Well… here it is. The second chapter to this fic. Again I do not own these characters I've just borrowed them for a bit b/c I can and its fun to do so. Thank you to those who have reviewed! Your comments were really helpful!!!
Enjoy!
Yui-mag
Ch.2
Time to Figure Things Out
Waya didn't need to open his eyes to feel disoriented. The bumps on the mattress were different from the bed that he and Isu-… Even in thought the name brought out a pain in him. Cautiously he opened up his amber eyes and took in his surroundings. His mouth opened in slight surprise as he spotted a tousled Shindo mumbling something as he swatted the air above his still sleeping head. Something that sounded suspiciously like: "Sai… lea…me, alone… wanna sleep." Those words made the last tendrils of sleep leave his body and sit up.
What the hell was he doing here? And had Shindo really said Sai?
"All right, all right!" The younger boy grumbled, suddenly sitting up and rubbing his eyes tiredly as he started to shout at what looked to Waya, thin air. "I'm up you bastard! Now what do you want that couldn't wait until I was completely rested you… you… you…" The curse that seemed to be stuck on Shindo's lips was lost in a yawn. "I hate you." He snapped at the thin air again with such vehemence that for a minute Waya thought Shindo had truly lost his marbles.
"…uhm…" Waya muttered intelligibly at the show the younger boy was putting on, forgetting about the mention of Sai.
"Hikaru dear… breakfast is ready. And don't be so loud. It is the weekend after all and no one is forcing you to get up this early." A feminine voice called out from downstairs, one that Waya could only guess was Hikaru's mother. He didn't hear her as she moved away from the steps and shook her head, saying: "Strange boy." But he didn't quite need to since he was thinking it himself. His eyes were wide as he continued watching his friend, speechless. Hikaru looked darkly around his room.
"Like hell! I wish…" His voice trailed off as his green-grey eyes fell on his friend. "…shit…" 'You could have reminded me that he was here Sai!' Hikaru thought a bit frantic. 'Now what do I do?' He continued ignoring the pouting ghost that insisted that that was what he had been trying to do! "H-hi Waya." He gave his biggest grin as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "H-how did you sleep?"
Waya blinked at his friend before starting to laugh. Weakly joining into laughter with his friend, Hikaru gave one last long glare towards Sai who continued to pout at him. Once the laughter subsided, Waya stretched and eyed Shindo.
"Do you always wake up like that?" He demanded in a teasing tone. Hikaru gave another weak laugh and nodded.
"Yeah. My mom's used to it now." Hikaru pushed some strands of hair that was tickling him away from his face and behind his ear. "You hungry?" Waya nodded and stood up when his friend did. There was a companionable silence as they made their way downstairs and into the kitchen where they met Hikaru's mom. Her face showed surprise and before she could even start speaking, her son sighed dramatically. "Yes Mom. I know… This is Waya. I've told you about him before. He's another Go player like I am and… I asked him over to practice last night. He crashed here for the night. Can we have some breakfast?" Waya watched with some surprise as his friend lied to his mom without even blinking. And that tone… He gave a crooked smile. Who would have known? The mother opened her mouth again and shook her head.
"I hope Hikaru here didn't bother you last night. Thank you so much for putting up with him. I've heard that you've been helping him." Waya blinked and gave a smile at the small woman who was bowing her head at him in greeting. He bowed back. "It's nice to finally be able to meet one of his new friends." The woman eyed him critically with a smile still on her face. "Did he give you a proper bed?" Hikaru gave a stifled groan.
"Mo-om!"
"It's nice to meet you as well." Waya stated politely to Shindo's mother, trying to hide his amusement at the scene. "I hope I'm not a…" How could he ask if he was a burden, politely? The mother didn't give him a chance to finish his question however because she flapped her hands at him and started asking him questions while placing more food on the table.
"MO-OM!" He'd never seen Shindo at his home, with his family. It was interesting… it was… warm, nice… comfortable. He wondered idly if Shindo even realized how lucky he was. Sai who was at Waya's side, shook his head in answer to the younger man's thoughts.
'No. Hikaru doesn't yet realize how lucky he is. He will though… he is a good child.' Of course, Waya didn't hear this and so he made his way to the kitchen table, next to Shindo starting a new day with a smile.
…
The two teenagers walked out of the house, refreshed and full from a nice home cooked breakfast. With a little weary smile, Waya wondered how long it had been since he'd had a real breakfast like that. He squinted up at the blue sky and gave a real smile, banishing the thought. It was daytime… There was no time for dark thoughts and depression. After all he had a reputation to keep and no way was he going to lose it in front of Shindo. Not… that he hadn't already, mind you.
