Author's notes and warnings: Gomen, gomen! If you'd read the FY section you'd know why I took so long to update. I'm afraid I was sick for a while. Aside from that, I was having problems getting inside Youji's head. Thank you Xellas for you invaluable help there. I couldn't have done it without you! ~_~

Special thanks to my imouto-chan, Krysana who helps me stay true to their characters and my most kawaii beta, Hitari-chan for juggling my fics, school and Silhouette so wonderfully!

Bows and gratitude for my reviewers, no da!

Ayako: LOL…er…marry me or one of the boys? ^_^ Thank you! *giggles* Er…do I sound like I know a lot about being an assassin? Hm…

Bakachan: ((hugs)) Thank you! LOL. I vote for you to keep Zechs, no da! San clothing would be nice, ne? ^_~ And if you like Kenken throwing the mop overboard, wait til you see what he throws off next. ^_^ Heh heh heh… You sail, no da? Am I doing okay with all the boat terms? Ah and I guess Wuffie is safe from the panda suit! I can't get Silent Series out at the same time but I'm writing that next!  (((HUGS)))

Nauta Iupiter: *blushes* Daaaa! You are spoiling me, no da. ^_^ Thank you very much for your very kind review. I have the silliest grin on my face as I was reading. I hope you like this chapter as well…a bit angsty though. Thank you again.

Celeste1: Ah…are you still sane? *peaks from behind Chichiri* Here's the next chapter, I hope you like it as well. I'm afraid it's a bit…strange… Thank you so much for you review. I'm glad you liked the last chapter! ^_^ Oh, and I love your UkeSeme Dynamic fic! I laughed until my side hurts.

Ambika-san: Thank you for taking the time to review. Hope classes are doing okay? (((hugs)))

Sakusha: LOL…er…I mean how are you feeling? You poor thing! Bad, bad, Kenken! ^_^ Thank you for your review.

Xellas: ((HUGS)) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I don't think I can say enough. ^_^ LOL, what can be wrong with being on a boat with the man of your dreams? Well…if the man would only stay on the boat, ne? ^_^

Alfirin Sereg: Thank you! Did I make another Youji/Omi fan? Woohoo! They are awesome, no da! I'm glad you like the chapter!

Krysana: Thank you for your input, moto-chan! I hope you like how the chapter turned out? Is there enough Ran/Ken for you? No? LOL. Okay, I'll work harder, ne? (((HUGS)))

Hcbenitez: Yep, Omitchi has certainly grown up…wait til you see what HE can do. ^_^ Thank you.

Siberian: Heh heh heh ^_^;; I don't think Ken's antics in this chapter will endear Ran to him…nope, nope, nope. Thank you for your comments! I'm glad you liked the story.

Solaris1: ^_^ Ran/Ken action coming right up! Thank you so much for your review. Um…Face the Night was a bit…er…Ken…DEAD! YOU killed Kenken! *cries* Will you fix it? *teary puppy dog eyes* Onegai?

FireKat: LOL. I know what you mean about liquid and fanfics. ^_^ I keep it away too, no da! Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you like it!!! ((HUGS))

Heather: Thank you and I won't forget the plot! Hard to when they are chasing the bad guy, ne? As for the get to know each other scenes, they will crop up here and there through out the story. We'll find out a tiny little something about both their past in this chapter. Glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks again!

Sky Rat: *squeals at your FY fic* Go update, no da! LOL… I love it! And thank you so much for reviewing!

Ru-chan: Thank you! Updating, no da!

Methodic Madness: LOL. Thank you! You're the second person to mention plot…am I straying? Gomen, ne? It will take them a few days to get to where they are going…it's about 2000 nautical miles away… Hang in there…I promise I haven't forgotten the plot!

Ilahja: Anou…*removes ear plugs* Here's the update, no da! ^_^ So glad you like!

Whisper Reilman: Hi! I'm sorry I'm behind on the email! ^^: All this writing, no da! You didn't like Gluhen either? I plan to write something about that in the future…after I'm done with this little insanity, of course! ^_^ LOL and you know the seasickness was all for you, right? Thank you! (((HUGS)))

Lola: *glomps Lola* Thank you so much for the compliments! I try, no da. But I'm afraid Ran will be a bit…well not so tender here…I hope you'll still like it?

Space Cat: Thank you! I'm glad you like The Ran/Ken as well. You are so right, of course. They aren't going to have any sappy moments anytime soon… But thank you for reviewing. ^_^

Sakata Ri Houjun: Huzzah? LOL. I see someone is really into her newest craze, ne? Yu-gi-oh, is it? Ah but Kaiba and Jounouchi are really, really bishie… Thank you for sticking with the story. I'm not too happy that FY is losing one of its best fanfiction authors, no da! Hope you won't stay away too long?

Hana no Ceres: LOL. Yes, I think they need you to knock some sense into them, ne? And maybe they'd heard… hmm… Thank you for your comments. So happy you like! ^_^

WitchesRaven: Hello! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I've seen that episode of Queer as Folk! I like it too…Brian acts all cold but he's a real sweetheart. Well, sort of, ne?

