Title: The More Things Change...

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Weiss Kreuz Gluhen

Spoilers: This takes place during EPISODE 8! It gives away major plot points up to that point and for that whole episode. Please *do not* attempt to read this fic until you have seen through episode 8.

Rating: PG

Pairing: past Omi/Ken implied (though if you want to pick up on other pairings that are extremely lightly hinted at, feel free to)

Disclaimer: Though I love to play with them, and I adore them to death, the Weiss boys are not actually mine. It's sad, but true. I'm just playing here. No harm done and no money made. Some of the dialogue, scenes, and actions are exactly like Episode 8 and are not my idea/words. I'm simply using them as part of a fic.

Summary: In the midst of mission turmoil, Ken comes down with a cold and starts longing for the way things used to be.

Notes: I'm usually not fond of writing stories set during and incorporating actual bits of a book/movie/show/etc. But somehow the idea for this grew on me and wouldn't leave me alone.

The More Things Change...

     Ken circled around the inside of the gazebo. The moonlight danced off the surrounding water and was reflected in his own dark eyes. He scuffed his shoe against the stone floor and shivered at the sound it made. Or perhaps the shiver was simply from the weather.

     Everything around Ken lit from the east as a flash of lighting burst from the clouds. It brought with it a fierce wind which whipped sideways, sprinkling Ken with the cold rain he had tried hard to avoid. He leaned on the railing, looking out at the stormy sky, counting. In a matter of seconds, a crash of thunder shook him from inside. The storm was getting closer. It was not safe to stay there in the little building in the center of a pond. Ken reached over and gently caressed the keystone which opened the passageway down to what he was sure had to have been the Z-Class. Images of dead bodies flashed through his mind like lightning and he felt his fist tighten.

     Persia was crazy. That much was clear. They'd been working this mission for months now. They'd been attacked. One of them had been killed. They'd put everything they had into it. And even now they were supposed to simply walk away with absolutely no explanation. It was clear that evil was behind this. It was clear that Epitaph and Essett had to be stopped. And now they were to simply walk away from the beast hiding in the darkness.

     Ken couldn't understand it. And on top of all of it, there was Sena. Sena who had taken the place of his Omi. The new recruit who had seen little and done even less. Sena didn't really understand what it meant to be Weiss yet. He had pains of his own, Ken knew. That was what it meant to be Weiss. But there was so much more to it than that. They fought for so many reasons, some of them their own, some of them just to fight. One unforgivable sin replaced another and their convictions and justice were strong enough to make that work.

     Ken had tried once to escape it. To pretend as though everything was normal, that he was normal. But the pull back to who he had become was too strong. Everyone had their own reasons for fighting but when it came down to it, all they really had was the strength found in each other. At times he felt there was no Ken left. No Aya, no Yohji... only Weiss. And as such, he couldn't understand why any of them would be able to walk away from this mission now.

     "kshhhh!" Ken sneezed, head bobbing downwards, hand only making it halfway to his nose in time. Another strong gust of wind blew more rain into his face and he shivered more. Zipping his sweatshirt up against the cold and flipping the hood up over his head against the rain, he decided there was no point in lingering there any longer. Apparently the answers to his questions were not going to present themselves tonight. What he really needed was a good sleep.

*

     But the absence of a good sleep, like the pain of losing someone you loved, was also Weiss. He tossed and turned, his mind filling with worry and confusion. When he did sleep, his head raced with nightmare after nightmare. From Kase to the countless men he had taken down without learning their names. Blood splattered against his face and he did not bother wiping it away. He saw Schwartz, and Shrient. He saw them all closing in around him.

     Ken woke with a yell, panting and sweating. The glow of the sun out the window told him it was close to dawn but he was certain it was too early for anyone to be up yet. "ikshhh! Ehkshhhh!" He rubbed a bent finger against his nose. It tickled terribly and his throat was dry and sore when he tried to swallow. It could only mean one thing and he didn't like it. "Kuso!" he swore again, pushing back his blankets and getting out of bed.

     He headed down the hall to the bathroom, determined to find something to make the pounding in his head stop. If only it were so easy. The door to Sena's room was ajar, allowing Ken a look inside. Sena was sound asleep in his bed, the covers thrown to the floor. He, too, looked hot, as though he were under too much pressure and could not bare the dreams his mind was showing him either. Ken shut his door to give him privacy and dampen any shouts or cries he might be giving when he woke. Yohji's bedroom door was wide open and the bed looked as it had for days now- neat, tidy, and vacant. He wondered how many nights Yohji could sleep in this woman's bed and still have their mission objective clear in his mind. Ken knew Yohji was the biggest playboy there was and had had probably hundreds of women, but at the same time, Ken also knew that some women touched him more than others. Aya's door was closed but not locked. When Ken looked in on him, he was lying on his stomach, stretched out and naked in the faint morning light. Aya looked as though he'd been up late, with his hair still done up in a braid which snaked down his back casually. It looked as though he had been up so late that he'd just stripped down and crashed on his bed with exhaustion. But at least he'd been able to sleep. That was more than Ken could say. Ken smiled and shut the door again.

