Interlude: In and Out of Boxes
Schuldig could feel Aya approaching the building. Fine. Let him come. Maybe if they had it out, Aya would be less likely to look for him. Heh. Sure. Fujimiya Aya would become less of a stubborn git. Right.
As he continued packing, Schuldig started to think that maybe he should stop accumulating so much stuff. At least he should if he had to keep changing residence every couple of months. He didn't want to move again.
Within moments of the door opening and closing, Schuldig heard a "What the hell are you doing?"
"You're brighter than that," Schuldig answered. "Consider the evidence of your eyes. There are boxes. Here I'm filling them. My flat is mostly packed away. Conclusion: I'm moving out."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm sure as hell not telling you." He had a deposit on another flat far from this one, still in London. Though some days he wondered if he should move as far away from Schwarz, Aya, and Kryptonbrand as humanly possible without leaving any forwarding address. Or try to kill them all and stay here.
Aya rushed over--well, human-speed rushed--and put his hands on the edge of the box in classic "Pay attention to me" style. "You don't have to go. I'm not going to tell them anything. I told you that."
"You're going to keep my location secret for how long? You're going to watch carefully for someone tailing you every time you show up at my door like some stray cat that needs feeding? I'm supposed to live in worry that you'll get tired and careless or outsmarted?" Schuldig shook his head. "I should have left you the fuck alone." Or at least kept Aya at his side instead of calming him and encouraging him to return to Kryptonbrand. No good deed went unpunished.
" The offer still stands."
"Me in Kryptonbrand? Chloe would have a fatal accident within two days. Ken--"
"Ken knows how you've helped me."
"Yeah, Ken doesn't ever get emotional and just spring at people. And if they've sent you over to try to entice me with some kind of sexual promises that Ken approves of, I'm completely squicked."
Aya had an outraged look on his face that didn't entirely hide the squirm. Great. He'd found a way to consummate his attraction that would let him feel like a martyr at the same time. Schuldig said, "Count me out. I'm not having sex with you while you're lying back and thinking of England, and I'm sure as hell not interested if Ken is letting you. I'm not joining your team, and I won't be manipulated. Strictly speaking, you don't even need me anymore. Your small talent is within your control. If your team is making you crazy, hire a fucking therapist to talk to. You only paid me back with trouble."
Aya actually looked... and felt... unhappy at this turn of events. He actually would miss Schuldig. "You're not happy with Schwarz. I know you're not. Crawford and Farfarello are making you miserable. Sir Richard has resources."
"Sir Richard and your whole team is meat for the beast if Crawford catches you poaching his talent."
"So we attack him and Farfarello all together, you and us." Aya was dead serious. "Kill them, be safe from his reprisals, and see what your answer is then."
It felt like someone had hit Schuldig in the chest with a cattle prod. Kill them. Kill Brad, his partner for most of his life. He remembered when he was dying last year and he'd lie on the couch with his head in Brad's lap and watch TV together with him, how solicitous Brad had been back then. Kill Farfarello, who was still injured, though healing quickly, and nearly vulnerable. "Brad would foresee it coming," Schuldig said dully.
"If anyone would be able to figure out a way around that, it would be you."
How had he ended up sitting down? Aya had his hands on Schuldig's shoulders, strong, gently squeezing, offering comfort. Trying to play him like he was the world's gaudiest fiddle?
"I can't," Schuldig said. He might be able to kill Farfarello--might have to kill Farfarello the way things were going--but he couldn't kill Brad... not yet, and he certainly wouldn't do it for Aya and his band of deluded white knights. Schuldig stood up and knocked Aya's hands away. "You fucked things up for both of us by bringing me into the conversation with your team. You totally forgot how to hide things from people? Hardly. You might as well suffer a bit along with me. Now unless you're going to help me pack up, get out." Aya had turned out to be one of the things in Schuldig's life that had been better in the conception than the reality.
"I'll... help you pack." Aya looked actually regretful.
Schuldig hadn't expected any of that. "You're not getting my new address. You're not seeing me again. I'm closing down our link."
"I know."
