Sunday 1.6: Escape

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran had grabbed his katana and stormed up to the exercise room, but the present moment found him hunched over his sword, staring at the hilt and the slim blade glinting beneath.

He should never have threatened Yohji with his sword, even if both men knew he wouldn't use it against him, at least not for that.

He could almost see the blood of the fallen streaming in the sunlight, a river that stretched down from the window and across the floor. Gathering on the blade and making it gleam orange with morning sun.

He had told himself that once his sister was awake, he would no longer be Weiss. He would no longer touch this weapon, or kill again.

But his sister need protection.

But it was more than that.

It was more than the money, too, however needed.

Perhaps it was a sense of obligation towards his team. Perhaps it was that he had transferred his need for a purpose to his team, now that Aya-chan was with them, now that he felt obsolete.

Perhaps somehow, Omi's idealism had spread to him, and he recognized the need for an absolute justice outside of the law.

Something was keeping him here.

He shook off his thoughts.

He was still throbbing with the irritation Yohji was so adept at provoking.

Ran straightened, and fell into a familiar pattern, careful footsteps and swinging blade courting one another in a graceful dance, two parts of one whole.

Comments

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

A barely detectable smile might have turned one corner of his mouth, but it would have taken something like a private detective to notice. Ran tilted his head towards his door. As far as he was concerned, things were smoothed over. "I'm taking a shower," he stated. As in, move, Kudoh.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran's entire demeanor had done a complete one eighty in just a few minutes. Yohji had never witnessed anything like it. No, that wasn't true. It was an event with precedence; Yohji had just never witnessed it occurring in proximity to anyone sans plaited black hair.

It made him feel weird in a way he couldn't quite pin down. Which was weird in itself, since hadn't Yohji just been bitching to himself an hour ago about how Ran was only nice to his sister?

There was probably something severely wrong with both of them.

Tension gone, Yohji concluded that the only thing left to do was try to act normal. And normal Yohji wouldn't pass up such a blatant opportunity to embarrass an associate.

"Is that an invitation?"

He cranked on his trade marked lecherous grin, and settled further down into his sprawl, clarifying that he had no intention whatsoever of moving out of Ran's way.

Really Ran just walked right into these things.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran scowled, then vocalized his earlier meaning. "Move, Kudoh."

Mentally, however, he rolled his eyes. He should have expected it.

To his disgust, some part of himself was still mildy amused.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Relieved to finally get a genuinely predictable response from Ran, and satisfied that the weirdness was under the bridge, Yohji plowed forward with his practiced charade.

"Nope." Yohji stretched languidly, and then held out his hand, palm up. "You either have to make me, or pay the toll."

He didn't bother to specify what that was, of course.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran narrowed his eyes, then in a completely uncharacteristic gesture decided to play along. What was wrong with him today?

"What toll?"

He should have just stepped on the ex-detective. In a choice location, of course.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Ran was playing along? That was a first. Aya Chan must've put something funny in the pancakes.

"Mmmm, the toll is relative. You must offer something equal in value to the fact that you just un-invited me to the shower."

He watched Ran, very interested to see how long he'd go along.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"I didn't invite you to the shower in the first place!" Ran exclaimed, finally exasperated. He decided he really wanted a shower, now, and Yohji was just at a loss for something to do. "There's laundry to be done, if you need an occupation."

He had almost suggested preparing the shop for tomorrow's business, but the headache of cleaning up Yohji's half-assed attempts was not worth getting him out of his hair.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"You're a tough customer," Yohji folded his arms over his chest, ignoring the laundry comment.

"I suppose I could settle for a candlelit dinner, but that's my lowest offer."

9...8...7...6.... Yohji braced himself to get kicked.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran's eyes widened. His mouth worked for a second.

...what?!

A moment later he was composed again. It was just Yohji, taunting him. "Come on, Kudoh," he finally said gruffly. "I am covered in sweat, and I want to change."

