Disclaimer: For the nth time, I don't own Weiss… it's depressing that I have to keep reminding myself of this fact every time I update a chapter…
A/N: Hello minna san! It's me again… as promised... trying to wheedle out that itty bitty moment of somebody's time with another little ficcie that is wreaking havoc inside what tiny bit of mental appendage I have left… (chuckles!)
As always warnings first… a. this is gonna be a shounen ai fic bordering on yaoi… MALEXMALE pairing (this piece is rated for a reason, ne?)… RanKen as always with a few side pairings… but no very graphic stuff I guess (um… gomen?---chuckles)… so, sensitive and easily offended folks turn BACK now… the last thing I'd like to happen is for someone to squander their precious time here only to rant about their sensibilities… b. This fic is gonna be quite angsty, complete with a few waterworks and a bit funny, a bit fluffy, a bit of action… I have the tendency to get carried away with the dramatics so do forgive me for that… c. the short poem 'Substitute' in the beginning of this fic is mine again, (taken from my dusty archives) I don't know what to make of it, I just thought the theme fits this story… (chuckles) and d. I would like to say in advance that this crazy, sleep-deprived author is gonna put Kenken (via my fave red haired bastard) into the torture chamber once more (slinks away quietly as shiny katanas are unsheathed) just so you know…
Oh and Aya here is Aya-chan and Ran is Aya-kun… Aya's awake…
and sorry for the bad grammar and typos in advance…
Hope you guys read and review! Hugs!
Sweet Nothing
by Kage Kurokawa
Substitute
You look into my eyes
But who do you see?
You don't say a word
Yet I know it's not me.
Whose touch do you feel
When we embrace?
Who gives that light
On your beautiful face?
Whose name do you call
When you're asleep?
Even in dreams
It escapes your lips
Will you ever see me
When you look in my eyes?
When will it end
Your silent lies?
When will you know
That it was me you hold?
When will you smile
To banish the cold?
When will I hear my name
Spoken with soft words?
But I fear in my heart
It will never be heard…
By Kage Kurokawa
Chapter 01 Feigning Ignorance
It was the middle of summer, all sunny and warm. Business was booming in a little flowershop somewhere in Tokyo. Bright, colorful flowers in season were selling like ice cream. Four beautiful boys worked busily amidst the crowd of customers and the usual throngs of fan girls. No one can really blame these ladies. What better way to spend a hot summer day than to go to the beach and indulge in some human eye candies?Granted thatthere was no nearby beach around, but there were certainly some nice eye candies around the store.
And it wasn't the flowers.
A tall, lanky blond wiped the sweat on his forehead and sighed. Gushescan beheard from nearby girls. The shopwas uncannily full that day. There were a lot of customers, but still a lot more loiterers. It was quite hard to work in a cramped environment. He had to do something about it.
"Okay ladies, those who are above eighteen fall in line and just leave a contact number. I'll be calling. Those who are underage, please ask either Omi or Ken." He said in a clear voice for everyone to hear. "For those whoenjoy toughchallenges, please see Ran. Thank you."
"Shut up and work Kudou." A growl came from behind. "Those of you who won't be buying anything, get out."
The response was a barrage of 'ooohhhs' and 'aahhhs' at the smooth baritone sound. The red-haired owner of the said voice shook his head a bit and turned to lock himself in the stock room.
A pair of ocean blue greens followed the retreating orange back for a while, with asoft, unreadable expression on them. And then their owner returned to the task at hand.
xXx
At five o' clock four men can be seen closing the quaint Koneko flowershop. A young girlwho lookedabout seventeen ran towards the closing establishment. Her blue hair bouncing behind her in a long braid.
"Oniisan! Tadaima!" she exclaimed.
"You're almost eighteen, Aya. Act like it." Scolded a tall, handsome young man wearing an orange shirt and a slight smirk on his lips.
The young girl wiggled her eyebrows and pounced on her brother.
"You're such a tomboy." He laughed as he pulled on her braid.
"Gaah! My hair!" Aya complained.
"Good evening Aya-chan" greeted a young man with light auburn-blond locks. "How is summer school?"
"It's okay." She sighed. "Boring really, to be honest."
She smiled and waved at the brunette taking the last pot of plant inside.
"Ken-kun, have dinner with us okay?"
Ken smiled back. "Tired of take-outs Aya-chan?"
"Saa, you're his boyfriend. You should spend some quality time together." Aya stated with a brilliant smile.
"Ahh… did Ran try to make something edible again?" Laughed a handsome, slim blonde coming out of the shop cigarette in hands..
"Well, it almost looked edible Yo-tan." She piut on an adorably innocent face before scrunching it up in distaste."But I think it moved when I tried to pick it up."
