Title: Jellyfish Love [Chapter 9] Author: Matrim Email: matrim _ no _ aijin @ yahoo . com Warnings and comments and crap: I decided to split the chapters up because when writing it, I was kind of confused which chapter was which. So there. XD; Violence. Finally. I hate writing action. And a nightingale floor makes squeaky ugly annoying noises to keep assassins from killing royalty. Something like that... O_o;; I read a book about it. ++ It is the same night as Toshiya's discovery night that finds Kengo and Aya, alone, together. It has, perhaps, been a week since they first met and Aya was a hard person to get to know. Entirely worth it. They sit in a strange traditional looking house. It's raining. Kengo sits in the family hallway of the house with the doors open. There is a small garden here that's kept neat and as well tended as possible. On the other side, he knows Aya is there in the guest hallway, staring at the beautiful garden that happens to be on that side. Aya doesn't trust him easily. Kengo doesn't blame him. But Kengo's done something unexpected and has invited him into every single room of the house. Except Aya only stays on the guest side and ignores him. They get along well enough. Good conversation if a bit hesitant on Aya's side. There are secrets in his eyes, waiting to spill out. Kengo talks about everything and nothing but tells him nothing of himself. He is not going to stay here long. Or at least, not with Kyo, anyway. He wasn't sent to kill, really. All he had to do was create chaos—anything to distract Shinya for the others to do their job. It was really enjoyable which is why Kengo understood why Tatsurou wasn't allowed to do it as punishment. But when he went to the club that Shinya was particularly proud of, Kengo had gotten distracted. Kengo is about to ponder a little more on it but a sound catches his attention. The family hallway was lined with floor that was referred to as the nightingale floor. No one could walk across it without making some sort of noise and alerting whoever was nearby. This house was built with Kengo's psyche in mind. "Kengo?" "Yes?" Aya pauses and does his best not to make noise on the floor but it's just not working. Every step he takes forward or back causes a ruckus and walking slowly across it didn't work. "Why is the floor--?" "So I know if someone else is in the house with me when I'm supposed to be alone." Kengo replies and reaches out to touch Aya's face. There is something about Aya's eyes that Kengo can't resist. Aya smiles, tightly, and turns his head away. "What's wrong, funny face?" "Lonely. I guess." And Aya does not mean lonely because he was on the other side of the house. "Pining after someone…I presume?" Kengo guesses and wants to play with Aya's hair but knows that the other man won't let him. He turns his head to watch Aya for any sort of reaction. The man gives a small nod. Kengo sighs and looks at the rain. He wants to be able to feel it on his toes but his legs are too short to reach beyond the roof's edge. Well, technically, he could do it but then more than half of him wouldn't be in the hallway anymore. He settles on sprawling across the floor. "Doesn't know what he's losing." Kengo murmurs. Aya places his hands against the floor and pulls himself forward. He slides forward and the floor squeaks in response. Aya stares down at Kengo. Kengo merely blinks slowly at him as if he were an owl. After a minute of contemplation, Kengo reaches up to touch his face again and this time, Aya doesn't pull away. "I don't understand you." "Because…he doesn't want you, you assume…no one wants you." "I never said that it was a boy." Kengo stares blankly at him then flips onto his side, facing away from Aya. "I would kill him in a heartbeat." The sound of the rain falling fills in the silence between them. Kengo's not wearing much except a yukata. He's slightly chilled but is unwilling to do anything about it. Aya's hand finally touches his bicep and rests there. "He doesn't want me." It sounds like he's saying it because he wants to protect whoever it is. "And you don't want me either." "Kengo—" He is up and on his feet before one can blink and leans against the wall. "Funny face. Where do you think your love is?" Aya opens his mouth to respond as Kengo slides down the wall, his eyes closing. "He's looking for you…wondering why you aren't home. And he's getting angry." Kengo's hands go up to his hair to squeeze and squish at the curls hanging there. "He wants you but…but can't say it. And you're here with me…trying to make him jealous. Does it...suit you?" Aya's sliding himself across the floor again and his hands rest on Kengo's knees. Kengo lets his head drop forward so he doesn't have to see Aya's eyes. "I am not your pawn." "I know. I know." Kengo raises his head and watches as Aya takes one of his hands. "I've told you….I'm a dangerous man to be friends….with." It's true. He's only marginally better at being a lover. Less jealous, less prone to