Ch.2

Morning Dance

                The morning sunshine filtered through the window and splashed over Ken's face, making him frown. The twenty year old tried to turn away but it was to no use. He was awake now, his mind free of the peaceful darkness to remember what had happened last night, and days before that. He frowned as he opened his eyes, a hand ready to rub the rest of the sleepiness out of his brown eyes, wishing that his hands could also so easily rub out the memories from his mind. He gave a little sigh and reached over to shut his alarm clock before it even rang so as to not wake Omi or even Aya who probably had not stopped working until really late last night or really early this morning. Thinking about the other two, Ken pushed himself into a sitting position and rested his chin on his propped knee for a moment. He wondered for a moment what exactly the other two had found out last night and how Omi was dealing with all of it. Not for the first time, Ken felt worry rise within him and a little anger towards the youngest Weiss member. Knowing Omi, the boy would just face this whole situation with a smile as he always did. The only reason Ken could find to explain his anger towards the boy was because it had taken him so long to realize that the smiles were just a façade… a very good one at that.

'Baka. Always keeping things locked away behind a smile. Kso…' He shook his head and decided that was enough brooding. He ha enough stuff to get done today and it was no point in dilly dallying. One of his many tasks included waking Yoji up. Not as desirable or easy task at that. Last time he had awakened the older man, he'd come out of the room with a black eyes and Yoji had gotten in return a split lip. Ken hadn't been as gentle as Omi always was, according to Yoji and therefore had deserved getting punched. And with Ken's fiery temper…all in all, it hadn't been very good. 'Excuse me, for not having a god's patience with all idiots.' Ken thought a bit dryly at the memory.

He got up, slipping a shit over his head before going out into the hallway, wishing almost fretfully that summer would come and that the mild spring weather would leave along with the remnants of winter. A light underneath the opposing doorway made him pause. Was Omi already up and working again? The kid was just too much. Someone had to make him realize that rest and sleep was a good and necessary thing. Kso… He opened the foor a bit more roughly than he had intended. The lecture that he had readied I his mind came crashing down into little pieces as he took in the huddled form over the still blaring computer screen. 'He fell asleep while…working.' Ken sighed. It wasn't that unusual for the kid, not really. It was just unusual that he would let himself get caught.

                Ken shook his head and took cautious steps forward, letting his arms go over and surround Omi's body. Gently he lifted the eighteen year old up and placed hi in the bed, making sure to slip the kid's shoes off before covering him with blankets. He also made a mental note to go out and buy more of Omi's preferred foods. No eighteen year old boy had any right to be that light. There was a soft sigh that came from the bed and then Omi curled onto his side into an even deeper sleep than before. Ken smiled at the picture and shook his head again. Omi definitely looked more like he was fifteen.

                Ken was about to leave the room, silently, when out of curiosity, he went and looked over to the computer screen. He glanced at the saved documents Omi had found, minimizing them after his brown eyes had skimmed through their information. 'Che…' Ken thought a bit worriedly as none of the files that he opened had much valuable information. Nothing on the actual targets, just articles about the random… 'random, right…'… kidnappings that had the police baffled and lost. The only interesting thing the kid had managed to find was the schedule for the circus tours. Ken shook his head and turned the computer off. Omi needed his sleep and Ken needed to get to work. There was nothing right now that could be done to save the victims.

…

                Omi sat up fast, knowing almost immediately that somehow he wasn't quite where he was supposed to be or that he hadn't finished something that had absolutely needed to be done. Was it a test, a homework assignment? He shook his hair out of his face as he flung his covers off of him. A cold grip of fear was rising from his stomach to his heart, making him tense. Were the college entrance exams today? He hadn't had time to study for them at all! CRAP! His foot landed on the cold ground and he gave a little yelp before bringing it back onto the bed and under the warm covers. What the…? He looked down at himself and gave a groan.

He'd fallen asleep in his clothes again!

Not that this observation gave him any answer to his questions. What was going on? And then reality came crashing in as the last of sleep left his mind and body. The curse that went past his lips rang out in his room. He slammed himself out of bed and back into the chair next to his desk, automatically feeling at home as he switched his modem on. He needed to continue his search, forget petty problem such as exams and school. He needed to find something more concrete. He needed to…

                "Omi?" Ken's voice asked a bit out of breath and worried from the hallway. "Are you okay?"

