I'm sorry this took so long. My computer got two viruses, or I would have had this done two days after the first. Gomen nasai.

Thanks everyone who reviewed, I'd name you all but my time on this comp is running out fast.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aya growled as he hung up the phone; this was ridiculous. Omi's handwriting, usually so neat and pristine, was more like childish scratches in the sand than anything legible. He'd gone to the wrong address twice, the flowers were doubled over once, and the fourth order wasn't even finished. He'd have to talk to Omi when he got back.

But he returned at the same time Manx came in, and Omi wasn't anywhere to be found. It was only Ken and Yoji in the basement. Aya listened to Persia's assignment, another political drug ringleader to be taken care of, and nodded when Manx asked for their participation. Ken spoke for Omi, saying the boy was going to do it, but was sick at the moment. Manx nodded, and, avoiding Yoji's glances, left upstairs.

"Ken, go tell Omi what we're doing." The playboy yawned as he lounged on the couch, regarding the ceiling with vague disinterest. Ken started and looked at Yoji with a surprised expression.

" I'm going to go see a soccer tournament tomorrow. What if he's contagious? I don't want to get sick!" Ken's voice rose. Yoji rolled his eyes.

" If he was that sick, he wouldn't have agreed to do the mission."

" Then you go tell him."

" No."

" See!" Ken shouted triumphantly. Aya silenced him with a glare. Yoji complained that he was comfortable on the couch, and if Omi was contagious, he couldn't get sick for his lovely girls. This started another chain of bickering, and Aya left them to it. He went upstairs and knocked on Omi's door. As there was no answer, he simply let himself in.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Omi laying on the floor. Aya rushed over and pulled his teammate up into a sitting position leaning up against him. Omi was sweating, but his skin was frighteningly cool. Inspection ruled him to be alive, but Aya had never known the boy to simply pass out in the middle of his room. He calmed down when Omi's breathing was normal, and he appeared to simply be asleep.

Aya cared for Omi like a little brother, watched over him as he did his sister. The youngest member of Weiß was so considerate to everyone, even through all of the shit his own life had been, and he enjoyed it when the others were simply happy. Aya-chan had been like that. Both of them were angels in his life, ones he swore to protect.

There was a time, when Aya had learned that Omi was part of the Takatori family, that he had considered his revenge against the blond. But he simply couldn't identify the kind chibi with the family he belonged to. And considering they didn't exactly welcome him with open arms, well, he thought of Omi as Tsukiyono.

" Onii-chan…Otoo-san…iie…" Omi shifted, then woke up, looking straight into Aya's eyes. He shot up as if he'd been burned. Aya stood up and leaned against the wall like this was an everyday occurrence. Though it wasn't, Aya was never one to act out in strange situations.

" What happened?" Aya had never asked Omi about his scarcely remembered past, but he knew enough to understand why the boy would dream about his father. And his brothers…they had had enough experience with them that even Ken had nightmares about Masafumi.

" Nothing…I'm just not feeling well. I'll be fine tomorrow." Omi said, getting up pulling the blankets away from the top of his bed. Aya's silence communicated his disbelief better than anything he could have said. " No really, I think it's just one of those 24 hour flu things."

" Are you sure you weren't attacked?" He asked again. Omi shook his head. Aya didn't believe him for one minute. The boy was already pale; he was trembling even as he stood. Aya shook his head and shut the door behind him. The answer would come; it always did, one way or another.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Omi shakily sat down on his bed. He was so embarrassed that Aya had to come in and find him like that. But he was glad that the man had woken him from his terrible nightmare. It was the same one he always had when he was like this. The one about his father abandoning him…and the shadows in the room turning into his brothers…

" Hold him still…" came the voice from the shade that had become Masafumi. Now so much younger, Omi fought uselessly against the shadows that bound him to the floor like ropes. Someone was doing something behind him…Hirofumi's face came into view…he was holding Omi's arms up above his head.

