Knocking on Tomorrow's Door

By Cassandra Sisenta

A/N: Read the insert chapter of my fic "Mornings" first before you read this chapter so that it would make more sense. This chapter is for Sena-san so she won't be upset anymore after her rough night.

DISCLAIMER: I only own the Imperial Knights of Kinmoku and anything else you don't recognize.

Chapter II

After Ten Minutes of Oblivion

The room swirled in front of Ren's eyes for a moment as he came into consciousness. He felt dizzy suddenly when he opened his eyes that he had to close them again quickly. His brain was reaching for information on where he was and what had happened before he had fainted when he felt the mattress he had been lying on shift with weight.

Someone had sat down beside him.

"He's coming to."

"Damn Akai, I say he's just manic going around so early in the morning and doing his stupid bed checks."

"Says the former mercenary who practically ranted to the heavens when someone as much as touched his swords."

"Don't you dare speak of Taro and Keta in that way!"

"Yare, yare…"

"Could you two just keep it down a bit? I'm sure Ren-kun does not appreciate your noise."

"Hmp."

Another weight crushed down on his other side, a bit more roughly this time.

He tried opening his eyes again and first saw a tall, burly built man with shoulder-length brown hair leaning against the white wall of his bedroom with his strong arms crossed over his chest.

Endo nodded to him. "How's your ten minute escape to the land of oblivion?"

Ren looked at the Knights' strong man a bit dazedly. He tried to get up but his head protested. It swam unpleasantly and he had to lie down again.

"Lie down a bit more, Ren-kun. I think you need a bit more rest." That was Kitto and he was looking worried. His jade eyes practically gleamed with concern under his white blond bangs.

"Akai packed that much of a storm? Remind me not to get in his way ever again."

Ren turned to his left at the sound of a voice to find Akuma sitting by his side, his face set in his usual scoffing expression. His long black hair was free of its tight half-ponytail that day, but then again it was still pretty early. He was still dressed in his crumpled bedclothes, which consisted of worn-looking brown bottoms and a white shirt that had seen better days.

"What happened?" Ren asked with disorientation as he looked around him. Endo was standing by the wall. Akuma was sitting beside him. Kitto, whom he didn't recall seeing yet that morning, was to his left with a concerned expression on his face. "Where's everyone else?"

Apparently all the other Knights had gone off to their own businesses for the morning.

"I'm still here, Ren-kun."

And Ren almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the familiar sing-song voice and Kagami appeared somewhere by the door, an amused, mysterious smile on his pale face.

"Scare the daylights out of everyone why don't you, Kagami." Akuma glared at the mind reader former Knight as Kagami smoothed into the room, bells jingling softly in his wake.

Kagami actually smiled wider and chuckled when Akuma acknowledged his presence. He reached forward and run a long finger against the black-haired amber-eyed Knight's tanned cheek. Akuma didn't flinch nor did he pull away as most other people would. He just kept on glaring in challenge at the creepy wraith of a man that was Kagami.

"You've always been an interesting one, Akuma-san…" He whispered and Akuma's glare grew livid. Kagami didn't flinch either when Akuma slapped his finger away.

"Stop it."

"I believe Ren asked a question." Endo was quick to stop the two of them before they broke into another one of their flirtations, as Tohma once said out of irritation. It was a pretty apt term. It always looked like Kagami was flirting with Akuma with the way he interacted with him. What his intentions beyond getting a rise out of the usually already fired up swordsman was beyond them all. Kagami had never really said anything for the past century or so.

Kitto sighed beside Ren and answered Ren's earlier question for everyone else.

"You fell unconscious after Akai trapped you into a noogie after Yuki-san ran out of your apartment upon seeing everyone else in here."

Ren fell silent for a moment before all the events of the morning dawned over him in a flash.

Akai had come in uninvited in an ungodly hour of the morning, practically breaking into his apartment. Being the trained warrior that he was, Ren had sprung out of bed to confront the intruder and ended up going hysterical at the sight of Akai standing over him with a serious look in his face. It had been another one of his unnecessary and idiotic bed checks and not only did he break into his apartment, he had to bring in almost the whole faction of the Knights into his room. Then Yuki appeared and did this ridiculous impression of a deer caught in headlights.

Then she had ran and he couldn't do anything but move by impulse and that was by meeting Akai's challenge head on and defend Yuki to the most of his ability. He had expected fingers wagging in his face and Akai probably going insane again as he raved to the heavens of what he thought about Ren's actions. What he didn't expect was that he would go and grab him into a noogie until he passed out.

