Chapter 15: Friendly Overtures – Second Movement

"Nagi-kun! Good to see you again."

Nagi hooked his book bag on the back of the chair across from Omi. "Good to see you too," he said politely. He still wasn't sure if he meant it or not. "You wanted to see me? Green tea, please," he told the waitress when she appeared.

"And two—" Omi gave Nagi a glance, and Nagi nodded—"melon tortes, please. With a vanilla chai."

When the perky girl went to put in the order, Omi leaned forward. "I called because Ken told me that he saw the two of you the other morning. Don't worry, he didn't tell anyone else, and we both agreed to keep it between the two of us. Is everything all right? He said that Mastermind looked—ill."

"Schuldig. His name is Schuldig." Nagi looked out over the café. "I... I don't know what's wrong with Schu."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Omi smiled gently at Nagi's look of surprise. "I know that in the past, Schuldig has never given me reason to want to help him. Quite the opposite, actually. But I'll help him, if it will help you."

"In exchange for what?" Nagi asked.

Now Omi looked surprised. "I just want to help, that's all. In exchange for nothing, I guess. No, that's not right. How about for friendship?"

"For friendship? I thought that you said we were already friends."

"Well, we are. Friends help each other. That's part of what friendship is about. Trusting other people to give you a hand when you need it. In return," Omi told him, "you help out your friends when they need it." He paused. "But only if you want to. Friendship is about wanting to help. Otherwise, it's just a trade of favors between strangers."

"I see." Nagi looked into the tea cup that the waitress placed in front of him. The clear green-gold depths told him nothing.

"I wonder," Omi said. "You don't know much about friendship, do you? What about Schwarz?"

"Schwarz was my team. They understood me."

"That's friendship too," Omi beamed at Nagi.

Nagi thought about Crawford. Crawford? A friend? Schuldig, back during Schwarz, had little to do with him, unless it was to tease or pick on him. But maybe they were becoming friends now. "I guess so."

"So, is there anything I can do for you? Does he need medical attention? Are the two of you in some sort of trouble?"

"No, not exactly," Nagi told his teacup. He wanted Omi to help him. This was bigger than he could deal with. Nagi was sure that the nightmares were a symptom of a greater underlying problem, but what? Schuldig wasn't all right. The nightmares and odd behavior were escalating, meaning that Schuldig needed help. Unfortunately, Omi couldn't provide it. "I wish that you could help. But I'm afraid you can't."

"Why not?"

"Schuldig is sick mentally, I think. The only people that could help him is at Rosenkreuz." Nagi shuddered. Hewas sure thatSchuldig would rather die than go back to that place. He knew because all who survived it felt that way. He certainly did. "Maybe Crawford." If anyone could help them outside of Rosenkreuz, it was Crawford. He always knew what to do. "But I don't know where Crawford is. Schuldig said he was gone. He didn't say where. I don't think he knows where."

"I see," Omi said gravely. "Is Mas—err, Schuldig—sick because of his, umm, talent?"

"I think so. Maybe." Nagi's gaze remained on the cup in front of him.

"And you think that Kritiker couldn't provide the help he needs?"

Nagi smiled a little and finally met Omi's eye. "No. Even if they could, I don't think that Schu would agree. He wouldn't trust them enough. And if he won't agree to it, he would cause nothing but chaos. Crawfordsometimes callsSchuldig a demon. He can be, when he wants to be. I've always thought he was like Loki, in Norse myth. A trickster, a troublemaker."

"He trusts Crawford?"

"Yes. I think Crawford is the only one he trusts. Crawford always has been able to take care of things. He was the one that was able to rein in Farfarello, to channel a troublemaker like Schu, to harness their chaos to a cause. Crawford would know what to do." Nagi's conviction was all the stronger for the surety in that soft voice. He didn't need zeal to illustrate his faith in the Oracle.

Omi was silent for a moment. "And you can't reach Crawford?"

Nagi wrapped his hands around his cup and shook his head. Omi tapped a finger against the table. "Well, I wish I could help you. Maybe you can find some way to convince Schuldig."

"Maybe," Nagi said. He didn't sound confident in the possibility.

Omi looked at the other boy over his hot chai. If Crawford was the only one that could help Nagi, then Omi would find Crawford for them. If he could. No, if Kritiker could. He was Persia now. It was time he got used to that idea and started using the resources at hand. He needed to start thinking past Bombay and Weiß, to the bigger picture. Starting here. Maybe with Nagi.

"My grandfather was the first Persia.(1) I'll be the third one." Omi stopped. "Help me, Nagi-kun."

"I thought it would come to this." Nagi said it without bitterness or accusation, only resignation.

"I'm asking you to help as Persia, Nagi-kun. If you refuse, it would be between you and Persia, not Omi and you."

Nagi's face remained expressionless, but puzzlement was apparent in his tone. "Omi and Persia are one and the same."

"Not so," Omi insisted. "Mamoru Takatori is the name I was born with. To my friends and to me, I'm Omi. When I worked at the flower shop, Bombay wasn't the one to sell flowers. Omi was. Now, when I give Weiß orders, Persia does it. But Omi is the one that meets them for coffee, goes to games with them, and visits them when they are injured or ill."

"I see," Nagi said. He thought of Schuldig. The telepath would understand this better than he could, but he thought that he had the general idea. "So if I refuse, Omi will still wish to be . . . my friend?"

"Of course."

To Nagi, there was no 'of course' about it. "May I have some time to think about this?"

"Certainly."

Nagi rose to go.

"Where are you going?"

Nagi turned back, confused. "Our business is concluded, isn't it?"

"Yes, but the torte hasn't arrived yet."

Nagi's confusion deepened. "But . . ." he couldn't think of what to say.

"Come on, it's the best part."

Nagi sat back down. This friendship thing will take some getting used to, but it seemed—nice. He then knew that he would be saying yes to Persia's offer sometime in the future. He had to figure out what to do about Schuldig first.

-

A/N:
(1) I read somewhere that there was another Persia before Shuiichi. So that would make Omi the third Persia when he becomes Persia in Glühen. I might be wrong—I also heard there were more than two Persias, making Omi 4 or 5.
Thanks to Hisoka (I thought Schu was lucky to have Nagi around, as well), Yanagi-sen (You're right. We always hurt most the ones we love. Schu's one of my favorites. Can't you tell?), FungiFungusRayne (I hope you enjoyed the extra Omi/Nagi goodness), and LoneCayt (my sympathy is with Schu too, not that you can tell from my writing). I debated on whether or not I could carve out some time from packing to get these two chapters out— your kind reviews tipped the balance. I'm not going to be able to post for at least a week, possibly more. After we move, we've got friends coming to visit, so I won't have time, really. But I will post the next chapter before the month is out.