The Black Cross

The familiar roar of a motorbike came from the road and sputtered to a stop as the door to the Koneko shut behind Ran. He froze by the door. A conversation with Ken was not a pleasant prospect - he wanted time to himself, a breather from everything he'd been confronted with in the past 24 hours. The entire week had been something out of his nightmares. The arrangement with Yohji, though he put all of his remaining effort into not thinking about it, left him feeling raw, and he didn't want to examine the implications of why.

So Ran froze, undecided in the alleyway. Perhaps Omi had left the kitchen; perhaps he could make it to the back of the house before Ken noticed. The possibility of running into Yohji stopped him from attempting it.

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As Ken drew closer, he began to recognize Ran's outline, familiar after so many years of peering at him in the dark during missions. His teammate was doing a great statue impersonation.

Did he not want to be seen? Was he trying to avoid talking to him alone?

Or was something else keeping him frozen in place? Fear, maybe?

Ken rolled his bike to a halt and kicked the pedestal down. He stood there, just as still as Ran, and stared at him.

"Don't worry," he said to Shadow Ran. "I'll stay put. Go on ahead if you want." Nothing to be afraid of was the heavy implication of his tone and body language.

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"Don't be an idiot," Ran emerged, eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms across his chest.

Despite the strange caution Ken was showing, he looked better, Ran noted.

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"I'm not the one hiding in shady alleyways," Ken retorted.

He frowned and tried a different tack, not willing to give up his good mood so easily.

"How, um. How's Aya-chan holding up?" He asked slightly awkwardly. "Is she ok and all?"

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[I'm sorry! I was waiting to see if Schwartz would post, and then NYC...]

Ran frowned at the implication he was doing anything particularly out of the ordinary, specifically because he was. It was with some amount of surprise that he found Ken changed the subject for him sharply.

He glanced down, reflecting on the conversations he'd had with his sister. "She is..." His voice held a small note of wonder. "Doing okay."

He wondered briefly what she would think if she knew of his new arrangement with Yohji. She had already accepted one of his secrets, his darkest one. Would she understand that it was simple attraction, that as long as they both agreed to and understood the terms, that the two men were not in a position to...create a relationship?But it wasn't her business, any more than it was any other member's of Weiss. And despite what Yohji might claim, it couldn't be any worse than him picking up anyone else at whatever joint he went to.

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Ken put his helmet away and nodded. "Great. I'm glad to hear it." He looked over at Ran as if he were going to get one last word in, but he decided against it.

With a half-hearted wave be began to make his way toward the door. Something still nagged at him about Ran being sly, but he intentionally squashed it. There was no point in letting paranoia make a waste of all the time he just spent trying to unwind. And even if Ran was a little off, it didn't mean it had anything to do with him.

~Good job, Hidaka. He finally gets that the world doesn't always revolve around him. Give the boy a prize.~

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Ran narrowed his eyes at Ken's retreat.

Ran wanted to get the hell out of there, and this was the opening for it. Seeing Ken, however, had brought the other half of his world back into focus. The rest of his problems, Yohji, his concern for Aya-chan, slid aside.

He'd seemed more civil, in control. Perhaps that meant whatever had had him acting out had been passing.

"It can't happen again," Ran warned after Ken. "Kritiker...we won't be able to write off your behavior more than once. If you're under stress...you need to deal with it before the next mission."

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"Write it off-!" Ken whirled around, a mixed expression of surprise and budding anger flickering across his face.

His eye twitched, and he took a stuttered breath in before he spoke.

"I'm working on it."

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Ran frowned harder. "That's not how I meant it." It was true. He hadn't meant to provoke the roiling expression on Ken's face.

To his surprise, Ken managed to calm down. It was a break from his recent reactions.

And a good sign.

Ran nodded cautiously. "If...I can help..."

He did care. He supposed that was why he'd said it, though he wasn't sure what good he'd be able to make on his offer.

Edited Date: 2008-06-30 08:51 pm (UTC)

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[Continued from Wednesday 1.17]

Yohji trudged up the stairs, pointedly stepping with as much weight as he could muster to ensure that he was clearly heard leaving. When he got to the top he paused, tried to count to 25 (although his patience ran out and he only made it to about 7,) and tread back down, this time silently. He slipped into the flower shop and out the back delivery entrance.