                "Hai hai." Omi waved the concern away as he started to type rapidly concentrating on the screen and nothing else now that the computer was on and ready to work.

                "Oy Omi…" Ken huffed a sigh and shrugged at the other two men who were standing behind him. "…dunno what gets into that scrawny brain of yours sometimes… I really don't."

                "That's because you don't have a brain Ken-kun." Omi half snapped, half tried to be cheerful as the brunette continued to bother him. Why didn't he understand that he… A pale hand covered the screen before him making Omi frown and bite off another curse that was just at the tip of his tongue. Of all days to come and be worried about him! They had to choose today when he couldn't find enough information and…He was fully aware though that if the curse did leave his mouth, the now three older Weiss members who were currently in his room would be harassing him and taking his temperature to make sure that he was okay… and to check if he really was the Omi that they knew. He huffed a sigh and sat back, glaring at A…kso, Ran's violet eyes. He pouted slightly but he knew that his pout only worked on Yoji, Ken and the girls. If it had any effect on Ran, the older man made sure it wasn't noticeable. Ran… well… he wasn't quite sure what would make the redhead back off. Maybe Aya-chan…hmmm… Omi filed that thought away, thinking that it might be useful in the future.

                "What in the world would make you scream like that?" Ran finally asked his face a stoned mask. He hadn't really been fully awake when he'd heard Omi's voice ring out like that from upstairs. He'd only been on his first cup of coffee and then… He waited patiently for an explanation. Omi's blue eyes gazed back in what the kid thought was glare. Instead it made the kid looked like a ruffled kitten, an angry ruffled kitten but a kitten all the same. Dangerous perhaps but… Ran cut his thoughts short as the eighteen year old started to speak.

                "I woke up to find my computer shut!" Omi muttered. "In conclusion I feel asleep on the job and someone put me in bed. Which is fine… if I had finished my work. I haven't so, could all of you just…" He made a shooing motion with hands.

                "I think…" Yoji muttered, his eyes wide. "That the sky is falling or that I've died and really gone to hell this time. The kid… our little Omi, sweet and innocent… and…" No more descriptive terms for Yoji, he really needs to get a bigger vocabulary, Omi thought a bit exasperated. "…he's cranky?" The older man's voice cracked; making the other three blink in surprise. The playboy began laughing, holding his sides as flopped down on Omi's bed. "I've never heard him curse before and…"

                "Hilarious." Omi snapped. "I am not cranky!" Ken thought he saw Ran hide a brief smile before returning to his 'I don't give a crap' look.

                "Have you found anything of interest?" Aya asked, interrupting Omi's snapping. Ken and Omi answered at the same time, making Omi regard the soccer player with surprise.

                "Yes."

                "No." Ken muttered and then shrugged as the others stared at him. "Hey, I'm the one who put him in bed. I wanted to see what he'd found." Omi sighed.

                "Arigato Ken-kun." There was a pause. "Ken's partially right… I didn't find much information on the target. But I did find the circus' schedule. The closest they'll be to us is in one month exactly. There's actually taking a break for some reason or another, probably because there are too many cops around them right now. I also know who they sell the children to. One an adoption center called HOPE and the other is a black market gang for organs. They don't really have a name as far as I can tell. The only way they recognize each other is by a cross and heart symbol that is tattooed on the back of their necks, behind their hair." Omi lifted part of his hair, pointing to the exact location. He let his hand drop. "I looked up what they were in need of for both places. For the HOPE organization, its mainly girls-either mid teens or younger. They actually have a pretty important client who wants a girl right now and since they're willing to pay a lot for one, we can easily deduce the sex of the next victims they do go after. And uhm…" Omi typed away and a screen that Ken hadn't seen popped up. "For the black market, its livers, hearts, kidneys… anything." He stopped talking and his shoulders slumped forward. "I was hoping that if I looked into the buyers… I'd get more information on the targets but…"

                "You wouldn't." Ran interrupted firmly. "No one knows anything. As long as they get what they ordered, they don't ask any questions. That's why this whole thing has been so successful for so long."

