AN: Just interrupting you all briefly! I'd just like to give my sincerest apologies to "Rabbit Yinyueduo"... I nicked the idea my friend... And you have my apologies! Here and irl! *grins* I already told her that, but hey! Anyway... Please continue!! \/O_~
Chapter 9
Omi rubbed at his arms desperately. His jacket felt like a sponge, cold and waterlogged. He glanced at his wrist but found no watch there. Absently he noted that he should head back soon. He'd been gone at least half an hour by his reckoning, although given the attention he'd been paying to the time he could've been gone for hours. He continued in the same direction doggedly, looking to all intents and purposes that he wasn't going home at all.
Aya stood slowly, glancing at the clock. His team-mates had been very lenient. It was now brushing on two o'clock.
"Aya?" Aya looked towards Ken.
"I think it's about time we went to find out what he thinks he's playing at."
Yohji stood in his turn and glanced at the redhead. "One of us should stay here. In case he calls."
Aya blinked in mild surprise, but took the hint. They didn't want Omi to create a scene because of his differences with Aya. They just wanted him to come home with the minimum of objections. Aya nodded. "Fine, I'll stay and wait for a call. But I want you two to call every hour. You understand?"
Ken nodded as he quietly released the locks to let himself out. "Fine, on the hour."
Aya rose to see them both out, catching Yohji's eye as he did so. Yohji held the gaze for several seconds, before bowing his eyes downwards and following Ken in search of their missing piece.
Omi felt awful. That was the only way to put it. The rain had stopped, but a cold breeze had picked up, going right through the jacket as though it wasn't there. Water dripped off Omi's bangs, his cap having been discarded long ago. He took a breath and shivered. But he felt too warm. His forehead felt clammy, despite the chilling wind blowing against his brow.
He sat on the curb, hugging himself hard through his waterlogged jacket. His head fell downwards towards his chest as he slowly slipped towards sleep. But then he blinked and looked up. There was no way he was going to fall asleep sitting on some curb in the middle of nowhere. Anything could happen. Shakily he pushed himself to his feet. He simply felt ill and still confused by the events of the previous evening. He could feel a deep flush across his cheeks and he felt physically sick.
His gaze drifted skywards and he gulped, suddenly in a state of pure and utter fear. There was no way… The sun was already rising. And… Where was he? Omi looked around. He didn't recognise anything. But… He hadn't been walking that long. Honestly, he had meant to go back…
He felt tears of panic and exhaustion standing in his eyes and the lump in his throat vying for domination. What should he do…? Feeling in his pocket Omi felt his shivering fingers clutch around a quarter. This was it. He would phone home. He had memorised the number the day they had arrived.
Looking up Omi scanned the street he was on. A phone booth stood on the corner, looking almost as cold and afraid as Omi felt. Forcing himself to walk forwards Omi approached the booth warily, despite all else being warily of the smashed in windows and scattered glass surrounding it. Stepping in he dropped the quarter into the slot and dialled his home phone number, still shivering almost uncontrollably and still feeling as though he was going to collapse with a fever.
The phone rung loudly. Aya, having put himself within arms reach, leant over and picked it up. "Hello?"
There was a pause on the other end, accompanied by laboured breathing, before Omi's voice finally seemed to push out of the receiver. "Aya-kun?" [Aya?]
Blinking and overcome with both surprise and relief at the sound of Omi's voice, Aya asked quickly, "Daijoubou desu ka?" [Are you okay?]
Omi swallowed audibly. "Hai, daijoubou desu…" [Yes, I'm okay…]
Aya frowned as a small sob escaped Omi's throat, but passed no comment. "Anata, doko?" [Where are you?]
"Boku wa nakunatta desu…" [I'm lost…]
"Nani?!" [What?!]
Omi's voice was quieter than it had been beforehand as he murmured, "Boku wa nakunatta desu Aya-kun…" [I'm lost Aya…]
"Hai," [Right,] murmured Aya distractedly, reaching under the small table the phone was perched on and producing a street map. "Gairo no namae ka?" [Street name?]
"Wakarimasen…" [I don't know…]
"Mimawasu." [Look around.]
Obediently Omi looked about and, squinting in the morning sunlight read the name on the street sign aloud to Aya.
Frowning Aya demanded Omi spell out what he'd just said, noting that the youth was probably pronouncing it the same way you would pronounce romanji. Omi spelt out the street name and Aya flipped through the pages, tutting to himself at random intervals to let Omi know he was still there.
"Aya-kun?" [Aya?]
"Hai?" [Yeah?]
"Boku wa…" [I'm…]
Aya's eyes widened as he heard a single click from Omi's end of the phone. "Matte! Omi-kun!" [Wait! Omi!]
Then sighing, the redhead replaced the receiver he was holding in its cradle. Omi's money must have run out. Taking the map and finding the relevant street Aya was amazed. It would take him at least an hour in a car to travel that distance. Omi must have been walking flat out all night, in the pouring rain. That kid had issues.
Aya took his coat up off the peg it was hung on and tucked the map away in the folds of it. Then, also taking up Ken's helmet and motorcycle keys, Aya went to retrieve Omi from his little excursion.