Wednesday1.24 - [cont'd from Wed. 1.16]

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

[continued from the end of Wednesday1.16]

"You set the terms."

Ran stopped parallel to Yohji in the alleyway, shoulder to shoulder. It was what he'd hoped Yohji wouldn't say, but it was Yohji, who was he kidding? Only himself, apparently.

Yohji fought with wires. With nets and lassos. And Ran was still trying to parry and feint.

Which was how he caught me that first time, Ran thought. Yohji bandied words and his weapon both almost effortlessly. The constant cat and mouse was wearing Ran down, where Yohji seemed to feed off of it. It was how he had come to the bad agreement he had in the bathroom, only he had meant it as an escape tactic, not a promise.

"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."

It was what Yohji had said a moment ago. It hadn't been his intent. If that was how Yohji saw it...perhaps...

A few days ago, Yohji had come to him, and tried to meditate.

He looked down at his hands. They were small and calloused. He knew Yohji had weapon-marks of his own on his skin. He knew many little details about Yohji, just as Yohji knew as many about him. The business of keeping one another alive was a personal one.

...perhaps he was truly hurting Yohji.

...but he had known it was hurting him. He had hoped it would mean Yohji would back away, give up, choose someone else and forget about this obsession. Anyone else.

It wasn't working. It was Yohji, his friend, his teammate. The one person who saw something human in him. If Ran had stopped to think, he would have known better.

He nodded slowly in unwilling agreement, and took a step sideways to face him again, putting small distance between them. "I set the terms," he echoed Yohji. "And I was wrong."

Comments

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Ran was staring at him, evaluating. Yohji felt like he'd been tossed onto a scale, one he held no shred of hope of measuring up to. It certainly wasn't the first time Ran had looked at him like that. Yohji hated it.

"Which part?" he said, noticing that he was letting his irritation and frustration overwrite his common sense in reacting. Hadn't you just chastised yourself for always antagonizing Ran? He couldn't stop though, he was just watching the trainwreck.... He was never especially good at handling being lead on. And they'd allowed this current situation to get rather absurdly out of hand.

"Which part were you wrong about being able to do?" he snapped. "The sex, or the bit about not caring about me?" He wanted to jab Ran for emphasis, but he was still standing too close to get any effect besides further awkwardness, so he just hardened his gaze. He bit his tongue before he could make it worse, the words you haven't given me the impression that either one will be especially difficult for you, just waiting to escape.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"Why won't you accept my answer?" Ran asked, frustrated. His eyes had narrowed at Yohji's directness. He just barely managed to stop himself from answering 'Both of those together'. He had talked this through with Yohji every time they'd been alone the entire week, it seemed. Why now? What had happened to make Yohji decide his happiness depended on Ran, of all people?

But wasn't that just like Yohji, always trusting the wrong ones, always choosing the people that would hurt him the most?

Questioning the other man's indiscernible motives only served to give Ran a headache.

He stared at Yohji expectantly.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Now was the perfect time to say something meaningful and sincere. Yep, the perfect time.

Annnny moment now he'd think of exactly the right thing to say to convince Ran of his earnestness. Yep, any moment.

C'mon Yohji.

"Because I used to be a detective," he drawled, his automatic smirk thoroughly undermining his own good intentions, "I can tell when someone's lying."

He stepped forward, canceling out the distance Ran had carefully placed between them, and roughly dragged his hand down Ran's front, making a point to not stop when he reached the belt.

"It's fucking maddening when someones lying about something that's important to you. I'd think you'd know that." His hand drifted back up and he let his grip sink into Ran's shirt and tighten.

He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "The reason I was a good detective is because I never give up. Sometimes it's a fault." He snorted.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran shuddered involuntarily at the touch, then knocked Yohji's hand off. "You seem to bounce back pretty quickly for someone who claims I just kicked you when you were down." Ran's voice was disgusted. "First you try to convince me you're sincere. Then you..." Ran fought for the right words. He couldn't find them. "I meant what I said. I can't do it under my terms. You left me no choice but to make a deal with you, but I can't do that. And I can't do this under your terms. I haven't been lying. This is a mistake, Yohji. You're confused, whether you see it or not." He took a breath. If he was pushing the man away, he might as well say all of it. "I asked you to the club before because I thought you would never go. I thought you were straight. I'm sorry. I should not have been that flippant with a friend." He met Yohji's eyes, and immediately sensed it was a mistake.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Yohji gritted his teeth so hard it was probably audible.

"It's not bouncing back, it's fucking masochism."

And I don't have a choice, it's the only thing I'm any good at.

He opened his mouth, but lost the words before he could articulate them. Ran seemed to be having that effect on him a lot lately.

"I didn't give you any terms," he finally said, grabbing the hand that had just knocked him away. "You don't have a fucking clue what my terms would have been."

He held Ran's gaze and narrowed his eyes. "Your terms sucked, that's all I have to say. But I didn't exactly have room to make stipulations, so I took them."

Confused. Ha. So Ran thought he was the one who was confused.

