Greetings and welcome for the second night in a row to the Angst Theatre's debut performance of "Cold November Rain"!
A very special thanks to all those of you who have welcomed the return of the fic so many were apparently eagerly awaiting! I'm thrilled beyond words to mention that there's already kind words about it posted here at fanfiction.net and I even got a few notes in my inbox to enjoy later!
{puts on his tux, hands you a playbill with an expectant smile, then hits the switch for the hundreds of tiny light bulbs on the marquee which reads "Cold November Rain" then gives the intro to the show!}
Our performance this evening opens with Part 32 wherein a surprising contribution from an unexpected source brings comfort and leads to a quiet period of restfulness for the members of Weiss as well as Nagi. The second half of our show, Part 33, begins roughly nine hours later and features a key turning point for our tale.
{continues to smile hopefully, then adds with a slight chuckle of delight}
By the way, my youngest chibi Lauren basically demanded that I add a Kleenex warning for certain events in Part 33. She sat and enjoyed a respite from her AG Language Arts paper comparing the leading men of Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by reading while I edited this evening. Granted, she adores the men of Weiss far more than Tom or "Sir Boss," so the scene in question had quite an impact on her and she thought it might have the same effect on you, too.
{smiles fondly thinking of daughter sitting and reading nearby and *literally* asking for the screen not to be changed while she went to get a handful of Puffs Plus, she was too captivated by the mental images that had been created to miss anything but too teary-eyed to sit there without a tissue. then the llama frowns in extreme distress and mentions an unhappy twist of fate that has occurred}
Oh, one new and rather shocking event has rocked the residents of the Casa de Llama that could possibly influence this fic getting put out on time--it's freezing in here. Literally. Well, almost literally! Let me explain, you see, on a day when the overnight low was predicted to be 17F (it's 20F out there right now and still falling fast!), one of my two heat pumps failed at roughly 3pm and won't start again.
{shivers with cold}
Luckily the builder of my two-story home put in separate systems upstairs and down and it was the downstairs one that died which is good news for all of us for two reasons. First, this means the chibis and I can sleep without contracting some dread disease since the bedrooms are upstairs where the thermostat is set at a toasty 70F in an effort to sorta, kinda compensate for downstairs. Also, the computer is in my office which is in an addition over my garage. In an ironic twist sufficiently unexpected that Melpomene could've been responsible for it, currently a room that is usually the coldest one in the house during winter seems pleasantly tropical. So there's less of a chance of my being forced to not edit/write due to frozen typing fingers but it's anyone's guess when I'll be able to get a repair guy on the job and we can all merely *pray* that I survive the shock if it turns out the damage is only reparable by the purchase of a whole new system! OUCH!
{blinks in anticipated "sticker shock" since he hasn't got a clue what a new heat pump would cost to have it installed, then shrugs, with kids in the house going without one is certainly not an option so he might as well smile and open the theatre, ne?}
Enjoy the hopefully moving drama of the story while I try not to freeze to death!
~~~Enigma~~~
(who happily thanks Yanagi-sen *twice* for sharing her delight at the return of the fic both privately in the way only she can {kisses Y's cheek gratefully, then blushes at his own forwardness} as well as with a cheerful greeting at ff.net! sugoi for having such wonderful friends!!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Cold November Rain [part 32/?]
Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"
Author: Enigma
Series: Weiss Kreuz
Written: January-February, 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: 2. time: 1430-1515 hours ++
*****
As the conversation turned towards other less certain and far less encouraging topics such as the lack of modification in Ken's prognosis, there had been an unfounded hope that Norwegian's team's arrival alone might have changed matters more than what was reasonable, Sokoke returned from her own mission.
Carrying numerous trays carefully stacked with previously undisplayed and totally unexpected skill, the woman tapped the open door to Room 121 with the toe of one shoe and asked politely, "Norwegian? May I come in?"
