Note from Chiyo Hoshi, my typist: Be amazed be very amazed I am actually working on this. Ha I told you that I would get this done!!! By this weekend.
In addition to this, Chiyo Hoshi would like to dedicate this chapter to Sapphire Rains. We love your reviews! Keep it up.
Also, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Misura. I love your fics! Thanks for reviewing!
Warning: Okay, not much except for Yohji-dumbness and Omi-bitchiness. And Aya being Aya and Ken just in the background. Also, plant abuse.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone mentioned in this fic. I wish I did but I'll probably never get my wish. ~tear~
Confessions and Death Glares
When Yohji returned to the shop, Ken and Omi were ready. Both were grinning hugely.
'Oh, shit.' Yohji thought and gulped. Just then Aya walked in.
"Oh, Aya-kun," Omi said, beaming. "I got a study session with some school friends so Yohji-kun volunteered to take my shift.
Aya raised and eyebrow.
"Yohji, volunteer for work?" he asked tone incredulous.
"I had to do some...persuasion but yea!" Omi beamed.
"Hn," Aya gave his classic answer.
As Omi and Ken scurried out the door, Omi had the nerve to wink at Yohji.
Yohji thought about talking to Aya like his two teammates wanted him to, really he did. He thought long and hard on the subject. In the end . . . he ended up hiding in the back room all afternoon, cataloging things that have already been cataloged, threatening to trim the shrubbery bald. Anything but go out and facing Aya!
Consequently, when Omi returned from school, he found Aya alone, trying to hold down the fort against rabid fan-girls.
"Where's Yohji?" Omi asked
"In the backroom," Aya grunted.
Omi's _expression became troubled.
"Have you and Yohji-kun gotten into a fight, Aya-kun?" Omi asked.
"I would, except he hasn't shown his face all afternoon," Aya grunted, muttering something that oddly sounded like, "Shi-ne Kudoh."
Omi marched to the backroom, a resolved look on his face. He burst through the door.
"KOUDOH YOHJI!" Omi yelled. "You are a good for nothing coward! Get your lazy ass over here!"
Yohji peered cautiously over the bush he was tending, took one look at Omi's face and went back to hiding.
"Gonna hide, huh?" Omi asked, not really expecting an answer. "Well then you won't mind me going out there to tell Aya-kun you have wet dreams about him, huh?" Omi made as if to leave to do just that.
"Noooo!" Yohji screamed, flying out of his hiding place "Anything but that." He latched on to Omi's leg, refusing to let go.
Omi looked down at the pathetic man attached to his leg and sighed.
"Alright, Yohji-kun," Omi said. "I'll give you one more chance. Me and Ken'll let you close out the shop alone with Aya-kun. If you don't tell him then..." Omi gave Yohji a threatening look.
"Okay," Yohji said with a sigh.
The rest of the afternoon was hell for Yohji. He jumped at shadows, which made him drop things, which made Aya glare at him more, which made him drop even more things . . . .
"Aya-kun, I have a big test tomorrow so can I go study for it, please?" Omi said suddenly.
"Huh?" Yohji said startled. "Wait but it's not..." Yohji looked at the clock. It was closing time. 'Oh shit,' he thought.
"And I've got a soccer match," Ken chimed in.
"But, but..." Yohji stuttered.
"I'm sure you and Aya-kun can handle closing alone, can't you Aya-kun?" Omi made a puppy face.
"Hn," Aya replied.
"Great!" Omi beamed.
"But...but..." Yohji protested weakly. Omi and Kn were already out of the shop.
"Come on, Kudoh," Aya said. "Make yourself useful."
'Okay, if I stay busy enough, I could convince Omi I was too busy to bring it up,' Yohji thought desperately.
"Pst," a voice hissed Yohji looked toward the source of the hiss and blanched. Omi was hiding behind the counter. Omi scowled at Yohji and mouthed, "Go tell him."
Yohji gave Omi a nervous look and walked toward where Aya stood, watering plants.
"Uh, Aya?" Yohji asked "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Aya turned around to regard Yohji.
"Of course, if you're too busy, we can talk later." Yohji said quickly, trying to wiggle out of it.
"Out with it Kudoh," Aya said abruptly.
"Uh, well." Yohji stuttered. He took a deep breath and plunged in at top speed.
"Ireallylikeyouwillyougooutwithme?" He almost screamed.
Aya stared at him for a moment.
'Oh, great,' Yohji thought. 'I'm a gonner.'
Abruptly, Aya reached up and, before Yohji could flinch away, placed his hand on Yohji's forehead.
