Chapter 9
The night was much cooler than when Ken had first stepped onto the sidewalk and the brunette found his teeth chattering after a few more blocks of walking. He'd left the warmth of another human body and set out on his own to think. That body had been entirely too tempting, but his gut told him to run. He'd always trusted his gut feelings... hadn't he?
Ken groaned to himself and zipped up the brown leather jacket he wore. He paused and looked at a stain on the sleeve. He blinked and sniffed at it. Blood? He wrinkled his nose and lowered his hand to shove it into his jeans pocket again, just as the other one was. He headed back 'home', his feet taking him there without really thinking about it. He watched cars and people go past, urging every face to smile and say his name in recognition, then spill all the information they have on him. But no one really looked at him much. He got a few smiles and polite nods, but that was about all.
Once he stood in front of the Koneko again, he looked up and up, past the second and third floor and up to the roof. He didn't want to go inside. He didn't want to face the three coworkers. He headed to the side of the building where he knew the fire escape was and climbed up the steps as quietly as he could just in case the others were still inside and waiting for him. He climbed up to the roof and looked around. There was a small enclosed room in the corner with a locked door.
He headed to that door and looked around for key after trying the knob. He blinked and wondered, 'Now where would I hide a key up here....' Ah, of course. He reached up and lifted a shingle from the roof, dug inside and drew out the key. He unlocked the door and opened it to peer inside. There were two chairs, a blanket, and a bottle of wine. Wine?? He shrugged and took a chair out, set it up beside the wall and sat to gaze up at the stars alone, his thoughts finally calming down as he grew tired.
Ran peered at the device in his pocket only every other block or so. It was easy to loose a target if you kept searching every face for familiar sea-green eyes instead of looking at the tracking device. By the time he looked at it again, he noticed he'd gone past Ken somehow. He blinked and looked around, then turned and headed back to the Koneko with a frown. How had the boy slipped past him?? Perhaps he had been on the other block and hadn't noticed the red head across the street. Either way, Ran had to find him soon. The night was getting too cold to have to sleep out here without any friends... or a lover.
He went back to the building and drew out the device. He frowned deeper when he realized Ken is inside. The boy came home. He slipped the handheld into his pocket and went inside, his mind flooding with relief. At least Ken trusted and liked them enough to come home on his own.
He went up to his room and ditched the coat, then went to knock on Yohji's door. The blonde opened it without a shirt on and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, "Mm, didjya find him, Red?"
Ran blinked at him, "Is Ken not home?"
Yohji raised a dirty gold eyebrow, "Not that I know of. Is your head on right?"
Ran frowned at him for a moment then dug the device out of his pocket and studied it again. Yohji sighed, "Look... go to bed. He'll be back." He patted the red head on the shoulder then gently closed his door again. Ran frowned at the device and went to Ken's room. He searched the entire building and found no Ken, but the device said.....
The roof!! He hurried up the steps. This was his last chance, somehow. His last chance to bring Ken back to his loving arms and gentle kisses. He opened the door and stepped out, glancing around for the brunette. Ken slept in one of the garden chairs. Ran smiled his private smile, usually kept under lock and key until Ken was in front of him. He stepped closer and remembered a dream.... He lifted a hand to caress that perfect cheek, thoughts of tanned skin and beautiful green eyes lost within his gaze. His long fingers grazed over soft skin and those green eyes did open slowly.
Ken looked up at him dazedly, "Ran...." He sighed quietly and closed his eyes again, slipping back into his interrupted dream. Ran smiled again and leaned down to kiss his forehead.
The red head leaned in further to whisper into his ear, "Hidaka Ken, I love you. I want you to... need you to come back to me. Either you remember or you don't, but be mine again. I love you. I need you." He gave a kiss to that caressed cheek then stood upright again and went into the enclosed room to bring out the blanket.
Ken stirred in the chair with a smile, his dream turning much more pleasant. Ran brought the blanket back out and tucked it around the soccer player's body to keep him warm. He brought out the other chair and sat beside him to wait for him to wake up naturally. He watched the brunette sleep more than he watched the stars.
After about 20 minutes, Ken's eyes slid open again and he blinked at the red head who sat so close. He sat up and shifted in the chair with a groan, "Sorry... musta fell asleep. Did you need something?"
Ran nearly snickered. Of course he needed something. He needed Ken. But he shook his head, "No. You looked cold..." He motioned to the blanket and Ken looked down at it.
He looked back up at his companion and smiled, "Thanks. It is kinda cool out here, isn't it?"
Ran nodded and folded his arms across his chest again, "Ken... do you want to know more?"
Ken blinked and couldn't understand for a moment, but then nodded, "Yeah. Tell me everything. You're the only one who's really tried to."