Pale fingers playfully ruffled through blue braids.
"Some sister you are." Muttered Ran. "And Kudou, no smoking in front of my sister."
"My hair!"
Everyone laughed.
"Okay Aya, what would you like me to cook tonight?"
"Well, I miss your homemade sukiyaki and tempura. And also your pudding…" Aya had that look. That cute, begging, wide-eyed, doleful look that could melt the iciest of hearts.
"Fine, fine Aya chan." Laughed the young soccer coach. "But knowing that you won't havethe ingredients I need, come with me to the supermarket okay?"
"Yes!" Aya jumped and gave Ken a hug. "You're the best Ken-niichan."
"You're spoiling her Ken," admonished her brother with a shake of his head but had a slight smile on his face.
"Well, she IS too cute Ran."
"Of course… she is my sister after all."
"Haughty bastard." Ken teased before trying to steal a kiss.
The redhead moved away with a warning. "Ken…"
Their companions laughed softly at the seemingly teasing gesture.
But they didn't notice the flicker of pain that passed through those blue green orbs. They didn't see the light die from the smiling eyes.
"Oh well," He tried to cover up as cheerfully as he can, turning his back on his friends. "Let's go Aya-chan. The sooner we get what we need the sooner you are fed."
"Yosh!"
xxx
"Ken-niichan!"
"…"
"Hellooo? Anyone there?"
A large daikon was wavingbeforehis eyes. Only to be replaced by a pretty face carrying a worried look.
"Gaahh! Aya," Ken cried out startled.
"Are you okay Ken-kun?" A smooth pale hand touched his forehead. "You're not ill, are you?"
"I'm fine Aya-chan," was the reassuring reply. "I was just thinking of something. There's a reason why you're waving that daikon in my face right?"
"Of course" The girl giggled and gave him 'the look'. "I was hoping you could make some nice appetizer with it, onegai?"
He always fellfor that look.Sigh. "Very well Aya, put it in the cart."
Aya almost squealed and delightfully declared, "You're the best Ken-niichan. I do hope you marry my brother someday!"
Ken snickered quietly but felt his stomach churn.
…
"Ken-niichan?" The braided teen inquired while waiting in line at the cashier.
"Hmmm." Her brunette companion responded distractedly.
"You've been spacing out today. Are you thinking about Ran-niichan?" She asked with a thoughtful look on her face.
Ken pushed the cart forward as the last customer paid and was about to respond when Aya suddenly started.
"Oh I know… or I think I do." She smiled thoughtfully and clapped her hands as if she just figured out the greatest mystery of life. "It's almost your three month anniversary!"
Ken smiled at her reaction as he felt his guts drop to the floor.
"Are you planning anything special? Can I help?" She had such a sweet eager face.
If only she knew.
"My brother has never had a relationship that lasted this long. Come to think of it, I don't think he had been in any relationship before you…"
Ken laughed softly as the young lady began an incessant tirade on her brother's love life.
Itwas indeed nearly three months…
xxx
Dinner had been a fairly pleasant affair but for one little episode. Aya kept her companions occupied with animated stories about her day and laughed at her big brother's scowl when she told them about those boys who had been asking her out again.
"Relax Ran. It's not her fault your sister's cute." Ken teased.
"Yeah 'Niichan. I can't help it if they're interested in my gorgeous face." Aya joked andbatted her eyelashes.
"They'd better not come anywhere near the shop." Ran said with a deadly voice.
"Aww, 'niichan… I'm a big girl now… I can take care of myself." Aya said in a playful voice.
"Tch!" Her brother retorted.
"Let your sister go out once in a while. Chill out love." Ken smiled while eating his dessert.
"Shut up Ken. How I raise my sister is none of your business." Ran replied in a low, irate voice that startled the other two, before getting up and stalking to his room.
There was a brief moment of tense silence.
"Umm… Ken 'niichan… Oniisan's just-" Aya wasat a loss on how to begin.
Ken sighed.
"It's okay Aya-chan," He reassured the teen. "Your brother's been a bit irritated all day. Must be the stress."
"You're so understanding Kenkun." Aya studied her brother's boyfriend with a soft, sad smile. She knew her brother wasn't the easiest person to get along with and had to salute this handsome brunette for his patience. Ken-kun must really love her 'niichan.
xxx
"Oniichan, I'm going now!" Aya called to her brother twenty minutes later, said brother is still sulking inside his room like an immature brat. "I'll be back in two hours."
"Going out?" Ken asked coming out of the kitchen with a cup of tea.
"Hai. I have a killer exam tomorrow and I asked Omi to help me." The blue-haired teen replied at the doorway, putting on her shoes.
"How come you never ask me?" The ex-J leaguer inquired sitting on the couch.