'What is he doing?' Yohji thought 'Marking the spot where his katana is going to go?'
"Nope, no fever." Aya announced.
There was a soft thud behind the counter where Omi face vaulted. Aya didn't seem to notice.
"Did the other two put you up to this?"
"N...No," Yohji replied, confused.
"So you're telling me that you, the womanizing Kudoh. Yohji is voluntarily asking a guy out?"
"Actually I am bi. I just don't see too many good-looking guys walking into our store."
Aya raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Are you attracted to me?" Aya asked. The question took Yohji completely by surprise.
"I...uh...yea," he stuttered before he could think. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
"Then why didn't you say something before?"
"Well, uh, I didn't become attracted to you until last night..." he began. Soon, he found himself telling Aya the whole story about the video tape. He also found himself fending off a number of death glares. In fact if looks could kill Yohji's angel would be dead by now.
After the whole story was revealed, Aya simply sighed.
"Come talk outside," he said. "I don't want prying ears to hear us." He looked pointedly at the counter. Maybe he wasn't so oblivious after all . . . .
He opened the door leading outside the Koneko. After both men were outside, Aya shut the door firmly. Taking another sigh, he began to speak.
"The man you fell in love with was Fujimiya Ran, not this...thing inhabiting this body," he gestured toward himself.
"Until Takitori's dead, I cannot go back to being Ran."
"Why? Why, Aya? What has he done to you worth such a great sacrifice? You sacrifice yourself for this cause. Why?"
"He took something from me and I can never get it back. For that, he must die," Aya replied. "I do not expect you to understand but know that it's something I need to do."
Yohji thought for a moment then nodded.
"Alright," Yohji said. "I'll wait for you, Ran, because I know you will be worth it. Just don't think I will wait forever." With that, he went back into the shop.
Aya sighed again and followed Yohji back into the shop.
Omi and Ken found it impossible to weasel the story out of Yohji. They tried all manners of persuation: Wheedling, threatening, begging (Omi used his special puppy dog eyes), they even tried to ask nicely once. Nothing seemed to work. This ticked them off and they refuse to talk to Yohji for a month. In the end, they finally dropped it. Thus, the matter went uninvestigated.
Here ends chapter 3. I know, not the best place to stop but . . . well, you'll get the rest soon. I think . . . .
In addition to this, Chiyo Hoshi would like to dedicate this chapter to Sapphire Rains. We love your reviews! Keep it up.
Also, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Misura. I love your fics! Thanks for reviewing!
Warning: Okay, not much except for Yohji-dumbness and Omi-bitchiness. And Aya being Aya and Ken just in the background. Also, plant abuse.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone mentioned in this fic. I wish I did but I'll probably never get my wish. ~tear~
Confessions and Death Glares
When Yohji returned to the shop, Ken and Omi were ready. Both were grinning hugely.
'Oh, shit.' Yohji thought and gulped. Just then Aya walked in.
"Oh, Aya-kun," Omi said, beaming. "I got a study session with some school friends so Yohji-kun volunteered to take my shift.
Aya raised and eyebrow.
"Yohji, volunteer for work?" he asked tone incredulous.
"I had to do some...persuasion but yea!" Omi beamed.
"Hn," Aya gave his classic answer.
As Omi and Ken scurried out the door, Omi had the nerve to wink at Yohji.
Yohji thought about talking to Aya like his two teammates wanted him to, really he did. He thought long and hard on the subject. In the end . . . he ended up hiding in the back room all afternoon, cataloging things that have already been cataloged, threatening to trim the shrubbery bald. Anything but go out and facing Aya!
Consequently, when Omi returned from school, he found Aya alone, trying to hold down the fort against rabid fan-girls.
"Where's Yohji?" Omi asked
"In the backroom," Aya grunted.
Omi's _expression became troubled.
"Have you and Yohji-kun gotten into a fight, Aya-kun?" Omi asked.
"I would, except he hasn't shown his face all afternoon," Aya grunted, muttering something that oddly sounded like, "Shi-ne Kudoh."
Omi marched to the backroom, a resolved look on his face. He burst through the door.
"KOUDOH YOHJI!" Omi yelled. "You are a good for nothing coward! Get your lazy ass over here!"
Yohji peered cautiously over the bush he was tending, took one look at Omi's face and went back to hiding.
"Gonna hide, huh?" Omi asked, not really expecting an answer. "Well then you won't mind me going out there to tell Aya-kun you have wet dreams about him, huh?" Omi made as if to leave to do just that.