Mystik: Brazilian! Wow!  My significant other is from South America, too; Peru, no da!!!  Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Sirrah: Thank you! *waves flags with Sirrah*

Midori Natari Himura: ^_^ Yeah, the possibilities…but knowing those two, I'm not so sure about the survivability. Thank you! Nao will be explained in this chapter!

Kitsuna-ri: Thank you! LOL. Um…not many people can cook like Kenken, ne? And I'm glad you have the creativity yet can get better taste! ^_^

Mindmelda: Thank you! I read some of your GW fics…I think I reviewed some but didn't have time to go through more of them. You are very good! ^_^ And thank you for reviewing Irreplaceable!

Icabob: LOL. If you die then how can you read, no da? (((HUGS))) Thank you so very much!!!!

Lime contents in this chapter…lots of it too. Hope that's okay with all of you? ~_^




A Fine Line – Chapter 7: The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

By Moonraven



(Day 4, late afternoon at the Koneko)

Did… did Omi just kiss him?

Youji brought his good hand up and touched his tingling lips dazedly. Omitchi had just kissed him.

Omi frowned slightly and moved back slowly. "Gomen." The small blond mumbled and turned to walk away.

"Wait." Youji finally found his voice. It was unsteady but serviceable. "Omi…" Okay, now that he'd found his voice, where the hell was his BRAIN?

Omi stopped but didn't turn around. His head was still down and his shoulder slumped in defeat.

"So… you were going to tell me about Nao." What the…? That wasn't what he wanted to say!

Do you even fucking care at this point?

Hell, yeah! He was kissing the guy!

He was kissing you too!

So… I wanna know what the hell is going on!

Youji stopped hissing at himself and blinked at Omi as the puzzled blond turned to look at him quizzically. Youji gave the smaller blond a sick little smile and swallowed. Great, Yotan, just great. Not only does Omi think you're an insensitive jerk; you're officially certifiable as well!

Omi did not look happy. He frowned and nodded but didn't speak. Youji walked up to the teen and put a gentle hand under Omi's chin and lifted the sadden face up to meet him. Omi refused to look into Youji's eyes and he fixed his gaze stubbornly on the taller man's chin.

"Omi. Look at me." Youji ran his thumb across Omi's bottom lip and the young blond took a sharp breath as he glanced up at Youji in surprise. Youji's heart nearly broke when he saw the pain and nervousness mirrored deep in the blue of Omi's eyes.

"Is that all you wanted to know, Youji-kun? Nao-san?" Omi asked quietly, his eyes searching Youji's carefully.

No, damn it! There were so many things Youji wanted to know but he wasn't sure if they were ready for any of it. Within the past few days, his world had turned upside down and the one person he had vowed to stay away from was offering himself freely at Youji's feet. That alone was more than he'd ever wanted to deal with, add the current intrigues to the list and it was just damn impossible to handle.

But the sad resignation in Omi's demeanor was not something Youji wanted to ignore. He could not allow Omi to think that the kiss meant nothing, that he was ignoring the smaller blond once again; an accusation that he was still trying to understand.

"Omi…" Youji stared down into the questioning eyes thoughtfully. "Let's just start with Nao, okay, Chibi? I… we'll get to the other thing soon, I promise." As soon as I find the courage to deal with it.

Omi looked deep into Youji's eyes then nodded silently. "He's… well, he's been interested in me for a long time now." Omi said quietly.

"And have YOU been interested in him?" Youji's voice was unintentionally hard and he cleared his throat apologetically when Omi frowned. "Er… sorry… go ahead."

Omi looked at him uncertainly and pulled himself away from Youji's grip. He took a step back and regarded Youji solemnly from a few feet away.

"You do realize that if this has nothing to do with the case, I wouldn't be telling you?"

Youji didn't like the sound of that. It was clearly a 'mind your own business' kind of speech and he scowled at the younger man. What the hell was Omi telling him?

Before Youji could reply, Omi continued, "No, I haven't been interested in him but that's besides the point." Omi took a deep breath before he went on. "He may be involved with the Syria faction. Manx found some very strange surveillance notes on him and I thought that I might be able to find out more about their movements if I can get him to trust me."

Youji blinked at Omi, his mouth hung open in disbelief. "You're… how far do you plan go to get him to trust you?"

Omi looked away and shrugged indifferently. "I don't know. Whatever it takes, I suppose."

Youji found himself in front of the startled boy and he gripped Omi's shoulder tight with his good hand. "What are you thinking? Did you see the look in his eyes?" He shook Omi roughly as the horrible image of Nao and Omi bombarded his mind. "This isn't an ice cream date, Omi, the man wanted your ass! Do you even know what that means?"

Omi's expression darkened and he knocked Youji's arm away angrily. "Yes, I know, Youji-kun! I'm not a baby! Shall I demonstrate?"

Youji wasn't prepared for Omi's attack and even if he was, he wasn't sure if he would have reacted differently; Omi was kissing him again but this time there was nothing sweet or innocent about it. The smaller blond wound his arms round Youji's neck, pulling him down as his tongue pushed between Youji's stunned lips.

Omi tasted like nothing Youji had ever tasted and after a brief moment of frozen shock, Youji kissed back fiercely. He pulled the young man tighter against him even when the injured shoulder protested angrily as Omi's lean body was crushed against Youji's chest. Gods, Omi felt great too! The firm body molded perfectly against him, making him harder than he'd ever remembered being. Youji ran his hand into Omi's soft tresses and pulled the young man's head closer as he took over the kiss and ravaged Omi's mouth.

