Chapter Three : "Lacuna" (words)

Of course he wanted to talk, there were so many things he wanted to talk about... how he felt, his nervousness, he wanted to ask Aya if he felt the same. Ken's mind couldn't go fast enough to say all the things he wanted to respond with. Aya had just asked such a broad question... what should I say?

"Um, I... well..."

The only thing Siberian was thinking about now was how red he knew his face was getting.

"No, nothing."

Ken heaved a sigh of relief. For some reason, he felt like he just lost a whole bunch of weight on his shoulders. He was hoping Aya wouldn't pick another question that would back him into an emotional corner. Unfortunately, Ken could hear the faint rustling of the leaves and petals on the foam heart, meaning his hand was shaking from tension. Being around Aya too long did that to him. Geez, he felt like he was a little schoolboy around a pretty girl he had a crush on.

"A-hem."

Ken looked up to see Aya staring that disgruntled stare at him. Abyssinian snatched up Ken's wrist in one quick movement, holding it still. The brightness from the goalie's eyes dissipated and a gasp escaped his throat, as violet eyes met teal.

He felt embarrassed. Ken never came into physical contact with Aya for any other reason besides a mission. And now, he had such a hard grip on Ken, he thought the bloodflow to his fingers was stopping.

"You're going to mess it up."

It felt good not to have fingers digging into his wrist. But now, Ken felt even more embarrassed. He looked up from rubbing his arm, and realized that Aya was still burning his eyes into his skull. Siberian ran a hand through his hair and tried to relax. But that was kind of hard when he had someone staring at him.

"Ken."

A shuffle of his feet. A cough. "Yeah, Aya?" Oh no.

There was a short pause as his object of affection finished pinning a "Get Well" banner on to the front of the arrangement.

"..Don't ever lie to me."

Teal eyes widened and a small gasp escaped Hidaka's throat, as Aya picked up the heart and walked into the back room with it to box it up. How did he know I was lying? Wait, of course he knew. The leader was supposed to know everything, especially if someone was lying. It was definitely a skill he had picked up over time. The question is, what does he think I need to talk about? He was a little glad though, because that was practically the only semi-conversation they had ever carried out without the help of an arguement.

What was he supposed to say? What was there to do? He couldn't just walk right in there and scream 'Aya, I'm not lying! I love you!' and leap into his arms.. that wouldn't go too well.

---

Ken felt safer in the confines of his bedroom. There was nobody else to see him, or listen to him, or bother him. Hell, nobody else did any of those things anyway. He was just another face to his three comrades.

Sometimes, he didn't understand what made him so different from everyone else. What made Yohji have a thing for Omi, what about him attracted Yohji... he was curious. Ken knew Yohji would be confronting him soon anyway, because now that he had a suspicion that Aya and him had the hots for eachother, he wouldn't be left alone. But part of Ken wanted that help.. if anyone was an expert at feelings and emotions, it was definitely Yohji.

Part of Ken was also scared that Yohji would confront Aya about it. If Aya suspected at all that Ken had feelings for him, he'd never be able to face the violet-eyed beauty again. He didn't want that to happen, he was perfectly content with Aya treating him like nothing.

Even though that really wasn't how he'd been acting lately...

Ken wasn't even aware of the fact that he was tossing an turning, and he actually was starting to sweat. He was so nervous there was no way to describe it... Yohji as definitely going to say something to both of them, or at least he thought so, at the last thing he wanted was to be humilated to the one he really cared about.

"What the hell is going on... how did everything change all of a sudden?"

Ken whispered as he snuggled into his pillows and blankets. It was only just before dinner time, but even the all-time cheery soccer player felt a little too upset to go down there with the rest of them.

The only thing he was thinking about was change. He wondered how things had changed so fast... why were his feelings for Aya suddenly brought to a dangerous high? And why was Aya suddenly giving him an ounce of attention as opposed to none at all? Ken couldn't figure it out, and it had him baffled. Maybe he was dwelling on it too much again. Maybe things were just different because the oh stoic one decided to turn over a new emotional leaf? This probably wasn't about Ken at all... but he couldn't help getting his hopes up.

---

"Where's KenKen the soccer-man?" Yohji said teasingly as he thumbed through a magazine. He yawned and smelled the sweet aroma of pasta as Omi finished cooking. He made sure not to cough or sneeze over the stove, of course.

Omi turned and glanced at the staircase. "I think I saw him go upstairs a little while ago. Maybe he's in his room."

"You think he caught whatever you have?" Yohji looked over his glasses at Omi.

"Nah." He sniffled.

"He was fine this morning. But he seemed a little shaky this afternoon."

Bombay and Balinese both looked at Aya with a confused face on. Ken was hardly ever sick, he always tried to keep him self in the best of shape so he could play soccer. It was that, and the fact that the brunette was usually always hungry and never missed a meal unless absolutely necessary. After all, he was a growing boy, right?

"Think this has something to do with the angry fork in the wall?" Yohji amused himself by making fun of Ken.

"Why can't you just let that drop?"

Yohji furrowed his eyebrows and looked behind him to where the voice had come from. There was Ken, standing on the bottom step with wet hair, a ripped pair of jeans on and a towel over his shoulders. Not to mention sporting a kind of angry look directed at his older friend. So what if he already took a shower that morning? He definitely needed another one.

Omi sent Ken a worried look. "That was pretty long shower Ken.. and why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"I was laying down a for a little bit, and because its hot up there."

The cushion made a faint squeak sound when Ken sat in a chair and leaned back in it. He was tempted to put his feet up on the table but he knew Aya would yell at him for that.

Yohji leaned over and whispered into his ear, little droplets of water getting on his nose from wet hair.

"He's looking at you again, you know."

A small blush formed on little KenKen's cheeks when he tried to sneak a look at Aya. Sure enough, when he lifted his eyes, Aya was looking straight into them. But, instead of pulling their eyes away, neither of them flinched.

"Basium dano ops redimio animus pro infinitio."