Whew, it's been a loooong time since I updated! Hopefully you guys didn't give up on me

Xaoseph: Yes, I know you hate Ran - you're sweet like that.

Misura: Aww, such a faithful reviewer - makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside Yep, I've noticed that myself - the whole people needing and wanting Ken thing. Funny how I don't intend for things to work and fit together and they somehow do. Keep on reviewing!

Kamazova: Yep, I wish you'd found it earlier too - I like reviews! Keep on reading and reviewing! I really appreciated your reviews on my other stories - Death Song and You See Past My Scars, right? I think those are the ones...I could be wrong, but it sounds right to me :P

On with the story!

Oh yes, and as a warning, didn't check it very thoroughly for typos or grammatical errors, so beware!

"Should we call Kritker?" The seventeen-year-old boy looked worriedly at his older comrade, who was sitting contemplatively on the edge of a window seat in his sister's room. "He still hasn't woken up... As far as I can see, he is just...sleeping. Almost comatose."

The redhead turned amethyst eyes to the speaker and sighed, shaking his head slightly. "We can't call them in yet. Let's let him sleep and see if he comes to tomorrow morning."

"He doesn't even look that banged up," commented the tall, lean man standing at the bed, peering down at his motionless teammate. Shoulder- length, wavy, light brown hair fell into his jade eyes and he pushed it back with a gloved hand. None of them had changed out of assassin gear yet. "Do you think Hidaka's mind got all screwed up because of Mastermind?"

"That German seemed pretty much dead," the blonde boy commented, shaking his head slightly.

"Well, yeah - I almost had him DEAD until he used that inhuman speed of his and got away."

The redhead raised a slim eyebrow, looking doubtfully at the other man.

A girl appeared in the doorway in that moment of silence, still clad in her school uniform, dark hair in braids. "What's going on?" she asked her older brother, nervously glancing at the unconscious man in her bed. "Is Hidaka-san ok?"

Abyssian rose from the window seat and shrugged out of his trench coat, carefully folding it over his arm and lying it down and stripping of his gloves. He never liked to touch his sister with anything that had been used to kill. Then, once he stood in his T-shirt and jeans, brushing his hair back away from his purple eyes, he stepped forward and hugged the girl close to him, apologizing, "I'm sorry, your room was the first one we came too. Hidaka's is being remodeled. We really weren't thinking. I'll sleep on the couch and you can have my bed."

She glanced back at her bed with a frown and then at her brother's teammates, two of them standing impassively before her and the other looking near dead, he was so still. "Ok," she said with sigh. "That's fine. He's going to be ok though, right?"

"Of course." He pulled back slightly, but kept his arm almost protectively around her shoulder. "He'll be fine."

She leaned forward a little, looking at him and studying his usually tan face, now pale, his thick, brown hair tousled messily, and closed eyes - she knew they were a deep, chocolate color beneath the eyelids. "It looks like he's dreaming," she commented softly. "Don't you think, Ran?"

Ken woke up before Aya did, sitting up slowly in the bed and feeling the ice pack tumble from the top of his head. It was melted and warm now, and he picked up the water-filled bag to set it on the night stand. Then, he tenderly pressed his fingertips to the soft bruise on the back of his head. Pain shot through his skull, and he winced, quickly withdrawing his hand and closing his eyes.

There was a commotion downstairs. It sounded as if someone was banging pots and pans around on the stove, and then, a particularly loud crash, like someone had thrown a plate against the wall. Ken cringed at the sound, desperately hoping Farfarello hadn't used his key to come into the house and was throwing a fit in the kitchen.

He just wasn't up to another fight yet.

Aya stirred and groaned at all the noise issuing from downstairs and rolled over onto her stomach, pulling a pillow over her head. "What's going on, Ken?" she mumbled.

He dropped his legs over the side of the bed and put his cold feet on the floor, shuddering slightly as the covers fell away and cool air hit him. The banging was still going on, and he cringed, putting a hand to the side of his head as it began to throb. "I don't know," he replied. "I'll go see."

