Ch 1

Omi's hands tightened on the handles of his motorbike as he increased his speeds. He supposed he should start heading back to the shop. After all he'd finished doing the deliveries Aya-kun had given him about an hour ago. His hands tightened further at the thought of going back just yet. His stomach clenched a bit painfully and Omi gave a little shake of his head without ever taking his eyes off the darkened road. He didn't want to go back just yet. Not when he knew Aya-kun would still be angry with him. Omi bit his lip. It wasn't just Aya-kun this time either…

Yoji-kun wasn't exactly too happy with him as well. 'Too damned nosy,' the tall blond had remarked angrily when Omi had come to check up on him. 'Mind your own business Omittchi.' And the door had slammed in his face. It wasn't the first time a drunk Yoji had done that to him… but this time Yoji hadn't been drunk. Omi sighed. He didn't know what he'd done to make the two men so angry with him. He'd done nothing but do what he usually did… which was just to make sure that they were ok…to make sure that if they needed to talk or just… if they needed anything, he was there. He was always there.

'We're not your family.'

The words came unbidden into his mind and Omi winced recalling Aya-kun's eyes when he'd pronounced them. They'd become cold and bleak.

'Stop it. Stop caring. We are assassins… partners… nothing more, nothing less.'

And Omi had taken a step backwards at hearing Aya's words. Harsh…

'You'll get us all killed with your stupid beliefs of family… brotherhood…'

'We are not family.'

Omi's lips twisted into a grimace. The words hurt more than he cared to realize. It didn't matter that he knew…hoped that Aya-kun hadn't meant them to hurt that much, that the older man only wished to protect him in case one of them died on a mission but…he couldn't stop the little voice in his head that kept nagging at him. What if it was something else? The little voice cried to be heard.

What if this was just another way to remind him that he was marked? A Taketori. Just by the blood that ran through his veins, Aya-kun should have killed him a long time ago to truly have his full revenge on what the Taketori's had done to his family. Omi's blue eyes darkened. He knew that the redhead, though the man had claimed that he was Omi and not Mamoru, treated him differently than he treated Ken-kun and Yoji-kun. Aya always kept a watchful eye on whatever he was doing making Omi feel like he was constantly being judged. He wasn't to be trusted. Aya still was wary that Omi would one day turn on them.

Of course a Fujimiya and a Taketori would never be family.

Never.

He sighed and tried to make that little voice go away. Maybe he'd just been a bit too pushy. After all two grown men like Aya and Yoji didn't need a bratty seventeen year old telling them what to do. It must be annoying, he reflected bitterly, to always have this kid tagging along, preaching about what to do and what not to do. He would have to stop. Another sigh escaped his lip. He hoped that Ken would be back tonight. But what if he got on the brunet's bad side as well? Was that even possible? Well… Aya had managed it once. And come to think of it, so had Yoji.

Deep in his thoughts, Omi was startled to see that there was a darker spot on the road in front of him. A darker spot that moved and had eyes that reflected his motorbike light. It was, perhaps, a stupid reflex, but as some part of him realized that he was going to hit an animal on the street he jerked the handles to the left to try and avoid hitting it. He tried to break as well but suddenly he found himself in the other lane with the traffic traveling in the opposite direction than he was going. Blue eyes widened and he threw himself off of the motorbike to the right as bright headlights blinded him. He felt the impact of the car crashing into his motorbike as it flung the piece of metal into his already flying body. He hit the road's hard surface and tried to roll himself out of danger, thanking whatever god that had allowed him to live this long that he hadn't been pinned underneath his bike. Heart thumping wildly in his chest, Omi dragged himself into safety. All these cars were stopped now and people were running towards him shouting. A horrible burning pain suddenly peaked through his whole body and threatened to overwhelm him completely in blankness. Something jumped onto his shoulder causing him to scream in pain as the weight sank into him. This pain seemed to awaken him from the shock of the accident and he was able to discern that there was a warmth that was seeping through his clothes near his other shoulder, hip and down his leg. He was bleeding. A small wet nose pressed itself to his cheek.

