BELONGING WITH YOU
by varon, age 17-18
archivists, ask first! (varon_)
.com
/kos/varon

"FINALLY," RAN Fujimiya muttered as he wearily pulled down the blinds of the now-empty flower shop, the plastic blades rustling faintly in time to his grumble, "they all left."

The only other person in the shop couldn't help laughing. "You say that every time you close the shop," he retorted, his voice drifting as he made his way into the stockroom.

Ran arched an eyebrow at his companion, who was busy putting away some clay pots. The brunette continued chuckling with his back to Ran. "C'mon, Ran," Ken Hidaka said, when he reemerged, "I know you hate it when school girls fawn all over you and not buy anything, but you have to cut them some slack. After all, they are just, well, schoolgirls." He punctuated his sentence with a noncommittal shrug.

Ran finished pulling down the rest of the blinds and walked over to the table to help Ken. After all he didn't want Ken breaking any of the new pots that just came in.

"No, Ken," Ran said as he followed the younger man into the stuffy room; he inwardly grinned when he thought he sounded a little more coy than he intended. "You misunderstand."

"Hmm?" Ken asked absently. He went through the open door with Ran at his heels, and, as gently as he could, placed the stack of brown boxes on one corner. "Well," he said, dusting off his hands, "what did you mean by --"

"I meant," Ran interrupted, as Ken watched him gingerly set down the heavy box of clay pots then get up, "finally those pesky girls left because I love Thursday shifts."

Ran's lips quirked up in amusement as he saw the momentary confusion in the other man's face as he tried to process the seemingly-nonsensical statement. Sometimes Ken is so slow, Ran thought, but seconds later Ken's features cleared, and that faint blush Ran couldn't resist made its way to Ken's cheeks as his mouth formed a silent "oh."

Ran reached out and brushed the long brown bangs from Ken's forehead, his other arm snaking around Ken's waist, drawing him closer. "I always look forward to Thursday shifts, Ken," Ran said huskily, deep amethyst eyes boring into coffee-brown ones, "don't you?"

Ken wound his arms around Ran's neck and inched closer until they were nose to nose. "Should I?" he teased, grinning stupidly. "Why? Because it's the day when Omi has the afternoon free to pretend to be a kid his age? Or is it because -- hmm, let me see -- Yohji has the morning shift and we don't come in until late morning? Or," Ken tipped his head to one side, his mouth in a thoughtful pout that Ran just found sexy, "is it because we have the whole shop to ourselves after lunch?" Ken mockingly rolled his eyes and smirked. "Sheesh, Ran -- what the hell is so special about Thursday shifts anyway?"

"Very funny," Ran deadpanned, then closed the gap between their faces and kissed Ken. The redhead watched his lover's eyelids flutter before he closed his own eyes. It seemed they spent a whole eternity with their mouths fused, locked in each other's embrace, each wishing they didn't have to breathe so that breaking off the kiss wouldn't be necessary.

Ran touched his forehead to Ken's panting slightly. Ken's kiss -- and his breath -- tingled Ran's lips. A soft smile graced his face and he whispered tenderly, "Eight months, Ken."

This time Ken wasn't as dense. "Yeah," he said just as softly, smiling as well, "four more to go."

Four more months, and they would be celebrating their first year anniversary. They both know it was something to look forward to, and not just because of the extra-special events that each is planning on that night. It's because the first year is a symbol of the triumph that they surpassed even the most trying of times.

The first year is always the hardest, isn't it? Ken thought. It's the time to get too much of each other, and the time to fear you'll lose the spark, the attraction that easily. Within that first year is a series of moments, shaping the couple's faith in each other and deepening the trust and respect they hold for the other. These things would later be looked back on either as memories or regrets, laughed at merrily or bitterly recalled.

Ran and Ken have gone to hell every night, as fellow assassins, but the love they blissfully share in somehow covered up all the scars and made the journey to damnation through their work more bearable.

Ran leaned in for yet another kiss, briefer this time, then pulled away. "The door's still open," he remarked.

"Shit," Ken muttered. He hurriedly extracted himself from Ran and exited the stuffy room. "Thank heavens nobody walked in on us."

"We'd better get going, then," Ran says suggestively, the faintest of a coy grin forming on his lips. "I'd take the rest of these out back."

"Okay," Ken agreed, as they separated. "I'll take care of the rest here."

"Try not to break anything," Ran teased as he made his way back to the stockroom.

"Very funny," Ken said dryly. He took off his apron and tossed it over the counter, then backtracking to retrieve it and hang it at a more inconspicuous rack at the corner of the shop. Ran would have hated a mess.

Ken then stacked the log books neatly on one side of the counter, and straightened some stray baskets, then started toward the door to turn the sign over when the bell jingled, signaling the entry of a customer. Great. Just when he was in a hurry to get out of here...

"I'm sorry," Ken said in a curt tone, without turning. He settled the last stray pot down and faced the door, intending to shoo the customer out of the shop. FAST. "But the --"

Ken froze when he saw who the "customer" was.

What the --

She still looked the same -- slender, tall, and beautiful -- but somehow, something radically different was in her aura. Her eyes -- her eyes looked troubled, lost.

"--Shop is closed?" she finished for him. She grinned wryly. "I'll just come back another time, then."

Then she left without another word, Ken still in a state of mild shock, and acute agitation.

It was her, wasn't it?

She was here -- she came back. Since when? How come? Why?

He longed to ask her -- so many things. He even wanted to whisper her name, just to make sure it IS her... But Ran was inside, and reflexes told Ken it won't be a good idea for his lover to know his old girlfriend was back in town.

Oh, God, why now?

"Ken?" Ken didn't even realize Ran was back. When Ken looked around, he saw Ran watching his reaction. How much did he hear, see? Did he know who it was? Did he recognize her?

"What? Oh -- she, um, she was just looking for flowers and I told her we're done for the day..." Ken trailed off.

Ran continued studying him, not giving anything away with his penetrating gaze. "I should be jealous," Ran told Ken, "but it just so happened I think you're endearing when I see you babbling you head off as if you haven't seen a pretty girl in your life before."

Ken laughed, hoping it doesn't sound too strained. "Knock it off," he warned, " she's just a customer."

Ran raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Ran!"

Four more months, remember?

I'm not ruining it for both of us.

Ken grabbed Ran's hand as the taller man was barely finished folding his apron, and dragged him out of the shop. "Let's go," Ken said. "I'm a lot grateful Manx didn't drop by today and I don't want to waste it standing around here when we can go back to my apartment."

Ran looked perplexed. "I'm not going to that pigsty of yours, Ken --"

"Oh, all right, we'll go to yours, then." Ken said over his shoulder, walking ahead of his lover and Ran playfully let him lead him.

to be continued.

~ varon
collective: /kos/varon
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