The two boys looked at her and when Nagi gave him an inquiring glance, Omi shrugged gently and whispered to his boyfriend, "I haven't met her before, love, but she must be with the rest of them."
Too tired to be understandably concerned about the newcomer the way he had been about Korat as well as Norwegian to a lesser extent, Nagi merely sighed in response, "It's okay, koi, I'm sure it's just someone else trying to help. I'm almost getting used to new Kritiker people showing up unexpectedly." He yawned tiredly and added in a quiet voice, "I wonder who will show up next? That man 'Persia' you've mentioned?"
Recalling Manx's words that indicated the leader of Kritiker wanted to have a "chat" with him about Nagi made the blond youth blush slightly and he muttered softly, "Oh god, I hope not! I don't have the energy to deal with that right now." He felt Nagi's head nod slightly against him and then their attention was drawn to the woman who was working with Korat to find enough flat surfaces for the trays she'd brought.
Standing to one side and nodding with an expression of delight on his face, Norwegian remarked, "You've done a wonderful job of getting everything I asked for and more, Sokoke! Nice work!"
The honey-blond secretary beamed, pleased she'd been able to do something another person might not have taken seriously well enough to have earned more of the portly physician's praise. Smiling as she uncovered several heavily loaded dishes of food, she remarked, "Thank you, sir. I wasn't satisfied with some of the things the cafeteria had to offer me, so I took a little extra time and fixed a couple of these myself. I hope that's okay."
Curious about not only the food but also the newcomer, Yohji donned one of his classically charming smiles and asked, "Are you perhaps the administrative assistant that Korat mentioned earlier?" When Sokoke turned towards him and nodded with a shy smile, he further reinforced his reputation as a playboy by adding with a tired wink, "And what a lovely young lady at that! But tell me, since when does Kritiker make it a point to hire secretaries who do short order cooking as well? The food all looks delicious!"
A slight flush crawled up her cheeks and Sokoke answered, "My aunt and her three sons lived with my family and being the only girl in a house with five teenaged boys, I learned to make a few things in a hurry. I hope everyone will enjoy it." She glanced at the pair of teenagers sitting together on the bed and introduced herself, "Bombay? Nagi? Hello, I'm Sokoke, in case no one mentioned I was here. I work for Persia but was sent to help Balinese with a report."
Omi smiled at her and felt glad she'd included his boyfriend in the greeting and answered for them both, "It's nice to meet you, Sokoke. I had no idea you were here, but does Yoh--" he cut himself off and forced a return to code-names, "um, Balinese *really* need to do a report today? I think he's too tired and should sleep."
Before she could respond, Norwegian interjected, "Excellent point, my boy." He smiled warmly at both the cerulean-eyed teen and the young secretary who was glad to do whatever was best, "I believe that after we see to it that you four have a nice lunch, I will recommend you all get some more rest. Korat, Javanese, and I can meet with Manx and Dr. Egami for a bit to discuss what our next steps should be while you sleep. Sokoke dear, you might find that a tad boring, though, so why not plan on helping Balinese with that document tomorrow? You can tell Persia it was my decision to put it off if he's annoyed about the delay, of course."
The young woman continued to smile as she set out a few eating utensils and agreed, "That's fine, Norwegian. I'm sure after I tell him how things are going here, Persia will understand. But please, won't everyone eat before the food gets cold? The fresh miso soup with scallions I made won't taste half as good when it's lukewarm as it does hot."
"Homemade miso soup with green onions?" An exhausted yet hopeful voice repeated and everyone glanced at Nagi who had an almost wistful expression on his wan, exhausted face. The tiny smile on his lips was an unspoken request for some even as he added in a soft voice filled with an odd longing, "I haven't had that in *so* long!"
