Laundry Basket Loot
by Aimless
Laundry day! Oh how Ken hated it. Normally everyone would do their own but due to circumstances, namely a bet he lost, Ken had to do everyone’s for a month. His favorite soccer team was favored to win. They had the best players and an un-defeated record. So Ken felt quite smug making the bet that his team Manchester United would defeat Arsenal. But then it had gone all horribly wrong and amidst much good natured teasing Ken watched as they lost. He’d foolishly bragged about Manchester’s prowess and made that stupid bet.
Who knew Laundry could be so complicated? Ken was used to just sorting according to color. But did that work with his team mates? No!
Free habitually dressed in organic cotton and linen blends. They wrinkled badly and had to be washed in cold water with dye free detergent. Low heat in the dryer or hung up to drip dry.
Yuki’s was easy. Button down shirts, pullovers and T-shirts. A lot of jeans and some dressier slacks. Mostly the same as Ken’s own wardrobe. They all went in normal cycle with whatever detergent they’d bought that week. Then into a medium heat dryer.
Then came the segmented, rolling laundry bin with Chloe’s vast array of garments. They were sorted by fabric and color. There was also a separate bag for all the clothes that needed to be dry cleaned. Finally all the hand washables filled the last tote.
Aya’s was almost a carbon copy of Chloe’s laundry. More hand washables, dry cleanable and delicate cycle clothing.
If that were not enough there were the dirt covered work aprons, all the kitchen linens, the towels, wash cloths and hand towels and all the sheets.
Ken sighed…this was going to take him all freaking day. He glanced out the window at the warm spring sunshine filling the courtyard and wanted to cry. Not manly but damn it he wanted to be out in it. Even the chirping birds seemed to be mocking him. He looked up when Michel burst through the door. He carried a huge sack of dirty clothes and Ken growled.
“Hey you lost fair and square. Suck it up Ken. Oh and make sure you read the labels this time. My red pants faded and turned all Yuki’s underwear pink. Not that it wasn’t funny but I’d rather not be strangled by an irate assassin wielding a pair of boxer briefs.” Michel could not help giggling at the totally defeated look on Ken’s face.
“How about I just shove everything in the machine with bleach and hot water.” Ken grumbled.
“If you value your life I wouldn’t. Although I doubt Aya and Chloe would really kill you…but then I’m not sure they wouldn’t get revenge somehow. Tell you what I’ll stop by your favorite deli later and bring you some lunch.” Michel placed a mischievous kiss on Ken’s cheek as he skipped out of the room.
Ken smiled fondly at the affectionate young man and with a huge sigh began to sort the mound of laundry.
A little while later his eyes widened as he plucked out a very small pair of neon orange briefs. He hastily dropped the underwear and warily prodded it with his foot. Something that bright should be illegal. He did a double take when more of the garish neon hued undergarments spilled out of Michel’s bag. How could he wear such itty bitty things? The universe must have it in for him Ken decided. No man should have to wash another man’s unmentionables unless he was sleeping with them.
Singing along with his Ipod the laundry room soon resembled a war zone. Ken wasn’t worried about mixing the items since it was pretty easy to figure out what belonged to whom. He got to the last basket to be sorted. It overflowed with sheets, pillowcases and blankets. He dumped the wicker container over and stared.
Lying in the heap was a rather worn, sad looking blue and white stuffed bunny. Gingerly he picked it up to try and figure out where it had come from. It looked old and barely holding together. One ear was torn and sloppily repaired. Its whiskers were half gone and the stuffing mashed inside to make it quite floppy. All that was left of the tail consisted of a wisp of blue fluff and a tattered green ribbon hung from its neck.
Ken looked curiously at the toy and wondered who the heck it belonged to. But now he had a reprieve and a mystery to solve! Then he’d tease the hell out of the owner for having such a girlie looking toy. Michel was his first choice and the most logical owner. Smiling he left his laundry room prison in search of the chibi.
Carrying his prize Ken proceeded to search for the blond assassin. He finally found Michel head and shoulders deep in one of the lower kitchen cabinets. Ken walked up to the busy teen and tapped him on the back.
There was a muffled shriek and a loud thud as the pots on the shelf above rattled. Michel backed out and sat on the floor rubbing the sore spot on his head. His language quite surprised Ken since some of the cuss words were in badly pronounced Japanese.
“Don’t DO that!” Michel wailed as he blinked up at Ken.
“What were you doing anyway?” Ken asked as he tried not to snicker.
“I was looking for my bottle of hot sauce. I need it for the fudge. I’m making me a sundae.” Michel got to his feet and looked at Ken. “What’s behind your back?”
Ken grimaced when he thought of the vile concoction Michel was making.
“Michel when making a hot fudge sundae you heat the chocolate not add hot sauce to it.” Ken walked over to the counter next to the stove and handed Michel a red filled bottle.
“Hey you make em your way and I’ll make em mine. So whatcha got?” Michel squirted an unhealthy amount of the condiment onto his ice cream.
“Oh I found something of yours when I was doing the laundry. I thought you might like it back.” Ken replied innocently.
“Ooh you found my Ipod!” Michel squealed.
“Nope I found this! I thought you were a little old to be sleeping with toy bunnies.” Ken smiled snarkily.
“Hey that’s not mine! Besides my stuffed pig Mr. Wiggles is sitting on my desk. Man that thing needs to be tossed. It’s all worn out.” Michel grabbed a spoon and took a huge bite of his vanilla ice cream, chocolate, hot sauce and ewww were those jelly beans? Sundae.
“Well if it isn’t yours then who?” Ken winced as Michel took another bite.
“I dunno ask Yuki.” Michel answered with his mouth full.
Ken wandered out of the kitchen wondering if he’d ever be hungry again.