Omi moaned and the sound nearly drove Youji insane. Ignoring the burning pain in his wound, he pushed Omi against the worktable and ground his arousal against Omi; all rational thoughts left his mind and all he could think of was possessing the beautiful body that he'd been offered.

Omi thrust back and Youji groaned in desperation when he felt Omi's excitement; the boy was as hard as HE was. Youji broke the kiss and pushed Omi onto the table. Searing pain brought some semblance of sanity back to him and Youji froze in his tracks. He looked down in shock at the young man lying in front of him and groaned out loud at the erotic sight. Omi's lips were swollen, red and wet from his assault. The teen's face was flushed and his eyes were half closed, hooded with obvious desire. He panted softly as he gazed up expectantly at Youji; his moistened lips parted in clear invitation. The loose tank top rode up enticingly, revealing smooth firm abs. The bulge in Omi's spandex clad body screamed 'TOUCH ME' and Youji was hard pressed to comply.

"Omi…" Youji whispered raggedly but before he could say or do anything else, Omi sat up on the table and pulled him into another kiss. "Omi." He whispered against Omi's lips as the younger man pulled him closer. Omi wrapped his legs around Youji's waist, his strong wiry arms firmly around his neck. Youji was lost. The sensation of Omi's arousal pressing against his stomach and the sweet, sweet tongue that plunged hungrily into his mouth were once again threatening to drive away sane thoughts but Youji couldn't allow that. Gods but he wanted to. There was very little else that could top what he wanted that very moment but this wasn't right.

Something was not right. Omi was doing this to prove something and that was not how Youji wanted it. He wasn't even sure if he should want it at all. Hadn't he fought this feeling forever?

He pushed away again and this time held the young man firmly by the shoulder. His injured shoulder was throbbing violently but he wasn't sure if that was because his heart was trying to burst through his chest.

"Okay…" Youji stopped to take several calming breaths. "You proved your point. You know SOMETHING but that doesn't mean it's all right to whore out your body! Manx had no right to ask you to do that! You… you can't do that!" He took several steps back just to put some distance between him and the biggest temptation he'd ever come across.

Omi's lips quivered slightly but he bit down on them harshly. His luminous blue eyes sparkled suspiciously as he glared at Youji. "Is that what you think I do, Youji-kun? First I was too young and innocent to touch, now I'm whoring out my body?" Omi's voice was low and trembled slightly.

Youji ran a hand through his hair in confusion and frustration. "NO… I don't know what to think, Omi! I… I've tried so hard not to think of you that way and now… this. All of a sudden I'm supposed to accept that you're putting out for the sake of the mission and that's supposed to be okay? FUCK!" Youji growled and kicked the near-by wall viciously. He couldn't even come to terms with what he felt for Omi and now he had to deal with this as well? What the hell was going on with his world? Why couldn't life bring in just one problem at a time? Why did he always get a truckload at once?

"It's not like you've never done it." Omi pointed out quietly.

Youji snorted. "Do you have any idea what a fucked up life I have Omi? The one thing that's worth anything to me…" He broke off and shook his head vehemently before going on. "I'm a worthless piece of crap that's been using his body for a long time now, either to get what I want or to forget what I don't want. Don't EVER compare yourself to me, Omi."

"You're not worthless to me, Youji-kun. I love you."

Youji's world froze at that point and he stared at the slight figure in front of him uncomprehendingly. Omi loved him? Sharp pain made him gasp and he clutched instinctively at his shoulders. His visions blurred and he staggered unsteadily. Omi gave a distress cry and hopped off the table, rushing to his side.

"Youji-kun! Oh god, you're bleeding again!"

Omi's anguished blue eyes were the last things Youji saw as his world turned black. His last conscious thought was of Omi's confession.

I love you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(day 4 early evening)

"Does this boat have a name?" Ken asked as he leaned over the railing to see the writing on the side of the boat. He'd put on a loose T-shirt but kept his shorts. His burned legs didn't appreciate it one bit when he'd tried to put on some jeans. The cool evening air was a blessing to his sun abused skin and Ken leaned out even further to feel the cool draft.

"Stay away from the gangway, you'll fall overboard." Ran's voice warned from behind him.

Ken turned his head around to look at his teammate but didn't straighten up. The so-called gangway was where they get on and off the boat. Currently the only thing separating him from the ocean were two strips of metal railing that served as a gate. The very front of the boat was outfitted the same way but the rest of the boat had wooden side that went up to at least his waist. Ran was leaning his back against it now where he sat a few feet away.

"Well, does it?"

Ran shrugged, not bothering to look up from his book. They were hanging out on deck after the light supper and Ran had found a spot under a running light a little ways towards the bow of the boat. Apparently they were required to keep lights on all night so other boats could see them. A stupid rule, Ken thought, when you don't want people to see you coming. But Ran did bring up a valid point; they don't want to be run over by a tanker either. They were going into one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

"Can we name it?" Ken asked as he turned back to the hull again.

"Her, and why?"

