Warning: This is a Yaoi fic... that means wonderful m/m action, if this offends anyone here, then get out of my site. I didn't force you to come here. If this offends the sensibilities of any parents, then you should be looking after your kids better and not using the computer as a babysitter. On to the fanfiction...
Troubled Times.
Part twenty
**********
Wakaba bounces back into the medical center carrying several diner trays, behind her Saya and Yuma can be seen toting the last of the trays. "Hope that everyone is hungry," she says with a bright smile.
Schu smiled from his seat beside Watari's bed. "I'm starving..."
"Okay," nodding her head, Wakaba hands one of the trays over to Schuldig and then sets the other up for Watari, whom had gone back to sleep. As Saya and Yuma deal with Nagi and Nanjiro, the bouncy girl looks over at Mastermind and Prodigy. "I wasn't sure what kind of food the two of you like... So I made sure that it was something that wouldn't be too harsh on your tummies." A sharp glare at the Hokkaido sisters reminds the two of Watari's policy about patients in the medi center, and stops the two from further conspiring to 'attack' Nagi, Prodigy or Mastermind.
Nagi shoots her a grateful look before examining the contents of his tray. Mastermind and Prodigy look at the food with confused looks. "What's this?" The redhead poked at the main dish.
From one of her pockets, a pair of Watari's glasses appear and the girl hands them over to the somewhat groggy blonde. "That's chicken... I'm sorry, I should have asked if either of you were vegetarians first..."
"Chicken..." The two clones look at each other. "What is... 'chicken'?"
The comment receives an odd look from all the people in the room. Watari beats Wakaba to the answer, "A chicken is a bird that is generally raised for consumption purposes. Eggs, which the female lays, are collected... some are used for consumption, while the rest are incubated for hatching more chickens... It is one of the main sources of protein."
Prodigy looked down and sniffed. "It smells... different..."
Nan-kun looks over, "different?"
"From what we've always been given... it... smells... good?" He seemed genuinely confused... as if food wasn't supposed to smell appetizing.
Watari pushes his glasses back. "If they've been giving you the same sort of nourishment that they were providing us with... it wouldn't surprise me. One of the more enjoyable aspects of food is enticing the person into wanting to eat it."
Prodigy looked at him, Mastermind was already digging in. "Why? It is for sustenance... that is all."
"Prodigy, assume that there are two places that make food for a living in an area that can only support one such establishment. Both are equally as nutritive, yet the food in one smells and tastes better." The blonde says, "in accordance to public patronage, which of the two establishments will survive?"
"I don't understand. You go where you are told to go and eat what you are told to eat."
"The vast majority of the public makes decisions about what to eat, what to wear, who to see, where to go, and where they live on their own with little interference from others."
"Just eat already... you know we're different, drop it for now." Mastermind chided the telekinetic, who ducked his head and started to eat.
The shinigami try to hide their amusement when the clones finally arrive at the desserts... looking at the somewhat unappetizing lumps of brown spongy mass on their trays.
Prodigy poked at it. "Is it... safe..."
Picking up his dessert, Nanjiro takes a bite out of it, "it's a brownie... and serves absolutely no nutritional value what-so-ever... "
"Then why eat it?"
"Because it tastes good?" the blue-haired boy says through a mouthful of brownie.
The young man looked skeptical... but took a bite. His eyes grew wide and he took another.
"Good, ne?"
The telekinetic nodded eating the rest of it quickly. Everyone else was similarly done, though Nagi had left about half his meal on his plate.
Looking over at Nagi out o the corner of his eye, Nanjiro smiles mischievously. "Nagi... you have to eat more."
The teen shook his head. "I had enough..."
"Eat some more... or I get to sit on you and feed you more." Nan-kun says with a wink. Laughing, Watari agrees... commenting that Nan would do it.
Nagi looked horrified. "You wouldn't!"
Disappearing from the bed, Nanjiro reappears straddling Nagi's lap. "The other day you and I managed to pack away a large pizza, three liters of pop, my entire stash of pocky, five boxes of koalas, a gallon of ice cream and a bag of cheezy doodles... with popcorn to top it all off. Don't tell me that you don't have room in that little body of yours."
Midnight eyes stared up at him in horror. "Nan..."
Wheeling the movable table to a more manageable position, the shinigami completely ignores the laughter at the other end of the room and starts preparing the first bite for Nagi... "Open wide..." he says holding the fork in front of the telekinetic's mouth.