     With another rub at his nose, he continued on to the bathroom. He lapped up some water, then gargled a little. His reflection in the mirror didn't make him feel much better about himself. Not that the others would notice for a while if at all, but he was looking quite pale apart from his cheeks which were flushed red. "Fever?" he said, sniffling and feeling his own forehead. He couldn't tell. After popping several pills, he lapped up some more water, and then he then splashed his face with some. The coldness chilled him thoroughly and made him shiver. He considered taking a warm shower to feel better, but a bout of sneezing stopped him in his tracks. "h'chhhh! Kshhhh! Ihkshhh! Kishhhh!" One hand to his nose, he felt around blindly for the tissues. "h'kshhh! hihKshhh! Hekshhh! Huh... h'ikshhhh!" His hand located it finally, and he brought a handful of tissues to his nose and mouth. "hekshhhh!" He blew his nose thoroughly and took a few more for the trip back to his room. His head spun with fever and he decided he did not feel at all like trying to stand up long enough for a shower. He would go back to bed and try to get a decent sleep instead.

     By the time he finally started dozing off, he could hear the sounds of Aya waking Sena so they could head off to school. Ken stuffed a finger in one ear and buried his head under his pillow. He wasn't going anywhere today but to sleep. "ihshhh! h'uhshhh!" Sniffling, he shut his eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep and unwakable when Aya came to check on him. Curious, he half wanted to know why Aya cared to look in on him after all that had transpired between them the night before. But it was not as though they had never argued before. And Ken fell asleep before the thoughts worked themselves out in his mind.

*

Ken slept for hours, waking frequently in between terrible dreams. What had killed all those men in the hidden room? What was going on that they didn't know about? He had visions of being bound, hands tied behind his back, and of being stabbed or run through with a sword or shot straight in the head. He had nightmares of all the faces of his victims, swirling around him, laughing or crying or ordering him to hell.

     He was quite relieved when he woke in the afternoon. He felt much more rested and actually a bit better, apart from the almost constant tickly desire to sneeze. "h'tchhh! hihChhh! hehShhh! h'Shhhh!" Out of tissues, he wiped his nose on the back of his hand, sniffling madly until he could get to the bathroom. He changed and headed over quickly, shivering with cold in the now otherwise deserted house.

"h'tchhh! hetchhhhh!" He went straight for the tissue box, sitting down on the toilet seat again as he blew his nose as many times as it took to make it feel a little less stuffed and tickly. He brushed his teeth and ran his hand through his hair a number of times until it flopped about the way he wanted. But when he left, he paused in the doorway, then returned for the box of tissues to take it with him downstairs.

     He liked the house empty, especially when he wasn't feeling well. It was such a rare occurrence that he had the whole run of the house. Usually he was gone when they were, and returned at just about the same time. "h'chhh! Hep'tchhhh!" Tea.

     Usually when he was sick, Yohji brought him tea, among other things. And right now he craved its warmth and healing properties. But it didn't look like Yohji would be bringing some any time soon.

     So Ken took the tissue box with him to the counter as he prepared some, frequently stopping to sneeze or blow his nose. When the tea was finished, he grabbed a piece of bread and tucked the tissue box under his arm again to head down to the basement.

     There were a few matters he wanted to research on the computer now that he had the time. He found, however, that by the time he had drained his cup of tea, he kept nodding off in front of the computer so much that it wasn't at all worth it. Not wanting to make the long walk back upstairs, Ken crashed on the sofa, using one of the arms as a pillow and hugging a cushion to his chest for warmth. He fell asleep almost immediately.

*

     "Ken-kun?" he heard the soft whisper in his ear. His first thought was of Omi, but when he opened his eyes, it was only Sena. "Are you all right?" he asked concernedly, leaning on the back of the couch and looking down at Ken.

     Ken nodded, rubbing at his nose, then his eyes. His eyes managed to focus on his watch, telling him that it was the late afternoon only. That was good. He'd have enough time to look that stuff up on the computer, make dinner, eat, shower, and change before going to meet Aya at the school. "h'eptchhh! hehshh! hihshhh!" He stood, swaying as his head spun. He reached out to steady himself on the couch and found Sena at his side, supporting him.

     "Up to your bed?" he suggested, and Ken nodded at once. It seemed that he wasn't going to get anything at all done today anyway. He climbed the stairs behind Sena, sniffling into a handful of tissues. He navigated the mess that was his bedroom just fine, while Sena tripped over a shin pad while trying to avoid tripping over a soccer ball.

     "Sorry," Ken mumbled, really only feeling half as sorry as he should. He crawled into bed, relieved as warmth surrounded him again.

     Sena felt his forehead. "You're burning up," he noted softly. "Can I get you some tea, maybe? Or a cool washcloth for your head?" As much as he did want both, Ken didn't much feel like being waited on by the kid, so he shook his head. "All right," Sena said, looking as though he didn't believe that head shake for one minute. "If you need me, I'll be in my bedroom. Feel better, Ken-kun."

     "Thank you." Ken shivered and closed his eyes, dwelling on the memories evoked from hearing his name like that. Every time in the past when he'd been sick, Omi had been there to comfort him. As technically the first member of Weiss, Omi had always been around. Except now he wasn't, and Ken was forced to suffer without the younger man's comforts. Angrily, Ken pulled the blankets closer around himself to go to sleep before any other memories could haunt him.

*

     He woke to darkness outside his window and a cool hand on his forehead. Half expecting to see Omi when he opened his eyes, he received a bit of a shock to stare up into Yohji's eyes. "Y-Yohji!" he stammered, rubbing a few fingers at his nose.

     "You're burning up," Yohji said, pulling his hand back and shaking his head at Ken.

