Chapter 4
Summary: Ken still hasn't worked out what to say to Aya. Today they have to work together so maybe Ken will get the chance to say something.
Author's note: I should have mentioned this, but Aya-chan is still in a coma, and Ken doesn't know about her. I'm always forgetting to explain what Aya-chan's current state is in my fics! Gomenesai!
Hugs and chocolate kisses to:
Heather – Thank you so much for all your comments! I'm glad that I made you happy! And thank you for reminding me that I hadn't made clear Aya-chan's state – I'm always forgetting her! Hope you enjoy this next chap!
Celeste1 – I think Yohji would be a wonderful friend too – and I like him when he's sweet. Maybe that sweetness will be rewarded, ne?! *evil writer's grin* What do you suggest?
Xellas – I'm so glad you like my little fic! Your comments mean so much to me! *beams from the 'great' comment* I think Yohji's the type that would be just lucky in getting a parking spot in a prime position!
tezuka eiri – I'm not telling about who the boys at the club are yet… Maybe next time, so stay tuned! Thank you for your lovely review!
Moonraven – You always want Yohji-Omi loving! Well, you know that I do too… And you know I like to make my ne-chan happy… But you'll have to wait for that, those pesky main chars of Aya and Ken demanded this chapter! Thank you for your fabulous pre-reading as always – even when you're sick, you still managed to do it for me! Love you!
Minerva teller of tales – Yeah, if I saw them at a club, I'd want to grab them too. Oh well, the next best thing huh, I'll write about them! So happy you like!
Kira – Thank you so much! I'm always so surprised and happy when people like my stuff! Please enjoy this next instalment!
Ken yawned as he pulled out the dinner leftovers from the fridge. He was too lazy to cook. It was already an effort for him to be out of bed at nine in the morning.
When he'd arrived home last night, there had been a slip of paper pushed under his door. Aya's writing informed him that he needed to be ready at nine thirty to leave for the Kawasaki household.
Ken placed the noodles in the microwave and hummed under his breath as he waited for them. His tune died out when Aya entered the room.
'Kami-sama. Why does he have to look so good…' thought Ken despairingly. Aya was dressed simply in blue jeans and a black shirt, but he looked utterly gorgeous. Ken felt like a slob next to him in his own jeans and white t-shirt.
Aya nodded at him and headed towards the kettle, obviously meaning to make a cup of tea.
Ken watched mutely as Aya filled the kettle, put it on to boil and got the teapot and tea leaves out. How could someone be so graceful doing such mundane things? Ken didn't realise he'd been staring until Aya looked up and caught his gaze. Ken felt his ears starting to flush.
Aya merely looked at him for a moment and then said "Tea?" with a raised eyebrow.
Ken nodded, still mute and now also embarrassed, and turned away in relief when the microwave beeped at him. He retrieved his food, or rather attempted to take the dish from the microwave.
"Itai! Hot!" Ken dropped the dish back in the microwave after his attempt to pick it up without the oven glove. He blew ruefully at his slightly reddened fingertips.
"Baka." Aya appeared by Ken's side along with the said oven glove.
Ken flushed. "Aa… Thanks Aya."
Aya simply grunted and turned back to his tea preparations.
Ken successfully retrieved his breakfast and sat down to eat, keeping a surreptitious eye of Aya's back. He didn't want to be caught staring again.
After a few minutes the kettle boiled and Aya joined him at the table with two teacups.
Ken now suddenly found his noodles to be extremely interesting. The shape the noodles made in the bowl… The way the carrot strands mixed in, not to mention the bamboo shoots…
"Do you want to know the schedule for today?" Aya's deep voice recalled Ken from his noodle observation. Ken looked up. Aya looked a little bit annoyed.
"Sure." 'Yep, just get your mind back on work,' Ken berated himself.
Aya pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. He began to pass it to Ken but Ken was a little overeager in reaching for it and his hand brushed against Aya's in his rush.
Ken could feel his ears starting to flush again, just after they'd started to calm down. But Aya didn't say anything, just motioned impatiently for Ken to unfold the paper so he could run through the details.
"Firstly Yuriko will need to go for a final dress fitting in the morning. In the afternoon, the couple will have discussions at the place of the wedding banquet, something about confirming the order of events. And then in the evening, there will be a black-tie dinner that they will need to attend as part of Koichi's business. Any questions?"
Ken nodded. "So we'll be with them all day. Do we need to attend the dinner?"
Aya gave him a look. "Of course. They'll be prime targets in such a public place."
"Damn. Gotta wear a suit… again…" Ken shook his head.
"I believe Yuriko mentioned that she will organise some suits for us. Drink your tea, we need to go soon." Aya rose to place his cup in the sink and to empty out the remaining tea from the pot.
Ken nodded obediently and did as he was told.
****
Ken was not nodding so obediently several hours later when he was herded into the change room to try on the tuxedos that Yuriko had organised.
The dress fitting had been an interesting experience. The sales assistant had been surprised that Yuriko had turned up with a male friend in tow for her dress fitting and had not been able to hide her disapproving looks. Then Yuriko had asked his opinion on all her accessories, all things which Ken had no experience with. He'd mostly just sat in the frilly white and pink room, feeling bored and yet trying to be supportive about something he knew nothing about.
After finishing that, Ken had heaved a sigh of relief and was about to suggest a stop for a drink. However Yuriko had other ideas. Namely being that Ken needed to be kitted out for the ball that they needed to attend that evening. She had organised for an exclusive men's store to provide their clothing. Ken had no choice but to go along with her wishes after she said, "It's a huge event. There'll be lots of wealthy people there, and since you are representing the Kawasaki family, you need to look good!"
So here he was, trying on yet another penguin suit. Yuriko hadn't liked the first one. Or the second one.
