Yeah, here's chapter five.  I'm actually in a really bum mood right now because all the good authors are leaving ff.net due to the nc-17 policy.  God, I'll miss you all!

Warnings: shounen-ai, AU, OOCness (sorta)

Pairings: Ken+Omi Yohji+Aya

Believing the Dream

Chapter Five: Of Dreams and Flowers

I was surrounded by all sorts of plant life.  Ivy trailed across the polished floor, roses, lilies, and daisies bloomed in shining window displays.  Baskets were arranged in neat rows on a shelf, adorned with a myriad of bright ribbons.  Everything was a blur of color and smell. 

I looked around from where I was standing in front of the entrance.   A little bell tinkled as the door closed behind me.  The place sparkled and the sunlight poured in from the large glass panes of the flower shop.  Everything was so bright...in a strangely unfocused sort of way.

I strolled toward the register.  Faint laughing and snippets of distant conversations lingered in the air with every step I took.  Everything was bathed in a creamy, heavenly glow.  It was like walking on a cloud in heaven.  A cloud blooming with flowers.

"May I help you?" a voice, as cheerful and shining as the shop itself, chirped from behind me.  Maybe it was an angel.

I spun around.  A pair of sky blue eyes greeted me, sparkling happily.  His face was wreathed with two large bouquets he was holding, stray flower petals snowing down around us.  Beautiful...just like an angel.

"Omi?" I asked.  The place echoed my question. Omi omi omi...

He laughed.  It sounded distant and purely angelic.  I went all warm inside. 

"Hey, Ken, did you want to get something?"  His smile glowed.

"I....uh..." I didn't quite know what to say.  What was he doing here anyway?

I didn't really have a chance to say anything else.  Omi toyed with a basket arrangement and held it out to me.  "Here.  This is for you."

"But, Omi..." I began to say.  The ethereal glow of the entire place increased ten-fold.  He shoved the basket into my arms.

"It's my gift to you, take it." He smiled beautifully.  I clutched the basket tighter, the fresh scent bombarding my senses.

"Thank you."  Our eyes met.  God, I loved his eyes.  Everything went still around us, it was like time itself had paused.  A faraway voice tickled me ear.  I ignored it.  Unfortunately, it got louder.

"Wake up!" it seemed to say.

I blinked.  Omi had disappeared.  The heavenly light had died down.  Yohji was standing in front of me.  "WAKE UP, KEN!!!"

"Gack!" I tumbled out of bed, clutching my pillow tightly. 

Yohji leaned over me.  "You have an early shift this morning! Up! Now!"

I glanced at the clock and groaned.  "Since when did you wake up so early?"  I sat up on the floor, blinking blearily.

"Nah, you have it all wrong..." Yohji headed towards the door, smirking. "It's only for today.  After this day is over, you get all the morning shifts...and I get to sleep in."

"YOHJI!" I flung the pillow at him.  It missed.  Stupid pillow.

He laughed and called back to me from the hall.  "Just kidding! Geez! Hurry up!"

I sighed.  I really would like to see the day Yohji got into his head that I just wasn't a morning person.  Hopefully he still remembered the times I had managed to peg him with my pillow...which sorry to say, wasn't very often.  Regardless, I managed to haul my lazy butt off the carpet and robotically march to the bathroom.

After a decent breakfast later, I found myself in the front seat of Yohji's infamous Seven.  I remembered the car.  He had treasured it all through high school and by the looks of it, nothing had changed. And I also remembered his white knuckle driving skills.  I was in for quite a ride.

Yohji fired up the engine.  I crouched, getting into customary crash position.

"Aw, Ken," Yohji whined. "My driving isn't that bad!"

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, barely finishing my sentence before we rocketed off in a random direction.  My grip on the not-so-grippable dashboard increased.  I swear there would be little finger dents in it later.

We swerved dangerously around a corner, causing me to bang rather painfully into the door.  Meanwhile, Yohji sat there, steering with one hand, other arm slung out the window, enjoying the breeze.

Yup, that was Yohji.  He could probably keep that pose driving straight into a tornado.  I shook my head.  I needed to learn to do that if Yohji was going to be driving.  I had left my bike at the auto body.  It had needed a makeover.  But now, I really didn't care if it had looked like crap.  Anything to get out of here!

We finally slammed into an empty space along the curb.

