fic: thursday shopping (A/Y) (wip)
[i don't own WK]
If Youji had come to appreciate Thursday evenings as of late, it was probably, he could admit, because of the attention.
He strolled down the aisle after Aya, draped over the back of their cart, and smiled winningly at a woman walking in the other direction. She blushed and smiled back, glancing between him and Aya quickly before hurrying away. Yes, Youji thought smugly, it was the attention. The looks women gave him and Aya as they disbelievingly ogled, Youji liked to think, at the chances of two such good-looking men being acquainted with each other.
Aya checked the list before selecting a few cans of something from a shelf.
“That’s everything.”
They made their way to the check-out lines, Youji steering them towards a cute redhead at one end. He managed to make her blush three times before Aya had paid and started to leave without him. Grabbing the rest of their grocery bags, Youji winked at the girl one last time and jogged out of the store to catch up.
This part of Thursday evenings was less fun because Aya insisted they walk the eight blocks between the grocery store and the flower shop instead of drive. Youji adjusted his grip on the heavier of the bags he was carrying and stole a glance at Aya. He didn’t quite understand why Aya had started doing the shopping with him lately. Except that maybe it was an effort to sabotage his smoking habit because he wouldn’t let Youji buy cigarettes with the shop money that Omi now entrusted to Aya. Not that Youji minded really, because it meant less work for him at the store and more time to flirt with lovely strangers. …Not that he ever got very far with Aya around.
Youji was about to ask Aya if he had any plans for his day off tomorrow when a shriek was cut off abruptly from around the corner of the block. They glanced at each other, set down the grocery bags and ran silently around the corner, towards the dark mouth of an alley.
Inside, two large shapes were looming over a smaller one and Aya immediately bolted forward, grabbing one of the men and punching him flat out. The other man turned around and Youji sprinted towards the woman who struggled in his grasp until he soothed to her that they were here to help. Together they ran out of the alley, Aya right behind them.
Once in the relative safety of the lit street, Youji turned to ask Aya if the bastards were down and out, but Aya was staring at the young woman whose elbow he was still holding. Spooked and obviously not appreciating being stared at, she shook out of Youji’s hold and took off down the street, her long black braids flying out behind her.
Youji glanced cautiously at Aya who was staring after the girl. Her resemblance of his sister was enough of a clue that when Aya tried to plunge back into the alley, Youji was ready. He grabbed Aya’s arm, but when that was wrenched out of his grip, Youji tackled him to the cold brick wall of the alley.
“Get off me!”
“Aya, you don’t want to do this.” Youji tried for soothing, but he was having trouble keeping the other man pinned. Using the wall for leverage, Aya pushed off and twisted out of Youji’s arms, sending the blonde stumbling in the dark.
By the time Youji managed to regain his footing, Aya had lifted one of the unconscious men and slammed him against the wall, the man’s head cracking back against the brick. Youji got behind Aya and circled his arms, pulling back until Aya was forced to drop the man. Cursing, Aya broke Youji’s embrace again and spun around. He shoved Youji away and started to turn back towards the men.
“Aya,” Youji warned again, trying to keep the redhead’s attention. “Think about this. I know-”
“You don’t know anything,” Aya spat, and Youji could feel the glare, even if he couldn’t see it through the dark.
“You need to calm down,” Youji said and reached out a hand towards Aya, to stop him, maybe to calm him, but Aya grabbed his wrist and then the other, holding them in a crushing grip.
He stepped in close, and when Youji tried to pull away instinctively, he growled, “Don’t move,” and rested his forehead on Youji’s shoulder.
Youji stood completely still, not out of obedience, but out of shock. Staring at the dark alley over Aya’s shoulder, he tried to gather his thoughts and understand what the fuck had just happened. He didn’t know if this was helping Aya or if the other man was about to rip him to pieces, so when Aya turned his face into Youji’s neck, Youji flinched and the hands around his wrists clenched even tighter.
It was possible that Aya was having a mental break down, Youji mused while trying to remain calm. Before he’d run back into the alley, Youji had caught a glimpse of the flashing hatred in Aya’s eyes… the kind of rage he hadn’t seen in the other man since his sister had woken up; since Takatori. Possibly Aya was experiencing flashbacks and Youji should be fearing for his life. He knew he could defend himself, but fighting with Aya when the man was in killing mode wasn’t anything Youji ever wanted to experience.
Several drawn-out minutes later, Aya finally - thankfully - pulled back, releasing his hold on Youji’s wrists. Blood flowed back into his hands and Youji tried not to cringe at the sensation as Aya eyed him distantly. After another protracted moment, Aya nodded once and when he left the alley Youji followed, confoundedly.