"Her? Oh, yeah." Ken shrugged carelessly. "I don't know; it'll be fun. C'mon, Aya, surely YOU can come up with a name. Aren't you like the expert on boats or something? What was the name of your last boat?"

Ken moved away from the railing and came to sit, crossed leg in front of the redhead. He was so close to Ran's outstretched legs, they were almost touching. Ran looked like he was trying his best to ignore the brunette as he frowned into his book. Ken was not daunted. They were going to be spending all of their time alone together on this vessel and Ken wasn't going to be ignored the entire time. He was determined to find something out about the man and this trip was the perfect opportunity. He'd feign boredom; perfect guise to bug the hell out of the redhead who currently looked delicious in a loose black sweater and tight, tight black jeans.

"Your eyes will go bad." Ken said with a sage nod.

Ran glanced up from the page and blinked at him over his book. Then the redhead looked back down again without bothering to comment.

Ken sighed and rolled his eyes then he leaned over and he peered at the cover of the book, earning a chilling glare from Mr. Freeze. He grinned back when he saw the title and shook his head. "You know, looking at the amount of poetry you read, one would think you could spout more that just 'buy something or get out' Or 'hn' or your infamous 'Shi ne!''" Ken stretched out by Ran's feet and lay down with his arms behind his head. His back was only a dull throb now; the vinegar was pretty damn good.

When Ran didn't respond, which was expected, Ken turned to look at the man. To his surprise, Ran had lowered the book and was watching him curiously.

"What?"

"You're very talkative tonight." Ran commented, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"It's not like there's something else we can do." Ken said as he looked up at the evening sky. It was dark blue with the slightest hint of red towards the horizon. He'd never seen the sky this beautiful before.

"I'm sure your imaginative mind can come up with more things to do than talk." Ran's voice held a touch of amusement and Ken turned to look at him. Ran's gaze was still riveted on him, making the younger man swallow before hastily turning away. He was determined NOT to do or say anything that would make Ran say that he was hentai again but oh, that statement was fully loaded. That wasn't fair, damn it!

"TV's in your room. Besides, I like it up here. I've never known that the sea could be so beautiful."

Ken turned back towards Ran again. "You never answered me, you know. What was the name of your boat?"

Ran looked out to sea, over the metallic railings at the front of the boat and asked, "What made you think I had a boat?"

Ken made a face. Yeah, like he didn't know it would be like pulling teeth, getting information out of Ran. "You know an awful lot about them not to mention what Birman said. Did you have one?"

Ran was silent for a while as he stared at the horizon. When he spoke, his voice was so soft Ken had to strain to hear it. "We had a small yacht named Enpu. It was a lifetime ago." He frowned slightly and then started reading again.

Ken didn't know what to say. Very briefly, before Ran's 'I'm the eternal Ice King' mask could fall back into place, Ken had seen a glimpse of pain. Ran had looked so sad. Ken understood that pain. HE had left his life behind too.

"I named my bike once." Ken offered without looking at his teammate but kept careful watch peripherally. Ran didn't say anything but he did look up from his book.

"Supiidi." Ken said proudly. "She was my first bike."

After a short silence, Ran said in a strange voice, "Speedy."

Ken turned and gave Ran a look of mock indignation. "Like you can talk! You boat was named the Sea Spray."

"At least I didn't name her."

"Oh, sure, blame someone else. At least I had the guts to admit that I was lame."

A ghost of a smile touched Ran's lips but before Ken could really appreciate it, it was gone. "I didn't say you were lame. The BIKE'S name was lame."

"Hey!" Ken sat up and looked around for something to throw at the redhead. When finding none, he settled for a half-hearted death glare instead. "You wanna make something of it, Aya? Hey, You owe me one! Didn't you say I can beat you when we get back home?"

Ran raised his brows elegantly as he put down his book. "I'm surprised you remember. I'd thought you were too drugged to be coherent."

Ken felt his cheeks burning furiously at the reminder. Crap! Why did he have to bring that up? Crap. Crap. Crap.

But he couldn't let Ran have the upper hand. He was NOT going to play the blushing virgin while the redhead made fun of him. HE was going to give as good as he got.

"As I recalled it, YOU were the one that was 'under the influence'. Let's see, what was it you said to me?" Ken tapped his finger to his chin thoughtfully as he scrunched up his face in deep concentration. "Oh, yeah. I quote, 'I'm afraid the Xeno is affecting me more than I'd care to admit. Feel free to beat the crap out of me when we get back.' End quote." He looked at Ran smugly but instead of the expected scowl of a man who was bested, Ran had a definite smirk on his face.

Ken scowled. "What?" Ken had a feeling he wasn't going to like this.

Ran's movements were fluid and graceful. Ken was mesmerized by the lean elegant limbs; he didn't realize that their target was him - Ken. Before he knew it, Ran had moved away from the side of the boat and was nose to nose with him as he bored the smaller man back smoothly. Ken found himself on his back with Ran hovering above him, his violet eyes glinting oddly.

"Ran…?" Ken swallowed hard as he tried his best to keep himself from pulling Ran closer.

Ran blinked at him, the strange gleam in his eyes deepened as he stared down at the brunette. "You know," Ran started softly, his warm breath brushed Ken's mouth, making the younger man part his lips instinctively. "You didn't say much that night but there're ways I can remind you that you weren't entirely unaffected."

