Hi… School was catching up on me SO bad (Term's almost over)… So that's why this one came out a lot later than I usually manage. Actually, I had finished the final scene in my head so long ago but had nothing to fill the middle scene with. Frankly, I'm not happy with some parts, but I'm really happy with one of them! So here it is, finally!
Reflection doesn't mean a mirror reflection by the way; it's more of thoughts and stuff.
Chapter 12 – Reflection
Omi tossed in his bed. He finally opened his eyes with a loud sigh. He hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. Everything that had been happening over the past weeks distressed him far too much. Not to mention his little announcement only earlier that day.
He looked over at his clock.
Make that yesterday.
He sighed again, curling up on his bed.
"No use… I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight."
He got slightly, and headed over to his computer to work.
-----*-----
"Hey, Aya."
Aya looked up at Ken. He raised an eyebrow. What now?
Ken opened his mouth to say something. Then closed it. He seemed to think for a while before opening his mouth again. And closing it again.
Aya watched blankly as Ken left the kitchen. He returned to his coffee and the paper.
Five minutes later, Ken returned.
Ken opened his mouth again. Aya actually counted before Ken closed it again. Ten seconds. Fascinating.
He tried counting again when Ken did it once more.
Exactly ten seconds later, the jaw snapped shut once more.
Aya amused himself, watching this happen a few more times before he asked, "Are you done with your goldfish imitation yet?"
Ken shut his mouth one last time, indignant. Finally he sighed and plopped into a chair.
"I can't…"
Can't stop the fish imitation? But what Aya said aloud was, "Hn?"
Ken only shook his head, "I came down here with the perfect speech to ask ya out… or something like that… And I can't… Dunno why… Just felt really weird."
Aya raised an eyebrow at how open Ken was being. Maybe he was just insane again. He made a mental note to check if Ken had been imagining soccer balls to be heads again.
"…Ohayou, minna…………"
Ken and Aya looked up at the very weary voice. Omi trodded into the kitchen. His hair was still a mess, and there were a few circles under his eyes. Even his clothes looked like they had been thrown on in a hurry.
"Heyy!" Ken called, getting up and approaching him. "Are you okay?"
Omi waved a hand at him, "'m fine, Aya-kun…" and he continued on to grab a piece of toast.
Both Aya and Ken stared at him. Ken followed him, "It's Ken, Omittchi… Are you sure you're okay? You don't look too well…"
"Oh! Gomen, Ken-kun!" Omi yawned. "Really… I'm fine…"
"You don't look fine…"
"Ken-kun! It's all right… I just… I just wasn't able to sleep very well last night."
"Nightmares?" Ken couldn't take the concerned tone out of his voice.
"No, Ken-kun. Just… had a lot on mind. So after that, I decided to research all I can about that love-in-idleness thing, to figure out where the stuff came from and maybe figure out how to cure it."
Ken didn't even hear a word of what he said. "You should go back to bed then if you weren't able to sleep."
"Can't…" Omi yawned another time. "Have school…"
"We can make you skip school! You can call in sick or something."
Ken was resisting all his urges to reach out and hug Omi. To comfort him and ask him what was wrong. To lift the boy into his arms and force him to go back to sleep. But he had that pact to hold on to.
"C'mon, Omi… You won't be able to concentrate it school anyway…"
"Ken-kun…"
Ken looked up at Omi. Somehow, the boy had turned around and he was now half-glaring at him.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?" Ken was confused.
"Puttering after me and telling me what to do and what's good for me! You're not my mother…" Omi half-choked on what he said next. "You're definitely not my boyfriend."
Ken felt that sharp pain in his chest. Omi only continued with a soft sigh. "I already told you the truth yesterday. I… I really appreciate it that you're being all concerned for me and everything… But please, Ken-kun… Not for the wrong reasons…"
"R-right," Ken mumbled. "You're right."
Omi finished off his makeshift breakfast, picked up his bag and started to leave. "I have to go now, Aya-kun… Ken-kun… Jaa… See you all later…"
Ken watched mournfully as Omi left.
As soon as he was gone, he said it aloud.
"He hates me."
"Hn?"
Ken jumped. He had almost forgotten that Aya was in the kitchen with them. He steeled himself and repeated bluntly. "You heard me. Omi hates me."
Aya grunted, returning to his paper and coffee. "No he doesn't."
"Yes he does!" Ken said bitterly. "You saw the way he was looking at me! He doesn't want me to like him like this."
He shook his head, "True. But he doesn't hate you."
"What made you the sudden expert?"
Aya raised an eyebrow, "And you say that you are one?"
Ken clenched his teeth. "Look… Ah! Never mind! Why the hell am I bothering?! You're never going to understand what I'm going through here!!"
With that, Ken stomped out of the kitchen.
Aya blinked. What was that all about?
-----*-----
It had taken Ken a while to calm down after his outburst. It was even harder to get him to come out and work in the shop again. All he did was mutter something about Omi and being hated.