                "It's sick." Omi snapped. "I don't understand. I just don't…"

                "How are we going to attack?" Ken asked as he placed a comforting hand on Omi's shoulder. "We don't have anything real concrete to go on! We don't even know what the guy looks like… Should we just drop the mission?" Yoji nodded, his face serious.

                "It does seem pretty hopeless." Omi shrugged the hand off but not before Ken felt the muscles so well hidden by the baggy clothes, tense under his hand.

                "Drop it?" His blue eyes were wide and angry. "Just drop it?"

…

                "I should have just kept my mouth shut." Ken sighed wearily as he stretched. "I've never seen him get so angry." A bashful… yes, bashful Yoji shook his head up and down very quickly. He stopped after a moment, letting his sunglasses slide down his nose to let Ken get a glimpse of his serious, tired eyes. His hand flipped a cigarette to his mouth while the other hand lit a match. Ken watched wordless for a moment before trying to put to words why he really didn't want this mission to take place. His mouth opened briefly and then closed again. It wasn't just that Omi was acting weirdly: being unnaturally close and connected to the case, showing anger that seemed to oppose the very nature that Omi stood for, the fact that he was taking charge of this whole mission… making it rest on his shoulders almost entirely… it was just a whole negative that overcame him each time he thought of the mission. Of how even Manx had been worried. This time as he opened his mouth to say something, he caught Yoji's piercing stare and shut it quickly feeling as if he would betray someone, or some secret of his if he lay his feeling out in the open. They both stood that way for a few minute, the silence stretching between them.

                And then it snapped bringing both men into action. Yoji looked up, one finger pushing his sunglasses back as he slapped on a teasing smile while Ken just shook his head and began jogging up the stairs, obviously too lost in his own thoughts to remember that he was in flower duty as well. "I'll be resting in my room." He called behind him. "Get me when the two are ready, ne Yoji!?" The older man sighed and scratched his head. He left the younger man leave, knowing no proper work would be done if Ken tried as lost in his thoughts as he was.

                "I guess that leaves me with flower duty… damn, I'm getting soft." Yoji grumbled. He stumbled down the stairs and flipped the closed sign into an open sign. Then he turned away, putting on his apron as he got ready to do the usual arrangements and bouquets.

                Upstairs, Ken let his door slam shut behind him and then let himself fall limply down on the bed. His mind was whirling in a chaos that had been killing him lately. Keeping him from sleeping, keeping him from enjoying the soccer lessons he gave kids- basically keeping him from remembering why exactly he should hold on to life. These moods often crept up and caught him, but they were short moods that would go away like the rain would hide when the sun shone. Yet now… He sighed and let his eyes wander around the bare walls of his room. He'd have to decorate the room one day. He knew he had to… he just never found the energy to do so. "Man its time for music." He muttered to himself, pushing himself up with one arm and shaking his head to try and get the darker thoughts out at the same time. He leaned over to the right side of his bed, his arm stretching to reach the one and play button of his stereo system. 'Need something with a beat, something… he flipped radio stations until he heard something that suited his need. 'Good…' Something that would make his thoughts sound like a whisper… lost in the music's rhythm. And then he flopped back down, an arm propping itself on his forehead as he closed his eyes and rested, letting the bass of the guitars and the drums block the memories of the past days.

…

                Ran closed his eyes briefly, letting one pale hand rise to his temple and rub it a bit as a headache was starting to pound there. "I wish…" He started softly and icily. "That Ken would not play that damn music of his so loud." Omi's blue eyes seemed to snap out of his serious reverie that the younger boy had been in the past minutes. They had been going over the last plan for any major fault, having discarded many other ideas over the past hours. The blankness evaporated from his features and for a moment there was a glint of worry that passed through the boy's eyes. Then it was gone leaving Ran to contemplate the meaning of that emotion he had just barely caught. A tight smile played over the boy's lips and deftly he caught the other man's hand.