Ken couldn't move. He couldn't talk. All he could do was stare numbly into those dark eyes as Ran swooped down and claimed his mouth. Warm tongue slid between his eagerly parted lips and Ken felt pleasant tingling from his head all the way down to his toes. He closed his eyes and sighed, surrendering himself to the delicious onslaught from his leader.

Ran shifted and lay down nearly on top of Ken, his elbows on either side of Ken's head as he continued to plunder the man beneath him. Ken moaned into the kiss and ran his hands underneath Ran's sweater, marveling at the smooth warm skin of the man they'd dubbed The Ice King.

Beneath his questing fingers, Ken felt Ran shiver and the redhead's kisses turned even more passionate, his tongue delving deeper; taking, possessing. Ken arched up, desperate to have more of their bodies come in contact. Ken whined in protest when Ran's mouth left his to travel down his neck. His protests soon turned to whimpers of appreciation and need when Ran pushed up his shirt and bathed his chest with hot tongue.

"Ran…" He moaned the man's name as his senses could only focus on what the redhead was doing to him. Gods, but it felt so damn good. He arched up nearly off the deck in his attempt to get closer to Ran.

"Ken." Ran whispered thickly as he pulled himself away from Ken's wet, reddened nipples to look down into the flushed face. Ken opened his eyes and saw desire burning bright behind the normally cold eyes. Ran looked so open, so warm… so vulnerable. Was this who Ran really was when he wasn't so busy putting up walls? Ken blinked back tears; the redhead was so beautiful like this. His heart ached at the uncertainty he'd seen in the unguarded expression on Ran's face. Ran…

The swollen flesh between Ken's legs throbbed painfully and he shifted closer to Ran, wanting the friction that would cease his torment. Ran gasped when Ken's thinly clad erection rubbed against his thigh and the man gritted his teeth to maintain control.

"Ken." Ran said again as one gentle hand brushed back dark brown hair from Ken's forehead. Ran's voice was soft and his eyes tender as they gazed into Ken's passion hazed ones. "Do you want this?"

Ken blinked uncomprehendingly up at those hypnotic eyes as he continued to rock himself against Ran. The redhead groaned and closed his eyes, one hand snaked down to hold Ken's hip still. "I need to know, Ken."

Ken froze at Ran's suddenly harsh tone. What did Ran want to know? The brunette tried to concentrate despite the delicious pressure of Ran's thigh between his legs and the only thing that he could come up with was, "What?"

"Do you want this?" Ran asked again but this time his face was masked and Ken couldn't see any emotion at all. Want this? Of course he wanted this…

But even as his body yearned for Ran to continue, his mind supplied him with images of Ran and Youji, kissing and groping each other. Worst yet, images of Ran and Tryffin rudely popped in, making Ken resent the redhead who was trying to make HIM into one of THEM!

Ken pushed Ran away suddenly and scooted a few feet away. What on earth was he doing? Did he want to be one of Ran's sluts? Be part of a collection? Another fuck toy?

I don't think so!

Ran's expression was unreadable as he went back to his place under the running light. He picked up his book but his inscrutable eyes never left Ken.

The brunette cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. Crap!

"Er… sorry…" Why the hell was he apologizing? Ran was the one that attacked him!

But Ran looked so… closed again. "I mean, Youji… he wouldn't… how can you do this?" Ken wasn't sure what he'd wanted to say. There was a lot of stuff and they all wanted to come out at the same time.

"Do what?" Ran asked, his voice betraying nothing.

"This!" Ken motioned between them in frustration. "How could you just… do this? What about Yotan?"

Ran studied Ken for a short while then he shrugged, his lips twitched humorlessly. "Youji and I are… through."

"What? Why?" When he left, Yotan didn't tell him that.

Ran shrugged again, carelessly, but his intense gaze was unwavering.

Ken frowned, his heart hammered angrily in his chest. "So you thought I was an easy fuck, is that it? You don't have Youji anymore, so stupid Ken will have to do?"

Ran narrowed his eyes, the only evident that he was far from happy. "Why are you angry? You wanted it."

"No I didn't!" Ken stopped short when Ran's bland expression turned derisive. Ken blushed furiously with shame at the truth. Yes, he'd wanted Ran but he didn't want THAT with Ran. Well, yes, he wanted THAT but not the casual 'I'll do you Monday, Wednesday and Friday but I'm doing someone else in between'' THAT. He wanted Ran but more than anything, he wanted Ran to want HIM and ONLY him. Was that so much to ask?

"Well?" Ken continued defiantly. "You don't deny it, do you? I'm not some convenient fuck Ran, and I don't just stick it wherever there's a warm, available body; I have feelings! Something you wouldn't recognize even if one slapped you in the face."

Ran continued to stare coldly at the fuming brunette in silence, his elegant frame tense with suppressed anger. Then with his usual grace, the redhead got up and silently went below deck, leaving the seething younger man alone.

Ken felt the chills down to his bones. The aching emptiness in his soul magnified by the vast darkness of his surroundings made him shiver violently.

An emptiness that wasn't there when Ran held him in his arms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Youji winced as he shifted and the pain in his shoulder reminded him that he wasn't exactly whole.