     "So I've heard," he said, clearing his throat to get the scratch out of his voice and sniffing hard to get some of the stuffiness out. "But I'b well edough," Ken grumbled, pulling himself out of bed. But he certainly didn't feel well enough. Not well at all, actually. He located the tissues at once, intending to blow his nose when instead the tickles caught back up with him. "hehshhh! hih-chhh! h'shhhhh! ekshhh!" Yohji shot him a look that insisted he knew the extent of Ken's ailment. Ken glared back, telling him to mind his own business. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out on a date or something?"

     Yohji laughed, "That's later tonight, actually. Sena was concerned about you. Asked me to look in on you and see that you got dinner."

     "I'b dot hugry," Ken replied, and this time with the truth. He zipped up his sweatshirt and shoved his hands into the pockets with a shiver. Yohji eyed him. Ken hardly ever actually wore his sweatshirt, choosing instead to tie it around his waist. Wearing it was definitely an indication of how bad he felt. He gave a few hard sniffs to clear his nose a little more. This time it worked. "Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but I've got to go."

     "Go? Go where?" he chuckled. "Don't tell me you've got a date, too."

     Ken coughed and shook his head. "No. I just... I just need to go find some answers." Still sitting on the edge of Ken's bed, Yohji narrowed his eyes. If he knew, if he even suspected, he did not say. Finally, he sat back with a sigh and nodded to Ken. "Don't worry about me. There's enough to worry about without worrying about me."

     "I suppose you're right," Yohji said. He pulled out a cigarette just the same and lit it as he followed Ken from his room. At the base of the stairs, they each took different directions, Yohji towards the kitchen and Ken out the door.

     It was cold out this night as well, but his saving grace was that it was not raining. As he jumped onto his motorcycle, he was glad of the clear weather. He wasn't entirely sure he could manage his illness and a thunderstorm while driving all at the same time. He knew the route well enough by now, however, and ended up at the academy in no time quite colder for the ride.

     He found the doors unlocked, and headed down a corridor to Aya's classroom. He had to talk with Aya. If there was one person who would talk to him about their mission still, it was Aya. And Ken needed to talk. He needed answers.

     But Aya was not there. Not there, not at the house, and it certainly wasn't like Aya to be out on a date. Ken hovered in the room for a few minutes, thinking things over and fighting the tickle in his nose. There was something about sneezing in an empty school, listening to the sound echo down the hallways, that was a bit off-putting and embarrassing to him.

     But, as fate had it, nothing ever came easily to him. "hehhh..." He fished a tissue out of his pocket and held it to his nose as his breaths came in gasps. Finally, the sneezes struck in full. "hehh-Ihshh! h'ekshhh! H'ipshhh!" Ken blushed uncontrollably, despite being quite alone in the room and probably the rest of the school. There was really no way of knowing who else was about at this time of night, but he didn't want them tracking him down from his sneezes. Resolving to contain any more if they threatened to strike.

     He rubbed a finger under his nose as he left the classroom and wandered around. If Aya was anywhere else, it would probably be in the staff room either grading papers or trying to figure out how to get into more of the computer system. Ken hoped it was the later. However, as he approached the room, he heard voices from within. Recognizing them as Aya and another teacher in the school, he decided to sneak in through the back door to the room and wait until they were finished before showing himself.

     With the symptoms of the cold, however, the wait was not as simple as it seemed. Every few minutes his nose tickled and his breath caught. Rubbing his finger under it helped a bit, but the need to sneeze only returned and grew more intense each time. Ken stayed in the shadows and leaned against the wall, concentrating on his nose more than anything else. He took to pinching it as it began to tickle.

     Ken caught bits of conversation between Aya and the woman teacher. She seemed rather obsessed with the upcoming cultural festival that the academy would be having. Enthusiastic, but obsessed. And it seemed to Ken that she was as equally interested in the festival as she was in Aya.

     "Whenever I'm here working late like this, I think of the cultural festival and get excited," Ken heard her say. He rolled his eyes. It was hard to think about something like the cultural festival when the dead body count was rising.

     Momentarily distracted from his fight, Ken's nose tickled again, and he couldn't resist taking a sharp breath. He clapped a hand over his nose and mouth, realizing that his nose was running. He swore to himself and dug another tissue out, rubbing at his nose until the tickle died down. He'd never live it down if he sneezed now and gave himself away. To be sure he hadn't, he leaned forward, peeking out. He saw the teacher with her back to him, and Aya checking his watch. He pulled back quickly before he could be seen, hiding behind one of the columns.

     He listened closely to their next bit of discussion. "Hey, Mr. Fujimiya?" she said to Aya. "Tomorrow's Saturday and... um... if you've the time, would you like to meet somewhere?" Ken could not see Aya's expression, but could certainly imagine his reaction. "No, that's not what I mean," she said quickly. Ken smirked. Of course not. It was Aya, after all. "I'd like to go down to town and look for tapes and things to use at the cultural festival."

     Ken nearly chuckled at this. He clamped a hand over his mouth and another over his nose as it ran some more. Ran and tickled as well. He closed his eyes tightly and held his breath, trying to will the sneeze away. He felt it filling his nose and the tickle was maddening. But he couldn't allow himself to sneeze. He pinched his nostrils and every muscle in his body tensed up.

     Luckily, the urge to sneeze passed again. He sighed softly with relief. Then he tried to pick up the conversation again. "I've got to lock all the doors!" she exclaimed. Ken smiled. That sounded like she was finally ready to leave. He leaned forward and listened more closely. Aya volunteered to do it instead. And then... "Okay, then... I'll see you tomorrow."

