Aphrael: I am making up for the shortness in this one. This one's much longer…
Mookie: She's happy you thanked her… ^^
Everyone else: All shall be revealed… What is happening to Ken as well as the true nature of Omi and Yohji's conversation two chapters ago!!
Chapter 17 - Revelations
It was a little dark. He could see buildings and lights but didn't understand what they were exactly. There were stars. Was it night time? Maybe that's why it was dark.
There was the hazy form in front of him. He could make out light hair and large blue eyes… and that beautiful smile…
"Omi?" he whispered, reaching out to touch the boy. But his hand ran through the figure and grabbed at nothing. A tear trickled down his cheek. "Omi…"
-----*-----
Aya he stepped out of his parked porsche. Yohji parked his car behind Aya and slipped out. A shaky Omi stepped out of the other door, immediately looking around for Ken.
"Around here," Aya said.
"So where is he?!" Omi yelled, frantically. He definitely didn't like the thought that Ken was just missing somewhere after he had 'lost it'. He looked around and called. "Ken-kun?!"
"Ken?!" Yohji called. "Ken, where are ya, damnit?!"
"Here."
Both blondes perked up and ran to where Aya was standing. He pointed to a figure some distance away, sitting and huddled in the middle of the street.
A pair of headlights was coming up the road. Headlights belonging to a large truck.
-----*-----
There were voices. He didn't understand the voices.
He squinted a bit. There were more lights suddenly. Two? They were a bit far away, but they looked like they were coming closer. Was something coming? It looked big. Very big.
He just shook his head, still confused. He just wanted to get home.
He wanted to find Omi.
-----*-----
"Ken-kun!!" Omi shrieked, breaking into a run but Yohji had already darted ahead of him.
In one swift movement, Yohji scooped Ken up from the road and they tumbled away from the path of the truck. It barely missed them.
"Ken-kun! Yohji-kun!"
Yohji grunted a bit and growled at Ken. "Baka. What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed. And that would have killed Omittchi, too."
He set Ken down on the pavement and looked up. Omi and Aya had caught up to them. He stood, stepping back. Omi immediately rushed forward and fell to his knees.
"K-Ken-kun?" he whispered, shaking Ken gently by the shoulder.
Ken just shook his head, mumbling something unintelligible.
"Ken-kun… Please… it's me…"
Ken blinked a little, looking up at Omi's face.
"……… Omi?"
Omi nodded through his tears, "K-ken-kun…"
"Omi…" A hand came up, fingers lightly brushing against Omi's cheek. "Omi… Is that really you?" A confused look went through his face. "You didn't disappear."
Omi blinked in slight surprise from the touch, but soon he leaned into Ken's hand. He smiled a bit, his own hand reaching up to touch Ken's. "Hai, Ken-kun… It's me… It's Omi… I'm not disappearing."
"… You… came back? You're not going away?"
"H-hai… I came back…" Omi lightly grasped the hand on his face. "I-I wasn't going to leave you, Ken-kun… You know I never would…"
"Omi…" Ken suddenly smiled a little, and he pulled Omi's face closer. "Omi……"
Omi's eyes widened. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and he couldn't breathe.
Ken was kissing him.
Ken was kissing him.
Oh gods… Omi felt tears well up even more in his eyes. "Ken-kun…" His whisper was muffled into Ken's mouth right before he started returning the kiss.
A short distance away, Yohji turned away. Damnit Omi. We just talked about this.
"Thanks again, Yohji-kun. This… This means a lot to me."
"…… Actually, Omi… The reason I brought you here…… I… wanted to…… talk to you… about something…"
"Hm?"
"…… I couldn't help but… well…" Yohji ran a hand through his hair. "About this morning… I lied… It's not okay with me…"
Omi's face fell, "It… It isn't?" he sighed a little, "Yohji-kun… Just like Ken-kun said… If you're being jealous, it's probably the poti-…"
"Omittchi, with or without this potion on me, I worry about you, okay? Whether I'm still after Aya or after you." Yohji had a sad look to his face. "Omi, I… know you like Ken as more than just a friend."
Omi's eyes widened, "Wh-what?"
Yohji actually chuckled a little, "Omi. With the way you danced out of Ken's room, all giddy and on cloud nine after he almost kissed you, I'd think it was pretty obvious. Don't ya think so too?"
A blush crept up to Omi's cheeks. Then he frowned, "But then… he didn't actually mean it…"
"… That's what I wanted to talk about."
