi lunged forward, pale hand out-stretched to catch his lover's hand before he could fall to a watery doom but his arm wasn't long enough to compensate for the way the other boy was dragged away by gravity. The two boys' fingertips brushed as Nagi called his beloved's name one more time and then it was too late.
Omi toppled off the bridge entirely, wide light blue eyes gazing back at frightened dark blue ones with sadness and in his heart he said one word, "Sayonara."
For the briefest of moments, Nagi froze.
Deeply ingrained in the telekinetic's soul was the injunction never to demonstrate his powers as publicly as he would have to if he wished to rescue Omi by the most direct means possible. Yet, if he allowed the Weiss archer to continue to fall and then try to make his entry into the cold water a safe one, it would take lightning fast reflexes and a precision application of his powers at a distance that he wasn't sure he was even capable of. If, however, he gave in to the natural desire to try to pull his lover back to him directly, the many witnesses around them would see everything and his true nature would be revealed, something years of Estet programming told him would be worse than death itself.
Pinned on the horns of the dilemma, Nagi was unable to move for the tiniest fragment of eternity imaginable.
In that moment beyond time, the Weiss assassin was poised in midair as if held up by the unseen hand of a mighty angel. The Schwarz psychic was rooted to the bridge, hand still out-stretched beseechingly and a scream half-formed on his lips. Crowds of terrified onlookers were as motionless as mannequins. And nothing would change until Nagi's decision was made and life could go forward once more.
*****
To be continued.
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 7 & 8 will be posted together.
This evening's posting run is dedicated to my two wonderful daughters in recognition of the fact that they have been a big help to me while this epic has been undergoing the creative birth-pangs anything this huge goes through.
Despite the fact that this story isn't finished as a rough draft even, they're already hard at work helping me on a *very* special major development for the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity and we've talked about it almost every evening over dinner this week. Granted, spending the whole day shopping with them got to be a bit much, but does *anyone* expect a 42 year old dad to appreciate teen girls' fashion? Oh well, at least they pointed out several sweetly suggestive things they thought Nagi might want to give Omi for Valentine's Day!
{winks evilly and snickers softly at the thought of the less than subtle things they spotted for Ken to give to Yohji and Aya as this particular trio is written here, after all, Kenken *ought* to be out of the cast on his arm by Valentine's Day and he *might* want to celebrate, ne?}
Enough nonsense from the Casa de Llama for tonight! Hope to see you again soon with more and I thank you in advance for the kind words of praise via direct email as well as comments at fanfiction.net. To hear from so many readers that the level of detail in this story really brings this to life helps immensely since that is one of the things that I take great pains to include in my writing.
That, and *really* heart-wrenching posting run ends, ne?
~~~E-sama the Llama~~~
(who is sorry he's not going to get a chance to do a full list of names of those who wrote to him after last night's posting run, he's too tired and Melpomene insisted on getting Part 8 out tonight no matter the cost saying something about "misery loves company")
Special PS to Fanfiction.net Friends:
Arigatou, again, for the kind words of support!!
There is no better way for a writer to express his appreciation to so many wonderful people than to keep working on the one thing they all love, in my humble opinion. Therefore, instead of taking an evening or two off to thank the wonderful folks here individually for their kind words, I shall keep my nose to the proverbial grindstone and keep trying to get new parts of this angst epic posted ASAP. I realize that sooner or later I'm going to collapse due to lack of sleep and might need a day of rest here or there, but for now I shall post this cliffhanger that e. e. likes so much (oh, and it's spelled "Schwarz", dear friend, but it doesn't really matter, what matters is that *you* have worked so hard to tell me what you enjoyed so I could continue to provide it for you!) as well as more of the bishounen torture that Lemon Princess likes {winks tiredly at the lovely Zania} and go to bed.
Thank you for taking a moment and commenting. You *really* made me smile and that helps more than you might guess!
Posted 27 January 2002