Chapter Five

Omi paced back and forth outside Yohji's room. Ken and Aya were waiting downstairs, but they weren't any more pleased with the situation. Of course, Yohji had just had to come with them when they'd gone to kill the head members of Riot, and of course he'd managed to tear his wound open again.

He looked up as Akida, the doctor that Kritiker had called for them, came out. "Is he okay?"

"Hai, he's fine," Akida said. "I've stitched the wound up and wrapped it. Give him a few days and he'll be back on his feet, but don't let him up and about until then. And don't let him do any heavy lifting for at least a week. I'll be back to check on him on Wednesday."

Omi nodded, relieved. "All right. Thanks."

He showed Akida out, then went into the kitchen. Ken was wiping the blood off the tiles. Again. Aya was sitting at the kitchen table with his tea, trying to not look worried. And doing a fairly good job.

"How is he?" Ken immediately asked.

"Akida-sensei says he'll be all right," Omi assured them. "And that we should keep him in bed for at least two or three days."

Ken wrinkled his nose. "He'll hate us."

"I'd rather he hate us than get hurt again," Omi said.

"I know, but it still won't be fun," Ken said with a sigh. "Well, as long as he's all right. What kind of idiot goes out on a mission right after being shot, anyway?"

"The guilty kind," Aya said.

Ken blinked at him. "Oh, well that explains everything, Mr. Engima."

"You're just cranky because you had to clean again," Aya said.

"I'm cranky because Yohji's clothes were soaked in blood. That makes me a bit nervous, okay? Shouldn't we have brought him to a hospital?"

"Akida-sensei would have told us to take him to a hospital if he needed to go to a hospital," Omi said, trying to sound soothing. "And if he tries to get up, tell him that if he doesn't lay down we'll bring him to a hospital and he won't have a choice." Omi gave them both a bright smile.

Ken blinked at him. "You're telling him that. Not me."

"Okay, okay," Omi said.

"You know you're a little scary sometimes, right?" Ken asked.

"Why?" Omi asked, with a frown.

"Because if I told Yohji not to get up, he'd ignore me. But he'll listen to you."

"Oh." Omi frowned. "I suppose that's . . . good."

^^^^

"Schuldig?" Brad stuck his head into Schuldig's room, where he was making use of his new discman and a stack of books he had gotten out of the library. Schuldig didn't hear him. /Schuldig./

Schuldig looked up. /What?/

/Phone./

Schuldig blinked at him. /Phone?/

/Yes. Who did you give this number to?/

Schuldig stammered slightly, and bought time by stopping his Discman and taking the earphones off. Had he given the number to Yohji? More importantly, was Brad going to kick his ass for giving him the number? He hadn't thought it would be a big deal.

"Schuldig . . ."

"Yes?"

"Who did you give the number to?"

"Yohji. Gotta get the phone." Schuldig dove past Brad and out into the main room, grabbing the phone. "Hi?"

"Hey." Yohji's voice was soft and scratchy. "I'm going to have to cancel for today. I'm sick."

"What's wrong? I mean, besides sick."

"Just sick," Yohji said, coughing slightly.

"Well, maybe I'll come visit you later."

"No, that's okay. I wouldn't want you to catch this. Can we reschedule for Friday, maybe?"

"Think you'll be over it by then?"

"Oh, sure. It's only the flu."

"Sure, we can reschedule for Friday," Schuldig said, though he fully planned on going over to visit before then. He didn't precisely disbelieve Yohji, but he didn't precisely believe him either.

"Okay. Give me a call on Thursday and we can talk about it then?"

"That sounds good. You gonna miss me?"

Yohji grinned. "You know I am."

"Good." Schuldig glanced at Brad, who wouldn't kill him while he was still on the phone, and wondered how long he could keep Yohji. "What are you doing now?"

"Actually, my roomies are pestering me to take a nap, and Omi gets violent sometimes, so I think I'd better go."

There was an indignant squawk in the background.

"What was that?" Schuldig asked.

"Omi."

"Oh. Does that mean you have to go?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to you Thursday."

"Okay. I'll miss you." II'm going to die.

Yohji said goodbye and hung up.

Brad raised an eyebrow at Schuldig.

"Don't hurt me, I can call 911," Schuldig said hastily.

"So is he going to miss you?" Brad asked dryly.

"Yes."

"How very cute."