" Onii-chan…What are you doing?" Omi pleaded, but his brothers smiled. Their eyes turned red, and something burned in Omi's arm. The pain spread all the way down until it reached his heart, and he blacked out with a scream.

He'd woken up to violet eyes staring down at him. Now Aya was going to think he was weak. He didn't want to let his leader down. If the red haired man thought so little of him, if he thought Omi was useless, he couldn't bear it. He was part of this team, they were like family, and he wouldn't let anyone down. Not if he could help it.

" At least I'll get better after the mission." He mumbled to no one in particular.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"Aya, you want some dinner? Yoji made sushi." Ken waved a piece of it in the air to catch Aya's attention when he came back downstairs. Aya thanked whoever was watching down on him that Ken wasn't cooking tonight. Last week he had tried to boil rice, and run out of the kitchen shouting excitedly that he'd figured out how they made Rice Krispies.

" I thought it would be nice if we had real food around here. And since I am a master chef…" Yoji handed him a plate of food, making sure to add an extra slice of ginger for the redhead. Aya mused on how rare it was that Yoji cooked. Was it because the act reminded him of Asuka? How could it? He'd always thought that she would be the chef. But on second thought, Yoji was a man of many talents, and what woman wouldn't love a man who cooked for her?

" Yeah, right Yoji…hey, wow this is good!" Ken was talking with his mouth full, again, which tended to bother Aya immensely. The brunette was right, however. The food was delicious.

" Ne, Aya, is Omi really sick?" Yoji asked after sitting down himself. Ken finally shut his mouth and looked over at Aya as well. Aya hated to be the center of attention, and he spoke with as few words as possible.

" I found him on the floor. He said he was sick, but I've never seen him pass out."

" You know, Omi's been looking kind of pale lately. I wonder what he's got." Ken mused with his head resting on his hand. Yoji leaned back in his chair.

" Not only does he look sick, but he's been acting strange. Ken, you remember when you came upstairs from working out the other day? Omi took one look at you, gulped a few times, and ran out the door. Pardon me for saying, but I really don't think you're that stunning."

" What's that supposed to mean?"

" Nothing, Ken, nothing." Yoji said amusedly. Aya thought about this for a moment. Could Omi really like Ken? The suggestion was possible, though it didn't really seem like it. Well, if he did like Ken, Aya hoped that the brunette would requite his feelings. Omi deserved to be happy, although something about the idea bothered Aya. He shook it off and went downstairs to read a book.

He picked one off the shelf and collapsed on the couch, letting his feet sit on the top of the armrest. But he'd read it before, and he suddenly had the need to move around. He got up, irritated with himself, and went upstairs to go for a walk. As he passed by the computer, he noticed Omi sitting there staring at the screen. He walked up behind the boy.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" he said. Omi jumped in his chair.

" Aya! Don't sneak up on me like that! I'm fine. I'm just looking up the information on our target, see?" He indicated the computer screen and sure enough there was a profile on a Mr. Yamashita, leader of some right wing party. An unimportant man in an insignificant political party, until you counted the deaths of those who had probably discovered his underground drug dealing.

Aya was satisfied with this, but reminded Omi again that he should be asleep. The boy still looked pale, but that could be the computer light. He went outside, and the night air felt good on his face. He had needed to take a walk.

Aya found himself making his way to the hospital; he went inside, up the stairs into the familiar room that for the moment housed Aya-chan. As always, there was a storm of emotions when he was here. Though his sister was alive, there were times when Aya doubted if she would ever wake. He missed her fiercely.

He thought, sometimes, of what life would be like when she woke up. He didn't know if he would still work at the flower shop; maybe he would, just because…he didn't know what compelled him to stay. She could get to know Ken, and Omi…he might have issues letting Yoji near her. All the same, somehow those three had come to be thought of as friends to Aya, and they would all love his sister, he knew it. Someday…

" Someday, Aya. Someday we'll walk together again." Outside the wind blew the dark flowers from the brush stroke trees into the shadows if inky night. They collected at the feet of a fallen angel who stared into the wind with dark eyes cold as the amethyst stones they resembled.