Monday 1.9- Forest For The Trees

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken took a moment to pull himself together. As mind-trippingly good as he was feeling, he still couldn't quite believe that what had happened a few minutes ago actually happened, and wasn't just a total hallucination brought on by a combination of stress, horneyness, and that awful pizza.

"I'm fine. I got pissed earlier though. But it's ok now, really. Sorry about the mess." Ken cleared the last bits of trash into the bin and got up to wash the gunk off his hands.

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[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji couldn't help staring at Ken in puzzlement. Something about his mood was drastically different than it had been minutes earlier. While he was obviously back to being in a good mood, it wasn't the same good mood he'd been exhibiting downstairs over the pizza. And above that, somewhere between these mysteriously good moods, he had managed to get upset enough to trash the kitchen. What had happened?

Raising an eyebrow in response to Ken's "I'm fine," Yohji followed his lead to the sink and joined in washing his hands. He then returned to the kitchen table and sat down.

"I think we better kill some time up here," he said with a nod towards the basement stairs, "Omi's talking business with Ran."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Ken wiped his hands on his pants and sat next to Yohji.

"So. Um." He found himself at a loss for words. He was starting to feel the crawling shame and guilt of what he'd done in the kitchen beginning to slither around the edges of his shining happiness. He didn't really know how to explain himself; what had seemed like such rightous anger at the time seemed...lacking now.

"So," he repeated himself. "Ran. Downstairs, it seemed like maybe..." He trailed off, leaving Yohji to fill in the blanks.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran's name successfully wiped all thoughts of the mess in the kitchen from Yohji's mind. There was little he could have done to stop the self-satisfied grin from smugly spreading across his face in reaction.

"...Like maybe he's not nearly as much of an uptight asshole as he so desperately wants us to believe he is?"

Yohji steepled his fingers in a caricature of plotting. "You're off the hook for getting your stomach pumped, by the way, you've been named the victor by default."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

If Ken had puppy ears, they would have perked up as soon as that smug expression crossed Yohji's face. As it was, he leaned forward in his chair with a wolfish grin of his own.

"Victor by default? Guess that means you have to suffer the penalties." He raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound that torn up about it. Spill." He nudged Yohji in the shin with his foot a few times.

"What's he got you doing? Fertilizer duty for a month? 10 o'clock curfew? What? And what do you mean he's not an asshole," he asked as the rest of the sentence caught up with him. "Course he's an asshole. An ice-covered one lined with sharp pointy teeth made of swords. But that's what makes him...him." Ken shrugged. "Right?"

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran moved through the kitchen without acknowledging Ken or Yohji, continuing his retreat up the stairs.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji opened his mouth to respond, but once again lost his train of thought at the sight of Ran silently stalking across the room. He followed him with his eyes and continued to stare for a good minute afterward.

"Ah," he said, trying to refocus his attention on Ken's commentary, "he's...." Yohji caught himself staring at the door again, and turned back to face Ken. "He's not so much an asshole, he's just so repressed he doesn't have a fucking clue."

He threw another glance at the empty door, hoping that Ran had really gone all the way to his room, or wherever he was going, and wasn't lingering somewhere within earshot.

"You'd really think he'd have laid down a curfew or given me crappy chores, wouldn't you?" Yohji left his explanation vague, savoring the smug feeling of having a rare piece of insight regarding Ran.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken watched Ran go by, doing his best to look neutral in the face of almost getting caught calling him a frigid, blade-encrusted anal cavity. There was that moment of silence as he tried to think of were to take the conversation, but luckily Yohji took care of that for him.

"Repressed, huh? So if you don't have to do some crap job...what's your punishment?" He joked with a raised eyebrow. Because he really wasn't that great at leering, it came out looking much more comical than he intended.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Unable to keep up the aloof act any longer, Yohji broke down and started snickering.

"If you'll believe it..." he was laughing so hard now that he had to pause and compose himself, "Our Ran claims to be a patron of Explo and somehow acquired the idea that I'd find being his escort objectionable."

Yohji rested his forehead against the table for a moment to stifle his giggles. When they'd abated he leaned back and shot Ken a crooked smile. "I don't know what he was thinking. It was completely obvious he has no intention of actually following through. I think he expected me to be completely appalled and find a way out of it."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken took a moment to puzzle over that. "He wanted you to go out with him? That's weird....wait, no that's great!" Ken was confused, should he be joining Yohji in his knee-slapping mirth or not?

"I mean, that he...what's so bad about Explo that would make it a punishment? Is it a country-western bar or something?"

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

At the words "Is it a country-western bar or something?" Yohji cracked up all over again. That Ran was aware of this particular bar when Ken apparently had not taken notice only added another level of irony to the situation.

