What Lies Beneath: Part Two

By Sakka-chan

< > denotes thoughts

* * denotes emphasis

Kyoto

April 17 - 10:15 p.m.

"Aya, come on!"

Fujimiya Ran eyed his reflection, grimacing at the clingy fuchsia half-shirt Youji had managed to talk him into wearing. Youji stuck his head around the door frame, his green eyes narrow with impatience.

"I look like a fool," Ran said decisively, grabbing the hem of the shirt and pulling it up to his neck.

"Dame!" Youji seized Ran's hands, pulling them away from the garment. "We don't have time for this."

Ran scowled at Youji as the older man smoothed the fabric back into place. "I wasn't aware we were on a schedule," Ran said.

"Will you stop worrying?" Youji groaned. "You're going to a club, not a funeral. Bright colors are appropriate. And you look great... though I still think the pants are all wrong."

"They're fine," Ran said firmly. He'd drawn the line at the skin-tight silver lame bell-bottoms Youji had offered, choosing instead to wear his customary low-slung black jeans. He did have some dignity.

"Can we please go now?" Youji snapped. "I'd like to get there before sunrise."

Ran suppressed a smirk. Since arriving in Kyoto, the restrictions imposed upon them by Kritiker had hit Youji the hardest. He had never been the type to keep a low profile, and being under virtual house arrest for six months had nearly driven him insane. So when they received word that morning from Kritiker that the restrictions were being lifted, Youji had demanded that they all head to the nearest club to celebrate. And even though Ran was most definitely not the partying type, his exuberant teammate had refused to take no for an answer.

Ran grabbed his jacket. "Let's go before I change my mind," he grumbled.

As they headed down the steps of the camper that had been Weiss's home for the past half-year, Youji clapped Ran on the shoulder. "You won't regret this, Aya," Youji said cheerfully.

"Yeah," Ran grunted, regretting it already.

...................................................................... ....

Kyoto - Club Fever

April 17 - 12:10 a.m.

"Kyoko-chan, look at that one!" Chikako rolled her head discreetly in the direction of the bar. "Isn't he hot?"

Kyoko's eyes flicked briefly over the subject of Chikako's attention. "Not bad," she said coolly. "But can he dance?"

Chikako giggled. "You're impossible!" she protested, giving Kyoko a little shove. "Is that all you look for in a guy?"

Kyoko took a leisurely sip of her drink. "It is tonight," she said, her sly wink sending her girlfriends into shrieks of laughter. Draining her cup, Kyoko set it on the table and pushed her chair back.

"Let's hit the floor, ladies," she said as she rose and began threadin g her way through the crowd, followed by the enthusiastic assents of her companions.

The music was loud and fast, and Kyoko soon found herself lost within its pounding rhythm. She hadn't gone dancing in... it had to be months. Maybe even years. Her position within Kritiker hardly left her with any free time, and the little she had she'd chosen to spend in other ways --

she thought firmly.

Smiling, she tossed her head and put an extra shimmy into her steps, prompting encouraging cheers from her girlfriends and some catcalls from several young men seated at a nearby table.

"Ne, don't just sit there," Chikako called to the men, wiggling long, violet-painted nails. "Why don't you join us?"

Laughing, one of the men leaned toward his companions. His comment prompted guffaws and head-shaking from the rest.

"Gomen... my friends don't dance," the leader replied with a grin. "But they say they'll buy you all drinks when you're done."

"Sounds good to me -- ouch!" Kyoko turned to Isobel, who was squeezing Kyoko's arm. "What?"

Kyoko's wide-eyed friend mutely pointed to the top of the stairs leading to the dance floor. When Kyoko saw what had her struck her friend speechless, her own mouth dropped open in surprise. Four beautiful men stood at the railing of the balcony overlooking the dance floor, directly under one of the spotlights dotting the ceiling.

Kyoko snapped her lips shut, pursing them in irritation. she thought with an exasperated sigh.

...................................................

Youji aimed a flirtatious grin at the nearest waitress. "Asahi, kudasai," he called, holding up four fingers. The waitress nodded, glancing at Youji's companions, her eyes lingering longest on Ken, who was wearing body-hugging cinnamon-colored jeans and a slinky orange shirt with the top three buttons undone, exposing part of his lean, tanned chest. True to form, the brunet was oblivious to the girl's scrutiny, his attention drawn by the flashing lights and undulating bodies on the dance floor below.

As the waitress walked away, Youji elbowed Ken. "Oi! What was that for?" Ken yelped, rubbing his offended rib.

"That was for being your usual thick-headed self," Youji said, jerking his thumb toward the departing waitress. "Didn't you see the way she was checking you out?"

Ken's lively brown eyes widened hopefully, then narrowed in suspicion. "You're just trying to embarrass me," he muttered.

"I'm trying to *help* you, Kenken," Youji said with a wicked grin. "You do want to get laid before you're 50, don't you?"

"U- uruse!" Ken sputtered, his blush deepening to crimson. Omi burst out laughing, and even Ran couldn't help smirking at Ken's discomfiture. Ken glared at both of them.