As Sato had stated, Ken was there, his bike a few feet behind him. What Sato hadn't warned however, was Ran's accompaniment.

Shit.

While just a few moments ago Yohji had been downright desperate to have a word with Ran, this was most definitely not the setting he wanted to have it in. And the thought of having to act normal around Ran in Ken's presence before having his intended private say was even less appealing.

He unconsciously stared at Ran for a moment before snapping himself out of it, and refocusing on his intended task.

"You might want to go for another ride," Yohji said quietly, blocking Ken's passage through the door.

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Ken turned to find Yohji blocking his way in. He threw up his hands in frustration. The day had been so nice, why was everything sour now?

"Can I at least grab a bottle of water before I get..."

Suddenly a feeling of dread sucker punched him in the pit of his stomach. Ran acting shady. Yohji won't let him in the house. The thick air of tension in the look Yohji gave the red-haired man.

"You might want to go for another ride."

"Kritiker...we won't be able to write off your behavior more than once."

His eyes widened a little, and he looked Yohji square in the eye.

"What's going on in there?" Ken managed to get out, slowly backing up towards his bike. Neither one of them appeared to be armed, but that could mean any number of things. Few of them were good.

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Yohji didn’t like the defensive look of suspicion that Ken was directing towards him and Ran. It reminded him of that mission where they’d pretended to be divided, and faced off as enemies. Ken was giving them the exact same look he had then. Except no one was acting now.

If he hadn’t already had a thoroughly bad feeling about this, it was promptly solidified.

“Kritiker’s new favorite babysitter is in the kitchen right now,” he nodded towards Ken, “and he wants some one-on-one time with you.” Yohji hoped his voice conveyed the urgency he was feeling. “Call me paranoid, but it gives me a bad vibe.”

"He'll be out here any minute," he added with increased tension.

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"Sato's here?" Ran said sharply. The news overwrote his alarm at Yohji's sudden entrance into the alleyway. He missed Ken's reaction, focused instead on the fact his sister was inside, with the Kritiker agent, and only Omi.

He headed toward the door, stepping past Ken and toward Yohji, averting his gaze to the building behind the man.

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Every muscle in Ken's back and shoulders began to tense. Several heartbeats went by where he honestly couldn't decide if he should run to his bike and make an honest break for it, or stay put and try to play it cool.

It shouldn't have surprised him that Kritiker would investigate, but it did. One teammate was injured by another. That sort of thing had to be reported, and Sato was the one who received the reports now...

But what did Omi put in the report that would warrent him showing up in person for a one on. One. Chat.

A icy cold, skin crawling moment of unadulterated fear crashed over Ken. His next breath felt forced; he crossed his arms over his chest and fought off a whole body shudder.

What did Omi put in that report?

~Just the simple truth, Hidaka: you're dangerous.~

Ken shook his head and walked back towards the house, doing his damndest to snap into looking non-plussed.

"Everything will be fine, Yohji," he addressed the other man as though they just had a pleasant chat. "I'll just explain it was a small accident, you're tough. Right? That's probably why he's here, to clear things up. Right?"

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“It would be refreshing to still possess your level of optimism,” Yohji said dryly, not budging to let either Ken nor Ran through the door.

“I don’t want you talking to him without,” he was about to say ‘someone’ and then thought better of it. “Ran there. I don’t trust that man.”

He turned to Ran now, and did his damndest to only think about the issue at hand. “I’m serious about that.”

I’m serious about a hell of a lot of other things too, but I guess they’ll have to wait until later.

“I’m supposed to be in my room,” he commented grimly, but hesitated to actually move.

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Ran stopped by the door, his back to Ken as he heard him speak, even before Yohji planted his feet. His eyes flicked to Yohji's, concern mixed into the glare.

You'd better be able to deal with this. Ran, in his own assessment, was unable to talk to Ken without throwing him off. He did not like the steady assurance of his words, it was unlike him.

"I'm going inside." Ran said flatly. "I'll make sure Sato leaves through the front door."

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[aaaand - this is the point where Susan develops a split personality. Sorry, all.

And Becca - 'a modest man does not talk to himself?' :-P]

"Why would you do that?" Sat emerged from the doorway, taking in the scene in front of him. The redhead fell back, nearly into a fight stance.

