Act Three

His heart soared as he recognised the figure sat on the bed, and said, as jauntily as he could, 'thought you'd be here. Room 470, right?'

Omi jumped and dropped what he'd been holding. Ken saw the dart roll away into a corner. He looked at Omi in disbelief.

'No…' he said hoarsely, '…you weren't…'

Omi looked away, his heart beating painfully. How had Ken found him? What had led him to open the door at that very moment?

His thoughts were interrupted by Ken grabbing his shoulders and slamming him against the wall. He gasped.

'You listen to me Omi, OK? There is NO WAY you're backing out now! Not after everything you've been through! You hear me? The Omi I know would never be so cowardly! Got that?'

Omi was too stunned to move. Ken felt his anger drain away. It was OK. He'd got here in time. Omi was OK. Everything was… Everything was OK… He let go of Omi's shoulders.

Omi looked at him in the darkness. If Ken hadn't come through the door just then, he would have done it. The muscles in his arms had been ready. There had been nothing stopping him.

'But… If I'd died, I wouldn't've been able to see Ken-kun again…and I…'

He stopped that thought… and he what?

'I love him…' He blinked, then realised it was true. It all made sense. It made sense how amazing it had felt when Ken had kissed him before…It made sense why he loved being around him…

Omi came back to reality with a start. Ken had sat down next to him on his bed, and had laid his head back against the wall.

'Omi, you scared the shit out of me,' he said quietly. His hand was near Omi's and Omi could feel it trembling.

He thought. How would he have felt if the situation had been opposite? If Ken had… He suddenly found his throat had tightened. He gasped slightly. If just imagining it was affecting him like this…how must Ken have felt…?

'I'm sorry, Ken-kun,' he whispered. Ken sighed, but his voice wasn't steady as he spoke again.

'Just promise me you'll never do anything so damn stupid ever again.'

'I promise,' Omi said, and that put him in mind of another promise he'd made. He turned and nuzzled at Ken's arm until it was over him, and snuggled close to him.

'You know I promised you I'd tell you everything someday,' he said, before Ken could react, 'well, I want to do it now.'

'OK,' Ken said.

So Omi told him everything. He told him about his kidnapping, about how Persia had rescued him, about how he'd lived inside Kritiker for nearly ten years, learning to be a Weiss at the same time as learning how to do algebra.

Ken listened, his heart twisting as he heard Omi talk about Persia. Could he tell him now…?

'Omi,' he said gently, when the boy had finished, 'I can't tell you this in any way that won't hurt you, but I think you deserve to know.'

Omi's face turned upwards to look at him.

'What is it, Ken-kun?' he asked softly.

'It's…your father.'

'What about him?' Omi said tightly. Ken sighed, and hugged Omi closer to him.

'Reiji Takatori wasn't your father, Omi.'

'He wasn't? Then who was?'

'Shuichi Takatori.'

Omi was silent, but Ken could feel him shaking.

'Then who was my mother?'

Ken swallowed.

'Kikuno Takatori,' he said, 'Reiji's wife.'

Omi's heart was beating in his ears.

No, Ken was lying, it couldn't be true…but it made sense. Why Persia had rescued him, why he always smiled when he saw him. The sad expressions that used to cross his face when he looked at him…presumably because Omi reminded him of Kikuno. His father had loved him! And he'd been there all the time!

Omi groaned and his hands tightened on Ken's shirt, then he began to sob. Ken hugged him tightly, willing all the pain to go away, but knowing that it never truly would.

Omi didn't remember how long he sat crying. What eventually stopped him was Ken's hand on his face lifting it gently. Omi blinked, his eyes sticky. The other boy's face was sad.

'I guess I made a promise too, huh?' Something in his voice made Omi not want to hear his story. He knew that making Ken relive it would only cause pain.

'Ken-kun,' he whispered, 'really, you don't have to…'

'No, I want to tell you,' Ken said thickly, 'I've never wanted to tell anyone else.'

Omi swallowed. Then he reached up and put one hand on Ken's face, turning it towards him. He moved so he was sat in front of Ken and Ken's arms were around his waist, then he leant forward and kissed him tenderly.

'I love you,' he whispered, then laid his head on his chest.

He felt Ken rest his head on his own, and felt his arms tighten around him.

Slowly, Ken's story came out. Omi heard about how he was an orphan, with only vague recollection of his mother. Ken told him about his scholarship, going to Sports College, and then finally getting chosen for a Premiership team. Omi was very quiet. He'd had no idea.

Then Ken told him about the thrown match and the set-up in the warehouse. He gasped.

'Wasn't Kase the name of one of our secondary objectives?'

'Yes,' Ken said. Omi reached up and stroked his face gently.

'Go on,' he said.

There wasn't much more to tell. Ken told him about Bagheera finding him and his burns being treated. Omi thought back. So that was what the bandages had been for.

'Were you really badly burned?' Ken nodded.

'Most of it was out of sight, 'though,' he said, 'and it's all healed now.'

Neither of them said anything for a while, then Omi said, 'We're a couple of screw-ups, aren't we?'

Ken nodded forlornly, but suddenly his brain shouted at him.

'Hello! Yes, hello, this is your brain. Just wanted to point out that Omi is sitting on you, and a few minutes ago he kissed you and said that he loved you. For God's sake stop feeling sorry for yourself! That will be all.'

'Omi?' he said, 'I love you too.'

Omi looked up, and grinned, although his face was still damp, and strands of hair were still stuck to his cheeks.

'Then kiss me, idiot,' he laughed. Ken was only too happy to oblige. He let his hand slip under Omi's T-shirt and Omi broke away from him with a gasp.

'Oh!' He cried, and Ken, greatly encouraged, rid him of the garment. He let both his hands wander over Omi's beautiful body, jumping slightly when Omi gasped, 'Oh yes, just like that… Oh Ken…'

And then Omi's lips were on his again, insistent and passionate. Ken responded, groaning slightly. He co-operated as Omi tried to remove his shirt, then slid his arms around his love, pulling him closer so their skin was touching, Omi could make out, even in the dark, the angry scars across Ken's chest and sides. Tears pricked in his eyes, but his mind was taken off that by Ken's lips finding his again.

Omi gasped, then pulled away slightly and started to nip and kiss Ken's neck and shoulder, remembering how good it had felt when Ken had done that to him months ago.

Ken jumped as Omi nipped him.

'Ow!' he thought, 'but then again…mmm…'

He tangled his hands in Omi's slightly damp hair before running his hands all the way down the boy's spine. Omi arched back, mewling.

'Ah!' But Ken drew his hand back up, pausing with it on the back of Omi's head, then pulling him forward to kiss him slowly and lovingly.

They broke apart.

'I love you so much,' Omi said softly, one hand caressing Ken's face, 'I guess all that shitty stuff was destiny.'

'Well, I don't care what it was,' Ken chuckled, 'as long as I get to have you at the end of it all.'

Omi snuggled against him.

'We can't stay here,' Ken pointed out, 'there's no heating, it'll be worse than being outside. I've got a place. We can go there.'

Omi nodded, and reached for his T-shirt, pulling it on. Ken did likewise. Then he got up.

'C'mon,' he said gently, 'this place is in the past now.'

Omi nodded. He was right. Kritiker was his past, but Ken was here right now. He took the hand that was offered to him, and together, they walked out of the room.