TWO
I saw my angel all covered in white.
My angel had given me the most beautiful sight.
At the same time my angel gave my heart a deep dive
Because a second ago my angel was still alive.
Three weeks had passed, and yet Ken hadn't found it in his heart to accept that Omi was permanently gone. For the first week he had convinced himself that Omi had gone on a long vacation, but on the second week the truth sank in deep and refused to leave. From that time he began to skip meals, had a hard time sleeping, stopped working in the flower shop, and lost his voice as he wasn't talking at all. He seemed to always be in another world, some sort of Wonderland, where he could see Omi alone and the rest of the world was shut out.
Aya and Youji knew how unhealthy it was for Ken to let his depression get to him. They were distressed with Omi's death, too, but they didn't let it bother them. They understood Ken, however, because he and Omi had been best friends. Heck, they also knew about Ken's great love for Omi.
"He must be in so much pain," said Youji. "But dammit, he should still be acting like a normal human being, not like some freakish vampire or whatever," He looked at Aya, who was watering flowers. "He's gonna be the next one to die if this goes on,"
Aya paused for a while and thought. Youji was right. Omi was never gonna return, and if only in three weeks Ken was as miserable as a sloth being made to exercise, what more after a month, a year even? They had to do something. It would be wrong to wait for Ken to slip into total insanity and bring him to the mental hospital so that he would no longer be a problem.
"Where're you going?" asked Youji when Aya let go of the watering can and made his way up the stairs and into the place where their bedrooms were located. "Oh no. Aya!" He called, realizing what the other was up to. "Aya, don't!" He caught up to the redhead, who was already in Ken's bedroom. Youji went inside. Aya was standing beside Ken's bed. On the bed was the owner, staring up at the ceiling mindlessly.
"Get up, you asshole," demanded Aya in a forceful tone. "We've been patient with you all this time because we know how you feel, but enough is enough. You have to let go and move on with your life,"
Youji was amazed. Aya was usually a man of a few words. He wouldn't waste his voice not even to scold any of them. He usually resorted to violence without having second thoughts.
"I said get up!" repeated Aya, adding more seriousness to his voice.
Ken raised an eyebrow. He frowned, and rolled off the bed. He passed by Youji without saying anything. The other two followed him. He went to the flower shop, wore an apron, and started arranging some flowers.
"I'm amazed," said Youji with a grin. Aya acted like he didn't hear and went back to work. Youji shrugged and did the same.
Night arrived faster than usual. Ken was back in his room, and once more his single activity was to look up at the ceiling and daydream about his beloved Omi.
Ken thought Omi was a work of art, the most perfect one that God's hands could've produced. He was beautiful inside and out, and he was someone that was willing to love and be loved. To be best friends with him was superb, but to be his lover, to have him completely, was one dream Ken had that was bound to never come true. When Omi was alive, Ken often thought about confessing his love for him. Alas, at the same time he valued the tight bonds of friendship that held them together. He didn't want to have them cut. He was sure that if he told Omi the truth, their relationship would never be the same.
Closing his eyes, Ken remembered an incident when he had nearly kissed Omi. It was already midnight, and Ken was feeling thirsty so he went out of his bedroom to get a glass of water. On his way to the stairs, he saw that Omi's door was slightly ajar. He decided to take a peek to make sure that Omi was sleeping okay. Once inside the room, he stopped in his tracks.
Across him was Omi's bed, which was near the window. There was a full moon and it was shining down on Omi, who was sleeping soundly. He was simply flawless. By the way he slept, on his side while clutching a part of his blanket, he was as mesmerizing as any goddess could be. Ken didn't know whether to approach him or not because he didn't want to wake the sleeping deity. He decided to take a closer look anyway, so that even in his dreams he would be able to see him like that all over again.
Ken wondered if it would be possible to encounter someone as unblemished as Omi. When he was close enough to touch the younger man, he kept his hands to himself and quietly observed the other's beauty. He felt that if he took his eyes off of him he would suddenly disappear. He didn't notice that he was only a few inches from Omi's face. He was drawn to Omi's lips, which were looking more and more irresistible by the second. Ken parted his own as though ready to kiss his best friend.
As if by fate, Omi began to stir. Ken realized what he was doing and backed away. Omi didn't wake up, but Ken's heart was beating so fast that he was afraid it would burst out of his chest.
Ken allowed his eyes to be opened. He touched his lips, wanting desperately to go back in time and really kiss Omi. If only he had foreseen his best friend's death, then he would've long ago revealed his true feelings without thinking of the consequences. No matter if they stopped being friends or not, as long as Omi knew everything. It was hard to keep secrets from him, especially because he himself was very open with all of them.
The brown-haired man slowly got up. He went of his room and headed for Omi's. He saw that it remained untouched. The bed was still neat, and everything else was in order. Ken closed the door behind him. Every cell in his body was longing for Omi, and if there was one place that he was sure to be present it was in his room. Ken didn't bother to turn on the lights and slipped in between the sheets at once. He smelled Omi's shampoo when he buried his face in the pillows. He shivered for some reason, and he covered even his head with Omi's soft blanket. When sleep visited him, he experienced peace unlike any other.
