Author's Notes:

oo I like hot chocolate. A lot! ::nods:: Mmhmm. With whipped cream.. and marshmallows too. Indulgence is one of my favorite pastimes, that's for sure.

Okies- so this one popped up while I was listening to Launch Radio- courtesy of Yahoo! – and decided to type it up for the hell of it. Just for the record- I've only read one Manga, and only seen one episode. So, sorry for any "wrong" things in it. ::shrug::

I blame it on my ignorance. -

Disclaimer:

I want them all. Oh yeah, they could be my pets and all- but unfortunately, authorities won't let me have 'em. Let it be said that I do no like authorities.

Rating:

PG-13, maybe R later cause I "swear like a trucker" and so does parts of my fix. Can't be helped =D

Maybe there will be some more stuff that make the rating what it is... but I'll be mysterious and evasive on that x]

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Ch.1 – Rain

The splotch of black on the edge of the rooftop was easily unnoticed by the mass of business worker drones, rushing to get out of the heavy downpour erupting from the grey skies above. Puddles the size of miniature lakes spanned across the street, every now and then disrupted by the squeal of tires rushing through the black and murky water. The splotch laughed at the running figures below it, thoroughly amused by the men and women's attempts to save their Armani suits and suede business pumps from the destructive tendencies of the falling water. Actually a leather clad person crouched over in a desperate attempt to keep most of his body parts out of the cold onslaught of water and not a splotch at all, Yohji shifted his right leg and winced as the tingles of a sleeping limb traveled up his thigh. Stupid assignment. Stupid stupid friggen assignment keeping me out in this rain instead of inside with that girl from the coffee shop. He nearly smiled wistfully at the thought of the new waitress at his normal coffee stop winking at him as she slipped the thin slip of paper with her phone number written in pink on it into his change. Once again, stupid stupid STUPID assignment.

"Yohji, ya there?"

"Yeah, Omi. I'm here."

Yohji straightened with a grunt as all his joints popped from sitting in one position too long. The cold droplets of rain continued to fall about him, drowning through his hair and down his face like streaks of tears. The cooled droplets traveled across what skin was visible, tracing paths down his back and in a winding circle across his bare abdomen. Random bouts of shivering would wrack his body for a moment before he shook it off to concentrate once more. He pushed the sunglasses on his nose, stretching his back until a pop greeted his ears with a considerable loosening in his tired shoulders. Much better.

"The target is below you."

Yohji snapped to attention, leaning forward immediately, his emerald eyes scanning the sidewalk below until the man in the report Aya had thrown on the breakfast table this morning caught his eye. Bingo. Come to me, my precious... His feet leapt off the building, practice making all his movements as graceful as the predator of the night he was, as he landed first on the balcony below him, then on the now empty street behind the target. It was an aging man complete with receding hairline filled with grays and yet he was still in shape, most likely from trips to the gym and club on business rendezvous'. The target, also known as Frigltein, spun about to face him at the sound of him landing softly behind him. His eyes were arrogant, quickly flashing into wide orbs of fear. "No!!" An attaché case swung into Yohji's eyesight, giving enough warning for him to duck and slide in a crushing blow into the man's not so rock hard gut. The man doubled over, spluttering in the rain, briefcase forgotten and left to sit on grey and rain darkened cement. Too easy... Sleek coils of wire wrapped about his pudgy neck, and within a second tightening and moment of thrashing, his body was limp and lifeless in Yohji's arms. Ick, I bet my jacket is just about ruined with this rain. And it was new too... He dropped the now dead form of Frigltein to the ground, callously rolling it into the gutters before smirking. "Facedown in the gutter, so cliché." He nearly laughed before catching himself. He was here for the briefcase as well, Aya had made that clear.

"Target down. Grabbing briefcase. All done for the night, Omi."

"Good job, Yohji, I'll let Aya know. Head back to the Koneko when you're done. See ya soon!"

Yohji merely shook his head at the kid's enthusiastic voice over the communication link. No one would guess how the young boy killed 'predators of the night' in the dark by the way his eyes smiled so innocently, his face always innocent and jovial. With him and Ken always so carefree, it's like the counter me and Aya's jaded attitudes. Now, for that briefcase. He spun about on his heels, his leather trench coat sill heavy with the pouring rain flying about his form with the turn. Emerald greens eyes once more scanned the streets quickly, but this time not for a pudgy middle-aged man, but for an attaché briefcase.

Only to see it was gone... to be replaced by the grinning, foolhardy German Schuldich.

"Oh shit."

Omi looked up from his typing of an especially aggravation English assignment, eyes widening at the sound of Yohji's voice over the comm. link. The breathed exclamation had barely been heard, if not for the habit of always letting his hearing register the smallest of sounds out of habit, Omi might not have caught it all. Always with the expletives, Yohji. He smiled and shook his head to the side before he slowly registered the fact that it couldn't be a good sign. Not this late in the mission, when Yohji was supposed to be heading home. What could possibly happen that would mean trouble on a simple assignment like this one? It was an easy one assassin kill, go in- kill the greasy pedophile businessman leading dangerous crimes on the street- get his stinking briefcase and leave.

"Yohji? What's up?"

Nothing answered Omi's call and he sat for a moment waiting for perhaps a delayed response. Maybe he fell? It is raining outside... 5 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 1 Mississippi... Omi's eyes began to widen in slight alarm, sitting up and pushing back from the desk before trying once more.

"Yohji?!"

Still nothing. Crap.

