Force of Habit: Part Two

Author's Note: Okay, first up thanks to everyone who reviewed and a really big apology to everyone who couldn't – I really need to check the fine print more often. But the anonymous review block has been lifted and here is more Weiss goodness with added Ken and Omi for this part. Plus I managed to keep my bad language more in check for this part. Hope you like it!

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Yohji glanced around the room, letting his eyes linger over the plastic chair, the array of monitors and wires – all thankfully now unplugged and detached from himself, the blinds that matched the featureless walls and ceiling, and the single injection of colour which came from the collection of flowers Fujimiya had brought him.

Fujimiya. That strangely uptight redhead, who despite his apparent tendency to get unnerved while simply in the blond's presence, had been his most frequent visitor. Who, according to his only other visitor, Manx, lived with two young men above a flower shop. And those two young men were currently on their way here, to pick up Yohji and take him back to the florists with them. Yohji rolled his eyes and let himself fall back onto the bed. If those two were expecting much stuff to collect, they'd be in for a surprise. Yohji had only the clothes on his back – and they weren't even his.

Yohji glanced down at the plain grey sweater and jeans in distaste, plucking at the fabric with his fingers. The clothes he had been brought in wearing had been covered in blood and torn beyond repair, according to Fujimiya's emotionless explanation. So the hospital staff had managed to find some items in his size – at least until he got around to buying some things of his own. And that couldn't happen soon enough, the blond reflected as he pulled at the sweater's high collar. Okay, so he may not have any idea of how he usually dressed, but he had to have better taste than this. He'd checked himself out and he had one seriously good body, obviously toned and trimmed through lots of gym sessions or something because muscle tone like his took work. And it would be a waste to hide it under bulky, shapeless clothing, wouldn't it?

An energetic knock at the door caused Yohji to look up from his sprawled position on the bed as the door opened to admit two strangers. A teenaged blond entered first, waving a bunch of white flowers – Yohji had no idea what particular kind they were- in front of him while an older brunette followed close behind. The elder of the pair was holding a rather muddied football under one arm, and from the splatters on his clothes, had obviously been playing a game or two before coming to the hospital. The blond youth caught Yohji's eye and a huge grin spread over his face. "Hi! You're Kudoh Yohji, right?"

Yohji nodded, feeling a small smile of his own tug at his cheeks. "Just call me Yohji. I take it you're the two roommates I'm going to be living with."

The blond nodded vigorously, causing long bangs to fall into his blue eyes. "That's right. I'm Omi and this is Ken."

The older teen rolled his dark eyes. "I am capable of speaking for myself, Omi."

Omi blushed. "Sorry! I'm just a little excited right now."

Ken sighed and turned his attention to Yohji. "You ready to go now, or do you still have some packing to do?"

Yohji grinned and spread his arms. "Got nothing to pack. Apparently I had nothing with me when they brought me in. Helps keep the place clean, but doesn't do much for rediscovering my identity." Noting the look of concern on the two men's faces, Yohji quickly laughed. "Don't worry! As far as I'm concerned it's less stuff to worry about losing. A couple paychecks, a couple shopping trips and I'll be fine."

Apparently reassured, Omi smiled. "Well, in that case we should probably head back to the Koneko. Unless we're supposed to wait for Ran or something. I don't suppose he told you if he was finishing early today or not?"

Yohji frowned. "Ran? Do you mean Fujimiya?"

Ken groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes. "He only told you his family name? Why am I not surprised? That is so typical of the guy."

"Ran can seem a little cold," Omi explained hurriedly. "But I think it's just that he's not used to being very open with people. He likes to keep to himself most of the time."

Yohji nodded as he filed away the information. "Thanks for the insight, I thought it was something I'd done to offend the guy."

Ken snickered. "Don't worry about that, I piss the guy off at least five times a day so you wouldn't be the only one." He rubbed a hand through his already messy brown hair. "Well, we've already sorted out all the forms and stuff with Manx so I guess all's that's left is showing you your new place."

Omi frowned as he watched Yohji get to his feet and wander over. "So we're not going to wait for Ran?"

Ken shrugged. "If he wanted to head home with us, he would have been here waiting for us. He's probably got some assessment to finish off or something." He turned to grin at Yohji. "You ready?"

Already feeling less apprehensive and reassured by the friendly smiles and welcoming gestures of his two new roommates, Yohji nodded as the trio headed down the hallway and out of the hospital.

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Birman looked up at the redheaded man that stood before her and narrowed her eyes to match the glare she was currently receiving. "Manx said you would probably show up at some point today. Or are you here for a subject totally unrelated to Kudoh?"

"You're placing Ken and Omi in danger. They have no way of protecting themselves against someone like Void."

Birman sighed. "I thought so." The brunette met Ran's glare head on, seemingly unaffected by the sub-arctic purple orbs. "Do I need to remind you that Ken and Omi are both Kritiker agents?"

Ran shifted his weight slightly as he shook his head. The light from the room's window reflected off his earring as it swung back and forth. "They're agents in training. They're not professional assassins yet, they've never even fought an enemy in a non-simulated situation."

