Paying the Devil

Chapter Six

by Nix Winter

Disclaimer: I do not own Weiss Kruez. Alas. Maybe someday, but I don't think they have a layaway plan for buying the rights to something that good.

Notes:

Okay. So… I confess. I'm an Aya/Youji fan and when I write this story my Youji muse gets sad. He's lonely and depressive enough as it is. Would anyone be wildly bothered if it became Aya/Ken/Youji? So like don't reply in your review, that is if you review, but please email me, ne? You can find me at drunkduck(dot)com, screenname inkdancing.

Man.. maybe I'll do Youji/Jewls… Jewls being an oc of mine. considers All things are possible in fan fic smiles Jewls is mine, completely my creation.

Chapter Six

They hadn't gone home to the Koneko. The world was never going to be the same. It wasn't like this was the first time they slow danced with death. Youji'd been on a first name basis with death before one red headed sociopath moved in with Weiss anyway. Those were the days, he thought ruefully. Just Ken, Omi, and him, back then and he thought the item was going to be Ken and Omi.

Omi's recently revealed kink just went far beyond what Youji had expected. And well, Ken, well, Youji always new Ken was gay. Maybe the miracle was that no one had caught onto the fact that he was gay too. Four for Four, what were the odds? Maybe Krittiker gave them all secret personality profiles before placing them together?

Not that Youji really cared all that much. Nothing mattered all that much, not even the lovely sun that was out this fine spring day. Ken was alive, at least.

Poison, stronger than the cure they'd been advised to use. That Swartz brat knew more than he was saying, Youji was sure. Fragile, seemingly somehow honest smoke boiled slowly over his lower lip, curling around and away into a freedom that Youji wished he could get closer too.

Krittiker doctors were the best. They'd slowed the poison and they gave Ken a good month before it killed him. He was drugged stupider than Youji usually thought the little clawed tiger was. The little tiger had everything, and even if he only got to keep it for a month, jealous ate at Youji.

From where he stood on the balcony above the garden, he had a clear view of them both. Ken sat in a wheelchair, leaning a little to the side with Aya next to him. That damn orange sweater and flame red hair, an arm around Ken's shoulders, holding him tenderly, and reading some book, maybe poetry to the poor little invalid. Youji's thumbnail cut through his fingernail.

"Youji-kun," Omi's voice called.

Youji turned, but the image of his teammates comforting each other below was going to be burned into his brain forever, he was sure. He bet they kissed too. Those sweet lips of Aya probably grew hard and demanding against Ken's soft and confused lips. "Hi Omi," Youji greeted his obviously confused Omi-kun. "Did that boy give it up yet?"

Omi nodded solemnly. "Nagi has been very cooperative."

"Damn. Everybody's getting laid, except me," Youji complained, reaching for his pack of cigarettes.

"What?" Omi's face colored. "Why is that on your mind?"

Tapping a new cigarette against the back of his hand. "You're so cute when you blush, Omi-kun. What is Nagi being cooperative about?"

"He's given me the location of a secondary lab," Omi said. "The location has a large power draw. I think we might be able to get the antidote there."

"What? By myself? Just break in and ask nice?"

"Youji! What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Turning back to the garden, Youji was just in time to see Aya kissing Ken's cheek. "I'm a jealous and shallow bastard, that's what."

"You had," Omi coughed, "romantic feelings for Ken?"

"No." Youji said, settling his cigarette between his lips. He seemed to only fall in love with poisonous addictions. "Get me the location. I'll leave in a few minutes. I just want to smoke this cigarette, calm my nerves a little more."

"Are you sure you're up to a mission, Youji-kun?"

'Sure,' Youji thought. 'I'll save the life of the man who's taking away whatever little hope I had. Asuka would be proud.' All he said though was, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just get these moods, you know that, Omi-kun. After Ken's okay, I'll be back to my slacker self."

"I'm coming with you," Omi said.

"Don't be stupid. One is enough and if you're not here, who's going to keep Tinker Bell in line? You like him, don't you?"

"Yeah. I think, I think he's just had a hard time. I understand that, understand being angry."

"Yeah, well, get used to not trusting people too, Omi. There isn't one of them that wouldn't betray you in the end."

"You'll never betray us, Youji-kun," Omi declared.

"Yeah," Youji said, non-committally.

A few minutes later, Youji was in mission gear, sunglasses hiding haunted green eyes. He crossed the garden in cocky strides and ignored Aya completely as he squatted down to be at eye level with Ken. He'd known Ken longer than he'd even know Aya, let alone desired him. "Hey, idiot," Youji said affectionately, ignoring the evil glare from Aya.

"Youji! Hi Youji! How are you? I'm dying. Did they tell you?"

"Don't be an idiot. You're not dying. I'm going to get you some medicine right now," Youji pulled his sunglasses down with a black gloved finger. "You're gonna hang out and wait for me to get back, uh?"

"Sure, Youji-kun. I'm in love with Aya and he loves me back. You don't mind, do you? You're okay? I thought he was going to fall in love with you the way you were flirting with him, and I wasn't going to tell him, but then, then I wasn't thinking clear and I couldn't let him be the one poisoned."

"Ken-kun, you're stoned and babbaling. Of course it's fine if you two are together. Be happy, live a long life. I love you like a brother, you know that, right?"

"I love you too, Youji. You're so pretty! You're really coming back, right? I don't like the ghosts in your eyes," Ken said, reaching out to touch Youji's face, only to have his hand lose it's strength and fall to his lap before it reached it's destination. "Don't listen to ghosts, Youji."

"Don't be stupid, Kenji Hidaka. I'm going to kick their asses and get you some medicine, that's all. Fujimiya, you take good care of him. Got me?"

Youji rose and spun on his heel. There was a motorcycle just beyond the garden wall, with all the gear he needed for his mission.

"Kudou!"

Youji didn't slow down until Aya caught his arm. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Original mission is still not complete," Youji said, shaking Aya's hand off his arm. "And we need their data. It's not my fault you fucked up the mission. Now let me go finish what you started."

"You're such a asshole," Aya snapped as Youji opened the gate.

Looking back, the summer sunlight making his hair golden, his eyes jade, giving his whole face a kind of innocence that no one really keeps in life, he said, "Right back at you. Be happy, Ran Fujimiya."

Youji threw his leg over the bike, helmet still strapped to the back rack and was off before Aya could get through the gate. "You too, Youji," Aya whispered, confused, as always, by his older teammate. He guessed everyone had a different devil to pay.