“Mmm… Ken, watch it!”

“Hmm?”

Omi tried to free his knee from being squashed against the car seat, all the while keeping his contact with the insistent taller boy. “Mmm…” he mumbled again, into Ken’s kiss. He squirmed, trying to get comfortable.

Ken helped him a second later, shifting himself so that they lay almost flat, with Omi’s back propped against the car door. They continued to make out heatedly, hands and mouths busy with each other.

“Ooh…” One of Omi’s flailing elbows struck the back speakers’ volume control. He felt it move against his skin, and stopped. “Mmph… ergh…” Getting Ken off his lips proved difficult, but the younger boy was nothing if not persistent.

Ken finally seemed to realize his intent and complied, panting as he stared down at his lover in perplexity. His face was flushed. “What?”

Omi took in a few deep breaths to steady himself. “I just felt something move, Ken.”

“Like what? Where?” Ken glanced behind the shorter boy, “accidentally” managing to press himself all over Omi in all the right places. “I don’t see anything.”

“Ungh.” The contact had the desired effect; Omi felt his eyes go unfocussed for the moment. “Probably nothing!” he said hastily, and pulled Ken down into another heated kiss.

There was no more talking after that.

~~~~~~

Aya started his car early in the morning, with the intent of heading to the store for another bag of plant food. The previous bag had been emptied the following day, and Aya did not like to put things off. The bag had to be replaced before the store opened that day.

However…

Aya frowned. The radio was on – as it usually was, since Youji had started driving in the car with him so often. But it seemed… different.

The back speakers sounded off.

The frown on Aya’s face deepened. This could not be. If the speakers were broken, they would have to be repaired immediately. Everything in Aya’s car was required to be just so. He didn’t tolerate deviance from his settings.

Leaving the car running for the moment, he stepped out of the front seat and opened the back door next to the speaker controls. The problem was evident as soon as he took the first glance.

Somebody had tampered with the volume control.

And that mean… somebody had been inside his car.

Without his permission.

Aya’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Youji was with me last night… the speakers were working perfectly fine when we left the car. He frowned to himself. Therefore, the culprit would have to be either Ken or Omi – and the time would have to have been between when we got home last night, and when I got up this morning.

Well… there was only one way to find out for sure. Aya left the car and went back into the house for the surveillance cameras.

~~~~~~

“Are you sure, Ken? I didn’t see him leave…”

Ken laughed. “Come on, Omi, trust me. I haven’t gotten us caught yet, have I?”

“I guess not…” Omi frowned.

“Well, then…” Ken grinned at him.

Omi sighed, then smiled. “All right. I guess Aya really doesn’t know.”

He moved to disable the alarm – again.

~~~~~~

Aya’s face was dark when he made his way into the kitchen, where Youji was nursing a mug of coffee. Ken and Omi were working in the shop, and the redhead had been busy with a tape of some sort. Now, when he came into the room, he held the tape in his hand as if it were something vile.

“Do you have any idea what’s on this?” he asked Youji, with an almost dangerous calm.

The blond took a swallow of coffee, noting Aya’s tone. “I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

“Somebody,” Aya announced, in a dreadfully slow voice, “has been in my porsche – without my permission.”

Youji froze, guiltily. “Is that so?” He forced his tone to be casual.

Aya stared at him for a moment. “You knew,” he accused, eyes suddenly blazing.

“Know? I don’t know anything!” Youji protested, almost spilling his coffee. “How could I possibly know what Ken and Omi were doing in your porsche? It’s not like I’m some kind of pervert, watching people have sex all over the place!”

Aya glowered at him. “I never told you that,” he pointed out, voice cold.

Oh, shit!

“Er…”

“Never mind.” Aya’s voice was at its most frigid state; his eyes were hard. “I intend to make them suffer for this outrage. And you” – he fixed that glare on Youji again – “will be helping me.”

Youji swallowed, hard.

~~~~~~

Ken smiled to himself, trimming up the bouquet he’d been preparing for the girl waiting out in front. Things were going exceptionally well for him those days. He’d just had his motorcycle tuned, there was some extra money in his spare cash stash, and… of course… he had Omi. Their sex life was better than ever those days.

Not that it hadn’t been fantastic before.

Omi looked up from the flowers he’d been watering, with a gorgeous smile for Ken. Yes, life was perfect. Everything was peaceful, and the world was as it should be.

The door leading in from the back area suddenly opened. Youji came out into the flower shop, eyes a bit wild. He made his way over to Ken, and beckoned Omi up from the front.

“What’s the matter, Youji?” Omi asked curiously, setting down his hose. “You look like you’ve just been told you’re going to die tomorrow.”

“I’m not, but you two might.” Youji leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “Aya knows you’ve been in his porsche.”

Ken froze where he stood.

Omi’s breath caught sharply.

The taller boy was the first to recover. “H-how…?”

“He set up a camera last night.” Youji glanced around nervously. “Look, I’m going to get into trouble for telling you guys – but I couldn’t just abandon you to your fate. At least now you know something’s coming.”

