Reminiscence
by Aimless
Aya sighed as he shifted to get comfortable in the big bed. If anyone had told him years ago that he would be sharing his life with not just one lover but two he would have called them insane. Now he couldn’t imagine life without Chloe and Ken.
Still an intensely private man Aya was worlds different from the emotionless leper of the past. Time had a way of changing all of them. And for Aya it was a change for the better. When he’d first arrived in England and joined Weiss B he’d retreated back into the shell he’d created. Not wanting to let any feelings in that could hurt him more.
Aya’s second team gone. His sister better off without him. Recovering from a nearly fatal stab wound. Plus a new young man named Yuki that looked to him for guidance and support. What the hell did he know anyway? After Senna’s death what right did Aya have to mess up another young life.
Then Chloe forced his way into Aya’s self imposed isolation. Making Aya rejoin the land of the living. Giving him something to care about despite his vow to never do so again. Aya smiled fondly at the first time Chloe violated his personal space and got into his face for being …well an asshole.
The kiss that followed that heated argument was one that Aya would never forget. It caught the both of them by surprise and led to a frenzied coupling that left the both of them gasping and exhausted.
Attraction turned to affection and finally to love. Something Aya never thought he’d have. The relationship with Yohji had been intense to say the least. Passionate and consuming. But like most raging fires all too soon to burn itself out. Which was what happened. Aya now wondered if he ever truly loved the man at all. Or if it was desire fueled by loneliness and their dangerous lifestyle.
Free to express his feelings towards another, Chloe managed to heal a good portion of Aya’s heart. But there was still something missing.
Ken has shown up in England not long after Aya. To say he was surprised to see his former team mate was a vast understatement. Plus to all appearances Ken was the happy go lucky person Aya remembered when he’d first joined Weiss. Not the soul distraught wreck he’d left at the airport after the Koua Academy debacle.
Did Aya feel guilty for leaving Ken behind? Abandoning someone who still desperately needed someone to cling to after everything else had fallen apart. Yes…a fact that still ate at him even now.
But at the time Aya was really in no better shape. Angry at the events that cause him to flee. Feeling betrayed by the very people he thought he could trust. Aya simply could not stay a moment longer. He had to leave. Had to rethink his life. Had to find his place in the world. So he left. To America, New York city to be precise. Taking freelance jobs funneled to him through Kritiker. Had Aya even considered leaving the life of an assassin behind? Of course but what else was he supposed to do? Aya was good at the job. He did get a certain sense of satisfaction from removing one more piece of scum from the general population.
As fate would have it Aya stumbled into a gang war and was nearly killed. Stabbed and left for dead that group of young people with their sympathetic guardians saved his life. Aya thought his life took a turn for the tragic once again when he was unable to stop the massacre that took away the only family Yuki had ever known.
Aya didn’t believe in second chances but here were two people ready to give him one. A no nonsense, suit clad woman named Mihirogi and her male companion. Platinum haired, deadly and devastatingly handsome assassin named Chloe. They both worked for Richard Krypton who ran yet another branch of the assassin organization that Aya worked for.
Accepting their offer Aya was whisked away to London. Yuki, alone now since the death of his surrogate family opted to join him. Despite Aya’s misgivings about leading another young man down such a dark path.
Seeing Ken after so many months was a bittersweet reminder of his past. There has always been something between them. Something neither one of them was ready to acknowledge or accept. Ken’s pleas during the Koua mission to leave…to run away from it all had been appealing. It stirred thoughts in Aya best left buried. So he’d pushed Ken away. It had all been so very fucked up. They were all damaged and headed towards self destruction. Yohji and Ken…Aya could see them falling apart before his very eyes but he was powerless to help.
Ken’s smile and hearty greeting rekindled those feelings Aya tried so hard to ignore. He had Chloe now and should be satisfied. But he wasn’t and it felt like the worst kind of betrayal.
Aya loved Chloe…he really did. But watching Ken during those first few months…knowing Ken’s eyes were on him. Feeling the heat generated from his gaze and the jealousy that radiated from the brown haired assassin. It all served to confuse Aya and inevitably he did what he always did. Retreated emotionally. Closed himself off.
It didn’t help that Chloe seemed to take fiendish glee in harassing their newest teammate. Ken reacted predictably.