Youji waited until he was sure Ken, Omi and Aya-chan had gone to bed, waited long enough to risk the possibility that Aya was already asleep too, before leaving his room to knock lightly on the redhead’s door.
Aya answered almost immediately and stepped back to let Youji in after only a moment’s hesitation.
Youji took a few steps into the room before turning to face Aya who stood in front of the closed door.
“I called the police already,” Aya said after a beat of silence. “They said they’d go pick up the attackers.”
“Did you tell Omi?”
“No. I used the line in the mission room, so I’m sure Kritiker already knows.”
Youji nodded and glanced down at his feet, then around the room. He wanted to ask about tonight, about whatever had happened in the alley, but he didn’t know where to start.
“I apologize for tonight,” Aya said suddenly.
“What?” Youji asked, eyes wide, hoping Aya would open the subject.
“For my behavior. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Oh. No, hey, I understand. I mean, if the order came tonight, I’d be right out there with you, but…”
“I know. I- I’m glad one of us was thinking clearly.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything,” Youji quipped, trying to get Aya to look at him. When he didn’t, Youji decided that the quickest way to an answer would be to just ask. “So, uh, afterwards…”
Aya did look at him then, and it was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it, but Youji did, so he raised his eyebrows and waited.
Eventually, Aya sighed and said, “Pulse points,” rather enigmatically.
Youji gave him a look that suggested he should perhaps elaborate.
Aya took a step closer and said, “Here,” holding up his own wrist, “and here,” he moved one hand to the side of his neck. Youji looked down at his own wrists, still slightly pink from Aya’s punishing grip earlier. Aya followed his gaze and stared at one of Youji’s wrists as he spoke haltingly.
“Before I- When I was still visiting Aya-chan at the hospital… I was so angry. All the time, I was furious and Persia wasn’t giving the order and I couldn’t just go out and kill who I wanted because I was supposed to be part of a team now and… if I could just go see my sister and sit with her, feel her pulse, feel the proof that she was still alive… it calmed the part of me that was so desperate to kill.”
Youji stood, shell shocked for a second time that night, and tried to absorb it all. The facts were running around in his mind, telling him things and making him jump to conclusions. Asuka had always hated it when he did that, had always made him stop and explain before she would back him up on a hunch, but that was then and right now Youji was having difficulty keeping the dazed grin off his face.
“That wasn’t a funny story,” Aya said, and Youji looked up to find himself the target of an angry glare.
“No,” he said quickly, wiping the smile off his face, “no Aya, of course not. I appreciate your honesty. It’s just that, well… you like me.”
“What?” Aya demanded, his eyes going wide momentarily before the glare fell back into place, even more pronounced.
“We’re friends,” Youji rephrased, somewhat awed. “I helped you tonight, and you just told me something incredibly personal. You needed someone and I was there for you-”
“Well there wasn’t exactly a selection of other people for me to choose from,” Aya tried to interrupt.
“-and now we’re having a meaningful conversation in the middle of the night. We go shopping together-”
“Grocery shopping.”
“-and you trust me with your sister, and we’re friends because you like me!”
Aya stared at him looking incredibly baffled and somewhat disgusted, but Youji didn’t take offense because now he knew.
“You don’t hate me,” he said softly, with a small smile and Aya’s face softened into a stunned sort of expression.
“Youji, I think you should go.” The words came out strangled, as though Aya were trying to find a proper emotion to hold on to. Youji beamed, victorious.
“Okay,” he said, still smiling. “Goodnight, Aya.”
Aya didn’t turn as Youji moved around him to get to the door, but the look on his face as Youji passed was enough to keep the blonde smiling until he fell asleep that night.
Despite the fact that it was his day off, Aya was the first one in the kitchen the next morning. He set about fixing himself something to eat, moving slowly so that when Aya-chan and Omi hurried down for a quick breakfast before school, he’d have a legitimate reason to stay in the kitchen with them.
Ten minutes later, light laughter preceded their appearance. Aya-chan came to stand by him as she ate and tried, unsuccessfully, to incorporate him into the conversation.
Ken arrived next, but when Youji didn’t turn up right behind him, Aya resigned himself to helping Ken open the shop so that Omi didn’t try to do it and subsequently make himself and Aya-chan late for school.
“Shouldn’t you two get going?” Aya asked, as he did almost every day.
“Yes, but maybe we should open the shop first since Youji-kun’s not-”
“Late?” Youji interrupted from the stairs. “Relax, relax, I’m here.”