You must get up. A different kind of warmth spread through him, dispelling the pain…pushing it away so he could start thinking clearly. You must not let them take you to the hospital. Hospital? Omi's blue eyes cleared and he struggled to get up. His balance was off and he found he could not bear to place any weight on one of his legs.

A man reached him as Omi's legs buckled from underneath him, grabbing onto him and pushing him back down into a laying position on the sidewalk.

"Don't move kid…oh god… oh god… Just don't move. Someone's calling an ambulance." A small irritated meow sounded in Omi's ear. A small black cat that had been rudely brushed off Omi's shoulder jumped back onto his chosen perch and glared at the babbling man. The man didn't seem to notice that violet cat eyes were trying to bore holes through his pathetic mortal skin. The kitten huffed before curling itself into a little ball on Omi's chest.

You must try… Get up Omi! Omi's eyes flickered open.

"I…I'm ok." He hissed out. His voice cut through the man's babbling more efficiently than the cat could have dared hope. Its little ears flicked back and its huge eyes blinked to see how the other would react.

"Shh…" The man muttered. "Just stay still…" The man swore. "I didn't see you… I didn't see you until it was too late. What made you swerve like that? Kid?" Omi was trying to move again. The small cat made its way up the t-shirt as the young man sat up until he was back onto the shoulder. Omi winced but he managed to get up all the way.

"I'll be fine." Omi managed a grin even though his mind felt extremely heavy and the world seemed to be spinning. He might have a concussion… damn. He closed his eyes for a moment hoping that the spinning would stop and the nausea would slowly fade away. The warmth that had pushed the pain away before was dimming. A warm breath passed by his ear, tickling his cheek. The cat had sighed.

Call the others. The voice sounded defeated. Accept the man's help. There was no other choice. Omi felt his lungs relax at that permission. The man was gently pushing him back down, removing his helmet with gentle but shaky hands. A coat was wrapped around his shoulders before Omi found that he could do as the voice demanded of him.

"I… need to call… family…" The word was false. But it was the only one he could use. Another man ran over.

"The ambulance is coming."

"Good… He'd like to call his family… could I borrow your cell?"

"Of course." The man fished the cell phone out of his pockets and handed it to the other man before looking down at Omi. "How're you holding up?" The voice was soft. He was trying to keep him awake, Omi realized. He gave the man a smile but couldn't say anything that wouldn't be a lie. "You'll be ok…"

"What's the number?"

"…It's…" Omi rattled off the number. The cat was once again back on the boy's chest. Both men seemed to see him for the first time and tried to brush him off. But Omi winced at their actions and that made them both back away. The first man went back to trying to call Omi's guardians.

…

Aya was the one to pick up the phone since Ken was glued to the tv screen watching a soccer game or some other idiotic thing that was loud and annoying and Yoji was of course, no where to be found. It wouldn't have to do at all with the fact that Aya had been staying near the phone because he was starting to get worried. Omi was still not back.

The phone was cool to the touch but warmed quickly as he hand closed around it and brought it to his ear.

"Hello?" An unknown man's voice started to rapidly fill him in on an event that shouldn't have happened. The only words that sunk in were: accident… boy badly hurt… hospital… Omi. Omi was hurt. The pale hand tightened itself on the phone. Ken looked up from the tv screen.

"Is that Omi?" The brunet asked. The redhead shook his head brusquely and turned away so that the other wouldn't see his reaction to the news.

"Which hospital?" He finally asked, forcing his horribly tight and pained throat. Let him be all right. Let him be conscious… let him be… His sister's hospital. Of course. It was the closest one. He thanked the man and dropped the phone down in its rightful place.

"Hospital?" Ken asked, eyebrow arched so high that it was lost underneath his brown bangs. "Aya what's going on?"

"Omi's been in an accident." The redhead grabbed a coat and slipped it on, already his long fingers were pulling out his car keys from his pocket. "Are you coming or not?" He snapped, knowing the answer already as footsteps from behind were scrambling to catch up with him.

"We need to call Manx. And Yoji."

"Call them then." Aya muttered.

"Right." Ken's voice sounded a bit off. "What should I tell them exactly? I mean… is Omi all right?"

"I don't know Hidaka."

"Shit."

A/N- To be continued...