"We're heeeeere!" Yohji sang out, leaping out over the side.  Now me on the other hand, I fumbled with the doorhandle and managed to stumble like a log before grabbing a lamp post.

"Finally!" I wheezed.  But Yohji wasn't listening.  He had strolled towards the shop, gesturing for me to follow. 

The shop was cheery on the outside with many large pots and window displays shining through the glass.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here afterall.

I stepped through the door.  The bell tinkled as the door shut behind me.  Bell?  Like in the dream...

I scanned the shop.  Flowers lined the shelves with ribbons and baskets and all sorts of colorful arrangements.  The register, the counter, it was all the same!  It didn't have the heavenly glow thing but it was most definitely the same shop...but I had never seen it before...how did I know what it looked like? And...Omi...

"You're late."

I snapped out of my thoughts. 

"Aw, Aya, it was only a few minutes! Besides, it was all Ken's fault!"

Yohji was talking to a red head.  A very familiar redhead.

"You!" I sputtered indignantly, forgetting my manners altogether.  Red head glared at me.

"Y-yohji! He works here too?!" I did NOT want to work in a shop with evil catty eyes breathing down my neck.

"Live with it."

I never really got a chance to acknowledge who exactly had said that.  A hoard of screaming girls charged into the shop, crooning over arrangements and just about everything else in the store...including Yohji and Aya.  I stood there.  Maybe if I didn't move, they wouldn't notice me.  Pretty wishful thinking.  Upon spotting me, the female mob lost all interest in what they were previously engrossed in...and surrounded me.

"Who's the new guy?"

"He's so cute!"

"What's your name?"

"Will you be staying here from now on?"

"Are you one of Yohji's friends?"

"Will you go out with me?"

"Stay still, I need a picture!"

I just stood there.  What else could I possibly do?  After what seemed like an eternity, Yohji must've felt some sympathy and came to my rescue.

"Alright ladies, don't suffocate the poor boy.  He's not used to you banshees yet."

The girls started up again.

"Oh Yohji! You're such a tease!"

"Are you free tonight, Yohji?"

"Who's your friend, Yohji?"

Yohji chuckled, drowning in attention yet still able to sneak me a small wink.

"Ladies, this is Ken.  He'll be working here from now on.  I expect you not to terrorize the poor kid...too much."

The girls squealed and turned back to me.

"Ken huh? What a cute name!"

"Not as cute as he is!"

Surprisingly, it was menacing Aya that came to my aid this time.

"If you're not buying anything, get OUT!"

The girls stopped squealing...and started giggling.

"Oh Aya! You're so mean!"

"I like your hair today, Aya!"

And for a second, I thought his rampage might've of worked.

So through the morning I learned the works of...Kitty in the House (?!) flower shop.  It was a lively place, a bit cramped but overall cheerful and a nice spot to be.  The girls didn't leave me alone though.  They stalked me everywhere and I was more than relieved when Yohji closed the shop for lunch break.

"So, Ken, how do you like it here so far?"

"It's alright," I wolfed down a bag of Doritos.  Yum.

"You sure attract a lot of attention." Yohji snickered.

I glared at him. "You never warned me in the first place."

"Saa...you'll get used to it.  Now hurry up, we're opening the shop soon."

"Sure sure," I muttered, looking out the backroom window.  You got a nice view of the valley from here.  The valley with Omi in it.  Omi...  It seemed like forever since I had first seen him.  And that whole dream had a been a little unnerving.  Could Omi have some connection to the flower shop?

I shook my head.  Yeah right. 

Yet, he weirded me out a little.  He didn't seem like he had many friends.  Being his age, he should be in school...but he wasn't. 

Aya walked in.

"Hi," I said absently.

My reply was a noncommittal grunt. 

I shrugged. 

"Ken!" Yohji yelled at me from the main room.  "Break's over! Get your butt back out here!"

I scowled.  Sure, he yells at me.  I don't see Aya being called off break. Talk about unfair.  I made a face and dreaded how much time it would be until I could go visit Omi.

It was going to be a loooooooong afternoon.

TBC...

~*~

Yah, sorry it took so long to get this up, I've been sorta busy...or lazy...same difference. ^_^

I'd love it if you left a review!

Well, hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime in the next century.

And again , please review! Thanks to all those who have.  I don't know what I'd do without you! ^o^