Bright smile in place, Sokoke quickly put together a bowl of the piping hot soup, garnished it with not only the promised aromatic vegetable but a few other touches and carried it to him where he remained in bed, saying, "I hope you'll like it, Nagi-san. My brothers and cousins always liked it made fresh instead of from instant, too." Placing it carefully on a rolling table that Omi pulled over to share with his boyfriend she asked, "Would you like some rice to go with it? I'm sorry there wasn't time to make tempura and soba, too, but there're some other things to choose from. Bombay? Would you like to select some things for you both while I find out what Abyssinian and Balinese would like?"
Even as she spoke, the honey-blond returned to her impromptu banquet and was handing plates to a startled scarlet-haired man and an openly amused jade-eyed one. Yohji was delighted to watch Aya being basically told to eat by the woman who seemed to enjoy being of service and not being given a chance to refuse.
The secretary-cum-chef was blissfully unaware that she had brought more than nutrition to the room, she'd brought even more of the hope the group needed so badly. Norwegian's original request for food and drink had focused on protein-rich foods as well as ones containing various natural sleep-inducing compounds like tryptophan. However, Sokoke had gone above and beyond his initial intent and had brought them a mostly home-cooked meal that assured them all of not only a good rest, but the things their exhausted bodies would need to begin rebuilding their depleted energy reservoirs.
Omi's smile was filled with gratitude as he saw Nagi take a tentative sip of soup only to have a content smile of his own spread gently across his face. Turning to follow the woman across the room as she plied the two eldest members of Weiss with an assortment of delicacies, he said quietly, "Sokoke? Thank you for going to so much trouble for us." When she glanced at him quizzically, he added, "None of us have eaten well since all this began, but I'm sure we'll all feel better after such a nice meal."
Her smile was brilliant as she answered humbly, "It's nothing, Bombay. I just wanted to help."
"Nonsense, my dear," Norwegian spoke up after watching Yohji drop an extra few pieces of meat onto Aya's plate in one of what he was beginning to realize were conciliatory gestures between the two distanced lovers. A gesture that was returned when the violet-eyed man meaningfully handed the jade-eyed one a cup of steaming miso soup. The doctor refocused on the secretary and shook his head in gentle wonder and remarked, "I had no idea you were so talented, Sokoke. Indeed, you have provided far more than even I envisioned."
"You're too kind," she said modestly, ducking her head and seeing an approving look on the ebony-skinned nurse's face, too. After flashing a look of appreciation to Korat for his support, she commented, "I can bring something a lot better than this tomorrow when I return to help Balinese with the report if you like. The food in the cafeteria here wasn't too bad, but it's not as good as homemade."
Yohji looked up from where he was savoring a small Kobe-style fishball that tasted better than anything he'd had since childhood and asked, "Won't that be a lot of trouble, Sokoke? I mean, this is," he gestured at his plate trying to find the words he wanted then shrugged, "this is *great*, but isn't it outside your area of responsibilities for Kritiker?"
The delighted young woman laughed and shook her head, "Do you mean to say that I shouldn't bring you food tomorrow since it's not in my job description, Balinese?" He gave a helpless shrug and she laughed again before carrying a hot cup of tea to Norwegian who looked surprised to be waited upon that way as she answered, "I think it's the least I can do. I like to cook, you need to eat, and if it helps, why not?"
"Why not indeed," the physician agreed as he sipped his tea and reflected on his amazing fourth team member and wondered what other surprises the woman held in store for him. As he watched her busily see to it that each of the four assassins in the room ate enough to satisfy her sisterly concern, he contemplated his good fortune to have her present after all. He had noticed the way the members of Weiss had unexpectedly taken to the girl and he was grateful all over again that Manx had called for help earlier that day.
As the impromptu feast came to a close, Omi carefully carried his and Nagi's empty dishes back to her and he said, "That was really good, Sokoke!" He glanced at where his boyfriend was curled up, drowsing in the hospital bed and he added softly, "I don't think I've ever seen Nagi eat so much. Thank you."
Unexpectedly, she frowned and shook her head, "But, Bombay, he only ate a little compared to you and the others. Doesn't he eat more than that usually?"
