Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The authors claim no ownership of the characters within, nor received any compensation for this work.
Cye bounced down the stairs with, to use a horrible cliche, a spring in his step and a song in his heart. He'd spent the night in his own bed with his Aya and couldn't be happier. The redhead had still been deeply asleep when he'd left, which seemed to be a small side effect of the healing from yesterday, but he should be awake in another hour or so. By then he'd have breakfast ready and Aya would see the note he'd left. It had taken a little persuasion to get the hospital to release the information he'd wanted but his lover should be glad to see it.
Bright sunlight poured through the window into his kitchen even at this early hour. Humming happily, he filled the kettle and began rummaging for breakfast things. He would do something traditional for Sage and Aya, very much not traditional for Rowan and somewhere in between for everyone else. He'd gotten his first cup of tea and was busily dicing peppers for omelettes when a pair of strong arms wrapped around him.
"Morning, Cye," Kento rumbled, nuzzling at the back of his neck. "You're happy this morning."
Cye squirmed in the big man's arms, turning for a proper morning kiss. "I feel just grand and it's going to be a beautiful day."
Kento laughed, pulling Cye closer for a more extended nuzzle, "Glad to hear it. I'm still not to sure about those guys being here but as long as you're this happy, I'm cool."
"Thanks, luv," Cye said, nibbling gently at his lips. "It will all turn out fine, they weren't followed after all. Still keeping a lookout?"
"Sure thing," Kento said, sliding his hands down Cye's back, resting briefly on his denim-covered bottom before indulging in a long squeeze. There wasn't much nicer than a bit of Cye-groping first thing before he started getting frenetic about breakfast. "I'll hear 'em coming or Rowen'll see 'em."
"Mmmm..." Cye found himself pressed up against the counter in short order, busy hands running in long strokes down his back. Not that he'd ever *do* anything in his kitchen, but being felt up was an awfully nice wakeup call. He wriggled again, sliding his thigh between Kento's and rubbing up against the flattering jean-covered heat.
"Cyeeee..." Kento breathed, nipping a trail down the side of Cye's neck. "Going to get me hot..."
"Ohhhh... can't have that..." He pressed closer, about to slip a hand under Kento's shirt when an embarrassed cough sounded from the doorway.
"Umm... anou..."
Cye blinked, peering around Kento's broad shoulder. Omi stood in the doorway in his borrowed pajamas, confusion in wide blue eyes.
/Oops,/ Cye said mentally, untangling from Kento, /I guess I forgot to mention about us to Aya's fellows./ "Come on, luv," he said, with a last hug. "Start setting places and let me cook." He turned to the sleepy-eyed blond and managed to stifle his giggle. It was hard to take pajamas with electric blue dolphins seriously. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked Omi, pouring him a steaming cup of tea.
Oddly, somewhere between the hug and the tea, Omi had come wide awake and was looking at Cye, puzzled and displeased at the same time. "I thought you and Aya-kun were a couple," he said suspiciously, taking the teacup.
Cye blinked. "Of course we are. I didn't go through all that trouble to track you down for nothing, you know. Muffin?"
"That's not what it just looked like," Omi said, ignoring the attempt at distraction.
"Ahh," Cye said, talking over his shoulder as he went back to his chopping. "Aya knows about all that. I suppose I should have warned you all but there never seemed an appropriate time to share that the five of us have been lovers for years. It's not exactly a topic that one just blurts out, you know."
Omi's eyes got just huge for a moment and Cye caught the silent amusement from his teammate at the sight. /He's not much younger than you, you know,/ he sent to Kento. Cye finished his dicing and started in on the eggs. /Even if he looks twelve./
/Cye!/ Kento suddenly found the cabinet with the bowls fascinating, better to hide his blush, Cye thought. /You've got a filthy mind./
/And?/
"We'll have to leave soon," Omi said, looking up at Cye. "It was nice of you to let us stay but.."
"But nothing," Cye replied, not pausing in his cooking. "Aya and Yohji especially are stressed to the breaking point and Ken isn't far off. Also, Ken ended up with a dreadful head injury. Sage and I need to watch that."
"There are hospitals, you know," Omi pointed out. "And we do have medical assistance available."
"True. And I'd rather they not know why you've turned up with half healed injuries that you didn't have a week ago. If they do as much as x-ray they'll see that they're in a state that would take nearly three weeks to heal naturally. It's as much for our protection as yours."
"A week." Omi said finally.
"For now," Cye somewhat agreed. Both knew that was as far as they'd get.
"Anou... Cye-san?" Omi said hesitantly.
"Yes, Omi?"
