It didn't happen. It couldn't have happened. It made no sense that something like that would happen. Not when he'd been in the middle of getting ready for a date with the very pretty girl he'd met the day before. Not after the way he and Aya fought. Not when he'd been angry enough to want to seriously hurt the redhead for the comments he made...
But instead, he'd ended up doing 'that' with.. No. It didn't happen. Youji kept repeating these things to himself as he dressed in the morning. Over and over he would tell himself that it had just been some strange dream. He hadn't spent the hours that Ken and Omi were out, with Aya. He hadn't woken up on the floor with Aya huddled against him, still asleep. Hadn't carefully picked the redhead up to lay him in his bed, then tucked him in and slipped out to go back to his own room before the others came home.
It didn't happen.
Youji sighed as he buttoned his shirt up, then sank down to sit on the edge of his bed, his hands coming to cover his face. It happened, and he knew it did. There was no sense in lying to himself about it.
How had it gotten to that point? How and why did an all out fight suddenly turn into...'that'?
Was it when Aya fell on him? When he turned his lavander gaze towards Youji with such a shocked expression? When the shock had been replaced by the look of shame and innocence when the redhead had started to respond, willingly or not, to being pressed so close to Youji in all the right places and.. Stop. Stop right there, Youji commanded himself and stood, walking to the mirror after grabbing his brush from the dresser to try and tame the wild mess on his head. "Dammit." He muttered at his expression, frowning. Even thinking about it was causing 'problems' in places. "Dammit."
Aya woke slowly, trying to force himself to stay asleep, but the sunlight streaming through his window and the sounds of another busy city day starting called him from his dreams and he sat up with a yawn and a short stretch.
He swung his legs over the side of his bed, making a face when his bare feet touched the cold floor, and again he noted that it was time to go buy a new pair of slippers.
He groaned as he stood and reached for something to dress in. His muscles were screaming at him with soreness. From what? He frowned as he took another pair of jeans from his drawers, trying to remember what he'd done to cause such aches, and then it hit him. Like a speeding truck would hit him if he stepped out onto the highway.
The whole scene of the night before played out in Aya's mind, numbing him where he stood. The bathroom, the fight, the...towel..Youjis towel... Aya swallowed hard and glanced over to where Youjis towel was still laying on his floor, exactly where it had come off before they had started.. Aya took a step back, almost stumbling to sit back down on his bed. What..what had he done? What was he thinking when he did..'that' with Youji? He frowned and sighed when he remembered that he hadn't been thinking. Only feeling..and everything Youji had done to him had felt wonderful... Suddenly Aya desperately wanted to take a shower, but upon standing again, he found his knees still weak, either from the fight or from the way he'd been moving over...
Cursing himself for the unwanted thoughts and cursing Youji's hormones silently, he sat back down on his bed and calmed his nerves. Just because he had slept..with Youji..didn't mean there was any commitment. He'd tell Youji off for what he did, and that would be that. Surely other guys had experimented with that field. It just made him more straight for not having liked it.
Except, he had liked it...
Aya grunted verbally and stood up, ignoring the soreness and tugged his pants on hasitly. He was the leader of this group, and he had no time or interest in 'love', and especially not with Youji. If Youji thought that there was going to be any continuing of what happened the night before, he was wrong, and Aya would make sure he knew it. He fastened his belt and told himself this over and over as he walked to the door and opened it. He faced the hall, took a deep breath, and stepped out.
"Dammit" Youji swore once more as he tossed his brush back to his dresser where it clattered into one of his many bottles of colonge, sending both to the floor. With a sigh, he ignored the crash and headed out into the hall, hoping that no one else was awake yet. But he could hear Omi and Ken chattering away at the breakfast table already, so no luck there. If he had any luck left, they wouldn't question him. If they did, Youji could hear what his stuttered responses would be now. 'No! I wasn't with Aya all night! We didn't do a damn thing!'
And then they'd definatly know that something was up. He cursed under his breath, hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked slowly, trying to come up with good excuses, then looked up when he felt a familiar pair of eyes staring at him. There was a very angry looking Aya standing there, nearly blocking his path, looking like he wanted to kill. Youji suddenly wanted to turn around and go back to his room and hide. The look on Aya's face was enough to scare the hell out of all the Schwarz put together.
Quickly, Youji looked away, keeping his focus on the oppostie wall as he tried to walk past, brushing against Aya without meaning to, but the redhead was just not moving to let him by. Youji pushed past, determined that he wasn't going to be caught dead having to discuss what happened. Especially not where the others could hear.
