Fear: Part Four
We are on a mission tonight. It is not a difficult
one. In fact, it should be relatively simple. A few
quick movements and the targets will fall. Now all we
have to do is find them. There is no doubt that they
are in this building. They could not have escaped. All
of the exits have been monitored. We will find them
soon enough and collect payment for the evils that
they have unleashed on the world. Soon enough, they
will pay in blood.
I follow behind my teammates and glance back to make
sure that we are not being followed. I hear the sound
of a struggle before I round the corner. We have found
them. The two executives cower in a corner as we come
up to face them. I stand back slightly and decide to
guard the door. My help is not needed. They have no
weapons that would be effective against Yohji’s wire
or Aya’s katana.
I am glad that Omi is keeping a close watch on the
building from the outside. He’s always been the one to
mess with the security cameras and use them to our
advantage.
I stare at the scene before me in fascination. Aya
moves with such grace and precision as he brings his
sword down to slice through his victim. The victim
clutches his wound briefly before collapsing to the
ground in a puddle of crimson. There is almost beauty
in the way that Aya fights. I stare at his pale hands
as he repositions his katana in a defensive position
and turns away from the target. It is hard to believe
that hands like those could also hold such cruelty.
I know that doesn’t make much sense. Murder is
inherently cruel, I suppose, but somehow his actions
do not remind me of the pain or manipulation I used to
feel at his hands. Those were different emotions
entirely. This dichotomy only serves to reaffirm my
belief that that was not him. All of those nights,
that anguish, it was not him. It could not be him.
Maybe the coldness trapped deep within his heart
finally found away to reveal itself, but not Aya. That
was not the Aya who used to laugh with his imouto or
the one who could carefully arrange a bouquet of roses
in order to bring a smile to a young woman’s face.
That man, so many nights ago, so few nights ago, was
not the real Aya. It was not Ran.
I step back slightly and shake my head. I cannot allow
myself to be so distracted during a mission. He is
staring at me with disdain as he brushes past me and
walks out into the darkness of the corridor. For a
moment violet eyes meet mine and I am frozen to the
spot. I quickly regain control and follow behind Yohji
as we sneak down the hallway in search of the exit. It
is not too far. The mission is almost over.
I hear a loud noise behind me and I freeze. We all
turn to gaze in that direction and break into a run
when we see a group of angry men standing at the other
end of the corridor. They have not seen us yet. We
must hurry before we are seen. The radio crackles with
static and I hear Omi telling us to escape. Someone is
coming. We have to get out of here. We reach an open
area and decide to split up. There is less of a chance
that we will be caught if they cannot find all of us.
We will meet outside.
I dart into a random office as I hear footsteps behind
me. I press myself up against the wall and peer
through the window cautiously hoping that I will not
be seen. The man pauses near the door and looks
around, but he does not come inside. I breathe a sigh
of relief and head back into the hallway. I go back
the way I came. I saw an exit nearby. I can make it
there if I am careful.
I hear gunshots and I draw in a sharp breath as loud
voices echo to my left. The exit is to my right. I
should not worry about the others. They can handle
things on their own. My job is to get out of here. I
start to turn to the left when I hear a ragged breath
on the radio. It is Aya. “Help…”
It sounds so desperate. It is not the kind of thing
that I would expect him to say. He is usually so
professional and cold during a mission. My heart is
beating faster as I rush down the hallway to my right.
Now I am sure that it was Aya that these guys were
after. I hope that Yohji made it out okay. Now I have
to help Aya.
I rush into the situation without pausing to assess
the situation. I know it is foolish, but I need the
element of surprise. Without it I am outnumbered and
at a clear disadvantage. I glimpse a brief flash of
red hair that assures me that Aya is nearby before I
swing my claw in a wide arc taking down two men with
one swipe. I hear the sound of flesh tearing and smell
the blood as it pools at my feet.
Aya is pinned up against the wall. He is bleeding and
he looks deathly pale. I clench my jaw and turn to
face the final attacker. He is grinning as he raises
his gun to aim at me, but he is too slow. I thrust my
claws into his chest in one quick motion. His eyes
widen briefly before he falls to the ground with a
harsh thud.
I glance about the room and see no less than six
others lying there. They must have all found Aya
somehow. I walk up to him. He is leaning against the
wall and taking ragged breaths. His face is drained of
color and I gasp when I see the blood from a wound on
his shoulder. I reach out and put a hand on his other
shoulder. He jumps as if he did not know I was there.
Violet eyes meet mine for an instant and widen before
he lowers his head and whispers. “Gomen ne.”
