Time to Burn

Keeper: Oh my god!! I didn't expect to get so many reviews in one day! You guys are the best! (tries to glomp reviewers but is grabbed by Mist)

Mist: I'm sure the reviewers don't want you jumping on them.

Keeper: I guess you're right. Your reviews really made my day, you made me one happy Keeper! AND I'm on some ones author alert! I love you guys! (tries to glomp but is grabbed by Mist again) Because of that I'm updating sooner than I had planed too.

Kou: You mean someone actually liked this?

Keeper: (screams and jumps into Mist's arms) Fudge Monkey's Don't do that Kou!

Kou: (gives Keeper a weird look) Do what?

Mist: You know how jumpy she is. (sets her down)

Keeper: Now that I have had my heart attack I would like to remind you people that this is AU, (and I should have mentioned it in the first chap but it came to me after I posted it Reji Takatori has not been killed yet) bad language, and is yaoi so if you don't like it there is the back button and make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out. On with the story!

Mist: Aren't you forgetting something?

Keeper: Oh yeah, all errors that I don't catch, I'm sorry I don't have a beta.

Mist: Not that the disclaimer.

Keeper: You Know I can't say it!

Kou: I'll do it.

Keeper: Really?!

Kou: Yep. Keeper does not own ANYTHING so if you try to sue her you would be wasting your time, you would get more money from a homeless person.

Keeper: That was mean! (starts sobbing)

Kou: (shrugs shoulders) It's the truth.

Mist: (sighs) Please enjoy the story.

Ken practically ran to his room he had to stop himself before he slammed his door that would raise some questions and he really didn't want to explain why he ran from Aya and slammed his door. He was the happy-go-lucky one of the group it just wouldn't be right if someone found out that he was really depressed.

/Damn that was a little too close./ Ken thought as he sagged against his door. /It's times like this that I'm glad that I my senses are as good as they are./

The brown eyed youth pushed himself away from his door and walked towards his stereo to turn it on. After he turn on his stereo he turned to look at his clock to see what time it was and couldn't believe it, he had to stare at it for five minutes before it finally sunk in as to what time it was. The red numbers read 6:45, he had spent over three hours in the shower!

"Well that explains why Aya was up. It's almost time to open the shop. I guess I better get dressed since I open up with him."

The brunette sighed he started to get dressed, he really did NOT want to work today. He could tell that it was going to be a particularly hot day even for being summer. He was more of a fall and winter person if he had his way it would be fall and winter all year long. He had never really like spring and summer, he could tolerate it but he didn't like it. After Kase had tried to burn him alive the heat had become unbearable, he couldn't stand it if the temperature was seventy and if it was above that it would become so unbearable that it was almost to the point of driving him mad and it seemed to get worse every year.

After Ken finished dressing he turned off his stereo and headed down stairs to help Aya open the shop. He had made it clear by threatening everyone that he would not work in the afternoons during spring and summer. The others had asked him why he refused to work the afternoons, he simply growled at them saying that it was none of their business and that if they didn't let him have the afternoons off he would skin them alive, break a knee so they couldn't run and then toss them in the tiger cage at the zoo. The other assassins shocked to hear their usually cheerful friend threaten them like that, quickly agreed to let him have the afternoons off and never brought it up around him again.

He got to the shop just as the redhead flipped over the sign saying that they were now open. He mumbled a 'morning' to his leader and went directly over to water the plants. The soccer player felt Aya staring at him but ignored it. When he was done watering the plants he shut the water off and went to get ready for the morning rush. When the rush was finally over because all the girls had to get to school or be late, he went to trim some of the plants that were in dire need of it. He became engrossed with his task that he didn't notice that Aya was staring at him again. He turned to go to another plant only to find Aya looking at him.

"What? Are my clothes on backwards?" He asked looking at his clothes to make sure that they were on right, he was so flustered earlier that he wouldn't doubt it if he had put them on wrong. But one of the girls that had a silly crush on him would have said something. Right?

"Why were you up so early?"

Ken's head snapped up when he heard Aya's soft voice. He had not expected him to say anything other than his usual 'hn' so that had put him into shock so he stood there staring at his leader like he had sprouted another head. The redhead not a patient man, crossed his arms and glared at the brunette.

"Well?" He demanded.

Ken snapped out of his shock and answered. "Well what?"

"Why were you up so early?" He asked irritability he hated to repeat himself.

"I wanted to take a shower."

"At four in the morning?"

It was only going on 9:30 in the morning and the heat was already starting to make him irritable and he did not want to answer any questions that did not concern the other man. He could do whatever he wanted, when he wanted! He did NOT need permission from the redhead.

"Not that it is any of your business, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to take a shower. I didn't realize that I needed your approval to take a shower." He growled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go grab some more soil from the back."

And with that Ken stormed off to the back to get the soil and to clam down before he did something that he would regret doing, like killing the sword carrying assassin. And for the second time that day he left a confused Aya staring after him.

/What's with him?! Like it's any of his fucking business when I take a shower! Okay Hidaka clam down breath in . . . . breath out . . . . in . . . . out. Fuckin' A! It's too hot!/

The brunette started to pant heavily sweat soaking his clothes like he just got done running five miles. The room was on fire, he had to get out of there! There was no way that he would let himself be burned alive again. He turned and sprinted out of the small room. He ran through the shop startling Aya.