     Aya replied, "Ten o'clock at the water fountain in the plaza, right?"

     Ken stifled a surprised cough into the crook of his arm. Aya? Aya had a date? What was his angle? He was still working on the mission, was he not? But he sounded so... happy about it. But Aya with a date? *Aya?* Ken shook his head and rolled his eyes. It had to be the new hairstyle.

     Ken heard a door slide open and closed again. And then Aya's voice was normal again, calm and deep and without feeling. "Come out." He'd known Ken was there all along.

     Ken stepped into the light. He shivered and crossed his arms over his chest. Then he casually leaned back against the pillar. "I'm sorry to intrude," he said, casting a look over his shoulder at Aya. He smiled slyly, though a drop of sweat was sliding down his face and his eyes were over-bright. Then he quickly turned his head and cupped his hand to his mouth. The tickles that had been plaguing his nose were back again, and this time he gave into the urge to sneeze. "ehhShhh! epKshhhh! h'Schhh!" He rubbed his nose with a tissue.

     "I assume you came here to talk?" he asked as he gathered up his things and switched off the computer terminal. Ken nodded. He would not have dragged himself out of his sick bed for less.

     They both knew it was best not to speak inside the building. There were cameras and computers everywhere, and there was no telling who was watching. Ken helped Aya lock up and then they headed out to the gazebo in the middle of the pond, taking separate routes to be sure no one was tailing them.

     Ken hadn't realized how hot he had been inside the stuffy building. The effort from holding in his sneezes had no doubt taken its toll on him. And though the nighttime air was chilling, and he shivered violently, he also unzipped his sweatshirt and felt a lot better with the breeze blowing at him. He leaned back onto one of the poles and shoved his hands into his pockets. He did a quick count to see how many tissues he had remaining and hoped he would be able to talk with Aya without looking too ill and tired. This wasn't the time for that.

     Aya walked up the steps and stood across from him, arms crossed in front of his crisp white shirt and tie. He looked so solemn and scholarly like this, with his glasses and his hair. But Ken knew the real Aya. He had seen the true pain beneath, and the deep anger, too. He knew what acts Aya was capable of committing. And he was glad those could be counted on for they had to continue on with the mission.

     "If we continue to ignore Takatori's withdrawal order, they're not going to just ignore it," Aya said, before Ken could say anything. "They're likely to bring in their other squad, the Sabotage Specialist Unit Crashers."

     "Even so, there's little chance they could beat us," Ken replied.

     Aya practically cut him off. "What do they want?"

     Ken gave a single, airy chuckle, then rubbed his finger up and down the bridge of his nose, right between the eyes. There was another tickle brewing, and he wanted it to back off. But he also wanted it to look like he was thinking. "I doubt they'll just want to play a game of catch." He took a deep breath and pushed off from the post, standing squarely to face Aya's back. They were wasting time with this. There was only one thing he had come for, and the sooner he finished there, the sooner he could go home to sleep. "Then I'll get right to the point and ask you. Aya, why did you oppose Persia's order?"

     Smoothly Aya turned halfway, his eyes strong as they looked past the hair in his face and focused on Ken. "Why are you still here with me?"

     He knew Aya would ask that, and his emotions were high strug. And, yet, he turned away, looking out onto the water instead of into Aya's eyes as he replied, "Probably for the same reason as you." He set his hands down on the railing, using it to help support himself a little and bowing his head. "But I want to hear it from your lips." He lifted his head and glanced back. "Why are you ignoring Persia's withdrawal order and continuing the investigation of the school?"

     Aya paused and sighed. Ken could barely hear it, but he knew Aya well enough to notice it. And Ken knew it meant Aya had no intention of answering. Perhaps he couldn't admit it to himself, let alone to another person. "My true identity is known to the enemy," Aya said gravely. "You shouldn't hang around me." He turned and began to walk back down the steps from the gazebo.

     He'd dragged himself out of bed for the only thing that mattered now, and Aya wouldn't even talk to him. Ken turned, annoyed and angry, and started after him. "Hey! We're not done talking yet!" Apparently the cold was taking its toll, and he felt a pain in his side. He wouldn't be able to run after Aya if it came down to it. So he reached out and grabbed hold of Aya's shoulder to stop him.

     "Let go of me." Aya's voice was even colder now. Cold, but not quite as firm. Ken thought he heard a bit of a tremble in the words.

     Ken did not let go. There was something to this, something there. Something deep inside Aya, just as it was in them all. And he had to hear it. Otherwise he wasn't sure he had the strength to stand against their orders, their leader. He had to know that what he felt was real and worth being a traitor. And Aya was the only one who would tell him. "You're scared to say it. Once you say it you can't go back." He pushed. "You can tell me. Why did you oppose Persia? You're..."

     Aya looked back, narrowing his eyes. In a split second he turned, shaking off Ken's hand and throwing a punch at Ken's face. But Ken put up his hand and blocked it. He felt the strength of the punch, realizing it would not have been bad, not even enough to knock him out. But it would have been just enough to make him think twice about making Aya do or say anything. Especially that. Shaking, partly from fever but mostly from emotion, Ken spoke firmly. "Do you... intend to leave Weiss?"

     Aya took a moment to answer. But when he did, his voice was calm again. And almost regretful. "I don't know."

