What? Gasp! Is it…is it really…?

Yes; it's a new chapter! (Waits for cheers, hears only the sound of crickets.) Okay, okay, sorry it's been so long. Don't be mad at me, kay?


Aya had nearly a week to gain some semblance of control over his knew and confusing feelings for Yohji Kudoh before having to see the man again. His new tasks at work left him literally too busy to speak or go to lunch with the blonde, and by the time he got home in the evenings he found himself too exhausted to do anything but think and try to sort through his feelings.

It was perfectly normal, he had decided by Wednesday night, to feel attraction for his former teammate. Aside from being physically attractive and literally exhuding sexuality like it was some expensive cologne, Yohji's presence was comforting to Aya. He could talk to him.

With all of the pretending they had been doing for the benefit of Mei Teng it had been easy for Aya's mind to trick him into believing that there was some spark between him and the older man, and now that he had recognized the mind trick, he would be able to protect himself from it. The next time he spoke to Yohji Kudoh, it would be perfectly clear that his feelings for the blonde had been nothing more than common lust – an easy and simple thing to overcome. The strange friendship the two had formed would be safe.

By the time Yohji called Thursday evening, Aya was more than happy to be speaking to him again.

"Well, don't you sound unusually cheerful." Yohji's voice drawled lazily over the other line. "Having some quality time with Bob, are you? That's nice."

Despite himself, Aya smiled.

"Do you have a reason for calling or did you just want to irritate me?"

"Would you believe that I just wanted to hear your voice?"

"No," Aya chuckled, feeling warmly toward the other man. This was nice, safe. There was something reassuring about his teasing. "Try again." He suggested.

"I just wanted to make sure we had plans for tomorrow." The former playboy answered. "Don't want my head bitten off for showing up unexpected again."

"Maybe I was just hungry last week?"

"Mm. I see. And how do you enjoy the taste of head, Aya?"

It took the redhead a full moment before he realized what the blonde had said. When he finally did, he felt his face go warm with anger or embarrassment or both.

"Kudoh!"

The line filled with the blonde's knowing, utterly masculine laughter.

"Do we have plans or not, bunny-thong?" He asked at last.

"If you ever call me that again, Kudoh, I will rip out your gentiles and feed them to you."

"But yours are so much more appetizing, Aya."

"Kudoh, I'm about three nano-seconds away from hanging up on you." He seethed dangerously.

"And everyday I get down on my knees and thank the gods for your saint-like patience." Yohji laughed. "All right, I'll take the fact that you haven't yet told me to fuck off, as well as the miraculous knowledge that you haven't yet hung up on me to mean that you do not object to sharing your precious time with me tomorrow night."

"Fine." Aya sighed. "What do you have planned?"

"The usual?"

'The usual' was sounding awfully good to Aya after his stressful week.

"What's playing?"

"No idea. I already threw out my newspaper. We'll find something, though. If all else fails, we can just close our eyes and point at a movie poster at random, right? So? What do you say?"

"Fine. I suppose I can find a few hours to spare for you."

"That was a joke, right?"

"Believe whatever you wish."

"That had better have been a joke, Aya. Aya?"

Smiling to himself, Aya hung up the phone. Tomorrow night would give him exactly what he needed. With a clear head and his new perspective, he could easily recognize the purely carnal lust he felt for Yohji and move on.

He was already making progress. After all, he had already had a full conversation with the man without one lustful thought. That had to mean something, didn't it?


A wide grin spread itself across Yohji's face the moment Aya opened the door.

"Damn. I wish I was Bob right now." He announced without preamble. Aya made no response other than to stare at him as if the blonde had done something to surprise him. "You know," Yohji clarified, "Because he gets to be up your…"

"I don't need you to explain it to me, Kudoh." Aya bit out, eyes narrowing into a glare. Shit; he was in a pissy mood tonight. Yohji was completely lost as to what he had done wrong, but then again he often didn't know what he did to anger the small swordsman.

So, he decided not to worry about it. He would think about something more pleasant instead.