Aya rolled out of the bed and rubbed her eyes, shuffling along behind him as he made his way to the stairs and walked stiffly down. When they came into the kitchen, the pandemonium decreased considerably as Ran slammed shut the counter drawer and turned his head to look with narrowed eyes at them. "Ken, when was the last time you went grocery shopping?" he grumbled. "You keep eating the bread. I am so sick of coming down here for a piece of toast and finding that the bread has magically vanished!" He opened another drawer, only to slam it again. "Aya, aren't you late for school?"

"It's the weekend, Ran."

"Hn." He squinted out the window, at the bright morning sun, and then turned agitatedly to the refrigerator. "By the way Ken, you're editor left a message - babbling on about writing a biography about some big movie star. I dunno, really."

Ken shrugged and headed back up the stairs to get dressed.

He was getting used to feeling like everything was turned around.

Ken, at Ran's commanding, left the house later that day to do some grocery shopping. He didn't complain, figuring that since he lived at the house practically for free that he should feel a bit obligated to do a few chores.

Plus, he was putting off his writing.

Nagi was still asleep in Aya's bed when he left, and Ran had mumbled a promise to watch out for him and not let Farfarello take him lest he show up and try to do so. Now, with the shopping list crumpled up in his pocket and two, filled to the brim, paper bags, one in each arm, he made his way mechanically back down the road to the house, and he would've gotten there had he not glanced across the street and seen Aya in passing.

She was standing on the sidewalk, looking at the glass display of a dress shop, appearing to be admiring a fancy dress. Ken glanced both ways and then crossed the road, calling out her name, smiling when she turned and waved.

"Ran sent you shopping?" she asked curiously, adjusting the strap of her satchel so that it more comfortably crossed her chest. Aya didn't carry a purse - they were too small for the mass of pointless items she kept with her at all times.

"Yeah. Hey, what are you looking at here?"

"Oh, just this dress." She smirked and turned back to look at the mannequin sporting the gown, a sea of glittering, sky blue material that fit tight in the bodice and then flared out into a full length skirt. "I was going to buy it, but then...well, you see, Farfarello was going to pay for half of it. He was kind of weird like that, very generous with money - too generous, really. He was my date to this school thing, but of course we're not going anymore, so..."

Ken set the grocery bags down and tilted his head slightly to the side, considering. "It's a really nice dress," he said slowly. "Are you still going to the dance?"

"Uh huh. Alone, but still going."

"Hey, I could give you the money you need for the other half." He fished around in his coat pockets for his wallet, frowning when his fingers could not search out the worn leather. "I mean, you NEED a dress, right? You can just pay me back later."

"But, it's just..." She paused. "Ken, why? I mean, you shouldn't. It's too much for you to do."

He shrugged. "Don't argue with me. I like the dress - you should buy it. Besides, it's a loan; that's perfectly acceptable." A triumphant smile crossed his face as he finally located the wallet, which he had begun to fear would turn up lost, and he quickly withdrew the needed money and pressed it into her palm. "Go on."

"Ok..." She said warily. "I will pay you back!" Then, with a quick smile and nod, she dashed into the store, waving over her shoulder at him and calling out, "I'll see you at home!"

The first thing Ken noticed when he walked up the driveway was the police car. The second, was the yelling. Then, after realizing an officer must've come to inquire about Nagi and the trouble with Farfarello, he plunged in like a trooper, arriving just in time to see Ran throw a vase through the window. From there, he alternated between cleaning up the glass and assuring the outraged policeman that Farfarello was indeed the abusive one, although it appeared to be Ran. Nagi backed him up on this, although Ran still sat crossly at the kitchen table, repeating over and over, "They're lying, the kid must cut himself. Kids cut themselves all the time. A bunch of masochists - come on, it's all that teen angst."

By the time Aya come home, the mess was out of hand and Ran was in danger of being arrested, so she frantically tried to aid Ken and Nagi in providing information about the situation.

Three exhausting hours lately, the officer left, Ran smashed a dish, and Ken had to clean up more glass. As he did this, Aya excitedly took the dress out of the box, held it up for him to see, and said, "All I need now is a date."

