(no subject)
Title: Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Pairing: Aya/Ken
Genre: Mild angst, romance
Word count: 2,303
Notes: For woodstock_21's birthday, 2003. The title really does have bugger-all to do with the fic. Also, this is another one of those "I am vaguely ashamed, several years down the track" fics. <<
Summary: There's a reason Ken hates birthdays.
Sighing, Ken Hidaka finished sweeping up flower clippings and lent his broom against the wall at the back of the shop. It was late-- very late, he realised-- and he'd only just finished cleaning up the shop, mainly because Youji had skived off his shift to clubbing.
1 AM. Technically, he was 20 now.
Scrubbing a hand across his face, Ken tried to smile but gave up wearily. It wasn't like anyone was here to see, so he didn't really need to pretend.
He hated birthdays.
When he had first joined Weiss, Omi used to try and guess his birthday. What month is it, Ken? Won't you at least tell me the season?
Nope, Ken would say firmly. I don't do birthdays.
After a while, Omi had given up, and Ken's age had gradually changed unnoticed. How old are you now? Omi would sometimes ask, and Ken would usually tell him. Ah, but you were only 18 last time I asked… is your birthday in February?
Ken just laughed and shook his head. Nice try, kiddo. I won't say.
20 years old. He didn't know how he felt about that, but it probably wouldn't make any difference. Whatever the number, he didn't feel significantly older than he had an hour ago. Strange concept, he thought.
He could remember how much he'd loved birthdays when he was a child.
"Mummy's cooking me a cake!" Ken would say excitedly.
Kase used to laugh. "That's cool, Ken. Do you want to come over to my house? I have the best present for you!"
Each birthday it was the same, and the only things that changed were Ken's age and the presents Kase would give him. It had seemed nothing could beat his 14th birthday, though.
"Hey, Ken, don't you want to come over today? We can play soccer."
Ken grinned. "Sure thing, Kase. Just let me tell my mum."
Kase used to pretend to forget, sometimes, just so he could see the delighted look on Ken's face when he finally wished him a happy birthday and gave him his present. This time, though, it was almost night and Kase still hadn't said anything. Ken began to worry that maybe this time Kase really had forgotten. He never had before, but… well, there was a first time for everything, wasn't there?
"Hey… Ken."
Looking up, he found that Kase was standing right in front of him, so he pasted a grin on his face. "Yeah?"
"This," Kase said mischievously, and swooped in to kiss him on the lips. Startled, Ken clutched at Kase's shirt, slowly starting to kiss back.
When they broke apart, Ken was seeing stars. "K… Kase?" he responded dizzily. He wanted to ask why, but couldn't find the breath.
Kase smiled. "Happy birthday, Ken."
That, in Ken's opinion, had been the best birthday ever. Kase had given him a huge block of chocolate-- it matched Ken's eyes, he'd joked-- but the kiss had been the best present he'd received that year by far.
The next year, Kase had given him a gentian flower to go with the kiss. Ken had loved the blue colour of the petals, and who said flowers were for girls anyway?
"The meaning is important," Kase informed him. "I won't tell you what it is, though. Look it up."
"But there are multiple meanings!" Ken objected.
"I'll tell you when you find the right one," Kase had reassured him. "Take as long as you want."
True friendship and loveliness, he eventually found out. Kase always had known exactly what would make him blush.
Anyone who thought you could be too young to love someone was so very wrong. Ken knew that he had loved Kase, could tell by the way his heart sped up when they kissed and the way he felt when Kase was in the room, the way he'd do anything if it would make Kase happy. The love made the betrayal taste all the more bitter.
Kase had forgotten his birthday that year, he remembered.
Realising he'd spaced out, Ken shook his head angrily and tried to ignore the fact he'd been staring at the vase of gentians he'd left on the counter. He couldn't decide why he'd put them there; it just seemed to emphasise something he'd rather forget, and last time he'd checked, Ken wasn't a masochist.