God it was like my own indoctrination into Weiss Aya thought as he lay there contemplating his life. It took Free and Aya to pull Ken off the smugly smirking blond. Then Ken seemed to back away. Draw inside himself. The behavior was so unusual for the normally cheerful brunette. Ken did bond with Michel…how could anyone resist that cherubic face and sweet smile. Michel made it a point to include Ken in whatever project he had going. He got Ken interested in cooking…it was self preservation mostly. After seeing Michel’s attempts at dinner. Before that we ate primarily take out. It was the mood swings Aya saw in Ken that made him realize how much things had changed. The events they’d lived through had changed them in so many ways.
But Aya had to admit the Ken that showed up at KR’s mansion. The one that seemed so much like the Ken from years ago was merely a façade. One created to protect the fragile individual Aya fell in love with.
Aya finally got to read the file KR had on Ken. The one sent to him from Mamoru Takatori. The file that outlined Ken’s days in prison. His therapy and eventual release. Then his joining Krypton Brand.
This was what Aya abandoned Ken to face at that airport. He should have been there. As the only teammate that still gave a damn. At that time Mamoru distanced himself from his former team. Yohji had a new life courtesy of Kritiker and what did Ken have? A ten by ten cell in a maximum security prison.
It truly amazed Aya to find himself in this bed with Ken spooned up behind him. Aya smiled…the brunette was apparently drooling on his bare shoulder. Snoring slightly and sound asleep.
Aya frowned at his bout of introspection. What brought it on he really couldn’t say. Other than the fact that maybe he was too content. Aya felt like the other shoe was about to drop. Like maybe he didn’t deserve to be so loved. After all what had he ever done to be worthy of such attention?
Then something that felt very much like a finger poked the red head right between the eyes. Irritably he swatted at the invader and opened his eyes.
Only to see Chloe gazing back at him from across the pillow.
“You’re thinking too hard love, it’s keeping me awake. Plus you get this little wrinkle right there.” Chloe again poked the crease marring the space between Aya’s eyes.
Aya grabbed Chloe’s hand and sighed. “I’m sorry its just that I couldn’t help thinking about my life and all the things that have happened.”
Chloe reached over to smooth Aya’s long hair back from his face. “Well I’ve heard that it’s quite common for a little self examination on one’s birthday. But why the frown? Was it all bad?”
Aya leaned into Chloe’s soothing touch. Unaware that he was even doing it. “No I guess not. But I’ve been through so much. We’ve been through so much. How did I ever deserve to end up here? I’ve made so many bad choices. People have died because of me. I’ve lost so many that I’ve cared about. It’s just a bit overwhelming right now. I keep waiting for anything good that I have now to be suddenly yanked away.”
Chloe leaned in and kissed Aya’s down turned mouth gently. He scooted even closer and placed his hand on Aya’s heart.
“I don’t care about the past. About all the horrible things you’ve done. None of those things are important right now. I love you. Ken loves you. Right here, right now and for as long as I live. Nothing is going to change that.” Chloe felt Aya relax at last. He continued to run his fingers through Aya’s slightly damp, shoulder length crimson hair. As much as Aya seemed to shy away from human contact he truly did like to be petted.
“How did I get so lucky?” Aya’s eyes drifted shut as Chloe’s hands continued their meandering path down Aya’s slim neck. He traced the vivid proof of their earlier activities.
“You fell in love with me.” Chloe answered with a lascivious grin.
Aya couldn’t help it…he actually laughed.
Which made Ken snort in protest against Aya’s back. Ken mumbled something unintelligible and plopped his arm possessively over Aya’s waist.
“Ken doesn’t seem very alert does he?” Aya remarked casually as the brunette’s arm tightened and he snuggled closer.
“Well I had no idea I’d suck his brains out his dick. I think we wore him out.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Wore him out? I’m almost dead too.” Aya truly wondered where Chloe got his stamina.
“Well I’d say you enjoyed your birthday present then.” Chloe kissed Aya again…this time lingering and sweet. Both of them enjoying the slow sensual glide of tongue against tongue.
Aya briefly sucked Chloe’s lower lip into his mouth and pulled away to answer.
“More than you know Chloe. More than you know. Love you.” Aya was so damned grateful to be doubly blessed by the devotion he’d been shown that night.
“Love you too Aya.” Chloe whispered back.
“Love you both…now shut up so I can get some sleep. Shit I’m sore…I’ll need a pillow to sit on tomorrow.” Ken grumbled and placed one wet sloppy kiss on the nape of Aya’s neck Before dropping back off to sleep.
They couldn’t help it. Aya and Chloe burst out into delighted laughter. Leave it to Ken to get the last word and sum up the night’s events so perfectly.