“Youji, um…” Omi bit his lip nervously. “Aya wouldn’t really… do anything bad. Would he?”

“You live with him, Omi,” Ken said, in a shaky voice. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“Just watch it, okay?” Youji stood abruptly, and the other two glanced back, as the door opened and Aya entered the room. Silence fell over the room.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at them. “Shouldn’t you be working?”

Omi almost jumped back to his hose. Ken immediately focussed his attention on the bouquet in front of him. Youji shrugged and leaned against the wall. “I have a day off,” he explained. “Remember?”

Aya ignored him. “That needs more,” he told Ken, pointing.

Ken glanced at him the way anyone else would like at a hungry tiger. “Y-yeah. S-sorry.”

Moving away from Ken, Aya hovered over Omi’s shoulder. “Haven’t those been watered enough.”

“Um…” Omi gave him a nervous look. “Maybe.” He put down the hose.

Aya nodded, satisfied, and leaning against the wall, apparently calm.

Ken and Omi glanced at each other. “Uh…” The taller boy swallowed nervously, and ventured to ask a question. “Are you going to stand there all morning?”

Aya barely shrugged, but they both caught the movement. “Supervision,” he said, slowly, “might keep you two from doing something” – his eyebrows raised – “wrong.”

Omi blushed and lowered his eyes. Ken visibly flinched.

Aya smiled, just slightly.

~~~~~~

“Ken.” Omi looked up from where he was helping several girls who looked about his own age. “We need more of those baskets with the red ribbons. Can you get me some?” In the midst of his work, he seemed to have forgotten all about Aya.

“Sure.” Ken managed a little smile for his lover, and headed for the back room.

Aya made a sound almost like a brief snicker.

Ken froze in mid-stride, one hand still out to grasp the door handle. “What?” he asked warily.

“Nothing.” Aya waved a hand. “Keep going.” He smirked.

“Um…” Ken glanced back at the door to the back room, as if it led to a lion’s den. He didn’t really want to go there any more. “I… don’t… Omi!” he wailed.

The younger boy looked up from the customers. “What’s the matter?”

“Can’t you give them a different basket?” Ken asked plaintively, edging away from the door.

“A different basket?” Omi gave him a baffled look. “Why should I? He took in Ken’s nervous expression with some puzzlement. “What’s gotten into you, Ken?”

“I’ll get the baskets,” Aya said briskly, and walked into the back room.

Ken only relaxed after the door had closed behind him securely.

~~~~~~

Omi was munching contentedly on popcorn, eyes fixed on the screen in front of him. Youji had picked out the movie – it was on TV, and so they hadn’t had to rent it. He was enjoying it thoroughly, especially since whenever he watched movies alone with Ken, he never got the chance to actually watch them.

“Want some popcorn?” He offered the bowl to Ken.

Ken visibly jerked. “No… no, I’m fine.” His voice was still tense and nervous; his eyes looked a bit wild.

Omi frowned. “Okay. Youji, how about you?”

“Sure.” The blond grabbed himself a handful. “What’s ‘Zorro’ without a little hot buttery stuff, huh?”

“Youji, none of us have ever seen this movie before.”

“Yeah, well…”

The room went suddenly silent as Aya walked in. The redhead appeared not to notice, but seated himself on a chair facing the screen. He was carrying his sword.

Beside Omi, Ken suddenly went into a violent trembling fit.

As calmly as if he did it all the time, Aya pulled his sword into his lap and began to carefully polish it, ignoring the others. He stopped for a moment, tested the edge, and smirked to himself.

“Ken!” Omi protested. The taller boy had been grasping one of his hands lightly; now it felt like he was trying to make blood spurt out of his fingertips. “You’re hurting me! Ken!” He tugged at the hold, trying to free his hand.

On screen, Zorro suddenly killed a man in a dashing finish.

Aya watched the move with apparent fascination, then slowly held his sword out in an imitation. “Nice swordplay,” he commented.

Ken released Omi’s hand and clawed desperately at the remote. “We’re watching something else!” he declared suddenly, in a voice that cracked with tension.

Omi rubbed his sore hand, glancing at his lover in bafflement. “Why? What do you want to watch now?”

The taller boy continued to flip through channels, until he finally settled on something, relaxing back against the couch. “Aha! ‘Care Bears’!” He pulled his knees up to his chest like a little kid and stared intently at the screen, a forced smile on his face.

Youji and Omi glanced at each other.

“Ken!” Omi said again, in dismay. The only times they had ever watched ‘Care Bears’ was when they intended to not watch. In fact, the theme song was being treated like an indicator. Omi flushed, pulling his shirt down a little more. Apparently his subconscious felt that the ‘Care Bears’ theme was a sign that he was about to get some.

Ken, with his eyes firmly fixed on the children’s cartoon, was in no condition to help him.

Aya continued polishing his sword.

“How are we going to do that, Cheer Bear?” one of the characters onscreen asked, blinking in a confused cute manner.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way!” the other character answered in an entirely too chirpy voice.