"Ne Waya," Hikaru started. "Can we go over how to do game records again?" The older of the two nodded. "Thanks." The half bleached boy muttered with relief. "I know you showed me how to two days ago but…" He trailed off with a wave of his hand. "…it's a lot tougher than I imagined it to be." The boy made a face and pouted. "I thought once we'd be pros we'd just get to play games. Ya know? Like against Touya, Ogata-sensei and…well, you know. Even Touya-Meijin." Waya rolled his eyes. Hadn't they gone over this exact conversation two days ago when he had been trying to teach Shindo the rules to keeping a good and accurate game record? If he could recall correctly, and he did!, he could also remember that it was then that he had announced to Shindo that Isumi had quit Nine Stars club and had quit being an insei. That particular thought made his throat tighten. He didn't know how visible his emotions were on his face until he realized that they had stopped walking, with Shindo staring at him again with worry. "…Waya?" Shindo started softly. "I know you said yesterday that you were fine but…" He paused and cocked his head to the side. "I…uh… I am here if you need or I mean want to talk about something. Yeah…" He huffed a sigh, shoulders drooping a bit. He wasn't used to this whole comforting business. The only time he'd felt like trying had been when Sai had beaten Touya at Go for the second time. Truth be told, Akari was better at making people feel better than he was. He usually let her do it for that reason. "Or I can start acting like a crazy moron again to get you to smile. That always seems to work well." He stated a bit lamely, with a half smile on his face. His eyes were serious though as they continued to hold Waya's amber ones. Lost for words, Waya could only stare back. In his mind, he realized that he'd under estimated Shindo one too many times. That boy wasn't as oblivious as everyone always thought. He gave a little shake of his head which Shindo took as a refusal to talk or be amused. "…ok…"
"I mean!" Waya started, startling the younger boy who had looked away with a shrug. "Thanks…I just… I don't know what to say cause… I…" He shrugged, mimicking the movement that Shindo always used when he was at a loss as to what to say. Shindo stared at him for a moment and then scuffed the toe of his shoe on the pavement.
"You miss him don't you?" Again, Waya was shocked. So shocked was he that he totally missed Shindo wincing away from an invisible force name Sai who was screaming at the younger boy to mind his own business.
"Yeah. I do." Waya found himself answering truthfully. They started to walk again, Shindo giving a pointed I told you so look to the air around him.
"He'll be back." Shindo muttered decisively. He gave one of his energetic smiles to Waya, skipping ahead with both arms coming up and crossing behind his head. He turned to face Waya, staying in that position. "Isumi-san isn't the type who'd quit or runaway. And you said it yourself from what the sensei had said to you…" There Shindo paused and closed his eyes before reciting word for word what Waya had indeed told him their sensei had said. "Isumi-kun is not satisfied. He'll be coming next year. He is by no means happy with the Go that he has been playing so far…and….I think that was it." Hikaru let his arms drop to his side, a sheepish grin returning to his face. "I do listen, you know." He pointed out most likely because of the surprise that was plainly written on Waya's face. He paused and had a most reflective look on his face that Waya had ever seen unless the boy was playing a Go game. "It took me awhile to accept that but… I think the sensei is right about Isumi-san. He will be back… and he'll become a pro like us. In the meantime…" He gave a grin. "…teach me! And play me! I can't wait to see Touya's face when we play next! He'll be so surprised…I will catch up to him! I will!" He punched the air and started to run, not giving Way any choice but to run right after him, leaving any last dark thought behind.
…
In the little florist shop, the four assassins were bustling about trying to get ready to open the shop. Omi was watering the plants carefully and bit back a yawn that was bordering on his lips. He hadn't been able to get much sleep after Manx's impromptu visit and Ken hadn't either. Omi wasn't quite sure what Manx had questioned the brunette on but he had seen the effects. A very tense and upset Ken had emerged from the basement and Omi had been left to try and calm him down. The memory emerged from his mind and he let it play as he continued in the morning ritual of getting the shop ready.
"Omi?" There was a slight hitch in his voice as he called the name out softly in a question. The younger boy who had been lying on his back for the moment, turned to his side so that he could face the brunette that was still leaning against his bedroom doorway.
"What is it Ken-kun?" The soccer player came further into the room and sat on the side of the bed, looking at his hands.
"Do…do you think…" The voice that was so naturally cheerful trailed off. Waiting in the darkness, a slight pain filled with a fear for his friend started to ache in Omi's chest. He didn't know what to do to help ease out the words that were stuck in his friend. He only knew that he wanted to help… "Am I insane, Omi?" The question was finally blurted out bluntly. It wasn't what he had been expecting and for a moment Omi cursed Manx's existence and that of Kritiker's. Omi moved to lay once more on his back, so that his blue eyes could look at the white ceiling of his room.
"No." He said simply. And that was all that was needed, a tension that had been running through Ken's body faded away with that one word and as Omi realized this, he suddenly began to fear something else. Dependency. He swallowed hard and told himself he was being silly… because… he just had to be being silly. This was Ken-kun he was talking about. Ken-kun.
