AN: Just before I move directly into the next chapter I'd just like to thank all of you for your input… Those of you who noticed, it is "Nihonjin" and not "Nihongojin" for Japanese people… since Nihonjin directly translates to "Japan-People" *bows* Domo arigatou gozaimasu minna-san! I should get round to changing it eventually O_o!!!

Chapter 10

Frowning and sighing, Aya took the map out of the many folds of his jacket and scanned it again. He was lost… He of all people.
With a cry of mild annoyance Aya thrust it back into his coat and kicked the pedal hard, sending a plume of smoke out behind him as he zoomed noisily down the street. Small children were always trouble. Always small children. But then Aya reprimanded himself. That kind of thinking was what had caused this in the first place.
Taking mental notes of street names he passed, Aya delved deeper into his thoughts. What was Omi's method of thinking? Why had he stormed off like that? Because they were trying to protect him? But what was wrong with protecting someone you valued?
Did Aya-chan think of her elder brother in the same way? Did she frown upon him now in his efforts to protect her? And worse of all… was this her revenge? What he was having to live through for her sake? To see her beautiful eyes look to him again?
His brows knitted in thought and frustration. Skidding a corner so sharply that his knee scraped the floor, Aya still kept his firm gaze fixedly ahead.
No, he decided. She didn't want revenge.

Sitting on the curb, Omi continued to shiver. What was he thinking? He didn't know… He didn't know what he was thinking anymore. He just wanted to sleep. But Omi was an intelligent boy, he knew that sleeping on a curb in a random street was bound to lead to trouble. His unfocused gaze lay on the street before him lazily.
"I'm just a little kid," he murmured, not aware that his thoughts were conveying into words. "I don't count for anything… I wouldn't understand. I… I…" Trailing off the teenager sobbed gently, his chest lunging desperately past the tightness hemming it in. "Doushite!?" [Why?!]
Trembling, Omi hugged his knees to his chest with a gentle sigh. Why had he come all this way? Why was he so confused? Why didn't his team-mates trust him? "Doushite, doushite, doushite, [why, why, why]" the boy murmured. "Naze ka?" [Why is it?]
Closing his eyes, Omi rested his wet forehead against his equally wet knees. He had so many questions. Questions that, a few hours ago, would never have entered his mind as more than fleeting irrelevancies, to be scolded and forgotten in a moment. Now he was on the verge of doubting his very life.
The boy was crying now. He couldn't deny it. What was dripping from his jawline could no longer be classed as rainwater. It had too much of himself in it.
Omi wondered if Aya was ever going to come. His money had run out in the booth over an hour ago. Maybe his doubts were accurate. Maybe he didn't mean anything to anybody. It just wasn't fair! Nobody understood him, or accepted him for what he was anymore! If only…
"Dare ka?! Omi-kun!?" [Who is it?! Omi?!]
Blinking tearstained eyes, Omi looked up to see the redhead had dropped the bike in the road and was running towards him. His expression could have been described as relieved had it been any person other than Aya displaying it. Bending to Omi and hoisting him to his feet, Aya did a most unusual thing. He hugged the boy hard. "Daijoubou ka?" [Are you alright?]
Omi nodded quietly in the embrace. "Un, daijoubou." [Yeah, I'm okay.]
"Magi?" [Really?]
Omi paused. "I'm a little tired… And I think I've got flu. But, yeah, I'm okay."
Releasing the hug, Aya cast a critical eye over Omi, recomposing himself and feeling highly embarrassed. "You look a little pale, you sure you're alright?"
"I'm too warm," murmured Omi, noting the predominantly warning glare. "I think I caught flu." He repeated his earlier words meekly, as though in repeating them the problem would vanish.
Rolling his eyes to himself and guiding a submissive Omi quietly by the shoulders, Aya reminded himself of his previous words. Pulling the bike up from the pavement, Aya helped Omi on and strapped Ken's helmet to the boy's head, relieved to have a reason to be rid of such a horrendous-looking piece of equipment. "Always small children," he murmured to himself, a note of fondness in his voice. "Never an exception."
"Nani?" [What?]
Aya shook his head. He mounted the bike behind Omi and reached past the boy to the handles, his arms almost making a protective barrier at either side of his companion.
"Betsuni Omi-kun, betsuni." [Nothing Omi, nothing.]