"Electric blue dolphins?"
Cye laughed, sliding a plate in front of the boy. "They were a gift from Rowen. He thinks the most dreadful things are funny. I never wear pajamas myself," he said blandly. "Toast?"
Omi blinked at the plate for a moment then started laughing. "You really do try to fix everything with food, don't you?"
"It seems to save time," Cye said with a grin. "Sedate a fellow with enough food and they'll agree to about anything." He reached down impulsively, hugging Omi around the shoulders. "Let us take care of things, hmm? Everything's safe here, I promise. And the others really do need to get some real rest."
/Noticed you didn't mention him./ Kento said, watching the pair as he started eating. /Though you look cute curled up like that./
/I'm persuading./ Cye said loftily, giving Omi's shoulders another squeeze before he started to let go. /He'd never stay if he was worried about himself, none of them would. So we get them to fret about each other and there's no problem./
/If you say so, Koi./
/Not a fish./
*****
Good morning, love.
I just thought you should know that I rung up that hospital this morning and an Aya Fujimiya was returned there, awake and well. She'll be held for a few days for observation and then released to the care of a Mrs. Momoe. I hope that's someone you know?
Anyway, I just thought you'd like to know. I'd have said something after I called but you were so deeply asleep I didn't want to wake you.
Breakfast when you want it, I have your tea blend here.
Love you,
Cye.
Aya stared at the words. "Aya Fujimiya." "Awake." Awake. It was the last thing he had expected. Could Cye have misheard? Could they be meaning the wrong person? Mightn't Cye have meant "alive and well?"
He knew that Cye wouldn't have gotten such an important detail wrong, however. Cye was always careful about details and getting things just right. Their shared tendency toward neatness and fastidious behavior was one of the things that made them so happy together. Of course Cye would know the impact this would have, that's why the rest of his note was so light and carefree.
His sister really was awake, then. Something about that aborted ceremony, or the weeks of being jostled around from one location to the other, stolen and stolen back over and over, had brought her out of her silent sleep.
Now she would be in that hospital room he had visited so many times, awake and wondering what had happened. Wondering where two years had gone, wondering what had happened to her family, wondering if she was alone in the world. Aya clutched the paper of Cye's note in one hand, mashing it accordion-style into a crumple.
"I can't," Aya whispered to the silky-voiced hisses of conscience in his mind's ear.
She's your sister, you're all she has, you've worked so hard, you're supposed to be together...
"I can't!" he insisted more loudly, clenching his fists in his lap. Before Cye, he never would have had thoughts like this. Before Cye, he knew that his destiny was to be separated from Aya forever. Before Cye, he understood that Aya could never, ever know that her big brother had become an assassin who killed in her name.
Aya would be safer if he stayed away from her. She would not stumble across a bloody sword, she would not be targeted to get to him, she would not be hounded by Kritiker agents, if only he could remain out of her life. It would be better for her in the end.
Wouldn't it?
Yet, for two years, he had worked for her. He had taken every job and completed every mission in order to get the money to care for her. To see Aya smile again, he had thrown away his own smile. Now that it was all over, a tug in his heart pulled him to the little sister he'd waited those long, bloody years to see again. Before Cye, he never would have felt like that.
Feeding hurt with anger, heartbreak with blame, he stoked the fire of fury within himself. It was Cye's fault, he told himself. Cye had done this! Cye was making him change his mind about something he'd decided on long ago. Only because of Cye did he feel this tearing indecision, and his was going to have to answer for it.
Still clutching the wrinkled note in his hand, Aya yanked on the shorts and polo shirt that Sage had left for him. The shorts were not nearly long enough, but Aya didn't have time to worry about the indecency of showing so much leg. His mission was to have a large, messy shouting match with Cye and he could just as well do it in ridiculous clothes!
Storming down the stairs, Aya made a cloudy little path toward the kitchen, not even registering the cheerful voices he heard in there. "Cye!" he snarled, in the same voice that always got non-paying customers out of the store. "What the hell is the meaning of--"
The sight Cye hugging a very small-looking Omi, who was dressed in odd pajamas printed with a pattern of dolphins and a size too large for him, was enough to stop Aya cold. The fact that Kento was practically leering at the both of them was more than enough to get his blood boiling again.
Cye looked up at the furious redhead, startled. "Aya? What on earth is the matter?"
"You had no right."
"What?" He looked from Kento to Omi, utterly confused. How had things gone from sleepy morning warmth to cold raging so fast? "What did I do??"