                "A…Ran-kun," He started gently. It was kind of cute and really annoying the way Omi would almost call him Aya and then switch to Ran. Sweet really the way the kid tried so hard to remember. He'd been the fastest to adapt to the change yet that shouldn't have surprised Ran since Omi had always wanted to please. The others weren't adapting so well. Ken seemed freaked by it and Yoji bored by it. So really, he had stayed Aya with those two while allowing himself to slowly become Ran again with Omi and his sister. He gave the kid the attention needed and waited to be told whatever the kid obviously wanted to tell him. He stopped whatever instinct of his it was to pull away from the gentle hold that the kid had on him.  "…I think that the plan we've thought of is the best one that we can come up with… with so little information to go on. I mean like the others I can think up of many things that can go wrong. Less but…" He shrugged. "That's the same with all the missions we get handed to us. Could we call it a day? Its almost noon now." Ran nodded before volunteering himself to cook lunch. Although Omi could cook a decent meal, better than Ken and Yoji in any case, Ran's taste bud were still wary and so he thought it would be much safer if he was the one to cook. Before he turned to walk out of the room, Omi asked him in a small tired voice one question that made him pause in his stride and made him remember the worry that had flashed across the Omi's face not too long ago. "Ran-kun, how long has Ken's music been on?" Ran glanced at his watch rather than show the surprise that must have appeared on his face.

                "A couple of hours ago. Two maybe three…"

                "Oh."

                "Anything else?" There was a pause and Omi gave him a smile.

                "Can you keep a secret?" Ran froze… and blinked, making Omi laugh before continuing on. "Ran-kun? Can you?"

                "Aa…"

                "…good. Don't tell the others about our possible mission plan until Manx okays it. I don't want to have to deal with Yoji's teasing since its obvious he won't be picked. And I especially don't want him to pick the outfits that we'll have to wear for tomorrow's testing of the plan." Omi's blue eyes twinkled and Ran let his mask drop a little as he was forced to show some of his amusement at the image of the things he knew Yoji would pick out for them if was allowed to think about the whole thing.

                "Aa." He agreed vocally. He was about to move towards the doorway again when Omi's voice stopped him once more.

                "Ran-kun, could we order pizza or something? I…" The boy paused, choosing his words carefully. "He only listens to music this loud when he's hiding something." Omi finally confided. 'Hiding something' as he used it let Ran know immediately that it was pain, whether mental or physical, it didn't matter… it was something all of them did. Omi slumped forward a bit, suddenly finding something really interesting on the ground, unable to meet Ran's violet gaze. "I know… I know that I'm part of what's bothering Ken but I think… I think that if we could all hang out today, maybe he'd feel better. Could we?" Ran didn't think the suggestion was that wise. The four of them never did anything together unless it was work. Work in the flower shop or work as assassins. Never did they just relax all four together. Yet when he wanted to point this out to the boy he found himself caught in blue eyes that were entirely too pleading, reminding Ran painfully of Aya-chan and Sakura. He let himself nod without wanting to. "Arigato." A smile greeted Ran's silent response.

                "Why don't you already go…" Ran motioned towards the hallway, where Ken's closed door faced Omi's open one. "…I'll go tell Yoji to close the shop while I order the pizza?" Omi raised an eyebrow at the suggestion but didn't say anything as he nodded. The two left Omi's room, separating as Omi's footsteps stopped after a few feet. He knocked tentatively at the door but was greeting with nothing except the continuation of the loud blasting music. Gently he twisted open the doorknob and let himself enter. He stood there, in the doorway, waiting to be noticed. He watched with a forced smile as Ken tried to lose himself in the music.

                It hadn't been the first time that Ken used this means to get out of his… thought? Conscience? Whatever the thing that plagued him constantly was named. It had started since Yuriko. Yuriko…The name was strange to Omi, having never met the girl that for a few days had become the guardian…protector of Ken's hurt soul. She had been his angel… someone that had helped him get through what must have been the most painful days…

And then she had gone.

'She was able to do all the things I failed to do…' Omi thought as something twisted painfully inside of him. He'd always tried… always tried so hard to make sure that all of them would be okay. That all of them would know that he'd be there, no matter what. Yet… He shook his head.

                "Oy Ken-kun!" Omi muttered, pushing himself off the wall. He took a step forward and reached out with one hand, barely touching Ken's shoulder as the brunette continued to move to the music without taking any notice of the world around him. At the touch though the twenty year old halted, a half yelp caught in his throat. He turned around, eyes wide, to see Omi standing there, a smile on his tired face with a torn expression of worry and amusement sparkling in his blue eyes. "Ohayo Ken-kun."

