Greetings! Welcome to the final night of the debut performance of "Cold November Rain" here at the one and only Angst Theatre!
{sniffles slightly, endings can be such bittersweet things, then offers a few statistics}
Yes, believe it or not, after 4 long months and over 200,000 words crammed into 1,200kb of memory on my zip drive, the first ever Enigma Angst Epic for the world of Weiss Kreuz is finally over! Well, at least, it's over for now, there might be epilogues added later and there's *definitely* going to be a few side-stories, but the tale that I set out to tell in January is now complete and we can all celebrate, ne?
{does the llama happy dance of joy which is actually a rather odd looking thing that reminds the world that it is a very good thing that the Casa de Llama doesn't have a digital camera hooked to the computer}
Before I borrow Vicious' tux one last time for this production, let me address a couple of questions and concerns that have been mentioned by more than one person. First up, *yes*, many readers caught a not terribly hidden reference to Speed Racer in Part 56! That cute little white race car Lorlor tied to our dental patient's balloons was indeed the Mach 5 and I'll be the first to admit that I still love this anime classic! As a matter of fact, Speed's older brother Rex had a recurring guest role in "The Secrets Arc" which is why I wanted to slip him in here even if he's only an implied guest star.
Second, regarding Schuldich's gorgeous hair and how much was lost due to the fire in the kitchen in Part 50. Perhaps I should've been more blatant with the reference, but when it's mentioned in Part 57, I specifically chose to go metric and indicated it was "a displeasing six centimeters shorter than normal" which is roughly 2.4 inches shorter, not the 6 inches shorter a couple of folks had feared. The main idea was that it had changed but not terribly so since Brad wouldn't appreciate it if I changed his lover too much without permission.
Third, small notation to correct a misunderstanding caused by my being unable to confirm it previously, the song Lorlor so cleverly used to drive poor Schu nuts in Part 57 was from A Touch of Class's "Planet Pop" album and is entitled "Around the World (La la la la la)". After I discovered the correct credits for this I got a bit of a laugh since it turns out this band records for a German record label based in Berlin, what a bizarre coincidence, ne?
Next, in answer to the questions about my sordid past as a geneticist, yes, I was a "gene jockey" one of those almost mystical figures of the 80's and 90's who were busy splicing DNA for the first time in history and making people rethink what constituted science fiction versus science fact. My patents are shared with my former coworkers at one of the largest Agricultural Chemical companies in the world which shall be nameless since I don't wish to recall the past in detail. Oh, and before you worry too much, I only did research on plants and never people since all three of my advanced degrees are in botany and not medicine. My guest lectures were for Lauren's science teacher and the kids were mostly interested in human genetic modification along the whimsical lines like part human-part fish and so forth. I told them they'd have better luck getting George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic or perhaps Jim Henson's Monster Shop to create some special effects for them rather than to wait for science to fulfill their preteen horror fantasies.
{shrugs and wonders off-handedly what Kenken would look like as a handsome merboy and whether or not he could catch the eye of a rugged-looking blond fisherman or even that of a handsome yet lonely prince with scarlet hair and a heavy heart. then melpomene catches the llama daydreaming and slaps him to remind him that he's got "realistic" angst to write and not to go play in fairytale land unless he's willing to pay for it later}
Last and probably least, a couple of people asked when my birthday was for reasons that are beyond me and even though I'm not sure if I ought to mention it here or not, it's June 9th and the llama will be an ancient 43 this year.
{sweatdrops and knows full well this means he's twice the age and more of many of his fans and then he shuts up, slips on the stylish tuxedo that a certain white-haired, katana-wielding bishounen expects back after tonight, lights the marquee and hands you a playbill that reads "Final Performance!"}
Tonight's extra-long show opens with Part 60 as Siberian finally returns home and discovers just how much he was really missed by those who care deeply for him. Two weeks after Weiss was reunited, things have settled into a pleasant routine which is disrupted in Part 61 by the unexpected. The surprisingly joyful celebration of the one month anniversary of Ken's near fatal injuries continues in Part 62 as various people share gifts of friendship, respect, and love within the warm welcoming walls of the Koneko.
{sighs a little, almost sad that's the last time he'll do this for awhile, but when "Power Failure" hits this summer he'll get to do it a lot most likely, so taking a breather might be a good idea after all, ne?}
Kindly note that all three Parts are King-sized in honor of Kenken who was so tolerant of Melpomene's abuse of him and his friends. My apologies in advance for flooding the inboxes of those of you on the various MLs receiving the fic, but at least it's the last night for awhile.