He thought about moving them, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to. They looked nice there, and he'd always loved gentians, and… well, it seemed a waste after he'd gone to all the trouble of putting them there, even if he didn't know why he had in the first place. Maybe he was making excuses. Either way, the gentians would stay.
Ken yawned, and blinked in surprise. Man, he really ought to get to bed. He was on morning shift tomo-- today, and with Aya, no less. If there was one guy who wouldn't cut slack when it came to sleeping in, he was it. Besides, for about the last week the shop had been subject to the Christmas rush. Aya wasn't particularly good with customers at the best of times; he'd need all the help he could get.
Switching off the last light, Ken chuckled tiredly. Aya probably wouldn't care even if he did know it was Ken's birthday.
Ken couldn't decide if that was comforting or depressing.
~
When Aya came down into the flower shop that morning, the first thing he noticed was the vase of gentians.
That was odd. Ken must have left it there, he mused. Ken seemed to use that flower a lot in arrangements. Maybe it had special meaning, but if so, it was probably sentimental. Unfair… unjust… loveliness? True friends? I look to heaven? All flowers had multiple meanings in Victorian times, but he couldn't think of one for the gentian that would explain why Ken had left it there.
Shaking his head, Aya poured himself a cup of coffee and decided not to worry about it. If it was important, he was sure that Ken would probably mention it. Unlike him, Ken was very open and would usually say what he was thinking. Aya rather liked to hear him talk, although he never gave indication of it. It didn't really matter what Ken was talking about, so much; he just had a nice voice to listen to. Soothing. It made him wonder briefly what Ken tasted like, but he brushed it aside. It was a silly thing to think of.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Aya took a sip of his coffee and realised that Ken was late. Usually he would wake him, but it was snowing outside and the fan-girls were all either sleeping in or on holidays. More to the point, Aya was fully aware both of the fact Youji had skipped his shift and that Ken had gone to bed quite late. He was a lot more observant of the goings on of his fellow assassins than they may have suspected, and had been having trouble sleeping the night before.
Aya idly considered waking Youji up and forcing him to do Ken's shift, or at least giving him a lecture about selfishness and responsibility, but that was Ken's business, not his. Then again, knowing Ken, he wouldn't do anything about it. Maybe he should comment to Omi, and let their youngest member sort it out for him.
Or maybe he should not get involved in things that didn't concern him, Aya thought wryly as he washed his mug out in the sink.
"Hey… is there any more coffee?"
Turning around, Aya was faced with a sleepy and dazed looking Ken. Wordlessly, he poured another cup of coffee and passed it over, noting clinically the dark circles under Siberian's eyes. Ken was only few minutes later after all, but maybe he would have been better off with the extra sleep.
Stupid, Aya berated himself. Don't go getting sentimental. Ken can take care of himself, and if need be he could always sleep it off tonight.
Unless they had a mission, of course.
"Aya?" Ken asked uncertainly. Had Aya been staring at him?
"Hn," Aya replied, and moved out into the shop to start the opening rituals. "You're late."
"Aah," Ken said uncomfortably. "Sorry, Aya."
Aya shrugged. He hadn't meant to say that, but it was as good an answer as any.
The shop was very clean, today. Ken must have tidied it.
~
Omi came home from the library later that afternoon, for once thankfully unaccompanied by crowds of schoolgirls. For all the rush Ken had been expecting, it had been a rather slow day, mostly deliveries- a lot of the girls were spending time with their families, this close to Christmas.
"Still studying, Omittchi?" Youji asked. "Take a break, kiddo. It's almost Christmas."
Omi laughed. "No," he said cheerfully. "It's just holiday reading. I like the library, it's peaceful."
Youji rolled his eyes and ruffled Omi's hair. "You're a weird kid," he commented affectionately.
Omi dumped his bag of books on the floor and his eyes drifted to the vase of flowers. Thoughtfully, he bit his lip and cast a look at Ken.
"Hey, Ken…"
Ken looked up from his soccer scribbles. "Yeah, Omi?"
"How old are you?"
Aya glanced over curiously from the other side of the shop where he was trimming roses. Wasn't that a strange question to ask? Even he knew how old Ken was.