He eyed him for a moment, and then conceded that the man wasn't going to move without some sort of incentive. Threats apparently were not going to work. A sinking feeling told him that this was a bad idea, but on the other hand he had been suppressing nerves on the account of his sister being out of the house as it was, and he could, he admitted, use a distraction. "I will...talk to you after."

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji opened his mouth to make another annoying jest--"I am covered in sweat and I want to change"--just left so many possibilites....

...but found himself shutting it in surprise as Ran admitted he'd actually tolerate being social with him afterwards. That was...unexpected.

Yohji wouldn't willingly have admited to the sense of relief he suddenly felt.

"Okay."

He didn't actually get out of the way, so much as pull his legs toward himself to make room for Ran to walk around him. He wasn't really sure where to go or what to do with himself in the meantime. Maybe he'd just stay in the hall.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran gave Yohji a patented Look and went into his room. Replaced the sword, grabbed his clothes, did not look at Yohji in the hall on his way to the shower.

Was the man just going to stay there?

Inside the bathroom, he stripped and stood under lukewarm water, taking his time as he ran his hands over muscle and through thick hair.

What had gotten into Yohji?

Dinner.

Where had that come from? He would have, and had, brushed it off due to Yohji just trying to get to him, but asking him out on a date seemed somehow more...honest, than the usual teasing. Stuff about the shower, his body, innuendos...he expected all of those things.

But what was funny about asking him to dinner?

Yohji didn't like men.

Ran had never considered it. He had honestly never considered women seriously, either. Sakura, besides being too young and like his sister, had never interested him. And the fangirls, well, he had never taken one of them seriously.

He did not need to think about this now. Yohji was just trying to get to him, and had succeeded, however illogically.

Ran turned off the water and toweled off. Pulled on his clothes, rested his hands against the counter for a moment and prepared himself to find Yohji.

Why had he said that?

He could have just stepped over him. It wouldn't have been anything more than a matter of principle.

This was ridiculous. He had nothing to say to the playboy.

He opened up the door, and to his great surprise found Yohji still sprawled where he left him.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Did you have fun without me?" Yohji had perfected his instant, unprovoked pout.

He wasn't sure why he was letting this go on so long, other than the fact that Ran's unusual tolerance for it was fascinating him.

He observed Ran, waiting to be told where he should get up to go to, assuming Ran hadn't intended to have a heart to heart right there on the floor.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran didn't know what was wrong with him, but he almost smiled at the ridiculousness of assassin and ex-P.I. lounging in the floor of the hallway like a delinquent college student. Yohji's behavior had thrown him completely off, to the point that he was thinking he should have given in to his urge to watch over Aya at the store. Or maybe he should have just stayed upstairs reading that morning. He was used to Yohji begging for attention, but no one was around to watch him this time. Left to their own devices, they would usually leave one another well enough alone.

Honestly, it made him nervous.

"Get up," he said, voice halfway between alarmed and gruff.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Aye Aye captain," Yohji responded with a mock salute. The way Ran had been observing him a moment ago was kinda weird, so he decided to continue to play things up.

Why had Ran been looking at him like that, anyway? It certainly wasn't the first time he had seen Yohji sprawled somewhere with the obvious intention of being nothing more than useless and n the way.

He pulled himself up and stretched his shoulders.

"Up where?"

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran had to force himself not to take a step back as the taller man actually obeyed him for once and got to his feet.

He wasn't good with this. He'd never had to be. His teammates were tools, and this type of interaction was not something he'd had to learn. The occasional conversation, the rare moment when he identified with them were few and far between. He didn't know where he'd been during the time between Takatori taking his life from him and Aya's return, but it hadn't been here.

He regarded Yohji, careful to keep his expression neutral. "Downstairs."

Like hell they were sitting in their rooms. A parade of bedroom comments flitting from Yohji's mouth was not something Ran wanted to deal with.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji stretched one more time for good measure, and then headed for the stairs. He was going to he mission room. The very last place he wanted to be was at the kitchen table, remembering the scene from breakfast.

He tried very hard not to look back and see if he was being followed. He couldn't help but suspect that Ran would conviently disappear on the way down.