With a slight relieved sigh though the brunette laid back, firmly depositing his head on Omi's chest, the human contact bringing a warmth to his icy insides. He had no clue that he was confirming Omi's fear more than anything. Instead, Ken listened to the constant heart beat, to the rhythmic up and down motion that Omi's lungs produced and then he was able to let the last of his fears disappear. He curled up further onto the bed, pulling his long legs to his chest, Not too soon enough, the younger man's hands made their way through Ken's hair, carefully bringing more peace, bringing more comfort than anyone had ever been able to give him. He didn't know of the inner battle that Omi had fought before he had tangled his hands into his hair. He didn't know… He just knew warmth. And the feeling of finally being needed, wanted… for something more than just killing. With a little sigh, Ken shifted his position slightly just so he could be closer and he buried his face in the fabric of Omi's pyjamas.
For minutes they simply lay in the silent darkness of the late night and then… it was broken simply by the need for other fears to be laid away and not aside in the deeper corners of Ken's assassin mind. He hummed at first, afraid to bring the subject back up. Omi was Omi though and immediately picked up on the tension that was building itself back up in Ken's body.
"What is it Ken-kun?" He asked so softly that it made Ken jump to feel the air around him move, disturbed by the whisper. Ken gave a sigh and then shrugged awkwardly, causing the younger to growl at him playfully at having been jabbed by Ken's shoulder in his stomach.
"Aah… sorry about that." The brunette sat up so that he could try to see through the darkness, Omi's eyes. "Omi… if I was to go insane, or any of the others… and we started to take pleasure in killing the targets or anyone else for that matter…" Ken trailed off again only to continue with a firmer voice. "Would you kill me… us?" Omi had tensed as he had heard each word being pronounced carefully. To his utter horror he found his eyes prickling and scenes flashing though his eyes of that one mission… of that fake mission. Yoji's wire around his throat… Aya's katana sliding into him…And Ken screaming. Screaming as he realized he was the only one still alive. But that had all been part of the plan… that had been all part of the plan. Who would have known that it would have so much effect on all of them? He sat up himself, staring straight into those dark eyes who awaited an answer from him.
"…according to Kritiker… that is what I would have to do."
"But would you?" He allowed the younger Weiss assassin to muse on his answer, his fingers at one point coming to brush the long blond strands out of his companion's face and startling the other because of it. With a hasty apology, his hands found themselves clasping at the blanket, still waiting. Finally… "I know Aya would kill us if it was needed… Yoji… I'm not so sure about… but you Omi? Would you kill us?" They stared at each other for a moment.
"Ken-kun…" He started, a pained look on his face. "I'd do everything in my power to not kill any of you if you guys went beserk. But if I had no choice…if I had tried everything that I could think of and it still hadn't worked…" Those blue eyes were dead serious as they gazed back into the hazel ones. "Yes… I would." Needing that honest answer more than a reassuring one, Ken nodded and ruffled Omi's hair gently, comforted by the fact that Omi hadn't flinched from his touch like the last time.
"I trust you." Ken whispered making Omi's look at him with surprise, wondering what exactly he meant by that. Before anything else could take place though, he looked away and fell back onto the bed. "You know though… with all of this, Manx made me miss the game on T.V., damn woman!" As he spoke the more light hearted words, he tugged at Omi's arm, bringing him back into a position they'd never yet shared, Omi being embraced into his arms and not the other way around. A small smile tugged onto the blonde's face as he snuggled into the warmth and prepared himself to be attacked by idle soccer chatter.
The memory trailed away giving Omi enough time to jerk back so as to not down the poor plant he'd been focusing on…
They had spent the night talking about anything and nothing at all. Computers had been one topic and another had been soccer. He knew that Ken had not understood one word of his rambling on computer technology while he had been quite happily ignorant on the basics of soccer—a game he knew that involved a ball and a green field—that at least he knew. He gave a sigh, he actually knew more about the game than he cared to admit, sports being one of the few things he didn't really enjoy. He knew about soccer though because when it had been known that Ken would join Weiss, he had looked it up, wanting to know anything that could help ease the other boy into what had been then…just Yoji and him. He had figured that if he knew somewhat about the sport that had been Ken's job before hand, the man would be more comfortable. That had been a long time ago though and most of the facts that he had had learned had been forgotten once Omi had realized that it would take time before Ken touched that part of his life again.
Omi craned his neck back, stretching. It had actually been… months before the brunette spoke about soccer or anything of his life before Weiss, and even more time had passed before he actually touched a soccer ball again. Once he'd started teaching kids though, something seemed to have healed within the brunette.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered the excitement that had flowed through Ken's body once they started on this topic last night.