“An excellent point,” Aya commented, blandly. “Wouldn’t you say so, Ken?”

The brunette started to rock back and forth, eyes still fixed on the screen. “Nice Care Bears. Good Care Bears. Care Bears are safe,” Omi heard him muttering.

The younger boy bit his lip and leaned back against the couch. If Ken’s gone crazy, how do I take care of this ‘problem’ now?

~~

For the second night in almost a year, Omi’s bed had only one occupant. Usually, it was either empty altogether, or it had two people in it at once. That night, it had only one person – Omi.

And it had been the same the night before. Omi sighed, glancing mournfully at the chair beside the door. “Ken,” he complained, wistfully. “Aren’t you going to come to bed?”

The person sitting on the chair glanced back at him, and Omi shrank back a little under that wide-eyed gaze. There were dark circles under Ken’s eyes. “Aya will come in and kill us!” he announced, in a voice that was hardly recognizable for the nervous cracking in it.

Omi slid out of bed and put his hands on his lover’s tense shoulders. “He won’t come in if we’re doing something… he wouldn’t want to see,” he breathed, as seductively as he could manage.

“He’ll come in and kill us!” Ken insisted, his voice gaining a slightly hysterical note. “I have to protect the room!”

Omi sighed, shoulders slumping. This isn’t fair! he wailed, inwardly, crawling back into bed and curling into a frustrated ball. If I don’t get some soon, I’m going to die!

~~

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Aya was slicing carrots. The knife made a satisfying ‘thud’ sound every time it diced through the orange vegetable. The circles thus produced were even and perfect.

Ken was sitting at the table, eyes bloodshot and with dark circles lining them. Every time Aya’s knife made that ‘thud’ sound, he winced.

Omi was sitting next to him. There was a dissatisfied and frustrated feel to him. He was holding Ken’s hand and trying to make his lover relax.

Youji stood beside Aya, having been ordered to peel the carrots so that Aya could slice more of them. He was watching the other two with some amazement.

“This,” Aya said, in a deadpan voice, between ‘thud’s, “is a very good knife.” Thud. “It cuts” – thud – “so” – thud – “easily.” Thud. “Don’t you think so?” Thud. “Ken?”

“AGH!” Ken jumped to his feet, knocking away his chair. “I can’t take it any more! Aya! I’m sorry!” He leaned across the counter, eyes very wide and almost desperate. “I’m sorry we were in your car! It’s all my fault! I’ll never do it again, I’ll be a good boy! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!” He practically flattened himself against the counter, banging his fists on the surface of it.

“Ken!” Omi gasped, shocked.

Aya watched the hysterical brunette dispassionately. “Sorry?” he repeated, coolly. “What on earth for?”

That about did it. “YAAAAAGH!!!” Ken screamed, completely flipping out. He clutched his hair with both hands and bolted out of the front door, barely pausing to open it first.

“Ken!” Omi wailed, standing up. He looked back at Aya, breathing heavy and eyes wide. “You…” He pointed a shaky finger at the redhead. “You planned this! All along, you planned it!”

The corners of Aya’s mouth turned up in a smirk.

“You bastard! How could you?” Omi groaned. “I am never going to get laid again!” he wailed, and turned to run after his departed lover. “Ken, wait! Come back! Ken!“

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Youji turned to Aya, shaking his head in complete awe. “That,” he said, in a hushed voice, “was the work of a true genius.”

Aya turned to regard him. “And now,” he said, in that quiet tone, “There is still the matter of your punishment.”

Youji swallowed hard.

The smirk on Aya’s face spoke volumes. “Come with me,” he beckoned, turning to walk outside. “This punishment will also have to do with the car.”

“The porsche?” Youji was surprised – and a slight prick of anticipation had struck him, as well. “But… I thought…” The porsche was still off-limits… wasn’t it?

Aya shrugged, just the barest movement of his shoulders. The glance back over his shoulder at the taller man was a meaningful one. “It has been defiled already,” he said, simply.

Sweet! Youji bit back a grin. Punishment or not, getting laid was always a good thing. And in the porsche, at that… This is going to be so good… I can’t wait to –

“Here.” Aya picked up something from beside his car and handed it to Youji.

A hose. “I don’t get it,” Youji admitted, glancing up at his lover.

“My car has been defiled,” Aya repeated. He moved out of the way so that Youji could have a clear look at the bucket of soapy water and the small vacuum for cleaning the inside.

The blond glanced at him, realization suddenly dawning on him.

“Clean it up,” Aya ordered, and turned to walk back toward the house, leaving his stunned lover still holding the hose and looking mournfully at the bucket.

~~~~~~

Inside the house, Aya found the remote and turned on the TV. ‘Zorro’ was playing again, on the same channel. He watched the man do that spectacular finish again, and held up his sword in an imitation of the motion.

“Really a nice move.”

That done, Aya sat down and once again began to polish his weapon.

All was now right with the world.

The End