“For once,” Ken remarked as Omi and Aya-chan began gathering their things.
Youji flipped him off playfully and then turned to Aya who happened to be standing by the coffee machine. He smiled softly and then said, even softer, “Good morning.”
The room seemed to freeze behind Youji as the blonde gave his attention to the coffee-maker. Aya found himself feeling vaguely embarrassed as all eyes turned to him.
“Don’t you two have somewhere to be?” He asked, trying to ignore his sister’s curious gaze.
Youji turned to wave goodbye to Omi and Aya-chan, and Aya slipped out of the kitchen while he was facing the other way.
Up in his room, Aya watched Omi and his sister make their way down the sidewalk from the vantage point of his window. He sat there long after they had disappeared from view, trying not to think about last night or this morning. Which was pointless when Youji’s smile kept inserting itself between his other, less interesting thoughts. Frustrated, Aya decided to go back to the kitchen and wash the dishes he was sure everyone else had left out this morning.
The problem with this plan, however, was that the kitchen was within hearing distance of the back of the shop, and with the doors propped open, Aya could clearly hear Ken’s carrying voice.
“-morning all about?” he was asking as Aya collected the dirty dishes from around the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” Youji’s voice was close, probably coming from behind the register as he prepared the till for today’s business.
“I mean when you came downstairs and said good morning to Aya like he’s your best friend forever.”
“Jealous?” Youji asked, amusement obvious in his voice. “If it’ll placate you, Kenken, you and I can get matching best friends necklaces to prove our devotion.”
Ken laughed, but didn’t drop the subject.
“Seriously, though. What’s up? I thought you thought he hated you.”
“I did. But he doesn’t.”
“Oh.” The room was quiet except for the sound of shuffling papers and the swish of a broom. Then Ken asked, “Does he hate me?”
“Yes,” Youji answered immediately.
“What? How do you know?”
“He told me.”
It was about then, as Ken called Youji a liar, much to the blonde’s affected offence, that Aya turned on the water and actually began washing the dishes he had gathered. He took his time, using lots of unneeded soap until the sink was full of bubbles. The running water blocked out the individual words of Youji and Ken’s continued conversation, but every time Youji laughed Aya pictured the softly intimate smile from this morning. When he caught himself smiling along with the blonde’s laughter, Aya turned off the water abruptly and left, wet hands dripping all up the stairs as he fled.
If Youji had come to appreciate Thursday evenings as of late, it was probably, he could admit, because of the attention.
He strolled down the aisle after Aya, draped over the back of their cart, and smiled winningly at a woman walking in the other direction. She blushed and smiled back, glancing between him and Aya quickly before hurrying away. Yes, Youji thought smugly, it was the attention. The looks women gave him and Aya as they disbelievingly ogled, Youji liked to think, at the chances of two such good-looking men being acquainted with each other.
Aya checked the list before selecting a few cans of something from a shelf.
“That’s everything.”
They made their way to the check-out lines, Youji steering them towards a cute redhead at one end. He managed to make her blush three times before Aya had paid and started to leave without him. Grabbing the rest of their grocery bags, Youji winked at the girl one last time and jogged out of the store to catch up.
This part of Thursday evenings was less fun because Aya insisted they walk the eight blocks between the grocery store and the flower shop instead of drive. Youji adjusted his grip on the heavier of the bags he was carrying and stole a glance at Aya. He didn’t quite understand why Aya had started doing the shopping with him lately. Except that maybe it was an effort to sabotage his smoking habit because he wouldn’t let Youji buy cigarettes with the shop money that Omi now entrusted to Aya. Not that Youji minded really, because it meant less work for him at the store and more time to flirt with lovely strangers. …Not that he ever got very far with Aya around.
Youji was about to ask Aya if he had any plans for his day off tomorrow when a shriek was cut off abruptly from around the corner of the block. They glanced at each other, set down the grocery bags and ran silently around the corner, towards the dark mouth of an alley.
Inside, two large shapes were looming over a smaller one and Aya immediately bolted forward, grabbing one of the men and punching him flat out. The other man turned around and Youji sprinted towards the woman who struggled in his grasp until he soothed to her that they were here to help. Together they ran out of the alley, Aya right behind them.
Once in the relative safety of the lit street, Youji turned to ask Aya if the bastards were down and out, but Aya was staring at the young woman whose elbow he was still holding. Spooked and obviously not appreciating being stared at, she shook out of Youji’s hold and took off down the street, her long black braids flying out behind her.