Youji would have laughed at that, but something in Omi's face stopped him. It seemed like a serious question, somehow.
Ken hesitated, but it seemed stupid to lie. He'd always answered in the past, after all. "20."
There was a silence as the room's three other occupants processed that. Aya blinked. Wasn't Ken 19? He had been so sure of that.
"20?" Youji exclaimed. "But I thought you were 19!"
"Well, I was," Ken remarked dryly. "I find that everyone is at some stage of their life."
Omi watched him speculatively. "So, it's either November or December, then," he said finally.
"How'd you get that?" Ken replied lightly, though his heart skipped a beat. Getting closer, it seemed.
Omi shrugged. "Last time, you were still 18 in November, but you were 19 in February. If you're already 20, it means your birthday can only be within last month and this month."
"What, you've had a birthday and you didn't even tell us?" Youji said incredulously. "I can't believe that! When was it?"
Ken smiled angelically but didn't say a word. Aya rolled his eyes.
"If Ken had any intention of telling anyone, Omi would not be guessing," he said witheringly.
Youji just grinned. "Hey, worth a try. Don't you like birthdays, Kenken?"
Ken just laughed it off, but Aya had seen the wounded look flash through his eyes.
He always did notice more than people gave him credit for.
~
Later that evening, Aya and Ken were cleaning up together. For some reason Aya couldn't understand, Ken had agreed to take Omi's shift.
Aya seemed to be the only one who had realised that Ken had been working straight shifts since yesterday.
"Why don't you like birthdays?" he asked suddenly, as Ken picked up the vase of gentians.
The glass shattered and the flowers scattered as Ken dropped it in shock. "What? I…" he laughed nervously. "Stupid me, I'm so clumsy, dropping things for no reason all the time. I'd better clean that up."
He was still holding a flower in one hand, Aya noticed. As Ken turned to go, Aya grabbed his wrist.
"Wait."
Ken looked like he felt trapped, even though Aya wasn't holding his wrist very hard. He found himself wishing that Omi hadn't asked when the others were around; he hadn't expected Aya to take much notice, but Abyssinian was intimidating when he wanted to know something.
"Why?" Aya repeated.
"I… memories…" Ken stuttered awkwardly. "Nothing important."
Aya considered this, and seemed to find it a satisfactory answer, at least temporarily. "Why gentians?"
Ken shrugged helplessly, setting the flower down on the bench. It wasn't something he could easily explain, and would probably have to involve mention of both Kase and his birthday.
Aya's eyes locked with his. "You are unjust. Unfair. I look to heaven. Loveliness. True friends. Any of those, Ken?"
Ken flinched. They all fit, in their own way. Kase had given them to him to signify true friendship and loveliness-- "Don't be silly, Kase!" Ken had protested, blushing, but he'd been pleased. Unjust and unfair? Well, that was what Kase had proved to be, in the end. I look to heaven…
Kase was dead by Ken's own hand. Ken still loved him, strangely.
Aya was scrutinising him carefully, observing his reactions.
"Ken, when is your birthday?"
"I…" Ken protested weakly.
"Is it the 23rd of December?" Aya asked calmly.
Ken's eyes widened. "How did you--"
Aya looked at the clock and smiled. Five to midnight. Picking up the gentian where it lay on the bench, he looked at it thoughtfully for a few seconds before handing it to Ken. Accepting it numbly, Ken stared at Aya in confusion.
"Aya, what--"
"Happy birthday," Aya interrupted, crushing his mouth against Ken's.
"Mmph!" Ken still had his mouth open to ask what Aya was doing, but the other assassin had thrust his tongue in and Ken was currently occupied by being rather thoroughly kissed. It was warm and sweet and made Ken go weak at the knees, it was everything Kase had been and more, and as Ken clutched at Aya he decided he could get used to this. Aya vaguely noted that Ken tasted like vanilla and chocolate.
Maybe birthdays weren't so bad, after all. Ken would have to remember to write it on the calendar next year.
