"Where's Aya?"
The young man with long sandy hair who had just appeared on the foot of the stairs asked. He knew the answer. They all did. But the young man sitting on the porch just stared at him. And the kid shrugged before turning back to the book he was reading. But Youji knew he wasn't really reading. They were all too intense to do anything else, anything else, but wait.
"What time did he left this time?" he asked again.
"Exactly 6:00 in the evening 8 hours ago." Omi answered not bothering to look up. Youji sighed and walked to the coffeemaker.
"Anyone for a cup of coffee? … I guess not." He muttered under his breath after getting no reply. "This sucks." He said aloud to no one in particular while pouring himself some coffee. He took a long sip and walked on to where Omi was sitting. His face buried on a thick hardbound novel. "Another detective thingy?"
The kid stared at him and after realizing that he was the one being asked muttered impatiently. "No. It's a fantasy book. About wizards and witches."
"Hmmm… wizards and witches eh?" Youji mumbled studying the cover of the book, not noticing the annoyed look on the kid's face. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. … That sounds interesting."
"Yeah well it is." Omi muttered closing the book and giving Youji a level look. The older man finally realized his unwanted interest and got up, walking to the foot of the stairs, and sitting on the second last step.
"Geez. You don't have to be so ickle about it." He muttered under his breath.
"He's an hour later than last time!" Ken suddenly yelled jumping up to his feet. The two turned to him surprised at the sudden outburst. He looked at both of them but Omi just shrugged.
"Last time? … You mean last night." Youji corrected. "You make it sound as if he hadn't been doing this for a week now."
"Well thank you for pointing that out Kudou. You're a big help." Ken shot back annoyed.
"You don't have to be so hot about it." Youji muttered shrugging.
"Damn it! You'd think he'd at least call. But no. He doesn't care. As if what we're asking is too hard. All we want is to know where he is. Make sure he's fine. Is it so hard to remember to call?" Ken asked aloud, pacing back and forth.
Youji feeing obliged to answer replied. "Well… kind of. I mean you're in a bar. Lots of girls. Lots of drinks…"
"We don't expect you to call when you go out Youji. We're used to it. You've been that way before you were even born. We're talking about Aya here. Aya!"
"Then maybe it's time we get used to it."
Omi regretted it as soon as he spoke those words. Because he knew, that would be the beginning of another long silence. A very long tensed silence.
The young man with long sandy hair who had just appeared on the foot of the stairs asked. He knew the answer. They all did. But the young man sitting on the porch just stared at him. And the kid shrugged before turning back to the book he was reading. But Youji knew he wasn't really reading. They were all too intense to do anything else, anything else, but wait.
"What time did he left this time?" he asked again.
"Exactly 6:00 in the evening 8 hours ago." Omi answered not bothering to look up. Youji sighed and walked to the coffeemaker.
"Anyone for a cup of coffee? … I guess not." He muttered under his breath after getting no reply. "This sucks." He said aloud to no one in particular while pouring himself some coffee. He took a long sip and walked on to where Omi was sitting. His face buried on a thick hardbound novel. "Another detective thingy?"
The kid stared at him and after realizing that he was the one being asked muttered impatiently. "No. It's a fantasy book. About wizards and witches."
"Hmmm… wizards and witches eh?" Youji mumbled studying the cover of the book, not noticing the annoyed look on the kid's face. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. … That sounds interesting."
"Yeah well it is." Omi muttered closing the book and giving Youji a level look. The older man finally realized his unwanted interest and got up, walking to the foot of the stairs, and sitting on the second last step.
"Geez. You don't have to be so ickle about it." He muttered under his breath.
"He's an hour later than last time!" Ken suddenly yelled jumping up to his feet. The two turned to him surprised at the sudden outburst. He looked at both of them but Omi just shrugged.
"Last time? … You mean last night." Youji corrected. "You make it sound as if he hadn't been doing this for a week now."
"Well thank you for pointing that out Kudou. You're a big help." Ken shot back annoyed.
"You don't have to be so hot about it." Youji muttered shrugging.
"Damn it! You'd think he'd at least call. But no. He doesn't care. As if what we're asking is too hard. All we want is to know where he is. Make sure he's fine. Is it so hard to remember to call?" Ken asked aloud, pacing back and forth.
Youji feeing obliged to answer replied. "Well… kind of. I mean you're in a bar. Lots of girls. Lots of drinks…"
"We don't expect you to call when you go out Youji. We're used to it. You've been that way before you were even born. We're talking about Aya here. Aya!"
"Then maybe it's time we get used to it."
Omi regretted it as soon as he spoke those words. Because he knew, that would be the beginning of another long silence. A very long tensed silence.