Aya's face changed from its rock solid, sure-of-himself expression, to a look of disbelief when Youji passed him like he wasn't even there. Did the man not even remember what they did the night before? How could he even pretend something like that didn't happen?
Aya skowled at these thoughts, and at the tiny feeling of hurt he felt rising in his chest. He quickly pushed it away, not allowing it to come. No, he would not let this affect him.
He would give Youji a piece of his mind later on, and that would be the end of it.
Sure of himself once again, Aya stalked off to the washroom to have his shower, making it an especially hot one that would scald his skin. He was cleansing away the strange feelings..or trying to at least..
Ken looked up from his place at the table when Youji rushed into the room. A rushing Youji was a little more interesting than the latest soccer scores that he had been reading in the paper. He watched as Youji grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table, taking a bite of it while trying to put his boots on at the same time. After a few failed attempts to munch the apple and tie the boots, he set the fruit back down in the bowl and knelt to tie them properly. Omi made a disgusted face at the now half eaten apple in with the good fruit. Ken only snickered at this and gave a little wave as Youji finished and hurried out the door without saying a word to either of them. For as long as Ken's known the man, he'd never seen Youji hurry to do anything, especially in the morning.
"That was strange." He muttered to Omi, who nodded his agreement, then went on with eating breakfast.
Not long after, Aya's freshly showered form entered the main room, his still damp hair neatly combed into place. There was always something in the way he moved in the mornings that said, 'don't bug me', but this morning it seemed all the worse, his constant frown a little darker. Ken noticed this and wondered if it had anything to do with Youji's rushing. He wondered over this even more when Aya's question came.
"Where's Youji?"
Ken smirked and grabbed one of the un-Youji eaten apples and tossed it to the cranky redhead.
"Well good morning to you too Aya."
Aya caught the apple without breaking the glare he had set on Ken. A glare which Ken ignored by looking away, leaning back and setting his feet up on the table.
As usual, Omi decided he should pipe up and try to keep the peace amoung his fellow assasins. "He left about twenty minutes ago Aya. Is everything alright?"
"Everythings fine." Aya snapped so sharply that Omi jumped a little. "Alright..just asking.." Omi muttered quietly, then got up to grab his book bag to head out the door. He was already late for school. He bowed slightly to Aya and Ken, then gave a wave as he left, calling back to them. "Open shop soon! I'm off to school!"
Aya didn't need to open the shop, as Youji was already in the process of doing just that. Youji's shaky hands pulled the dark apron down, then slipped it over his head. He tied it behind his back then went about the usual morning chores of the flowershop, rolling up the front panel to open the store to the street, setting a few of the larger plants out so the people passing by could see them.
This was just another normal day, Youji told himself as he tried to calm his nerves. He knew he needed a cigarette to help with the calming, so he went outside and pulled his pack from his pocket, lighting one and puffing from it, relaxing slightly as he felt the nicotine rush flowing through his lungs.
That relaxed feeling allowed him to get on with watering all these plants before the crowds started arriving.
Youji stood there watering things, almost dazed in his thoughts about Aya when Ken came down the stairs, looking like he was about to go out somewhere. Ken blinked a few times, looking around, amazed that Youji had opened shop so fast. He had been thinking Youji might have been rushing to leave so he could get out of doing his shift that day. But there was Youji, watering the plants out front, nonchalantly puffing on his cigarette. "My, but weren't you in a hurry to open shop." Ken commented as he walked over to where Youji stood. "Not gonna try to shove your shift off on me today?"
Youji jumped when Ken spoke, as if he hadn't been paying attention, and he turned his half startled, half cocky grin towards Ken. "Just waiting for someone I guess."
Ken chuckled, then realized that he'd forgotten something back in the kitchen. "Yeah well, don't wait too long Youji."
He laughed and headed back, blocked from going upstairs by Aya, who'd suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking very angry. The apple was still in his hand, uneaten. "Excuse me Aya." Ken muttered as he pushed past Aya, leaving the store empty other than the redhead and the nervous Youji. Aya smirked at Kens departure, and turned his gaze back to what it had been set on the moment he stepped into the shop. Youji. Youji who was still standing there smoking and watering things, without even glancing back at him. Maybe he hadn't heard Aya come in. Surely he wasn't going to ignore this whole issue...
He would confront Youji as soon as Ken left.
Youji knew Aya was there. He knew the minute Aya had stepped into the room because he could feel the cold angry stare aimed at his back. And yes, he was most certainly going to ignore what happened last night. Youji didn't want to talk about what happened with Aya, because as far as he was concered, nothing DID happen.
