Wednesday 1.5 - Unsaid

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran strode down the hallway of the apartments after leaving Yohji's room.

It was easy to focus on other things, things other than what Yohji had just said to him. His shoulder was throbbing - he should have the others check if he had set it right - and he was so tired that he was close to passing out.

And his current life had finally been laid bare to his little sister. How could it get worse than this, really, in terms of what she could see? A body in a morgue? He was sure her imagination could supply her with that easily enough.

He wasn't surprised it had come to this. He couldn't allow himself to be, because it would be admitting that he, too, sometimes slipped into fantasy. His sister lived with four assassins; this situation had been inevitable.

It was miraculous it had taken so long.

He went to check on Ken, first. It didn't sit easy with him that no one was watching him, to his knowledge.

But his anger hadn't seemed to work like that, lately, did it? It seemed to bubble up gradually when faced with stress.

He turned the handle slowly, looked inside the room. Ken was out on his bed, still mostly dressed. As if he'd simply sat down and passed out.

He shut the door again, and paused outside of it.

What would he say to Aya? What could he possibly say?

She'd be asleep. They'd talk tomorrow. He went to her room, pushed it open.

...empty.

His hand closed against the wood of the door, and he leaned his forhead gently against the wall.

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[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya walked back to her room feeling particularly high-spirited. She paused outside Yohji's door, but heard nothing. Assuming that the others had all gone to bed - and thinking that she should probably try to sleep as well - she headed towards her room.

The figure by her door made her freeze in her tracks. Ran looked so... tired and sad. She wondered briefly how long he'd been standing there. Quietly, and unable to find any words, she walked towards him and slipped her arms around his waist. Aya buried her face into Ran's back.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Startled, Ran's hand jerked toward his waist, a reflex left over from the mission. It was a subtle movement, though, and a brief one before he'd recognized his sister's touch.

He opened his eyes, staring at the wall but seeing the expression on Aya's face from before, when she'd seen him helping Yohji inside.

So she'd probably been talking to Omi.

What had he told her? What had she asked, what did she know?

Ran turned to face her, setting them slightly apart. He didn't want to touch her when he was still wearing his used mission gear, even just the shell he wore underneath his coat.

"You can sleep in tomorrow," he finally said. "I'll call the school."

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya wasn't sure if she was happy that he broke their bond or sad. He was still dressed, and a little bloodied up. She took the separation to study him. "Are you..." she couldn't find words to describe her concern. What could she say? Are you okay? He obviously wasn't. Are you hurt? She should've asked that when he first came in; it was a little too late for that. Finally, unable to formulate a proper ending to her question, she turned to another question instead. "May I sleep with you tonight? I'll sleep on the couch and be very quiet." She paused. Then, "I don't... want to be alone." Not tonight.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran blinked at her, surprised by the question. It was the opposite of would you mind if I lived somewhere else?

"I'll pull up a chair in your room," he countered her offer. "I'll stay."

He was reminded sharply of when she was very young, and he had just learned to read. He'd pushed their mother out of the room, and said that since he was her big brother, he'd read her a bedtime story. She'd often asked him to sit with her after that, before they went to bed. Sometimes he would stay, and wait until she fell asleep, and feel important.

Except now, he was the reason she didn't want to be alone at night, and there was no one else to ask to stay.

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

Aya broke into a tired but genuine smile. "Then, let me just get washed up," You should too... "And I'll meet you back here." She turned for the bathroom, stopped, then turned back around to face Ran again. "I wanted to visit you earlier," Aya wasn't sure why, but it felt important that she explain this. "But you and Yohji-San were talking, and I didn't want to interrupt." It felt weird admitting that she had - albeit unwittingly - eavesdropped.

A pause. And then, "I, for one, think you have a lot to offer." And then, before Ran could reply, she ran into the bathroom.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

It was like a punch to his gut, but luckily, Aya turned before she could see his reaction.

So she'd heard Yohji-

It seemed there wasn't very much else his sister could find out about him. She had stripped his life bare without him even noticing.

"I, for one, think you have a lot to offer."

He stared down the empty hallway after her.

Had his little sister really just encouraged him to take Yohji up on his proposition?

He hoped she had heard it out of context.

But after all she had seen and heard that night, she could still say that to him, and sound genuine.

He finally turned into her room and settled into a chair by her dresser. If he'd gone anywhere else, to clean or change, he knew he wouldn't have been able to come back to face her. He crossed his arms, and took in the familiarity of her belongings.

After a moment, his chin tucked down, and he fell asleep.

[7bladed.livejournal.com]

When Aya came back into the room, she found Ran asleep. The sight - despite the still somewhat bloodied mission garb - brought a smile to her face. She gently draped a blanket over him and then settled herself into bed.

Sleep came surprisingly quickly.