Writer's note: Hmm… It seems that there are so few "Ran x Omi"-fans out there. *sniff* That's sad to know… *waves the flag that says: "R & O 4ever!"* Honestly, where are you R x O-fans?? *sighs* Looks like I have to spice this fic a bit! *cackles evilly* (Omi: *sweat drop* I have baaad feeling about this… Me: What gave you that idea? *looks innocent*)
Anyway, until next update! Enjoy reading and remember to review!
Pairings: Ran + Omi / OMC x OMC / others may appear in later chapters
Rating: PG-13 (for now. This fic will turn into a R-rated in later chapters!)
Category: Multi-part, shônen-ai, yaoi, definitely an AU, slight of angst in this chapter
Fiction note: Takes after the ending of the anime. Remember, that this is a sequel to the prequel "Something Much More"-fanfic. Every soul has someone. Every soul needs someone. Ran is becoming more his old self again… and less the Abyssinian of Weiß.
Warning: This fic contains mild male x male relationship. If you're bothered with that please, leave! Those who aren't bothered and are matured enough, enjoy reading the fic! ^_^
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A Weiß Kreuz Fanfiction
LONELY SOULS
Chapter 4: Siblings' Decision
Written by M.K. a.k.a. Fall Angel © 2003
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Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
At the hospital, the clock in Aya's room was starting to annoy her. Weeks and weeks she has been waiting for her brother's next visit. While doing so, she was trying to get into her shape and gather her strength back with the help of the hospital's health instructor. She couldn't believe how weak she was after sleeping for two years all at once.
She was also waiting for news of their parents. Speaking of them, she hasn't heard anything about them either. She was starting to have bad feeling about this.
Sigh.
'Wonder, what Ran-niichan is doing right now?'
"I see. He went to the hospital?"
"Yes, Manx-san. He just left about 10 minutes ago," answered Omi from the other line of phone.
"Hmm… I hope he knows what he is doing…" Manx leaned against her chair in her office, looking thoughtfully at the Fujimiya family's files. Ran's file was on the top of them; the old picture of him was in his background information. It was taken after his parents' death and when his sister was brought to the hospital. He looks so distressed in that picture.
"Me too, Manx-san… I hope everything will be all right for him and Aya-chan." Omi sighed.
"Yes. Let's hope that… Thank you for calling for me about this, Omi." Manx listened for Omi's replay before hanging up the phone and then started to look through the files. So many things have happened to that man in short notice.
Manx turned around and looked out of the window to the city. Mentally wishing good luck for the man known as Abyssinian.
It has been long time since he had felt this nervous.
The last time when he was this nervous, was the time when Ran discovered that he prefers men over women and he told his sister about it before telling his parents. His mother and sister both have accepted him and loved him no matter what. His father… was a bit uncomfortable with that.
Sigh. That was the past and this is now.
Here he was. Standing behind the door to Aya's room in the hospital. Good thing none of his teammates were here to see him like this. The Ice-King of Weiß having a nervous breakdown.
Sigh.
Oh well. Here goes nothing.
Ran knocked on the door before entering in.
Aya looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled when she saw her brother. "Ran-niichan! You're here! I thought you wouldn't come visit me anymore."
Ran gave a tiny and weak smile to his sister. "I wanted to give you time to recover and get your strength back… before I would come back to visit you." Ran sighed deeply and took a hold of the chair near to Aya's bed, bringing it closer to her and then sat on it. "Aya-chan… there's so much to tell you that you need to know."
"Eh?" the younger sibling blinked, stunned.
Ran looked at his hands as he mentally gathered more courage and strength, and then looked at his sister. "Our parents… were murdered."
- At the Koneko no Sumu Ie -
Omi was busy with the flower arrangement on the counter, snipping and decorating it a bit. His mind was anywhere else than just on the arrangement before him.
Ken could sense his friend's mood. He could - once and a while - read his friend's facial expressions and read his body movements. The youth was tensed than usual, and he was moving almost like mechanically - out of his memory.
He was worried.
"Omi. Are you worried about Aya?"
Startled of Ken's voice, Omi accidentally cut his fingertip with the scissors, making it bleed slightly. Omi cursed under his breath and sucked on his fingertip to stop the bleeding.
"O-oh! I'm sorry, Omi. I didn't mean to---"
"It's alright, Ken-kun. It's just a tiny scratch, nothing more."
"Let me see it anyway," Ken frowned as he took a hold of Omi's hand where the scratch was.
"Ken-kun, I'm fine, really," Omi huffed as Ken, who was now dragging him along, leading him to nearest sink to have it cleaned and then looked for the first-aid kit to get a bandaid for Omi.
"Mou, Ken-kun…"
"You really are worried about Aya, aren't you?"