After several days, Ken was feeling much better about Omi's death. He went back to normal and actually became more efficient in the workplace. He opened the flower shop even though it wasn't his turn, he ran most of the outside errands, and he greeted the customers with such cheerfulness that Aya and Youji suspected him of taking drugs that's why he was always so high-spirited. Ken laughed at their idea.
"I just figured that Omi wouldn't want to see me like this," he explained to them with a huge smile. "I don't want to think that he's dead; I believe that he's somewhere out there wandering. I'm going to keep on waiting for him to come back, and until then I'll keep myself happy everyday, just in case he comes back,"
Aya and Youji decided that even though Ken still had a bit of a cuckoo in the head, at least his emotional condition had improved.
"Here's the address, and the keys to my car," said Aya the next day. A customer had just called and was ordering a pot of Freesias. Ken was more than willing to volunteer, as the flowers were Omi's favorite kind. "Hurry back, will you? And try not to get into any accidents,"
"Okay," Ken replied. He carried the medium-sized pot to Aya's Porsche. He drove off and looked for the right house. He stopped in front of a huge gate. "Looks like we have a wealthy customer this time," He muttered to himself. He saw a small speaker beside the gate. He pressed one of the buttons. There was a beep, and a voice spoke at the other end.
"Hello. Who is it?" asked the stranger. Ken's heart skipped a beat. There was something about the person's voice that made him anxious. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Sorry," said Ken. "I'm from the Koneko flower shop. I'm here to deliver a pot of Freesias for a Mister…" He checked the piece of paper that Aya gave him. "…Mister Atari Yuuki. Would that be right?"
"Someone will be down in a minute, Hanaya-san," continued the voice. "Thank you so much for the Freesias. I absolutely love them. They're lovely, don't you think?"
"Um, of course," said Ken, slightly amused. He swore he had heard the voice before. "My best friend loved them as well. He worked in the flower shop, too, and he had his own Freesias that he sold to no one,"
"Oh that's wonderful!" The person sounded genuinely excited. "Do you think I could meet him someday?"
Ken smiled sadly. "I'm afraid the answer is 'no'. He died almost a month ago," There was silence.
"I'm so sorry about that, Hanaya-san," said the voice. "I know how it's like to lose something. I've lost a lot in the past just like you, maybe even more. That's why I try to cheer myself up by doing things I like, for example planting flowers in our backyard. I don't know why I like gardening, but it gives me so much joy to see the beautiful blossoms opening. It's like I myself am a flower, and I know that if I don't open up my petals I'll never be able to see the sun and the sky and all the wonderful things this world has to offer. Think that way, too, Hanaya-san, and you'll be able to encourage yourself to lead a life without worry,"
"Thank you for that," Ken was amazed at how moved he was at what the stranger said. It was almost as if he was talking to a friend he's known all his life. "Hey, you're Atari-san, aren't you? I'm Hidaka, Hidaka Ken,"
"Just call me by my first name: Yuuki," replied the voice. "Ken. I really like your name, Ken-san. I hope to be able to meet you again soon. You see, I can't come down. At least not right now. I had a fever last night and my parents told me to rest. Thank you so much for talking to me, though. I appreciate it. You seem like a very kind and friendly person,"
Ken blushed. They had only been talking for a few minutes, and they were already on a first-name basis? The thought surprised him even more. "I'm glad to have met you, too, Yuuki-san. Thanks for the advice," The gate opened, and a maid appeared and bowed down, arms outstretched and with an envelope in her hand. Ken bowed down as well, took the envelope, and went to fetch the Freesias. When he handed the pot to the maid, he made one last ring to Yuuki.
"Yes? Is that you, Ken-san?" asked Yuuki.
"Yeah, it's still me," said Ken. "Feel better soon, okay? I have to go now. I have work to do. You can call me in the shop anytime, alright?"
"Oh goodie!" exclaimed Yuuki happily. "You're such a sweetheart, Ken-san! I might even visit your flower shop sometime. Anyway, goodbye! I'll be well just for you,"
"Good," And with that, Ken left. He couldn't take the smile off his face even after he arrived in the flower shop. Youji and Aya were curious as to why he had a goofy look on.
Back in the mansion where the customer named Yuuki lived, the maid entered a grand bedroom and set the pot down on the floor. She bowed down low, and exited through the wooden double doors.
Yuuki came out of his private bathroom with a bathrobe around his body and a towel on his head. As soon as he saw the Freesias, he was filled with delight. He approached the pot and knelt down to stroke the flowers. He took a sniff; they were fresh indeed. He lifted the pot to one side of the room before taking his shower. Ken the flower man came to his mind all of a sudden.