Hidaka, behind him, had looked as if he'd been about to run before he emerged. Kudoh looked no friendlier than before.

Sato sighed, and shifted his grip on his suitcase.

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~Don't let him see you sweat. Show no fear. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.~ This was the manta looping through his brain with each heartbeat now that Sato was there face to face.

"You were looking for me?" He slowly took off his driving gloves, drawing attention to his tough knuckles.

"I don't care much where we chat. Anything worth saying can be said in front of my team." Ken put just a touch of emphasis on the word, enough to make it stand out but not enough to make it a threat.

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Sato's eyebrows rose. "Of course." He gave a weak chuckle."I'm beginning to think you boys and I should sit down and have a chat!" He surveyed the three in front of him, his eyes resting back on Ken. He couldn't get a clear read on the young man. "I was just stopping by to tell you good job in person on that mission. I know it wasn't without complication, but I trust that was due to you boys having such a long break. Our fault, of course. We should have given you work."

Edited Date: 2008-07-02 05:16 pm (UTC)

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Yohji had slunk sideways at Sato’s appearance, doing his best to try to unobtrusively melt into the background. It was obvious that he could not prevent the agent from noticing him, but none the less, he wished to draw as little attention as possible to the fact that he had just blatantly defied the man.

He had to bite his tongue to stop a sarcastic comment from dropping at Sato’s remark that he was there to congratulate them.

He then had to stop himself again from speaking up to claim responsibility for the “complication.” Common sense told him that it would do little to help Ken, only serving to prolong attention on the fact that there was a complication. He shouldn’t encourage Sato to point fingers when the man had already deliberately sidestepped doing so.

He gritted his teeth and kept his gaze intently focused on both Ken and Sato.

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Ken kept his neutrally friendly expression locked in place, though his heart was starting to pick up speed. He furiously tried to interpret Sato's words and actions fast enough to figure out what to say next.

He hated, hated, hated playing word games.

"It can happen anywhere. Fall out of practice and you're bound to get a little rusty." ~Good. Keep cool.~

"But we're back on track now," he continued, sparing a glance over at Ran, "and soon as Yohji's healed up we'll be right as rain. I'm sorry about the um, foul-up. It won't happen again."
Ken hesistated, then bowed stiffly, almost as an afterthought.

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Ran glanced back at Ken, just missing contact with his eyes. He forced himself to relax, though his fingers were loosely bent at his side, ready to clench into a fist. He levelled his gaze at Sato. "We've discussed it." Ran's tone broke no argument.

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Sato's lips thinned, but it was so passing as to be unnoticeable. He looked from Fujimiya to Hidaka. As an afterthought he turned to the oldest Weiss, but he offered him nothing to go on.

"Well. I don't imagine I have to say this at all. I'm on your side. It's a very tricky business, though." A small line appeared between his eyebrows. "Great care has to be taken." His expression smoothed out again. "But I must admit, you're certainly one of the best we've got. I'm glad to hear you're perfectly capable of taking care of...things, on your own." He nodded once, as if affirming his own words.

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Yohji scowled and crossed his arms, which only served to remind him of the fragile state of his chest. He suppressed a wince.

He wished Ken hadn’t apologized. It was an unnecessary admittance of guilt. Maybe he should have claimed responsibility.

Instead he said, “I heal fast,” mirroring Sato’s nod with an affirmative gesture of his own. “Real fast. It’s barely worth noticing.”

Now there was a lie.

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[maybe we should do a 'tag, you're it' thing, lol!]

Sato's gaze focused. The specifics hadn't particularly been present before; he hadn't particularly cared. The four were still able to do their jobs for the moment, and that was what concerned Kritiker. Kudoh's comment however was somewhat off-putting. The oldest Weiss could have been grimacing. He could also be simply unfriendly. It was unfortunate Sato had had little contact previously with Weiss, before this assignment.

"Well. In the event it is worth noticing, I'm sure you'll remember to let me know immediately." His eyes shifted back to Ken, taking in his stance and expression.

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He twitched and straightened from his bow, his hands already forming into loose fists. Sato didn’t leave a great first impression, and even now the way he acted more like a “friendly warden” than a liaison was rubbing Ken the wrong way. He tried being polite, he really had, but the subtle undertones to the older man’s words were really getting to him.