The youth's cheeks heated up a little and he hid them quickly by looking down at his feet so his bangs obscure them from Ken's eyes.
"That's why you seemed a little bit distracted during your shift. Omi, Aya will be fine. He can take care of himself. You will see." Ken tried to console his friend and take his mind out of the scarlet-haired leader-in-action.
Omi peeked under his bangs at the brunette man, smiling a little. "You're right, Ken-kun. I was being silly… Of course Aya-kun can take care of himself…" 'Yet, I can't shake this feeling that… something is going to happen to him and his sister… that will affect us as well. One way or another.'
- At the hospital -
Aya's eyes were wide in shock after listening to Ran's words - of what he told her minutes ago. About their parents, their death and what was more shocking than the death of their parents… about her brother. Her own dear older brother and what he has been doing all this time.
The tears were falling from her eyes as she kept staring at her brother's back as Ran was looking out of the hospital window. Not wanting to see the look on his sister face. He wouldn't stand to watch it - the shock, disgust, sadness and grief mixed together.
"I… I can't… believe this…" She whimpered, feeling all the strength she has gathered vanish from her body. (Luckily she was still in her bed so she didn't collapse from weakness to the floor.) "This… can't be true… It can't be…"
"I'm afraid it's true…" Ran whispered loud enough for Aya to hear it. "It's true…"
Lips trembling and whimpering more as the tears began to fall faster down, Aya crouched toward holding her head, and her knees pulled up a bit. Ran turned to his sister and saw her distress and went to her wanting to take her into his arms and console her but only to be slapped away by Aya.
"Don't come any closer! Please… don't…"
Ran's eyes became widen in stun and shock. "Aya-chan…?"
"Please, oniichan… Not now… It was too much… too much for me…"
"Aya-chan?"
The girl covered her face with her hands. She couldn't even look at her brother after learning that he has been killing people in her name, to avenge for their parents' death. It was unbelievable! How could her older brother do such thing?
"I-I need some time to think about this alone, oniichan. I need some time… Please, that's all I ask from you…"
Ran was shocked but he did what he was asked to and left from Aya's room. Once closing the door behind him, a question popped into his mind. What just happened back there? His sister… just rejected his touch, his comfort.
The pain, the sorrow. He felt them in his heart when Aya rejected him.
He walked to his car at the parking place, his mind wandering from one thought to another. After entering into the car, Ran folded his arms across the wheel, letting his forehead rest over them. His mind was plagued by one thought: his sister hates him.
Back in Aya's room, after Ran stepped out of the room, Aya let out a loud whimper of sorrow, crying and sobbing from the bottom of her heart. She cried for her parents, cried for the two lost years of her life. And what's more, she also cried for her brother - for his lost identity.
How convincing it was for the rain to start on next day. It fits to Ran's current mood and emotions. Dark, depressing, gloomy…
Since yesterday, Ran hasn't spoken a word to any his teammates. He just wandered off straight to his room and came out only when he needed to go to bathroom or when he was hungry.
Ran was completely unaware of his concerned teammates downstairs - well, two of them showed more concern for the scarlet-haired man while one of them didn't show it a much. But that didn't mean that he wasn't worried about him at all, he just didn't want to show it.
"I wonder what happened? I mean, he didn't even say a word when he came in yesterday. Not even a 'hm'," Ken said before he took a sip of his hot chocolate.
Yôji looked at the two youngest teammates from the doorway, leaning against it lazily. "I dunno. But it must have been something that made him speechless. Well… even more than before."
"Yeah," Ken softly said.
Omi across from Ken kept staring into his steaming cup. During this whole conversation, he had been quiet. Haven't said a word or a comment to either man.
"What do you think of this, Omi? Eh? Omi? Are you listening to us?"
"Huh? What?" Omi snapped out of his daze. "Did you say anything, Yôji-kun?"
"Honestly, chibi. Where were you all this time? Haven't you heard anything what we have been talking about?"
"To tell the truth, no." Omi blushed in embarrassment.
"You're starting to worry us as well… What's with you?"
"Nothing. I… I'm just concern of Aya-kun…"
"You're not the only one around here, chibi." Yôji muttered. "But you seemed to be a lot more worried about Aya than the rest of us. What gives?"
"I told you, nothing," Omi mumbled before drinking his chocolate.
"Alright, fine. Have it your way then," Yôji sighed, brushing away some of his hair from his eyes. "Let's just hope that this doesn't continue for long…"
A week later, things were almost back to normal, with one exception. Ran still hasn't say a word to anyone. He didn't even snap at his fan girls whenever they were too close. He just growls and ignores them and then returns to work.