Before I send you off to spend some time at the flowershop where all three of tonight's Parts take place, let me mention that Lauren, muse of Kleenex warnings, recommended a tiny tissue alert for tonight's posting run. She said that Part 60 made her sniffle happily but the simple fact that it was over made her feel like crying outright since she's had so much fun talking about it with me and reading selected outtakes. As for myself, well, I happen to like those "ultimately happy endings" I mentioned before which often include a bit of heart tugging and this is certainly one of those. I humbly hope that after watching them all suffer so much you, too, enjoy seeing them smile whether you reach for a Kleenex or not.
Enjoy the Non-Angst!
~~~Enigma~~~
(who reconfigured the ending and added Parts 61 and 62 in a rare moment of selfishness since the llama simply couldn't wait until later to write this particular set of scenes as the epilogue he originally assumed they'd end up being. hmm, will anyone else be happy about seeing them here or do they simply drag out the ending? hopefully the readers will offer an opinion or two to guide the hairy beast in the future, ne? {sweatdrops and then runs it as is anyway})
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Cold November Rain [part 60/62]
Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions"
Author: Enigma
Series: Weiss Kreuz
Written: January-April, 2002
Rating: R
Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)
Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. 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, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.
Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. 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: 14. time: 1445-1510 hours. ++
*****
Pulling into the alleyway behind the flowershop, Yohji sang out unnecessarily, "End of the line! Everybody out!"
"Man, this place never looked better!" Ken exclaimed tiredly. Like most newly released patients who have just gotten through a difficult health challenge, his energy had been utterly depleted by the rigors of departure from the hospital and he was already looking forward to an afternoon nap. Granted, it would be enjoyed in the comfort of his own bed and would most likely include the warm and reassuring presence of at least one if not both of his partners, so there were hidden benefits to be enjoyed in an impromptu siesta.
Giggling slightly, Omi shook his head and said pragmatically, "It's just the back of the shop, Ken-kun, but I know what you mean!" As he helped the other teen carefully extract himself from the backseat even as Aya retrieved the cane for Ken's use, he added unhappily, "But if we'd known you were coming home today, I could've made a sign for the door on my computer welcoming you back or something. *That* would've been nice!"
Yohji had slipped from his position behind the steering wheel to unlock the backdoor and he pushed it open as Aya handed Ken the cane with a silent admonition to use extreme care if he didn't want to end up being carried bodily everywhere he went.
Chuckling slightly at his overprotective lovers' behavior, the brunette hobbled inside and made a slow but steady beeline to the door into the closed flowershop. With Omi and Aya behind him while Yohji parked the car in the basement garage, Ken entered a room that hummed softly from the refrigerated display cases filled with bouquets. The air in the room was redolent with the heady fragrance of hundreds of flowers and earthy potting soil. Chocolate-colored eyes gained a suspicious dampness as he silently reminded himself this was real and not another frustrating fantasy spawned by one too many days spent feeling trapped in a hospital bed.
Stepping close and placing a gentle hand on his friend's uninjured arm, the blue-eyed teen gazed up and asked quietly, "How does everything look, Ken-kun? We rearranged a few things for you." Cerulean eyes glanced around and the Weiss archer was pleased the shutters on all of the shop windows were closed granting them privacy as their previously absent friend had a chance to simply enjoy being home again without interference from the outside world.
Trying to shake the moisture from his eyes before his friend could see it and failing, Ken sighed gratefully and responded, "It looks like paradise, Omi." Allowing himself to gaze around the room slowly taking the time to appreciate the infinite details, he added, "I can't believe how beautiful this all looks. Every flower, every potted plant, all the arrangements, even that silly wall display I did for the helium balloons looks good right now! But something's different, I can tell. But what is it? Hmm…?" The questioning tone continued until he realized it wasn't something he saw as much as something he heard. Closing his eyes and sealing out the sound of Yohji closing the garage door before dashing up the circular staircase to rejoin his teammates, Ken searched with his hearing for the answer that was eluding him.
Bounding through the door in the back of the room, the jade-eyed man asked excitedly, "Well?! What did he say? Did he like it?"
"Shh! Yohji-kun! Be quiet!" Omi hushed him firmly. Then he pointed at the teen who wore an odd smile that seemed out of place on someone whose arm was in a cast and thigh was so heavily bandaged they'd been forced to cut the leg off a pair of jeans for him to wear home. With a tiny smile of his own, he explained, "I don't think Ken-kun's figured it out yet."