"We *always* make complete reports," Ken stated firmly, a razor thin edge of indignation making his words sharp as Ran's katana. "But Kritiker should also be aware that there's a big difference between our jobs and what little scraps of a personal life you allow us to have."

~Shut up Hidaka. Stop it. You're going too far!~

"If one crosses over into the other," he continued, his temper beginning to roil just as it had when he argued with Ran the other day. "We'll make sure Kritiker is made aware of it. Otherwise, it can be treated as classified."

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Now Yohji did wince, although not from pain.

GodDAMN it Ken, SHUT. UP.

That ‘if’ was just as good as a big red flag that their personal lives HAD crossed into Kritiker business. Yohji’s bandaged chest was all the proof Sato could ask for.

He tried to make eye contact with Ken to signal him to shut the hell up but the other man was too caught up in his rant, and focused on Sato.

Well, in desperate times…

Yohji stepped forward and made a point of ‘accidentally’ stepping on Ken’s foot as he approached Sato.

“There will be no ‘if,’” Yohji said curtly, “our jobs are our top priority.”

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A dangerous play of emotion seemed to be rising under the surface of Ken's expression, and it wasn't that far removed from Ran's reaction. He was actually grateful when Yohji stepped in, sans smartass comment, for once.

It was a struggle to portray neutrality, though he'd had more practice with his sister around.

And wasn't that fact enough for Kritiker, especially after his own conversation with Sato? They had done their jobs, any problems they were having were purely internal. But Kritiker probably did think they owned them, body and soul.

He stayed where he was, between his teammate and the agent.

But was this really just the man doing his job? It didn't matter. It was hard for Ran to trust someone that fell back on courtesy, rather than honesty.

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Sato merely nodded, his face slightly troubled despite the small smile lingering there. "Glad to hear it," he commented. A moment later the worry was gone, like a passing cloud. "Though I must reassure you, Kritiker never doubted that, boys. You certainly get the job done!"

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Perhaps it was just his cynicism acting up, but Yohji found the sound of Sato's reassurance almost painfully insincere.

"Yeah, we do," he replied blandly, "and we do an even better job when we actually have a clue just what the fuck we're getting involved in. Like, yanno, maybe knowing what was on those disks."

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Sato's face fell into neutrality, eyes becoming a bit more distant. "I appreciate the natural curiosity, but that's not part of your job description, I'm afraid. Since it's...well, to be frank, the contents of this disk are dangerous. I don't even know all the details." He looked at the three Weiss. "I don't know that I need to tell you this, but I'm on your side. This," he gestured to their wary stances, "Is unsettling. You need to trust me, boys."

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Ken tried his hardest to retreat into a watchful (irritated) silence after Yohji stomped on his foot. But the longer the exchange went on, the more uneasy he felt.

"Since it's...well, to be frank, the contents of this disk are dangerous. I don't even know all the details."

If the disks were dangerous, why did Kritiker want them? The usual mode of operation would be to destroy something like that so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. So why take a risk? Was it sensitive information? Was it just a link to something bigger, something worse?

"Things changed a lot in a short time," he replied, staring at the concrete. "It's our nature to be extra cautious. We have to be. Nothing personal."

That was about as diplomatic as he could manage.

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Yohji raised an eyebrow, not buying Sato's claim of partial ignorance. It was only with a great effort of self-control that he managed to avoid antagonizing the man and completely voiding his attempt at silencing Ken.

Said silence was apparently short lived, although Yohji was relieved to hear Ken's words now to be non-threatening, and well, holding a sincere ring of truth. He nodded in agreement.

"Is that all?" Yohji made what he hoped was firm and conclusive eye contact with Sato. He getting anxious to see the agent off, clinging a bit to the hope that they had managed to side-step Ken's fate of a personal inquisition.

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Sato smiled at Ken past Fujimiya's shoulder, he was grateful the irritable redhead was staying silent. He nodded. "Understood, Mr. Hidaka." Kudoh caught his eye, and Sato took care to keep his expression steady. It was sometimes easy to forget this was a Kritiker team of assassins, even when it was he who was handing out their assignments. They all looked so...well, three of them, at least, looked anything but hardened killers. Certainly, even the redhead at times looked too young, especially to Sato now, after having met his little sister.