Youji glanced cautiously at Aya who was staring after the girl. Her resemblance of his sister was enough of a clue that when Aya tried to plunge back into the alley, Youji was ready. He grabbed Aya’s arm, but when that was wrenched out of his grip, Youji tackled him to the cold brick wall of the alley.
“Get off me!”
“Aya, you don’t want to do this.” Youji tried for soothing, but he was having trouble keeping the other man pinned. Using the wall for leverage, Aya pushed off and twisted out of Youji’s arms, sending the blonde stumbling in the dark.
By the time Youji managed to regain his footing, Aya had lifted one of the unconscious men and slammed him against the wall, the man’s head cracking back against the brick. Youji got behind Aya and circled his arms, pulling back until Aya was forced to drop the man. Cursing, Aya broke Youji’s embrace again and spun around. He shoved Youji away and started to turn back towards the men.
“Aya,” Youji warned again, trying to keep the redhead’s attention. “Think about this. I know-”
“You don’t know anything,” Aya spat, and Youji could feel the glare, even if he couldn’t see it through the dark.
“You need to calm down,” Youji said and reached out a hand towards Aya, to stop him, maybe to calm him, but Aya grabbed his wrist and then the other, holding them in a crushing grip.
He stepped in close, and when Youji tried to pull away instinctively, he growled, “Don’t move,” and rested his forehead on Youji’s shoulder.
Youji stood completely still, not out of obedience, but out of shock. Staring at the dark alley over Aya’s shoulder, he tried to gather his thoughts and understand what the fuck had just happened. He didn’t know if this was helping Aya or if the other man was about to rip him to pieces, so when Aya turned his face into Youji’s neck, Youji flinched and the hands around his wrists clenched even tighter.
It was possible that Aya was having a mental break down, Youji mused while trying to remain calm. Before he’d run back into the alley, Youji had caught a glimpse of the flashing hatred in Aya’s eyes… the kind of rage he hadn’t seen in the other man since his sister had woken up; since Takatori. Possibly Aya was experiencing flashbacks and Youji should be fearing for his life. He knew he could defend himself, but fighting with Aya when the man was in killing mode wasn’t anything Youji ever wanted to experience.
Several drawn-out minutes later, Aya finally - thankfully - pulled back, releasing his hold on Youji’s wrists. Blood flowed back into his hands and Youji tried not to cringe at the sensation as Aya eyed him distantly. After another protracted moment, Aya nodded once and when he left the alley Youji followed, confoundedly.
Youji waited until he was sure Ken, Omi and Aya-chan had gone to bed, waited long enough to risk the possibility that Aya was already asleep too, before leaving his room to knock lightly on the redhead’s door.
Aya answered almost immediately and stepped back to let Youji in after only a moment’s hesitation.
Youji took a few steps into the room before turning to face Aya who stood in front of the closed door.
“I called the police already,” Aya said after a beat of silence. “They said they’d go pick up the attackers.”
“Did you tell Omi?”
“No. I used the line in the mission room, so I’m sure Kritiker already knows.”
Youji nodded and glanced down at his feet, then around the room. He wanted to ask about tonight, about whatever had happened in the alley, but he didn’t know where to start.
“I apologize for tonight,” Aya said suddenly.
“What?” Youji asked, eyes wide, hoping Aya would open the subject.
“For my behavior. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Oh. No, hey, I understand. I mean, if the order came tonight, I’d be right out there with you, but…”
“I know. I- I’m glad one of us was thinking clearly.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything,” Youji quipped, trying to get Aya to look at him. When he didn’t, Youji decided that the quickest way to an answer would be to just ask. “So, uh, afterwards…”
Aya did look at him then, and it was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it, but Youji did, so he raised his eyebrows and waited.
Eventually, Aya sighed and said, “Pulse points,” rather enigmatically.
Youji gave him a look that suggested he should perhaps elaborate.
Aya took a step closer and said, “Here,” holding up his own wrist, “and here,” he moved one hand to the side of his neck. Youji looked down at his own wrists, still slightly pink from Aya’s punishing grip earlier. Aya followed his gaze and stared at one of Youji’s wrists as he spoke haltingly.
“Before I- When I was still visiting Aya-chan at the hospital… I was so angry. All the time, I was furious and Persia wasn’t giving the order and I couldn’t just go out and kill who I wanted because I was supposed to be part of a team now and… if I could just go see my sister and sit with her, feel her pulse, feel the proof that she was still alive… it calmed the part of me that was so desperate to kill.”
Youji stood, shell shocked for a second time that night, and tried to absorb it all. The facts were running around in his mind, telling him things and making him jump to conclusions. Asuka had always hated it when he did that, had always made him stop and explain before she would back him up on a hunch, but that was then and right now Youji was having difficulty keeping the dazed grin off his face.