"Hm?"
Yohji leaned back and sighed. He took a deep breath and looked at Omi again, "Omi…… Look… I…If you want to be with Ken, I don't mind. Really I don't. But… It's got to be real."
"I… I don't know what… to say, Y-Yohji-kun… I…"
"I'm sorry I brought it up, Omittchi… It's just… Well, it's been eating me up inside…"
"…It's… It's okay, Yohji-kun…" A weak smile lit up on the boy's face. "You don't have to apologize. I understand…" Omi looked up at him, still smiling that sad smile. "I know it should be real. I… I don't want it any other way."
"… Omi… What are you going to do about this?"
"… Don't worry, Yohji-kun. I know exactly what I have to do."
Green eyes widened, "You mean?"
"… Hai…" Omi looked up at him. "I… I want to look for that cure as soon as possible."
"Omi… are you sure about this?"
"Yohji-kun… You don't have to worry about me…"
Yohji ran a hand through his hair, "But Omi… I just… well…"
"Hai, Yohji-kun?"
Yohji sighed, "I just don't want you to end up regretting anything." He eyed Omi again, "You're getting awfully close to Ken-ken anyway, you know. You should really stop that."
"…… I… I can't help it…"
"But, Omi… If you're going to cure him and he doesn't feel that way about you after all…" He sighed again. "Omi… Won't it hurt?"
"…… I… I know… But…" Omi smiled a very weak smile, "It's… It's all gonna be better in the end, nee?"
"Omi……"
"Y-Yohji-kun… Stop talking me out of it…… This is what I want."
"……… All right then. If you say so, Omittchi…"
Omi was silent for a while. Yohji said nothing more, leaning back and sighing.
Until he heard some slight sniffing. He turned to Omi once more and noticed that the boy's shoulders were gently trembling, heaving a little with each of the soft gasping sounds.
"Omi?" Yohji sat up and leaned forward toward the younger blonde. "Heeyy… Omi, ya crying?"
"N-no, I'm not…" Omi sobbed softly.
"Yeah right," Yohji came closer and wrapped an arm around him. "C'mon Omi… Stop crying."
Omi leaned into him, his shoulders still shaking. He continued to sob quietly, shaking his head into Yohji's chest. "I-I don't want to do it Yohji-kun… I-I don't want to cure him… M-maybe… Maybe we could be fine this way… If… if it's the only way he'd…" he choked a little, "…he'd love me… then…"
"Omi…" Yohji sighed, wrapping his other arm around Omi and stroking his back. "If that's what you want…… as long as that doesn't hurt."
"Th-that's just it…… I-I don't want him to love me like that… I-I have to do it…" Omi beat at Yohji softly with a fist."I hate this… I-I hate this damn potion! I-I was fine thinking of Ken-kun as a friend. B-but then… It gave me that hope… Th-that hope that he felt the same for me…… And then… A-and then…"
"Omi……"
"A-actually feeling it… Actually knowing that it could have been… I-I don't know if I can do it… But… I know…. I have to…" Omi sobbed even more. "I hate this.
"Shhh… Omi… It's all right… You said so yourself, nee? It's all gonna be better in the end… It's going to be fine…"
Omi made no response at first, just silently sobbing and whimpering.
"Shhhhh….. It's okay… Don't worry… I'll make it better for you…"
After this is over and we're both cured… Yohji thought. Even if I have to beat some sense into Ken myself...
"Jealous?"
Yohji looked up as Aya's voice broke into his thoughts. He shook his head. "No. Far from it."
Ken and Omi still hadn't separated on the pavement. Omi had placed his hands on Ken's shoulders and Ken had wrapped both arms around the thin waist. The kiss that they shared was soft, yet eager.
Until something finally snapped.
Omi suddenly pulled away from Ken, sobbing. He choked out a hoarse "no!" before trying to put some distance between himself and Ken.
"Omi?" Ken's voice was soft, tinged with confusion.
Omi's lips still tingled. He just wanted to forget everything and continue. He just wanted…
He wanted…
"N-no, Ken-kun… I…" he looked up at Ken, crying. "I.. I've got to cure you. We're… we're going to find some kind of antidote!"
Ken suddenly blinked as if he just thought of something. "You… kissed me…"
Omi's face fell. "K-ken-kun… It wasn't…"
"You like me… don't you?"