Ken was kinda amused by the situation. He had two attendants, who were eagerly doing anything Yuriko wanted. One dashed off to get several pairs of shoes for him to try on whilst the other hovered around him with a measure tape. Yes, Yuriko was going to fit in fine as a Kawasaki.
"Yes Ken-kun! This one is it!" Yuriko exclaimed happily.
Ken looked at his reflection in the mirror. He did look okay, he admitted to himself. But he still couldn't really tell the difference between this suit and the other ones he'd tried on. Still he nodded at Yuriko and happily returned to put on his original clothing.
They were sitting in a café, drinking iced tea whilst waiting for Koichi and Aya, when Yuriko asked if he'd packed an overnight bag.
"What for?" asked Ken.
"Silly! You'll be staying over tonight, won't you? We won't finish till late. They'll have a disco for the young crowd after all the older folks leave. I've been looking forward to letting my hair down and having some fun after such a hectic week!"
And so there was nothing Ken could say in response to Yuriko's request, though he valiantly tried. "Aa… No I haven't packed a bag. I'm sure Aya and I will be fine to go home after it's finished."
"No! I insist! I'm sure we have plenty of space – the house is huge! You probably don't really need anything, I'm sure the housekeeper can find you some pyjamas and toiletries. It's like a hotel sometimes!"
Yuriko was adamant and that was that. Ken submitted reluctantly as he returned her sunny smile. It was only one night after all.
****
The afternoon passed reasonably quickly. Aya and Ken had trailed around behind the couple, learning more than they ever wanted to know about holding a wedding banquet.
Then it was back to the Kawasaki home to relax for a while before they had to go out again.
Ken sighed in relief as he sat down on the comfortable sofa. "At last – a break! Yuriko has too much energy."
Aya was looking away from him. "I have to go out for a few hours. I'll be back before we need to go out."
"Where are you going? Aya?!" But the door was already closing and Aya was gone.
Ken sighed within the silence of the empty room. Where was Aya going?
****
Ken and Aya's clothing had been delivered during the afternoon and had been placed in the rooms that they had been allocated in a wing of guest suites.
'Man, they have a WING of guest suites!" Ken thought, 'Yuriko was right. It IS like a hotel."
There were many family members and friends who had come to join the festivities and the house was full of people. Not that you'd run into many people whilst walking about anyway as the size of the house was so huge.
Koichi had given them free rein in the house so Ken settled in one of the spacious family rooms. He had found a sports channel on the cable television to watch and was thus pleasantly occupied. A cousin of Koichi's had wandered in on hearing the noise and had stayed to watch with Ken. After the car racing special had finished, Ken was idly flicking channels when they came across the end of a J-League highlights program.
"Ooh! J-League! Can we watch?" asked the young cousin Hiroshi.
"No! No! Move! To the left! Ahh!" Ken yelled as the goalie misread the direction of the ball and let in the free kick.
"How did you know he was going to kick to the left Ken-san?" Hiroshi asked curiously.
"Aa... Just a good guess." Ken smiled weakly. He could have told Hiroshi that the reason he knew was because that player had the slightest shuffle step that he did when he was going to kick to the left, but that would have been too hard to explain, so Ken didn't say anything.
The program finished and Ken excused himself. He was feeling a bit unsettled. He loved watching soccer, but he tried not to watch J-league if he could help it. He'd watch English soccer, Spanish soccer, German soccer, hell, any other soccer, but it was still a little painful to watch Japanese soccer.
The player that had made the goal today, Ken remembered playing against him. Ken suddenly felt old and tired. God, what would he give to be able to have those glory days again? 'Though not for the price I had to pay,' Ken thought. He didn't want to think about Kase or the warehouse fire today.
He sighed and kept walking towards the garden. Maybe he'd find some peace within the beauty of the traditional Japanese garden.
****
The evening hadn't been too boring and the food had been reasonable. Some of the speeches had been quite funny and Ken felt himself start to relax. Being with the Kawasaki party had been a real eye-opener into the echelons of society. People kept approaching Koichi to greet him and meet Yuriko. Some of them even shook his and Aya's hands even though they were only introduced as friends.
Ken shifted in his seat. He felt the weight of the gun in its shoulder harness and quickly scanned the area again, checking for any suspicious activity or persons.
Aya excused himself and Ken knew that the redhead was going to perform his hourly reconnaissance of the room.
The disco started after the speeches and a number of older people departed. Yuriko immediately departed for the floor dragging with her an indulgent Koichi.
Aya returned and sat down at his position next to Ken.
"Anything?" Ken asked the question for the umpteenth time that evening.
"Iie. All clear." Was Aya's standard answer.
They sat there in silence. Ken's wayward feet tapping to the music.
Yuriko returned to ask them to dance, but Aya refused politely and Ken didn't think it would be a good idea if he went by himself. So they continued sitting there in an awkward silence.
Ken sighed inwardly. Aya had been polite all day, but he hadn't spoken to Ken unless necessary. It was a return to the days when Aya had just joined Weiss and always kept to himself, not opening up to anyone. Ken couldn't think of anything to say to break the silence and he didn't know how to return their relationship to it's previous state where Aya actively talked to him. He didn't know what Aya was thinking.
After some indeterminate amount of time, Ken couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to go stand near the balcony. I'll have a good view to check the grounds. Besides I want to get some fresh air."
Aya nodded. "Fine."
Ken reached the balcony and breathed in the cool night air. After a thorough inspection of the visual ground, he turned to sit on the bench.
Aya was so cool towards him. Ken supposed he should consider himself lucky that Aya wasn't ignoring him completely, but it was pretty damn close. If it hadn't been for the current mission, then who knows when Aya would have talked to him?