Fandom: Weiss Kreuz
Pairing: Aya/Ken
Genre: Mild angst, romance
Word count: 2,303
Notes: For woodstock_21's birthday, 2003. The title really does have bugger-all to do with the fic. Also, this is another one of those "I am vaguely ashamed, several years down the track" fics. <<
Summary: There's a reason Ken hates birthdays.
Sighing, Ken Hidaka finished sweeping up flower clippings and lent his broom against the wall at the back of the shop. It was late-- very late, he realised-- and he'd only just finished cleaning up the shop, mainly because Youji had skived off his shift to clubbing.
1 AM. Technically, he was 20 now.
Scrubbing a hand across his face, Ken tried to smile but gave up wearily. It wasn't like anyone was here to see, so he didn't really need to pretend.
He hated birthdays.
When he had first joined Weiss, Omi used to try and guess his birthday. What month is it, Ken? Won't you at least tell me the season?
Nope, Ken would say firmly. I don't do birthdays.
After a while, Omi had given up, and Ken's age had gradually changed unnoticed. How old are you now? Omi would sometimes ask, and Ken would usually tell him. Ah, but you were only 18 last time I asked… is your birthday in February?
Ken just laughed and shook his head. Nice try, kiddo. I won't say.
20 years old. He didn't know how he felt about that, but it probably wouldn't make any difference. Whatever the number, he didn't feel significantly older than he had an hour ago. Strange concept, he thought.
He could remember how much he'd loved birthdays when he was a child.
"Mummy's cooking me a cake!" Ken would say excitedly.
Kase used to laugh. "That's cool, Ken. Do you want to come over to my house? I have the best present for you!"
Each birthday it was the same, and the only things that changed were Ken's age and the presents Kase would give him. It had seemed nothing could beat his 14th birthday, though.
"Hey, Ken, don't you want to come over today? We can play soccer."
Ken grinned. "Sure thing, Kase. Just let me tell my mum."
Kase used to pretend to forget, sometimes, just so he could see the delighted look on Ken's face when he finally wished him a happy birthday and gave him his present. This time, though, it was almost night and Kase still hadn't said anything. Ken began to worry that maybe this time Kase really had forgotten. He never had before, but… well, there was a first time for everything, wasn't there?
"Hey… Ken."
Looking up, he found that Kase was standing right in front of him, so he pasted a grin on his face. "Yeah?"
"This," Kase said mischievously, and swooped in to kiss him on the lips. Startled, Ken clutched at Kase's shirt, slowly starting to kiss back.
When they broke apart, Ken was seeing stars. "K… Kase?" he responded dizzily. He wanted to ask why, but couldn't find the breath.
Kase smiled. "Happy birthday, Ken."
That, in Ken's opinion, had been the best birthday ever. Kase had given him a huge block of chocolate-- it matched Ken's eyes, he'd joked-- but the kiss had been the best present he'd received that year by far.
The next year, Kase had given him a gentian flower to go with the kiss. Ken had loved the blue colour of the petals, and who said flowers were for girls anyway?
"The meaning is important," Kase informed him. "I won't tell you what it is, though. Look it up."
"But there are multiple meanings!" Ken objected.
"I'll tell you when you find the right one," Kase had reassured him. "Take as long as you want."
True friendship and loveliness, he eventually found out. Kase always had known exactly what would make him blush.
Anyone who thought you could be too young to love someone was so very wrong. Ken knew that he had loved Kase, could tell by the way his heart sped up when they kissed and the way he felt when Kase was in the room, the way he'd do anything if it would make Kase happy. The love made the betrayal taste all the more bitter.
Kase had forgotten his birthday that year, he remembered.
Realising he'd spaced out, Ken shook his head angrily and tried to ignore the fact he'd been staring at the vase of gentians he'd left on the counter. He couldn't decide why he'd put them there; it just seemed to emphasise something he'd rather forget, and last time he'd checked, Ken wasn't a masochist.