"A blind person could have seen that you only asked me out because you didn't think I would go. Christ, give me a little credit," he muttered under his breath. "Some people have no room to criticize sincerity."

A distant part of his brain was registering the atypical nature of Ran addressing him as a friend, let alone apologizing. But friend now fell so far short of the hopes he had been clinging to that he couldn't let himself dwell on it.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran glowered at the hand that was now held in Yohji's before transferring the gaze to his face. "Are you really this desperate?" He immediately regretted it. He didn't want to make Yohji think he needed any more convincing.

"The sex, or the bit about not caring about me?"

Ran's mind, independent of his will, sifted through the pitifully short list of people he had cared about. All dead, or hurt, or endangered because of him. Yes, he cared about his teammates. Whether or not they believed it. But he understood fully the commitments of his position. It was why he'd met with Sato on the bridge, so that he could get away from it all before he endangered Aya any more than he already had...or the others. How many innocent lives, after all, hadn't he been able to save?

And Yohji had almost died, because their team hadn't been vigilant enough. He couldn't solely blame Ken. They should have assessed that he wasn't ready for a mission. And Yohji had already almost died.

The trail Yohji's finger had traveled remained warm. Ran jerked his hand free.

[skyrat13.livejournal.com]

Are you really this desperate?"

For a second, Asuka's ghost flickered in his head, briefly eclipsing his train of thought for the current situation. His mouth twisted of its own accord, into a habitual smile that was as much self mocking as it was pained.

"I'd like to see you name one of us who isn't for something."

He flexed his fingers, weighing the futility of attempting to snatch Ran back. Pretty damn futile.

Are you really so cold that you can see that and still jerk people around?

"Although you avoided my question, so I shouldn't have to answer that." He scowled back.

[kuchren.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan threw open the door with such force that it hit the wall with a loud BANG and swung back, missing hitting her by a few inches. A man she couldn't make out was running towards a parked car with... what looked like Yohji slung over his shoulders.

Then, voices. Yohji momentarily forgotten, Aya-Chan turned. There was another man and this time she knew who he was - she'd never forget a face like that. And Ran. Pressed against the wall.

She wasn't sure what to do. Part of her wanted to throw herself at the man, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind stopped her; that wouldn't do anyone any good.

This couldn't be happening...

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"No! Aya-chan!" This time, Ran did struggle, despite the weapon at his throat. His eyes widened into an expression of desperation.

They hadn't killed Yohji yet, they hadn't touched her yet, she looked surprised...

He wanted to scream at her to get Ken and Omi, or to hide, but was afraid it would prompt Schwartz to chase her down. Silently, he willed her to run.

AYA!

He tried to throw Farfarello off.

[bloodyfarfie.livejournal.com]

Farfarello snarled when the door opened with a bang and glanced over his shoulder. He swore softly under his breath and shoved Ran against the wall again when the redhead tried to throw him off, one hand gripping his shoulder almost hard enough to bruise. Farfarello pressed the knife a little harder against Ran's neck as a warning not to go over to the girl.

"Don't move, Abyssinian." The blade dug in slightly, enough to break skin just a little.

/Schuldig, let's go! Put the kitten down an' let's get the fuck out of 'ere. An' no ye can't take the girl instead./ He wanted to cut off any ideas Schuldig might have in that matter before they even started. Damnit, this one was fucked up to all hell now. Crawford would be pissed.

[kuchren.livejournal.com]

No! Aya-chan! Ran's scream only served to remind her how absolutely useless she was.

The scarred man threw Ran against wall. And then, Aya-Chan saw blood. Just a drop, from where the blade made contact with Ran's skin. But enough. She suddenly felt the urge to throw up. Instead, she did the first thing that came to mind - which... wasn't that smart.

Picking up the largest and closest stone she could find at such short notice (which wasn't all that big), she chucked it at the scarred man. Much to her surprise, it made contact with his head. "Leave him alone!"

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

"No! Aya! Run!" It escaped his lips despite Schwartz' warning, despite the cold steel of the blade biting into his neck.

Ran snarled and threw his weight forward with an elbow jab as soon as the rock hit his attacker's head, catching Farfarello in the side below the knife. He hoped it was enough to provide distraction for Aya to get away.

[aki-jade.livejournal.com]

/Shit, Farf. Stop fucking around and get back here./

Schuldig shoved Yohji into the backseat, making sure he was good and out before climbing into the driver's seat and starting the car. This was very bad. Yohji had called his bluff by trying to hit him, and that pissed him off. Especially because the blond had caught him off guard. He hated being caught off guard.

/It's better to take him./ He rationalized to Farfarello. /This gives them something to focus on other than Johnson. Trust me./

He sighed, scanning the area for people nearby. Any thoughts of of gunfire were changed to a car backfiring. No one saw the gaijin with the blond man. No one saw the car. No one saw anything out of the ordinary.

Yeah. He was going to be in trouble. But wasn't that the reason he called himself Guilty?

