Tainted Romance
Chapter II
'Blood'
A Weiss Kreuz Fanfiction
Part two of seven
Revised
The rainstorm seemed to have passed, outside the sun shone overhead, brightly tearing through the glass window and warming the contents inside its home. The light delicately falling over everything within its reach, giving the room a small glow. A single cloud rolled past as it wandered lonely in search for companionship in the vast and empty sky. Searching for something to keep it company in life's journey.
In the soft brown cushioned chair the male had fallen asleep, Ken awoke. Sunlight piercing his still closed eyes, he moved sleepily to shield his eyes from the blinding morning sun with the back of his arm.
Not such a good idea.
Pain seared through his side, causing a gasp to escape from his dry lips. Unawake completely, Kens mind fumbled for answer's his body seemed to question. What had happened?
Everything came flooding back at once, weighing down his heart once more. He'd screwed up. He'd almost cost his leader his life. He'd failed in his mission. But what's more, he'd failed the stoic red head he loved.
Loved? When had he started to feel this way towards the man? Was that what this lingering feeling that tore at him was? Yes, From the way his heart ached, it told him so. Somehow, he thought, he'd known for a while now how he'd felt, but he'd refused to believe himself. Instead, tossing away the feelings that threatened to consume him, that grew stronger with each day that passed.
No, he couldn't feel this way. No, not towards him. Not toward Aya. They were Weiss. A team. They depended on and trusted one another. Something so trivial couldn't be allowed to interfere with their missions. But I destroyed that trust.
The prominent ache echoed in his chest again and for a moment he forgotten the pain that ripped through him unmercifully.
A knock thundered against his door. "Ken?"
"Shit." Fumbling for a clean shirt, Ken swiftly pulled it overhead, cursing silently to himself with each dazing wince. A wave of dizziness suddenly clutched him, as he stood upright from the cushioned chair he'd fallen asleep in.
"Ken?" Omi's voice. What did he want? Another knock and the doors handle began to twist. With the feeling of weakness giving no signs of dissipating, Ken clutched the dressers top, holding his head in his hand. His slender fingers entwining the darkly chocolate colored locks in a murderous grip.
A blonde head pocked through the door just as his shirt's hem fell over the wrappings. "Ken?" The boy's blue eyes searched the room for the brunette, "Ken, your going to be late, the shop opens in five minutes..." finding him, he stopped, "Aya's going to be angry, you know how he doesn't like it when we're late."
Ken winced again hearing the red heads name, but he didn't look to meet the blondes blue eyes, "Yeah, Omi. Sorry. I'll be down in two."
The blonde stepped forward, opening the door another few inches, "Ken? Are you all right.. You look a bit pale.."
Ken shook his head ignoring the feeling of weakness, "Fine Omi, I'll be down in a sec." Biting back another fighting wave of weakness he thudded over to the blonde. Hurriedly, pushing the boy from his room and closing the door behind him.
Bewildered, Omi stared at the closed door before him, blinking in confusion. This was unlike Ken; this was something more along the lines Aya would do. Short answers, even shorter explanations and a closed door. But Ken...
Ken hurried down the stairs towards the shop, slipping several aspirin between his lips before leaving his apartment. Hopefully, he thought, it would get him through his shift. Who was his shift with today anways? Youji? He doubted the lazy blonde was even out of bed at this hour. Omi then? Possibly, but then why would Omi mention Aya-
Ken froze stepping through The Koneko doors from the living quarters.
Aya.
Standing silently behind the register with receipts in hand was the said red head himself.
His shift today was with Aya.
Oh no, Lord please no.
He couldn't, not today.
Ken took a step back, his eyes everywhere and anywhere away from him as Omi suddenly appeared from the back room, rocking a large teal colored pot between his arms. "Ken, did Youji come down with you? He's supposed to be working today to! It's Valentines Day! Were going to be swamped!"
Valentines day? That couldn't be right, it was only.. February. His mind slowly seemed to register his thoughts. It couldn't be Valentines Day, they still had a week.. Didn't they?
His mind still felt groggy, unable to fully stay awake. The remaining feeling of weakness leaving him drained and exhausted, no doubt from only just waking up and the added mission last night, he reassured himself.
"Ken?"
"Huh? Oh... No Omi, I didn't see Yotan on my way down. Do you want me to go get him?" Ken shook himself, rubbing his arms suddenly as his body became cold. It did suddenly seem a bit cold in here. In fact, his room seemed a bit cold this morning too.
"Ken.. Are you alright?" Omi's eyes narrowed questionably in concern towards the brunette as he shifted the pot in his arms again. From the counter Aya turned away from his receipts, unnoticed by the brunette. "You look a little-"
"Fine Omi, I'll go get Yotan." An insecure laugh quietly came from his lips as he turned to leave. Omi turned to look to Aya in question. Aya, without an answer, turned back to his receipts. Unfocused on the tiny writing held in his hand.
Around noon, the small Koneko became crowded with lovesick shoppers and drooling fangirls desiring attention from one of its four workers. Youji glowed in the spotlight, taking time out of his busy schedule to devote time to each of them, even if they were under eighteen. Aya on the other hand turned to each of the customers with, "If your not buying anything get out!" sending another wave of giggles through the already screaming girls. Omi didn't seem to mind their presence, he laughed contently, happily helping each of the girls he schooled with. Letting the names of the girls he knew cross between his lips to that particular person, to the envious glares of others.