Ken came back down a minute later, having gotten whatever it was that he needed and he grabbed his helmet off the wall, then headed outside. "Oh yeah." He said just before he left. "Some girl named Yuko called last night, Youji. Seemed awfully upset that you stood her up!" He flashed a peace sign to Youji and Aya, then left to get his motorbike from where it was stored. Youji's eyes went wide. Yuko! The girl he had a date with the night before! The date he had forgotten all about once his interest had been turned to Aya..
He should have called her at least. 'Sorry I missed our date. I was too busy screwing one of the other men that I live with.' Yeah, that would have gone over really well.
Well, she didn't have to know. No one had to know. HE was certainly not going to annouce it to the world that he slept with another man, and he was pretty sure Aya wasn't going to tell anyone either.
Youji sighed, then blinked when he realized he'd been watering the same plant for the last ten minutes. He shut off the hose before he killed the poor thing with too much liquid.
He hoped Yuko wasn't too angry with him because she was a cute little thing. Maybe she'd come around the shop later and he'd have a chance to make it up to her.
The store was empty again and Aya saw his chance. He moved towards Youji, already planning out what he was going to say. 'What where you thinking? Don't you dare think that I'm going to let it happen again..' And then Youji would turn his smile towards Aya and that certain look in his eye that would say he would most certainly try it again..
But Aya was stopped as the first mob of school girls started flocking into the shop, already flirting with Youji, and attempting to flirt with Aya. He sighed and set his apple on the counter, then donned his pink apron, eyeing the back of Youji's head every so often as he tried to ignore the girls who were standing around gawking more at the men in the store than at the flowers. He went on with making a flower arrangement.
Youji's smile returned to his face when the girls started flirting with him, and he flirted back as he worked, for once not caring if they were underaged. They were girls, and that meant he could flirt with them. Girls. Not guys. Not Aya..
They were all cute girls as well, and Youji made sure to flirt with each one, winking and giving out the smile that made them swoon. They followed him around the store as he worked, laughing and giggling at the small talk and the jokes he made.
Youji smiled to himself, starting to feel a little better. He loved all this attention, and it made him confirm to himself that he was NOT gay. One night with a handsome redhead compared to countless nights with pretty girls... It didn't mean anything. Youji wouldn't let it mean anything..
He wouldn't admit to himself that it had..
Aya was seething where he stood by the cash counter, watching Youji's every move. So angry at himself for being affected by Youji acting like nothing happened, angry at Youji for acting the way he always did with the girls. Flirty and idiotic. Angry at..at the feeling that tightened in his chest every time he saw that smile flashed at one of the girls. The feeling that he could only name as jealousy.
His hand absently picked the apple off the countertop and clenched it, his thumb and forefinger bruising it as he glared at Youji, but a soft voice soon brought him out of his reviere. "Fujimiya-san?"
He looked to the meek-voiced girl before him, who held out a potted plant, smiling sweetly up at him. It made him feel ill.
"I'd like to buy this.." She said shyly, worried for a moment that he wouldn't accept the plant.
Aya realized that he was supposed to be manning the cash register and he sighed, wordlessly taking the potted plant from the girl and ringing the price up. "550yen." His voice came, toneless as he payed more attention to watching Youji outside with three girls, than to the pretty girl beside him. Youji and the girls around him were having a good laugh about something. Maybe it was a crude joke about Aya..
The girl handed over a 1000yen bill to Aya, who mechanically took it and delivered her change. She bowed her thanks and walked off, wondering if she'd done something wrong to make Aya ignore her like that. She'd been hoping to flirt more a little more with Aya before joining the others outside who were flirting with Youji.
Youji. She stopped, frowned and followed Aya's gaze to where Youji stood, now with an arm around one of the more lucky girls. That must be what was wrong, she realized. She looked to her left and saw a pretty vase full of red roses. Breaking one off, she returned to where Aya stood and set the rose in his breast pocket.
"Don't be so down." She smiled sweetly up at his confused look, then giggled and ran out of the store to try and drag her friends away from the taller man out front. They were late for school.
Aya looked down at the rose in his lapel and wished suddenly that he could see his sister. Everything would be ok again if he saw her..
The day went on slowly as horde after horde of girls came and left the store, spending their money on flowers and plants they didn't really need nor want, only to get the chance to talk and flirt with Youji and Aya. Youji made sure to flirt with every girl he possibly could as if that would make him sure of not being gay. He also made sure to stay away from Aya, moving to whatever part of the store Aya wasn't in. This of course, heaping coal on the already burning anger within Aya with each passing moment. Youji looked up when a familiar face entered the shop, and he smiled, calling out, "Yuko!"