"Ken?" The redhead asked but received no answer from the brown and red blur that he barely managed to make out as Ken.

Ken didn't even hear when Aya called after him. All he could think about was getting somewhere cold. He was sure that if he didn't get somewhere cold soon flames would appear on him and he would burn like he did three years ago. He raced up the stairs taking them two at a time, heading straight for the bathroom. At that time Yohji just happened to be coming out of the bathroom when all of a sudden he was shoved out of the way and hit the wall due to the force of the shove and the next thing he knew the door was slamming shut and locking.

/What the hell?/ Yohji thought as he heard the shower turn on. He had a suspicion that it was Ken that had ran into the bathroom, so he decided to go down to the shop and ask Aya if he knew what was up with the brown eyed boy.

Ken jumped into the shower turning the cold water all the way on like he did earlier that morning. He didn't even bother with removing any of his clothes. He stood there with his head tilted back letting the water pour over his face and soaking his clothes. He eventually removed his shoes and socks but leaving his clothes on. In the back of his mind he realized that he didn't have a change of clothes and he really did not want to put his clothes back on if he took them off. Ken then grabbed the stopper and plugged the drain letting the tub fill up as he stretched out in it. When the tub was about to overflow he turned the water off. The assassin sunk down so that his nose was just above the water so he could breath. It was so nice! He wanted to stay in the cool water forever but knowing that he would eventually have to get out but right now he would block out the rest of the world.

Yohji wandered down to the shop to see the leader there by himself, confirming his suspicion about it being Ken that had run into the bathroom. He walked over to where Aya was sitting behind the counter.

"What's up with Ken? He just shoved me into a wall to get into the bathroom." The blond asked his leader.

"I don't know, he went to go get some soil from the back and the next thing I know he's running upstairs." He replied nonchalantly like he didn't care.

"There's something seriously wrong with him."

"Hn." Was all the reply that he got from the redhead as he became lost in his thoughts trying to figure out what was wrong with the soccer player.

"I guess I'll have to help you until Ken gets back." Yohji said. "What was he doing before he ran off?"

"He was going to transplant some of the flowers."

The playboy nodded his head and went to do what the brunette had attempted to do before he had freaked out and ran up stairs to the bathroom. The blond was beyond confused he could not understand why Ken would get cranky. What made him so cranky? It wasn't like him to be like that after all he didn't have anything to get depressed about like he did. One of these days he was going to corner him and make the younger man tell him what was wrong.

But unknown to him and everyone else, Ken had one of the worst pasts that a person can have. How many people can say that the person that they thought loved them had tried to burn them alive and then killed the most important person to them?

Yohji looked at the clock it was now going on noon and Ken had not come back down. He was getting a little irritated and a little worried, the soccer player usually came back after an hour. It had been two and a half hours and he was no where to be seen so he decided that he would go check on him.

"I'll be right back I'm going to check on him."

Aya nodded in response as the blond headed for the stairs. He guessed that he would still be in the bathroom so that was where he went. He reached the bathroom and stopped in front of the door and tried to open the door but found that it was still locked.

/Yep he's still in there. What's he doing in there for so long?/ He thought as he knocked on the door.

Ken had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone come to stand in front of the door, try to open it and then knock. He quickly sat up wondering who it was briefly before he sensed that it was the blond playboy.

"Kenken are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You've been in there for a while are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes I'm sure! Now could you leave me alone?" He growled.

"Alright, alright, no need to bit my head off!" He replied and walked off.

Ken slumped back down into the water. /Man don't they know when to leave well enough alone?/

Keeper: (still crying) I hope you guys liked this chapter.

Kou: Who in there right mind would read this crap?

Mist: Be nice. Keeper why don't you thank the people who reviewed.

Keeper: (stops crying) Okay.

Purdy-Puppy: I was wondering when you would get around to reading this! Love ya dude!

Anendee: Thank you for the review! I think you're the only one to catch that, but you will have to wait a bit longer to find out who she is. I just now got a name for her But Know that she is VERY important to Kenken.

Carrothien: Thanks SO much! That really means a lot to me

HeatherR: I noticed that too. I have this really huge fascination with scars. It's all about the scars baby! Believe me it WILL be interesting.

M4r1-ch4n: You made me a very happy Keeper for reviewing I agree I think Ken-sama had the worst past, I mean being burned and betrayed by your best friend! Unfortunately it will be a little while before the Shu/Ken action happens. But please stay with me it will happen!

Westkitsune: My first reviewer! I love you! (glomps) Unfortunately it will take awhile for the Ran/Ken action because I don't like it when it is rushed. But please stay with me also it will happen.

Stephy-chan and Jeny-chan: Thank you for listening to this from over two thousand miles away so I was able to catch most of my mistakes!

Mist: why don't you give them something.

Keeper: That's a great idea! (rummages around in closet) Hey what about this Mist plushie I got?

Mist: You have a plushie of me?! You can't give that away! (snatches plushie)

Keeper: Of course I do. But I guess you're right that's the only one I have. (goes back into closet) How about a Ran/Ken/Schuldig set complete with leash for Kenken!

Kat-Goddess: You mean someone actually read this?

Kou: That's what I said.

Keeper: You guys are so mean!

Mist: Please review and make my Keeper happy.