"Oh man," Yohji was back to grinning widely now, "I'll have to keep that idea in mind. I'd love to see Ran at a country-western bar. Ha!" An image of Ran adorned in an excess of leather fringe set him to giggling again.

"How is it," Yohj asked, somewhat closer to seriousness, "that you don't know about Explo? It's right down the block, and it's kind of hard to miss for it's...um, flamboyance."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken didn't bother fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Look, I'm not into clubs all that much, ok? Sheesh, gimme a break." He paused for a moment, trying to pull the location up on his internal map.

He didn't think it was weird that he couldn't place it at first. During the day when he rode by on the delivery bike the place had the same dead air as most other clubs; at night it was one more colorful blur of lights and people whooshing past his helmet.

But apparently this was a place so overflowing with urban hip that even Ran knew about it. Then again, Ran rarely missed anything...except the things he didn't want to see.

"I never would've thought Ran would want to go to a dance club. He probably expects that even if you do go, walking in with him will scare off any girls who'll try to flirt with you, you'll be miserable, and wham! Punishment served" Ken grinned.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Oh, he absolutely doesn't want to go," Yohji's grin had mellowed back into a smug smile again, "he was testing me. And I didn't react the way he expected, so now he's kind of stuck."

He leaned back and watched Ken carefully, wondering when his friend was finally going to make the connection between all the hints he'd dropped. Ken sometimes surprised him with genuine bursts of naivety of which he'd though impossible for someone in their lot. On the other hand, Omi surprised him just as often with moments of worldliness that jarred completely with his young appearance.

"It's not a dance club," he continued, "and if there are any girls there, it's doubtful that they'll be interested in me."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

"It's not a dance club,and if there are any girls there, it's doubtful that they'll be interested in me."

Tck. Women not interested in Yohji? Ha, they'd have to be dead, nuns or lesbians-

...

It's not a dance club. Flamboyance. He was testing me. Lesbians. Lesbians hang out with other lesbians and gay guys. He absolutely doesn't want to go. Explo is a gay bar. Ran is taking Yohji to a gay bar. Lesbians.

After the train of thought left the station, Ken bit his knuckle and let the inital shock wash over him.

"Gay bar. Never would have thought..."

Ken made a face like he suddenly figured out one of the secrets to life, the universe and everything.

"He's playing chicken with you. Think about it. You've been kinda flirting with him. He might have an interest, but he thinks you're just messing with him, so he drags you to a gay bar to make you put your money where your mouth is. And when you flake out, or so he thinks, he knows you just wanted attention. But since you do have an interest in him, you can blow him out the water, don't. Comment. On. That. It'll be reverse reverse psychology."

Ken paused in thought, then started laughing quietly.

"Or maybe" he gasped between chuckles, "he's just trying to steal you from me."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji was grinning and nodding in agreement when the end of Ken's statement snuck up and hit him like a sledgehammer.

"Or maybe he's just trying to steal you from me."

Steal? There wasn't anything yet between him and Ken to steal. Right? No. There was something but....

The something was vague and unconsummated. Ken didn't think they were...? Was he jealous? Were the words so carelessly and happily spilling out of Yohji's mouth crushing Ken as he spoke?

Yohji tried to staunch an upsurging panic attack at the thought of having so quickly fucked up everyones feelings. He'd had hesitations about this very scenario just last night, hadn't he?

Last night. Yohji thought carefully on what had transpired the previous evening. So much had happened since, that it almost felt like another lifetime. Some days he felt like he had lived several lifetimes, in fact.

He'd promised only that he would be there for Ken. That they could be 'fucked up together.' And what had Ken said? Yeah, if I have to talk with Omi, then you're going to have to deal with Ran. His feelings for Ran had been on the table from the start. Likewise with Ken and Omi. It's just that neither of them had expected the table to have shifted so quickly....

He gave Ken an evaluating glance and noticed that he didn't look especially hurt. If anything, he still seemed a combination of happy and amused. Not to mention, he'd just reacted to Yohji's announcement of Ran having asked him to a 'club' with That's great. Ken wouldn't have said that insincerely.

Things were still okay.

Yohji smiled in relief and shook his head. "that theory is almost laughable. But even if he was, he couldn't. It's completely different. I mean," Yohji's smile broadened, "let's say, hypothetically, that Omi were unexpectedly to completely throw himself at you. You wouldn't suddenly stop giving a fuck about me, now would you? Granted, you might be so busy screwing his brains out that I found myself ignored for a couple of days, but I for one would completely understand."

"It's all a moot point anyway," he added, no longer gauging Ken's reaction with the close attention he had a moment ago, "Ran is going to cop out."