Ken shook his head ruefully. Maybe he should just give up on the redhead. Maybe he was just too unattainable. But Ken knew that he couldn't just wish away his feelings. How could he restore his former relationship with Aya? If he couldn't have any more than that, then he would be happy just to have Aya as a friend. Anything but this strained silence on his part and indifference on Aya's part that had been present all day.
The sound of low laughter caught Ken's attention and he pressed backwards against the bench, trying to see around the wide column next to him. The bench was positioned in a way that it was almost hidden from view when you first entered the balcony.
Ken's mouth opened in an O of surprise as he saw two young men holding hands. One reached out to aggressively push the other against the wall and was passionately kissing him before Ken could make a noise to let them know they had company.
Ken flushed, uncomfortable in his role of voyeur. He sat there trying not to make a noise. But then he felt a tickling sensation in his nose. 'No!!!' he thought. But the thought wasn't enough to stop the sneeze.
"Ee! Who's there?" A voice demanded sharply. The two guys walked around the column and stood looking accusingly at Ken.
"Sorry. I didn't have enough time to tell you that I was here before you guys were… umm… occupied." Ken apologised.
The shorter blue haired boy looked at Ken, and seeing no signs of disgust, he then laughed. "Yeah. Tas-chan. You pounced too fast. Hi, I'm Chichiri."
The taller red-haired one pulled his partner to his side and kissed the top of his head. "How can I resist you Chiri? You've been giving me those looks all night."
"Aa guys. I'm still here." Ken smiled at the loving exhibition in front of him.
"So you are. I'm Tasuki." Tasuki put out his hand and Ken shook it as he introduced himself.
"Why are you out here all alone?" Chichiri asked with a questioning look in his brown eyes. [1]
"Yeah. Aren't you with the hot redhead in there? Woah! You're a lucky guy!" Tasuki chipped in.
"Well he is in my party, but he's not mine." Ken's smile wavered slightly.
"That's too bad." Chichiri smiled sympathetically.
"But you want him, don't ya?" Tasuki was really quite astute.
"Yeah, but you can't always get what you want." Ken shrugged.
"So what is your relationship anyway?"
"We're just co-workers. That's all." Ken explained.
"Ken! Are you there?" Aya appeared at the balcony door. Ken's heart started to beat just a little bit faster at the beautiful sight. How long had Aya been there? Had he heard anything that Ken had said?
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Let's go." Aya raised an eyebrow at the boys wrapped around each other but made no comment. He turned around and left, expecting Ken to follow.
"See ya guys." Ken turned to leave.
"Oooh, he's so cool, he's hot!" Ken couldn't help but laugh at Tasuki's comment. "You shouldn't give up on that magnificent piece of man, buddy. You'd be an idiot too! If I wasn't already taken here by Chiri, I'd give you a run for your money!" Tasuki had a big grin on his face as he waved a hand in departure.
Ken was smiling as he entered the ballroom again. He noticed the disco was still in full swing. He walked back to where Aya was standing by their table.
"Koichi has persuaded Yuriko to call it a night," Aya answered his questioning look.
Yuriko was slightly tipsy and very chatty as their car was brought around for them by the valet.
Ken was on edge for the entire trip home, hoping that she wouldn't inadvertently blurt out his secret. He breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived and Yuriko hadn't said anything. Maybe the gods were looking out for him.
When they opened the front door, the housekeeper came bustling out with an anxious face.
"Koichi-san! Yuriko-san!"
"Sayuki! What are you still doing up?" yawned Yuriko.
"Your aunt Yuna arrived a day early and there were not enough guest rooms. I had to move Fujimiya-san into Hidaka-san's room. Sumimasen!" She bowed low in apology.
"Is that okay?" Koichi turned to Aya and Ken while he tried to keep a wobbly Yuriko upright.
"Aa." "No problem." That was the only polite thing to say.
Koichi smiled in relief. "Good. I better get this one to bed. Don't worry about getting up early. I don't think we have anything planned until after lunch. Oyasuminasai!"
"Oyasumi Ken-kun Aya-san!" Ken watched in disbelief as Yuriko winked exaggeratedly at him… twice. So much for subtlety. He glanced sideways and saw Aya's narrowed gaze centred on the giggling Yuriko.
Koichi departed with a sleepy Yuriko in his arms.
The housekeeper bowed to them again. "So sorry for the inconvenience Hidaka-san, Fujimiya-san. Will you need anything else for the night? The en-suite bathroom is stocked with any toiletries you may require and I believe Yuriko-san has organised some pyjamas for you both."
"Iie. That's fine." Aya answered for them both when Ken didn't say anything.
Sayuki bowed once more before leaving.
The reality of the situation was starting to dawn on Ken. He would have to sleep in a bed. With Aya. Sleep in a bed with Aya. His feet seemed frozen to the floor.
Aya walked to the stairs and looked back at him with an annoyed look. "Are you coming or are you going to stay up all night?"
"Ee… Coming." Ken forced his feet to move. He trailed behind Aya, looking at the stairs and his feet, trying not to notice the tall slim body in front of him.
Being preoccupied, Ken didn't realised Aya had stopped outside his door until he ran into him. Aya's hands reached out to Ken's shoulders to steady him. Ken looked up at Aya standing so close to him, it was like a dream. Ken pulled away quickly before he could embarrass himself by daydreaming and falling into Aya's arms.
Ken opened the door to find the bedcovers were turned down and the side lamps were turned on. It looked cosy and intimate. Ken swallowed nervously.
"You can use the bathroom first." Ken waved at the direction of the bathroom. He needed some time to get his bearings.