     And then, taking Ken completely off guard, he punched hard. His fist punched into Ken's stomach, winding the younger man so badly that Ken crumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. His head spun from fever, his sinuses throbbed. But now he lacked all energy to breath, let alone stand. One arm clutched at his chest. With his other hand, Ken reached up and ran a hand beneath his slightly runny nose, trying to regain something as he waited for his breath to return to normal.

     Aya looked down at him a moment, then turned and walked away again. "The night air is bad for your heath," he said.

     Ken coughed weakly and managed to lift his head enough to look up at Aya. This couldn't be the end of it. He had to know, had to hear. He had to be sure that what he was feeling was real. "Kuso! Aya, is that your answer?!" Aya continued to walk away, stepping carefully on the blocks that formed the path out into the center of the pond. Ken took a deep breath and raised his voice so it would carry. "So that we can continue to be Weiss... so that we can be true Weiss, not tools of Takatori." His eyes began to tear, not with sadness, but with anger. How could they even have been put in this position? Weiss was supposed to fight for causes, not just walk away. They couldn't, they simply couldn't walk away this time. He called out to Aya with desperation, "You're going to abandon Weiss for that, right? I'll do it too... we'll do it together... Hey! Aya!" He yelled, but Aya did not reply. And he did not return.

"Kuso!" Ken swore again, hanging his head and rubbing at his nose again. He leaned against the stone circle in the center of the gazebo. He knew what was beneath it, certainly. But this time that's not what he was thinking about. He was thinking about how bad he felt and what a pain it would be to ride home like this. "Aya!" he yelled out into the darkness, knowing the man was probably long gone. "At least offer me a ride... home..." he broke off, his face falling. He didn't care to expend the energy to cover his sneeze. "hehShuhhhh! ehhKschhh! Heh-Tchhh! eh-heh-Uhkshhhh!" He ran a hand against his nose, sniffing miserably.

     Shivering and sniffling, he closed his eyes. Tomorrow was the weekend. No classes at the academy, not even for the best and brightest. If he couldn't manage to get up now or passed out, it wouldn't be so bad. Chances were he'd be found by the enemy anyway and maybe get some answers from someone. Of course he wasn't exactly in the best condition to fight if he did meet up with someone.

     Ken coughed and summoned his strength. Using the stone circle to push himself up, he tried to hold himself steady on his feet. His head was throbbing now, not just dizzy from fever. He walked slowly from the gazebo and headed straight for his motorcycle. "huh-Shhh! h'KSHhhh!" He groaned and blew his nose. Barely able to see straight and stand, he wasn't going to be able to drive home and make it there alive. He sighed, and then suddenly heard a car on the road outside the academy fence.

     Looking over, seeing the headlights, his heart gave a bit of a flutter. "Omi?" he called. Omi had found him, and brought a car around for him. Quickly he tried to think of what he would say to Omi. Should he accept the ride? Should he thank Omi if he did accept it? If he didn't? Would Omi use the opportunity to talk to him about the mission? Should he? His heart jumped up into his throat and he felt himself stepping out of the shadows to be seen more easily.

     But the car on the main road kept going, and Ken's hopes fell. "h'KShhhhh hehhShhhh!" He sneezed again and rubbed at his nose angrily. He was annoyed at his cold and now annoyed at himself. A few minutes of discomfort and he was all but hoping to see Omi coming to his rescue. A dozen harsh sneezes and he was almost ready to put his feelings and his convictions aside. Ken swore at himself and reminded himself that no matter how much he wished it, things weren't going to be like that any more.

"h'Pschhhhh!" Ken sneezed wetly, then shivered. Aya had been right, the cold night air wasn't doing much for his health. He needed to be back home in bed. The problem was, he still couldn't drive in this condition. Ken pulled out his cell phone. He couldn't call Aya, obviously. And Yohji was out on his date already. Sena just had his motorbike. There was Omi, though. He could call Omi.

     Sniffling and rubbing the back of his hand at his nose, he dialed. It rang once, twice, then he cleared his voice and spoke. "Yes, I'd like a taxi, please. Outside the Koua Academy." He hung up and traded phone for tissues in his pocket. "hehhhh..." he wavered, backing away from his bike now. "huh-EHShhhh! H'Epshhh!"

     Ken started the walk up the long drive, across the academy grounds. The taxi driver would not have the codes to enter the gates and at least the walk gave him something to do. His pace was slow and embarrassing, and he was growing rather glad none of the other Weiss members were around to see it.

     It wasn't as though they had never been sick before... it simply didn't make a good fighter. Back in the day, they might have teased him for coming down sick in the middle of the mission. Yohji would have brought him tea and magazines. Aya would have used forcefulness and concern to see that he stayed in bed. And Omi would have snuggled into bed with him to keep him warm until his fever broke. But now... Ken shivered and sniffled, and then he shook his head. Those times were gone now. And he tried to remind himself that those times would never return.

     Ken paused, putting a hand on a tree trunk to steady himself. He was dizzy, shivery, tired. "hehhhh..." Automatically he raised a handful of tissues to his face and scrubbed at his nose, hoping the tickle would abate. It didn't. "hahhChhh! H'Shhhh! ehhhTchhhhh!" He blew his nose and pushed off the tree, stumbling forward towards the gates determinedly.

     After a while, a car's headlights illuminated the gate in front of him, and he hurried the rest of the short way to the gate. He made sure it locked securely behind, then crawled into the back of the taxi cab. Feeling shivery, he crossed his arms over his chest as he gave the driver directions. Then the car took off.