“That wasn’t a funny story,” Aya said, and Youji looked up to find himself the target of an angry glare.
“No,” he said quickly, wiping the smile off his face, “no Aya, of course not. I appreciate your honesty. It’s just that, well… you like me.”
“What?” Aya demanded, his eyes going wide momentarily before the glare fell back into place, even more pronounced.
“We’re friends,” Youji rephrased, somewhat awed. “I helped you tonight, and you just told me something incredibly personal. You needed someone and I was there for you-”
“Well there wasn’t exactly a selection of other people for me to choose from,” Aya tried to interrupt.
“-and now we’re having a meaningful conversation in the middle of the night. We go shopping together-”
“Grocery shopping.”
“-and you trust me with your sister, and we’re friends because you like me!”
Aya stared at him looking incredibly baffled and somewhat disgusted, but Youji didn’t take offense because now he knew.
“You don’t hate me,” he said softly, with a small smile and Aya’s face softened into a stunned sort of expression.
“Youji, I think you should go.” The words came out strangled, as though Aya were trying to find a proper emotion to hold on to. Youji beamed, victorious.
“Okay,” he said, still smiling. “Goodnight, Aya.”
Aya didn’t turn as Youji moved around him to get to the door, but the look on his face as Youji passed was enough to keep the blonde smiling until he fell asleep that night.
Despite the fact that it was his day off, Aya was the first one in the kitchen the next morning. He set about fixing himself something to eat, moving slowly so that when Aya-chan and Omi hurried down for a quick breakfast before school, he’d have a legitimate reason to stay in the kitchen with them.
Ten minutes later, light laughter preceded their appearance. Aya-chan came to stand by him as she ate and tried, unsuccessfully, to incorporate him into the conversation.
Ken arrived next, but when Youji didn’t turn up right behind him, Aya resigned himself to helping Ken open the shop so that Omi didn’t try to do it and subsequently make himself and Aya-chan late for school.
“Shouldn’t you two get going?” Aya asked, as he did almost every day.
“Yes, but maybe we should open the shop first since Youji-kun’s not-”
“Late?” Youji interrupted from the stairs. “Relax, relax, I’m here.”
“For once,” Ken remarked as Omi and Aya-chan began gathering their things.
Youji flipped him off playfully and then turned to Aya who happened to be standing by the coffee machine. He smiled softly and then said, even softer, “Good morning.”
The room seemed to freeze behind Youji as the blonde gave his attention to the coffee-maker. Aya found himself feeling vaguely embarrassed as all eyes turned to him.
“Don’t you two have somewhere to be?” He asked, trying to ignore his sister’s curious gaze.
Youji turned to wave goodbye to Omi and Aya-chan, and Aya slipped out of the kitchen while he was facing the other way.
Up in his room, Aya watched Omi and his sister make their way down the sidewalk from the vantage point of his window. He sat there long after they had disappeared from view, trying not to think about last night or this morning. Which was pointless when Youji’s smile kept inserting itself between his other, less interesting thoughts. Frustrated, Aya decided to go back to the kitchen and wash the dishes he was sure everyone else had left out this morning.
The problem with this plan, however, was that the kitchen was within hearing distance of the back of the shop, and with the doors propped open, Aya could clearly hear Ken’s carrying voice.
“-morning all about?” he was asking as Aya collected the dirty dishes from around the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” Youji’s voice was close, probably coming from behind the register as he prepared the till for today’s business.
“I mean when you came downstairs and said good morning to Aya like he’s your best friend forever.”
“Jealous?” Youji asked, amusement obvious in his voice. “If it’ll placate you, Kenken, you and I can get matching best friends necklaces to prove our devotion.”
Ken laughed, but didn’t drop the subject.
“Seriously, though. What’s up? I thought you thought he hated you.”
“I did. But he doesn’t.”
“Oh.” The room was quiet except for the sound of shuffling papers and the swish of a broom. Then Ken asked, “Does he hate me?”
“Yes,” Youji answered immediately.
“What? How do you know?”
“He told me.”
It was about then, as Ken called Youji a liar, much to the blonde’s affected offence, that Aya turned on the water and actually began washing the dishes he had gathered. He took his time, using lots of unneeded soap until the sink was full of bubbles. The running water blocked out the individual words of Youji and Ken’s continued conversation, but every time Youji laughed Aya pictured the softly intimate smile from this morning. When he caught himself smiling along with the blonde’s laughter, Aya turned off the water abruptly and left, wet hands dripping all up the stairs as he fled.