Breakdown:

Chapter 15: Ken

Ken was on the morning shift with Ran, and like usual when he was paired up with the redhead, he wasn't looking forward to it. Sharing a shift with Ran meant that he'd be in store for hours and hours of boredom. It was always all work and no play with Ran.

Ken didn't mind working, but he also didn't like to do it in silence. He could hold conversations or joke around with the other members of Weiss, but Ran preferred listening to the usual background noises of the shop as opposed to another person's thoughts or opinions.

Any time Ken had attempted a conversation, he'd either been ignored, told to talk less and pay more attention to what he was doing and at the same time, called a distraction, or simply have his words shot down by a simple grunt or a leave-me-alone glare. In fact, practically the only time Ran ever spoke to Ken in the shop was to give him an order or to yell at him for breaking or knocking something over. That, of course, would always be followed by the demand that he clean up whatever mess he'd made.

In short, Ran was just terrible company.

When Ken headed down to the Koneko after eating a quick breakfast, he was more or less psyched for his sentence. He could handle another morning with Ran. He'd done it countless times before and at least the arrangements were fixed so no one would get gutted.

He had planned to say good morning to Ran as he arrived, like usual, but froze in the doorway, and was shocked to find not a redhead, but a tall blond busy watering the plants in the shop.

"Yohji?" Ken said in confusing, wondering if he'd gotten his shift wrong. It wouldn't be the first time that he'd thought it was a different day of the week. "Isn't…"

"Hm?" Yohji looked up from his watering and gave him a small welcoming smile, "Oh, morning Kenken. Sleep well?" He looked and sounded tired, if not way more hung-over than usual.

Ken stared at him, feeling a little irritated. He wouldn't lie and say he wasn't still angry with Yohji for ditching him and leaving him with the arrangements to fix the night before. "Hard night, Yohji?" he asked bitterly.

Yohji sighed. "More than you know, Kenken. I didn't get to sleep at all."

"No shit. And that's supposed to be something new?"

Yohji put down the watering can and rubbed his tired eyes. "I wasn't partying Kenken. I was out looking for Aya."
"Aya? Shit…I forgot why I was busting my ass to fix those arrangements."

Yohji frowned. "I'm sure he'd be happy to know you cared."

Ken sighed and went into the back for a second to get his apron. He came back, tying it on. "So where did you find him anyway…or did you even?"

"I found him," said Yohji, shuffling over to the worktable to drink the coffee that he'd left there. Ken now knew why there had been a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. Since Ran was a tea drinker, he thought that maybe the redhead had been considerate and made him some coffee, but apparently that hadn't been the case.

"Drove around forever," Yohji went on, "Finally found him on the side of the road in front of the park. Nearly missed him."

"Park?" Ken frowned and walked to the front of the shop to unlock the door since Yohji had neglected to do it. "What was he doing there? Did he say?"

"He didn't say much to be honest, Kenken," Yohji said tiredly.

"Well what did he say? He must have still been angry with you."

"Um…not exactly," said Yohji. "Least he didn't bring anything up…And you might want to put your hands in your pockets and stand really still for a second."

The brunette scowled, "What? Why?"

"Because you're probably going to freak when I tell you this and I don't want you to break something," Yohji said calmly, gulping the last of his cooling coffee.

Ken grunted angrily and clenched his hands into fists, ever the short-tempered one. "Just say it, Yohji. It can't be that bad."

The blond stared at him a moment and then shrugged. "Fine. This going to sound messed up but…I think Aya was drunk."

"WHAT!?" Ken took a surprised step back and knocked into a table, sending a pot of begonias crashing to the floor.

Yohji groaned. "I told you Kenken." He sighed and got up. "I'll go get the broom."

Ken ignored the mess he'd made and hurried after Yohji as he went to the backroom. Ran couldn't seriously have been intoxicated. It was just something that didn't happen. "What do you mean Aya was drunk?" Ken asked, "Aya doesn't get drunk."

Yohji turned, holding the broom out. "Yeah, I know. That's why it shocked the hell out of me. He was all clingy and couldn't walk on his own, and he actually asked me to carry him to the car."

Ken shook his head, wide-eyed, as he reached out to take the broom from Yohji. "That doesn't sound like our Aya, Yohji." He scooped up the dustpan himself and carried it out of the backroom.

"I know," Yohji agreed, following him back into the shop, "But it's the truth. And that's why I'm taking his shift. Thought I'd let him sleep. Figure he'll have a bitching hangover since he must be one hell of a lightweight."

Ken nodded, figuring that Yohji probably had the right idea. It was just strange though, to think that Ran had actually consumed alcohol, and had gotten himself drunk, and had willingly draped himself all over the blond playboy, if indeed Yohji was telling the truth. He wondered if Ran would remember any of it. And if he did, what would be his reaction?

