A slight warning to you who are unable to stomach shounen-ai: there's a bit here in this chapter.

Thank you to everyone who's patient enough to wait for these.

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Omi had seen Aya come down the stairs, had watched the redhead as he pulled a book from the shelf and lounged on the couch. He couldn't help but stare, for Aya never lounged; he always seemed too hard and unyielding for that. He probably didn't see the boy either. Maybe he only relaxed like this alone. Omi smiled inwardly at the thought of a wildlife presentation, like on National Geographic…

" Here we have been fortunate enough to catch one of the rarest glimpses in the world, the Fujimiya at rest. Normally brooding and silent, right now there is almost an air of relaxation about this creature. Nothing much is known about the Fujimiya other than the glaring quiet demeanor of its defense…" Omi had wanted to work for the National Geographic once upon a time, when he was very young. He quickly learned that he had no gift of photography, no talent whatsoever. And it didn't really bother him, that silly unfulfilled, childhood ambition.

Omi felt estranged now from those who had the right to be dreamers. So many innocent people in the city, and so many others out to hurt them, exploit them, control them. Those like Omi would destroy the dark beasts, even if it meant sacrificing their own desires. He himself had lost his innocence; it had been stolen by the beasts he fought, worn away every time he encountered their blackness, but it never returned once he destroyed them. In its place…mysterious things he didn't understand.

He closed his eyes against the light from the ceiling and from the computer in front of which he sat. He could smell the fabric of the couch from here, and another smell with it. Omi breathed in again, trying to identify it, but quickly stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. Frightened, the boy opened his eyes, trying to dispel the looming disease in his mind. Suddenly his attention was caught by the object of his investigation only a moment ago. Again, he had no eye for beauty, but this was breathtaking.

Aya's eyes were closed for just a moment, and though he seemed so tense, it was cat like and graceful, like a panther dozing in the sun. Omi had watched him before, but just now, as he reclined across the couch, the redhead really was amazing. The man's muscles were taught as a bowstring, hiding power in them, and his blood red hair moved like silk. Unable to resist the urge a second time, Omi breathed in the scent of roses and flesh, intoxicated by it.

He desperately wanted to get up and move closer to the couch. Aya's skin was so pale, so smooth…Omi could almost imagine how warm it was to the touch. He could nearly feel the other's skin against his lips…He shrank back from himself, appalled. He needed to do something else, something to get his mind off of…that. He turned to the computer again, the light hurting his eyes even more, and feverishly ran searches on their target. Yes, that would distract him.

His fingers were cold as he typed, and his chest began to ache again. Omi fought against what felt like poison shifting inside of his blood. Just…focus…on something else. Anything else. The mission, he could do that. It was relatively simple, and he looked up much more than he had to. Just think about the target, it was all he had to do…

He jumped when Aya came up next to him, not because he couldn't hear him, but because he could. Those eyes glared down at him, seemed to look through him, and he grew afraid. Afraid that someone would know. Afraid it might be the one confronting him now. He told Aya he was fine, even though he was trying to fight himself because the man was this close. His pulse quickened, sharply contrasting the steady beat of Aya's. The man didn't believe him, obviously, but he left nonetheless. Omi slumped down again with a sigh of relief and pain. His hand ran through his hair and returned to rest on his cool forehead.

I wish I could tell you, Aya. But you would hate me, even more than you might now. And I don't understand what's happening now. Omi shivered, even though it was nice and warm downstairs. I'm afraid…

The mission, they had to complete it soon. If they didn't…Omi trembled at the thought, or was he so cold? Something was going to give, and someone was going to get hurt. He went back to the computer to renew his ongoing search, one the others knew nothing about. It was so complicated, and he was afraid there was no solution to this deadly puzzle.

What would he do? There really was no way he could tell the others, who to him were the family he never had, especially since they bore the consequences of the bloody riddle. Would they kill him, or simply send him away? They couldn't just let him stay with them. And if Kritiker found out…there would be no tomorrow for Omi Tsukiyono.

