Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Yohji's mind.

Breaking Free

Chapter 7

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since things started getting weird. Or rather, people, had started getting weird. Omi typed away furiously on his keyboard, stealing glances at the sleeping figure on the sofa. He was in the mission room, typing up the mission report, not wanting to go to sleep until he was done, preferring to complete the paperwork while everything was still fresh in his mind.

Another quick glance confirmed the same thing as the last twenty did. Yohji was asleep. Omi continued typing, his fingers dancing across the keyboards as if they had a mind of their own. And perhaps they did, because as he typed out the details of the mission they just completed, his mind was elsewhere.

Could it have all started with that mission? Or was there something going on before that mission and Aya making out with the target just brought everything to a head? Brows furrowed in thought.

Omi had noticed the change in Aya immediately. Who wouldn't? His first clue was the coffee the morning after the mission. The redhead didn't drink coffee. Later that day when he had returned from school and assumed his duties in the flower shop, he was confused by the scene he found.

Aya was graciously helping people, Yohji was what he would almost consider surly and Ken seemed scared. And things hadn't gotten any better since then. Two weeks of Aya occupying himself with customers, orders, deliveries, missions, ignoring all of them. Yohji became increasingly withdrawn and depressed. It wasn't obvious at first, but the forced smiles couldn't distract from the sad green eyes. He started going out more often and, in a move Omi couldn't wrap his mind around, Yohji had taken to sleeping on the mission room sofa most nights. At least he started out there. He would always end up in his own bed eventually, usually guided by Omi who was up late on the computer.

Another clue came when he was talking to Ken one evening and the brunette commented on the grocery bill.

"I can't figure it out, Omi. The past two trips to the grocery store were pretty cheap compared to our normal bills. I wonder what's going on?"

"Have there been a lot of really good sales lately?"

"No. And come to think of it…." Ken dug out a crumpled piece of white appear from his pocket and unfolded it, studying it, then handing it to Omi. "Yeah, check it out, the list is like half of what it normally is."

Omi frowned as he scanned the list of items, noting the normal staples of meat, vegetables and fish and then the usual personal items for himself and Ken, but nothing on the list for Aya or Yohji. And the amount of staples was less as well. It's as if Aya and Yohji aren't really eating.

"Ken….have you noticed how….weird Aya and Yohji have been acting lately?"

"Thank goodness, Omi. I thought it was just me. Those two have been off ever since that mission. I can't quite figure out what's going on with Aya but Yohji is definitely depressed. And I have a feeling that neither one of them is really eating. The grocery bill was way down the last two trips."

"Unfortunately, I think everything stems from Aya. Yohji seemed very concerned for him during that mission. More so than usual. Then as soon as Aya started acting weird, Yohji became depressed."

"Well, we can't just go up to Aya and ask him what the hell is going on, so what do we do?"

Omi frowned and twisted a piece of his hair in his fingers. "Maybe we should talk to Yohji? If we can get him to open up, maybe we can all confront Aya together?" Omi saw the doubt Ken's face and he let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, I really don't see any other choice, do you?"

"No. Alright, it's settled then. We'll talk to Yohji."

So that was the position Omi found himself in at the very moment. Waiting to get Yohji alone and see if he could figure out what was going on. Omi continued typing away when a soft murmur reached his ears and his fingers froze, hovering about the keyboard.

"Aya…..don't go away….."

Large blue eyes got even wider at the mumbled words.

"Let me…..please….Aya…."

Omi shot out of his chair and kneeled on the floor next the sofa and started to gently shake the sleeping assassin awake.

"Yotan…..Yotan, please wake up. You should go to bed. Yotan…."

Sleep-bleary eyes blinked several times before focusing on the kind and concerned face that was mere inches from his own.

"Chibi? What are you doing awake? What time is it?"

Omi smiled and brushed errant blonde locks from Yohji's face, his voice that of a loving parent chiding its wayward child. "Yotan, you need to go to bed."

Yohji returned the smile being offered and sat up, running his fingers through his hair. He glanced at the clock and then eyed the kneeling young man knowingly.

"It can wait until tomorrow."

"But I'm almost done."

"I don't care. Let's go."

With that Yohji stood up and pulled a protesting Omi along with him. As they slowly climbed the stairs leading to the floor of bedrooms, Omi took a chance.

"Yotan? Is everything ok?"

Yohji stopped midway up the stairs and turned to face Omi, confusion showing across his features as his grip on the young man's wrist tightened.

"What do you mean, chibi?"

"Well, I'm just worried about you. You've become rather quiet and you're going out a lot more and----"

"Omi." Blue eyes showed their shock at the sound of Yohji saying his actual name. He couldn't recall the last time he heard Yohji use his name. "I'm fine. I think you're worrying too much and you're going to make yourself sick if you keep it up."

"But, you and Aya---"

Yohji stepped down and leaned in, practically touching noses with Omi as he whispered in a low, almost threatening tone to the younger man. "What about me and Aya?"

Omi winced and tried to pull his wrist free from Yohji's iron grip.

"Yotan, my wrist…you're hurting me."

Yohji let go of Omi's wrist as if it had bitten him and he stood up straight, suddenly looking tired and worn out.

"I'm sorry, chibi." He ran a hand through his hair again and sat on the step. "I'm just really tired. What about me and Aya?"

Omi eyed his friend with concern as he rubbed his red wrist. "You're both acting strange. Even Ken has noticed. We think it has something to do with Aya and that mission a few weeks back."

"I can't speak for Aya. I don't know what's going on with him. And as for me," Yohji looked up and offered Omi a small, knowing smile. "Maybe you're right. I've felt a little off lately. I'll start taking better care of myself. I promise. Goodnight, Omi. And thank you."