Despite the large and watchful eyes of Omi, not to mention the narrowed and suspicious eyes of Keno, Aya flung the note at Cye. It was too light to travel far and fluttered to the floor at his lover's feet. "This!" he snarled. "You had no right to do that! You have no business prying into my personal--"
"You asked me to call," Cye pointed out, calm and rational, cutting off Aya's enraged ranting. "You asked me last night, right before you fell asleep."
Thumping footsteps down the stairs alerted Aya to the approach of others. The noise had drawn them and they would come to Cye's aid, of course. Kento was giving him a glare that stank of distrust, and even Omi looked appalled at his behavior. None of them understood. None of them would possibly understand. Aya would be one man against eight; he could already picture the lineup against him. So be it. He could stand up alone, stand up for himself and his feelings, even when the odds were against him.
"What the hell did you do to Aya?!" demanded a sharp voice just behind him. Aya spun, shocked to see a rumpled and extremely annoyed-looking Yohji standing just behind him. Yohji gave Cye the same look that Kento had been giving Aya.
Someone on his side! Someone on his side, against Cye. Against Cye?! What the hell was Yohji doing, threatening Cye? Cye was *his*, Aya's. Cye needed protecting. Thoughts spun and whirled sickly in his mind, tangling up with the anger he'd been nursing since the bedroom. It was all a muddle to him, thought and feeling and emotion. Before he knew what he was doing, Aya had a fist raised and was growling, "Don't you dare speak to Cye that way, Yohji!"
"Everyone!" Cye's commanding British snap froze all of them in their places. Aya with his fist raised to Yohji's angry glare. Omi launching out of his chair as if to tackle Aya and keep him from hurting Yohji. And Kento reaching for Cye to pull him out of the way. All four of them, as well as the footsteps on the stairs, stopped silent.
"Be quiet. Sit down," Cye instructed, tapping his foot. "This is our first day all together. We are going to have a nice, calm breakfast if it *kills* us."
*****
"Now then," Cye said. "Who would like tea?"
Omi's attempt at a cheerful response quickly died in the face of stony silence from Aya and Yohji, as they took grudging seats at the table. The older men glared at each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away and admit defeat. Omi reaching for the sugar eventually broke their staring contest.
An uneasy silence persisted for a short while, interrupted only by a murmured request here and there. Aya kept picking things up just as Yohji was reaching for them; Yohji kept trying to catch Cye's attention and start another argument. Just when the tension was about ready to snap yet again it was broken by two unlikely events. First, Rowan stumbled into the kitchen, eyes half glued shut as usual and deposited himself in Yohji's lap. Before anyone could say anything he planted his customary good morning sloppy kiss on the startled blond.
And if that weren't bad enough, a good-natured argument could be heard preceding two others down the hall. It was a rather excitable argument as they were still halfway across the house.
"Dude! That was totally a foul. He ran right into that guy."
"Ref didn't call it, it didn't happen. Besides, he couldn't have gotten past their goalie anyway."
"It was still a foul!"
"Oh god," Cye moaned, rubbing his temples. "Ryo's found someone to talk football with..."
"Guys?" Yohji said, trying to free himself from a sleepwalking Ronin. "A little help here?" His eyes were very round as he tried to extract Rowan's hand from *somewhere* that was hidden by the table. The sleepy boy's squirms in an attempt to get comfortable were causing a hot blush to spread over the blond's neck.
Kento obligingly plucked Rowan off his victim's lap and deposited him in his own chair. A mug of coffee was shoved at the blue-haired boy and he downed half of it without regard for the scalding temperature.
"Mrrghhh?"
"No, Sage isn't here," Cye sighed in exasperation. "When you're awake enough to focus, you ought to apologize for manhandling Yohji."
By this time, Yohji was sunk so low in his chair he appeared to be attempting to crawl under the table. Across the table, Aya had begun to twitch. He was staring a little too hard at his morning miso soup without drinking any of it, a tic in his shoulder quirking at random intervals. Between the two of them, Omi had started to scoot closer to Kento for safety.
"Dude! It was so!"
"Was not!"
"Boys!" Cye barked, getting to his feet. "For pity's sake get in here and quit arguing. And when you're done, take it outside."
Ryo and Ken shuffled in looking sheepish, like two little boys caught fighting. "Alright, Cye..." Ryo mumbled, helping himself. "Hey," he said, brightening, "Do you want to go outside after breakfast? I can introduce you to White Blaze. He's a great goalie when he's not trying to eat the ball." Ken, now free of the side effects of his head injury -- though possibly, Cye reflected, not all of them -- nodded with enthusiasm and with a mouthful of onigiri.
Madmen, Cye thought, watching the barely restrained chaos. I'm utterly surrounded by madmen...