He nodded at Kudoh as well. "You know how to reach me. Don't hesitate to do so."

He shifted his grip on his briefcase and made his path in between the members of Weiss, dropping a light, reassuring hand on Hidaka's shoulder as he did so.

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“You bet I won’t,” Yohji muttered. He could envision all sorts of scenarios where he’d enjoy reaching for Sato. Unfortunately most of them required use of his watch and perhaps some other equally inappropriate instruments.

His gaze hardened as it caught the agent’s hand drift to Ken’s shoulder.

Was he simply getting too cynical for his own good? So many little gestures and reassurances which he had found welcome in Manx now screamed at him of double—meanings and nefarious intent. He had to keep reminding himself that when it came down to the bare facts…he had no real reason not to trust the man. Maybe he was cracking up and becoming paranoid in his (ha!) old age.

Yohji looked back at Ran and raised an eyebrow, wondering just what exactly his teammate made of all this.

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Ken couldn't help but tense reflexivly at the feel of the older man's hand on his shoulder. A swift, hot urge to brush it away violently swept through him. He ground his teeth, but he refrained from moving.

"Have a good day." He managed to get out before walking forward, anxious to be rid of the unexpected pat. It made him uncomfortable, like he was one warning away from being benched.

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Ran stayed facing the Koneko as Sato moved past him, his eyes tracking his movement as far as he was able. He steadfastly avoiding meeting the green eyes he felt on him.

Ken had dealt with the encounter well, Ran assessed. Significant progress from the mission. And Sato -

He still didn't trust the man. But for the time being, there didn't seem to be another choice.

Sato's footsteps fell at a leisurely pace as the man took his time departing.

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Yohji watched as Ran’s gaze somberly followed Sato’s retreat, his hope for some sort of reassurance efficiently squelched. He finally forced himself to look away, and did his best to erase the frown which remained, although no longer the result of Sato.

“Well,” Yohji stretched nonchalantly, eager to dispel the grim mood that had settled, “that was a positively charming interlude. I don’t know about you guys but I could use a drink.”

He grinned as he fished a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tapped one out.

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Ken half-snorted a laugh as he finished locking up his bike. He could feel some of the knots in his shoulders and lower back tensing up again, ruining the good work of his ride. One step forward, two steps back.

"If all his visits go like this I'm gonna end up getting an ulcer or something," he groused as he pocketed his keys and started to walk in the door. "I'll take a raincheck on that drink, thanks." He rubbed his neck and walked inside, the worry clearly etched in every line on his face.

[Ken exits for Wed 1.17]

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Ran was left with a slight frown as Ken walked away from them. He didn't like being kept in the dark any more than the rest of them, and he didn't like feeling worried for Ken. The fall of Esztet had felt like foreshadowing, like they could only see a single puzzle piece break off of something larger, something riddled with hairline fractures. They couldn't operate like this. Sato had given no word on further missions; Manx was apparently unreachable.

Ken had also left him alone with Yohji. He had been on his way to escape the Koneko. His own decision was not sitting well with him. The words Yohji had forced out of him were still hanging heavily over him.

Could he really go through with an arrangement like that?

Yohji did, all the time, didn't he?

But Ran...no, even Aya...had never been like Yohji.

Ran steeled himself, and decided to go check on Aya-chan. He started toward the door.

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Yohji hadn't moved far from the door since stepping outside, and instinctively moved to re-block it, before Ran's movement even registered.

The artificial grin quickly dropped off his face.

"Lucky me," he drawled, leaning casually on the door frame, "you're just the person I was looking for before Mr. Secret Agent Man crashed our party."

That wasn't what he'd initially intended to say. He still felt uneasy about Ken, they really ought to discuss what had just happened, find out Ran's opinion of how precarious the team balance might really be right now....

...it was a little disturbing just how quickly his brain derailed back to the matter of Ran, and only Ran.

Which pretty much answered his own question about the precariousness of "team balance."

He told himself he'd focus better on the issue of Ken's safety once he got this other discussion out of the way. It made sense.

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Ran halted, the snappy command-slash-threat not quite making it to his lips. Omi and Ken were both inside, one of them would have gotten him had Aya-chan not been all right.