"I'm going to go visit him later today, he just doesn't know it." Schuldig backed towards the door, wondering if he could make it out before Brad could catch him. Maybe he could throw the phone at him so he couldn't chase him too closely.

"Whatever possessed you to give him this number?"

"Uhhh . . . he's an assassin too, what's he going to do, report us to the police?"

"Use the phone number to find the address and come in as an assassin?"

Schuldig shook his head. "He won't. I'd hear him coming four years away."

Brad raised an eyebrow. "You really like him."

Schuldig nodded.

"Don't give anyone else this number."

"Fair enough, I can do that. So you're not going to kill me?"

"Not over this."

"Oh good."

^^^^

Ken looked up as a redhead sauntered into the store, looking altogether too self-satisfied. "Can I help you?" he asked, as the man strolled up to the counter as if he owned the store.

"I'd like to buy a bouquet of whatever Yohji's favorite flower is, and then could you direct me to his room?"

Ken blinked at him. "Uhh," he managed. "Yohji didn't say anyone was coming."

"He didn't know."

"Who are you?" Ever the good employee, Ken was getting the flowers as he spoke. Omi would kill him if he ruined a sale. He cared an awful lot about the flower shop's prosperity, given that it didn't really matter.

"Just a friend. We met a couple of weeks ago."

Ken looked at him for a long minute, before his eyes widened and he spilled the flowers all over the counter. Oh! This must be Yohji's new fuckbuddy!

Schuldig picked up his surface thoughts easily, and smirked. "You dropped those."

"Ah . . . yeah." Ken gathered up the flowers. "Well, look, you can't see him. He's sick."

"I know he's sick. That's why I'm here. I don't buy flowers for people that aren't sick. At least, not usually."

"Yeah, but . . ." Ken looked bewildered.

"Come on, I came all the way here just to see him."

Ken looked vaguely uncomfortable. Well, crap, I can't let him in, but what am I supposed to tell him? "He's contagious."

"I already talked to him. I'm sure I can handle the flu."

Ken stammered something, and was saved as Omi came out of the back room and looked questioningly at the situation. "Ah, he wants to see Yohji," Ken said.

Schuldig smiled and waved at Omi.

Omi smiled back. "You can't see him. He's sick."

"I know he's sick," Schuldig replied. "You must be Omi. I heard you over the phone."

Omi smiled sweetly. "Nice to meet you."

Schuldig held out his hand. "The pleasure's all mine. Can I see him?"

"I'm afraid not." Omi shook Schuldig's outstretched hand.

Schuldig sensed that Omi would be a lot harder to get by than Ken was, and considered just looking in his mind to find out what had actually happened to Yohji that made him unable to be seen. "But I miss him so."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Not in my case. Absolutely not."

"But what about in Yohji-kun's case?" Omi took the flowers from Ken's ineffectual hands and started wrapping them up.

"Absence just makes him frustrated."

"I'm afraid that your presence right now won't help that."

"You never know. Why won't you let him decide?"

"He'd say the same thing." Omi smiled again, showing a little more tooth.

"I think we should ask him." Schuldig smiled back, just the same way.

"All right. Stay here. I will." Omi walked out of the shop.

Ken handed Schuldig the flowers and told him how much they would be. Schuldig paid, then lounged against the wall, waiting. Just for fun, and to satisfy his burning curiosity, he took a peek at what Ken was thinking. Well, hell, we can't just tell him that Yohji got shot, but it doesn't look like he'll be going away. I hope Omi can figure out how to get rid of him. It's not like Yohji can have sex with twenty-five stitches in his stomach.

Schuldig managed to keep from squeaking, but only barely.

Omi walked back in before Schuldig could say anything. "Come on," he said with a sigh. "But you can't stay long."

"I knew he missed me." Schuldig grinned at Ken and followed Omi up to Yohji's apartment. He walked in and planted the flowers on Yohji's desk. Yohji was lying in bed with the covers drawn all the way up. Schuldig had to admit that, had he not been telepathic, he probably never would have known the difference.

"Hi," Yohji said, in the same scratchy voice. "Hear you've been giving Omi and Ken trouble."

"Only a little. I missed you." Schuldig leaned down and kissed him gently.

"Why'd you bring me flowers? I work in a flower shop."

"I don't know," Schuldig admitted. He grabbed a chair and dragged it over to sit. "How are you feeling?"

"Crappy," Yohji said.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"No, I'm okay. Why didn't you say you were going to come by?"