     The motion of the car driving was very soothing. Out of the cold, out of the wind, Ken had to work to keep his eyes open. He rubbed his nose with the tissues and tried to slouch down in the seat. He needed to sneeze again rather badly, but didn't really want to.

     That didn't keep the taxi cab driver from talking to him. "You all right back there? You look pale."

     Ken nodded. "I'm all right. Just had a hard week." He cleared his throat and looked out the window to avoid having to talk any more. He rested his elbow casually on the door and pressed a few fingers up against his nose to keep from sneezing. And he jiggled his leg to keep himself awake.

     When they neared the spot Ken had specified, then driver spoke again. "This is where you want to be dropped off?"

     Ken nodded, paid, and hopped out as the cab slowed. He waited for the taxi to drive away and disappear from sight before he turned and walked a block to the bus stop. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head and shoved his hands into his pockets with a shiver. He was positive the temperature had dropped at least ten degrees since he'd been in the heated cab. And he wished he could have taken it all the way home, but he couldn't risk being trailed from the academy. He wasn't up to fighting tonight, though he certainly would if he had to. But he had a strange feeling that he and the other Weiss members were being watched and leading them straight to the shop was a bad idea. So he stood and waited for the bus and sat in the back, hunched over and sniffling and hoping no one would notice him.

     After the one taxicab, two buses, a four block walk, and countless dirty looks from passengers and passersby, Ken finally found himself at home. The warmth struck him first, and he shivered violently as his hands stung from the temperature change. His nose immediately began tingling as well. He cupped one of his otherwise useless hands to his face. "hhh... KShhhh! KehShhhh! hihShhhhh!" Ken moved steadily through the main room and into the kitchen.

He flipped the light switch and went straight for the fridge. He decided not to drink from the carton and instead poured himself a glass of juice to wash down the pills he'd been carrying around in his pocket. They hadn't done much to help his headache or congestion or even his fever, but he certainly hadn't helped matters by going out to see Aya either so he decided it was best to take them now while he still had half a mind.

     Exhausted and feeling worse than ever, he headed back across the rather bare main room to the stairway and their rooms. The house was strangely silent. "Sena?" he called out as he walked up the stairs. "Aya? Yohji?" He received no response. Curious, he looked into each room as he passed it, finding them all empty. Yohji was out on his date, of course. However, Ken expected Aya to be back by now, especially if the man had a date the next morning. But Aya wasn't there. Nor was Sena, which was especially odd. Where could Sena have gone at this time of night? There seemed but one clear answer, and that was something having to do with the mission. But as Ken did not know what precisely that could be, he kept walking towards his room and the bed he'd been longing to get back to all night.

"Kahshhhh! Kuhshhhhh! hehhhKTchuhhh! Shuhhhh! Kshuhhhh!" he sneezed freely, gripping the wooden railing for support. "hehhhh... heh-KSHhhhh!" He dug his few remaining tissues out of his pocket and blew his nose loudly. So loudly that he missed the sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him. So loudly that he did not hear the man call out his name. So loudly that he had no idea he was not alone in the house until a hand fell upon his shoulder.

     Ken jumped at the surprise and spun around, aiming a fist at eyelevel. Just as he had done with Aya, his punch now was blocked. And Ken stood, shaking a bit from the cold and the fever and the sudden realization that there was someone there. But his shock that he was not alone was nothing compared to how he felt when he realized who it was. Ken looked down into the large, soft, familiar eyes. "Omi," he breathed. "What are you doing here?" Slowly, his mind tried to piece it together. Sena was off doing something mission-related? Aya was out with him? And Omi was here to apologize and tell them all to get back on it?

     "This has nothing to do with the mission, Ken-kun," Omi said softly, as though reading his mind.

     "What then?" Ken snapped. "Come to keep watch over us now? Install cameras in the house and shop? Make sure we're all obeying Persia's orders?"

     Not rattled a bit, Omi smiled as though he'd fully expected the response. He let Ken's hand go, but took his arm. His fingers closed gently around the muscular bicep hiding beneath the sweatshirt. "No, but I am here to look out for you. I heard you weren't feeling well. And I know how you can be when you're sick. I thought I'd brew some tea, make sure you stayed in bed, and keep you warm."

     A bit taken aback, Ken coughed and rubbed at his nose while he tried to figure out what to say.

     Omi spoke softly, tenderly. "Must I order you to bed, Ken-kun?"

     Ken shook his head and leaned into Omi a little, who automatically slipped his arm around Ken's waist. They headed straight for Ken's room, and Omi shut the door behind. Ken saw a cup of steaming tea in a saucer already sitting on his nightstand. Either Omi had known when he would return or he had not been there long and had intended to make more if this grew too cold.

     Giving himself a bit of rest for a change, Ken tried not to decide which it might be. He kicked off his shoes, then pulled off his pants but kept his sweatshirt on. In boxers, he crawled back into bed and automatically reached for the tea Omi had already begun handing him. He drank a bit, then pulled back sniffling as the steam made his nose run.

"Too bitter? Not hot enough?" Omi wondered as he slipped his shoes off as well.

     Ken shook his head. It was perfect. Just like Yohji would have made. "It's all right." It felt fantastic against his throat and made the chill in his bones from the long trip home vanish almost instantly. He cleared his throat and fought hard not to smile with relief.