"Good!" The lanky blond smirked broadly and ignored a dark scowl from his scarlet-haired partner as he quickly added, "I wanted to be here when he found it anyway."
"Shut up, Kudou," Aya half-snarled then moved to steady their beloved brunette with a warm hand on his back encouraging Ken to take his time as he explored the area in his own fashion.
"Water's running somewhere, isn't it?" The former J-league player asked, tilting his deliberately blinded face towards the front corner display window and adding, "It sounds like music."
Beaming delightedly, the youngest member of Weiss said, "That's what I thought, too, Ken-kun! But the water isn't running the way you think it is! Why not open your eyes and come and see?"
Shrugging since he'd made as much of a discovery as he could that way, Ken opened his eyes and allowed the genki youth to carefully guide him towards the large bay window that jutted out over the front sidewalk even as it offered pleasant indoor display space.
Yohji, who knew better than to be upset about Aya's earlier remonstration since they were both anxious about the "welcome home" gift they had set up several days earlier to make sure it would work properly when it was needed, followed at his own pace. He plucked a seemingly random flower from a large floor display as they walked and used it to tap on the violet-eyed man's shoulder.
Turning his head intending to command his jade-eyed partner to behave himself and stop distracting him, the Weiss swordsman found himself nose-to-petal with a newly opened and richly scented rosebud the color of burgundy wine and he smiled in spite of himself.
Smirking slightly, the older of the two handed the wordless gesture of affection to his partner then refocused on the brunette who was coming perilously close to their destination.
With a sudden intake of breath, Ken blinked in startlement and exclaimed quietly, "Oh, wow! That's absolutely incredible! Where did you *find* that, Aya?" Unable to take his eyes off the intricately carved and very natural looking meter-high, multiple-tiered, black marble waterfall which included smoothly polished river rocks which gave it the pleasantly musical sound of a babbling brook, he gasped again and asked, "And how much did it *cost*?! Hell, I doubt any of our usual customers can afford to buy this, but it sure is stunning!"
Snorting softly and shaking his head as he moved to activate a soft overhead light that shed a warm golden glow that shifted slowly across the surface of the water adding natural looking highlights to it, Aya answered, "It isn't *for* sale, Ken. We picked this out for *you* to enjoy, love." Catching the shared expressions of satisfaction on his teammates' faces, he silently handed the conversation to the younger of the two blondes with a nod of the head.
Omi eagerly continued the explanation, "I saw this in a supply catalogue while helping Aya-kun with the orders last week and thought that you might like it. I realized that while you were recovering you wouldn't be able to actually *work* in here for quite awhile, but since you liked being around the flowers, it might be nice to give you something to enjoy when we aren't busy. Oh, and the light was Aya-kun's idea and it makes it look like daytime even at night, so you can enjoy it anytime you want to. Um, *and* when you aren't supposed to be in bed resting, of course!" He added the last line hastily as he recalled the one and only complaint against the extravagant gift from the elder members of Weiss who took their oath of protection of their younger lover very seriously and then smiled at Yohji to tell him he was next.
Slipping a warm hand around Ken's waist to steady him even as Aya did the same with a hand to a shoulder, Yohji said adoringly, "The bottom line, baby, is that all three of us wanted to find a way to say we're damned glad that you pulled through and made it home to us. We *all* love you, Ken. This place just wasn't the same without you here."
The slight dampness in chocolate eyes renewed itself and was matched to greater and lesser extents in the eyes of those around him. Sniffling slightly and feeling as if his heart might burst from happiness, the nineteen year old looked at each of his teammates one at a time and then said, "Thanks, guys." Swiping at the tears that were leaving tracks on his cheeks, he added, "I may not have Yohji's eloquence to find new ways to say the same thing, but I can't begin to thank you enough for this. I mean, hell, just *look* at this thing! It's *gorgeous*!" Having feasted his eyes on his lovers and friend's faces enough, he returned his attention to the waterfall and his face gained a soft, tender expression that truly proved that an image was worth a thousand words.
"No, Ken-love," the jade-eyed man very nearly purred, "*you're* what's 'gorgeous', baby!" As the younger of his two lovers turned towards him to disagree, Yohji took the opportunity to capture his chin in a gentle grasp to steady the teen as he kissed him, slowly, sweetly, and with love as well as respect.