He reached out and brought Omi's wrist to his lips and kissed it tenderly before standing up and heading upstairs to bed.

Omi just stared after the older assassin in bewilderment. The conversation had done nothing to alleviate his worry or answer any of the questions he had about his teammate's behavior. Yohji promised to take better care of himself but Omi could tell he was lying. He was contemplating marching upstairs and demanding straight answers from Yohji when he heard the man's door click shut. Omi sighed and started back down the stairs to his computer to finish the mission report.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yohji lay in bed, watching tendrils of white smoke snake their way towards his ceiling, becoming invisible before ever reaching their destination. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. Not after Omi and his veiled attempt at trying to figure out what was going on between him and Aya. Although he had denied knowing anything about the redhead and tried to assure him of his own health, Yohji knew the young man was much more astute then he was letting on.

He had hoped that whatever he felt for Aya would simply fade away after the redhead brushed him off so harshly, but no such luck. Being around him everyday didn't exactly help matters.

He hated that he was letting Aya get to him. He didn't need the trouble the redhead invited and he should be counting his lucky stars that he was rejected. Aya was nothing but angst and drama. Two things Yohji didn't need any more of in his life. He liked his life. He had an easy day job that brought him in contact with beautiful women and he enjoyed a satisfying social life that afforded him company whenever he desired it and all he had to do was go kill a few bad guys on the side. Not too bad.

But now his life was anything but fun. It truly bothered him that Aya chose to ignore his very existence. So he'd tried to compensate and go out more often, but that only made matters worse. He'd find someone at a club and invariably would realize that he was with someone that was just like Aya. Maybe they had red hair, or maybe they were built like him, or maybe they had his standoffish attitude. Or worse, they had a combination of traits that reminded him of Aya. Yohji would ultimately choose not to sleep with the person, curse himself for being weak and stupid and go home to sleep on the sofa.

He couldn't stand falling asleep in his bed anymore. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lay down in his bed, fully awake, and expect to go to sleep. Memories of Aya haunted him. So he took to sleeping on the sofa and having Omi guide him upstairs to bed in a half-awake daze where he would collapse halfway to the bed.

The kitchen haunted him too. Anytime he spent an extended period of time in the kitchen, he was attacked by images of a passionate redhead, lips slightly parted, tortured moans and gasps echoing through his mind. So Yohji hadn't been eating much either.

Sounds of the house's inhabitants waking and going through their morning rituals brought Yohji out of his internal reverie. He heard the shower start up and looked at the clock. 6:05am. Aya was right on schedule. A door slamming shut alerted him to Ken's departure for his morning jog and he wouldn't hear from Omi for another hour. The youngest of the group, the night owl, would sleep until the last possible moment before having to get up and go to school. That was his ritual the morning after missions.

Yohji stubbed out the cigarette and lay back in his bed, closing his eyes in an attempt to get a few hours sleep before having to get up and go to work. Although he found facing Aya to be easier with little or no sleep, he knew he had to get something or he would keel over behind the register and then Aya would glare at him and look at him as if he were pathetic. Then again, at least he would be acknowledging me. That's got to be better than being ignored, right?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yohji woke up to Ken pounding on his door, yelling that his shift was due to start in an hour. Yohji just made some loud indeterminable noise to make the banging stop and he rolled over to stare at the clock. 8am. Shit.

He didn't have much time to shower, dress and eat but Yohji managed to at least shower and dress and smoke one more cigarette before walking in to the kitchen to sit down to a cup of coffee. He stared at the steaming cup of dark brew and let his mind drift. Nothing about the coffee should have reminded him of Aya yet the redhead came unbidden into his thoughts. Omi had told him that Aya had drunk coffee the morning after that mission. The morning after he'd made out with the target. The morning after they'd kissed. The morning after they'd screwed on the kitchen floor. His hair had been black then. Just like the coffee.

He didn't know what he expected to come of that night. Everything had happened so fast in the kitchen and then the shower and finding Aya waiting for him in his bed afterwards was just too surreal to even think about. But no matter what he was, or was not thinking at the time, there was one thing Yohji was certain about. Not once had he thought about that night being a one-time, get-it-while-you-can deal. He thought the closed off redhead was finally opening up, proving he was human and had needs and desires. He thought this was the real Aya, no pretending. He thought……….

"Yohji? Hey man, are you ok?"

Ken's hand on his shoulder brought him out of his trance and he looked up, not quite seeing Ken's face.

"Huh?"

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Ken looked at the dazed man skeptically. His voice sounded like his mind was far away, his cheeks were flushed and he was definitely sweating.

"Maybe you should go back to bed. Aya and I can handle the store, ok?"

As Ken spoke Yohji's gaze had fallen to the floor again and he knew Ken was speaking, he just had no idea what he was saying. When he finally came out of his memory-filled daze long enough to acknowledge the real world, he was being led upstairs by Ken.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To bed. You're obviously sick."

"No, no, no! I'm fine! I don't want to go back to bed!"

Yohji pushed Ken away and they stood facing each other, each pressed against opposite walls of the hallway. Yohji sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

Ken noticed the dark circles under Yohji's eyes seemed darker than usual and as his eyes roamed down the length of his body, he confirmed his suspicions of Yohji not eating. His normally snug clothing was a little loose.

"You're right, Ken I'm not feeling well. But maybe I should go see a doctor instead of just lying in bed."

"Ok. But you better be careful driving. And I want you straight home afterwards and in bed. Understood?"

Yohji smiled as he pushed off the wall, "Ya know…." ducked into his room, grabbing his cigarettes and keys. "…..with that kind of talk, you'll be rivaling the chibi for the Mother Hen award." Then he grabbed Ken with an arm around the shoulders and led them downstairs. There was no way he was going to go see a doctor, but at least he wouldn't have to face Aya today.

To be continued….