The long haired, blue eyed girl he missed his date with the night before smiled back at Youji and skipped over, taking both his hands into her smaller ones. "Youji, where were you last night? I waited for hours.." Aya listened, smirking from where he stood near by with a broom, sweeping at some of the dirt he'd spilled earlier. Yes Youji, tell her where you were and who you were with, he thought to himself.
Youji's face was set in the most apologetic grin he could manage and he draped an arm around Yuko's shoulders. "I'm sorry Yuko.." He said softly to try and mask the nervousness that suddenly wanted to choke out his words. "Something came..up.."
A sudden clatter drew Youji and Yuko to glance back to where Aya had dropped the broom. Youji quickly looked away when he saw the anger on the redheads face.
Aya had dropped the broom in shock when he heard Youji so easily brush off what really happened as 'something came up'. He was ready to slaughter the older man.
Yuko gave Youji a questioning look at the seemingly uncomfortable moment, and Youji quickly moved her to the other side of the store, where a nice display of posies stood. He picked one and set it in her hair, making her smile turn into something starry and dazed.
"I'm sorry Yuko, will you let me make it up to you tonight? I'll take you out for dinner."
Not many girls can resist forgiving Youji when he's being so sweet, and of course Yuko forgave him right away, nodding slightly. "Alright...I'll be ready at six Youji. Don't let anything come up this time!"
Though Aya could no longer hear what the two where saying, he watched Youji and the girl he had been choosen over the night previous, having picked up the broom again to sweep, though the floor was spotless by now. He watched as Yuko giggled and bounced off happily like the airhead she was, leaving a smiling Youji behind. Probably thinking of the good lay he was going to get that night..Aya skowled at this, and at himself. Why an earth was he acting this way?
A squeal outside signafied that Omi was back from school, followed by the sound of Kens motorcycle returning to it's parked place outside. Aya's and Youji's shifts were over, and they were free to go on with their own business.
Omi bounded in, stopping to say hello to a few of the girls he knew, and he reached for his apron and put it on. Ken came in and did the same a few minutes later.
Aya pulled his apron off slowly, watching as Youji did the same, then turned to follow him as he headed to go back upstairs.
"Youji." He stated, his tone dark and dangerous. "We need to talk." Youji froze for a moment at the sound of Aya's voice, but not for long as he continued up the stairs, ignoring the redhead and praying that he wasn't going to try and start something right there in front of the others. Aya followed.
Ken and Omi exchanged glances at the odd behaviour of the two, but shrugged it off and went on with their work.
"If you think that ignoring me will lead to me dropping this, you're mistaken." Aya growled at Youji's back, following him into the living room and watching him flop down onto the couch to pick up the converter and turn on the tv.
"Your running away from this isn't going to solve anything, and if you're not man enough to confront me about it, then I'll be man enough to do it for you." Aya's tone was anything but nice.
Youji let out a long drawn out sigh as he flipped through the channels on the tv. Aya wasn't going to leave him alone about this. Wasn't going to let him forget that he'd done something he was so sure he'd never do. Wasn't going to let him try and forget about the feelings he'd had the night before..the feelings he still had..
Youji tore his gaze away from the television he hadn't really been watching anyway and gave Aya a dull look.
"Aya, what exactly do you want to discuss about this? It happened. Leave it be."
Aya just stared at Youji with a blank look on his face, any hope that the older man wasn't trying to ignore him and what happened, destroyed. His teeth clenched shut as the cold hearted words echoed through his mind over and over. The turmoil inside Aya was enough to make him feel sick. He'd given himself to Youji so easily last night, and there Youji sat like it meant nothing to him. Nothing.
"Just be sure that it wont happen again." Aya hissed, then turned on his heel and stalked off, needing to get out of there before he punched Youji's lights out. He headed for his room, then changed his mind and quickly went to put his coat on, leaving the apartment and slamming the door behind him so hard that the walls trembled. He'd go see his sister and talk to her about this. He'd feel better after talking to her..even if she couldn't answer..
Youji closed his eyes as Aya left, jumping when the door was slammed so hard, then opened his eyes again to gaze at the spot Aya had been standing in just seconds previous.
"Aya.." He whispered through a sigh, then pushed aside the feelings and got up to get ready for his date.
Part 3 | Fanfiction