Upon feeling warm moist lips pressed against his own, the brunette let his eyes slip closed once more and he sighed ever so slightly as their kiss stretched out for a timeless moment then ended. No words were spoken yet none were needed as Ken then turned his head to the man standing on his opposite side and allowed Aya to share his own silent almost reverent kiss with him.
Both tender expressions of love flowed over and through the brunette never slowing the trail of tears that slipped free of his eyes without causing anyone to be afraid that he was in pain or unhappy. The claw-wielding assassin's emotions often ran close to the surface and he made no effort to conceal the fact that at that very moment, he felt more joy and fulfillment than he could contain within himself.
The cerulean-eyed boy was having a matching problem with wetness in his eyes after seeing his friends sharing the gently passionate kiss that only served to remind him of his own absent boyfriend. Omi's glistening tears were like the gentle raindrops that fall beneath sunshine and herald a rainbow. Then he smiled brightly despite the dampness on his cheeks as he said quietly, "I'm so glad you like it, Ken-kun! We've got a really nice chair to go in here when we're closed, too, so you can sit by it when you want to." He mock-pouted and reiterated his earlier annoyance with not knowing that today would be the big day as he complained, "I wish Norwegian had let us know in advance you were being released today, though. Then *that* could've been set-up and made ready for you, too!"
Using his free hand to ruffle the boy's hair playfully, the elder blond commented, "Stop worrying about it, Omiitchi!" When the teen he'd kept his arm wrapped around yawned widely, Yohji added, "Besides, Kenken's tired, he ought to get some rest."
Trying to disagree around a yawn, the brunette made some unintelligible noises that equated to "But I'm not sleepy" in the classic manner of a reluctant five year old who has been told that it was naptime.
Voice warm and loving yet firm, Aya stated unequivocally, "You're going up to bed now, Ken, no arguments." Seeing that the teen wasn't pleased he added warningly, "You know that Norwegian left Yohji and me in charge of your care, love. You *can* and you *will* follow doctor's orders if it means that you'll continue to regain your health quickly."
"Hn!" Ken snorted in annoyance sounding rather too much like the violet-eyed man for Aya's own comfort then yawned again and gave him a tiny apologetic smile before he agreed, saying, "All right, I guess I *am* kinda tired and all. But why don't you and Yohji come lay down with me for awhile, Aya? You guys have been working hard lately and it *is* a holiday and all. Take a break with me, please?"
Shaking his head and causing scarlet earlocks to dance across his chest, Aya regretfully refused, "No, I'm afraid I can't this time, Ken. I need to check the pantry and refrigerator before going to the market for you as I mentioned earlier." The wistfullness in amethyst eyes spoke of other preferences, yet he was bound and determined to take the best possible care of his recently injured partner.
With a moue of disappointment, Ken looked at Yohji and waited for an answer.
Rubbing at the back of his head uncomfortably since he could rarely deny his first love anything under normal circumstances and even less under the current ones, the wire-wielding assassin glanced at the numerous wilted plants nearby. He sighed before answering, "I'm really sorry, baby, but I skipped watering in here this morning so we could get across town and see you nice and early today." Feeling guilty for being caught in a classic "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, he suggested, "But that shouldn't take me more than an hour. I could come up and lay down with you afterwards, if you wanted me to?" The questioning tone was a hopeful one but he knew he was doomed as Ken's pout deepened dangerously.
Years of exposure to a master of the artform had given Ken an excellent working knowledge of the power and potential for the application of "puppy eyes" and in a fashion that made Omi silently quite proud, he let his chocolate orbs go impossibly wide and pleading.
The slight sheen of moisture remaining from his earlier tears of joy only accentuated the effect as Ken peered up at the lanky blond entreatingly and very nearly begged, "But I'll be fast asleep by then, Yohji! And as tired as I feel right now, love," he stretched slightly and moaned quietly as he jostled his injuries ever so slightly on purpose before continuing, "I'll probably sleep until after sunset! Please don't make me go to bed all alone again, I did that enough in the hospital."
Noting that Yohji's tenuous hold on resistance was dropping, he turned his head and directed his gentle weapon at the scarlet-haired man. Without even a word, merely a sigh with a yawn in the middle of it, he noted with satisfaction as Aya's shoulders dropped slightly in a wordless admission of defeat.
Having watched the astounding success of his pupil with unspoken delight, Omi beamed at the trio and offered sweetly, "Why not let *me* take care of watering the plants and flowers, Yohji-kun? After that, I can go to the store and pick up a bunch of the things on Norwegian's list for Ken-kun to enjoy, all right, Aya-kun?"