He found Yuki in the living room. He was sprawled in the wingchair with his head on the seat cushion and his legs draped over the back. How in the hell could that be comfortable? He had his cell phone to his ear and Ken tried not to giggle to hear the mush pouring from the teen’s mouth. He must be talking to his girlfriend. He stood there for a while and finally cleared his throat.
Yuki frowned and tilted his head back. He got an upside down view of a grinning Ken. Crap! How much had he heard? Yuki flushed red with embarrassment. His girlfriend liked it when he was romantic. It was something he’d almost had to learn from scratch. According to her Yuki had gotten quite good at it too.
“You know it is not polite to eavesdrop.” Yuki frowned at the still grinning Ken.
“Awwww but it sounded so cute! How come you never talk to us like that?” The brunette assassin teased.
“Shut up! Did you actually want something or are you here to make me miserable?” Yuki replied then spoke briefly into the phone.
“I thought since you are being so touchy feelie today you might want to tell your girlfriend about your adorably ragged stuffed bunny.” Ken held out the sad plushie and stuck it in Yuki’s face.
“What is that thing? Get it out of my face. It’s not mine.” Yuki huffed. He rolled off the chair, got to his feet and stalked out of the room to find some privacy.
Well damn! Strike two. Who to torment next? Free? No way in hell this would be his. Ken figured Free would own a voodoo doll if nothing else. Chloe? Had to be his. Ken snickered…oh he was going to rub it in but good. Payback for all the times the blond had embarrassed him.
Ken whistled as he went in search of his handsome lover.
After an extensive search Ken found Chloe lovingly tending to his car. Since the day was bright and sunny it was the perfect chance to lavish some attention on his baby. Ken couldn’t help it he simply stopped and stared.
Chloe wore a pair of sinfully tight faded jeans and a light blue T-shirt. His feet were bare and he was bent over polishing the chrome on the grill of his expensive car. Ken waited until Chloe stood up surveying the excellent job he’d done. Then he pounced! Relishing in his arms full of sun warmed lover. Ken nuzzled the back of Chloe’s neck and inhaled.
Chloe smiled and leaned back into Ken’s embrace. He’d known his lover was there from the moment Ken had come outside.
“Mmmmm you smell good.” Ken breathed against Chloe’s ear as his hands slid over the blond’s taut abdomen.
“Car wax and chrome polish.” Chloe laughed. “You have some weird fetishes.”
“So do you. I found something of yours in the laundry.” Ken could not resist nipping and sucking on that delectable pale neck.
Chloe turned in Ken’s embrace and wound his arms around the brunette’s waist.
“Ooh you found my handcuffs? I was hoping to use them later. I thought we could play corrupt cop and mafia boss.” Chloe replied huskily in a tone that went straight to Ken’s crotch.
Ken’s brain short circuited for a moment as Chloe’s hands roamed over his toned chest.
“Er…no…but I did find this.” Ken held up the ragged stuffed bunny.
“Ah…Ken what is that thing? You thought it was mine?” Chloe took the doll from Ken and regarded it critically.
“Um yeah?” Ken’s disappointment in Chloe taking his hands off him was evident.
“Maybe some child left it in the shop. It probably ended up in the laundry room with the aprons and work gloves. Damn no handcuffs? I’ll have to go and find them.” Chloe absently kissed Ken on the side of the mouth as he went off to find his kinky prop. After all you could not play hostage without the proper equipment.
Regretfully Ken watched his lover wander off into the house. His erection clearly missed the blond as well since it drooped in disappointment.
Shit! Strike three. I guess it really does belong to some kid. I’ll stick it back in the laundry room. I still have a couple of loads of clothes to do. Ken thought as he too went back inside.
Ken stopped off at the kitchen to get a glass of milk. Beverage in hand he retuned to his detergent and fabric softener smelling prison. Ken stopped dead in the doorway and stared. Then glanced at his glass wondering if the milk was off and causing hallucinations.
On his knees pawing through a mound of laundry was Aya. The red head was muttering to himself as he flung aside bedding.
“Ah Aya? Are you ok?” Ken asked hesitatingly.
Aya whirled around and guiltily stared back at his lover.
“Did you lose something?” Ken thought…no way! It can’t be his!
Aya got to his feet and sighed when he spotted what dangled from Ken’s other hand.
“So you found it.” Aya resigned himself to his fate.
Yes the bunny was his.
“Yours? This is yours?” Ken held up the stuffed toy. He just could not wrap his mind around it. He’d been prepared to tease the owner mercilessly. But this just didn’t feel right. Aya looked so sad.
Aya gently took the doll and held it to his chest and closed his eyes. Ken waited silently for the explanation. He knew better than to push for answers. Aya would tell him when he was ready. After a few moments Aya spoke so quietly Ken had to move closer to hear him. He set the glass of milk aside and stood close enough to touch but waiting until invited to do so.
“I’ve had this a long time. Since I was five years old. My…my mother gave it to me on my birthday. It’s one of the only things I have left from that time. I’ve kept it safely locked away. But last night…well I was thinking about it all. About Aya-chan and I got it out. I fell asleep with it and it got forgotten in my bedding. I suppose you are going to laugh at me now.” Aya’s downcast eyes cut Ken straight to the heart.
Ken gathered Aya in his arms and the red head was uncharacteristically pliant. Ken placed a kiss on Aya’s cheek as he held him close.
“I’d never laugh at you. Not about this. You’ve managed to hold onto a piece of your past. A happy piece. I think it’s sweet. I…I never got to take anything when I was carted off to the orphanage. Cherish this Aya.” Ken held his lover tighter and they simply stood there soaking in the mutual comfort.
“Thank you.” Aya simply replied as he laid his head on the Brunette’s shoulder.
Ken sighed and smiled wistfully. Glad to be able to share in this little bit of Aya’s past.