Ken paused, glanced up, frowned, and nodded. "Mm hmm. But you know, going stag isn't so bad."

"Oh, I've gone stag plenty of times. But I want a date this time," she said stubbornly, obliviously.

"Ok..." He swept up the last of the splintered glass into the dust pan and stood from his kneeling position to dump it all in the trash. Then, sighing, he leaned against the counter and said hesitantly, "You know, I'm surprised you want to date so soon after breaking up with Farfarello."

She held the dress up to her and spun around to watch the skirt twirl. He watched too, thinking that when she put it on, the hem would swirl nicely around her ankles. "How can you trust someone again so soon?" he added quietly.

"Oh, Ken," she chastised, smiling, "you're more wary than I am."

He didn't really have anything to say to that. He vaguely considered offering to take her himself, and then decided against it. They stood in silence a few moments, she quietly humming to herself, and then, just as he was about to leave, the back door burst open.

"Brad! I always tell you to knock, but you don't listen!" Aya cried in distress.

The tall American brushed off her comment and strode inside, pushing his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose and glaring at Ken, focusing his gaze solely on the other man with a predatory glint in his eyes. His muscles tensed and he quickened his pace, giving Ken the impulse to flee, but instead of pouncing on him, Brad stopped inches away, brought their faces scarcely a breath apart, and growled, "Where are they, Ken! WHERE ARE THEY!"

"Whaaa?" Ken mumbled, ducking away from the dark-haired man and sidling over to timidly stand by Aya, hoping that she at least would discourage the other man from murdering him. He couldn't really figure out what it was about Brad that seemed to familiar and so...obnoxious, or what he wanted - though he felt he should know.

He always felt he should know.

Where was his mind lately?

"The last five pages, Ken! THE END TO YOUR MANUSCRIPT!" Brad was approaching again, clenching his hands into fists as if trying to resist the urge to strangle someone. "I CANNOT turn in your book without the ending! It's due in three days! I need those pages!"

"It's not a problem, Brad," Ken tried to calm him. "I can write them up real quick. Err...now, what books is this again?"

Brad looked ready to sob, hanging his head, and then, raking his fingers through his hair, he growled, "Get it together, Ken, or we're both in trouble."

Aya and Ken both watched him exit, slamming the door behind him.

"Mr. Crawford is really uptight," Aya commented, folding her dress over her arm. "You shouldn't tease him like that. Acting like you don't know what your book is about."

Ken didn't even try to explain he hadn't the faintest what he was writing, nor did he get the chance, for the phone rang then. Aya excused herself to answer it, leaving him alone to put away the neglected groceries. The ice cream had melted and the grapes were smashed, but he barely bothered to clean them up before stashing both in the refrigerator.

Aya did manage to pull off finding a date for the dance - which, Ken learned, was the next night. He watched enviously from the door as she, clad in the new dress, hair done up, shivering from the slight chill in the air - walked out to the car to meet the young man who was taking her.

She looked nice, very elegant. Of course, before leaving, she had asked everyone's opinions. 'You look like a fairy tale character,' Nagi had said blandly, softly. Ken had simply said he agreed and commented on her shoes.

Ran, was an entirely different story. "Oh, Aya...that dress...it's so...blue." Used to this kind of treatment, she had promptly ignored him.

"Look at that," Ken snarled in disgust, eyes narrowed as she opened the passenger door and climbed into the car. "He didn't even come up to the house to get her! He made her walk out there to him. What horrendous manners. I can definitely tell this was a last minute deal. She wouldn't have gone out with a jerk like that if she had had a choice."

Nagi blinked his frighteningly child-like eyes at him and then murmured, "Kenken, you wish you were going with them?"

"Well," he snorted, turning to shut the door, "it'd give me something to do besides finish this stupid book."

"You know what I think you should do in your book?" Nagi offered.

Ken sat down at the computer, looking to see that Nagi had taken a seat on the couch a few feet away. He considered the boy's opinion and then decided that he couldn't be any less clueless than he himself felt. "Ok, what?"