     Omi slipped down to boxers and a white t-shirt and Ken lifted the covers for him. He crawled in carefully, not wanting to disturb Ken too much. He kept his distance, but touched Ken's shoulder affectionately. "If you need anything at all, just let me know and I'll get it for you. You need to stay in bed until you're well and I intend to be sure you do," Omi told him.

     Ken tried not to smile as he nodded in agreement. Stubborn and overbearing, just like Aya would have been. "I could use some more tissues."

     Omi slid out of bed and retrieved a fresh box from the bathroom. Sneezes struck Ken almost as soon as Omi left, and he held both hands up to his face in a praying position. He sat up to be able to breathe more easily. "Kshhhh! EhhhShhhhh! ehhhKShhhh! Eh-ehhKIHShhhhh! ehhh-Kshhh! Kshuhh!" Several tissues were forced in-between his hands and his face, and he dropped his hands immediately. Omi cupped them to his face, pressing hard enough to help contain the spray. "Kiffff! KShfff! Uhffff!" Ken rubbed his nose into the tissues and squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he sniffed.

     Omi took the tissues away, then gently wiped Ken's hands dry with some fresh tissues. Then he eased Ken back down and climbed beneath the blankets with him. Ken shivered, then looked over at Omi. Their gazes locked. Ken swallowed. Then he scooted over in bed and snuggled into Omi's side. He cuddled Omi to him and buried his face in Omi's neck.

     He wasn't sure if Omi suspected that he wanted to continue the mission. He wasn't sure if all this was really just a ploy to get more information out of Weiss. But he knew he had spent the last few days feeling miserable and missing this, and the last few months wishing it could be like it once was. If it took his getting sick to bring back a bit of normality, Ken was going to take advantage of that. "Will you stay the night?" he asked.

     Omi nodded. He hesitated a moment, then ran a hand through Ken's dark hair. Ken nuzzled into Omi, encouraging the touch. The familiarity was more comforting than anything else, and he closed his eyes in order to enjoy it further. But before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

*

     Ken woke early in the morning with a tickle in his throat. He'd been in and out of sleep all night. Heavy congestion made him snore, which caused Omi to elbow him or roll him over sometimes. And then all the coughing and sneezing kept him awake until they gave way to his fatigue. Ken had to admit that it felt nice to be able to share his bed again with Omi. Besides the fact that he liked having a warm body to snuggle into and besides the fact that it again felt the way it once had, it was a familiar comfort. He loved how he could reach around all of the young man with a hug. He loved the way his body fit into Omi's side, curled into the most comfortable position. He loved how his face fit in the space between Omi's head, shoulder and neck. He loved feeling the rhythm of Omi's breathing along with the light beats of his heart.

     After one particularly steady bout of coughs and snuffles, Ken crawled over Omi and got out of bed. He shivered in the cold, unbelievably early morning air and crossed his arms over his chest as he padded down the hall to the bathroom. He tried to hold in the coughs, shaking as each struck. He didn't want to keep waking Omi by being loud, and he was out of water. He knew Omi wanted him to stay in bed, but he didn't think Omi would have a problem with his going to the bathroom.

     On his way back, during which he sniffled into a handful of fresh tissues though his coughs had decreased, he saw a light shining from Sena's room. The door was cracked a bit, so he forced a cough to announce his presence and pressed lightly on the door to enter.

     Even though it was unusually early to be awake he had expected to see Sena getting up for the day, if anything. Instead, he saw Sena sitting on the edge of his bed, flanked by the other two members of Weiss. He looked like he was in pretty bad shape. There were small cuts on his arms, and marks on his neck that indicated he'd been gripped hard there, possibly strangled. A bandage wrapped around his chest at an angle only half covered the gashes on his chest which looked substantial. He was hunched over a little, unable to sit up straight because of the wounds. His eyes were closed tightly against the pain, but he refused to cry out or do so much as whimper as Yohji and Aya tended to his wounds.

     On his lap, Yohji had a bowl of water and a washcloth. The water had turned rose-colored from the blood which was bright red on the cloth. Aya had a roll in his hand and began to wrap it horizontally around Sena's chest to cover the rest of the cuts.

"Sena!" Ken breathed, quickly closing the door behind him. "What happened to him?" he asked, addressing the others.

     "He'll be all right," Yohji explained. "They're not as deep as they look." Sena winced as Aya nudged him to get him to sit up straighter so the bandages could be tightened properly.

     "But what...?" he trailed off, turning his head and burying his nose into the tissues in hand. "ehhKShhhh! hehKShhhhh!" He was pitched forward at the force, but when he opened his eyes, he was at an angle to see Aya's sword on the floor beneath the bed. And though it had obviously been cleaned, it did look freshly used. Moreover, all three of them were dressed in their mission wear, leading Ken to wonder what sort of a date Yohji had gone on.

     A sharp gasp escaped Sena's lips, and the young man winced again as he was made to lift a tired arm so Aya could wrap the bandage higher up on his strong torso. Sena looked hurt and quite exhausted, but also appreciative for the company and care. Ken knew that feeling intimately.

     He cleared his throat and straitened up. The question Ken had started to ask was not the one he wanted answered now. "Who?" he demanded, his hand tightening around the tissues, crushing them in a strong fist. No one tried to hurt a member of Weiss and got away with it.

     "The twins," Aya answered, his voice calm, his tone factual. But his touch was sympathetic. Ken's eyes widened just thinking of those maniacs.

     "He went after them alone," Yohji clarified for Ken's benefit.

"Kuso! And they left you alive?" Ken asked quickly, his knuckles whitening.