"Spur of the moment. I thought I could wait until Friday and then I changed my mind."

Yohji smirked. "Liar."

"Okay, your coughing sounded really fake and I wanted to make sure you didn't have someone else here to replace me."

"Sorry, no," Yohji said. "My throat hurts so I'm trying not to cough."

"In all honesty, you don't look all that great," Schuldig said, noting how pale Yohji was. "You sure you'll be okay by Friday?"

Yohji shrugged slightly. "The doctor said I'd be back on my feet by Thursday."

"So why wasn't I allowed to see you? Given that I'm willing to catch whatever it is that you have. Why are they so protective?"

Yohji blinked at him. Schuldig nearly grinned at the confused stammering inside his mind, the half-dozen answers that were quickly posed and then tossed as useless. "Ah, well," he said, "Kenken would've let you up in a minute, and Omi-kun is just jealous."

"A little young for you, isn't he?"

Yohji smirked. "Of course. He looks up to me."

Schuldig just laughed.

Yohji made a face. "It's because I'm so sexy?" he tried.

He still laughed. "Oh, you're definitely sexy, but that's good."

"What is?"

"That he looks up to you. Come on."

"Hey, I'm not a pedophile," Yohji said, sounding irritated. "It's not my fault he has a crush on me."

"What would he say if I asked him about it? Let him know that you're mine?"

Yohji managed to keep a straight face. "He'd deny it. He's very sensitive about it."

"I'm sure," Schuldig said.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're deliberately torturing me?" Yohji asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Schuldig said.

"Jerk," Yohji grumbled.

"I really was worried, though."

Yohji smiled a little, and for the first time, Schuldig saw how tired and worn he looked. "Thanks."

"No problem. Do you want me to stay or do you actually want me to go?"

"I don't know. Are you going to keep tormenting me?"

"Nah."

"Then you can stay."

"Why, thank you."

^^^^

Brad looked up as Schuldig stalked into the house. "Twenty-five!" the redhead announced.

"Twenty-five what?" Brad asked from his place on the couch. For once, he was relaxing with a book, rather than working.

"Twenty-five stitches! Twenty-five! If they weren't already dead, I'd kill them myself."

Brad blinked at him. "If they're dead, why the stitches?"

"He was shot! And got twenty-five stitches!"

"But isn't dead?" Brad surmised.

"He's not, no. They had better be."

Brad turned back to his book. "I'm afraid that I don't know."

"I'll just have to find out, then," Schuldig snarled.

"As long as he's all right, why do you care?" Brad asked.

"I don't call twenty-five stitches and two holes all right!"

"You went to visit him, I take it?" Brad asked.

"Yes."

"You hate hospitals."

"He wasn't in the hospital."

"Then he can't be too badly wounded, now can he." Brad flipped a page in his book.

"I don't know. God, that kid that they have is a real hardnose."

"So I had heard," Brad said. "He's their leader, from the information I've gotten."

"Do you know who shot him?"

"No, but Nagi can probably find out if you ask him nicely. He's been bored lately. Not much work for him to do."

"Maybe I will."

"Are you busy Friday?"

"I think so. At least part of it. Why?"

"You're going to be needed. There's going to be an attack and Farferello won't be able to handle it alone."

Schuldig heaved a sigh. "Do you know when?"

"Morning, I think. I'll know closer to the date."

"I can work with that."

"I should hope so." Brad gave him a severe look. "Since your job is supposed to be your priority, Schuldig. Or had you forgotten?"

"I have a perfect memory, I'll have you know. Except for those few years."

"Good." Brad turned back to his book.

"I'll go see if I can keep Nagi entertained."

"You do that."

^^^^

"So," Yohji drawled, strolling into the kitchen a few days later, "guess what I have."

"Fleas?" Aya guessed.

Ken hid his snickers behind his hand. Omi had to bite his lip in order not to laugh.

"Cute, Aya," Yohji said. "Very cute. But not as cute as this." He brandished a photograph in one hand, sweeping it under all their noses just long enough for them to see what it was before snatching it back.

Aya lunged for it, but Yohji had quickly backed away, putting the table between them.

"Give that here," he said coldly.

"Oh, but you and your stuffed hippo are so cute," Yohji said, smirking.

Ken was bug-eyed. "Even having seen it, it's somehow cuter on film," he said.

"Did you all come in to look?" Aya asked.