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi finally put away his dart and silently climbed the stairs to the kitchen, not surprised to hear voices-- Yohji had been in there cleaning when he’d passed by earlier. It sounded like Ken had joined him.

The words “gay bar” halted Omi in his tracks, standing just out of sight from the doorway. Ken talking. Referring to other male. Talking to Yohji, and definitely wasn’t talking about Omi. They were talking about Aya. And Yohji. And a...

Omi really didn’t want to think about it.

This of course made him wince at the doorway at Ken’s unfortunate turn of phrase. Blow him indeed. Oh, Ken, you’re horrible, without even meaning to be!

It wasn’t that Omi had a problem with it; he just didn’t want the mental images that came with awareness.

Ken’s quiet laughter saved Omi’s brain from taking him down a path he would rather have avoided-- though Omi wasn’t quite sure he liked this one any better. Words that directly contradicted what Ken had assured him before: steal you from me. Were Ken and Yohji an item or weren’t they?

Why did it even matter?

Omi supposed it didn’t. He just better not ever have to ask permission or let Yohji know. How embarrassing.

He’d just drawn in his breath to feign a smile and step in, asking what Ken meant by stealing Yohji from him with that practiced expression of naïve curiosity-- and then Yohji answered and his chance was gone. Omi continued to hide and eavesdrop, and grew more and more convinced that he should have simply stayed downstairs.

It hurt to hear what Yohji said. It hurt and it made him angry. Where did he get off theorizing about his sex life like it was stock material for conversation?! It was invasive and uncomfortable, and it certainly did not leave Omi inclined to give them an actual sex life of his to talk about instead.

And who was Yohji to stand there and decide Ken would automatically top, anyway? It made Omi glad he wasn’t still holding that moldy piece of cheese. It would be highly tempting to decorate Yohji’s shirt with a well-aimed pitch right about now.

A number of other concerns nibbled at the edge of his subconscious mind, dormant for the time being. Half of Omi wanted to say something-- the whole situation was an outrage. And yet he couldn’t stand the thought of marching in there and actively joining the conversation. If nothing else, overhearing Yohji theorizing about his sex life made him furiously blush. And Omi’s natural inclinations had never been towards confrontation, quite the opposite in fact.

Such went the case here as well. Omi slinked into the kitchen and moused for the other side while keeping his head pointedly turned away, intent to go straight to his room without addressing any of it directly. The only acknowledgment he gave at all was the weak “Excuse me,” to pardon his crossing at such an inopportune moment.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken was glad that he wasn't drinking anything when Yohji made his comment, else he surely would have choked. As it was, the tips of his ears were turning red (an irritating habit that was happening way too often lately). Ken couldn't decide what made Yohji a bigger bastard:

1) The bombardment of mental images assaulting his brain due to Yohji's verbal trigger, or

2) the fact that he was right.

Whatever undefined thing was (or wasn't) between him and Omi was deep, raw, and precious to Ken. But it was good to know that no matter what happened, Yohji would be there as a...

safety net? port in a storm? friend? Cheesy, Hidaka, and way too fragile

Teammate. Honest, encompassing, and held with a near reverence in Ken's mind. And if Ran were to throw Yohji over tomorrow, Ken would be there for him in any capacity he was needed.

It wasn't convenience, lust, or love (that was reserved for one person only, and he was currently stalking across the kitchen--)

Ken did a slight double take, snapping out of his daze as Omi left the kitchen. What the hell happened to the meeting? First Ran wanders off, and now Omi--

They were talking. Downstairs. What the fuck did Ran say to him to make him look like that?! Didn't that dickwad understand how much Omi looks up to him? Ken didn't even realize he had slipped into an almost guard-dog expression.

"Not that big of an asshole, huh?" He jerked a thumb at the kitchen door and got out of his chair. "I know you like him, but there are times I don't think he deserves you." And on that half snarled note Ken walked towards the door. He knew Omi didn't need his protection by any means, but still...

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji followed Ken's finger to the very inconvenient apparition of Omi.

Oh shit.

He really, really hoped that Omi had only walked in on the last sentence of what he was saying and hadn't heard more...

....Yohji would have been a pretty lousy P.I though if he couldn't read Omi's expression and tell that he had heard quite a bit. And was not happy to have heard it.

Daaammmn.

Omi hadn't known that Ken.... Damn.

I really need to take a cue from Ran and just keep my mouth shut all the time, he thought grimly.

"Uh Ken," Yohji got up but didn't stop him from leaving, "I don't think it was Ran that upset him just now...." He fumbled in his pockets so he wouldn't have to make too much eye contact, "Um, yeah. I think I need a cigarette."

He wasn't going to make Omi any less appalled by sticking around, so he left without further explanation.

Ken could punch him in the face later if the situation required.