Wednesday 1.2

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

As they neared the top of the stairs, Omi's discomfort became apparent, and Aya-Chan's resolve was starting to crumble. A billion different questions and doubts ran through her mind; what if - god forbid - she messed up? And then what...?

But the desire to help and be somehow included outweighed her doubt.

Swallowing nervously, she turned to Omi, silently asking him to help walk her through whatever process she had just signed up for.

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[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi turned the color of a tomato.

Help? Well, what he most needed was a bath. That was out of the question for "help."

The next biggest thing he needed was some burn cream on his back, arms and legs-- which would best come after his bath. Which was still out of the question for "help."

"Ah..."

Crap! There was no diplomatic way to explain this!

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan bit her lip. It didn't seem like Omi wanted any of her help, which was of course understandable. Still... she wanted to give it one last try. "Is there anything I could do...?" if he said no, she decided, she'd just have to give up and go back to her room.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

"I--"

He needed a bath. That much should be obvious, shouldn't it? Oh no. Surely she didn't--!

Hello tomato with a sunburn.

"There might be a few... cuts or something? It's hard to tell them from bruises sometimes under all the--" Clothes. Which would have to come off to hunt out the cuts.

This just wasn't getting any better!

He took a moment to look mournfully at the ceiling, as though it were somehow responsible for putting him in this situation. Ok, get a grip. Just take off the jackets. It's not like all the clothes had to come off.

"There's another First Aid Kit in my room."

We're leaving the door OPEN!

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan nodded, the possibility of being in an entirely uncomfortable and awkward situation hadn't dawned on her just quite yet. She headed towards Omi's room, a little happier from the prospect of having something to contribute.

The first aid kit took a little bit of searching, but wasn't all too hard to find. Clutching it against her chest, she gave Omi a wide-eyed stare, waiting for him to sit somewhere or make some sort of motion that it was okay for her to start. Her nervousness was beginning to return.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

True to his thoughts from before, Omi deliberately placed the door as widely open as it would allow, wanting to minimize whatever suggestiveness might arise from having her alone in his room, if only for the sake of his own conscience and embarrassment.

He slipped the straps of his bag off the shoulders and shed it along with both jackets all at once. Leaving them around the corner by his desk and in the floor, he turned the chair around and sat down, carefully pulling off his gloves, then removing his headgear and oh, it was so incredibly wrong and strange to be taking off his mission gear in front of Aya's sister! His face maintained its bright red hue under the dirt and soot, but it wasn't completely discernible how much of that was from blushing and how much from the heat of the explosion.

"There are disinfectant pads inside the kit. Those should be used first to clean a small wound before bandaging it. The saline solution is dabbed onto cotton balls or a cloth for bigger scrapes and cuts. After it's clean a band-aid or some gauze and medical tape will do the trick."

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan found herself turning a little red as Omi took off his jackets, suddenly realizing just how awkward this situation was. Ignoring the awkwardness, she opened the first aid kit and followed Omi's instructions, taking out the disinfectant pads and focusing her attention on a noticeable cut on his arm.

The first few minutes went by in silence. And then, she couldn't help but blurt out the question that had been bugging her. "Are all of them like this...? The missions, I mean..." it somehow felt easier to ask Omi this than asking Ran.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

It wasn't terrible. Typically Omi just took care of himself, and it was certainly different having to sacrifice that bit of independence. On the other hand, there was something strangely pleasant about receiving such tender touch and attentive care.

Then she popped the question he never expected to hear. His eyes grew huge, his muscles tensed and his jaw dropped. Okay.

Perhaps it was absurd to not expect her to deduce something was up just from their state of return, beaten and bloodied as they were. On the other hand, Omi was still under the assumption that she didn't know. And this question threw that assumption to the wind.

"How did you know about the missions?" He squeaked.

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan blinked at the question. Apparently, Ran hadn't mentioned anything about their previous encounter to the others. "I..." she paused, not quite sure how to answer that. Was it because there wasn't time for Ran to explain, or had he wanted her to keep quiet about her knowledge?

But it was bound to come out sometime... and Aya-Chan, for one, was tired of secrets.

"I walked in on something I wasn't supposed to earlier today. Ran-niisan told me." She placed a band-aid gently on the cut she'd been working on and moved to a new one. "I wasn't... I didn't..." she felt flustered and at a loss for words. "I didn't mean to cause all this trouble..." Would it have been better if she hadn't been up tonight...? But she would've seen the battle wounds sooner or later, wouldn't she?

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi's expression softened. "You haven't caused any trouble. I was surprised... that you knew. But, if Aya-kun was the one that told you..."

He looked away. "It's just not a secret I would have wanted you burdened with. But I guess living here, it couldn't have been kept from you for long. I... How much do you know?"