"You're not serious..." The boy tries to wiggle but has no real leverage and is reluctant to use his powers on a friend.
Nanjiro smiles down at the teen. "I'm completely serious."
"Just open your mouth chibi... it'll be a lot less embarrassing." Schuldig tells the small brunette. Nagi was already bright red... but he did open his mouth.
Eventually Wakaba returns to pick up the trays, and kick Nanjiro back to his bed... Much to Nagi's relief and regret. When she leaves, Watari stretches a little commenting that he was going to go to his lab for a shower and change of clothes, promptly disappearing out of the room.
Mismatched green eyes lock onto emerald, /you know that it's after hours here?/ the gate keeper asks, with a tone of mischief evident in his mental voice.
/and? You obviously have something in mind.../
/Just thought that you would like to know that the fourth floor should be empty at this hour... /
The redhead, the original, grinned. "Well... I think I should take a little walk myself... everyone be good while I'm gone..." He sauntered out the door. Nagi rolled his eyes.
Nanjiro looks over at Nagi, "What?"
"I think we know exactly where he's going to be walking to..."
**********
Watari is just stepping into the warm water when Schuldig opens the door to the small but functional washroom. Sighing, he lets the water wash over him... just feeling the stress of the past few days being eroded into nothingness by the relaxing sensation of the thousands of water droplets pelting against his skin.
"Would you rather be alone?"
The blonde peeks out from behind the brightly colored shower curtains decorated with cartoon duckies dancing across the material. "You startled me... "
"Sorry... I should have knocked..." He smiled. "Duckies?"
"They were cute... and they help to brighten the place up."
"That they do... although you do a pretty good job of that yourself." The red head says with his characteristic smirk in place.
Ducking back into the shower so that Schuldig won't be privy to the blush that is starting, the shinigami takes the shampoo container and starts to lather up his long hair... filling the room with the scent of mint. "Thank you... but I wanted something that I could see on a first hand basis."
Schu laughs. "Can I join you... or should I just stay out here and be witty?"
"Hmm... hard choice."
"It's up to you... but I'd really like to join you."
"Just give me a moment to rinse my hair out before you join me..." Watari comments as he starts letting the water take the minty smelling shampoo from his hair.
The redhead started to pull off his clothing, just dropping it in a heap on the floor. It would need to be washed anyways... "Whenever you are ready..."
"Okay..."
Schu leaned forward and peeked around the curtain. "You look so beautiful like that..."
Laughing a little, Watari responds, "dripping wet?"
He climbed into the stall. "With water streaming over that skin... naked and dripping..." He stepped in closer to kiss the blonde's forehead. Wrapping his arms around Schuldig's hips, Watari leans against the taller man. Tilting the scientist's head back, Schu xxxx xxxx xxxxxx down xxx xxxx. /I missed you... I was worried.../
Xxxxxxx, the blonde starts xxxxxxx xxxxxxx into the German's back. /I was scared that we wouldn't survive.../
He xxxxxxxx the xxxxxxxxx'x xxxxx xxxxxxx him xxxxxx. /I was afraid we wouldn't find you.../
/but you did find me... and that's what's important./ Sighing, Watari xxxx the xxxx xxxxxx even xxxxxxx... relieved to be in Schu's arms again...
/enough thinking about the past.../ He ran his hands down Watari's body to xxxxx the xxxx xxxxxx of his xxxx.
Xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx the red head's xxxxxx xxxxx, the blonde's xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Schuldig's xxxxxx. "Aah..."
/like that?/ Xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx a xxxxxxxx the redhead xxxxxx xxxxxxx him xxxxx. The blonde can barely manage a nod as his senses are set on fire... breathing getting heavier, he starts xxxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxx xx xxxxx xx xxx xxxxx'x xxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxxx... Schu xxxxxx xx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxx Watari's xxxx xxxx...
Gasping, the scientist xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxx, xxx xxxx x xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx... xxxxxxxx x xxxxxx xx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxxx, xx xxxxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx xx Schuldig's xxxxx.
The telepath moans, xxxxxxx back a xxx xxxx the blond. "I want you..."
Moving forward, Watari xxxxxxx Schu's xxxx as he xxxxx a xxxx and xxxxxxx xxxxxx to the xxxxxx his xxxx is currently xxxxxx xxxxxx... "then take me..."
Schu xxxxxx his xxxx xxxx, xxxxxx the scientist xxxxxxxx xxxxxx. "How?"
