Hey, big huggles to all of you guys who reviewed before, Jo, Silth,
Chambers and Holloweyes. I appreciate that you took the time to write me a
little note. So here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. Oh, and if
you would like an index of the japanese terms, drop me a line at
soulstrife@hotmail.com. It's fairly simple for now, but the phrases might
get a little more complex as we go along, na? Okay. Here it is….chapter
two. Enjoy!
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"Bye-bye Youji-kun!"
Youji grinned lazily and gave a little wave to his companion as the door to Seven slammed shut.
"See yah' tomorrow Bishounen! Second shift I think..."
Cute kid, Omi was. He watched the genki child bounce up the stairs to catch up with the other assassins, where Aya was fumbling with the key to the side-door of the house adjoining the flower shop.
He'd just make sure they got in all right. Then it was off home for him. Or the bar, or the club....
He tilted sunglasses higher on his nose, and watched his teammates with tinted eyes. Ken and Omi joking around. An outraged blush burning Omi's cheeks.
Yeah, a damn cute kid. But oh shit, no, not like that. There was only one person he could even think about seeing in that light right now...
'Fuck, forget it Kudou.'
The bar would definitely be his priority tonight.
He focused back on the scene. Ken was laughing so hard, it looked like he'd piss himself any second. Even a small smile tainted Aya's usually grim lips.
'He must be glad to be home and away from me.' Youji mused. Aya had been tense around him lately, in the shop and before missions, nearly having a conniption every time Youji so much as opened his mouth. When they were actually on a mission however, Aya had to hide away the imperfections and flaws in his character to become his inhuman self. Abyssinian. He couldn't show his agitation towards the lazy Balinese, even if he felt it inwardly. Or rather, he refused to.
Yeah well, fuck that. It didn't matter what Aya's opinion of him was.
The door was thrown open and the two younger assassins crowded in the doorframe, taking turns at shoving each other playfully into the wall and laughing -and then disappearing from sight.
Aya was left alone on the doorstep, shaking his head after his house mates with a look that a mother might save for her children. A Mona Lisa smile.
Youji could feel his heart strings pulled taught. That smile -it was becoming on him. That guy was nearly lovable when he smiled. All right. So he was already lovable. Still, it would make him much more approachable. Maybe then Youji would actually find the courage to have the conversation with him that he still avoided. That one thought always on the tip of his tongue during a mission, in the shop or..well, that was all that Youji saw of Aya. But when he did, it was all he had on his mind. Aya was always on his mind.
All most as if Aya had heard the stray thought, he turned around and pinned Youji with a questioning look from across the street.
Youji started, feeling guilty. He'd been watching too long! He needed a coverup, something to prove he wasn't half as pathetic as he looked - He lowered his head and pretended to fumble around in his pockets for a cigarette, laughing softly at himself in amusement. He was every bit as pathetic as he looked. He knew it, and Aya knew it. Reminded him on a daily basis.
The door slammed shut, and Youji cringed as the pound echoed in his ears. He was always being shut out. Then again, he was the one shutting himself out this time. And why?
He was afraid of being their downfall.
What a fucking idiot he was. They were happier this way. No longer was Ken forced to drag his sorry ass up the stairs when he came home from another drunken exploit. No longer did Omi have to nurse him back to health, from a moment of idiocy on a mission. No longer did Aya have to berate him for his irresponsibility, for being a poor role model, for being an utter failure.
He took his head between his hands.
Failure.
That summed everything up quite nicely now, didn't it?
Slowly, but surely, he was isolating himself from the three people left in the world that he felt for. But this was for the better. God knew, Asuka had learned the hard way. Kritiker was curious with his self- exile, he knew. Manx had approached him about it late one night. She'd actually taken the time after dropping a file full of mission info off and the Koneko, and taken him to one of those crummy, always open, doughnut shops to question him about it. He'd been shocked, but it didn't really matter to him. Even a beautiful woman's curiosity held no satisfaction for him. If not women, surely, nothing could now.
They'd talked for a good hour before Youji had finally given some lame excuse to escape the analyzing glint of her eyes, and her prying questions.
Youji had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be long until he was asked to go solo.
But would he?
He took a long drag from his cigarette, savouring the familiar sensation of the toxins filling his lungs.
His heart screamed at him to stay with Weiss -yet his mind chided him he was hindering their performance even now.
But could he go on at all without them?
Did it matter?
Right now, he was only deadweight. Omi might care. Ken, probably not. Aya?
Youji nearly laughed in spite of himself.
Never Aya.
Aya could barely bring himself to care about their other companions. All his energy was absorbed with devotion to his sister. He never spoke of her, but his silence was as strong as those rare words he did speak.
Did Youji ever really imagine he could compete with her? That comatose girl...in her deathlike slumber...she was her brother's world. And she didn't even know it. Didn't even know of his devotion. Wasn't even aware of his own burning jealousy. Heck, didn't even know him.
"Che Kudou, when you gonna' learn?"