Aya was always beautiful, Yohji reflected, but tonight he seemed especially delicious. He seemed to have dressed for comfort: well-fitted, extremely faded jeans, an overlarge sweater in alternating shades of green. He had left his hair down (the way Yohji secretly preferred it). He looked ready to curl up next to a giant fire or something, and Yohji would have been very glad to abandon their plans for the night if it meant he got to enjoy him.

Yohji had never met anyone else who could be both sexy and adorable at the same time. It was a dangerous and addictive combination.

Still, Yohji still had not decided if he preferred it when Aya dressed in baggy clothes or tight. Both had so many charms…

"Are you ready?" He asked lightly, finding himself trapped under his companions furious glare. Aya must have noticed him looking him up and down again. "Show starts at seven, you know."

"Why re you dressed like that?" Aya seethed.

"Like what?" Yohji glanced down at himself, unable to find anything wrong with his customary leather pants and midriff-bearing long-sleeved shirt.

"You…" Aya shook his head, changed whatever he had been planning to say, and redoubled his glare. "You'll freeze in that."

"I've got a coat." He answered, hoping Aya planned to lighten up sometime over the course of their evening. "Why, you worried about me?"

"No." He glared, slipping on his shoes and grabbing up his own coat before pushing past into the hall.


As it turned out, they did end up having to choose a movie at random. Nothing foreign was playing ("damn" Yohji had said, not the least bit disappointed) and they knew nothing about any of the other showings.

Huddling close to protect themselves from the chilly wind, the two young men examined each of the movie posters in turn. Yohji put his arm around Aya and the redhead didn't pull away – even when the playboy rashly slid his hand into the smaller man's back pocket. (That action, strangely enough, didn't even earn him a glare. It was as if Aya didn't notice it. As if something was distracting the younger man. Thinking about it made Yohji's head hurt, and so he stopped trying.)

Aya's anger had cooled since stepping out into the cold weather. Yohji had even managed to coax a smile from him. And a laugh.

There was something indescribably sweet about the former assassin when he relaxed and forgot that he was supposed to be depressing and moody.

At last the two agreed on a movie whose poster they both liked, bought their tickets, and moved into the theatre. The return of warmth did not, fortunately, mean a return to Aya's unexplained bad mood. He didn't even move away from Yohji's side.

"Do you want to get something?" Yohji asked, nodding toward the concession area.

"Do you want to share something?" Aya suggested, voice quiet.

Was it Yohji's imagination, or had he snuggled closer?

Grinning, Yohji agreed. They bought their snacks and headed in for their movie and Yohji was almost able to convince himself that they were a real couple.


Yohji didn't want the evening to end. He slowed as they neared Aya's apartment, reluctant to let the smaller man go.

Tonight, he had decided after Aya had stopped glaring and growling and had become so very sweet. Tonight he would make his move at last and know once and for all if the former leader of Weiss was willing to allow him into his heart.

"Aya,"

The smaller man pulled away from him and turned to face him, eyes cold and guarded. The charming companion he had been over the course of the evening was completely gone.

"Yohji." He acknowledged with a curt nod.

"Can I come inside?"

"I don't really see any point in that, do you?"

"Why are you mad at me?"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not." He stated coldly. He turned to his door, fishing his key from his pocket. He got the door unlocked and open before turning back to Yohji. "There's an art exhibit next weekend that I want to go see." He informed him tightly, as if speaking the words was somehow painful. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Yeah, sure."

Aya nodded once, sharply, and retreated into his apartment. The door was closed and locked before Yohji could even attempt to follow.

At first the blonde was ready to cruse. His next instinct was to break the door down. Finally, he shoved his hands into his pockets and forced himself to take the long and lonely trek back to the elevators alone.

His chance, if indeed one had existed, was gone.


Aya leaned back against the door and closed his eyes, suddenly finding the need to calm his breathing. His hand scrambled for the lock as the sudden and frightening idea that Yohji might try to come in anyway struck him.