"...then make yourself useful." Schuldig handed him a box. "You might have a better idea of how to pack my kitchen stuff than I do." Schuldig was just so tired of it all....
As he continued packing, Schuldig started to think that maybe he should stop accumulating so much stuff. At least he should if he had to keep changing residence every couple of months. He didn't want to move again.
Within moments of the door opening and closing, Schuldig heard a "What the hell are you doing?"
"You're brighter than that," Schuldig answered. "Consider the evidence of your eyes. There are boxes. Here I'm filling them. My flat is mostly packed away. Conclusion: I'm moving out."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm sure as hell not telling you." He had a deposit on another flat far from this one, still in London. Though some days he wondered if he should move as far away from Schwarz, Aya, and Kryptonbrand as humanly possible without leaving any forwarding address. Or try to kill them all and stay here.
Aya rushed over--well, human-speed rushed--and put his hands on the edge of the box in classic "Pay attention to me" style. "You don't have to go. I'm not going to tell them anything. I told you that."
"You're going to keep my location secret for how long? You're going to watch carefully for someone tailing you every time you show up at my door like some stray cat that needs feeding? I'm supposed to live in worry that you'll get tired and careless or outsmarted?" Schuldig shook his head. "I should have left you the fuck alone." Or at least kept Aya at his side instead of calming him and encouraging him to return to Kryptonbrand. No good deed went unpunished.
" The offer still stands."
"Me in Kryptonbrand? Chloe would have a fatal accident within two days. Ken--"
"Ken knows how you've helped me."
"Yeah, Ken doesn't ever get emotional and just spring at people. And if they've sent you over to try to entice me with some kind of sexual promises that Ken approves of, I'm completely squicked."
Aya had an outraged look on his face that didn't entirely hide the squirm. Great. He'd found a way to consummate his attraction that would let him feel like a martyr at the same time. Schuldig said, "Count me out. I'm not having sex with you while you're lying back and thinking of England, and I'm sure as hell not interested if Ken is letting you. I'm not joining your team, and I won't be manipulated. Strictly speaking, you don't even need me anymore. Your small talent is within your control. If your team is making you crazy, hire a fucking therapist to talk to. You only paid me back with trouble."
Aya actually looked... and felt... unhappy at this turn of events. He actually would miss Schuldig. "You're not happy with Schwarz. I know you're not. Crawford and Farfarello are making you miserable. Sir Richard has resources."
"Sir Richard and your whole team is meat for the beast if Crawford catches you poaching his talent."
"So we attack him and Farfarello all together, you and us." Aya was dead serious. "Kill them, be safe from his reprisals, and see what your answer is then."
It felt like someone had hit Schuldig in the chest with a cattle prod. Kill them. Kill Brad, his partner for most of his life. He remembered when he was dying last year and he'd lie on the couch with his head in Brad's lap and watch TV together with him, how solicitous Brad had been back then. Kill Farfarello, who was still injured, though healing quickly, and nearly vulnerable. "Brad would foresee it coming," Schuldig said dully.
"If anyone would be able to figure out a way around that, it would be you."
How had he ended up sitting down? Aya had his hands on Schuldig's shoulders, strong, gently squeezing, offering comfort. Trying to play him like he was the world's gaudiest fiddle?
"I can't," Schuldig said. He might be able to kill Farfarello--might have to kill Farfarello the way things were going--but he couldn't kill Brad... not yet, and he certainly wouldn't do it for Aya and his band of deluded white knights. Schuldig stood up and knocked Aya's hands away. "You fucked things up for both of us by bringing me into the conversation with your team. You totally forgot how to hide things from people? Hardly. You might as well suffer a bit along with me. Now unless you're going to help me pack up, get out." Aya had turned out to be one of the things in Schuldig's life that had been better in the conception than the reality.
"I'll... help you pack." Aya looked actually regretful.
Schuldig hadn't expected any of that. "You're not getting my new address. You're not seeing me again. I'm closing down our link."
"I know."
"...then make yourself useful." Schuldig handed him a box. "You might have a better idea of how to pack my kitchen stuff than I do." Schuldig was just so tired of it all....