His head hurt. His body felt weighted down, and the pain from his side emanated in searing silence. The painkillers he had taken should have started to work hours ago. Why weren't they working? With everything else his chest felt heavy and constricted, from his heavy heart or something more he couldn't tell. His lungs seemed to scream to him in ravenous vengeance, desperately seeking air that it couldn't find.
Everything hurt, he concluded.
He wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep forever. Anything to get away from the guilt... Anything to get away from the pain. He could handle the injuries. He could handle insomnia. But the ache held to close to heart he couldn't. How long...
"Kudou! Get back to work!"
"Hai, Hai. Relax Aya." Youji, a head taller than the girls screaming around him, turned away from the fanatic-girled circle about him, "KenKen, can you give me a hand here?"
"Ken?"
Ken, having safely tucked himself away behind the counter, looked up from his intense gaze upon the countertop, his chocolate locks falling away from his eyes. His chin lifted from the palm it rested in, his body rigid upon the small stool he had found. To the lanky blonde Ken's eyes seemed a bit glazed over and his attention elsewhere, despite the rabid girls. "Huh?"
"Yo, Ken, what's wrong with you? Get over here and give me hand." Youji didn't catch the wince that flashed across Kens face as he sat up from his seat before he replaced his mask of smiles.
Aya however did, noticing to that Ken's usually happy facade, seemed drained. Catching each of the tiny coughs Ken desperately tried to muffle that morning. His usual golden tanned skin, dull and pale. He continued to watch as the brunette slowly made his way into the crowd, and as one overly happy girl rushed towards him, hands outstretched.
He watched, the brunette's actions dulled, as the girl tightly crashed around his waist in a bear tight hug. He watched as the brunette spasumed, grimacing painfully and quickly pulled the girl away from him.
The girl, puzzled at his strange actions, teared at the eyes, "Kenken?"
Ken slumped forward slightly; clutching his side with his hand; while he grabbed the counter he'd just rounded to steady himself. Holding his side, as much to ease the pain as to hide the blood he could already feel begin to penetrate through his clothes.
"Kenken.. Did.. Did I hurt you?" The girl's eyes became cloudier, filling with tears to the brim.
Aya, still watching, set down the pot of flowers in his hand, stepping away from the customers around him. Taking a cautious step forward.
Ken mustered a smile, still tightly clutching his side as well as the counter; he looked up "No, I'm fine. I'm sorry, could you ask Youji to help you?"
Seemingly satisfied with his false smile, the girl nodded and trotted over to the blonde.
Ken's face fell down, his chocolate locks falling down his face and once again hiding his eyes. Another tremor of pain befalling his body, he sharply inhaled. His death grip upon the counter increasing, his knuckles turning a deathly white shade.
The pain subsiding, he spoke, barely audible in the crowd, "I'm... Taking a break."
Omi, having come to stand beside Aya, looked from the brunette to him in concern as he left The Koneko through the door to the living room. "Is Ken alright?"
"Hn," Torn between following and telling everyone to leave, the red head silently followed after.
Youji looked to Omi, now standing beside the blonde in the red heads trail, "What was all that about?"
"I don't know..."
Youji, silent for a moment, spoke up for all to hear. "Alright, I need everyone who's here just to be here, OUT. If your buying something I'd be more than happy to help you if you have your selection made. Otherwise OUT, were closing!"
Aya positioned himself to follow, looking for the brunette with well-concealed concern. His emotions were always thus, icy and frigid. While he didn't care to show what he could not, his mind searched for answers.
Had he been to rough on him last night? He may not have said anything to Ken, but his own face could have said a thousand words. A thousand words that would always hit to close to the young boys heart. He'd seen the way Ken's chocolate orbs hid away from his own before he'd turned to leave ahead of him that night. The way they hid from his throughout the day, hiding beneath equally chocolate locks. But he'd chosen to ignore it, instead, letting the saddened chocolate orbs resurface in his minds eye to tare at him. Letting the feeling of guilt hide within him.
He'd noticed the subtle little gestures the brunette had made for over a month now. The little smiles that formed across his lips for no apparent reason. The extra care that didn't need to be presented, the small considerations that weren't required handed graciously. They had trickled into his carefully sculpted life. Little by little, melting the perfectly frozen shell he had created around himself, shielding him from the pain he'd already suffered. Shielding him from having that pain return.
He'd left himself behind long ago in the capsule of ice that was somehow beginning to thaw. He hadn't spoken a word to the brunette other than the usual. Nothing to provoke the smiles, or clumsy onslaught. But the shield he had built around himself was beginning to melt, slowly leaving him unprotected. Leaving him susceptible to the feelings he'd once thought he'd abandoned.
His walk turned into brisk jog, as he rounded The Koneko's corner and into the shared living room. His eyes searching for sign of the brunette in the lightless and darkened living quarters.
A low curse came from the stairs above. Trailing, Aya moved to follow after, pausing to consider a hasty retreat when his eyes fell upon something atop the first step. His hand moved downwards, slender fingers lightly touching the warm liquid substance setting into the steps surface. His thumb rolled over his middle finger's tip, smearing the substance as he brought it before his eyes. The smell...
His eyes moved upwards catching the dark trail that followed each step.
Blood.