In only 10 seconds flat, Omi was up the stairs and into the kitchen, calling for Aya loudly.

Schuldig continued to smirk mischievously at Yohji's drenched form, the briefcase dangling from his hand where it loosely hung at his side. His form was barely wet, for he had been waiting inside one of the nearby offices comfortably laid out on a plush waiting room couch while Yohji sat above him taking the full brunt of the elements.

"I'm guessing you were looking for this? Poor katztchen lost his toy..."

His smirk widened, striding up to the stunned Yohji before the man even thought to react to the telepathic's advance. Fingers slid under his chin as Schuldig looked directly into his emerald eyes before grinning outright.

[Next time, you should be more careful so as not loose your toys, ne?]

He was backing away, now walking backwards towards the end of the street where Yohji noticed a Porsche was parked silently and inconspicuously next to a mailbox. He hadn't noticed it before, in fact it was as if his thoughts were to preoccupied with other things that he hadn't even thought of Schwarz...

[Ja, kitten. You're catching on.]

Only then did Yohji think to react, reaching for his wire in the watch, stringing it out between his fingers, but Schuldig was already too far, stepping into the car with a small wave. He watched angrily, mentally berating himself as the redhead drove away, laughing inside his head.

[Next time, bring your little friends, won't you? It'd be fun to play a bit. See you soon, Kudou.]

Yohji growled at the voice in his head, stomping off in the direction of his own car, swearing that the next time he saw the redhead, not only would he "play" but he'd be sure he had his lifeblood on his hands by the time it was over.

Schuldig only laughed at him again, now only a whisper in his mind as he drove towards the Koneko.

He walked into the Koneko to find Omi sitting on the couch, tapping his fingers on a mug of what seemed to be hot chocolate while a game of soccer went ignored on the television set.

"Yohji? Where've you been? I heard you say something on the link and was worried. Aya went out for you, he should be back soon if you're here, I guess."

"Ran into Schwarz. Schuldig specifically. I lost the briefcase."

Omi's eyebrows shot up as he looked Yohji over, only now seeing the puddles forming about the blonde's feet as water ran off him rivers.

"Yohji-kun!! You're drenched!!!"

"Thank you for noticing, Omi."

Yohji stripped off the jacket with numb fingers, dropping it on the floor of the kitchen as he headed towards the coffee pot still filled with a fresh batch Aya had been making earlier before he left. Pouring a mug, he noted he couldn't feel the warmth of the coffee through his gloves as normal and grumbled as tried to pull off the black leather gloves with his teeth. His hands and arms weren't cold anymore, in fact his whole body felt comfortably warm and sleep was making it hard to stand straight while drinking the hot liquid. He leaned against the counter with a sigh, wincing at the burn of the liquid as it scalded his tongue and throat. He put the mug down, considering a shower or just heading off directly to bed. Can't feel my feet either, he noted absently as he started to head to his room to sleep.

"Yohji? You alright?"

He looked up in surprise at the sound of Omi's voice, so engrossed in thoughts of sleep and maybe more warmth that he had missed whatever else had been said. Ken must be out tonight. The room was sort of blurry through his tired eyes and he nodded encouragingly, only to find the movement set off some alarms on his head and made him dizzy. Maybe I should just hit the couch instead. The thought of those stairs was intimidating, and he didn't need to make a fool of himself by tripping headlong down the whole flight this late at night.

"Just tired. Sitting in the rain that long wore me out."

Suddenly it was Aya in his face and not Omi, checking him over silently with calculating amethyst eyes while snapping his fingers in front of Yohji's nose. It took a few moments for Yohji to blink and scowl at Aya in return, trying to unsuccessfully shove past him and head towards the couch.

"I said I'm fine. My main objective is sleep right now, I'll talk to you about the mission later."

His words were slightly slurred, and he wondered at this for a second before toeing off his shoes and sitting heavily on the couch. Omi headed for the closet to get him a blanket, and soon two of the closet blankets landed next to the blonde. He meekly fell over them, drawing one over his form before closing his eyes. Hot hands shook him awake again.

"Up. Now. Drink this."

"...What?"

"I said drink. And take off those wet clothes, you're going to get hypothermia. If you haven't already."

Aya was sitting in front of him, holding out another mug of warm water. His eyes revealed nothing, and Omi wasn't anywhere to be seen, obviously occupied with whatever else had been important to him tonight. The cold amethyst eyes blinked, now revealing annoyance at Yohji's lack of movement. He sat further forward, now kneeling, and reached out to grasp at Yohji's shirt. The cold and wet fabric clung to his fingertips and he frowned at the icy cold temperature of the thin material. A touch on his pants revealed the same cold and Aya looked up to regard Yohji once again.

"Aren't you cold?"

Yohji shook his head slightly, closing his eyes again as he drank a sip of the water. Only to spit some of it back out with a grimace.

"It's too hot. Burns my tongue."

Aya blinked in surprise, knowing full well it was only warm water from the sink. Not nearly hot enough to burn. He grabbed the edges of Yohji's shirt, pulling it up and off so that Yohji had to maneuver his arms awkwardly to avoid spilling the warm water. He grabbed his pants second, dropping the wet clothing on the floor in disgust. He let Yohji lay out under the covers, still sipping the warm water and he flicked on the television set to some sort of unintelligible game show.

"Watch that, stay awake and keep drinking. I'll be right back."

Yohji merely nodded, not comprehending much as he lay limply on the couch. Soon the black dark of sleep or unconsciousness overcame him, a warm blanket covering every part of his body.

TBC