"Well, I don't know, Omi," the usually confident swordsman spoke with unfamiliar uncertainty giving the two men beside him slightly lost glances as he explained, "I know you want to help, but you weren't in the room when Norwegian was going over the list, and well…?" His words fell away entirely as Ken artfully chose to lean more fully into Yohji's embrace with a tired sigh.
Seeing that they were both no longer in control of their destinies if only for a few hours, Yohji made the decision for them all, saying gratefully, "Thanks a lot, bishounen, for covering for us. The food restriction list was in the duffel bag with Kenken's stack of manga last thing I knew and there's grocery money in the cookie jar in the kitchen like usual." Hugging Ken warmly, he added adoringly, "Right now, Aya and me have a date with a sleepy boy, so we'll see you later, okay?"
"That sounds like a good idea, Yohji-kun!" Seeing the quick glance of gratitude that Ken gave him he added, "Sleep well, Ken-kun! I'll be nice and quiet while I work down here so I won't disturb you, okay?"
Giving in to the need to yawn deeply, the former athlete shook his head before replying, "Don't worry about it, Omi. Tokyo General was a good hospital but 'quiet' is something that it wasn't. If I needed it really peaceful to sleep I would've been awake for the last two weeks and we all know I sure wasn't *that*!"
Firming his grip on the cane that hadn't left his hand, the recovering patient began to hobble towards the stairs that lead to the private rooms above the flowershop glad that the ones connecting the upper floors weren't spiral like the ones below. With a slight frown as he realized it would probably be a very long time before he got to enjoy watching sports on the big screen television in the basement, he failed to watch where he was going and accidentally bumped into one of the displays.
"OWWWW!!!" Practically screaming as a zing of pain shot through his damaged thigh as he stumbled backwards slightly, Ken flailed about only to find himself being swept up in arms made strong and confident by years of swordsmanship.
"Ken!" Aya shouted in concern even as he cradled the younger man against his chest and asked urgently, "Are you all right?"
Yohji, too, was immediately beside the teen as he fell and had snatched the cane with lightning fast reflexes before it could land on the floor. Giving a stunned shake of his head, he felt deeply grateful for their ability to move in tandem the way that he and his scarlet-haired partner did and even though it hadn't technically been a mission situation, their years of working together had paid off handsomely yet again.
Embarrassed beyond words, Ken chastised himself saying, "Gods! I've got the grace of a water buffalo at times!" Peering up at worried amethyst eyes, he added contritely, "I'm fine now, Aya. You can put me down again. I'll be more careful."
With a classic snort of disagreement, the Weiss field-leader refused and simply held him more closely, pleased that he was holding him so that the right side of Ken's body rested against his own and didn't add any pressure to the undoubtedly throbbing left leg. Before the dangerous puppy eyes could be put into use again, he commanded flatly, "You'll stay right where you are until I get you to bed, Siberian!"
"But, Aya--" Ken tried to defend his male pride yet was cut off by gentle fingertips pressed to his lips.
"You heard the man," Yohji insisted firmly then added with a shrug, "I wasn't so sure I was going to let you try to go up the stairs on that rickety cane anyway, baby. Now, enough dramatics for one day! Aya, if you'll get him to our room, I'll grab his meds from the duffel bag and be right up. Even if he wasn't due for any painkillers yet, I think bashing his foot like that warrants some."
"Seems reasonable to me," Aya agreed, calming himself out of mission-mode and then carrying his beloved partner towards the stairs carefully.
"Don't *I* get a say in this?!" The chocolate-eyed teen demanded hotly despite enjoying the warm, loving way in which he was being carried and fussed over.
Without exchanging so much as a glance, Yohji and Aya answered synchronously, "No."
After groaning and muttering that he didn't like being outnumbered, Ken wisely quieted down and nestled himself warmly against Aya's strong chest as they disappeared from sight.
While the eldest member of Weiss rummaged in the hastily gathered collection of things from the hospital in search of the medications that Ken would need over the coming weeks if not months, Omi had stopped dead in the middle of the shop instead of putting on his apron. His more typical genki demeanor had fallen away entirely and in its place was a quiet, melancholic expression that made him seem his actual age, something that rarely expressed itself while inside the cheerful environs of the Koneko. With a sad sigh, he tried to shake himself out if it and turned to reach for the buttercup-colored apron yet he paused again and merely stood where he was apparently staring at nothing.