Birman leaned back in her chair. "Your concern for your team-mates is touching, but unnecessary. Ken and Omi have both given us no reason to worry about their ability to protect themselves."

"Against normal assassins maybe, but this is Void."

"Correction, Fujimiya. This is Kudoh Yohji. The assassin known as Void is no more." Birman interjected sharply before letting her features relax into a guarded smile. "But that observation of course is another reason why Ken and Omi are ideal flatmates for Kudoh. They, unlike other, more seasoned assassins have no idea who Void was and so will have no reason to treat Kudoh as anything other than a normal man who has lost his memory from an accident."

Ran frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Oh come now," the woman chided. "You specialise in psychology, do you not? You of all people should know that simply wiping Kudoh's mind clean would achieve nothing without reinforcing the personality traits you inputted."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Operant conditioning. You think positive re-enforcement is the best way to prevent a relapse."

Birman smiled. "Of course. Had we chosen something more Pavlovian in style, or a method involving positive punishment, we no doubt would achieve results quicker, but Kritiker feel a more lasting result is desirable."

Ran nodded absently. "Of course. Pavlovian responses only last as long as the stimulus is applied and positive punishment would mean Void would act as Kudoh only to avoid pain or out of fear. Positive re-enforcement would make him want to continue to act in this new manner even after the stimulus is removed."

"I see you've finally seen the logic behind this decision," Birman said in satisfaction. "Ken and Omi will unwittingly provide Kudoh with a reason for continuing to act in this manner by behaving in a warm and welcoming manner towards him. His disorientation from the mental blocks you set in place will cause Kudoh to feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance. He therefore will not wish to damage his relationships with the pair by acting in a manner contrary to how they expect him to behave."

"The idea is logical but still unacceptable."

Birman gaped, torn between surprise and anger at the redhead's continued stubbornness. "What?"

Ran smirked slightly, causing Birman to narrow her eyes. Fujimiya had obviously found a flaw in Kritiker's plan or he would have accepted the orders without this continued complaint. The young assassin frowned at the dark-haired woman in a vaguely disapproving manner. "You're forgetting two things. First, as both Ken and Omi are training to be assassins for Kritiker they tend to make mistakes. They can get sloppy and should they get involved in a mission during Vo – Kudoh's stay there is a high likelihood of either or both being injured. In any case, they may leave traces around the flat that Kudoh could uncover. This may cause a memory of his previous lifestyle to be trigger, undoing any progress in a matter of minutes."

Birman nodded. "Fine, next point."

"The second point is his previous employers, Schwarz. They'll still be looking for their missing member and by keeping Kudoh in the Koneko you are placing Ken and Omi in danger. However well you seem to think they'll be able to perform against one amnesiac former-assassin, I doubt they could cope with the other four Schwarz, even before you figure in those weird abilities of theirs."

Birman sighed. "I note your concern and will be sure to mention it to the higher authorities, but this decision is final and non-negotiable Ran. Deal with the situation like a professional and attempt to treat Kudoh with something approaching normality."

"You can't expect me to treat Void in the same manner as Ken and Omi."

Birman turned away from the man, ending the conversation. "Naturally not. But if I hear you refer to Kuoh by his former name one more time, I shall impose a visiting ban on your sister. Are we clear?"

A slamming door answered her. Birman tried not to roll her eyes, but the gesture escaped her control.

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Yohji looked around the shop in interest. "It's an impressive selection, but you honestly can't expect me to remember the names of all these flowers."

Omi beamed at the lanky blond over a large display of roses. "It's easier than you'd think. Plus it's not like there's anything else in your head right now, is there? You'll probably soak it all up like a sponge."

Ken chuckled from his position beside Yohji. "Don't worry," he said confidingly to the worried looking man. "You'll pick it up quickly enough, even if you're not some sort of boy genius like Omi here."

Yohji grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "So I'll have to know the latin names as well?"

Omi nodded. "Yeah, but don't worry about what the flowers symbolise. Ran knows all that stuff and we tend to leave it up to him anyway."

The green eyed man frowned as he let his eyes travel over the assorted displays again. "Flowers have meaning? Other than guys apologising to their girlfriends or to smell nice?"

Ken nodded. "Apparently so. It's a Victorian thing or something, used to be used like a secret code between lovers and so forth." The young brunette rolled his eyes and gave Yohji a lop-sided grin. "But before you decide to go developing hay-fever on us or something to get out of shifts, let's show you your room."

Yohji laughed and followed the young man, taking care to file that excuse in his mind for future use should he incur too many early morning starts.

"So," Ken was explaining. "As you can see, the shop takes up the ground floor and the living quarters are above it on the first floor. We each have our own room, plus there's a living area, a kitchen and a bathroom. As there's just the one, hot water can run a little scarce in the mornings – you have been warned."

"What's in the basement?" Yohji asked, jerking his thumb to where a set of stairs led down. He then frowned at the concerned looks Omi and Ken flashed each other. "Hey, what's up? It's not where you hide the bodies or anything, is it?"