"Wipe those looks off your faces," he grumbled. "It's not like you're any different from me." Ken turned to Youji. "Hey, why don't you ever tease Omi or Aya about this stuff?"

"Because it's not nearly as much fun," Youji purred, reaching into his breast pocket for a cigarette.

"It's true," Omi laughed. "You're so cute when you're mad, Ken-kun."

Ken folded his arms, aiming what he hoped was a poisonous look at his teammates. Youji responded with a benign smile as he struck a match and touched it to the unlit cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He dropped the match into an ashtray on one of the tall tables standing along the railing. After taking a long drag, Youji whispered loudly --

"You'd better stop pouting, Kenken... our waitress is returning."

"Stop calling me that," Ken hissed, blushing again. Youji and Omi exchanged knowing grins, but refrained from teasing Ken further. The waitress handed out the beer bottles, saving Ken for last.

"You're new here," she said, her fingers brushing against Ken's as he closed his hand around the bottle's neck.

Ken swallowed. "Yes," he managed to squeak. Clearing his throat, he continued --

"I'm Ken... what's your name?"

"Mai," she replied with a smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, Ken-san." She glanced over her shoulder, sighing as she caught sight of a woman waving at her. She turned back to Ken.

"I have to go back to work, but I get a break in an hour," she said. "Maybe we can talk more then."

"Sure," Ken replied, returning Mai's smile. She wiggled her fingers in farewell. As soon as she was out of earshot, Ken growled at Youji --

"Not one word, Kudou."

0

Youji grinned. "She's cute," he said, taking another drag. "You could certainly do worse."

Ken returned Youji's grin and nervously ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. His smile vanished as a thought occurred to him. "She... she won't expect me to dance, will she?" he asked anxiously.

Youji rolled his eyes. "See what I put up with?" he said to no one in particular.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ken retorted hotly.

Ran turned toward the railing, shutting out his bickering teammates and focusing on his noisy, crowded surroundings. He hated to admit it, but Youji had been right -- it felt good to be free of the cramped confines of the camper that Weiss had been forced to live in for the past six months. Of course, Ran would have preferred a tranquil, solitary walk through the park near their trailer, but he resolved to make the best of his circumstances. He tipped his bottle back and drank deeply, enjoying the beer's bitter tang and the pleasant warmth it spread through his extremities.

"Don't drink too much, Aya," Youji teased. "You're driving, remember?"

Ran ignored him, taking another swig of beer as his eyes drifted to the dancers below. A sparkle of tangerine caught his attention, and he watched a group of attractive women shimmy and swirl, their colorful dresses glimmering in the flickering strobe lights. He picked out the shimmering orange minidress that had initially drawn his notice, appreciatively studying its voluptuous wearer. He couldn't quite make out the brunette's face, but there was something familiar about the way she moved.

One of her companions grabbed her arm, pointing toward the balcony. The brunette raised startled brown eyes to the spot where Weiss stood... and the shock of recognition Ran felt as her eyes met his made his mouth go dry.

.........................................................

"Ooh, Kyoko-chan... that gorgeous redhead is looking right at you!" Isobel squealed.

"So I noticed," Kyoko said casually, holding her head a bit higher.

"Lucky!" Chikako sighed. "He's *magnificent!*"

"They all are," Rika said. "Especially that adorable brunet..."

Kyoko rolled her eyes and continued dancing. She was damned if she was going to join her friends in swooning over Weiss, of all people.

"But there's four of them and six of us," Sayo pouted.

"I don't mind sharing," Yumi said with a lascivious wink.

"Oh, Yumi-chan... you're so wicked!" Isobel giggled.

Kyoko stared at her friends, then glanced back up at the objects of their adoration. She shook her head, and said with a rueful laugh --

"I give up. Come on... I'll introduce you."

"WHAT?" her friends chorused.

"You *know* them?" Isobel cried, grabbing Kyoko's arm again.

"Naughty, naughty Kyoko-chan... you've been holding out on us," Yumi chided, shaking her finger at Kyoko.

"Not really... I didn't know they were in town," Kyoko said with an apologetic grin.

"So you know them from Tokyo?" Chikako asked eagerly. "Who *are* they? Models? Idol singers?"

Kyoko chuckled. "Follow me and find out," she said, waving the group toward the stairs. She looked up at Ran, who was staring at the approaching gaggle of females with something akin to terror in his violet eyes. She caught Ran's gaze and winked at him, smiling slightly as an unmistakable flush crept across his cheeks. She'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to fluster the most unflappable of Weiss's assassins... and her eyes twinkled as she decided to make that her night's entertainment.

"All right, ladies," Kyoko whispered to her friends as they ascended the steps. "You can have as much fun as you want with the three at the table... but stay away from the redhead.

"He's mine."

~ to be continued ~

Author's Notes:

For anyone who's not familiar with Japanese, here's a glossary of Japanese terms used in Part 2.

dame -- "absolutely not" or "cut it out"

ne -- "hey"

gomen -- "sorry"

Asahi -- a brand of Japanese beer

kudasai -- "please"

oi -- "hey;" considered rude and most often used by men

uruse -- "shut up;" cruder form of "urusai"