                "Omi!" Ken's hand went up to rest where his heart still tried to leap it's way out of his chest. "YOU SCARED ME… baka." He growled, reaching out to turn the volume down. He stopped though, an evil thought making him smile.

                "Gomen Ken-kun, but you were'nt responding at all when I knocked and when I called out your… hey! Wha-what? Ken-kun!" Omi yelped as he was spun in the opposite direction than that of which he had planned on going. "Ken-kun! No…no… help!" Ken laughed as Omi let himself fall in a sprawled heap on the ground after having lost his balance. Looking back up, Omi blew his bangs out of his face before gently biting his lip into a pout. "No fair Ken-kun."

                "Don't do that." Ken muttered, giving Omi a hand up.

                "Do what?" Omi asked innocently, making his eyes larger.

                "That!" Ken pointed out. "Acting all innocent and cute… I know you're not that innocent."

                "I don't know what you're talking about." Omi huffed out. Ken hid a grin and shook his head, knowing the argument was a lost cause.

                "So…? What are you doing here?" Ken asked, changing the subject. "Other than trying to give me a heart attack that is? Did you guys figure out a plan?" Omi gave a large smile at the last question and shook his head, making his way for Ken's bed. He sat on it, remaining silent. "What?" Ken muttered, bewildered. The brunette sat next to Omi giving him a shove. After getting shoved back with a chuckle, Omi stated something that made Ken blink multiple times.

                "It's a secret. You'll find out about it tomorrow." With that said and ignoring Ken's look of confusion, Omi went to Ken's radio to switch the station. Ken continued to blink as his mind tried vainly to wrap around that bit of information.

                "What…?" He was lost. A secret? That was new. It took him a few minutes before he realized that his musical taste had been dissed. "OY Omi! I happened to like that song!" The blue eyes that turned to him were a bit too light, dancing with mischievousness like those of a younger brother who knows exactly how to get in the older brother's way without getting trouble with the parents. The only problem was that they weren't brothers. And they didn't have parents.

                "Honto ni?" Omi asked, scrunching his nose.

                "You. Are. Impossible." Ken muttered dangerously. "And what is this? A secret plan?" He flopped down on his back giving Omi a scowl. He reached swatting at the eighteen year old's hand to get away from his radio. He didn't bother to switch it back to the previous radio station, realizing that Omi did know the better stations. Kid with technology knowledge… "Grrrr…"

                "Growling Ken-kun?" Omi asked playfully. "That's kinda scary."

                "What is this?" Yoji's voice sounded from the doorway before Ken could reply to Omi's comment. "First we get a cranky Omi-and god knows I don't ever want to see that again- but then! Wonders of wonders-Aya or Ran or whoever the hell he is- the cold, I don't care if you're having a bad day or if you're dying, you will work today, Aya… told me to close the shop early. Even though there were still customers. He said it was a holiday… sort of…" Yoji blinked and shook his head, his mouth still open in amazement. "Am I delirious? Is that it? Did I not wake up today or something?" Omi gave into the laughter that had been threatening to leave his mouth ever since Yoji had walked into the room. Ken pulled himself up halfway into a sitting position, leaving all of his weight to rest on his elbows. The brunette blinked.

                "Really? A day off?" He then blushed guiltily, realizing that he'd left Yoji alone to work in the flower shop. Words were lost to him as he stared at Yoji waiting to be yelled at. Omi sat, arms around his aching lungs as he tried to get his breath back.

                "Bakas. Both of you." He finally got out. "I asked him if we could and he said yes."

                "You WHAT?" Yoji and Ken yelled in his ears, making Omi sit on the side of Ken's bed with wide eyes.

                "I…"

                "You asked him and he said yes?" They both asked again in an incredulous voice. Omi nodded, not trusting his voice as his began laughing again. "I can't believe this." Yoji muttered, leaning on the doorframe. "A fucking miracle. You are a fucking miracle Omittchi. Get cranky more often… it has a positive effect on Aya." Ken shook his head at Yoji's weird deductions and pushed the laughing boy off his bed. At the yelp the boy gave along with the thud noise that was of consequence from his butt slapping the wooden floor, Ken looked over the side of the bed and stuck his tongue out, not really knowing why he was so relieved all of a sudden and why he was so dang hyper. He pushed himself off of his own bed, ignoring Omi's sputterings, to go and cut short Yoji's musings on Omi's crankiness and Aya's sudden mood change.