violent outbursts and more protective. As a friend with an unfulfilled crush, Kengo could do more than his fair share of damage. ++ Aiji wonders why Kyo hadn't found Kirito first. The man was ruthless, determined and everything that Kyo tried to cultivate in his people. Despite the fact that Kirito was a tad annoying in the fact that he was getting in the way of Aiji's mission, the assassin has respect for him. He knows what Kirito is capable of and is impressed with the man in the same way that he is impressed with a good weapon. It is raining as he approaches the cemetery. A day ago, Kirito had confronted him and told him to meet him here. It was rather anti-climactic. Aiji had been hoping for something…else, but what exactly—he wouldn't be able to say. He is dressed entirely in black, skin tight so it won't catch on anything. And on his back, there are two sheathed swords. As he enters the cemetery, he sees Kirito standing with a red paper umbrella. Aiji frowns. He, himself, does not have an umbrella because he knows that rain was a silly thing to defend yourself against at this point. But Kirito was an intelligent man and this unnerved Aiji, slightly. He decides to try to ignore the umbrella. It's just a distraction. He stops three yards away from Kirito and lets the rain roll off his skin and drip through his hair. He's not wearing the bright green wig from before but instead, it's his normal dark hair. If Kirito knew who he was, there was no reason to keep the charade up. They stand there, frozen in the rain, waiting for the other to move. It is Kirito who moves first. He is wickedly fast and to Aiji's surprise, he prefers the same weapon as Aiji. The umbrella is held up and out of the way, still protecting Kirito from most of the rain. Kirito sword comes down and if Aiji hadn't blocked with both of his own swords, it might have cleaved his head in two. He shoves Kirito back and with a twist of both wrists, he lowers the swords to his side. The blades point to the ground. It is only a second's pause until both he and Kirito's swords meet again. They come together and break apart. Kirito advances, sword aimed to slash at Aiji's throat but the other assassin bends backward. Kirito's blade grazes the skin just as Aiji's sword is there to parry Kirito's next attempt at his neck. Aiji straightens while the sword in his left hand holds Kirito at bay. They stare at each for a few seconds. Then it is Aiji who moves first this time, blades moving in a whirlwind. Sparks ricochet off of their blades as Aiji twists and turns. However, just as he begins to enjoy the offensive, Kirito backs up against a headstone and ducks. Metal sounds against stone and while most men would mutter an apology to whoever's ancestors lay there, Aiji doesn't. He doesn't have time to. A kick catches him in the small of his back and shoves him against the headstone. He rolls away, quickly, just as a brush against his hair makes him realize how luck he's been. He was going to have a crooked haircut now. He isn't left to think on it too long for that umbrella, now folded up is coming down at him. He parries it with the flat of his blade then kicks out to swipe Kirito's legs out from under him. Aiji rolls to advance on Kirito but the umbrella is unfolded and quickly shoved in his way. Aiji reverses his grip on his sword and plunges it into the red paper anyway, adjusts his grip and yanks the damned thing away. It is thrown up in the air and falls behind him. Kirito is gone. Aiji swears to himself and quickly backs away. He turns his head slightly to the side in order to be able to see behind him, without being taken by surprise from his front. A quick scan of his sides reveal nothing. But he knows better than to think he's alone. His clothes are soaked through with the rain but Aiji's more concerned with Kirito still being alive and in his way of fulfilling his mission. An assassin knows better than to leave a victim alive and a rival unchecked. Aiji moves through a row of grave stones and freezes when he sees Kirito emerging in the path in front of him. This time, instead of one blade, Kirito has two. Aiji smiles, grim and satisfied. They attack each other again, the offense always changing between them. Aiji can barely see with the rain falling in his eyes so he moves with instinct as well. The ring of metal against metal interrupts the otherwise peaceful spring shower. One must wonder…if these two were so well matched, how did this reflect the characters of the men they worked for? It is an eternity before Aiji finally lands a hit on Kirito. There is no cry of pain but there is a flash of pain across Kirito's face. There's a wound on Kirito's upper left arm. Aiji doesn't go unscathed. Before he is kicked away, he receives a wound across his right collarbone. Aiji isn't sure how deep it is and won't be able to tell until the adrenaline seeps out of his system. Aiji rolls on his feet and meets Kirito's eyes. ++ To Chapter Ten Jelly Home Fics Home