Plans for the future of this storyline are forming in my mind. Nothing is concrete yet, but the Gluhen summaries are definitely helping. One link in particular was really helpful, however their link for the final episode does not work, so I'm still looking for a good summery of that.
Aya was on edge.
During the time in which they had been seeing each other, Yohji had become more attuned to the other man's emotions than he would ever have dreamed possible. Sure, there were still plenty of times when he couldn't tell what the man was thinking, yet nevertheless he thought he was growing fairly skilled at reading the quiet, private man.
A tension in his shoulders, the tightness with which he grasped his hand, the extra pale pallor to his skin – it all screamed to him that his small companion was uneasy, but Yohji was completely lost as to how to help. Aya had agreed to come to this stupid thing, after all.
Yohji supposed it wasn't only Omi's party that had set Aya on edge. If Yohji knew anything about the man, he knew that the redhead had been running every detail of Friday's promotional party through his mind ever since, yet his current state of nerves surely had to do with more than that.
Yohji hesitated at the door – the party was being held at Ken's apartment – and Aya looked at him.
"Aren't you going to knock?"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Aya?" he asked quietly. "It's not too late to back out, you know."
"It will be too late once you knock, though. And call me Ran."
Yohji sighed and raised his free hand to knock. Were the situation a better one, he would have been rejoicing over permission to use Aya's other's name. He had tried using it once, back in Weiss after learning about his leader's past.
Aya had nearly taken his head off for the indiscretion.
Yohji had been unwilling to try it again, even after the changes his relationship with the man had undergone.
Aya gave a small jump at the sound made as Yohji knocked on the door, and he shifted closer to the blonde's side.
Omi was the one to answer, his eyes almost immediately focusing on their joined hands. Surprise immediately overshadowed whatever cheer had been on his face as he brows furrowed together.
"What - ?"
"Hey! Yohji and Ran are here!" Ken cheered, muscling his way into the doorway. He hooked an arm around Yohji's neck and pulled him into the apartment, breaking him from Aya's side. Aya followed after a moment of silently meeting Omi's large, bewildered eyes.
Yohji tried to turn back to Aya, but Ken tightened his hold on him, stopping him.
"What do you think you're doing?" the brunette hissed as he led him through a meticulously clean living room toward the kitchen, where everyone else seemed to have gathered. "You think Aya's going to thank you for blabbing about your relationship to his sister?"
"We agreed," Yohji scowled, wrenching away. "No hiding."
"But - !"
"I think Yohji and I can make our own decisions, Hideka." Aya informed him coldly as he entered the apartment at last. "You're the absolute last person we would ask for relationship advice, anyway."
"Relationship?" Omi croaked, following.
Yohji reached out and hooked a finger in a pocket of Aya's jeans, pulling him back to his side and giving their former teammates a challenging stare.
"I'm in love with Aya – and he tolerates me. This is important news." He announced. "We aren't going to try to pretend that it's anything other than what it is."
"Just because you're fucking - !"
A sharp look from Aya, and Ken quickly shut his mouth.
"Why is everyone hiding out here?" Miyoko asked brightly, coming into the living room followed by Aya-chan and Sakuya.
Aya grew suddenly cold and tense, stepping closer to Yohji's side.
Aya-chan didn't seem to see anything but her beloved older brother.
"You've finally come to see me, Ran." She beamed.
An oven timer in the next room went off.
"Dinner's ready!" Miyo announced.
Omi fidgeted uneasily at the table, having lost his appetite completely.
He'd had such wonderful plans in his head – reuniting the team that had been closer to him than family. Meeting Ken's fiancée at last, as well as whatever sweetheart Yohji was currently pursuing. He would reunite Aya with his beloved sister.
There would be smiles and laughter and warmth, and the void that had been in Omi's heart since the morning he had woken to find his "family" was no more would be filled at last.
All his dreams had gone up in flames the moment he had opened the door for Aya and Yohji.
The horror that had struck him to see their hands intertwined, to realize that "Yotan" was such a slimeball as to have made a move on injured, repressed Aya - !
Just the slightest glance at the red haired man showed him greatly changed from the man he had once been. Obviously, whatever his relationship with Yohji, it meant something to him. Still nearly silent, he no longer radiated sadness, violence, and regret. It was clear just by the way he looked at the man that he had begun to depend on him for healing.
And Yohji, damn him, was going to break his heart.
Aya had always been blind when it came to his own health – mental or physical. Obviously, Yohji had decided to offer him the comfort and support he had always needed and Aya had grabbed for the love he had always needed without thought. So desperate had poor Ayan been to heal his wounded spirit, and so careless was he with his heart, that he had accepted a relationship with Yohji without considering the man's reputation.
Despite his current fury with the man, Omi loved Yohji like family.
Nevertheless, he was well aware of the man's many vices. After all, he had been the one to nurse the blonde from his hangovers, to make certain he didn't run out of protection, to kick his various girlfriends out of the flowershop in the mornings.
Maybe he had loved his precious Asuka once, but Yohji Kudoh was incapable of loving anyone else ever again save, perhaps, himself. Yes, Yohji only loved himself, and didn't care who he hurt so long as he got what he wanted.
And now Aya was his next target.
Hadn't the man suffered enough in his life?
Omi was furious.
And Yohji, the bastard, had the nerve to pretend there was nothing wrong – to act as if he had no reason to be ashamed of his horrid behavior.
The nerve he had to flaunt his little game in front of Omi and Ken, knowing full well that they would see through the act, even if Aya couldn't - !
And in front of Aya's sister, no less!