/It was your idea to have them stay./ Sage swept into the kitchen as he always did, immaculately put together as only he could manage. For a few moments, the madness all around paused. Sage had that sort of effect upon entering a room. All eyes were on him, as always. Green eyes were stunned and wide, baby-blue eyes looked almost frightened, doe brown eyes went dazedly blank, and sharp violet eyes narrowed. Sage had effectively and unconsciously redirected all attention to himself.
/I suppose you'll be thrilled to know that your boyfriend was climbing all over the strange blond then./ Cye was buttering toast with exceptional vigor.
/Hey!!/ Rowan protested, mentally awake enough even if his body was still slumped senselessly over his coffee.
/I know what Rowan was doing. Who do you think told him to do it?/ Sage met his friend's eyes with just the barest hint of a smirk.
/What on earth for?/ He was attractive enough, Cye supposed. But what he'd seen of Yohji's personality left rather a lot to be desired.
/Because I want him. He intrigues us and it will keep him away from yours. You did notice the tie between them, I hope?/
/Of course I did. I haven't gone completely blind, you know./ Between Torrent's empathy and Halo's revealing light, there were few social dynamics that the two of them missed. Healing together was not their only shared talent.
/Then hush and let us work,/ Sage instructed, perhaps a bit loftily. /You might also want to take the melon away from Ryo./
"Ryo! Don't you dare try to kick that thing or whatever you were going to do! I'll have you pick up every seed with your teeth!" Cye snatched the poor abused melon off his friend's knee, apparently in mid-dribble. "I'm going outside," he bit off. "I'll be back to clean up in a bit. Aya? If you want to finish our talk, you're welcome to come along. I'm going down to the dock."
As he stormed off in a fluffy auburn huff the men of Weiss just blinked at each other. What exactly had they gotten into?
*****
Silence loomed in the cheerful kitchen after Cye's ruffled departure. Yohji tried in vain to read Omi's hidden expression, or the thoughts in Ken's wide, surprised eyes. He didn't dare look at Aya, who was glaring at the meal he'd barely touched. And the guys who lived here, Cye's friends... well, the blond was looking strangely pleased with himself, and the one who'd kissed him still didn't seem to be awake.
Yohji knew they shouldn't have come here. It was bad enough to have to rely on people they didn't even know. Bad enough to have to trust people -- kids, really -- when their futures were so uncertain. But if Aya was going to brood, if Ken was going to get chummy with the black-haired one, and if the blond was going to keep smirking at him, this "visit" was going to become intolerable really fast.
The silence was broken by several people all at once, at that uncomfortable breaking point at which something must be said. Aya shoved back from the table without a word, but Yohji missed his exit when Omi leaned in and practically got right in his face with some cheerful comment or other. He couldn't hear whatever the kid said, because Ken and the other boy where banging their way outside to do something noisy and possibly dangerous.
"Those two ought to have a chaperone," Yohji muttered, nodding absently to whatever Omi had requested.
"Don't worry," replied the smooth blond -- Sage, he'd heard him called -- who hadn't spoken a word since his stunning entrance ten or fifteen minutes ago. In the confusion, the one that had kissed him seemed to become attached to the blond's lap. Yohji stared at them for a second, during which Sage gave him a practiced smirk, allowing him to drink in the sight. Then he added, "Ryo is the one in charge, after all."
In charge? In charge of what? Yohji didn't dare ask, even though he knew he was being unusually silent and uncommunicative. Too many out-of-the-ordinary shocks were piling up too quickly, above and beyond the fact of yesterday's battle against Esstzet and Schwarz. First, it had been the half-naked Aya in the hall. Then, the boy whose name he didn't even know had come in and kissed him -- with tongue, Yohji might add -- at the breakfast table. And now, Sage was describing Ryo as "in charge." Yohji was a self-admitted playboy but even he didn't think about sex as much as Cye and his housemates seemed to.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he should try to turn the charm on this self-assured blond. Give Sage a taste of his own medicine. A consummate charmer, Yohji knew when he was being played. The only thing he couldn't figure out was what Sage wanted.
"Come on, Yohji-kun." Omi pulled on his arm, getting him away from breakfast and the knowing gaze of the immaculate china doll across the table. "You have to help me figure out if our comm equipment still works. Let's get the stuff out of Aya's car."
That must have been what Yohji agreed to during the ruckus of Ken and Ryo barreling outdoors. With a heavy sigh, he pushed back his hair and followed the kid. Omi gave the remaining guys a cheery wave, but Yohji didn't bother acknowledging them. Still, he could feel the weight of pale lavender eyes on his back as he left.