Forgotten Pain
by: schu-chan
disclaimer: WeiB isn't mine... if they were, i wouldn't be broke now, would i?
Dedicated to SAILOR FORTUNE-SAN for the title!
NOTE: i refer to Aya-kun by his real name in this fic (as i always do), so if you don't know it and don't want to know, don't read it...
NOTE2: i don't know much about ken's past, only about the whole j-league thing... do we even ever really find out? i dunno, but if he DOES have a past that i should know about, someone tell me... i just wanna kno - im not going to change this fic or anything... ^__^
Thanks for the reviews, minna-san! I hope you like this chapter, too!
*thoughts*
//flashback//
~Chapter 2~
They stared at Ken, who sat there with his head in his hands. "Ken... what's wrong?"
Ken lifted his head and stared at the blurry figure before him. "'Tou-san...?"
A look of fear swept his face and he sat there, trembling. "Ken, it's me! Yohji!"
Yohji shook him, saying, "Snap out of it! What's wrong - tell us!"
"Yoh... ji?"
"Yea, it's me! Best friend, player, lazy-ass!" Ken threw his arms around Yohji, mumbling, "Don't let 'Tou-san hurt me, Yotan... Onegai... Taskete..."
"Save... you from your father...? What are you saying?"
The store was silent except for the sounds of Ken's sobs. Ran picked him up, telling the others to watch the shop. Ran hurried upstairs and tucked him into bed. Ran stood up to leave him alone.
"Ran, stay."
Ran turned and stared at Ken, who gave him a small smile. "I... I feel better if you're around."
"But yesterday, you -"
Ken shook his head, saying, "Iie... Yesterday... was just... it won't happen again, not with you..."
Ran nodded and pulled up a chair next to the bed. "Rest, Ken... you can talk to us tomorrow."
~*~*~*~*~*
Ken stared up at the dark ceiling.
//Ken stared at the ceiling and his father held him in his arms. "Ken... it's all right... stop crying..."
Ken was confused. He... was crying? He reached up and touched his face. It was wet. No... it couldn't be him. He'd told himself that he wouldn't cry again the next time his father did this. Ken turned his body away from his father and closed his eyes.
"Ken...?" His father reached out to touch him and he flinched. "O-onegai, 'Tou-san... Don't... don't touch me..."
His father smoothed his hair. "Oyasumi, Ken."
"Oyasumi-nasai..."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Ne, KenKen never seems excited about anything anymore!" Ken's classmates nodded worriedly.
"Ken used to laugh all the time and now, he just looks tired. Do you think something's wrong?"
"Maybe... do you think we should try asking his dad? Maybe it's got something to do with his family?"
Just then, Ken entered the classroom, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Ohayo, Ken!"
"Ohayo, KenKen!"
Ken gave them all small smiles before sitting in his seat. *I... I can't look them in the eyes anymore... I...*
Everyone stared as Ken suddenly ran out of the room. "Ken! What's wrong?!"
"Where are you going? Class is starting in a couple minutes, Ken!"
Ken found himself in the abandoned music room. Maybe this place would give him some sanctuary... He threw his bag down onto the floor and put his head on it, using it as a pillow. He stared at the worn ceiling, so different from the ceiling at home. And he smiled.//
Ken looked down at Ran, who was slumped over the bed, asleep. Ken smiled slightly. Maybe... with Ran's help, he might gradually forget instead of just covering his memories with dust. Ran stirred.
"Ken...? You awake...?"
Ken pretended to be asleep and Ran smiled. He smoothed Ken's hair, saying, "You're so beautiful when you're asleep... do you know that, Ken? Sigh... what's wrong, Ken... what happened to you?"
~*~*~*~*~*
Ken sat in the den, fidgeting under the scrutiny of his teammates. "Ken-kun, you have to tell us. Otherwise, we can't help you. You might get hysterical again."
Ken nodded and took a deep breath. Ran gave him a reassuring smile, earning him shocked looks from both Yohji and Omi.
*Time for you to tell them, Ken...*
TBC...
I wrote this at 12 in the morning, people... most of it anyways. I know it's not very long, but... review, onegai! ^__^