It seemed a little tense between Aya and Aya-chan, but then, Omi had heard that Aya hadn't even visited her since she had awoken from her coma. Of course things would be a little awkward when it had been so long since they had last spoken.
As they had sat down for dinner, Aya had quietly slid a small box across the table to his sister. When Aya-chan opened it, it had been revealed to hold the earring Aya himself had worn for so long.
Her eyes had filled with tears and the unease that had been lurking in her eyes since her brother walked through the door had vanished.
"Thank you, Ran." She whispered.
He had simply nodded silently.
Omi's heart ached for Aya. He'd fought so hard and gone to such extreme lengths to avenge his sister and now that she was awake at last, the very nature he had cultivated to make himself a killer kept him from being close to her again.
That, combined with Yohji's using him…
Omi clenched his hands in his lap, fighting his anger. Hadn't the man been forced to suffer enough?
"So, Ran, what are you doing nowadays?" Omi asked. He would help Aya the best way he knew how – by being his friend.
Aya looked up from the plate of food he'd been picking at, blinking at him in surprise.
Yohji's hand moved under the table and Aya glanced at him. Undoubtedly, the small red head was now being groped. Omi fought the urge to glare.
"I'm in the music business." Aya answered at last, then said no more.
Omi smiled brightly.
"Yohji, can you help me with something in the kitchen?"
"What'cha need, chibi?" Yohji drawled, stretching his arms out above his head as he followed his former teammate into the kitchen."
Omi rounded on him, and Yohji took an involuntary step back at the fury in his friend's eyes. Omi was scary when he was angry.
"What do you think you're doing?" the younger man hissed finally.
"What?"
"Yohji - !" Omi searched his face and seemed to become even more enraged at whatever he saw there. "Don't you dare try to play innocent, Yohji – I know exactly what you're doing."
"Okay…care to let me know?"
A furious glare.
"Aya, Yohji."
"He looks great, doesn't he? What – are you angry because I didn't tell you he was back? He didn't want me to tell anyone, and…I kinda wanted to keep him to myself for a while, you know?" he couldn't help but to grin – he wouldn't have traded those wonderful months with Aya for anything.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Yohji!"
"What do you…?"
"This little game you're playing with Aya – it's disgusting!"
"Don't tell me you're homophobic, chibi!" he groaned.
"That's not what I - ! Yohji, this is Aya. He's damaged and he's fragile and you're just going to throw him away once you're finished playing with him, just like you throw away everyone when they stop being interesting."
"Omi, you don't understand. It's not like that this time."
"Like hell, Yohji." He snarled. "You're going to hurt him and he doesn't deserve it. Love is nothing but a game to you – you haven't been able to take it seriously since Asuka died."
Yohji felt himself getting angry.
"Careful, chibi." He warned.
"You've been embittered by your pain. You can't bear the thought of anyone loving you, so you hurt anyone who tries. You enjoy is because it means someone else is feeling the same kind of pain you are."
Yohji gritted his teeth.
"That was true once," he admitted, clenching his hands into fists. "But it's not anymore. I'm happy now. Aya makes me happy. I love him – I would never hurt him, Omi."
"I don't believe you, Yohji."
"Why the hell not?"
"He's beautiful, Yohji, but you don't like men."
"You don't know that."
"All the years I've known you and you've only dated women."
"You don't know that, Omi. You never saw all my dates. You weren't at the bars or the hotels or the clubs."
"You're just proving my point, Yohji!" he sighed. "You can't have a serious relationship – you aren't ready for one! Aya deserves someone who's serious about him!"
Yohji glared at him a moment before stalking back out into the dining room.
"Aya-chan."
Every head in the room swiveled to look at him. Particularly prominent was the feel of lovely violet eyes boring into him, and he wondered if his and Omi's argument had been overheard.
Aya-chan was pale as she looked at him.
"Yes?"
"I'm in love with your brother." He informed her bluntly. "I'm head over heels, abso-fucking-lutley in love with him. He's the one I've been seeing all this time. He's all I think about; he's all I want. I would be happy for the rest of my life if I could just stay by his side, holding his hand."
He waited and the silence was deafening. The eyes on him had a nearly physical weight to them, and his pulse was pounding loudly in his ears.
"No." Aya-chan whispered at last.
Yohji's throat went dry, and cold fear rushed through his body.
"What?" he rasped.
The dark haired girl had paled, but her gaze was strong and unflinching – as steely and piercing as her brother's could be.
"You'll hurt him."
Aya threw down his napkin and rose, gaining everyone's attention. His glare was at its fiercest.
"Let's go, Yohji."
"Ran!"
The red head closed his eyes, and Yohji knew he had done it so that he wouldn't be able to glare at his beloved sister.
"Omi, Aya-chan…you're both concerned for me. That's fine. But it's my decision." He opened his eyes, but refused to look at anyone but Yohji. Those eyes were dark, pleading.
Yohji held out his hand and Aya came willingly to his side, hiding his face against Yohji's neck as he drew the smaller man to his side.
"I'd like to say it's been a lovely evening," the blonde drawled, "And I would love to thank you for inviting us, chibi, but I can't."
No one tried to stop them as they left.
To Be Continued
I could say something here, but I won't.
Just please, don't be too hard on Omi. He doesn't understand how serious Yohji is; he's just trying to look out for his friends.
Response to Unsigned Reviews:
Moon without a Sun - hope you enjoyed!
Kirai - thanks!
amethyst rulzz - He's not in my head. A person acts differently around someone he loves and trusts then he would act around anyone else, don't you think? Anyway, glad you like.
morningglory - thankies!