He thought about moving them, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to. They looked nice there, and he'd always loved gentians, and… well, it seemed a waste after he'd gone to all the trouble of putting them there, even if he didn't know why he had in the first place. Maybe he was making excuses. Either way, the gentians would stay.
Ken yawned, and blinked in surprise. Man, he really ought to get to bed. He was on morning shift tomo-- today, and with Aya, no less. If there was one guy who wouldn't cut slack when it came to sleeping in, he was it. Besides, for about the last week the shop had been subject to the Christmas rush. Aya wasn't particularly good with customers at the best of times; he'd need all the help he could get.
Switching off the last light, Ken chuckled tiredly. Aya probably wouldn't care even if he did know it was Ken's birthday.
Ken couldn't decide if that was comforting or depressing.
~
When Aya came down into the flower shop that morning, the first thing he noticed was the vase of gentians.
That was odd. Ken must have left it there, he mused. Ken seemed to use that flower a lot in arrangements. Maybe it had special meaning, but if so, it was probably sentimental. Unfair… unjust… loveliness? True friends? I look to heaven? All flowers had multiple meanings in Victorian times, but he couldn't think of one for the gentian that would explain why Ken had left it there.
Shaking his head, Aya poured himself a cup of coffee and decided not to worry about it. If it was important, he was sure that Ken would probably mention it. Unlike him, Ken was very open and would usually say what he was thinking. Aya rather liked to hear him talk, although he never gave indication of it. It didn't really matter what Ken was talking about, so much; he just had a nice voice to listen to. Soothing. It made him wonder briefly what Ken tasted like, but he brushed it aside. It was a silly thing to think of.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Aya took a sip of his coffee and realised that Ken was late. Usually he would wake him, but it was snowing outside and the fan-girls were all either sleeping in or on holidays. More to the point, Aya was fully aware both of the fact Youji had skipped his shift and that Ken had gone to bed quite late. He was a lot more observant of the goings on of his fellow assassins than they may have suspected, and had been having trouble sleeping the night before.
Aya idly considered waking Youji up and forcing him to do Ken's shift, or at least giving him a lecture about selfishness and responsibility, but that was Ken's business, not his. Then again, knowing Ken, he wouldn't do anything about it. Maybe he should comment to Omi, and let their youngest member sort it out for him.
Or maybe he should not get involved in things that didn't concern him, Aya thought wryly as he washed his mug out in the sink.
"Hey… is there any more coffee?"
Turning around, Aya was faced with a sleepy and dazed looking Ken. Wordlessly, he poured another cup of coffee and passed it over, noting clinically the dark circles under Siberian's eyes. Ken was only few minutes later after all, but maybe he would have been better off with the extra sleep.
Stupid, Aya berated himself. Don't go getting sentimental. Ken can take care of himself, and if need be he could always sleep it off tonight.
Unless they had a mission, of course.
"Aya?" Ken asked uncertainly. Had Aya been staring at him?
"Hn," Aya replied, and moved out into the shop to start the opening rituals. "You're late."
"Aah," Ken said uncomfortably. "Sorry, Aya."
Aya shrugged. He hadn't meant to say that, but it was as good an answer as any.
The shop was very clean, today. Ken must have tidied it.
~
Omi came home from the library later that afternoon, for once thankfully unaccompanied by crowds of schoolgirls. For all the rush Ken had been expecting, it had been a rather slow day, mostly deliveries- a lot of the girls were spending time with their families, this close to Christmas.
"Still studying, Omittchi?" Youji asked. "Take a break, kiddo. It's almost Christmas."
Omi laughed. "No," he said cheerfully. "It's just holiday reading. I like the library, it's peaceful."
Youji rolled his eyes and ruffled Omi's hair. "You're a weird kid," he commented affectionately.
Omi dumped his bag of books on the floor and his eyes drifted to the vase of flowers. Thoughtfully, he bit his lip and cast a look at Ken.
"Hey, Ken…"
Ken looked up from his soccer scribbles. "Yeah, Omi?"
"How old are you?"
Aya glanced over curiously from the other side of the shop where he was trimming roses. Wasn't that a strange question to ask? Even he knew how old Ken was.