"You think he's going to blame me, Kenken?" the blond as quietly as he helped Ken clean up the mess.

Ken shrugged. "Dunno…but considering that it's Aya, you might want to book a ticket to someplace warm after all."

"Yeah…" Yohji said dismally, dumping broken pot shards into the trash. "You're right. I'm a dead man. Aya's not gonna care that I brought him back safe and sound 'cause I'm the one who chased him out in the first place."

Ken had to agree. It was exactly the way Ran worked. Because the redhead couldn't deal with feeling or showing that he could be vulnerable, just like any other human being, he would get frustrated and take it out on someone. Ken knew that Yohji would be that someone. The blond basically begged for the swordsman's wrath.

"Why do you do it, Yohji?" Ken asked, standing up to sweep up the dirt. "You know Aya's just going to react badly when you touch him. Is it really that funny?"

Yohji stared up at him from his crouched position on the floor, taking his time in answering. "I don't do it because it's funny…necessarily," he said, and Ken raised an eyebrow, wondering what the real reason could be. Yohji sighed and stood up, dusting off his hands on his apron. "It's just…I'm just checking up. You know, to make sure he hasn't turned into a complete block of ice."

Ken wasn't all that impressed with his reasoning. "Yohji, you don't have to hang all over him to know that he's still just an antisocial human being."

Yohji sighed. "Don't you ever get the urge to touch him?"

"What?" Ken blushed slightly. "What the hell are you talking about, Yohji? No, of course I don't."

"Why not?" said Yohji. "Aya's hot and you like guys."

Ken scowled. "I do not."

"Right, so I just imagined that bond between you and Kase."

Ken wanted to punch Yohji, but he refrained. "One guy, Yohji. One guy. Doesn't mean I want to grope Aya."

The blond snorted. "You can't seriously be telling me that I'm the only one who thinks Aya's a fine piece of ass."

"No," Ken frowned, "That's not what I said. But why do I have to agree with you? There's other people in this world besides me. Aya's got his own fangirls too. And when the hell did you start being a man to more than just the fairer sex anyway?"

"Please, Kenken. Why would I restrict myself like that?" Yohji said, giving Ken one his trademark smirks. "There's enough Yohji Kudoh to go around. I like to think that I'm pleasing both sides."

Ken shook his head and emptied the dustpan into the trash. "You're such a whore Yohji."

The playboy snorted. "So I've been told. So what about Aya? You don't think he's attractive?

"Oh, would you just let it drop already, Yohji?"

"No, not when it's a simple yes or no question, Kenken. Do you, or don't you?"

Ken sighed heavily and walked the broom and dustpan back to the storeroom. "I don't see what it matters, Yohji," he grumbled, "But yeah, I guess I do think Aya's attractive."

"Why?" Yohji asked, clearly amused. And it made Ken want to punch him again.

He growled. "Because he's got a nice body and interesting features. Are you happy?"

Yohji snickered. "Sure Kenken. I'm happy. But what do you think about it, Aya?"

"What!?" Ken's blood ran cold and his eyes widened as he very slowly peered out from the storeroom and saw what he dreaded, Ran standing in the doorway of the Koneko, looking livid and holding his kattana. Ken realized three things then; one was that Yohji was an idiot for not thinking to hide the redhead's weapon, two was that he'd never be able to look Ran in the eye again after what he'd heard him say, and three was that he and Ran were going to have to fight to see who got to kill Yohji Kudou.

Ken coughed. "Oh…morning Aya…"

Ran didn't even glance his way. The redhead's gaze was completely narrowed on Yohji. Ken even saw his grip tighten on his sword as Yohji grinned back at him and wished him a good morning also.

"We need to talk, Kudou," Ran said in greeting, using a tone that let the blond know that he had no choice in the matter.

Yohji shrugged and slowly walked towards him, obviously concerned about being unarmed around the swordsman. "Where?" he asked.

"My room," said Ran, narrowing his eyes at the sudden lecherous grin Yohji was giving him. Ken saw the redhead's knuckles turn white around his sword. Yohji noticed it as well and his smirk died instantly..

"Right," Yohji nodded and turned to Ken. "You can handle the shop by yourself for a little while, right Kenken?"

Ken nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on Ran, afraid that any moment Yohji would be skewered.

Ran finally turned his attention to Ken then and frowned darkly, "Don't break anything," he said gruffly. And with those parting words, he walked back into the apartment, expecting Yohji to follow him.

Ken walked out of the storeroom and gave Yohji a slap on the back, instead of a pat because he was still annoyed with him. "Good luck," he said.

Yohji took a deep breath. "Yeah…thanks…And hey, if I don't come back…say something nice at my funeral, okay?"

Ken nodded and watched the doomed blond leave the shop. He so did not envy Yohji at that moment.