"Aa." Aya removed his jacket and walked to the closet to hang it up. He removed his own shoulder holster and placed it on the chest of drawers underneath the neatly folded pile of clothes that he'd been wearing that day. He was reaching for the clasp in his bowtie when he noticed Ken wasn't moving.
"Hidaka. Don't you want to get ready for bed? Give me a hand." Aya summoned Ken.
Ken gulped as he walked to stand in front of Aya and reached up to find the clasp of the bowtie. Once again he was confronted with the close presence of Aya. The distinct smell of Aya filled his senses, making him light headed. If he looked up, Aya's face would only be centimetres away. Ken kept his eyes down and valiantly concentrated on his task.
"Done." Ken moved away as quickly as he could.
Aya went to the bathroom. Ken could hear the sound of the shower and it made him groan. Aya was in there. Naked. Ah! His mind couldn't get away from that one thought.
Time slipped past while Ken stood by the window, lost in his thoughts. The bathroom door opened and Aya reappeared. He was wearing only a pair of loose cotton pants as he used the towel around his shoulders to towel his hair dry. So much skin on display…
Ken realised he was still fully dressed and cursed himself for being an idiot and not getting ready whilst Aya was out of the room. He hurriedly pulled off his jacket and gun, setting it out of sight under his clothes like Aya, before turning to his bowtie. He was struggling unsuccessfully with it when Aya materialised at his side. Ken didn't know if he could handle the feel of Aya's hands on him, so he gave the tie one last desperate tug and the bowtie fell into his hand, the clasp twisted from his pull.
Ken couldn't quite contain his sigh of relief. However Aya got a different idea from his sigh.
"Hidaka, I realise that you don't like me, but this is ridiculous. I would help any of Weiss who needed it. There's no reason for you to flinch away from me in disgust." Aya's tone was icy.
"I… I don't dislike you Aya," whispered Ken. Aya thought he disgusted him?
"I'm not deaf," Aya gave Ken a hard look, "I heard you the other day. Go use the bathroom. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."
"No, I didn't mean it like that! I'm not disgusted by you Aya! And you don't need to sleep on the floor, I'm sure we can share the bed. It's big enough." Ken smiled weakly up at Aya. "Please. Just sleep in the bed."
Aya finally nodded and Ken felt the tension in the room ease. "I'll just use the bathroom now," he called before practically running to the room.
"Baka baka baka." Ken chanted to himself as he sat on the edge of the bathtub. But he hoped things were smoothed over somewhat. He shook his head and got to his feet. No point dwelling on the past. Now he just had to find a way to get through the rest of the night.
He washed his face and took a shower, revelling in the warm water. After towelling off, he looked around for the pyjamas that Yuriko was supposed to have organised. He found a pair of pants similar to Aya's, and that was all.
Ken closed in eyes in dismay. Yuriko! He was going to wring her bloody neck tomorrow. He put the pants on and after delaying for as long as he thought he could reasonably do, he opened the door and peered out.
Aya was sitting up in the bed, reading a magazine which had been placed on the side table. The abandoned towel was draped over a chair and Aya's white skin seemed to draw Ken's attention and wouldn't let it go.
"You took a long time," remarked Aya conversationally.
"Aa… Did I?" Ken's smiled nervously.
"Hn. Hurry and dry your hair. We have another busy day tomorrow." Aya put down the magazine and turned off his side lamp before he got comfortable in the bed, facing away from Ken.
It seemed Aya was willing to let the subject drop, so Ken quickly towelled off his hair before eyeing the bed warily for some minutes.
Aya's voice was unexpected in the silence. "Get in the bed and go to sleep. I'm sure we can share this bed quite easily."
Ken couldn't think of anything to say so he obeyed Aya's command and got into the bed. He lay awake for a long time, listening to the sound of Aya's breathing, sneaking furtive looks at the redhead and wishing this was another time and place because he'd never imagined that he'd ever get to share a bed with the redhead. Even such a simple reason for being there, his skin was tingling and he was so aware of the other man.
Ken drifted off to sleep in the early hours of the morning. He awoke to find himself snuggled against a large warm object. It was like a teddy bear and it smelled good. Ken snuggled closer, grabbing the bear tighter.
"Aya…" he mumbled.
"Nani Ken?" came back the reply. In a deep voice. No, make that Aya's voice. Which sounded like it was vibrating against his ear.
Ken's body tensed as he cautiously opened one eye then the other. Gah! He was lying cuddled against Aya's chest and he had one arm around Aya's waist! Ken pulled his arm off Aya as if Aya was a burning piece of metal. He pulled back abruptly, pulling the blankets with him. In his haste to dislodge them, Ken had reached the edge of the bed. What happened next was almost a given - Ken fell off the bed onto the floor.
Ken groaned. He was such an idiot. If Aya hadn't been awake before, then he was definitely awake now. Why hadn't he edged away quietly instead of getting flustered? He risked a glance up at Aya. There was an amused and considering look in the violet eyes as Aya looked at the distressed brunette on the floor.
"Can I get the blankets back?" Aya held out his hand towards Ken.
Ken stared at Aya's hand, noticing that the hand was connected to an arm which was connected to a slim body which was currently clothed only in a pair of pants. He couldn't pull his eyes away from that beautiful expanse of white skin. Absolutely breath-taking in the morning light.
"Ken – the blankets." Aya repeated.
Ken flushed as the comment registered. He'd been staring at Aya for who knows how long now! He quickly got to his feet and unravelled himself before placing the blankets on the bed and racing into the bathroom.
"Baka baka baka," Ken moaned as he sat on the edge of the bathtub, how would he be able to face Aya after this?
~ tbc ~
Hmm… what will happen next? Stay tuned for the next chapter – coming soon!
[1] Sorry, I didn't wanna explain about Chichiri's scars, so I've taken some liberties with his appearance and removed it.