"Youji-kun?"

Omi. Youji slowly opened his eyes and found a pair of very blue and very anxious eyes staring down at him. He smiled at the beautiful face above him gently.

"I'm okay, bishounen. You wouldn't believe the dream I had, though. It was bizarre, I tell you." He chuckled softly and tried to push himself up on the bed… only he wasn't in his bed. He frowned and looked around confusedly. They were in the shop and he was lying on the floor.

Nani?

He looked up in alarm at Omi who looked back down at him steadily. He was lying with his head in Omi's lap!

"Omi?"

"How are you feeling, Youji-kun? You tore open your wound again." Omi shook his head in resignation. "Didn't I ask you not to move around?"

Youji stared up, open-mouth at the lecturing young man. It wasn't a dream. He and Omi were… almost… they…

I love you.

Nani!?!

"Omi." Okay, this was stupid. He must be able to say more than the boy's name!

"It's okay, Youji-kun. You don't have to say anything about… anything." Omi ended lamely and looked away. "I just wanted you to know. I don't want anything."

"Omi." Goddamn it! More than one word, you moron!

Omi did not look at Youji but continued to stare at the potted palm across the room. "I changed your bandages but I couldn't get you up to your room. Do you think you can get up now? I'll help you to your room."

Youji slowly lifted his good hand to Omi's face and turned the younger man to face him. "Listen, Omi. I'm… I didn't know."

Omi rolled his eyes in an attempt to lighten the mood. The kid was just too freaking good for him.

"I know you didn't know, Youji-kun. It's okay."

"No it's not!" Youji said roughly. Omi looked at him in surprise then looked away again quickly. Youji ran his hand through his hair and grunted in frustration. "I'm supposed to be the expert, remember? I should have seen it coming a mile away." Youji mumbled miserably.

Omi shrugged. "What good would THAT have done? You would only feel worse because I'm still just a kid to you."

Oh, but the body that was pressed up against him, the seeking tongue, the hard flesh… No, those didn't belong to any kid. They belonged to Omi. Youji squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head roughly to clear it from the enticing images. Stop thinking with your dick, Yotan!

He opened his eyes to see sadness crept into Omi's eyes as the teen misinterpreted his action. Youji decided that he didn't like it at all. Omi didn't need any more heartbreaks… he'd had enough in his young life to last three life times.

"I would like to think that I could have been more sensitive to you, Omi. I'm not a complete asshole, am I?"

Omi smiled at that and shook his head. "No, Youji-kun, you're not."

What to do now? The silence was becoming uncomfortable and Youji wished he could find something to say. 'I love you too' came to mind but he couldn't… not yet. Maybe not ever…

"It's all right, Youji-kun. Don't try so hard. I can hear you thinking all the way here." Youji looked up to see Omi smiling down at him. "So long as you're not… wierded out by this and if we can still work together like we did before… I don't mind. Just…" Omi paused and looked unsure.

"Just… what?" Youji prompted.

"Just don't treat me like a kid, Youji-kun. That's all I ask." Omi gazed into Youji's eyes with the seriousness of a man on his last breath.

That's all…

Omi. The more the younger man talked the more Youji was convinced they didn't belong together. Omi was all about making sure others were okay. HE, on the other hand had always looked after himself first. Could he change? Not likely…

But… his soul was tired of putting up walls. It was tired of meaningless whispers and casual glances. It wanted something else… something heartwarming, permanent, a home to rest his weary heart… and it was reaching out to Omi. Could he…?

"I want to do more than that, Omi but… can you give me some time?" He searched the brave blue eyes intently. "I just need to figure out some things, okay?"

To make sure that Omi didn't think he was brushing him off, Youji pulled the boy's head down and kissed him tenderly. When they broke apart, he caressed Omi's moisten lips softly. "I just have a lot of shit going on, Omi. I…"

Omi smiled and shook his head. "I understand, Youji-kun." Omi brushed back Youji's errant hair and looked into the uncertain emerald eyes. "I've waited 3 years… I can wait a little longer. Just remember that I'm here… if you ever need me… for anything."

Youji blinked up at the solemn blue eyes and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Omi rolled his eyes and nearly pushed Youji off his lap. "Hentai!" He teased the older blond gently then turned quite serious. "My room is next to yours, Youji-kun. Sometimes… I hear you when you have your nightmares."

"That's just old guilt, something that I have to deal with, Omi. It's getting better but… sometimes…" He shook his head and smiled up at Omi. "I'll be able to let go eventually."

Omi nodded, his face shone with hope. "I know you can, Youji-kun."

With Omi's help, Youji managed to get himself off the younger man's lap. Omi winced as he stood up and Youji looked him up and down critically. "What's wrong, Omitchi?"

Omi shook his head and gave a small laugh. "My legs have gone to sleep."

Youji smiled wryly at the smaller blond. "I'd offer to carry you but then we'd go no where."

Omi laughed again and Youji felt his heart lightened. It was hell to see Omi sad but now the young assassin looked like he was himself again. Youji couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, he could ask for a whole lot more starting with what they were doing earlier but he could be content if Omi was. Youji shook his head mentally. He must have it bad when someone else's happiness took precedence over his own. WAS he changing after all? Youji sighed audibly and the younger man turned to him quizzically. "It's not that bad, Youji-kun, just tickles. It'll go away in a minute."