I shake my head and tell him everything will be all
right. He leans heavily on me as we struggle to make
it back to the others. He is limping slightly and I
hold on to him tightly to make sure he does not fall.
His words echo in my thoughts as we slowly make our
way down the hallway. I pray that there are no more
attackers. I know that we would not be able to run
away. Not with Aya in this condition and I will not
leave him.
Gomen ne. What was he apologizing for? Maybe he was
just sorry that he hadn’t been able to handle the men
on his own. That would make sense, but I am not sure.
There was something in his voice that makes me feel
like he meant it another way. It seemed so sad and
regretful. He keeps one arm around my waist and leans
most of his weight onto me. I pull him closer to me. I
somehow feel a desperate need to hold on to him. I am
afraid that he will slip away if I don’t.
I see the exit and breathe a sigh of relief. I hope
that Yohji and Omi are waiting just outside. I smile
when I see them and I can tell that they are relieved
to see us. We stumble towards the car and I feel Aya
lose his delicate grip on consciousness just before we
reach the door. I reach out to catch him and cradle
his limp form in my arms. I keep him close to me the
entire ride home.
Yohji and Omi assure me that he will be fine. They say
it doesn’t look serious. I stroke his fiery hair in
the back seat and run my fingers over his face. It is
so calm and still. I feel like I am holding a fragile
porcelain doll. Ivory skin contrasts with the dark red
blood that seeps through his clothing in a sickeningly
shiny stain.
We are home now. I stand back against the wall as
Yohji and Omi work on Aya’s wounds. I am feeling kind
of lost tonight. His blood is still on my hands and I
have no desire to clean it off right now. I sink down
into a sitting position and stare blankly at the scene
before me. I feel like I am not really here. I feel
like this has all been a terrible nightmare and I am
afraid that any minute now I will wake up only to find
a worse one. I shiver at the thought and bring my
knees up closer to my chest. I wrap my arms around
them loosely and rest my chin there.
Yohji is busy wrapping Aya’s wounds and Omi is putting
ice on his ankle. It looks like he will be all right.
He didn’t lose that much blood and the bullet only
grazed his shoulder. His ankle is swollen but there
doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage. It is
probably just a sprain.
I feel relief wash over me in waves as I contemplate
the scene before me. His words still haunt me. I don’t
know why. I am probably just reading too much into
things. He has been so distant lately, but he hasn’t
glared at me for a long time and he doesn’t yell at
Yohji anymore. I was actually thinking that things
were looking better. I wanted to thank him somehow,
but I never knew how. I know that sounds ridiculous,
but it does mean a lot to me. It makes me think that
maybe the real Aya is coming back. The one without the
bitterness or the hate.
Well, I guess we all have some of that or we wouldn’t
be Weiss, but I’ve always felt there was more to Aya
than he let on. There is something pure and innocent
about him that I have occasionally glimpsed in his
eyes. I see it sometimes in the flower shop, when he
bends down to greet a small child who seems to be
frightened of something or the horror I saw sometimes
as I pulled away from his embrace and stumbled back to
my room in the darkness.
I look up briefly as I realize that something is going
on. They are finished now. Yohji walks over to me and
offers me a hand to help me up. I take a deep breath
and pull myself to my feet. I am very tired. Yohji
asks me if I am okay and I nod. I can’t find the words
right now to describe how I am feeling. It is always
difficult to come home when one of us has been
injured, even if it is only a minor wound. The house
seems so quiet and still without four sets of
footsteps wandering and struggling to find their place
in the world.
The sun is starting to come up. I hadn’t realized that
it was so late. How long have I been sitting here?
Yohji smiles at me and ruffles my hair playfully, but
I can see that he is tired as well. “Omi is taking the
first watch.” Yohji says quietly as we walk down the
hall.
As we lay down together, it does not take me long to
drift off. I go to sleep in his arms. My eyes flutter
closed and I am met with the image of violet eyes
staring back at me and the sound of Aya’s voice. The
next thing I know, Yohji is shaking me gently. He says
I was having a nightmare. I blink a few times and try
to focus on his face in the darkness. It takes me a
moment to find his gentle smile amidst the dimness,
but when I do, it pushes past the remnants of my dream
and I reach out to pull him closer to me. He softly
kisses the top of my head and I bury my face in the
warmth of his chest.
Time passes quickly and I am not really sure if I fell
asleep again, but eventually Yohji pulls away and says
that it is his turn to watch over Aya. I reach after
him in a vain attempt to keep him here beside me. I
don’t want him to leave, but my eyelids fall closed
before I can voice the protest. I drift fitfully in
and out of dark dreams until it is my turn.