Summary: Ken still hasn't worked out what to say to Aya. Today they have to work together so maybe Ken will get the chance to say something.
Author's note: I should have mentioned this, but Aya-chan is still in a coma, and Ken doesn't know about her. I'm always forgetting to explain what Aya-chan's current state is in my fics! Gomenesai!
Hugs and chocolate kisses to:
Heather – Thank you so much for all your comments! I'm glad that I made you happy! And thank you for reminding me that I hadn't made clear Aya-chan's state – I'm always forgetting her! Hope you enjoy this next chap!
Celeste1 – I think Yohji would be a wonderful friend too – and I like him when he's sweet. Maybe that sweetness will be rewarded, ne?! *evil writer's grin* What do you suggest?
Xellas – I'm so glad you like my little fic! Your comments mean so much to me! *beams from the 'great' comment* I think Yohji's the type that would be just lucky in getting a parking spot in a prime position!
tezuka eiri – I'm not telling about who the boys at the club are yet… Maybe next time, so stay tuned! Thank you for your lovely review!
Moonraven – You always want Yohji-Omi loving! Well, you know that I do too… And you know I like to make my ne-chan happy… But you'll have to wait for that, those pesky main chars of Aya and Ken demanded this chapter! Thank you for your fabulous pre-reading as always – even when you're sick, you still managed to do it for me! Love you!
Minerva teller of tales – Yeah, if I saw them at a club, I'd want to grab them too. Oh well, the next best thing huh, I'll write about them! So happy you like!
Kira – Thank you so much! I'm always so surprised and happy when people like my stuff! Please enjoy this next instalment!
Ken yawned as he pulled out the dinner leftovers from the fridge. He was too lazy to cook. It was already an effort for him to be out of bed at nine in the morning.
When he'd arrived home last night, there had been a slip of paper pushed under his door. Aya's writing informed him that he needed to be ready at nine thirty to leave for the Kawasaki household.
Ken placed the noodles in the microwave and hummed under his breath as he waited for them. His tune died out when Aya entered the room.
'Kami-sama. Why does he have to look so good…' thought Ken despairingly. Aya was dressed simply in blue jeans and a black shirt, but he looked utterly gorgeous. Ken felt like a slob next to him in his own jeans and white t-shirt.
Aya nodded at him and headed towards the kettle, obviously meaning to make a cup of tea.
Ken watched mutely as Aya filled the kettle, put it on to boil and got the teapot and tea leaves out. How could someone be so graceful doing such mundane things? Ken didn't realise he'd been staring until Aya looked up and caught his gaze. Ken felt his ears starting to flush.
Aya merely looked at him for a moment and then said "Tea?" with a raised eyebrow.
Ken nodded, still mute and now also embarrassed, and turned away in relief when the microwave beeped at him. He retrieved his food, or rather attempted to take the dish from the microwave.
"Itai! Hot!" Ken dropped the dish back in the microwave after his attempt to pick it up without the oven glove. He blew ruefully at his slightly reddened fingertips.
"Baka." Aya appeared by Ken's side along with the said oven glove.
Ken flushed. "Aa… Thanks Aya."
Aya simply grunted and turned back to his tea preparations.
Ken successfully retrieved his breakfast and sat down to eat, keeping a surreptitious eye of Aya's back. He didn't want to be caught staring again.
After a few minutes the kettle boiled and Aya joined him at the table with two teacups.
Ken now suddenly found his noodles to be extremely interesting. The shape the noodles made in the bowl… The way the carrot strands mixed in, not to mention the bamboo shoots…
"Do you want to know the schedule for today?" Aya's deep voice recalled Ken from his noodle observation. Ken looked up. Aya looked a little bit annoyed.
"Sure." 'Yep, just get your mind back on work,' Ken berated himself.
Aya pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. He began to pass it to Ken but Ken was a little overeager in reaching for it and his hand brushed against Aya's in his rush.
Ken could feel his ears starting to flush again, just after they'd started to calm down. But Aya didn't say anything, just motioned impatiently for Ken to unfold the paper so he could run through the details.
"Firstly Yuriko will need to go for a final dress fitting in the morning. In the afternoon, the couple will have discussions at the place of the wedding banquet, something about confirming the order of events. And then in the evening, there will be a black-tie dinner that they will need to attend as part of Koichi's business. Any questions?"
Ken nodded. "So we'll be with them all day. Do we need to attend the dinner?"
Aya gave him a look. "Of course. They'll be prime targets in such a public place."
"Damn. Gotta wear a suit… again…" Ken shook his head.
"I believe Yuriko mentioned that she will organise some suits for us. Drink your tea, we need to go soon." Aya rose to place his cup in the sink and to empty out the remaining tea from the pot.
Ken nodded obediently and did as he was told.
****
Ken was not nodding so obediently several hours later when he was herded into the change room to try on the tuxedos that Yuriko had organised.
The dress fitting had been an interesting experience. The sales assistant had been surprised that Yuriko had turned up with a male friend in tow for her dress fitting and had not been able to hide her disapproving looks. Then Yuriko had asked his opinion on all her accessories, all things which Ken had no experience with. He'd mostly just sat in the frilly white and pink room, feeling bored and yet trying to be supportive about something he knew nothing about.
After finishing that, Ken had heaved a sigh of relief and was about to suggest a stop for a drink. However Yuriko had other ideas. Namely being that Ken needed to be kitted out for the ball that they needed to attend that evening. She had organised for an exclusive men's store to provide their clothing. Ken had no choice but to go along with her wishes after she said, "It's a huge event. There'll be lots of wealthy people there, and since you are representing the Kawasaki family, you need to look good!"
So here he was, trying on yet another penguin suit. Yuriko hadn't liked the first one. Or the second one.