Aya shook his head. Either Ken was overreacting greatly, that potion had him a lot worse than ever, or he really did value Omi's friendship that much.
Or was it really just the friendship Ken wanted?
Aya shook his head again. He didn't know anymore, especially with all the insanity that had been happening.
While Ken and Aya were working downstairs (Ken being quite gloomy and uncooperative, Aya had to add), business was quite slow. Aya eventually left Ken by himself, certain that Yohji would be coming down to take over for him soon.
It was half an hour later when it happened. Aya was in the basement, calmly reading a book he hadn't continued in a while. A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, Aya… Thought I'd find ya down here."
Aya didn't even need to bother looking up. He only continued reading his book. The other one…He thought to himself.
Yohji seemed to not care about the response… or lack thereof. One could say he was quite used to it.
"Come on, Aya. Ask me what I've been up to."
Aya didn't say anything. He merely turned the page of his novel. Yohji rolled his eyes, and plopped into the couch beside Aya.
"Fine then. Let's pretend that you did ask me what I've been up to. How's that?"
Still nothing. That didn't stop the older boy from continuing. "All right. My response would therefore be: Nothing much. Ken and I got to talking last night. Dug up some memories I thought I'd like to share."
Aya finally looked up, What's this baka talking about?
"Hah! So you are listening!" Yohji grinned and settled himself into an even more comfortable position. He chuckled a little. "Feh. We were usually sitting like this every time."
When Yohji saw that Aya had an eyebrow raised, he rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that! Don't tell me you've forgotten about my books."
Books? Oh yeah. His books. Aya shrugged his acknowledgment.
"Thought so. Used ta read ya poems by that Edgar Allan Poe fella," Yohji laughed again. "Was fun watching your face all those times."
Aya groaned.
"Then, there was that first time that I read you one of those sappy love poems. Remember?"
Another groan, even louder this time.
"I'll take that as a yes. Found out it was more fun making you blush instead of- …"
He was interrupted by a growl. "I did not blush…"
"And the iceman speaketh!" Yohji exclaimed as if cheering. "Sure, you didn't. You were only half a shade lighter than your hair." He grinned cynically as Aya did just that right now. "Anyway, I got to reading ya more of the stuff. I'm sure ya must have liked them too."
Aya only continued to growl. But then he rolled his eyes and sighed. He leaned back against the sofa.
Yohji looked up in almost thought. "You know… come to think of it… You started going out for dinner with me. And if I didn't know any better, almost seemed like you were looking forward to our little poetry sessions."
Aya made no move to confirm nor deny what Yohji was saying. In his mind, however, he was already replaying the memories. He had always faked sleeping so that Yohji would stop his mindless babbling, but everyday he had always ended up back on the sofa where Yohji could find him for the next reading.
And it really was true. After a while, the playboy had him eating out more often and they'd even watch a movie or a play together. Of course, Yohji would most often be forcing him into it, but in the end he always lost. Probably because Yohji was always nagging him too much.
Yohji was going over the same memories. "You know… Those were some good times… Something went wrong though… Wonder what… AH! Now, I remember!"
Aya looked up at him questioningly, as if curious what was this breakthrough Yohji had stumbled upon.
Yohji rolled his eyes, staring at the door. "Ken came into the picture."
Aya was a little confused on what Ken had to do with anything. Sure, Ken liked him too… before… or maybe he still did. Noone knew for sure anymore because of the chaos they had been thrown into.
The blonde merely sighed, leaning back a little, "Competition's a bitch, isn't it?"
That's when Aya finally understood. With Ken going after him as well, Yohji probably found the need to become more extravagant.
He never even thought that Yohji was possibly courting him back then. It was subtle. But when he found out that Ken was going to start too, he could no longer be subtle or silent.
That's when Yohji and Ken both got irritating, and Aya wanted nothing more than to get away from them. He even stopped going to Yohji's so-called poetry readings, not that he expected them to be happening anymore. And every time any of the two asked him to dinner, the word 'date' always crossed his mind.
Aya simply sighed.
Beside him, Yohji echoed it.
"And to think that now, it's Omi we're both after. Poor kid. For his sake, I hope that this damned thing that I'm on wears off soon."
Aya merely nodded his agreement. Not that Yohji really noticed… or even cared to notice.
"Oh well… Thanks for the chat… Or whatever that was…" Yohji stood up. "Now, excuse me. I still have to brood about the adorable Omittchi and his fantastic legs and ass… and how to GET said legs and ass out of my head forever."
Yohji exited the room, leaving Aya to his thoughts. The redhead watched Yohji's back until it disappeared behind a door. Memories, the same ones that Yohji had brought up, replayed in his mind.
He had to admit there were some rather pleasant ones, some he wouldn't mind at all doing again.
Aya then shook his head, and returned to the book he was reading.
-----*-----
… Wow… I actually got a scene in there that was about Aya and Yohji without any of the other two. And… I actually liked it. ^__^ YAY!!
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