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

"That... my parents... that wasn't an accident." Aya-Chan swallowed, fighting against the onset of tears by focusing on Omi's cuts. "And that you've... killed... And tonight..." she trailed off, unable to push back a few drops of tears any longer. Quickly, she wiped her face with the back of her hand, hoping that Omi wouldn't notice, and went back to tending to his injuries.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi never denied a word. He didn't call out her tears. For several moments, silence filled the air. When he finally found his voice, he still kept his head turned.

"No one would blame you if you chose to walk away from it all. I think it was wrong that you were placed here amongst us without any idea how dangerous things can get. I wish there was a better way you could be protected from it..."

He paused, and finally turned a small smile towards her. "But I think your brother is doing the best job he can with all of it. You really mean a lot to him. Please don't blame him too harshly for his mistakes. Okay?"

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

No one would blame you if you chose to walk away from it all.

Aya-Chan let the words sink in for a few minutes. Omi's smile... and his words... they seemed so sweet and sincere. Nothing like what she thought a murderer would be like.

"But I... wouldn't have anywhere else to go." She met Omi's eye, her hand frozen against his back. "How could I walk away from it, when I've..." she gave him a small, sad smile, "when you mean a lot to me." The choice of words struck her as weird, and she turned a shade of pink. "I mean... you're all..." Her brain could not find some way of changing any misinterpretation Omi might have received from her words, so she trailed off instead, deciding that it was better to remain silent now than say anything else that might embarrass her more.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi's eyes widened again, blinking in absolute confusion. Meant a lot to her?

He remained completely oblivious, too stunned at the idea that anyone outside of Weiss would care so deeply for him in the first place. Aya, sure. Aya was special. And Yohji was wonderful with the ladies. He wasn't really much of anything.

"I don't think you should feel any obligation to stay somewhere you aren't comfortable, or to leave somewhere that you want to stay... But it is probably important for you to know... there have been people that have targeted you while you slept. Like those two men we met in the grocery store. You're probably safer here where someone will know right away if anything's happened to you. That's why your brother wanted you to stay here."

He couldn't bring himself to admit that he would be sad if she left. It wasn't right to pressure her with something like an emotional appeal anyway. His own feelings didn't matter.

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

"I like living here." She really didn't Omi all that well, but it felt like it was okay to open up to him. "I can't seem to see you all as people who have..." The word killed melted in her mouth, so she decided to move on. She gave Omi a shy smile and then went back to tending to his injuries. "I just wonder... if I'd just end up being in the way."

[pichi.livejournal.com]

It was silly, even a little bizarre, but he couldn't help thinking there was something just nice about the way she smiled. Demure, gentle and so very honest. It was an image that lingered in his mind long after she'd gone back to patching up the cuts he'd sustained in the explosion. It made the experience just a little more soothing to remember it.

People like her, that was why he did what he did. There was innocence to be preserved, life to be protected. Aya never should have had to be made aware of the crime and evil flourishing under their noses, or of the small band of hunters who sought to extinguish it, one murder at a time. She didn't need to finish the sentence.

Omi knew.

The concern she voiced made little sense to Omi, but his natural response, as it was for any situation of spotting self-doubt or insecurity, was to fix it. As she finished bandaging the last cut on his arm, he met her eyes.

“You aren’t in the way. You weren’t ever, even tonight. I think... we had hoped to spare you the more gruesome realities of it. I’m sorry that it meant keeping some things from you, but even now, I wonder if it wouldn’t be safer for you to avoid being downstairs on those nights. The injuries aren’t usually serious but... I’ve never liked unnecessary gambles. Aya-chan has a very beautiful smile; I wouldn’t want it to be lost, from seeing things like you saw tonight one time too many.”

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

His compliment made her blush a little. "But I..." What did she want? Even she wasn't quite sure. Part of her still wasn't willing to believe that the boy in front of her or any of the men living in the house were capable of murder. She still didn't really understand. "I wouldn't be able to go to sleep at night if I knew all of you were out there... and..." and what?

[pichi.livejournal.com]

It was still quite odd to sit there and talk to Aya-chan about Weiß-- simply wrong truth be told. This wasn't appropriate conversation with someone like her. They should be talking about orchids or the weather. Instead, here he was listening to Aya express anxiety over their safety to the point it was going to impact her own life. What could he say to that? The truth was too harsh. He frowned at the floor for a moment, then looked back up, keeping his voice quiet, gentle, and level.

“Part of my job is seeing that everyone stays as safe as possible. It's not a responsibility I take lightly; my nakama are very special to me. Do you have faith that I’m as concerned about it as you are?”

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

She really didn't know him that well at all... Aya-Chan mused over that newly discovered fact for a few moments. After living with these people for so long... she really didn't know them at all.

Did she have faith that he's as concerned about the situation as she was...? The answer to that, at least, was certain. She nodded, unable to formulate a verbal answer. Yes, she had faith in that.

Still... that didn't stop her from worrying.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi smiled warmly in response to her nod.

"Yoshi. Then, you don't need to worry. I don't like unnecessary gambles... right?"