Ken was kinda amused by the situation. He had two attendants, who were eagerly doing anything Yuriko wanted. One dashed off to get several pairs of shoes for him to try on whilst the other hovered around him with a measure tape. Yes, Yuriko was going to fit in fine as a Kawasaki.
"Yes Ken-kun! This one is it!" Yuriko exclaimed happily.
Ken looked at his reflection in the mirror. He did look okay, he admitted to himself. But he still couldn't really tell the difference between this suit and the other ones he'd tried on. Still he nodded at Yuriko and happily returned to put on his original clothing.
They were sitting in a café, drinking iced tea whilst waiting for Koichi and Aya, when Yuriko asked if he'd packed an overnight bag.
"What for?" asked Ken.
"Silly! You'll be staying over tonight, won't you? We won't finish till late. They'll have a disco for the young crowd after all the older folks leave. I've been looking forward to letting my hair down and having some fun after such a hectic week!"
And so there was nothing Ken could say in response to Yuriko's request, though he valiantly tried. "Aa… No I haven't packed a bag. I'm sure Aya and I will be fine to go home after it's finished."
"No! I insist! I'm sure we have plenty of space – the house is huge! You probably don't really need anything, I'm sure the housekeeper can find you some pyjamas and toiletries. It's like a hotel sometimes!"
Yuriko was adamant and that was that. Ken submitted reluctantly as he returned her sunny smile. It was only one night after all.
****
The afternoon passed reasonably quickly. Aya and Ken had trailed around behind the couple, learning more than they ever wanted to know about holding a wedding banquet.
Then it was back to the Kawasaki home to relax for a while before they had to go out again.
Ken sighed in relief as he sat down on the comfortable sofa. "At last – a break! Yuriko has too much energy."
Aya was looking away from him. "I have to go out for a few hours. I'll be back before we need to go out."
"Where are you going? Aya?!" But the door was already closing and Aya was gone.
Ken sighed within the silence of the empty room. Where was Aya going?
****
Ken and Aya's clothing had been delivered during the afternoon and had been placed in the rooms that they had been allocated in a wing of guest suites.
'Man, they have a WING of guest suites!" Ken thought, 'Yuriko was right. It IS like a hotel."
There were many family members and friends who had come to join the festivities and the house was full of people. Not that you'd run into many people whilst walking about anyway as the size of the house was so huge.
Koichi had given them free rein in the house so Ken settled in one of the spacious family rooms. He had found a sports channel on the cable television to watch and was thus pleasantly occupied. A cousin of Koichi's had wandered in on hearing the noise and had stayed to watch with Ken. After the car racing special had finished, Ken was idly flicking channels when they came across the end of a J-League highlights program.
"Ooh! J-League! Can we watch?" asked the young cousin Hiroshi.
"No! No! Move! To the left! Ahh!" Ken yelled as the goalie misread the direction of the ball and let in the free kick.
"How did you know he was going to kick to the left Ken-san?" Hiroshi asked curiously.
"Aa... Just a good guess." Ken smiled weakly. He could have told Hiroshi that the reason he knew was because that player had the slightest shuffle step that he did when he was going to kick to the left, but that would have been too hard to explain, so Ken didn't say anything.
The program finished and Ken excused himself. He was feeling a bit unsettled. He loved watching soccer, but he tried not to watch J-league if he could help it. He'd watch English soccer, Spanish soccer, German soccer, hell, any other soccer, but it was still a little painful to watch Japanese soccer.
The player that had made the goal today, Ken remembered playing against him. Ken suddenly felt old and tired. God, what would he give to be able to have those glory days again? 'Though not for the price I had to pay,' Ken thought. He didn't want to think about Kase or the warehouse fire today.
He sighed and kept walking towards the garden. Maybe he'd find some peace within the beauty of the traditional Japanese garden.
****
The evening hadn't been too boring and the food had been reasonable. Some of the speeches had been quite funny and Ken felt himself start to relax. Being with the Kawasaki party had been a real eye-opener into the echelons of society. People kept approaching Koichi to greet him and meet Yuriko. Some of them even shook his and Aya's hands even though they were only introduced as friends.
Ken shifted in his seat. He felt the weight of the gun in its shoulder harness and quickly scanned the area again, checking for any suspicious activity or persons.
Aya excused himself and Ken knew that the redhead was going to perform his hourly reconnaissance of the room.
The disco started after the speeches and a number of older people departed. Yuriko immediately departed for the floor dragging with her an indulgent Koichi.
Aya returned and sat down at his position next to Ken.
"Anything?" Ken asked the question for the umpteenth time that evening.
"Iie. All clear." Was Aya's standard answer.
They sat there in silence. Ken's wayward feet tapping to the music.
Yuriko returned to ask them to dance, but Aya refused politely and Ken didn't think it would be a good idea if he went by himself. So they continued sitting there in an awkward silence.
Ken sighed inwardly. Aya had been polite all day, but he hadn't spoken to Ken unless necessary. It was a return to the days when Aya had just joined Weiss and always kept to himself, not opening up to anyone. Ken couldn't think of anything to say to break the silence and he didn't know how to return their relationship to it's previous state where Aya actively talked to him. He didn't know what Aya was thinking.
After some indeterminate amount of time, Ken couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to go stand near the balcony. I'll have a good view to check the grounds. Besides I want to get some fresh air."
Aya nodded. "Fine."
Ken reached the balcony and breathed in the cool night air. After a thorough inspection of the visual ground, he turned to sit on the bench.
Aya was so cool towards him. Ken supposed he should consider himself lucky that Aya wasn't ignoring him completely, but it was pretty damn close. If it hadn't been for the current mission, then who knows when Aya would have talked to him?