"Never." He answered his own question, while stubbing his cigarette out his dashboard.
"But soon, no need any more."
With that, he revved the engine, and sent Seven's tires squealing into the night, and banishing all thoughts of regret from his mind.
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"Bye-bye Youji-kun!"
Youji grinned lazily and gave a little wave to his companion as the door to Seven slammed shut.
"See yah' tomorrow Bishounen! Second shift I think..."
Cute kid, Omi was. He watched the genki child bounce up the stairs to catch up with the other assassins, where Aya was fumbling with the key to the side-door of the house adjoining the flower shop.
He'd just make sure they got in all right. Then it was off home for him. Or the bar, or the club....
He tilted sunglasses higher on his nose, and watched his teammates with tinted eyes. Ken and Omi joking around. An outraged blush burning Omi's cheeks.
Yeah, a damn cute kid. But oh shit, no, not like that. There was only one person he could even think about seeing in that light right now...
'Fuck, forget it Kudou.'
The bar would definitely be his priority tonight.
He focused back on the scene. Ken was laughing so hard, it looked like he'd piss himself any second. Even a small smile tainted Aya's usually grim lips.
'He must be glad to be home and away from me.' Youji mused. Aya had been tense around him lately, in the shop and before missions, nearly having a conniption every time Youji so much as opened his mouth. When they were actually on a mission however, Aya had to hide away the imperfections and flaws in his character to become his inhuman self. Abyssinian. He couldn't show his agitation towards the lazy Balinese, even if he felt it inwardly. Or rather, he refused to.
Yeah well, fuck that. It didn't matter what Aya's opinion of him was.
The door was thrown open and the two younger assassins crowded in the doorframe, taking turns at shoving each other playfully into the wall and laughing -and then disappearing from sight.
Aya was left alone on the doorstep, shaking his head after his house mates with a look that a mother might save for her children. A Mona Lisa smile.
Youji could feel his heart strings pulled taught. That smile -it was becoming on him. That guy was nearly lovable when he smiled. All right. So he was already lovable. Still, it would make him much more approachable. Maybe then Youji would actually find the courage to have the conversation with him that he still avoided. That one thought always on the tip of his tongue during a mission, in the shop or..well, that was all that Youji saw of Aya. But when he did, it was all he had on his mind. Aya was always on his mind.
All most as if Aya had heard the stray thought, he turned around and pinned Youji with a questioning look from across the street.
Youji started, feeling guilty. He'd been watching too long! He needed a coverup, something to prove he wasn't half as pathetic as he looked - He lowered his head and pretended to fumble around in his pockets for a cigarette, laughing softly at himself in amusement. He was every bit as pathetic as he looked. He knew it, and Aya knew it. Reminded him on a daily basis.
The door slammed shut, and Youji cringed as the pound echoed in his ears. He was always being shut out. Then again, he was the one shutting himself out this time. And why?
He was afraid of being their downfall.
What a fucking idiot he was. They were happier this way. No longer was Ken forced to drag his sorry ass up the stairs when he came home from another drunken exploit. No longer did Omi have to nurse him back to health, from a moment of idiocy on a mission. No longer did Aya have to berate him for his irresponsibility, for being a poor role model, for being an utter failure.
He took his head between his hands.
Failure.
That summed everything up quite nicely now, didn't it?
Slowly, but surely, he was isolating himself from the three people left in the world that he felt for. But this was for the better. God knew, Asuka had learned the hard way. Kritiker was curious with his self- exile, he knew. Manx had approached him about it late one night. She'd actually taken the time after dropping a file full of mission info off and the Koneko, and taken him to one of those crummy, always open, doughnut shops to question him about it. He'd been shocked, but it didn't really matter to him. Even a beautiful woman's curiosity held no satisfaction for him. If not women, surely, nothing could now.
They'd talked for a good hour before Youji had finally given some lame excuse to escape the analyzing glint of her eyes, and her prying questions.
Youji had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be long until he was asked to go solo.
But would he?
He took a long drag from his cigarette, savouring the familiar sensation of the toxins filling his lungs.
His heart screamed at him to stay with Weiss -yet his mind chided him he was hindering their performance even now.
But could he go on at all without them?
Did it matter?
Right now, he was only deadweight. Omi might care. Ken, probably not. Aya?
Youji nearly laughed in spite of himself.
Never Aya.
Aya could barely bring himself to care about their other companions. All his energy was absorbed with devotion to his sister. He never spoke of her, but his silence was as strong as those rare words he did speak.
Did Youji ever really imagine he could compete with her? That comatose girl...in her deathlike slumber...she was her brother's world. And she didn't even know it. Didn't even know of his devotion. Wasn't even aware of his own burning jealousy. Heck, didn't even know him.
"Che Kudou, when you gonna' learn?"
"Never." He answered his own question, while stubbing his cigarette out his dashboard.
"But soon, no need any more."
With that, he revved the engine, and sent Seven's tires squealing into the night, and banishing all thoughts of regret from his mind.
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