Good and Well: Chapter One

Warnings/notes : Schuldich/Yohji, possibly hints at other pairings (mainly Schuldich/Schwarz) , after-serie AU

Disclaimer : I don't own Weiss Kreuz. The song 'Damn good and well' belongs to '7 year bitch' (what's in a name, ne?). I may use it for another fic too, since this song gave me two plot-ideas.

written at 13th july 2003, by Misura

Key : //italics// = songlyrics italics = flashback

**********

At first sight, the house looked quite ordinary, perhaps a trifle expensive, but not particularly different from most other buildings in this part of town.

From the expressions on the faces of the two men who were walking to its door, one would have to conclude this house was anything but ordinary.

That it was, in some way, special. Very special.

"So, here it is, huh?" the blond one asked, lighting up a cigarette.

"Yes, here it is." his redhaired companion replied.

//I know damn good and well

And I told all three of them to go straight to hell//

"I suggest you reconsider your decision, Schuldich." Crawford's cold gaze bore into his, trying to force him to do its owner's will.

Schuldich turned away, stuffing another piece of clothing in one of his bags. "I have. Many times."

"Not enough, apparently." A hand grabbing his wrist when he reached for the next thing to pack told him how worked up Crawford was over his departure ; normally the other man evaded physical contact as much as possible.

For a few moments they stared at eachother, in another contest of wills.

Again, Schuldich was the first one to avert his eyes.

"I repeat what I said before : if you can give me one good reason not to go, I'll stay."

"You and him can never work out."

"So you keep saying. Only it's nothing but words, is it? No vision to boost, to scare me into obeying you again. Just you."

"Fine then. On your head be it."

//I said damn, you're ornery

Good, I'm glad you're gone//

"Yohji?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you put out that cigarette please?"

Looking a bit puzzled, the blond nodded. "If that's what you want ... why?"

An odd smile came to Schuldich's lips. "Brad didn't like people smoking inside."

"He's not here anymore." Yohji protested mildly.

Schuldich rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me. As if I didn't know that. As if I'd have risked bringing you here with me if there had been the slightest chance of any member of Schwarz still hanging around in this place."

"Where did they all go then?" Yohji asked curiously.

"I don't know."

"But you do care, don't you?"

//Well we've been trying for way too long

So long

So long//

"I heard you were going to leave us for that sexy Weiss kitten." Farfarello eyed him curiously.

Schuldich raised one eyebrow. "You think he's sexy?"

Farfarello shrugged. "I don't have that many people to compare him with. But since the others sometimes call you 'sexy' in their minds, and he's kind of like you, I guess that makes him sexy too. So ... it's true?"

"You can read Brad and Nagi's minds? And they really think of me that way?" Schuldich blinked.

"Not very often. Mostly after missions. Maybe it's because we use that telepathic network you created more intense on the job." Farfarello suggested.

"Maybe ... "

"Are you going to answer my question now?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm moving out."

"I hope you'll be happy out there."

"Crawford doesn't seem to have much faith in that."

"Ignore him. You always did ; why stop now?"

//It was an affair//

"This used to be the living room."

"Nice and cozy."

Schuldich chuckled. "Once it was. Once it really was. Funny what a little furniture can do."

"Was it really nothing but a little furniture?"

"Perhaps not. Perhaps there was ... more. Now and then we were ... friends."

"This movie totally sucks." Nagi sighed.

"No it doesn't." Schuldich replied. "And I have the remote so we're going to watch what *I* pick."

"Crawford ... "

The sound of a newspaper rustling was the only response.

"Very well then. Since whoever has the remote gets to choose ... "

"Braaaad! Nagi's using his powers in an unethical way!"

//A moment//

"We always used to specualte on how you lived together." Yohji mused. "Somehow none of us could believe you'd behave like normal human beings in private."

"We were assassins." Schuldich snorted. "Like you guys."

"Weiss was nothing like Schwarz." Yohji retorted. "For one, you had those special powers."

"Ah yes, our fabled psychic gifts." Schuldich laughed bitterly. "A personalized curse for every one of us ... this was my room, by the way."

The two of them had gone upstairs and were now standing in the middle of a large room.

"Nice view." Yohji gestured to the window.

"Isn't it?" Schuldich nodded.

"I don't understand you, Schu. You have the best view from all of us, yet you always have the curtains closed." Nagi shook his head.

"It gets annoying after a while to watch all those happy lovers and kids fool around while you're grounded by some stupid Oracle." Schuldich explained. "Something else you want?"

"He does it for your own good, I'm sure." Nagi replied, without a hint of sympathy. "Oh, and he wants to see you in his office, three minutes ago, to quote him. Better hurry."

//A singular event//

"Then, down this corridor, there's Brad's room and office."

"What did his room look like? Or have you never been there?"

"I've been there a few times, never long enough to see every detail."

"I love you."

"That's the alcohol speaking."

"No it's not."