"Since when are you genius extraordinaire, Ken 'niichan?" Aya retorted crossing her arms and raising a perfect little eyebrow, a doubtful look plastered on her face.
"Hey, I resent that!" Ken exclaimed with a laugh.
"Hahaha. See ya later Kenkun. Have fun while I'm gone!" And she closed the door the behind her.
"Teenagers these days," the brunette muttered before drinking his tea.
xxx
Ken entered the room carefully and found the stoic redhead sitting by the window. He walked toward the bed and sat down on it watching his lover cautiously. His presence seemed to go unnoticed.
It hurt. No matter how much he tried to understand the enigma that was Ran Fujimiya, he could only touch the surface. It hurt because even after almost three months his boyfriend was still closed up on him. And knowing the reason why, didn't help matters at all. In fact it only escalated the pain. But he swallowed everything in a gulp. But for how long?
He knew that the night of their three month anniversary would change everything. For the better. For the worse. All at his expense. He tried not to think of it atall.
Finally, his lover stirred and he felt those fierce violet eyes on him. There was a look in them. Something he could not read. The redhead approached the bed without a word and took Ken's lips in a brutal kiss. It always started this way. Clothes found their way all over the room in under a minute. There was way too much intensity in Ran's kisses, in his touches. It was as if his afraid to let go. As if he was denying himself something. As if...
He never looked into Ken's eyes. He alwayslooked everywhere but Ken's eyes. As if afraid of what his lover might find there… why?
Ken knew why. But his thoughts are never reallyorganized during these moments…
And when it was all over, all he can do was lie there and sleep.
A few minutes after the brunette drifted off… Ran got up to make some tea.
xxx
"Tadaima O-niichan." Aya greeted as soon as she entered the apartment and saw her brother sitting on his favorite side chair. As sheexpected, her brotherwaited up for her.
"Hn. Okaeri. Finished your homework?" Ran asked sipping his third cup of tea.
"Hai. Omi expects me to get perfect scores." Aya sat down on the couch.
"Good. Now go to sleep." It was a silent order.
Aya pouted before she remembered.
"Kenkun wa?" she asked.
"Asleep." Was the direct reply. Typical Ran-niichan
"Oh. Okay. Take care of him 'niichan." She reminded him softly before standing up and heading to her room. "O-yasuminasai."
"O-yasumi." Ran replied before his sister closed her door.
After a few minutes, he too got up, turned off the lights and went to his room. He stood by the bed, gazing down at its occupant. His expression was unreadable in the dim room. He took a deep breath before settling under the covers.
xxx
An hour before the sunrise Ken woke up feeling warm and sated. He realized that he had fallen asleep in Ran's bed again. That had been happening almost daily this past month. He vaguely wonders if that was a good sign.
He turned round to face his lover and smiled at the sight. It was wonderful to wake up and watch his lover's sleeping countenance because the redhead looked like an angel fallen from heaven when he was in deep slumber with that small smile on his face. He must be dreaming good dreams.
At this thought, Ken felt something tightened in his chest.
But he smiled anyway.
Maybe it was going to bedifferent today. He kept reassuring himself this.
He smiled and gave his lover a small kiss before getting up and preparing breakfast.
As soon as his lips touched soft, smooth, pale skin… it came like a splash of cold water.
He could cry but he wouldn't dare. He was stronger than that.
He wanted to lash out at someone but it wasn't his lover's fault.
No, it was his fault. He had known. He had always known.
Yet he feigned ignorance, because he thought that he could change the situation in his favor.
He was wrong.
As the word unconsciously escapes those beautiful lips that he had so thoroughly kissed last night, he turned to dress and walked out of the room and into the kitchen to torture himself some more.
The word turned itself over and over in his mind like a mantra that won't let him be. His heart was breaking a little more each time that word is spoken as his love dreams.
'Youji'.
End Chapter 1
A/N: Am i getting worse? Gaah! I'm cruel. Not so yet, I think… In chapter 2 and 3, you will hate me, i think...Before you guys ask, no this will not be a deathfic coz I don't do deathfics yet… I think reality is quite tragic enough, thank you very much. Happy ending? Debatable… (i think too much...) (chuckles!)
Ummm, were you expecting the last scene? I wasn't, it just suddenly popped out of nowhere. Will this be a love triangle of sorts? …ahhh, methinks that will be the suspense...
I got the title from Weiss Song "Sweet Nothing"...it's a sad, sad song... i think you'll getan english translation at a lyric site...
So how was this? Did I waste your time? Should I continue? Like it? Hate it? No comment? Just click the review button, if only to say "no comment". Thanks in advance minna.
Will post chap 2 in five to 7 days coz it's still halfway finished.
Ja, mata raishou.