"No," the blond admitted regretfully. "We aren't together for meals all that often, but I've never seen him eat much at any one time."
An even unhappier frown painted itself across the woman's face but then lightened as she asked, "Well, if he likes my cooking, why don't I make sure to bring something special for him tomorrow. Do you know what else he likes?"
Omi thought about it for a moment then answered, "He seems to like traditional Japanese food a lot more than the cosmopolitan stuff that I like, but he never complains when we get it." Cerulean eyes cast a glance at the lightly slumbering youth and he added with a sad sigh, "I guess whatever you used to make for your brothers and cousins would be good. He didn't really have a regular family growing up, so I guess it makes sense he'd like 'family-style' foods. Does that help?"
"Absolutely. It sounds like he might enjoy some simple, old-fashioned comfort foods, so I'll make more of those," Sokoke assured with a smaller and more restrained smile before she added, "If you think of anything, just tell Norwegian, he'll make sure I know about it, okay?"
"Okay," the Weiss archer agreed then yawned and said, "Thanks again for everything, Sokoke. See you tomorrow."
"You're welcome, Bombay," she continued to smile in a slightly sad fashion as the young blond went over to sit next to his slumbering companion, quietly whispering words of encouragement to Nagi as the telekinetic drifted off to sleep despite the others in the room. The secretary was barely aware of Yohji and Aya returning their dishes and expressing their appreciation for the meal, her thoughts were with the obviously exhausted and frail looking Schwarz psychic.
The sable-haired youth made Sokoke think of her own family and of the days after her uncle died in a subway accident and how her youngest cousin, a boy who was almost as thin as Nagi, had been unable to eat well and had gotten quite sick because of it. She recalled some of the meals she and her mother put together while her aunt mourned the loss of her husband and began selecting items from those days to include in the next days' meals since she was already planning on doing this for at least a week if necessary. Observing Omi brushing his fingers through loose dark chocolate hair brought her none of the same sense of relief it brought the others in the room, she only saw the sadness in the scene and wished she could help change it.
Sighing sadly, the secretary began to collect up the dishes she'd brought, intending to return them to the cafeteria before going back to headquarters to speak with Persia about what she'd seen at Tokyo General.
Unexpectedly, a melodious masculine voice asked, "What is the matter, Sokoke? You seem somber."
She glanced up at the slender black nurse's concerned face and realized that Norwegian, Abyssinian, and Balinese had stepped into the hallway where they were talking quietly and only she, Korat, and the two boys were still in the room. With a sad shake of her head, she remarked, "I thought that the boy from Schwarz would be scary and dangerous, but instead, he's like my youngest cousin, rather small and weak. Is there something wrong with him, Korat? I didn't recall hearing anything in our briefing this morning to indicate he'd been injured or anything, yet he seems to be hurting."
"You are very perceptive," Korat stated as he nodded gently, then told her only as much as he knew was true. "I'm afraid that Nagi, like all of them, is very tired and in need of a great deal of rest. He was, sadly, injured to some unknown extent earlier today, but it's too soon to say exactly what we can or can't do for him at this point."
The honey-blond woman frowned, displeased that there weren't more answers available for the boy she, too, was coming to care for despite her anticipated dislike of the diminutive telekinetic. With a final negative shake of her head that went unexplained, she gathered the dishes onto a tray and said, "I'll be going now, Korat. Is there anything you'd like me to make for you for tomorrow?"
"For me?" The ebony-skinned man asked in surprise, long inky lashes blinking over deep mocha eyes. "Why would you need to be bothered to prepare anything for *me*? I'm not one of the people we've been sent to help."
"So what?" Sokoke answered pragmatically, "Why shouldn't you eat well, too? I understand you and Javanese both are giving up spending time at home for who knows how long to stay here and help even though I get to go home tonight. I think that makes it okay to offer to make something *you* like, too. I thought I'd ask Javanese about it, too, so please? Give me a suggestion?"