If he left of his own accord, what would it mean for the future? He would simply become one of the dark beasts Weiß was sworn to kill. Omi could never do that to his friends. But surely staying here is just as dangerous? He didn't know what he should do. And there was no one who could help him either.

As it had been for the past month and a half when it began, Omi found no key, not even a hint of a clue to an answer. Nothing. Maybe there was no way out, and he would be surrounded with fatality forever. Darkness gripped his mind, sending him into teary eyed despair, and he ran to his room. He could not bear to be responsible for their death.

He was so blind in his hurry that he slammed straight into Yoji in the hallway, knocking himself down. The blond looked down, surprised, and offered a hand. Omi stared at it, could hear the blood pounding in his ears, and ran into his room and slammed the door. He was breathing heavily as he sobbed into his pillow.

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" What was that all about?" Ken had come out of Yoji's room to see what was going on. Yoji could only keep staring at the chibi's closed door incredulously. He had never seen Omitchi's eyes so large. He turned to the brunette.

" Do I have something on my face?" he asked. Ken shook his head, and Yoji's brow furrowed. " You'd think I had claws or something the way he was looking at me." He looked at his hand, but nothing seemed wrong with it to him.

" Hey, I'll bet Aya said something nasty to him. Did you see his face when he left? I thought he was going to kill something!" Ken said, his eyes following Yoji's to rest on the door. " I hope he didn't hurt his feelings too badly, you know how Omi is."

" How would you know how Omi is?" The blond turned to face Ken, whose shirt was half off and his hair in disarray. The soccer player smiled and inched back into the room. Yoji followed and shut the door behind him.

" I'm joking, Yoji. Just joking." Ken planted a kiss on the other man's neck. Yoji looked away for a moment, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He had to ask, it was important, not only to him, but to Omi as well.

" Ken, what would you do if Omi did…if Omi was in love with you." The brunette sat down next to him and snuggled underneath his arms until they were around the soccer player. Yoji held him closer, savoring the way he smelled.

" I don't know…I never thought about it…" The way Ken said that made Yoji nervous. The chibi was adorable, anyone could see it. Those big blue eyes, the angelic face. What if Ken decided he'd never really loved Yoji, that it was only a passing feeling? The blond man didn't know if he could stand it.

" Ken…" Yoji would have continued, but the soccer player had covered his lips with his own. Ken's lips opened just a little, teasing. Yoji let him tease his lips for a bit, but he was never one to let his lover dominate. He released himself from Ken's hold, and pushed the brunette down onto the soft tangled mass of blankets with one of those kisses he was famous for. " I just wanted to tell you, I'll love you forever."

" Yoji…" Ken reached up to stroke his lover's chest. " I'm not leaving you, okay? I love you too."

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Aya came back in tired and a little cold. He'd left without a jacket, and his shirt did nothing against the wind that almost blew him into the street. The house was warm, though, and Aya made his way to his room. Finally, after all the unanswered questions and stress of the day, he could get some sleep.

He heard suspicious noises in Yoji's room, and his calm expression immediately turned into a scowl. He told Yoji before that if the blond ever brought another woman to this place he'd make sure Yoji didn't go anywhere for a month. He'd catch them in the morning, when she tried to leave. He sure as hell had no desire to walk in on them now.

As he passed Omi's room he heard the distinct sound of sobbing, but Aya simply walked past. There was nothing he could do if the boy was keeping it to himself. At any rate, it might be trivial enough to simply be nightmares. He supposed Ken would ask in the morning, as no one near Omi's room could miss the crying, except Yoji, who probably couldn't hear anything.

Aya felt even more tired now. He and Ken seemed to be the only sane ones here, because Omi was doing something strange. Yoji had always been a pain in the ass, so that was expected. So only half of Weiß was functioning normally. Great, just great. He hoped that maybe this mission would smooth some things over and get them working together again. If at all possible, they'd get it done tomorrow night; Aya would tell them in the morning.

He went into his room and stripped his shirt off just before falling into bed. The moonlight lit his eyelids but he didn't care. Aya fell into the darkness of dreamless sleep. He hardly ever dreamt anymore; it would always be about…his sister…and he didn't want to watch her get hurt anymore.