"It's not that, Chibi." Youji ruffled Omi's hair affectionately.

"Youji-kun!" Omi protested indignantly and tried to move away only to crumble into giggling fit on the floor. "Oh my god, that tickles!"

Youji smiled down at Omi as the younger blond sat up, rubbing at the pins and needles in his legs. It was hard to think that this was the same young man that was in a lip lock with him earlier. Hey, wait a minute…

"Omitchi?" Youji called, frowning down at the teen.

"Nani, Youji-kun?" Omi looked up, his face radiant.

"Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?"

Omi's mouth formed an 'O' but no sound came out.

Youji wasn't sure what that expression was but 'oh shit' came pretty close to describing it. ^_~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Day 5, early morning)

Ken didn't sleep much.

The memories of Ran's touches burned his skin – and it had nothing ot do with sunburn, making him ache all night and even after relieving himself of the problem, he was still restless. When the anger, indignation and hurt dissipated, Ken didn't know what to think. Ran had never treated him with anything more than grudging tolerance at worst or indifference at best. What had gotten into him?

The most obvious reason of course, was Ran using him to substitute Youji until they could get home but Ken didn't really want to think that. It hurt too much. But he couldn't come up with any other excuses for his team leader.

Maybe the man was just teasing him. He did say that Ken had a dirty mind; maybe it was all a joke… Nah! Who the hell was he kidding? Ran Fujimiya didn't know how to joke. Probably never even heard of the word let alone make one.

Ken sighed and swung his legs off the bed. Maybe he was still high from Xeno? Nah! He dismissed that idiotic thought as well. That was 4 days ago! Baka!

Okay… so what could it be? There was no way in hell that Ran was actually interested in him, of course. Oh, Ran was interested all right, but not emotionally and that was the only way Ken wanted it. Ken sighed at the thought… What on earth was wrong with him? He had casual sex. He wasn't such a prude so why was casual sex with Ran so wrong?

Ken closed his eyes and groaned out loud when his body reacted to the mental images of Ran making love to him. His skin burned again as he remembered Ran's hands and tongue on him. Ken shuddered and pushed the thoughts from his mind. His body continued to throb, much to his consternation and Ken abruptly headed for the bathroom. It looked like he was going to have to take care of himself again.

When Ken was done cleaning up – among other things – he went looking for his teammate. As much as he'd hate to admit, it wasn't entirely Ran's fault. If he hadn't been more than willing, it would never have gotten so out of hand. If only he'd pushed Ran away in the beginning…

Gods but he really told Ran off, didn't he?

"Aya?" He knocked on Ran's door and when he got no reply, went inside. Ran was not there. He frowned and checked his watch. He grimaced and whimpered. It was only 7 o'clock? Why the hell did he get up so early when there was nothing to do but stare at the ocean?

Oh yeah… he couldn't sleep. Duh!

So where was Ran? Ken went up the steps and squinted at the bright sunlight. So… the sun was up early at sea too… Another sigh.

He blinked a few times and looked around the control station. No Ran. Then he poked his head out the side door on the right and looked up and down the side of the boat. No Ran. O~kay…

He went out the left door and walked to the front of the boat. The deck area was spacious and it was empty… except for Ran's katana lying in the middle of the deck.

Ken frowned and looked around again. Ran never left his katana around… where was the man? He went over to the sword and stared down at it. He had always loved the way Ran wielded the thing around. It looked so damn cool but then again, many things about Ran was pretty damn cool… He sighed. Something was seriously wrong with him. How could he possibly want an insensitive bastard like Ran?

Ken bent down and picked up the katana. It felt good in his hand. Good weight, firm handle, gleaming steel…

"What are you doing?"

Ken yelped and nearly dropped the sword. He whirled around and instinctive put the katana behind his back as if caught doing something very wrong. The sight of his teammate made him swallow hard.

Ran stood a few feet away from him, half naked and covered with sweat, glaring no small daggers at him. Ken tried very hard not to let his eyes drift down that lean, hard body currently clad in loose cotton pants Ran usually wore when he worked out. The redhead's bare chest gleamed enticingly in the morning light making Ken remember last night all the more. This was NOT good.

Ran continued to scowl at him, arms akimbo.

Okay… this sudden feeling of inadequacy was familiar… He could do this.

"I… was looking for you." Ken said.

"Why?"

"Um… well, I was going to make breakfast…" Gods, Ken, you are such a freaking idiot! Are you afraid of him? NO, so what the hell are you doing?

"I ate." Ran said curtly and held out his hand.

Ken stared at the large, strong hand stupidly and then blinked up at Ran.

"My katana. I don't want anyone touching it."

Oh. Ken could feel the blush creeping up his neck and shooting all the way to the roots of his hair. You are a complete moron, Ken Hidaka. Ken sighed. Ran was so cold now it reminded him of when the redhead had first joined them. The man was so bent on keeping everyone the hell away it was borderline psychotic. Throughout the years, Ran had warmed up slightly but now it was starting all over again. Ken didn't want to spend the rest of the mission like this. Youji was wrong… the one not surviving this trip was going to be Ken, not Ran.