"Noooo!" Yohji screamed, flying out of his hiding place "Anything but that." He latched on to Omi's leg, refusing to let go.
Omi looked down at the pathetic man attached to his leg and sighed.
"Alright, Yohji-kun," Omi said. "I'll give you one more chance. Me and Ken'll let you close out the shop alone with Aya-kun. If you don't tell him then..." Omi gave Yohji a threatening look.
"Okay," Yohji said with a sigh.
The rest of the afternoon was hell for Yohji. He jumped at shadows, which made him drop things, which made Aya glare at him more, which made him drop even more things . . . .
"Aya-kun, I have a big test tomorrow so can I go study for it, please?" Omi said suddenly.
"Huh?" Yohji said startled. "Wait but it's not..." Yohji looked at the clock. It was closing time. 'Oh shit,' he thought.
"And I've got a soccer match," Ken chimed in.
"But, but..." Yohji stuttered.
"I'm sure you and Aya-kun can handle closing alone, can't you Aya-kun?" Omi made a puppy face.
"Hn," Aya replied.
"Great!" Omi beamed.
"But...but..." Yohji protested weakly. Omi and Kn were already out of the shop.
"Come on, Kudoh," Aya said. "Make yourself useful."
'Okay, if I stay busy enough, I could convince Omi I was too busy to bring it up,' Yohji thought desperately.
"Pst," a voice hissed Yohji looked toward the source of the hiss and blanched. Omi was hiding behind the counter. Omi scowled at Yohji and mouthed, "Go tell him."
Yohji gave Omi a nervous look and walked toward where Aya stood, watering plants.
"Uh, Aya?" Yohji asked "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Aya turned around to regard Yohji.
"Of course, if you're too busy, we can talk later." Yohji said quickly, trying to wiggle out of it.
"Out with it Kudoh," Aya said abruptly.
"Uh, well." Yohji stuttered. He took a deep breath and plunged in at top speed.
"Ireallylikeyouwillyougooutwithme?" He almost screamed.
Aya stared at him for a moment.
'Oh, great,' Yohji thought. 'I'm a gonner.'
Abruptly, Aya reached up and, before Yohji could flinch away, placed his hand on Yohji's forehead.
'What is he doing?' Yohji thought 'Marking the spot where his katana is going to go?'
"Nope, no fever." Aya announced.
There was a soft thud behind the counter where Omi face vaulted. Aya didn't seem to notice.
"Did the other two put you up to this?"
"N...No," Yohji replied, confused.
"So you're telling me that you, the womanizing Kudoh. Yohji is voluntarily asking a guy out?"
"Actually I am bi. I just don't see too many good-looking guys walking into our store."
Aya raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Are you attracted to me?" Aya asked. The question took Yohji completely by surprise.
"I...uh...yea," he stuttered before he could think. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
"Then why didn't you say something before?"
"Well, uh, I didn't become attracted to you until last night..." he began. Soon, he found himself telling Aya the whole story about the video tape. He also found himself fending off a number of death glares. In fact if looks could kill Yohji's angel would be dead by now.
After the whole story was revealed, Aya simply sighed.
"Come talk outside," he said. "I don't want prying ears to hear us." He looked pointedly at the counter. Maybe he wasn't so oblivious after all . . . .
He opened the door leading outside the Koneko. After both men were outside, Aya shut the door firmly. Taking another sigh, he began to speak.
"The man you fell in love with was Fujimiya Ran, not this...thing inhabiting this body," he gestured toward himself.
"Until Takitori's dead, I cannot go back to being Ran."
"Why? Why, Aya? What has he done to you worth such a great sacrifice? You sacrifice yourself for this cause. Why?"
"He took something from me and I can never get it back. For that, he must die," Aya replied. "I do not expect you to understand but know that it's something I need to do."
Yohji thought for a moment then nodded.
"Alright," Yohji said. "I'll wait for you, Ran, because I know you will be worth it. Just don't think I will wait forever." With that, he went back into the shop.
Aya sighed again and followed Yohji back into the shop.
Omi and Ken found it impossible to weasel the story out of Yohji. They tried all manners of persuation: Wheedling, threatening, begging (Omi used his special puppy dog eyes), they even tried to ask nicely once. Nothing seemed to work. This ticked them off and they refuse to talk to Yohji for a month. In the end, they finally dropped it. Thus, the matter went uninvestigated.
Here ends chapter 3. I know, not the best place to stop but . . . well, you'll get the rest soon. I think . . . .