It had been too close. He had nearly…

Aya was furious. All of his resolve and careful planning had vanished the moment he had opened to reveal Yohji Kudoh, dressed like the world's most sought-after boy toy. The shock of his beauty had been such that there had been no way for Aya to tell if his feelings for the man stemmed beyond carnal lust.

The winter air outside had helped him to clear his head, but he had been so frightened by his reaction to Yohji at the apartment that he had been unwilling to use his suddenly clear mind to sort through his feelings. All he had wanted was to enjoy his time with the blonde, and he had. For a few short hours he had managed to forget himself enough to simply stop thinking and enjoy his time out with Yohji.

Now the really terrifying thing. He had enjoyed himself so much that now he knew that there was no denying the fact that it was more than desire which made his heartbeat speed up at the sight of the playful blonde.

Yet, despite that, he had invited him to the museum.

He could feel Yohji out in the hallway, feel him like he could feel his arm. He knew beyond the capacity for doubt that the other man was still out there.

When Aya couldn't take it anymore, he fumbled clumsily with the lock. By the time he got the door open, Yohji was gone.


She examined the tomato in her hand carefully before putting it in the plastic sack with the other two her searching eye had deemed "acceptable." Cheerfully, she spun the bag closed and placed it in the cart with her other groceries, then checked her list for the next needed item.

Bread, she decided, was next. It was, after all, the closest. She turned in the appropriate direction and stopped short, breath catching in her throat almost painfully.

A flash of red, a hint of violet. The young man examining the fruit turned away without having seen her.

A slim, delicate body made even smaller by the black, ankle-length coat he wore. Dark red hair fell just past his shoulders, held back in a small tail. The girl's throat worked, but no sound escaped her lips.

The young man's cell phone rang, the quiet twitter of classical music. He fished it from his pocket and stared at it a long moment before answering.

"What do you want?"

No, she had to be wrong.

Her brother's voice had never sounded so cold and sharp and angry.

"I told you to leave me alone until Friday." The young man said in annoyance to whoever it was on the other line. Irritably, he snatched up one of the plastic bags and turned back toward the display of fruit, putting apples in the bag with harsh, quick movements.

For just a moment eyes of an intense, cold violet brushed her face.

Aya released the breath she had been holding.

"Ran?"

The eyes shot back to her face and the young man paled. His voice, when he spoke, was still cold.

"Kudoh? I'll have to call you back."

She took a step forward, feet moving as if of their own accord as the young man slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Ran."

He turned to her fully then, and she knew. Despite the long hair, nearly unhealthily slim body, and ice cold eyes, she knew.

"Ran!"

Something flickered across that face.

"No." He stated. "I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else." He didn't so much as flinch at the lie. She knew it was a lie. It had to be a lie.

But Ran had never lied to her before.

He brushed past her without a word. By the time Aya found her voice again, her brother was out of sight.


Jiro Nakamura viewed the young man before him a long while before deeming to speak.

"Your former employers were quite upset with your notice that you were leaving their company." He stated finally. "They called me several times and were most unpleasant. I was called a number of unseemly names."

"I'm sorry, sir." Fujimiya murmured quietly.

A fine boy, Nakamura mused. A good addition.

"I am hoping their reticence to see you go speaks well of your work." He continued with a small smile.

"I…yes, sir."

"So far, I have seen nothing to go against this. So I've decided to give you a little test."

"A test, sir?"

He slid a file across the desk toward the smaller man.

"From this point on, you are this kid's manager. He is your sole responsibility. He's got reasonable talent – make him a success, and then we'll talk."


Yohji Kudoh had not felt so cheerful in a long while. There was a definite spring in his step, and he couldn't seem to stop whistling.

His business was going fairly well, considering that he's been slacking off evening during the weekends. The joys of being self-employed. He was also, miraculously, having some semblance of success – both with finding customers and with solving cases.

He liked to think that Asuka was sending him what he needed as her way of showing her approval of his growing relationship with Aya.

The thought of the redhead made a smile spread across his face of its own volition.

So things hadn't gone as well as he had hoped last week. The important thing was that Aya had been the one to initiate their plans for this week – surely this was a good sign.