Nagi shifted to fold his legs underneath him, settling on his knees and reclining back, looking amazingly wise for his age. "I read what you had so far - Brad let me because I asked. I wouldn't just show North dying. I would show him lying in the snow, all bloody, and then slowly, the earth would begin to change, and the ice beneath him would melt and he would drop into the sea and open his eyes to see that he was floating away from the surface. Then, I would switch to a scene with all the others. You know, because Cora said the earth would be reborn and they'd look for each other - again. Show Vin sitting in traffic, Angelo eating, Jack...being a kid. Maybe he could pick up a stray kitten or something. Then, show North walking through the back allies in the exact same scene that opened the book."

With his fingers poised over the keys, Ken paused, shook his head slightly, and asked, "How would you like to walk me through that?"

Ken had planned on staying up until Aya arrived home, but in the end he fell asleep on his keyboard. When he woke up, he groggily lifted his hand and peered at the computer screen to see what he had gotten done the night before.

'One golden eye slid open, bubbles of lost oxygen escaping to the surface and (Nagi, stop reading over my shoulder - it really ticks me off. Yes, I thought this was a clever way to tell you as well) disappearing into the blinding light that hovered over the murky depths he was slowly sinking into. One thought, one string of words slipping through his mind as the lack of air began to wrestle consciousness away... yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...'

The strand of Y's went on a lot longer, a few pages, actually, and he marveled over how he had slept the entire night on various keys but had only produced a single letter. Apparently, it only typed in the first letter he pressed and held down, although there were several more where his cheek had laid. Interesting.

"Ken, you ate the last apple, didn't you?" Aya was standing behind him now, agitated, still in her pajamas and with her arms crossed.

He quickly closed the window on his document and whirled around in his chair to scowl at her. "You went two hours over curfew!" he accused.

"Uh...sorry? I didn't know I had a curfew."

"I hope you know that date of yours gave me the evil eye from his car."

"You couldn't see him - he has tinted windows."

Silence.

"You don't like that guy, do you, Aya?"

"Do you NOT like him?"

"I think he's bad news. He didn't even come to the door to get you - and how can you date anyone this soon after the whole Farfarello thing?"

"Because Farfarello was one bad experience I don't feel like lingering on. Why are you harping on me about this?"

Ken rolled his eyes and stood up, stalking over to the couch and flopping on his back, folding his arms over his chest crossly and sulking. "You're just gonna end up getting abused again."

Aya blinked, looking slightly startled. "Um, ok...so what do you think I should do? Just never trust anyone again?"

"...hey, I never said that...but you might want to just reconsider trusting every guy you come across."

"Who can I trust, Ken?"

"I don't know," he shot back, agitated. "All I know is that I would never hurt you."

"So, what are you saying? I should just date you?"

Awkward silence.

Ken shifted on the couch to sit up and set his elbows on his knees, bowing his head slightly to avoid her smirking eyes. "Um..."

He heard the cloth of her pajamas rustling as she walked over and sat down heavily beside him, bouncing a little on the cushion and chuckling. "Would you wanna date me, Ken?" she demanded.

For a while, he didn't want to answer. She wants me to say no so we can laugh about it together, he thought glumly. If I say yes, she'll just blow it off, or act shocked and upset and leave and things will be funny feeling for a while. Finally, he growled back, "Would you want to date me?"

"I asked you first."

"So? I asked you second."

"Don't be childish."

He stuck his tongue out at her.

She considered biting his tongue.

"Yes," he said.

"Fine," she replied.

They sat there a few moments before they both regained their senses and Aya leaned back, flipping her hair over her shoulder and asking, "Where ya' gonna take me?"

"Huh?"

"For our first date!"

He wasn't sure what to think of all this, it had happened so quickly. His head was still reeling, so he scratched his hair and asked blankly, "Where do you want to go?"

Aya jumped up and bounded into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "I'll tell you when I decide!" And then the clanging of pots could be heard as she jerked the frying pan out of the bottom cupboard and carelessly slammed it onto the stove. From the top of the stairs, Ran growled viciously and threatened her with, "Aya, you better not break anything this time!" to which she snarled back and Ken found himself with no excuse not to get back to his writing.

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