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken rushed outside after Aya and nearly tripped over his own feet at what he saw. He took in the sight of that infuriating redhead with Yohji being thrown in a car; his teammate looked out for the count.

Aya-chan was screaming, he turned in time to see Ran struggling with-

~*HIM*~

The bastard that kept him from sleep at night. The thrice-cursed demon spawn that grinned from the depths of his nightmares. The inhuman creature that ruined his precious mental balance.

Farfarello.

He was too scared to move. Everything was happening in slow motion. Then something slammed down in him, and an animalistic mix of fear and fury raged up, and Ken was flying towards him like he wanted to rip him apart with his bare hands.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

It was over in the space of a blink. He snapped into reality with a sharp pain in his head and one-no two-wait, one Ran, and he was screaming.

Ken tried to scramble to his feet but fumbled, letting out a string of curse words that would peel the paint off a house.

"Ran, car, get the car, we can ow, FUCK. We'll catch them...!"

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

It took Ran a moment to comprehend Ken. He nodded quickly when he did. Yes. They would catch them. Why the hell hadn't he gone for the car first?! His eyes panned up, catching his sister. She looked terrified and resolute. "Aya, please..." She was never supposed to be subject to Schwartz again. His fault. She was in danger, again, because of him. He couldn't take her with him, he couldn't leave her. Fuck! "...find Omi! Tell him we've gone after Schwartz." He took a long stride, left leg first, ready to sprint for the car, and nearly crumpled when his foot impacted the ground. He steeled himself. The leg wasn't cooperating. He settled for a dragging limp. "Fuck! Ken, come on!"

[celtic-kitsune.livejournal.com]

[continued from wed 1.22 >_< SORRY FOR BEING LATE!!!!]

Omi came running outside nearly tripping over his own two feet. He looked around quickly. He spotted Ran and Aya-chan hurrying over to them he caught the last bit of what Ran said 'going after Schwartz'.

//Why was Schwartz here?// Omi asked himself as he knelt down next to Aya-chan. He watched Ran hurry off before turning his attention back to Aya-chan.

"Aya-chan, let's get back inside." He said trying to ignore the guilt for now, that he'd been slow getting out here. He always kept a pair of darts on him at all times. But today of all days he had to forget. Hence the reason he had run upstairs to grab them before heading out here.

[kuchren.livejournal.com]

Aya opened her mouth to object, but watching Ran dash off, she knew it was futile to do so. She sighed, and followed Omi inside the house.

[celtic-kitsune.livejournal.com]

"Are you alright Aya-chan?" Omi asked looking at her as he led her inside.

[kuchren.livejournal.com]

Aya-Chan nodded and glanced warily back towards the direction Ran had sped off towards. "Shouldn't you be going after them, and not staying behind with me?" She switched her gaze back to Omi. "I'll be fine. They didn't seem too interested in me anyways... But Yohji-San..."

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

Ken ran at breakneck speeds into the garage, vaulting through the backdoor and inside at an impressive rate. Less than a minute later he emerged again with Ran's katana in one hand and tugging a glove on with his teeth.

He swatted an errant drop of blood with the back of his hand as he tossed the redhead his sword. "You alright to drive?"

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran watched as his sister and Omi went back inside. He felt a small shred of relief at that.

Later. Right now...

He gave Ken a short nod, both of acknowledgment and thanks. He grabbed his sword midair, its familiar weight giving him a jolt of strength. He eyed Ken's head. "Yes. Your head?"

They reached the car, Ran turning on the ignition before Ken was fully inside. He waited until the door was shut to press his foot on the gas. They pealed onto the street.

[plotbunnytiff.livejournal.com]

There was a dull ringing in Ken’s ears, but he chalked that up to the rush of blood and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

“I think they were headed east,” he gestured, ignoring the inquiry about his health. It was nothing he hadn’t worked through before, and he had bigger things on his mind.

“What happened back there?” He viciously tugged the second glove on, his eyes darting everywhere for a sign of their quarry. “Was this revenge for the store-they wouldn’t-ok maybe they would go this far. What the hell do they want with Yohji?”

He forced himself to stop babbling so the other man could talk. It wouldn’t do his teammates any good to get frantic.

[genuinelie.livejournal.com]

Ran veered onto an eastbound highway, narrowly missing a turning truck. His lips were pressed thin, nearly white from either worry or bloodloss.

"Glove compartment, blue bottle, two pills." His pantleg was soaked through, and the pain was registering now that the immediate adrenaline had worn off. Had it hit a muscle? Bone? He could walk on it, that must mean it had missed the bone, no shards...he took a long blink, then refocused on the highway. If they went fast enough...

Ken had asked him something. "They wanted that disk," Ran grated out. The whole mission had been a catastrophe. He had no idea why the hell Schwartz wanted Yohji, so he didn't bother asking.

He slid his eyes toward Ken's head and quickly back to the road. "Concussion?"

[aki-jade.livejournal.com]

[Exit to Wednesday 1.25]

I think I forgot to post that bit. >.>