Ren's hands suddenly fisted against his sheets. He growled.

"Where the hell is that bastard?"

"He's disowned. Not illegitimate."

"Endo, stuff it."

Endo shrugged and smiled. Nothing fazes Endo and it usually drove Ren up the wall.

"Eto, Akai had gone off to breakfast with Josei-san if I'm not mistaken." Kitto answered him again. "At least that was what he yelled to the room before he left."

Akuma snickered suddenly. "And also left Kitto in a weak wreck of hopelessness."

Ren looked over at Kitto curiously, but the usually docile former Knight had his face set in a very serious expression as he closed his eyes and squared his chin.
"I don't want to talk about it." He said in a quiet voice that spoke of a possibility of grave retribution if Akuma even dared to breathe another word of what had happened between him and Akai.

Akuma just snickered some more into his hand.

Kitto had his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive stance.

"Have you forgotten something, Ren?"

Kagami's question made him look at where the silver-haired man stood, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was obvious the mind reader had plucked out something from his mind.

For some reason, he remembered Akai and his declaration of breakfast with Josei and it all fell into place.

"I was supposed to meet Yuki for breakfast today!"

He was about jump out of bed and throw some clothes on when he felt Endo's hand push him back into the bed.

"I'm sure she won't be in the kitchens anytime now, Ren." Endo told him as he held the other down.

Ren glared up at him. "Let me up, Endo."

Endo raised him an eyebrow. "Are you sure Yuki-chan would be around after getting stared at in shock by seven Knights? I don't think so."

"I knew that 'thump' sound on the wall must have meant something…" Akuma grumbled under his breath, stretching out into the bed on his side. His right hand supported his head as his elbow planted itself on the bed and a frown marred his face.

Kagami just chuckled.

"And I believe Yuki-san's shift started an hour ago." Kitto put in, trying to be helpful.

Ren looked to Kitto then to Endo, who had still yet to remove his hand. He was suspicious certainly.

Endo clucked his tongue and it caught Ren's attention. His fist ached to wipe of that smirk the elder man had on his face.

"And I think you better shower. Honestly Ren, how you could ever go around meeting with a girl and just pulling clothes on without showering is beyond me."

"Says the man who wanders around and doesn't bathe for months probably."

Endo ignored Akuma's remark.

Kitto was chuckling and Kagami was looking amused.

Ren frowned. "You're all against me aren't you?"

"Oh no we aren't." Akuma said, looking into Ren's face with a wide smile. "If we were against you, we'd be the ones who would spill about you and Yuki-chan."

"I have been thinking about that." Endo was looking thoughtful. "How would have Akai known."

Kitto sighed as he got up from the bed beside Ren. He looked harassed and Ren suddenly had an idea of what had happened when he passed out.

"Akai has a radar for such things."

Kitto was out with a Starligtht last night? Could it be?

Ren couldn't help but grin to himself. So the perfect little prince had his sneaking arounds too. He suddenly had the urge to buy Kitto a drink.

"You didn't tell him, did you Kagami?"

Kagami shrugged and it just looked strange. The gesture was far too human and if there was one thing Kagami was it wasn't human. Well, probably…

"I know when to keep the secrets I come by, Endo. How could you be so suspicious of me?"

Endo smiled appeasingly. "I wasn't saying anything of the sort, Kagami."

Akuma snorted by the side, but didn't say anything more.

With that, Endo moved off to leave Ren's room.

"I'll be leaving now. I have some business to attend to. Ren, lie down a bit and get a shower all right?"

Ren rolled his eyes and sunk back under his covers.

"Yes, mother."

Akuma perked at Endo's words as he got up to leave too, laughing at Ren's unoriginal, but appropriate comeback.

"See ya, Ren. You having breakfast with a Starlight too, Endo?"

"No, but I think Fuudo would like that if you did."

"Che, the stupid cat had been looking all over Kuroi all morning. So irritating…"

Kitto smiled and waved at Ren slightly as he made his way out.
"Later, Ren. Get some rest, I'm sure Yuki-san would want you to. Akai'll get his."

Ren nodded to him wordlessly.

Kagami had just disappeared.

The door to his apartment closed and there was silence again.

After a moment,

"I got to replace that chain lock with something more reliable."