Yohji goes to make some coffee as I sit rigidly in the
small chair that has been pulled up beside Aya’s bed.
He looks so alone lying beneath stark white sheets. I
feel my hands shaking again. This room brings back so
many memories. They swirl around me like unwanted
ghosts. They don’t fit within this reality. I am no
longer visiting this room for the same reasons. This
is so different. I feel myself slipping away as I
recall those nights. I need something to hold on to. I
am so cold.
I pick up Aya’s hand and hold it awkwardly at first. I
feel his smooth skin brush against mine and I shiver
again. I try to remember the last time I have held his
hand like this, but I can’t think of a time.
I lean forward to peer closer at the face before me.
He looks so peaceful and relaxed. It seems like he is
just sleeping. I am sure that he will wake up soon and
Omi and Yohji have assured me that everything will be
all right, but I stare at his face nonetheless. I
rarely get the opportunity to do this. I reach out
with a shaking hand to brush a stray lock of hair from
his face. My hand lingers there for a little longer
than it should. I brush my hand against his cheek and
shake my head. I swallow hard and take a shallow
breath as I pull my hand away.
The image blurs before me as I feel tears start to
fill my eyes. They linger there for a few moments
until I try to blink them back. I can’t. They fall
down my cheeks and I frantically try to wipe them
away. I try to hold myself very still and take slow
calming breaths. I can’t cry here. I don’t want him to
wake up and see me like this. The thought brings more
tears to my eyes and I lean forward to bury my face in
my hands.
I rock slightly as the tears pour down my cheeks. I am
still trying to contain my sobs, but they break free
in quiet choking sounds that I bit my lip to restrain.
I don’t know why I am crying. If I knew, maybe I could
do something about it. I think it has something to do
with the mission. I saw something tonight that scared
me and made me terribly sad at the same time. I saw
Aya. I think for a moment I saw Aya as he could have
been – as he should have been – without the pain,
without the guilt, without the cruelty. I glance up to
see his face again and bring my hand up to my mouth.
What might have been, Aya? I shake my head and try to
stop the sobs, but I can’t control them anymore. I
bend my head and close my eyes as I give in to the
sadness and pain spinning around in my soul. I look up
as I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. It’s Yohji. I
guess he came to check on me. My eyes ask questions
that I know that he cannot answer. I am so ashamed for
doing this to him. I never meant to make him worry. He
leans closer to me and wraps his arms around me
loosely. I bury my face in the soft warmth of his
shoulder and struggle to stop the tears. My hands
grasp the folds of his loose cotton shirt and I feel
him run his hands through my hair.
I am amazed by these kind gestures. A part of me wants
to pull away and ask him why. A part of me wants to
scream at him and demand to know how he could possibly
care about me at all. But another part of me feels
safe in his arms and sees the sincerity and tenderness
in his gentle gaze and knows that he would never lie
to me. This side wins out and I lift my head to look
up at his expression. His hand moves across my face to
brush away the tears. I close my eyes and let him do
it, but I shudder slightly. This kind of affection is
so foreign to me. It scares me more than I will ever
let him know. It scares me that I may never be able to
understand it and that it isn’t meant to be
understood.
“Are you going to be okay?” He asks.
“Hai.” I answer calmly nodding my head to reassure
him.
“Why don’t you go get some rest?” He insists as he
squeezes my shoulder lightly.
“Ie. I want to stay a little longer.” He shoots me a
wary look and I know that he thinks it is a bad idea.
“Please.” I offer simply. It is not much of an
argument, but it is all I have.
“Alright, but call me if you need anything.” He
finally agrees.
I nod slowly and watch him as he heads toward the
door. He pauses before closing it and gives me one
last reassurance. “Everything will be okay, KenKen.”
I close my eyes briefly and my grip on the chair
tightens until my knuckles whiten, but I nod again and
he leaves. I take a deep breath. I feel so empty.
There are no more tears. I wonder if this is how Aya
feels. I wonder if he has cried.
I lean back a little in my chair and clasp my hands
together in my lap. I stare at him. I watch the way
his chest moves slowly up and down as he breathes and
I marvel at the sharp contrast between his fiery hair
and the paleness of his skin. I recall the deep purple
of his eyes and find that I am unable to compare their
shade to anything else I have ever seen.
I take in a sharp breath as I see his eyelashes
flutter slightly. My eyes focus on those eyelids and I
wait. I move to the edge of my seat and wait for that
cold violet gaze to penetrate my soul. I have no doubt
that I will see it. I wait for the icy look and the
accusing glare that usually accompanies it. For a
moment, I feel like I have done something horribly
wrong. I lean forward slightly and tense with
anticipation. I wait for the punishment that I know I
deserve. I wait for the anger and hatred that I expect
to see when Aya opens his eyes. Dull purple eyes
reveal themselves slowly as Aya carefully opens his
eyes. They have lost some of their light. I wonder why
I have never noticed it before. He lifts his head
slightly and his lips part for a moment as if he is
trying to say something. I am at his side almost
immediately. All of my fears and doubts are put on
hold as I focus on the situation before me.