Ken shook his head ruefully. Maybe he should just give up on the redhead. Maybe he was just too unattainable. But Ken knew that he couldn't just wish away his feelings. How could he restore his former relationship with Aya? If he couldn't have any more than that, then he would be happy just to have Aya as a friend. Anything but this strained silence on his part and indifference on Aya's part that had been present all day.
The sound of low laughter caught Ken's attention and he pressed backwards against the bench, trying to see around the wide column next to him. The bench was positioned in a way that it was almost hidden from view when you first entered the balcony.
Ken's mouth opened in an O of surprise as he saw two young men holding hands. One reached out to aggressively push the other against the wall and was passionately kissing him before Ken could make a noise to let them know they had company.
Ken flushed, uncomfortable in his role of voyeur. He sat there trying not to make a noise. But then he felt a tickling sensation in his nose. 'No!!!' he thought. But the thought wasn't enough to stop the sneeze.
"Ee! Who's there?" A voice demanded sharply. The two guys walked around the column and stood looking accusingly at Ken.
"Sorry. I didn't have enough time to tell you that I was here before you guys were… umm… occupied." Ken apologised.
The shorter blue haired boy looked at Ken, and seeing no signs of disgust, he then laughed. "Yeah. Tas-chan. You pounced too fast. Hi, I'm Chichiri."
The taller red-haired one pulled his partner to his side and kissed the top of his head. "How can I resist you Chiri? You've been giving me those looks all night."
"Aa guys. I'm still here." Ken smiled at the loving exhibition in front of him.
"So you are. I'm Tasuki." Tasuki put out his hand and Ken shook it as he introduced himself.
"Why are you out here all alone?" Chichiri asked with a questioning look in his brown eyes. [1]
"Yeah. Aren't you with the hot redhead in there? Woah! You're a lucky guy!" Tasuki chipped in.
"Well he is in my party, but he's not mine." Ken's smile wavered slightly.
"That's too bad." Chichiri smiled sympathetically.
"But you want him, don't ya?" Tasuki was really quite astute.
"Yeah, but you can't always get what you want." Ken shrugged.
"So what is your relationship anyway?"
"We're just co-workers. That's all." Ken explained.
"Ken! Are you there?" Aya appeared at the balcony door. Ken's heart started to beat just a little bit faster at the beautiful sight. How long had Aya been there? Had he heard anything that Ken had said?
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Let's go." Aya raised an eyebrow at the boys wrapped around each other but made no comment. He turned around and left, expecting Ken to follow.
"See ya guys." Ken turned to leave.
"Oooh, he's so cool, he's hot!" Ken couldn't help but laugh at Tasuki's comment. "You shouldn't give up on that magnificent piece of man, buddy. You'd be an idiot too! If I wasn't already taken here by Chiri, I'd give you a run for your money!" Tasuki had a big grin on his face as he waved a hand in departure.
Ken was smiling as he entered the ballroom again. He noticed the disco was still in full swing. He walked back to where Aya was standing by their table.
"Koichi has persuaded Yuriko to call it a night," Aya answered his questioning look.
Yuriko was slightly tipsy and very chatty as their car was brought around for them by the valet.
Ken was on edge for the entire trip home, hoping that she wouldn't inadvertently blurt out his secret. He breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived and Yuriko hadn't said anything. Maybe the gods were looking out for him.
When they opened the front door, the housekeeper came bustling out with an anxious face.
"Koichi-san! Yuriko-san!"
"Sayuki! What are you still doing up?" yawned Yuriko.
"Your aunt Yuna arrived a day early and there were not enough guest rooms. I had to move Fujimiya-san into Hidaka-san's room. Sumimasen!" She bowed low in apology.
"Is that okay?" Koichi turned to Aya and Ken while he tried to keep a wobbly Yuriko upright.
"Aa." "No problem." That was the only polite thing to say.
Koichi smiled in relief. "Good. I better get this one to bed. Don't worry about getting up early. I don't think we have anything planned until after lunch. Oyasuminasai!"
"Oyasumi Ken-kun Aya-san!" Ken watched in disbelief as Yuriko winked exaggeratedly at him… twice. So much for subtlety. He glanced sideways and saw Aya's narrowed gaze centred on the giggling Yuriko.
Koichi departed with a sleepy Yuriko in his arms.
The housekeeper bowed to them again. "So sorry for the inconvenience Hidaka-san, Fujimiya-san. Will you need anything else for the night? The en-suite bathroom is stocked with any toiletries you may require and I believe Yuriko-san has organised some pyjamas for you both."
"Iie. That's fine." Aya answered for them both when Ken didn't say anything.
Sayuki bowed once more before leaving.
The reality of the situation was starting to dawn on Ken. He would have to sleep in a bed. With Aya. Sleep in a bed with Aya. His feet seemed frozen to the floor.
Aya walked to the stairs and looked back at him with an annoyed look. "Are you coming or are you going to stay up all night?"
"Ee… Coming." Ken forced his feet to move. He trailed behind Aya, looking at the stairs and his feet, trying not to notice the tall slim body in front of him.
Being preoccupied, Ken didn't realised Aya had stopped outside his door until he ran into him. Aya's hands reached out to Ken's shoulders to steady him. Ken looked up at Aya standing so close to him, it was like a dream. Ken pulled away quickly before he could embarrass himself by daydreaming and falling into Aya's arms.
Ken opened the door to find the bedcovers were turned down and the side lamps were turned on. It looked cosy and intimate. Ken swallowed nervously.
"You can use the bathroom first." Ken waved at the direction of the bathroom. He needed some time to get his bearings.