Youji would have laughed at that, but something in Omi's face stopped him. It seemed like a serious question, somehow.
Ken hesitated, but it seemed stupid to lie. He'd always answered in the past, after all. "20."
There was a silence as the room's three other occupants processed that. Aya blinked. Wasn't Ken 19? He had been so sure of that.
"20?" Youji exclaimed. "But I thought you were 19!"
"Well, I was," Ken remarked dryly. "I find that everyone is at some stage of their life."
Omi watched him speculatively. "So, it's either November or December, then," he said finally.
"How'd you get that?" Ken replied lightly, though his heart skipped a beat. Getting closer, it seemed.
Omi shrugged. "Last time, you were still 18 in November, but you were 19 in February. If you're already 20, it means your birthday can only be within last month and this month."
"What, you've had a birthday and you didn't even tell us?" Youji said incredulously. "I can't believe that! When was it?"
Ken smiled angelically but didn't say a word. Aya rolled his eyes.
"If Ken had any intention of telling anyone, Omi would not be guessing," he said witheringly.
Youji just grinned. "Hey, worth a try. Don't you like birthdays, Kenken?"
Ken just laughed it off, but Aya had seen the wounded look flash through his eyes.
He always did notice more than people gave him credit for.
~
Later that evening, Aya and Ken were cleaning up together. For some reason Aya couldn't understand, Ken had agreed to take Omi's shift.
Aya seemed to be the only one who had realised that Ken had been working straight shifts since yesterday.
"Why don't you like birthdays?" he asked suddenly, as Ken picked up the vase of gentians.
The glass shattered and the flowers scattered as Ken dropped it in shock. "What? I…" he laughed nervously. "Stupid me, I'm so clumsy, dropping things for no reason all the time. I'd better clean that up."
He was still holding a flower in one hand, Aya noticed. As Ken turned to go, Aya grabbed his wrist.
"Wait."
Ken looked like he felt trapped, even though Aya wasn't holding his wrist very hard. He found himself wishing that Omi hadn't asked when the others were around; he hadn't expected Aya to take much notice, but Abyssinian was intimidating when he wanted to know something.
"Why?" Aya repeated.
"I… memories…" Ken stuttered awkwardly. "Nothing important."
Aya considered this, and seemed to find it a satisfactory answer, at least temporarily. "Why gentians?"
Ken shrugged helplessly, setting the flower down on the bench. It wasn't something he could easily explain, and would probably have to involve mention of both Kase and his birthday.
Aya's eyes locked with his. "You are unjust. Unfair. I look to heaven. Loveliness. True friends. Any of those, Ken?"
Ken flinched. They all fit, in their own way. Kase had given them to him to signify true friendship and loveliness-- "Don't be silly, Kase!" Ken had protested, blushing, but he'd been pleased. Unjust and unfair? Well, that was what Kase had proved to be, in the end. I look to heaven…
Kase was dead by Ken's own hand. Ken still loved him, strangely.
Aya was scrutinising him carefully, observing his reactions.
"Ken, when is your birthday?"
"I…" Ken protested weakly.
"Is it the 23rd of December?" Aya asked calmly.
Ken's eyes widened. "How did you--"
Aya looked at the clock and smiled. Five to midnight. Picking up the gentian where it lay on the bench, he looked at it thoughtfully for a few seconds before handing it to Ken. Accepting it numbly, Ken stared at Aya in confusion.
"Aya, what--"
"Happy birthday," Aya interrupted, crushing his mouth against Ken's.
"Mmph!" Ken still had his mouth open to ask what Aya was doing, but the other assassin had thrust his tongue in and Ken was currently occupied by being rather thoroughly kissed. It was warm and sweet and made Ken go weak at the knees, it was everything Kase had been and more, and as Ken clutched at Aya he decided he could get used to this. Aya vaguely noted that Ken tasted like vanilla and chocolate.
Maybe birthdays weren't so bad, after all. Ken would have to remember to write it on the calendar next year.