Raking his free hand through long red hair, the blonde xxxxx xxxxxx on Schuldig's xxxxx xxx xxxx. "I want to be able to see you as you take me," his voice dropping to a husky purr...
The telepath xxxxxxxxx... "you have no idea what that voice does to me... in here or move somewhere else?"
"In here... or somewhere else... or both..." he says, purring. Xxxxxxxxx the xxxx, he xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx the German's xxxx.
/shit... i'm not going to be able to think if you keep doing that.../ He xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. Xxxxxx xxxx a xxxxxx xxxxxxx were xxx, he xxxxxxx xx xxxxx the blonde's xxxxxx xxxxxxxx.
Xxxxxxx, Watari xxxxx xxxx as Schu's xxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxx him...
Xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx the blonde's xxxxxx... the xxxxx xxxxxxx with the xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx shampoo and conditioner... Xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx, he xxxxxxx the xxxxx xxxx, xxxxxxx it and xxxxxxxx to xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xx xxx xxx... xxxxxxxx the xxxxxx, Schu xxxxxx the xxxx xxxxxxxx his xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xx the xxxxx xxxxx for Watari to xxxxxx xxxxxx.
The scent of mint xxxxxx to xxxxxxxxx the xxx xxxxxx them xx the blonde xxxxxx xxxxxxxxx the xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx the xxxx xx his xxxx. "My shampoo?" Watari xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx xxxxxx.
"Hey it works.... mmm... smells like you..." He xxxxxxx the blond, xxxx xxxxxx him xx his xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx...
Xxxxx xxxx xxxxx, "xx xxxxxxx," he xxxxxxx toxxxxx xxx.
"The mint... xx you xxxx me xx xxxx?"
The blonde xxxxxx his xxxx... "xxxx xxxxx."
"Alright..." He xxxxxxxxxx them xx the blonde's xxxx xxx xx the xxxx. "It's xxxxx to xx x xxxxxx xxxxxxx... xxx I xxxxx we xxx xxxxxx xxxx..."
"xxxxxxx you xxx'x xxxx..." Watari xxxxxxxx, his xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx.
"I xxx'x..." He xxxx his xxxx xxxx, xxxxxxx the blond. "Xxxx your xxxx xxxxxx my xxxxxxxxx and your xxxx xxxxxx my xxxx..."
Xxxxx as he xx xxxx, Watari xxxxx xx to Schu's xxxxxxxxx xx he xxxxx his xxxx xxxx xxxxxx the xxx'x xxxx. Xxxxxxxx his xxxx, he xxxxx xx xx his xxxxx xxxx a xxxxx, "like this?" he xxxx... xxxxxxx his xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx the xxxx xxxx that the red head xxx xxxxx.
Schu xxxxxxxx xxxxx. "h... hai..." His xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx the blonde's xxxxxx xx he xxxxx himself xx. "Ready?"
"Ready..."
**********
"Mastermind, If you're not careful, you're going to hurt yourself," Nanjiro comments... somewhat amused at the expression on the clone's face.
"I... don't know what you mean..." He looked around... maybe there was someplace he could go... 'relieve' himself...
The blue haired shinigami extends his arm, pointing to a door in the corner of the room. "You can go in there..."
The redhead practically bolted for the door. Nagi frowned. "What's wrong with him?"
"Do you know that Watari's lab is only one floor up, and a handful of rooms to the right from where we are now?" Nanjiro manages to say between snickers. "And shielding is the furthest thing from Schu's and Watari's minds right about now... "
Nagi promptly blushed.
"I'm actively shielding against them... so they are just a little tickle in the back of my mind." Green eyes turn towards the newly occupied wash/restroom. "I have a sneaky suspicion that he isn't used to blocking others thoughts that thoroughly."
"He isn't." Prodigy offered. "He's always been told to keep open to everyone around him... Oracle doesn't trust anybody..."
Nanjiro shakes his head... "Great way to drive a telepath insane. If Mastermind doesn't know how to shield, eventually he won't know how to separate himself from the thoughts of others. The more people you are around, the greater the chaos that you find on the psychic plane."
"He gets headaches sometimes..."
"If Mastermind were to step out into the middle of Tokyo at rush hour... his mind would be torn to shreds by the sheer amount of thoughts around him. Shielding is a defense that telepaths need." Nan-kun says running a hand through his hair. "Here in Meifu he'll be fine... there is a blanket shielding effect because of all the telepaths that work here. I'm assuming that in your quarters the techs build the shielding into the walls as a precaution."