Omi laughed. "Oh no! Nothing like that! It's just where Ran does all his medical work – he needs somewhere quiet to study where we won't disturb him."

Ken joined in with Omi's laughter. "Yeah! And you know what the guy is like, so we just call the place off-limits."

Yohji nodded his understanding. "Gotcha. Thanks for the tip." He turned to where the stairs led up to the first floor. "So which room is mine? And what's the bed like in there?"

Omi bustled past to show Yohji the way, while Ken followed. Yohji found himself warming more and more to the two younger men. Maybe it was the result of being trapped in a hospital for so long with only clinically efficient medical staff and a withdrawn redhead to talk to that made him so appreciative of the effort Ken and Omi were putting into making him feel at home, but Yohji felt like it was more than that. He really liked the pair. Shaking his hair out of his eyes, Yohji made his way up to his new room, feeling more at ease with each step. Recovering his memories would be a lot easier with people like this around him and helping him.

Yohji was jerked out of his reverie by a large pair of innocent blue eyes, blinking at him expectantly. "Well, what do you think? It's a little bare, but we can soon get some stuff for you to decorate it with."

The elder blond turned to look inside his new room and grinned in appreciation at the large bed that took up a good amount of space. "Looks like you got the priorities sorted out though. If that thing's as comfy as it looks, I'll be just fine in here." Crossing over to the bed, the lanky man flung himself down on the mattress and stretched out. "Oooooh, yeah. Me and this bed were made for one another. Already I feel a deep and meaningful bond forming between us."

Ken groaned from the doorway. "You're going to be hell to wake up in the mornings, aren't you? Still, it's good to know you're settling in quickly." The dark-haired man turned his attention to Omi. "Hey, what are we eating tonight? I'm starving."

Omi shrugged. "I hadn't thought of anything." The teen frowned in thought for a moment before grinning brightly at the other two men. "Hey! Seeing as we've got ourselves a new roommate, why don't we go out to eat to celebrate?"

Ken sighed in relief. "Anything that gets me out of cooking tonight has my vote. What do you think, Yohji? Reckon it could be a nice change from all that hospital food?"

Yohji laughed. "The idea's so tempting it may just persuade me to part from the bed. Just don't let me pick the restaurant, or we'll be wandering around the city all night."

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"Shhhhhh!"

"Shut up Ken! I'm trying to be quiet!"

"Looks to me like you're trying to wake up half the street with all that banging. The door opens the other way, Omi."

"I know!"

"Hey, Yohji. Just how much has the chibi had to drink?"

"Can't really say for sure. Kinda lost count myself once we moved off the sake. Man, my head is spinning."

"You were doing better at walking straight than me and Omi. And you managed to get that waitress' number."

"Years of practise, Ken. Well … either that or innate talent."

"Will you two stop laughing so loudly? Ran is not going to be happy if we wake him up. Ah, got the door. Come on. And be quiet!"

"Yes Omi."

"Sure Omi."

"Stop sniggering! Both of you!"

"Ow. Was that the table?"

"Shit, I forgot you don't know your way around yet. I'll get the light."

"Thanks, Ken."

"Uh-oh."

"Umm."

"Hey Ran?"

The sudden light caused the three slightly drunken men to squint at the crimson-haired man that was sitting silently at the table, regarding them with an expression that was far from happy. A mug of coffee, long turned cold, sat untouched in front of him. He fixed the trio with a chilling gaze, but didn't move or speak. The silence in the kitchen stretched.

Ken eventually broke it, stepping forwards and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, we thought it would be nice to go out to eat seeing as it's Yohji's first night here and everything and we didn't think you'd be back from the … uh – hospital until much later so we went without you." At the lack of response, the young man gestured angrily to a piece of paper stuck on the refrigerator behind Ran's head. "We left you a note, don't get pissy!"

Without a word, Ran got slowly to his feet. Three pairs of eyes watched him silently pour the cold coffee down the sink before rinsing out the mug. With a final glare at the others, the redhead turned and left the room. Ken kicked one of the chairs in frustration. "Damn him! I hate it when he gets like this!"

Yohji raised his hands in an effort to placate the irritated man. "Hey, he's probably just stressed from all the work at the hospital. Let him sleep it off and we can apologise tomorrow."

Ken sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

Omi smiled, obviously relieved at Yohji's success in calming the other man down. "I had better get off to bed. Classes start early tomorrow and you two have the morning shift in the Koneko." Oblivious to the duet of groans his remark caused, the young blond headed off for bed. "Sleep well!"

Yohji nodded to Ken before heading out after Omi. "Kid has a point, I guess. It's been a fun evening, Ken."

"Likewise, I think you're going to fit in just fine."

Yohji smiled, but felt a vague pang of doubt. For some reason he just couldn't shake the feeling that the redhead's coldness towards him went beyond a standoffish attitude. The blond yawned and forced his worries to the back of his mind. Tomorrow, he decided, he and Ran Fujimiya were going to have a little chat and maybe he'd find out just why the man seemed to hate him.

TBC