"Ah ha! I found you!" Yohji chortled gleefully, holding the bottles of prescription pills aloft. Realizing he only heard the now familiar, relaxing sound of water flowing over smooth stone instead of the anticipated youthful giggle he associated with his young friend, he turned and asked worriedly, "Omiitchi? Is something wrong, bishounen?"
Startled slightly by the elder blonde's exclamation as well as his question, Omi shook himself from his reverie and admitted, "Yeah, I guess so, Yohji-kun." With a soul-deep sigh, he added, "Seeing Ken-kun being carried off to bed that way reminded me of all the times that Aya-kun did the same thing for Nagi. Um, carrying him, I mean, not planning to go take a nap with him, of course." The slight blush that graced peach-fuzz cheeks was sweet despite the thoughts behind it being less than innocent and simply highlighted the large, seeking cerulean orbs that turned towards jade ones hoping for understanding.
Nodding his understanding even as he tucked the plethora of medications into a paper bag to keep them together, Yohji then turned and closed the small distance between them and placed a friendly hand on Omi's shoulder as he reassured, "I knew what you meant the first time, Omiitchi." With a gentle smile he explained his view of the situation, "Even if we can't know for certain when or where the two of you will see each other again, I *am* sure that it will happen! You've got to have some faith, bishounen. 'Ganbatte' and all that, ne?"
Despite the elder blonde's confident smile, the younger one tilted his head to one side and asked in sincere confusion, "How can you be so sure, Yohji-kun?" Uncertainty was in every word as he dropped his eyes and stared at his fingers where they twisted together nervously.
Giving the boy's shoulder a squeeze to remind him that he was never truly alone, the jade-eyed man shrugged slightly and then offered a rare insight to his own thoughts that usually went unspoken, "You two are meant to be together, Omi. Don't ask me why or how I know, but just believe me when I say that you and Nagi are like a fated pair from some ancient drama or something." A cautionary tone entered his voice as he added, "Now, I don't believe for one minute that it'll be any easier for you than it is for anyone else, but it'll happen one way or another. Just have patience and faith, then before you know it you'll be together again, closer than ever, I'm sure of it!"
Omi's expression was thoughtful for a moment and then he nodded and answered his friend's earlier exultation to be hopeful and he said, "I'll be really glad when that happens, Yohji-kun, I miss him so much." With a half-strength genki smile creeping back to his lips he added semi-confidently, "Ganbatte!"
"That's my boy!" Yohji smiled and moved his hand to mock-punch his friend in the arm and then pretended to yawn for effect before saying unconvincingly, "Oh, my, I am *so* tired! I need a nap, I think."
"It certainly sounds like it, Yohji-kun!" Omi agreed with a brighter smile courtesy of the elder florist/assassin's silliness. "You'd better get upstairs soon, though. I don't think Aya-kun would forgive you for making Ken-kun unhappy by not being there before he fell asleep."
"That's for damned sure," the taller of the two laughed quietly and sauntered towards the stairs intending to make certain both of the men he loved were happy if at all possible. As he reached the lowest riser, though, he glanced over his shoulder and watched as Omi still distracted by thoughts of his absent boyfriend pulled on his apron and turned on the hose.
With the sound of water noisily splashing into the metal watering can that they used for the potted plants to cover his words, Yohji sighed aloud and remarked as if to unseen angels, "I sure hope I'm right about them being together again soon, though. Those poor kids have both suffered so much on their own, would it be too much to ask of whatever the hell force controls our lives to let them have a little happiness they could hold onto?" Brushing his long blond hair out of his eyes, he turned his thoughts to the men awaiting him and hurried to make sure his own promises were kept in a timely fashion.
As he carefully poured water into the few remaining smiley-faced pots of primroses, Omi recalled that most of Lorlor's special plants had sailed out the doors with the fashion-conscious schoolgirls during her visit the week before. With a small smile, he reminded himself to pick up some Pocky at the market to send to her at school in thanks for helping to keep the Koneko in business during their absence as well as delivering his secret message of love to the Schwarz penthouse.
Hearing quiet footfalls in the hallway above him that he correctly supposed was Yohji or Aya getting Ken some water for his medicine reminded him of the elder blonde's words of encouragement pertaining to Nagi. With a heavy sigh, Omi silently hoped that he really would see his beloved midnight-eyed boyfriend before too much longer. At one point, a Christmas reunion hadn't seemed too long to wait yet now as November seemed to stretch out and last forever, the young archer doubted he could last that long without feeling the sable-haired teen in his arms once more.
*****
To be continued.
Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion.
Please be advised: Parts 60 - 62 will be posted together.