“How are you feeling Aya?” My forehead creases in
worry and he nods almost imperceptibly. He is
struggling to say something and I am not sure what it
is. I lean closer and wait for him to find the words.
“Why?” he says hoarsely. The sound is barely above a
whisper. I raise my eyebrow in confusion. I don’t
understand what he is asking. He raises his hand a
little and gestures at his surroundings. “Why did you
save me?”
A stillness hangs in the room as he awaits my
response. I am stunned by the question. Did he really
expect that I wouldn’t come? I feel my expression
soften a little at this realization. My lips curve up
in a sympathetic smile and my eyes shine with
understanding. I cautiously reach out and take his
hand in mine. I hold it loosely and he does not pull
away. I bite my lip. I had never expected it to be
this hard, but I need to tell him. I have wanted to
tell him this one thing for so long. Maybe everything
will be all right if I can just find the right words.
I look down at my hand on his and I take in a hesitant
breath. My voice shakes and my next words are filled
with a pain that I didn’t even know I held. “You
deserve a second chance.”
Somehow I can’t hate him. Even after all he has done.
Even after everything he has taken from me. My heart
aches for him as I see him turn away and he pulls his
hand from my grasp.
“I don’t deserve anything.” He says harshly, but there
is pain in his voice too. I hear it in the way his
voice wavers on the last word and I see him clench his
fists around the white sheets at his sides.
I search for the words to make him understand. I wish
that Yohji were here. He would know what to say. I
tilt my head a little and look at him sincerely as he
glances over at me again. My heart is beating quickly
and I find it difficult to breath as I say the next
words. They are so important and yet I have no idea
how I am going to phrase it until the words leave my
lips. “Promise me something, Aya. Don’t give up on
yourself so easily.”
I stand up and bend closer to him to adjust the sheets
and make sure that he is comfortable. I inspect the
bandages cautiously and then look into his eyes one
more time. He is looking up at me as if he has just
seen a ghost. His eyes are wide and disbelieving. I
swallow and close my eyes briefly before I squeeze his
hand one more time and breathe one more word.
“Promise?”
I try to make it sound lighter than it is, but the
stillness in the room betrays my intentions. I need
him to understand this or neither of us will ever move
on with our lives. I need to do this for him, for
Yohji and for myself. I stand up and start to turn
towards the door. It doesn’t seem like I am going to
get a response out of him tonight. I sigh softly in
defeat and try to convince myself that it doesn’t
matter.
“Hai.” I turn back toward the figure lying in bed
almost unsure that I heard a sound. He turns away at
my gaze, but I watch in awe as he continues. “I
promise.” He says softly.
I am frozen to the spot. The world has disappeared
around me and all I can see is those violet eyes
framed by pale skin as delicate lashes come down to
cover them briefly. I grasp the back of the chair in
an effort to stable myself. I blink in uncertainty as
I fight to regain control and say something in
response. “I’ll leave you alone now. You need your
rest. Call if you need anything.”
He nods and I back out of the room closing the door
behind me cautiously. In the hallway, I lean against
the wall opposite of his room and breathe a sigh of
relief. I smile. I can’t help it. A torrent of
emotions is struggling within my soul yearning to
break free. I almost can’t decide how I should feel.
My knees feel weak and weariness is starting to take
over. I glance at the darkness of my room and the dim
light coming from the kitchen below.
I waver between elation and sorrow as I feel a bright
new emotion soar within my heart. It is something that
I almost do not recognize. It has been so long and yet
it feels familiar. It tugs at my thoughts and gleams
with possibilities. Hope. I can almost see a future
here. I can almost understand. I can almost believe
that everything will be okay. I push myself away from
the wall and glance towards my room briefly before
heading towards the staircase. I want to see Yohji. He
is waiting for me downstairs.
Hope is a funny thing. It is not so different from
fear. Hope is fragile and waits just beyond the edge
of reality. It beckons from the darkness just beyond
your reach. I am so afraid that I will never be able
to reach out and touch it. I will lose it before I am
able to fully understand it. It will fade from my
memory like the images of a distant dream as the dawn
comes to wake me from a fitful slumber. But I will try
and that is all I can ever do. Hope. Yohji, I’m
coming.
~OWARI~
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