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Again, Aya-Chan found herself thinking how such a warm, caring person could possibly be a murderer. Much of her nerves had disappeared from her talk with Omi, and she desperately wanted to repeat her first question to make sure that Yohji's injuries weren't a common occurrence. But she couldn't bring herself to ask; not when she'd just told him that she had faith in him.

A million other questions were racing through her mind as well. She wanted to ask him how he got into this, how he could possibly deal with it, and how on earth he could still keep that warm smile after all the atrocities he must have witnessed. But she kept those questions to herself, unsure of how much prying she could do before she'd anger or frustrate Omi.

"Is there anything else I could do for you...?" This wasn't so bad; this patching up of minor injuries.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken could hear Omi before he saw him. The door was flung open wide; from the tone of Omi's voice he seemed to be reassuring someone-

Aya-chan. Right.

Ken paused for just a moment before appearing in the doorway, though he didn't know exactly why. Was he afraid? Of what? Seeing something he shouldn't? Or didn't want to? There wasn't enough energy left in him to think.

He knocked on the doorway once, taking in Omi's state of undress and warm smile and Aya's fading blush with a neutral, vaguely glazed over expression.

"Ran asked me to tell you-both of you- that he'll be..." Damn. Ran hadn't said where he'd be. "...in his room." Ken guessed, saying the most logical thing that popped into his head.

"In case you needed him for anything." He frowned and scratched his head. "Or in Yohji's room. Goodnight."

[pichi.livejournal.com]

[Just in case there's confusion, Omi's not in a state of undress-- he's got both shirt and shorts on]

Omi opened his mouth to answer Aya, but Ken was in the doorway and talking before his voice started. He blinked and peered down the corridor connecting the main of his room to the door. He remembered again the tangle of sheets, hugging a pillow and muffling his own cries. He remembered Ken naked and on his back, sitting on him and playing counting games until Ken couldn't stand it anymore.

It made him feel sick inside all over again. It was supposed to help. It was supposed to make Ken stable again. It was supposed to have been all the protection that was needed against an accident like tonight.

Ken probably didn't mean to slash Yohji with his claws, but after what Omi had given for his sake, it hurt all the same.

"Un. Goodnight, Ken-kun."

Several moments later, Omi realized Aya was still waiting for an answer.

"Sorry. I... should probably take a bath. Thank you for your help."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

[Sou. Perhaps state of undress gave the wrong implication, it wasn't intended that way. Mea culpa.]

Ken gave them both a tired wave and headed back to his room. He didn't even make it to the shower; his shirt and socks hit the floor, and when he sat on the bed to get his pants off he ended up falling over and right into sleep.

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan watched the exchange silently. That meant Yohji was patched up... and Ran was... free. Somehow though, the prospect of talking to Ran was a little scary; especially after her little outburst previously.

She turned to look at Omi after Ken had gone, noticing the burn marks on his arms and wondering if there were more. "I could help with those," she said, motioning towards the burn marks. "After you take your bath, that is..." it'd give her some time to check on the others as well. She wasn't sure about Omi, but she was sure as hell not going to be able to sleep tonight, and his company was more than welcomed.

[pichi.livejournal.com]

Omi looked down at the reddened skin of his arms and managed another smile. "You're very thoughtful, but shouldn't you try to sleep? There's school in the morning you know. You don't want to miss your classes."

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

The word 'school' didn't register at first. She glanced at the clock, and came to realize just how late it was. There's school for you too, you know... she thought.

"Ran-niisan told me earlier that he'd write a note for me today..." to talk... The conversation she'd had earlier that night with Ran came back to her, and she was hoping there would still be time to talk to him properly later in the day. Perhaps not now, because she wasn't sure she had enough strength left to hold up a serious conversation with Ran tonight.

"Plus," she said, giving Omi another shy smile, and wondering yet again how it could be so easy to open up to him. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep right now."

[pichi.livejournal.com]

"Sou..." Well, he would have to go to school; whether Aya came along or not, he shouldn't miss two days in a row.

He still had a mission report to write-- work. There wouldn't be time for more than a nap before school.

"I'm glad it won't be a concern for you. I..." Omi stood up, feeling incredibly awkward from the conversation. Helping all the way to rubbing burn cream on his arms? That was... There was something uncomfortable about that, but Omi couldn't see why unless it simply pushed his independence a little too far.

Except that couldn't be right. He was going to need someone to put it on his back, and there had never been a problem getting help from one of the others. Accepting help from her shouldn't be different.

Should it?

"I'll check your room for you when I'm ready?"

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan nodded, breaking into a full, albeit a bit tired, smile. Somehow, being able to help made her feel a lot better about the entire night's events. And the prospect of working herself until she was too tired to care about sleeping alone was a welcomed relief. She headed for the door. "Thank you," she mumbled, suddenly feeling another wave of shyness return, before exiting.

[Aya-Chan exits]