He was once again surprised by the sense of relief he felt upon arriving and finding himself still not alone.

Yohji flopped down on the leather sofa and watched Ran expectantly.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran was tempted to lean agains the wall and cross his arms. This whole thing was idiotic. He hadn't actually expected Yohji to take him up on his offer - tete a tete did not seem to be something that would interest the playboy at all.

Or himself, for that matter.

All he wanted was a shower, a cup of tea and his sister to be back with his teammates.

Gritting his teeth, just slightly, he sat both primly and awkwardly on the the edge of a chair.

And stared at Yohji.

If he wanted to talk, he would have to be the one who started.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Did you have to go to finishing school to learn to look that uncomfortable?" Yohji couldn't quite help taking a shot at Ran. How does anyone manage to motivate themselves to be that formal, with so little reason for it?

"I don't have cooties, you should sit on the couch." He gestured vaugely at Ran.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran felt he had lockjaw, he was clenching it so hard.

He did not have to stay here! He was prepared to leave when once again, Yohji blindsided him with a not-quite-genuine come on.

"What are you doing, Yohji?" He asked point-blank. With the friendliness, with the neediness, with reaching out to him, Ran wasn't even sure what he meant. All he knew was that he was on the verge of getting up and trying to forget all of this.

Maybe he was just alone and bored. It seemed a natural state of things for Yohji, although perhaps Ran just realized it.

Maybe, it suddenly occured to him, he had just never noticed anyone in the house before...before Aya.

There was nothing left inside of him. Even Aya herself didn't seem to need him anymore. He had no where else to look, but outside of himself.

So he stayed where he was, perched uncomfortably on the edge of the mission room chair, and waited for Yohji's response.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji was taken aback by the question. What did it look like he was doing? Wrestling crocodiles?

"I'm trying to 'talk' to you. It's kinda weird to have a conversation with someone when they're sitting as far away as humanly possible from you and watching you like you're some kind of wolf that wants to bite their face off."

He shrugged and leaned back in his seat. If only it weren't so hard to think of civil things to say to Ran.

"So what do you usually fill your Sunday afternoons with? Not church, I'm guessing."

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"I read," Ran responded curtly. "I meditate. I practice." Sometimes he arranged flowers, but Yohji didn't need to know that.

Conversation, a little voice in his head reminded him, requires a response.

It was beyond him.

Try.

"What...what do you do?" Suddenly, it occured to him that he truly didn't know what Yohji did, when he wasn't on the prowl or making his life hell.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran's answers were predictable, although his return question was unexpected. Yohji highly doubted that he actually cared, but that he would even make the effort to ask was noteworthy.

The problem though was that he didn't have a respectable answer. Ran didn' want to hear I go out to bars because the liquor stores are closed.

"Catch up on sleep mostly. If I don't go out I tend to bother Ken. Sometimes I read too, actually."

The hope that he had given then a common interest was slim. There seemed very little chance that their literature choices would cross paths.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran nodded shortly, indicating that he'd heard, then fell into silence.

Perhaps if he truly were Ran and not Aya, this was the point where he'd start fidgeting.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

"Asu--" Yohji felt the color drain out of his face, as his subconcious almost tricked him into saying her name. In front of Ran no less. Idiot.

"Someonce once told me I ought to try meditating," he corrected. "A long time ago."

Yohji now felt weird, as if he were watching himself have the conversation instead of actualy participating. Why on earth had he even said that? Maybe he would have been better off if he'd left Ran alone and found some anonymous company instead. This is what bartenders were for, wasn't it?

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran noticed the half-spoken name, even in his introverted state there was no escaping Yohji's past, just as much for the rest of Weiss as for Yohji himself.

But wasn't that true for all of them? They inflicted their burdens upon one another, even as they scrambled to remain isolated in themselves and their memories.

Except for Omi, of course, who had no past to retreat to that Ran could tell.

Ran allowed himself a small smile. "You would probably fall asleep, having to sit still for so long."

A long sentence for Ran, and almost a joke.