Another week passed by. Not much of a change. However, Ran had opened up a little to Omi and talks with the honey-blonde youth. With the others, he just frowns at them. There was something about Omi that eases his heart a bit. During their short conversations and communicating through the arrangements and colors of flowers, Omi learned about Ran's visit at the hospital and how it turned out to be in the end.
Omi felt sorry for him. After such long wait, the last member from his family had rejected him. The honey-blonde youth knew how his sister meant to the scarlet-haired man. And what he must have been feeling since Aya's rejection. He knows the experience all too well.
It was on next Tuesday, three weeks later from last visit at the hospital, which might change the rest of Ran's life. Aya called to him; she wants to talk with him.
After Aya hung up the phone, Ran stood still for a second and then hung up. Without a word, he rushed to get the coat so he could leave, but he found himself being held back by Omi. He turns around sharply at Omi, frowning slightly.
"Can I come with you?"
First thought was to say no, but Ran changed his mind. He nodded 'yes' and went to garage to get his car started. Omi told Ken quickly about their intention and hurried up after Ran who was waiting for him in the car.
Again he was feeling the same feeling that he felt weeks ago. It was starting to irritate him.
"Aya-kun?" Omi calmly said, sensing the taller man's nervousness. "Go talk to her. I will wait here, if you want to." 'I shouldn't have come…this is a private matter.'
Ran nodded and went to inside. His sister was sitting on a chair by the window. She must have gained her health and strength back during these passing weeks. The color of her skin isn't so white anymore, but a healthy color of light tan.
"Aya-chan?"
The young woman snapped her attention away from the window and turned to the doorway where her brother was, also noticing that he had brought some company with him - a boy about her age with a honey-blonde hair. Quite cute looking one too, in her opinion.
But when Omi stepped away from the door and went to wait at the hallway, Aya turned to look at Ran standing far from her.
"You wanted to talk with me?"
"Yes. I do. About… you."
Ran winced invisibly. This was it.
Aya smiled at her brother. She knows that he was tensed… even behind that cool mask she could still see her dear good old brother from her childhood. "Why don't you sit down? This will take a bit."
Ran did as he was asked.
"I have done a lot of thinking during these weeks. About our parents and their murder… about you as well, and the reason why you became an assassin to some secret organization you told me about." Aya looked at her hands, gathering her thoughts and sighing softly. "I have begun to understand… why you did it. You did it not only for us, for okaasan, otousan and me… you also did it for those innocent people who have been hurt by the dirty politicians and crime bosses… to protect them for harm."
She turned to look at Ran's face, smiling softly. "I won't lie to you, but after hearing about you being an assassin, it freaked me out big time. To think, that my brother, my dear oniichan have volunteered to become a killer and let himself to be covered with blood in my name. But I kept reminding myself that you were actually protecting those innocent lives out there," she looked out of the window, "by killing those untouchable criminals. And you were also trying to save my life yet again and again. You used my name, to honor me. I must say that I was flattered. (Even thought it still spooks me out thinking that you used my name.)"
She turned back to Ran. "I learned from the doctor, that it has been you, who have been paying the hospital bills to save my life. That, it was you - as an assassin - who saved my life from those… maniacs who kidnapped me from the hospital while I was still in coma." A smile widened over her lips. "I thank you."
"Eh?"
"Thank you for protecting my life, Ran-niichan. I have always thought of you as my protector when we were kids." Aya walked slowly and carefully to her brother and gave him a hug.
Ran blinked for couple of times before finally answering to her embrace. "You're… welcome, Aya-chan."
"Now… would you care to introduce me to that boy at the hallway you left? He's kind a cute," she winked knowingly at him. Ran scowled at her softly and then untangled himself from Aya's embrace and went to get Omi, who was waiting for him behind the door. Ran invited him in to meet Aya.
After the short introduction, the trio started to talk about everything that seemed all right for them. Aya liked Omi very much and was happy to know that he was close to her age. Not as old as her brother - to which Ran snorted.
From that very day, many days later, a new resident moved into 'Koneko no Sumu Ie' for a while, until the Kritiker find a new place for them to live in.
There wasn't room enough for five residents.
To be continued…
Next: Chapter 5: Three Men, a Brother and a Sister
Translations:
1. (o)niichan = elder brother; 'Ran-niichan' can be translated as 'brother Ran'… if you want to
2. -san = a polite suffix meaning Mr., Miss or Mrs.
3. -chan = a suffix meaning cute or little, a common endearment; used to address children, (close) younger friends and relatives, mainly females
4. Koneko no Sumu Ie = Kitty in the House
5. -kun = a suffix used for people of equal/younger age and equal (social) standing
6. mou = a mild curse, or an expression of frustration or anger; drat, rats, geez, gawd
7. chibi = a preshrunk version of a character; also literally means 'kid'.
Second draft: September 7, 2003