"Whatever. Are you going to get on with it or are you too far gone?"

"This is important to me, Schuldich! I. Love. You."

"The slur in your voice gives you away. Good night, Brad."

"Why are you leaving?"

Good ad Well: Chapter Two

//We're all adults here//

"Where have you been?"

Schuldich turned around, startled to find someone still awake at this hour. Especially a fully dressed, if somewhat crumpled looking Crawford.

"Out." he replied simply.

"You were with that Weiss slut!" Crawford accused him. "I *ordered* you to leave them alone!"

Schuldich 'tsk'ed, turning around to head upstairs, to his room. "Keep it down a bit, Brad, you wouldn't want to wake the chibi now, would you? And you're sounding like a jealous lover, instead of a leader."

The german laughed aloud at the concept of Crawford being envious about something like this.

His slightly drunken state only made the thought seem even funnier.

"The two of you never really got along, did you?" Yohji had heard plenty of tales about Schwarz' leader to know the answer to that.

"Not really." Schuldich sighed, allowing his mind to wander off into the past again.

//We got the go ahead

And so we went ahead//

He couldn't remember who he was anymore.

Somewhere, in a distant corner of his mind he knew he was dreaming.

Still, he couldn't remember his name.

'Kill, have to kill and watch the pretty red blood flow so beautifully over - '

That wasn't his voice ; it belonged to Farfarello.

He could hear other voices, yet none of them were his.

"Schuldich."

Whose were the hands shaking him? And whose was that name?

"Schuldich, wake up."

He opened his eyes, recalling the name was his, discovering the hands were Crawford's.

"Hey, Brad, want to have sex with me?"

He didn't feel like argueing about his habits of drinking or living in general again ; this question combined with the barely dressed state they were both in should be enough to drive Crawford away, to get him some rest.

Instead ...

//Don't let your emotions get in the way of a really good time//

"Would it help against the nightmares?" Crawford asked.

Schuldich blinked, instinctively reaching out with his gift to try and find out what had prompted this unexpected response.

To find out Crawford did want to say 'yes' only needed a rationally sounding reason to allow himself to act the way he wanted.

He considered the matter for a while, then nodded.

He agreed to it, mainly because it was something new. And something to taunt Crawford about later, when the american would have regained his senses.

When the nightmares *did* become less frequent, while staying home at night became more of a rule than an exception, he was pleasantly surprised. Not that he believed for one moment he ought to thank Crawford for anything ; it was probably just his mind recovering on its own.

//Don't let your emotions get in the way of a really good time//

"He fucked me and I let him. That was all." Odd, how he could still picture the position of each and every piece of furniture in this room, while he hadn't been here nearly as often as in the living room, or his own room.

"Sounds almost like rape." Yohji commented, not liking the expression on Schuldich's face.

"Something wrong with your hearing? I consented to it. No rape. Just ... sex."

Yohji bit his lip, not very eager to ask what was on the tip of his tongue.

After a while, Schuldich caught on to it anyway.

"Between us, there's more than that. As you should know by now, Kudoh!" the telepath scowled.

"Why not between you and him then?" Yohji wondered aloud.

Schuldich shrugged. "Who can say? Lack of electricity? No sparks flying? Be glad of it."

"I am." Yohji assured him. "I love you."

"Yeah, you're one big softie." Schuldich rolled his eyes. "Please, you're making me sick with all this sudden sentimentality."

"Are you done here?"

"Yes."

//They said you should know better

I said I do//

"Were you able to say your proper farewells, Schuldich-kun?" Omi asked when the two walked out of the house again.

Schuldich sighed. "It's just a building, Omikins."

Yohji shook his head. "It's more than that. There are a lot of memories tied to every part of it. Soon, they'll only be there in your head."

"I'd be devastated if they'd ever decide to demolish the Koneko." Omi confessed.

"I'm sure you'd get over it soon enough." Schuldich grinned. "Besides, not everything that house reminds me of is good."

"Nagi ... "

"How can you desert us like this?!" Nagi yelled.

Perhaps it was better to have Nagi being angry at him. Better than having him sad.

"Brad said himself that Schwarz was history."

"I hate you! You're nothing but a traitor and a slut!" A lamp hit the wall next to his head.

"Love you too, chibi."

"Can we go home now?" Schuldich requested. The two Weiss-members nodded.

//I know the best

And perhaps my best

Is what you detest//

"He looks happy." Farfarello noted, staring after the disappearing redhead.

"I'm amazed he came." Nagi remarked. "I hadn't exactly thought him to be a 'home, sweet home' kind of person."

"Bombay suggested it, when he heard this building was to be demolished." Crawford answered.

"Ah, Bombay." Farfarello grinned and nodded. "That explains it."

"Are you going to give him our new adresses?" Nagi inquired.

"That's completely up to you." Crawford turned to walk away. "I for one am quite content to have him ignorant of my whereabouts and thus unable to come and pester me."

Farfarello giggled.

~OWARI~