"Well, we wouldn't have had to if Kenken had just not been a wuss and been able to wake you up when he went in," Yohji pointed out.

Aya turned his cold eyes on Ken.

"You would've killed me!" Ken protested.

"And now you're all going to die," Aya said.

"You can't take us all on," Omi said, calmly eating his breakfast.

Aya stood and advanced on Yohji.

"Here, have it." Yohji handed the photograph over with a smirk.

"Where are the negatives?"

"In a place very far away from the other three copies I had made of the picture."

Aya threw the photo on the table, looking disgusted.

"Come on, Aya," Yohji said with a grin. "I bet it'll help you get dates. Girls love a guy with a soft side. I could show it to all the girls in the flower shop . . ."

"Then I really will kill you."

Ken blinked between the two of them. "Yohji, even you aren't that much of a jerk. Shut up before Aya punches you in your stomach wound."

"That really would be a fate worse than death," Omi said, presumably referring to showing the photo to the girls, not to being punched in the stomach wound.

Yohji plopped into a chair. "Okay, I won't show it to the girls in the flower shop. But really, Aya, you need to loosen up. Who cares if we've seen you with your cute little stuffed hippo? We still think you're a man."

"More of a man than you, at any rate," Ken put in.

"I'm wounded, Ken. You know you want me."

Ken nearly sprayed his tea across the table. "I do not!"

"Yes," Aya said. "We want you gagged and muzzled, Kudou."

"Oh, so you like it kinky." Yohji winked at him.

"That's none of your business," Aya said.

"You just made it my business," Yohji proclaimed. "I'll have the truth out of you one way or another." He put his feet up on the table, wincing slightly at the way it pulled at his stomach wound.

Omi whapped him on the shin with his spoon.

"Ow," Yohji complained, appropriately Aya's breakfast, since he had left the table.

"Lazy bum," Aya said.

"You know you love me."

^^^^

Schuldig looked at his watch and cursed. First the attackers had been late, then Farferello had to take his sweet time killing every single one of them individually, then he had to get stuck in traffic. Yohji must have been waiting for twenty minutes by now. It was not turning out to be his day.

He entered the cafe still in his work clothes: dark green coat, slacks, with his bandana pulling his hair out of his face. Yohji was waiting at a table with his feet up, looking bored. Schuldig was momentarily grateful that Farferello had managed all the killing by himself; otherwise he might have gotten bloody and would've wasted even more time by having to change. "Sorry I'm late," he said, plopping into the seat across from Yohji.

"No biggie," Yohji said. "Traffic really sucks out there. I should've known better than to suggest this cafe at lunchtime."

"Well, the food had better be good." Schuldig pulled the bandana out of his hair and put it away.

"You're all dressed up today," Yohji said. "Don't tell me it was for the date." He glanced down at his oversized sweater and jeans.

"No," Schuldig said. "Business meeting."

"Oh? What business?" It occured to Yohji suddenly that he had no idea what Schuldig did. It seemed odd, but then again, their first meeting hadn't exactly been conducive to small talk.

"Security."

Yohji looked him up and down. "You look very secure, yeah."

"I'm secure in many things."

"I'll have to be sure I test them all out, then," Yohji said.

Schuldig laughed. "What's the best thing for lunch here, anyway?"

"Hm?" Yohji perused the menu. "Offhand, I'd say it's this." He pointed to something on the menu.

"Guessing much?"

"Oh, no, that's really good here." Yohji spouted a couple Japanese words that Schuldig had never heard before.

"What's in it?" Schuldig asked, frowning.

"Turtle."

"Oh, God!" Schuldig made a face and asked, "What is it with this country?"

Yohji blinked at him. "Turtle is good."

Schuldig sputtered for a minute. "Pick something else! And you can't order that either!"

"I like turtle," Yohji said, getting a kick out of Schuldig's squirming.

"Not near me you don't."

"Try the takoyaki then. That's really good here."

"What's that?"

"Fried octopus."

Schuldig threw his hands up in despair and disgust. "No."

"Now, come on," Yohji said, amused. "What's so wrong with octopus?"

"They have the average intelligence of a five year old child!" Schuldig said. "They can learn and think on a human level! You can make friends with an octopus!"

"They're still damn tasty."

"No!"

"You know I'm just having a good time watching you squirm, right?"

"You're horrible. Why do I put up with you?"

"Because the sex is just that good."