Prodigy shrugged. "I don't know... when we went to Schwarz's apartment he used shields, but he had a headache afterwards."
"Headaches come with the territory."
"What about you?" Nagi asked, curious. "You've been talking about the others, but nothing about yourself."
**********
Watari's xxxxx xxxxxxxx is xxxxxxx xx xxxxx xxxx... Xxxxxxxxxx, the blonde xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxx his xxxx xxxxxxx himself and the xxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxx the xxxxx xxxxxxx.
Xx the blond xxxxxxxxx xxxxx him, the redhead xxxxxx xxxxxx. He xxxxxx xxxx a xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxxx himself xxxxxxxxx xxxx a xxxxxxx xxxxx.
**********
One floor down, unknown to either of the participants, a second red head finds release moments after Schuldig spends himself inside the blonde.
Mastermind sighs. Now THAT was what he wanted from that anal-retentive Oracle. Damn... if it was that good... no wonder his template liked it so much. But it seemed like... there was something else... between them that he just couldn't grasp.
**********
The two lovers eventually make it back to the medi room... after another round in the lab, and a second impromptu adventure in the shower as they were cleaning up from the lab. As they walk in the scent of soap and mint follows them. Mastermind has yet to re-emerge from the washroom... Looking up, Nanjiro waves politely to the two as they enter. "Feeling better Watari-san?" He asks politely.
Nagi is trying desperately NOT to laugh, curling up around his pillow and burying his face in it. Prodigy just watches them. Schu smirks at Nan.
By the time that Mastermind has returned to the room, Watari has already gotten into his bed... long blonde hair pulled back in a braid to keep it from tangling during the night. Through the door, flies in a small owl, bouncing off the wall above the blonde's bed, falling into the scientist's lap. "003!! I was wondering where you had disappeared to..."
Schu was eyeing the hospital bed... then the others in the room. Then he figures they all know anyways and sits on the edge, hoping the blond will invite him in. Mastermind doesn't look at them as he crosses the room to his own bed.
While still hugging the diminutive owl, Watari moves over so that Schu can join him... not really caring who knows, since it's already common knowledge for Nanjiro, and Nagi.
Smiling... the telepath cuddled the blond to him as he cuddled the owl. He yawned... "I'm beat..." Snickering Nagi and had to hide his face in the pillow again.
The sight of the two cuddled together tinges Mastermind's cheeks with a blush as he tries to figure out what he is missing. He has the genetics, he is stronger than his template on the psionic plane... so what is he missing?
It was a thought that kept him awake... long after everyone else fell asleep.
**********
Waking, Tsuzuki moans... sore from the treatment he received from Muraki the night before. Looking back, he is somewhat relieved that the marks are gone. Violet eyes scan the room for the pale man... scared that he'll be here this early. In the back of his mind he wonders what he did to deserve being whipped like that.
There was a polite knock at the door, and then the pale doctor came in, carrying a tray. "Good morning, Tsuzuki."
Sitting up, Tsuzuki watches Muraki entering. "Good morning Muraki..."
"I thought you would like some breakfast." His manner was very pleasant and amicable.
The shinigami nods as he accepts the tray. "Thank you... it looks delicious. Is it okay if I tend the roses today?"
"I suppose so... if the weather is agreeable. I must do my morning rounds." He leaned over to kiss the shinigami... Tilting his head, Tsuzuki makes it easier for Muraki to kiss him... grateful for even the slightest bit of gentleness from the doctor. Muraki smiled. "I want to take you out tonight... I'll send the clothes up later..."
"Let me know what time... so I'll know when to leave the garden to start getting ready."
"I will... we will also have to go to the salon... plan to leave here around... 3pm."
Tsuzuki isn't about to argue... though why the doctor wants to have them head out to a salon, he doesn't know, and isn't really sure that he wants to know. "Okay, I'll be ready by then."
"You will be lovely tonight... I'll see you later, you may go out to the garden when you wish." He turned and left.
**********
The small 'lizard' can be seen curled up napping on a pillow behind the register... Ran not sure what to do about Kiji, especially considering how potentially dangerous the thing can be. Its current small size completely misleading to the amount of damage the thing is truly capable of causing. How could Tsuzuki have sent this thing with him?
The others never really said much about it... but cast wary looks in its direction when they were in the same room.
So far, Ran muses, the only redeeming quality that the creature has is that it usually listens to him. Though, he isn't sure what would happen should Kiji get it into its head to just not pay attention to him one day... animals are peculiar like that.