The blonde switched to humming as he pushed open the door to the tiny shop and walked in, giving a wave to the dark haired girl behind the counter before heading to the display he needed.

"What are you buying today, Yohji-san?" One of the shopkeepers asked with a smile, coming over and leaning against one of the freezers.

He couldn't help but to grin at her.

"Primrose, I think."

"And that one means?"

" 'My heart aches for you.'" His grin widened. "I think I'm getting really close."

The girl laughed at the obvious excitement in his voice.

"When are you going to bring this girl by to meet us, anyway?" She asked. "We're all really curious, you know."

"Ah, but Sakura, jot go I know you deserve to meet someone so important to me?" He teased, turning to the counter. The girl there was pale and quiet. "How much do I owe you, Aya-chan?"

Beside him, Sakura laughed. "You know your money's no good here."

He made a show of arguing for a few moments, as usual, but finally relented with a laugh and his most charming smile for the two girls.

"I'll see you two later." He said with a smile, turning toward the exit.

"Yohji-san, wait! I want to hire you!"

The shout came suddenly, unexpectedly. When he turned back to Aya, her face was pale but for two bright spots of color on her cheeks.

"Why, you little vixen." He smirked.

Like her brother, Aya-chan could be severely embarrassed by even the slightest hint of sexual innuendo. Her entire face grew beet red at his comment.

"No!" She squeaked, hands moving to cover her mouth. "No, I meant…Kudoh-san!"

He laughed, leaning against the counter.

"What is it, Aya-chan?" He chuckled. "Some guy haunting your dreams? Need my expertise to find out everything about him?"

"Yes." She answered.

Yohji had a moment of shock. Aya's face grew even more red as she realized what she had said.

"No, it's not like that!" She pulled her hands down from her face and took a deep breath. "Kudoh-san, I need to hire you to find my brother."

"Not this again!" He groaned, trying to keep his voice light. "I told you, the man doesn't want to be found."

"No!" She shook her head. "No, he's back. He's in Japan. I saw him! I…I spoke with him."

"You…? What did he say?"

She looked away. "He pretended he didn't know me…but I know it was him! I know it was Ran!" She looked up again, eyes desperate and pleading. "Please, Kudoh-san! I'll pay whatever you want!"

"I don't want your money, Aya-chan."

He loved the girl, the sister of the man he wanted to spend his life with. In the years since she had awoken from her coma, he had come to care for her as if she were his own sibling. Since Aya had left without so much as a word, Yohji had taken to frequenting the old flower shop to check up on the man's sister. If there was anyone he would do anything to make happy, it was her.

But he and Aya had talked about the girl. Aya didn't feel as if he could possibly involve himself further with her when he had become so tainted with the blood of men. Yohji had tried to talk him out of his decision, but the man was stubborn. He felt far too much loathing for himself to change his mind.

And there was no way to explain to sweet little Aya-chan why her beloved brother didn't want to see her.

"Aya-chan, are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, setting her jaw stubbornly.

"I want to see my brother." She insisted.

Yohji nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll see what I can do, then." He offered.

He would talk to Aya and see what he could do to convince the man not to break his sister's heart. She needed him, whatever his past.


To Be Continued

So, after so long, here you go. What do you think? Don't forget to review!

So I currently have three "active" fics I'm working on, and I'm expecting to have a very busy semester. So rather than play favorites, like I did last semester, I'm thinking or rotating the fics – meaning each story is updated once every three weeks. I know that sounds like a long time, but it's better than nothing, and it's the best I can come up with. Anyway, I'm not even sure it'll work, but we'll give it a shot!

Response to Unsigned Reviews:

Ran Kudou - I made you die? (Concerned) Can zombies read? Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review. I hope you enjoyed the new chappie, and I'll try to get a new one out soon!

moimoi-chan - "feelings" are the least of Aya's problems, I assure you.

kirai - Thanks so much! Mm, I'm not sure how long it's going to be; I haven't finished it yet! My stories usually run pretty long though, so never fear!

gonyos - thankies!

Moon without a Sun - I love squee