Yoji huffed a sigh, shaking his wavy hair out of his face while keeping a critical yet sleepy eye on the bishonen. There was a sense of mystery in the air… He wanted to know what it was.
"Yoji!" Aya barked, surprising the older man as usual. Yoji snapped upright and glared at the redhead for interrupting his thoughts. He saluted the redhead ironically before asking what the hell was wrong now. Aya glared back not at all amused. "You're not working." The redhead snapped acidly. "That's what's wrong."
"Work, work, work…is that all you ever think about?" Yoji grumbled, moving away from the counter to grab his apron. He tied it around his waist efficiently and glared at all those, mainly Ken and Omi, who were snickering at him once more for being caught off slacking. If anything that made his bad mood even worse. "Maa…" He shoved his sunglasses back up his nose. "And to think I cared about you two…" He sighed loudly and dramatically before staring around, with a bit of a helpless manner. "Aya… what do you want me to do? Everything's been done… even drowning the new merchandise, compliments of the bishonen."
"Mou! Yoji-kun, I did not drown the new plants!" Omi pouted, his smirk sliding off his face.
"Yeah… yeah… just like you don't own a teddy bear, ne?"
"What?!" Omi looked startled. "What does that have to do with anything!?"
"Well do you?"
"Do I what?" Omi demanded, starting to look rather cross while Ken looked panicky. Now that proved to Yoji that there was indeed a mystery in the air. He'd sensed it yesterday but Manx had foiled his plans of looking into it deeper. Why the hell did Ken get all flustered when he mentioned Omi's freaking teddy bear?
"Kudou!" Aya snapped, coming from behind the counter where the cash register was residing to glare at all three of them. "Leave the kids alone." Ken sighed whether of relief at having been saved from Yoji needling Omi or irritation at being called a kid by someone who was only a year older than him, nobody knew. But Ken still sighed and walked away, shaking his head as he went to slide the metal door up so that they could start letting customers in. Yoji frowned, starting on his tirade of it being truly unfair that the chibis always got the redhead's protection. "If you weren't an ass and picking on them… then it wouldn't happen." And that was that. He frowned at the older man a bit longer and then moved away, his silent threat quite clear. 'Continue to mess around during your shift… and there will be hell to pay': meaning in Aya language—no pay, no going out, and dish duty for a week.
Still the threat didn't stop him from staying by the little bishonen and continuing the conversation from where it had been so rudely interrupted. Nothing ever got in between Kudou, Yoji and a good mystery.
"…Don't act so innocent Omi. I know you have a teddy bear." He pointed out smugly. He was not ready for the reaction Omi gave him. He had been expecting the boy to become the color or a bright red tomato and start sputtering a negative answer. Instead he got the glare of the century that almost rivaled Aya's.
"I never said I didn't. And I still don't see what it has to do with anything!" The blond boy muttered, rearranging some of the plants in the front display. "What is wrong with you today?" Yoji blinked, and blinked again. This was becoming an even stranger event than he had thought.
"…bishonen…" He threw his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "You can tell me… who's the lucky girl?" That got some semblance of the reaction of what he had expected previously. Omi shoved the arm off of his shoulder, feeling the heat of a blush painting his cheeks as he tried to glare at the older man who was obviously bent on teasing him this morning. So much for living in memories. "Come on bishonen!" Yoji gave a slight whine. "First the dreamy looks, then the teddy bear…it's gotta be a new girl."
"Yoji…" Omi started, feeling a slight headache coming on.
"You're in love aren't you?"
"NO!" He shouted, startling everyone currently in the shop. "I mean… good grief Yoji… you…you're a real pest this morning!" Omi moved away, thoughts in a frenzy and a pain in his chest. This was all wrong. Things were going too far. Ken frowned, he didn't know what the two had been talking about but it was the first time Yoji had managed to get Omi to yell at him. It was Aya though that went to Yoji's side and started giving him an earful.
What a wonderful start for a day.
Well since, Aya was busy telling Yoji off, he might as well check on Omi.
So the mystery had once again been solved by the all mighty private eye Yoji. He continued to smirk, quite blatently ignoring Aya's lecture and not at all surprised when the redhead finally threw up his hands in disgust and left him alone. Omi had found somebody new. Well that was good. The kid needed to have some good things in life… He frowned. He was a bit confused by the reactions he'd gotten though. He gave a sigh and slight smile came onto his face. Oh well… one mystery figured out… onto the next. Who's the girl? And more importantly… what the hell was she doing to their chibi to make him so…Yoji racked his brain for the write word but gave up as a pretty woman who was definitely over eighteen came into the shop.
"Well, hello there…" He started. Mysteries could be put aside for now… after all there had to be some sense of priorities in his life…
A/N- Third chapter is nearly finished so it won't be too long until I update again. I hope those that reviewed last time still like the story and please let me know how it is!!! I really appreciate feedback because that's how I can learn to become a better writer.