Omi bit his lip and took a deep breath. "H… hai… I do…" he shook his head, his voice still hoarse. "I… I like you…"
Ken tilted his head, still confused. "Then what's wrong?"
"Everything!" Omi cried out. "Ken-kun… I… I don't want you to like me like that because something else is telling me you to. It's not for real! That's why I have to cure you!"
"I think it's real."
"No it isn't!"
Ken reached up and lightly touched Omi's lips. "But this felt real." He transferred his hand to Omi's cheek and pulled his face closer again. "Nee? Omi?"
"Ken-kun…" Omi whispered, his eyes fluttering closed for a split second. He shook his head and pushed Ken's shoulders away. "NO!"
"Omi…"
"Ken-kun…" he sobbed. "Ken-kun… you don't like me that way, okay? You just don't! I thought I already told you that!!"
"That's not…"
"Don't you dare, Hidaka Ken!!" Omi suddenly shrieked. "I've told you a hundred times and I'll tell you a hundred times more!! I'll tell you again and again until you get it into your head!!" He grit his teeth, eyes brimming with tears. "You don't love me… You were never in love with me and you aren't now!!"
Omi yelped as a hand touched his shoulder. Yohji was looking down at him, sadly. He took Omi's arm and gently pulled him up and away from Ken.
"That's enough, chibi."
"Y-Yohji-kun…"
Ken's eyes suddenly flashed dangerously. He growled at Yohji. "K'so… Kudou…… Omae…"
"I'm not going to take him from you, Hidaka. Just calming him down before he rips you apart."
Omi couldn't look at anyone, just staring into the street beside him.
Aya came around, and with a grunt, pulled Ken to his feet as well. Ken's knees buckled a bit and even Yohji left Omi's side to support the brunette. Yohji looked up at Aya and after making sure Ken was blanked out again, he sighed and said softly. "We've got to separate them for now. You take Ken, I take Omi."
"Aa," Aya nodded.
Yohji looked back up at Omi, "Let's go. Omittchi, back to the Sevens."
-----*-----
Yohji tried to keep his eyes on the road but he still couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Omi was looking out and away from him. He couldn't even see the expression on the boy's face.
"Omi…" he started but Omi already cut him off.
"It's no use, Yohji-kun. I already know what you're gonna say."
Yohji sighed. "Omi…"
"I told you so, right?" Omi turned his way, glaring. His eyes were still red but he had already exhausted all his tears. "I told you not to get close to him. I told you that you were going to get hurt."
"That's not it," Yohji took a deep breath and let it out. "You still have a chance, Omi. You don't have to…"
"I'm curing him, Yohji-kun. And that's final."
"But…"
"Yohji-kun… Tonight…" Omi looked down. "What just happened… And what almost happened with Ken-kun. I don't want it to happen again. It's gone way too far. I'll let myself get hurt, Yohji-kun… As long as he is fine and happy…" He looked back up at Yohji. "And at this rate… he won't be happy."
Yohji glanced at him. When he saw the determined look on the boy's face, he sighed.
Love and war… it's crazy…
"If that's what you want, Omittchi."
-----*-----
"Aya…"
"Aa…"
"Omi hates me, doesn't he?"
Aya groaned inside. He didn't want to have this conversation again.
"Iie… He doesn't."
"O-oh… Th-that's not what I meant. I meant… he's mad at me…"
"……"
Ken looked outside. Over the trip, he had recovered a little from his earlier state. He was thinking better and was easier to talk to. "I… I don't understand. All this time… I thought he hated me, but… was it really just the opposite?"
Aya sighed and decided to respond. "Hai. It was."
Ken turned a bit. "You knew? Since when?"
"Since you tried to ask me out."
Teal eyes widened. "Th-that long? He's… liked me for that long?"
"Longer."
Ken leaned his head against the glass in front of him. "……Shit."
Aya glimpsed at him and parked the car. "We're here."
"……… Aya… If he's… he's liked… me… all this time… Why'd I never see it?"
Aya raised an eyebrow at him. He sighed and slowly got out of the car. "Ken…… You wouldn't know love even if it was a 4-ton bullet train that ran over you."
Ken looked up at him blankly as he slammed the door shut.
The redhead left, starting toward the shop, but then paused when he saw Yohji and Omi pull up. He stared at them for a while, then shook his head and continued.
Look who's talking…
-----*-----
Shiiru-sama…. I lied… I put the line here…
omiclones@hotmail.com