Ran smiled that smile for him that would usually melt Ken's heart, but the boy made no indication that he remembered it. Ran blinked then sighed, "Then you have to believe every word I say, Ken. No matter how out-landish it may seem to you, how strange." He watched his boyfriend nod, then told him. He told him everything from Ken's past to J-League and Kase to Kritiker and the missions and Aya-chan. He told him about how Ken's mother had died when Ken was still a child and how his father had sent him to a church for free therapy; how Ken had grown up a devout catholic because of it; how he'd been betrayed by his best friend and had nearly died in that fire. He traced a scar down Ken's arm and told him of the fire that destroyed the boy's life, told him how Kritiker saved him and contracted his days for the rest of his life. He told of the missions and their past together with the team, of Takatori's life and death, along with Ouka and Omi's brothers. He told him of Yuriko and of how Ken had almost left for Australia with her. He told the story of the fall of Este and their old enemies.
At one point Ken leapt out of his chair. Ran thought he'd remembered something, but the boy just glared, "Schuldich!! That absolute bastard! He told me we were friends!"
Ran frowned, "Excuse me?"
Ken looked back down to him, anger burning in his eyes, "I met him on the streets tonight before all this, Ran, and he told me we were lovers and to keep it from you."
Ran's expression hardened dangerously, "Did he touch you?"
Ken blinked and his anger seeped out of his frame to be replaced by shame, "Yeah.... He kissed me.... Nearly had me...."
Ran stood up, fingers curling into fists, "I'll kill him. You're with me, Ken. Not with him."
Ken blinked, shame replaced by confusion, "Say what again?"
Ran focused on him again, "Hm? Oh... you and I were together, Ken. We loved each other and planned on staying together. I hadn't gotten to that story, yet. I still love you, Ken. I don't want you to leave me."
His voice was so gentle, so caressably soft that Ken had to watch him and make sure the man was actually speaking instead of someone else. His jaw dropped slightly, "You... but how do I know... I mean, it's not that I don't trust you...." He looked down and fidgeted.
Ran sighed and shook his head, "You just have to trust me Ken. Would you believe someone who has sat by your bed while you slept in that hospital or a man you met on the street for one night?"
Ken shook his head and looked back up at him, "You, of course. M'sorry. M'just so damn confused." He turned and took a few steps away to clear his mind.
Ran sighed and slid his fingers through his sunset hair before following. He put his free hand on Ken's shoulder and turned the boy to look at him. He stared down into the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen and once again confessed, "I love you, Ken. I'll stand by you no matter what happens. I don't expect you to be with me tonight, but my door is always open for you. You've slept in my room so many times it's as if you've half moved in." He lifted his other hand to cup the boy's cheek, his thumb rubbing over that perfect cheek bone, "You can do anything you want Ken, just please don't push me out of your life."
Ken blinked up at him as he felt tears stinging his eyes. That had to be the most beautiful speech he'd heard in his life. His lips curled up into a smile, "Ok, Ran. I want you with me. I need a friend... no, someone closer... someone to stay with me. It hurts not being able to remember you, though. We must have been so close."
Ran smiled back and nodded, "Yes, of course. We used to talk up on this roof all night long. I'm not really a man of many words, but you always seem to bring them out of me. Even now." He let his hands slip from the other.
Ken caught one of those hands in both of his own, "Ran... will you kiss me? Maybe...."
Ran studied him for a moment then nodded, "Anything you'd like, Ken." He leaned in and gave the boy a chaste kiss on his lips. Ken kissed him back lightly then blinked at him as the man drew back again. Ran raised a questioning eyebrow and Ken shook his head.
"It was nice, but I don't remember anything else."
Ran blinked as a mischievous smile played on Ken's lips. He recognized that smile and he leaned in to kiss him again, this time parting their lips and kissing him deeper. Ken's hands slid up his arms to go around his neck and keep him close. Their eyes closed as they shared a long and deep kiss, loving each other for the moment so completely that they twisted and turned into each other, merging into one for a magical moment or two. The magic caught them up and they both believed everything would be better from now on. No hardships would ever touch them again.
When the kiss ended, Ran raised his eyebrow at the other again. Ken smiled brightly and for another moment everything was right. But Ken shook his head, "That was wonderful. I still don't remember... but I still want to kiss you forever..."
Ran faltered for a moment of disappointment, but then smiled just as brightly, "Anything you'd like, Ken."
The next few years will be hard on them all, but they'd pull through and their love will keep them strong. Ken might never remember everything, but at least he'd have new wonderful memories to keep him warm as he slept beside his lover and love of his life. From now on. Forever.