He knew he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he had, after all, just been thinking that he and Yohji needed to talk. Again.

The alleyway was quiet, the adjacent street devoid of passerby save for the occasional car speeding past. Sato was who-knows-where, but enough time had passed that the man ought to be safely out of earshot.

The frown was creeping back onto his face, still only the smallest worried downturn of the corners of his lips.

Yohji managed to look like barging in front of him and leaning on a doorway for no apparent reason was the most natural thing in the world. His lanky frame was suited to loitering.

Sexy. Ran's brain supplied unhelpfully. Yohji managed to look sexy, leaning on things.

Ran crossed his arms in front of his chest protectively. The agreement was a mistake, and it was Yohji's fault for harassing him into it. But it was also partly his. He shouldn't have given in. Yohji had forced him to admit attraction -

- had forced him to admit it to himself -

"Yohji..." Ran's thoughts were disorderly. He hated feeling this confused. "What I said before can't happen."

Edited Date: 2008-08-02 03:55 am (UTC)

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A slight flinch broke through Yohji's nonchalant demeanor. He knew that if he pressed, Ran would say that. He thought he was prepared to hear it.

Of course he wasn't. That's why he'd tried to head him off. Cash in the agreement before it went null and void.

"I kind of figured you'd say that," Yohji sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He stared at Ran hard. The other man's face was lacking the rigid certainty he was used to observing there.

"But it's not acceptable." He quirked a weird, halfway smile and stepped forward so that he was nearly touching Ran's arm-shield. "I thought you were a man of your word, Ran."

He was asking to get (more) injured.

He didn't give a fuck.

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Ran was tired of Yohji invading his personal space. It was nothing new, but it was hard to ignore the subtleties of how his reasons had changed.

His gaze skidded off of Yohji's face, eyes shifting to the right to stare at dirty pavement. "I'm not..." He steeled himself, and said what he rarely did. "I was wrong." His eyes met Yohji's again. It was a mistake, the man was staring intently at him. Even after all that had been said, it was still hard for Ran to believe he wasn't being played.

Too much hung on the balance of his honesty. A small, insidious part of him nevertheless insisted he take his sword and take Aya and leave the mess of everything behind him. "I shouldn't have suggested those terms. I'm not..."

You.

"It's not something I can do." Ran's voice had gained steadiness, but his frame was still tense, shoulders bent slightly forward.

Edited Date: 2008-08-02 04:49 am (UTC)

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"That's a fucking load of bullshit."

He was too tired and worn down to craft a tactful retort. He was too tired to deal with this properly at all. He shouldn't have rushed this, if he'd waited till he could actually think straight he might have actually stood a chance of talking Ran down.

If he waited he wouldn't have chanced upon Sato and managed to warn Ken.

He effectively squelched the thought relationships shouldn't hinge on having to 'talk someone down' anyway.

"I'll tell you something you can do. You're getting pretty freaking adept at throwing me shreds of hope and then kicking me when I'm already down."

Bad. Badbadbadbad. And you, Yohji, are quite adept at saying the worst possible things to Ran. Every. Single. Time.

Maybe if he kept talking fast enough Ran wouldn't notice he said that.

"You're not..."

A liar.

"I mean...." words failed him again.

"You don't just say things Ran." He tried to hold his gaze but it was too hard. He focused on the weirdly naked hole in Ran's ear instead.

"You wouldn't have said it if you couldn't. And I can't deal with you taking that back. I can't even deal with 'waiting till I'm better.'"

God, he sounded needy. He wouldn't even be inclined to listen to himself.

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"You don't understand." Ran said, irritated because he was frustrated. His eyes flicked across Yohji's.

There was no way in hell for him to say what he needed to without revealing too much.

His tone turned agitated. Yohji had a point; Ran was uncomfortable reneging on even a ridiculous promise.

"Not on those terms, Yohji," he muttered, and hoped he'd been quiet enough that Yohji couldn't hear him. His gaze still averted, he attempted to push past him toward the koneko.

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Yohji noticed that for a second there his heart apparently seemed to migrate to about the vicinity of his esophagus and effectively stopped beating.

He couldn't allow himself to analyze the meaning of Ran's words.

"You set the terms."

He didn't trust himself to say more than that.

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