As if it had sensed his thought... the diminutive dragon raised it's head and hissed at him warningly.
**********
Out in the hallway, the occupants of the medi center can hear a commotion. Watari, Nanjiro, and Wakaba arguing vehemently about something... using Tatsumi as their translator. Slowly it dawns on Schuldig what he is hearing... a pair of shinigami from Germany are there, and trying to extradite him AND Mastermind while the Japanese shinigami are arguing that Schuldig is a Japanese citizen, and that Mastermind is currently considered stateless... effectively killing any jurisdiction that the German's would have over the clone.
There was no way in hell he was going to go back with them... not willingly. /Nagi... wake up.../
/what?/ The boy's thoughts were fuzzy, as they always were as soon as he woke up.
/Wake UP! THEY are here to take me back... I'm not going... you might have to block the door.../
As the argument continues, the more heated it turns... the closer it gets. From the sound of things, the Japanese shinigami are trying to physically bar the others from moving down the hallway, and are being slowly pushed backwards. Schuldig can hear them as they continue closing in on them... Tatsumi commenting in German that even if they had petitioned for a retroactive extradition for the telepath, it would only extend back so far as a two weeks from the date of inscription, and that the man's paperwork had arrived some three to four weeks ago... making his citizenship complete as far as their department was concerned.
It was loud enough that Nagi was catching bits of it... he couldn't speak German worth a damn but he understood it fine. He paled, even as he pulled in the power to block the door. "Schu... what are you going to do? I won't be able to hold it for long..."
A muffled thump can be heard, and the telepaths pick up on a spike of pain as Watari crashes into the wall... having been shoved by one of the Germans.
Schuldig growled and took a step toward the door. "NO... Schu if you go out there they will get you... Watari will be okay..." Nagi pleaded.
From the nearly earth-shattering silence that followed Watari's impact, Tatsumi can be heard as he raises his voice at the two foreign shinigami... citing all the rules and regulations that they are violating, starting with the unprovoked assault upon another shinigami with intent to injure... That is where the oncoming party stops, halting in their tracks... annoyance from the Germans is palpitable. Knowing that even though Tatsumi isn't part of their Summons Department, he still has a higher rank than they do.
Nagi walked over to stand in front of the door, palms resting on the wood itself. Contact could increase his control should he need it. He nibbled on his lip nervously. Schuldig stood on the far side of the room. Mastermind and Prodigy, not being able to follow the entire situation, never the less understood the gravity. They stood near each other. They all waited...
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Auther Notes:
Since I am coming down to deadline rather soon... my posting will become even more erratic than it is now. Please bear with me on this. I'm really
trying to make my work the best possible while staying within the timeframe that I have at the moment. *sigh* wish me luck minna...
*goes back to drawing table*
Oh yeah... I'm trying a new way of censoring... please let me know your opinion on this new style. ^_^
Responses to Reviews(fanfiction.net):
Kara Angitia: Gauntlets, gloves and fish slapping? What are you smoking, and can i have some? ^_^ Acutally... you want to do fanart, for troubled times? *blinkblink* Really? Hontou? *GLOMPS* That would be soo UBER cool!!! *happy dance around room*
Responses to Reviews(mediaminer.org):
Yuki Fuyumi: Gomen about the naming mix up on Wakaba Kannuki... I was always under the impression that "Wakaba" was family name, and
"Kannuki" was given name. Therefore, for the mission her name was switched over to "Watari Wakaba"... taking her family name and combining
that with Watari's to make a new identity as the little sister. Then again, i have problems even keeping american style names straight. *shrugs*
As for the problem with Terazuma's name... that was a simple case of my skimming over a translation and remembering the spelling incorrectly. It
never occured to me or Yannie that the spelling was off... so it stuck like that.
Jumping around in tenses... That would be my fault. I can't tell that much of a difference with tenses. So unless something is glaringly wrong... I don't
catch it. Sometimes I feel kind of bad because I tend to make weird mistakes in my writing, and I'm surprised that I don't frustrate Yannie (after she's
corrected the same mistake for the umpteenth time in my writing... the correct use of 'floor' and 'ground' also always get me). But, no...
it's not intended to be confusing... it's just what happens when two authors work together, and one went through her entire academic career with really
lousy english classes. LOL
Thanks for taking the time to make such a complete review, and Yannie and I are really glad that you are enjoying the fic... as well as the fact that it is
pulling you through making you want to know what is going to happen next. We always try to please. ^_~