"Okay, you've got me there." Schuldig reflected somewhat mournfully that if he'd been using his telepathy, he would've known that Yohji was only joking. But he was trying to be a good boy. At least towards Yohji. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, much," Yohji said, wondering when they'd get to have sex again. Schuldig was sure to notice the wound; it was still healing.

"So what are we doing after our non-pet eating lunch?"

Yohji raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know. Did you have anything in mind?"

"I haven't been here long enough to have anything in mind."

"Been up to Tokyo Tower yet?"

"No."

"We can do that, then. It's something every tourist has to see."

"Okay."

There was a pause in conversation as the waiter came over. Yohji ordered for both of them, then sat back with a grin.

"What did you just order for me?"

"A vegetable stir fry. Calm down."

"Okay then."

"Your Japanese is pretty good for a Gaijin," Yohji said, taking a drink of his tea.

"One of my co-workers is native," Schuldig said. "He spent a lot of time tutoring me." That was half-truth, at any rate.

"How'd you end up in Japan, anyway?"

"Seemed like a good business move. Really, I don't know why our boss picked it."

Yohji raised an eyebrow. "You didn't ask?"

"Didn't care that much."

"So you didn't leave anyone behind in Germany?" Yohji smirked. "No long-lost loves that might be competition?"

"No family."

"Those usually aren't long-lost loves, no."

Schuldig laughed. "As far as I know, I've never broken any hearts. Left a few frustrated libidos, but never broken any hearts."

"Good to know," Yohji said.

"What, afraid yours is going to be the first?"

"Just making sure." Yohji smiled, but it was a bit strained.

"'Fraid someone's going to come gunning for you?"

"Nah."

"What about you?"

Yohji's smile was perfect in its insincerity. "What about me?"

"Left any broken hearts along the way that might want my head on a pike?"

"Nope." Not unless you count my own.

Schuldig pretended very hard that he had not heard that statement. He would play by the rules, damn it. "Any family?"

"None left, no. We have too much in common. It's scary."

"Yeah, but I bet you don't work for an egotistical maniac. And selling flowers is a lot less dangerous."

"I don't know," Yohji said doubtfully. "Some days those girls downright scare me. Besides, I have to work with Aya, and that's probably just as bad."

"I don't think I met him."

"I'm not sure he was there the other day. Tall, dark red hair, perpetual scowl, looks like he has a two-by-four wedged up his ass?"

"No, no, didn't meet anyone like that."

"Well, that's Aya. He's very serious."

"And he works with you? You haven't killed each other yet?"

"He's new. And I thought I might have to, but then I got blackmail material, and it's all been uphill from there. You know, when he's not beating me to a pulp." And nearly opening my stupid stomach wound. I still say he did that on purpose.

Schuldig wanted to sputter something about twenty-five stitches. Playing by the rules, right. "So what's this blackmail material?"

"Well, if I told you, he'd kill me, but he sleeps with a stuffed animal and I got a picture."

"That's so cute!" Schuldig said with a grin.

"Yeah, I know. He's got one of the apartments upstairs, that's how I caught him."

"So do all four of you live together?"

"Unfortunately at times, yes."

"Is selling flowers that stressful?"

"You have no idea." Even without being assassins it's bad enough, what with Omi being so cutely psychotic and Ken being handsome enough to make a straight man drool and wandering around with no shirt all the time in the summer and Aya trying to give us all frostbite.

Schuldig had to fight not to burst out laughing. The mental images accompanying that thought about Ken were . . . quite nice, actually. Aya looked a bit tasty, too, but Omi reminded him too much of Nagi. That was just wrong. "Are there any other scary foods in this country I should be aware of?"

Yohji grinned. "No."

"Thank God."

Yohji sipped his tea, still grinning and reflecting on how gullible Schuldig was.

"You're smiling too much. Give."

"I like smiling."

"But you look evil when you smile like that."

Yohji looked over the rim of his mug, suddenly very serious. "You wouldn't like me if I was evil?"

"I'm not making moral judgments. I just don't want you to lie to me about the scary food."

"I'd have to take the question on a case-by-case decision." Should've known he wouldn't answer that question.

Schuldig tried to ignore that. "Is there anything else that octopus and turtle are in?"

"Just learn the words for octopus and turtle, and you'll know."

"I already knew those words, and I didn't know these were . . . ew." Schuldig gave up. "By the way, I'd still like you."

Yohji paused in surprise, then smirked. "Good to know."

^^^^