"He feels strange to me," he muttered to himself as he began to fill the tub with water. "It's like…we've talked before. Ah, but how could it be? I don't know anyone who works in a flower shop. This is insane. I…I like him, though," He grinned at the thought of Ken's voice. "I really, really like him…"
The tub was only half-filled when Yuuki took his robe off and got in. The water felt hot at first but became lukewarm after a short while, or it was probably because the boy had adjusted to the temperature. His cerulean eyes observed the ripples in the water. As he followed them carefully, he saw the scratches on his knees and the small wound on his wrist that looked like something had been injected there. He knew where the scratches came from, but what about the other wound? He ran a finger over it. It didn't hurt even a little. He still wondered how it got there, though.
When the water rose near the top of the bathtub, Yuuki reached for the tap, turning it off. He played for a while, splashing the cool liquid, washing his face with it, and drawing shapes that quickly disappeared on the surface. Then he stopped. He had no time. He had to go somewhere. So without hesitation, he sank in the water until only the top of his honey blonde hair was showing. After a minute, he rose and sucked in air gently.
He absolutely loved taking a bath before an important date.
"You still haven't told us what made you so happy a while ago?" said Youji for about the twentieth time. "And we still insist that it was one of the customers we had this morning, right, Aya?" He looked at the redhead, who looked up, gave him a neutral look, and went back to his book. "Nice talking, samurai nerd,"
"I have the right to remain silent, thank you very much," replied Ken, who still had a trace of the huge grin he had had all day. "And the right to be happy as well,"
Youji shrugged. Ken could be so stubborn sometimes, and there was nothing he could do to get him to spill the beans. Besides, if he had any other ideas, he was already feeling too lazy to carry them out. It was time to close the shop.
"Ah, before I forget…" interrupted Aya. Youji and Ken looked at him at the same time. He took some money out of his pocket and asked, "So which of you is willing, or will be forced to be willing, to get some groceries?" He raised an eyebrow at them. "We only have enough food left to last us until lunchtime tomorrow,"
"I'll do it!" said Ken with pleasure. His two companions were surprised once again. Before the good mood, now the volunteering without arguing with Youji was rather disturbing. There was something definitely wrong with Ken. "Do you have a list of what we need, Aya?"
"Here," answered Aya. "And because you decided to do this without being threatened, Youji will be the one to open the shop tomorrow instead of you,"
"What? That's unfair! I was late in volunteering, that's all!" complained Youji. "You're bias as hell, Aya,"
"Well, I'll be going now!" Ken removed his apron and replaced it with his coat. "I won't take long. See you later!" And with that he was gone.
Ken's sudden perky behavior was one mission the two remaining Weiss members couldn't comprehend.
The sky was such a beautiful sight when Ken looked up after leaving the grocery store. There was a full moon that glowed soft blue. The large clouds around it were perfectly outlined due to its light. Hundreds of small stars twinkled in the black background. There was hardly any wind so the picturesque scene could not be disturbed.
Ken wondered if Omi was up there looking down at him at that very moment. He even thought that maybe Omi was one of the stars, giving light to the darkness that he was experiencing due to the latter's death.
The brown-haired man wanted to observe the sky longer, but because he had strained his body not long ago due to severe depression he had to pay the price. His muscles began to grow limp, his breathing came in short puffs, and his vision blurred slightly. He tried to keep things together though he eventually collapsed on the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment just in case he passes out completely.
A shadow appeared before Ken. "What's the matter, mister?" It asked. Ken felt the gentlest hand touch his forehead. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I-I'm perfectly fine. This is just fatigue, don't worry," replied Ken, sounding almost drunk with the way he was talking. "But thank you for the concern. I…I just need to rest a bit,"
The hand moved to his cheek. "Are you sure? You seem pale. Here, drink some water," Ken knew he had a bottle near his lips, and out of gratitude he drank as much as he could. He was able to breathe normally again. "See? It works doesn't it?" Ken's vision began to adjust. "Would you like me to stay with you until you can already get up?"
"No, no. Please, I don't want to be a burden for a stranger," Ken began seeing doubles, and he first noticed the person's eyes. They were…black. No, blue, one of the bluest eyes Ken had ever seen. "I'm okay, I promise. Please go ahead. I'm feeling much better now," He began to stand up so as to show that he was telling the truth. He realized that the stranger was shorter than he was.
"Hmm. If you insist, then," said the man. Ken couldn't be mistaken. Although he thought the person was a girl at first, he realized that he couldn't possibly be with such a flat chest. "I'll be going now. I still have to meet someone. Goodbye, mister,"
Ken's eyes finally cleared as soon as the stranger had turned his back and was at the edge of the sidewalk. Ken observed him until he crossed the road. He was at the other side when a black car pulled up in front of him. He turned around, and Ken blinked a few times before looking again. "No way…" He said to himself. The person he had been talking to had honey blonde hair. He was slender and thin, and looked very young. He was talking to someone in the car. He laughed, causing Ken's heart to stop.
Ken couldn't be wrong. He couldn't be. He wasn't blind, nor was his vision impaired.
So why was he seeing Omi?