     Sena closed his eyes and Ken suddenly felt badly. He should have assumed by Sena's presence that he had been the victor. But something in him told him that any fight between them would have been a fight to the death. After what they'd done so easily to Kyou, there was nothing to expect otherwise.

     There was silence for a moment, following Ken's question. Youji avoided Ken's eyes, mindlessly wringing out the washcloth in the equally dirtied water. Aya tied off the bandages. He eased Sena down onto the bed. "They won't be bothering us anymore," he said matter-of-factly.

     Ken sighed in frustration. "You went after them without me? You should have told me. Should have called!"

     Then Sena spoke up, his voice a little shaky and high pitched. "I didn't care that it was a trap. I didn't want to give up on the mission. I wanted to fight. For justice..." He winced again. It seemed that below the surface injuries, Sena also had a broken rib or two. He closed his eyes, panting hard, looking as though he would have risked dying all over again for it. Ken could understand that, too. That risk was so innately Weiss...

     "We're not going to give up on it," Ken said firmly. Yohji shot him a look that told him to keep quiet. But Ken shook his head angrily. If the youngest, newest member of the team could see it, why couldn't Yohji? "We're going to get to the bottom of this. You should have called me tonight. I would have fought--"

     "And you would have died," Aya said, using that same tone.

     "Ken, you're sick," Yohji, said. "Be reasonable."

     Ken shook his head. "I just need some sleep. I'll be better in the morning." He watched Sena wince as he rolled onto his side and tried to pull the blankets up around himself. Yohji set down the water in order to get up so the blankets could move more frequently. Then he tucked Sena in. For a moment, Ken flashed back on the number of times he'd done the same for Omi, after he'd come home with mission-related injuries. He sniffed hard and his hand tightened again for a moment before he pitched the tissues into the trash can by Sena's bedside. He was certainly better at soccer than basketball, but he didn't miss. And if he had, it didn't matter. Only one thing mattered now. "We can't give up. We may not be Takatori's pawns anymore, we may not be Weiss anymore, but what that meant is still in us. Sena was hurt!" he said loudly.

     "And the culprits are dead," Aya explained, his voice extra quiet as though to give Ken the hint. The only thing it did was get Ken even more fired up. After all they'd discussed tonight, and after the murders Aya had apparently committed, how could he talk that way now? The twins were only the surface of the evil contained in this mission.

     "We set up a meeting with Rex in the morning," Yohji told him. "It doesn't matter now what Persia told us. We can't just walk away."

     Ken finally felt his heart go out to Yohji for that. The tension in his shoulders lifted a little. That is, until he heard a voice waft down the hallway. "Ken-kun?"

     Ken froze. As did Yohji and Aya. Sena still had his eyes closed in order to rest, however.

     It was Aya who spoke next, sounding anything but calm and factual this time. "What's he doing here? Does he know?" He narrowed his eyes, looking coldly at Ken. "Are you feeding him information? Or--"

     "He just came to look after me for the night while I'm sick," Ken explained. "I won't tell him about this, though I expect he will find out sooner rather than later."

     Aya started to snap back, but Yohji cut him off. "Calm down, Aya," he said, his voice commanding but soothing at the same time. Aya closed his mouth and met his gaze. "Ken is ill. Omi is just looking after him the way he used to. The way it... used to be."

     Aya did not seem particularly convinced, but he would not argue with Yohji on the subject. At least, not now. "Nothing can go back to how it used to be."

"EHHKShhhh! EhhhShuhhh!" Ken sneezed into the crook of his arm.

     "Ken?" came the call again from outside.

     "Look, I'll keep him away from here as long as I can," Ken promised, rubbing at his nose. "Long enough for us all to get some sleep tonight." He could speak for himself on that matter, but the other three Weiss members looked equally drained, and not just physically. "We'll talk about this later in the morning."

     There were nods all around. "Can someone sit with me for a few minutes?" Sena requested. "Until I fall asleep?"

     "Of course," Yohji said sympathetically, sitting back down on the edge of the bed and patting Sena's head.

     Ken smiled at the scene before him. Then he nodded back to them all and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him silently. He walked back down the hall quickly, and dove beneath the sheets.

     "What took so long?" Omi asked as they both rolled onto their sides and Ken snuggled up to Omi from behind.

     Ken shook his head. "Just feeling sniffly and didn't want to wake you." Ken was certain Omi knew him well enough to know he wasn't telling the whole truth. But Omi did not press the matter. They were no longer in a position where they could talk about such things freely. Simply being together, in bed no less, was as close as they were going to come at this point. So Omi reached forward and pulled the tissue box over, hugging it to his chest the way Ken was hugging Omi to his. Omi passed back some tissues, which Ken took and blew his nose with. "Thank you for being here for me," Ken said, squeezing Omi around his middle. He owed Omi that much, at least.

     With his eyes closed as well, he felt Omi's head move in a nodding motion. "You'll be better by morning," Omi reassured him. "Don't worry."

     The younger man leaned back, applying a bit of weight to Ken's front. With Omi closer, Ken was tempted to give him a kiss. But it wasn't the cold that stopped him, it was what the others had said about how things couldn't go back to the way they once were. And that especially applied to Ken and Omi. But for right now, with his cold and with Omi hugged to his chest, that didn't matter any longer to Ken. Everything felt the same again, even if it would only last the night. So he sighed and fell back to sleep, hoping that when his congestion cleared he might also have a clearer understanding of everything going on.