                "Oy Yoji…don't you think we should thank Omi for the day off."

                "Hmm? Oh sure… thank you Chibi." Ken bopped the older man on the head.

                "Not in that way! Baka." Yoji looked at Ken as if the twenty year old had suddenly grown horns. He reached to rub his head with a doleful expression in his eyes. "Omi loves to dance, ne Omi?" Yoji blinked. Omi sweat dropped. Yoji looked at Omi's suddenly scared expression. Yoji smiled. Ken smiled.

…And Omi was left to grap a pillow in defense and swat at the other two as they tried to teach the eighteen year old how to dance.

                Ran opened the door with a quick flick of the wrist and nodded with only half of his mind on the conversation that was supposedly taking place with him. Aya-chan, the real Aya, let herself in, her braids swinging with the motion before they gently fell back to touch her back. He'd gotten in touch with Manx-letting her be in charge of getting everything they would need for tomorrow. The worry that had touched Manx's eyes last night had washed away at the plan, leaving only amusement and snicker that painted itself upon her red lips. Ran had gotten the pizza and for some unknown reason, had bumped into his sister along the way home. Aya-chan had immediately pounced on the chance to spend time with her older brother and his… 'friends'. He sighed a bit wearily as he balanced the hot pizza box on the other hand so he could close the door behind him. The headache that had plagued him still hadn't left him and he gave another, deeper sigh as he climbed up the stairs and was greeted with loud, blaring, deep bass, drum filled music. His eyes slitted dangerously as he placed the pizza on the kitchen table and climbed the next set of stairs along with a now quiet younger sister to go and shut that darned music off.

                "RAN-KUN! HELP!" The scream reached his ears before he had even managed to make his way into the room. "HELP!"

                "Bishonen…" Yoji's voice. Ran sighed again, hoping that the man along with Ken hadn't totally tortured the kid with their brotherly teasing. "Aya isn't coming back for another fifteen minutes at least. Why can't you just relax and have fun?"

                "I refuse!" Omi snapped. "I refuse to let you two make me look and act like a fool. I refuse to dance!" There was a pause and Ran shook his head at the sight that was before him. Omi stood on the bed, perched in a defensive stance, ready to let the pillow that he gripped so tightly in his hand go flying on Ken and Yoji's head if they ever got too close. One would have thought that Yoji, being four or five years older than Omi and Ken being two years older than Omi would have been able to capture the kid. Yet, Yoji looked perplexed and amused, his wavy light hair a mess. And Ken… well Ken was dancing. And that was all that was needed to be said about that sight. Ran tried to have a stern look on his face. Aya-chan who stood next to him let a soft 'oh' escape from her lips before letting a giggle follow up on that sound. Ran had to agree with her on that.

                "Will you please turn that ridiculous noise off." Ran phrased it in such a way that it should have been a question yet the tone in which he said it let no one miss the order. Such a silent voice, how it could always be heard, even over such noise, Ken would never know. But he froze in his movements, his brown eyes wide as he turned to see the redhead at the doorway with his sister by his side. Yoji froze as well, an uh-oh I got caught look on his face. And Omi… he smiled in relief and dropped his pillow.

                "Yokata…what took you so long?" Omi asked, brushing his hair out of his face. He hopped off the bed and lowered the music. "I though you'd never come back." Yoji hmphed and lit a cigarette as he let one hand slide through his messed up hair. Ken coughed a bit, letting his arms drop to his sides.

                "The pizza is on the table." Ran turned away, Omi following close behind him with Aya-chan as the two exchanged happy greetings.

                "Well…" Ken muttered giving Yoji a sideways look. "He didn't scream at you for smoking…"

                "Shut up." Yoji muttered back.

                "Come on. Let's go eat." He draped an arm over Yoji's shoulder and both of them sang on their way to the lunch table.

…