"My katana." Ran repeated.

Instead of moving closer, Ken moved back a little, he wasn't sure why but he was reluctant to relinquish his hold on the precious sword. The short step had brought him to the side of the boat and he swallowed uneasily. Maybe if he held the katana hostage, Ran would listen…

"Look, Aya, I'm… sorry… I was really hard last night…I mean HARSH. I was really harsh last night." Ken groaned and smacked himself on the head. Unfortunately, Ran's katana was still gripped tightly in his hand and the handle jarred him in the forehead instead.

"Agh!" Ken cried out and dropped the sword.

"Ken!" Ran yelled. Ken stared in shock as Ran rushed toward him and was completely unprepared to fight the man. But Ran didn't touch him. The man dove overboard and disappeared with a splash.

Huh?

Ken turned and stared at the blue water rushing by the side of the boat in stunned silence. What the hell…?

"AYA!" He yelled into the ocean and ran along the side of the boat, trying to keep the spot where Ran had disappeared in sight. "AYA!" Now why the hell did Ran do that?

He called again and searched the swirling water as the boat continued on it's set course.

Oh My God, Aya had drowned.

His first thought was to jump in after the redhead but stopped himself in time when he realized that they would both be left behind. The boat wasn't going to stop. With that thought, Ken ran back to the control station and grabbed the steering wheel. He spun it around and was relieved when he felt the boat jerked slightly as the manual override took over.

But Ken had no idea how to read the instruments and he didn't know when to stop turning the boat. Was he going in the right direction? Was he just spinning around? What the hell was he doing? What if he took the boat back and ran over the redhead with it?

"AGH!" Ken screamed and pounded his fists on the control panel. He must stop the boat. He could look for Ran after the boat had stopped… Ken looked around the panel but there was nothing that said 'stop' on it. Great.

He saw several red buttons of various sizes and decide that red was what he was looking for. Didn't it mean stop?

He pressed all of them.

Ken whooped loudly when he felt the boat slowed and without waiting for the boat to stop, he ran around the sides, looking into the ocean hoping to find Ran. Suddenly there was a loud explosion from somewhere in the bowel of the boat and the vessel rocked violently.

Shit! What the hell did he do now?

Whatever it was it would to have to wait. He needed to get to Ran. Ken grabbed the round life-ring and continued to search the surrounding water. Finally he saw Ran a hundred or so feet away and he sighed in relief.

"Ran!" He called to his leader. "Are you all right?"

The redhead did not answer but continued to swim toward the boat. Ken couldn't see the man's arms moving but Ran's head bobbed up and down steadily. Ken frowned at Ran's odd choice in swimming strokes but shrugged it off as the usual Ran Oddities. He looked at the life-ring in his hand then tossed it into the water. Good thing the man was still far enough, with the ways things were going, Ken was sure he would have hit Ran in the head with it. He sighed and peered anxiously at the figure swimming – or bobbing – steadily toward him.

Nani?! Ken stared wide-eyed at the shadow of something coming up behind Ran…

It couldn't be! Suddenly his heart pounded furiously in his chest and he screamed for Ran to swim faster. Shit, this was a scene straight out of Jaws! The terrifying music played ominously in Ken's head and he ran back to the control station where he had seen the flare gun.

He grabbed it and ran back full speed and hoped that he wasn't too late. His heart sank at the thought of something horrible happening to the redhead. A fleeting thought of living without Ran made him gasp at the strange aching pain in his chest and Ken willed the thought away abruptly. NOTHING was going to happen to Ran. Not if HE could help it!

When he got back, Ran was still there and was a bit closer… but the shadow was gone. Ken looked around frantically but he couldn't find anything. Horrible images from the movie flashed across his mind and he kept the flare gun trained on the water around Ran. If that thing came back, he was ready.

A few minutes passed and Ran came up to the life-ring and grabbed on tiredly. Ken suddenly realized why the man was swimming so awkwardly; he had his katana clamped tightly between his lips.

Shit! Ken's eyes widen in horror. He'd thrown Ran's sword overboard… and Ran dove in to get it! Shit! Shit! Shit!

This was all his fault!

Ken's heart stopped when he spotted something coming up behind Ran again. He lifted the flare gun and aimed.

Ken saw Ran look up and saw the gun trained on him, the redhead looked startled as he stared at Ken.

"Hold still Aya." Ken said as he sighted the target.

"Ken. What are you doing?" Ran's voice was steady but Ken thought he'd detected a slight tremor.

"Don't move." Ken told him firmly.

"KEN!"

Ken fired.

Smoke filled the air in front of the brunette and he waved it away impatiently. When he could see properly again, there was only the life-ring in the water. Ran was gone.

Ken dropped the gun and stared at the empty life-ring.

He couldn't have missed the thing and hit… Ran instead?

Oh gods. Without another thought, Ken dove into the water.


TBC…


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Goddess but was that weird or what? *shakes head*  I have no idea where the last segment came from but I hope you are okay with it.

Hmmm…I wonder what that little explosion was?  Where did Ran go?  Will Ken get eaten by the 'shadow'?  Who will rescue them?  *insert evil laughter*

Thank you for reading and see you next time!