"Aa." Aya removed his jacket and walked to the closet to hang it up. He removed his own shoulder holster and placed it on the chest of drawers underneath the neatly folded pile of clothes that he'd been wearing that day. He was reaching for the clasp in his bowtie when he noticed Ken wasn't moving.
"Hidaka. Don't you want to get ready for bed? Give me a hand." Aya summoned Ken.
Ken gulped as he walked to stand in front of Aya and reached up to find the clasp of the bowtie. Once again he was confronted with the close presence of Aya. The distinct smell of Aya filled his senses, making him light headed. If he looked up, Aya's face would only be centimetres away. Ken kept his eyes down and valiantly concentrated on his task.
"Done." Ken moved away as quickly as he could.
Aya went to the bathroom. Ken could hear the sound of the shower and it made him groan. Aya was in there. Naked. Ah! His mind couldn't get away from that one thought.
Time slipped past while Ken stood by the window, lost in his thoughts. The bathroom door opened and Aya reappeared. He was wearing only a pair of loose cotton pants as he used the towel around his shoulders to towel his hair dry. So much skin on display…
Ken realised he was still fully dressed and cursed himself for being an idiot and not getting ready whilst Aya was out of the room. He hurriedly pulled off his jacket and gun, setting it out of sight under his clothes like Aya, before turning to his bowtie. He was struggling unsuccessfully with it when Aya materialised at his side. Ken didn't know if he could handle the feel of Aya's hands on him, so he gave the tie one last desperate tug and the bowtie fell into his hand, the clasp twisted from his pull.
Ken couldn't quite contain his sigh of relief. However Aya got a different idea from his sigh.
"Hidaka, I realise that you don't like me, but this is ridiculous. I would help any of Weiss who needed it. There's no reason for you to flinch away from me in disgust." Aya's tone was icy.
"I… I don't dislike you Aya," whispered Ken. Aya thought he disgusted him?
"I'm not deaf," Aya gave Ken a hard look, "I heard you the other day. Go use the bathroom. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."
"No, I didn't mean it like that! I'm not disgusted by you Aya! And you don't need to sleep on the floor, I'm sure we can share the bed. It's big enough." Ken smiled weakly up at Aya. "Please. Just sleep in the bed."
Aya finally nodded and Ken felt the tension in the room ease. "I'll just use the bathroom now," he called before practically running to the room.
"Baka baka baka." Ken chanted to himself as he sat on the edge of the bathtub. But he hoped things were smoothed over somewhat. He shook his head and got to his feet. No point dwelling on the past. Now he just had to find a way to get through the rest of the night.
He washed his face and took a shower, revelling in the warm water. After towelling off, he looked around for the pyjamas that Yuriko was supposed to have organised. He found a pair of pants similar to Aya's, and that was all.
Ken closed in eyes in dismay. Yuriko! He was going to wring her bloody neck tomorrow. He put the pants on and after delaying for as long as he thought he could reasonably do, he opened the door and peered out.
Aya was sitting up in the bed, reading a magazine which had been placed on the side table. The abandoned towel was draped over a chair and Aya's white skin seemed to draw Ken's attention and wouldn't let it go.
"You took a long time," remarked Aya conversationally.
"Aa… Did I?" Ken's smiled nervously.
"Hn. Hurry and dry your hair. We have another busy day tomorrow." Aya put down the magazine and turned off his side lamp before he got comfortable in the bed, facing away from Ken.
It seemed Aya was willing to let the subject drop, so Ken quickly towelled off his hair before eyeing the bed warily for some minutes.
Aya's voice was unexpected in the silence. "Get in the bed and go to sleep. I'm sure we can share this bed quite easily."
Ken couldn't think of anything to say so he obeyed Aya's command and got into the bed. He lay awake for a long time, listening to the sound of Aya's breathing, sneaking furtive looks at the redhead and wishing this was another time and place because he'd never imagined that he'd ever get to share a bed with the redhead. Even such a simple reason for being there, his skin was tingling and he was so aware of the other man.
Ken drifted off to sleep in the early hours of the morning. He awoke to find himself snuggled against a large warm object. It was like a teddy bear and it smelled good. Ken snuggled closer, grabbing the bear tighter.
"Aya…" he mumbled.
"Nani Ken?" came back the reply. In a deep voice. No, make that Aya's voice. Which sounded like it was vibrating against his ear.
Ken's body tensed as he cautiously opened one eye then the other. Gah! He was lying cuddled against Aya's chest and he had one arm around Aya's waist! Ken pulled his arm off Aya as if Aya was a burning piece of metal. He pulled back abruptly, pulling the blankets with him. In his haste to dislodge them, Ken had reached the edge of the bed. What happened next was almost a given - Ken fell off the bed onto the floor.
Ken groaned. He was such an idiot. If Aya hadn't been awake before, then he was definitely awake now. Why hadn't he edged away quietly instead of getting flustered? He risked a glance up at Aya. There was an amused and considering look in the violet eyes as Aya looked at the distressed brunette on the floor.
"Can I get the blankets back?" Aya held out his hand towards Ken.
Ken stared at Aya's hand, noticing that the hand was connected to an arm which was connected to a slim body which was currently clothed only in a pair of pants. He couldn't pull his eyes away from that beautiful expanse of white skin. Absolutely breath-taking in the morning light.
"Ken – the blankets." Aya repeated.
Ken flushed as the comment registered. He'd been staring at Aya for who knows how long now! He quickly got to his feet and unravelled himself before placing the blankets on the bed and racing into the bathroom.
"Baka baka baka," Ken moaned as he sat on the edge of the bathtub, how would he be able to face Aya after this?
~ tbc ~
Hmm… what will happen next? Stay tuned for the next chapter – coming soon!
[1] Sorry, I didn't wanna explain about Chichiri's scars, so I've taken some liberties with his appearance and removed it.