The nurse's light melodious chuckle brought a smile to her face and he acceded, "All right, since you insist. Might I request some roasted fish? I have quite a fondness for it this time of year."
Her expression brightened and she glanced at Omi and Nagi before saying, "That's a great idea, Korat! I think that might help a lot. Thank you!" Gathering the tray in both hands, she gave him a small bow and left the room, slipping past the small gathering in the hallway and offering her farewells as she went.
Yohji called words of thanks to her as she passed by and Aya's mute nod added his own.
Norwegian told Sokoke he wanted to have a word with her and could she please meet him in the intensive care unit before she left and she agreed to rendezvous there as soon as she got back from the kitchen. The kindly doctor smiled at her as she vanished to pursue her own plans to support the various Kritiker personnel involved, then turned to say something complimentary about her to the two men standing exhaustedly nearby. Realizing there would be time for pleasantries later, he chose instead to tell the pair that there was a room assigned for their use next to the one occupied by the teens since Norwegian didn't want their group to be separated any farther than necessary.
Yohji tried to argue that he needed to get a chance to check on Ken one more time, but the fact that he could barely stand unaided overrode that intention and after thanking Norwegian one last time, he and Aya both went to check on Omi and Nagi before resting. The portly physician understood completely and was more than glad to make his way back to the intensive care unit with Korat by his side, leaving the four assassins alone once again.
Within Room 121, Nagi was fast asleep in the bed he'd not even set foot out of since being placed there by Aya following his morning collapse and Omi was once more dozing in the chair beside him. Making a soft clucking noise of disapproval in the back of his throat, the elder blond once more urged the younger one to go ahead and rest beside his boyfriend, they'd both sleep better that way.
Unable to find the energy to even blush at the possibly suggestive remark, the Weiss archer nodded exhaustedly and let the slender man help him into bed beside his partner. Omi was practically asleep before his head hit the pillow and Nagi predictably cuddled close without waking, each sighing peacefully as he felt his beloved in his arms once more.
Feeling warm and comforted himself, Yohji reached for a blanket for the two boys, but a pale hand already had it as Aya tucked them in with a small smile of relief of his own. Neither man had yet to hear what Korat had or had not discovered in his earlier examination of the telekinetic, but disturbing, uncertain news such as that could wait for now.
Satisfied that their young companions were safe, the elder couple left the room and stepped into their own. The set-up of Room 119 was identical to that of 121, a pair of white-sheeted beds stood at opposite sides of the room, sterile and unwelcoming.
With a frown, Yohji realized that unlike "the kids," he and Aya were certainly not the types to ignore public scrutiny entirely and cuddle in a hospital bed together even though it would probably have done them both a world of good and he knew it. With a sad sigh hidden by a yawn, he simply kicked off his shoes, dropped his sunglasses on a table, crawled under a blanket and mumbled a traditional wish for pleasant dreams to his scarlet-haired partner before slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Across the room, Aya repeated his own version of the act, yet when he laid down, he found himself awake a moment longer and felt grateful for the small gift of time to observe the scene before him.
By chance, Yohji was laying on his side, facing the younger man with the open and vulnerable expression of one who had gone too long without slumber and had carried too many emotional burdens for a soul so young. A confusing feeling of tightness formed in Aya's chest as he watched his lover's lips part slightly in sleep, granting the blond a softer look, an expression that was dangerously close to what the violet-eyed man's tired mind labeled "endearing." Realizing his exhaustion-blurred thoughts weren't obeying his logic-oriented mind's current concern over how to conduct his relationship with Yohji, the Weiss swordsman simply disregarded the thought and allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep of his own.
The room was silent as time crept leisurely by and the two beleaguered men had only dreams of hope and happiness which reassured them both and gave them unconscious optimism in the future for all those that they cared for.
*****
To be continued.
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 32 & 33 will be posted together.