Look at Me - Part 13.
Disclaimer: Same as in previous parts...
Pairing: Yohji x Aya/Ran
Warnings: Yaoi, Shounen-ai, Language, Poetry, Angst, Crazy Old Women
The plane landed at the airport
and Aya disembarked silently. He stood at the gate, looking around to see if
there was some clue as to where Maimee's friend was. A tugging at his sleeve
caused him to turn around so that he was looking down at a very small older
woman. "Excuse me?"
"Fujimiya?" The woman asked, her face wrinkled up with a smile. She wore a sweatshirt,
jeans, and running shoes while her long gray hair was bound up in a bun at back
of her neck.
Aya nodded. "Hai. Anita Sinclair?" The young man winced at his heavily
accented English. He hoped that his limited knowledge of the native language
wouldn't be a problem. If so, he'd have to find Yohji quick.
"Yes," Anita said gently. She indicated the direction of the baggage claim area.
"Maimee said you might be needing a place to stay?"
"Iie. I can get a hotel room." The redhead wasn't going to impose on
the woman. He could very well afford a low-cost hotel room for the duration
of his time in the States.
The little old woman gave him a slightly narrowed look. "I have a guesthouse
on my property, so you wouldn't be in the way, dear. I just stocked the deep-freeze,
too, so there's plenty to eat."
The young man stopped. What was it with these older American women? Did they
just not know when to quit? "K'so… As you wish." He claimed his bags
and then took the detour through customs.
Nothing more was really said until they got to Anita's car. "Maimee tells me
that you have a sweetheart here and you're trying to win 'em back." They left
the airport parking lot and got on the main highway. "Hope you do… no one should
have to be alone."
Aya looked at her sharply and frowned. "Don't you have a husband?" The woman
had sounded so sad…
"John's been dead for more than fifteen years now… heart attack got him during
one summer." Anita kept her eyes on the road. "Enjoy the happiness while you
can because you never know when they're going to get taken out of your life."
There was little more conversation during the drive back to the old woman's
home. She lived in the rural area just north of Kansas City itself. Aya appreciated
the solitude of the location. Even the guesthouse that she was loaning him was
on the far end of the property. He could practice his sword techniques in peace.
Anita handed him a set of keys; only one of which was for the guesthouse. He
looked at the ring and then back at her, one eyebrow raised. "There's a car
in the garage that you can use if you need it," she explained.
"I'm not licensed to drive here," he argued, but only a little. Having access
to a car would mean more freedom.
She snorted. "Just remember which side of the street to drive on and the police
won't ever know." With that, Anita left him to himself.
One hand dug into his pocket for the information Omi had given him before his
flight. The address and phone number of Yohji's mother, Sharon. As late as it
was, and as tired as Aya was, he figured it would be best for him to wait until
morning before he let his love know that he had come for him.
"MOM! Where's my shoes? I can't
find the damn things!"
"Look in the closet, sweetheart, they should be in there next to your boots."
Sharon smiled at the ceiling, over which Yohji's room was, and shook her head.
He hadn't changed much in the last few years.
"What time did you say Edward was going to be here?" Yohji was coming down the
stairs if the thundering on each step was any indication.
Sharon looked at her watch. "Ten more minutes." She smiled at her son when he
came into the kitchen, his tuxedo only half ready. The shirt was only buttoned
at his navel and his tie was hanging around his neck. "I swear, Yo-chan, you
still need me to dress you."
"Mom," Yohji said, warningly, "I told you not to use that damn nick." His composure
was shot to hell as Sharon came towards him and started buttoning his shirt
all the way up. The blond batted at her hands. "MOM! I can do it myself!"
He dropped down, into a chair, and pulled on his socks. "Man… Why didn't the
alarm go off?" Yohji couldn't believe how late he was running. He should have
already been dressed by now.
"Because you got up and shut it off after the first beep." She turned and got
a few things out of the fridge. "I told you not to stay out too late."
Yohji smiled. "Hey, Jo and I wanted to make sure we still had it together."
He held up his left hand. "At this rate, I'll have the calluses back before
I go home."
"I'm glad things are right between you again. I think you needed this." Sharon
put a plate of reheated breakfast in front of her son. "I can't believe how
they starved you overseas…"
"Don't blame the country," Yohji said between bites, waving his fork a little.
"They can't help it that their food has no fat content." He went back to eating
in earnest.
"Well, you could have done more to feed yourself then." Sharon glared at her
son good-naturedly. "Or would they have insisted that you cook if they knew?"
Yohji pointed the fork at her. "Exactly. I'm not going to fix dinner for a bunch
of guys who won't even really appreciate it." The breakfast was finished off.
"Well, that and, they don't understand American food anyway. Omi would be the
only one who might appreciate it. He's developed this fondness for cinnamon
rolls…"
Sharon chuckled as he rose and started getting dressed again. The cummerbund
was over his shoulder as he grabbed his jacket and set it near the door. He
slid his feet into the dress shoes as he headed back towards the downstairs
bathroom. A quick run of the toothbrush and he was nearly presentable. Yohji
gathered his hair at the back of his neck, ready to tie it off, when the doorbell
rang.
"Got it, mom!" Being closer, he went to the door and yanked it open. "Edward!
We're almost- AYA?!?"
The redhead recoiled at the raised voice. "Yohji? I… I…" Now that he was facing
the blond, Aya found himself at a loss for words. All the things he'd wanted
to say died on his tongue. He fell silent as an arm went around his waist and
pulled him against the lean body. He sighed and let his hands come to rest on
Yohji's chest.
"Why are you here?" Yohji asked after a few minutes. God, but he'd missed this…
all his anger had died away when he'd seen the younger assassin at the door.
Even the pain he'd felt washed away at the forlorn look in the violet eyes.
"G-Gomen nasai, Yohji," Aya whispered into his chest. "I… I should have
told you why I hated him so much…" Hot tears were welling up in his eyes.
Sharon came up behind her son. "Is everything all right, Yohji?" She knew, just
from the reaction her boy had, that the young man with him was the one he'd
been talking to her about.
"Yeah, mom, everything's fine." Yohji put his other arm around his love and
pressed his cheek against the side of Aya's head. "I'm sorry, too. I should
have known that something was going on… more than you were telling."
"Why don't you bring him inside, Yohji? He's shaking like a leaf." Sharon moved
out of the way as her son guided the redhead into the interior of the house.
She studied the boy, comparing him to the description Yohji had given her, and
took note of what he was wearing. "If you want, we can take him with us to the
ceremony. Lacey won't mind."
"Ran… I have to get ready… My friend, Lacey, is getting married and she wants
me there." Yohji pulled back a little, so that he could look into the face of
the swordsman. "You can come with us… I'd like you to be there with me." His
thumb wiped away a tear under one of those gorgeous eyes. "It would mean a lot
to me, Ran."
Aya nodded. "Hai… I'll go."
TBC