Three Kitties and a Tomcat

Author: Opus
Title: Three Kittens and a Tomcat (Man, I suck at titles)
Summary: This is a continuation/ AU fic for both PSOH and Weiss Kruez. It takes place 13 years after the end of the PSOH manga, and I'm putting the timeline for Weiss 7 years after Aya joined.
Warnings: Only a PG for this part. Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: Belongs to Matsuri Akino and whoever owns Weiss Kruez, not me. No profit, no money, please don't sue.
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Chapter 2


Aya walked into the living room looking for Leon and Youji. Through the living room window he could see the tall blonde smoking and joking with the playboy on the balcony. Their laughter drifted inside with the evening breeze. Leon was only a couple inches taller, but his broader shoulders made him seem much larger than the other assassin.

"We're having a meeting," he announced to the two. He didn't know why, but it irritated him that Youji had more in common with their new teammate than he did. They certainly shared most of the same vices. They smoked together, went out clubbing and drinking together, and about the only thing Leon didn't do was pick up women. But at least the American was a little more considerate in his bad habits. He didn't leave cigarette butts lying around like Youji did, and kept his smoking outside the building. In addition, he never came home so drunk he couldn't make it upstairs on his own. That was a big plus in his book.

He even kept his room neat. Now if Leon would only stop turning up that awful American music of his so much...

Ken had already claimed the easy chair when Ran came back inside. He gave his teammate a dirty look and sat down on the couch. He didn't understand it. He wasn't comfortable around people, for the most part, and yet he felt drawn to the older assassin. A man he didn't know how to relate to, a man he would expect himself to dislike intensely, not want to get closer to.

Leon and Youji came in and sat on either side of him, as he had chosen to sit right in the middle, Youji making sure he was well out of Aya's personal space, and Leon almost touching him, he was so close.
Aya didn't mind in the least. "Leon, I told Persia about your misgivings about being so near to Chinatown. However, he feels that staying close to a large concentration of asian population will keep us hidden better, and the only other truly suitable area on the west coast is in LA. Because Kritiker believes that Schwartz is somewhere on the west coast, not far from here."

Leon groaned. "He doesn't understand. The people here have relatives in LA, and ties are strong between the two Chinatowns. They'll recognize me sooner or later, just wait and see."

The redhead continued, "These are our code names for when we do locate Schwartz. I am Abyssian, Youji is Balinese, Ken is Siberian, and you are Bengal." The blonde nodded in understanding. "Also, someone's been breaking into Kritiker's computer system. I can only assume Schwartz is looking for us. Leon and Youji, I need you two to use all resources available to you to find them first. Until then, we won't be able to start the mission. On a more routine note, I redid the work schedule to include Leon. It's hung up in the kitchen next to the refrigerator. That's all I have."

+++++++++++

"I'm telling you, Aya actually likes you. Aya doesn't like anybody!" Youji was saying as he and Leon went to check the new schedule.

"What are you talking about? The guy barely speaks two words to me at a time, if at all." Leon argued.

"Have you seen how uptight and unfriendly he is, period? Does he glare at you all the time? I don't think so. He may not be very friendly with you, but he doesn't keep you at arm's length, like he does everyone else. I think you should try to be friends with him. He bottles things up too much- he needs some kind of outlet. And if you can actually get him to calm down a bit...Hm? Oh, dame da yo! (That's no good) He's got me on the morning shift 3 days a week."

"You're right." Leon said.

"What?" Youji asked, bewildered.

"Most of my shifts are with Ran."

"Of course they are. You're the only one of us he can actually stand. I don't get it though, you're a lot like me, and he hates me with a passion."

Leon shrugged. "Who knows. Let's go get something to eat. I don't feel like cooking."

Youji laughed. "And we all thank you for that!"

"Dumbass," Leon said, but without much conviction, "I'm not that bad of a cook." He pretended to take a swing at the playboy, and they both laughed.

++++++++

The blonde had the morning shift with Aya the next day. They hadn't spoken to each other aside from a few questions from the florally-challenged Leon, but it was a comfortable silence. To the American, it was a welcome break from Youji's endless curiosity. The only way he'd gotten the playboy to leave him alone was to ask him about Asuka. A low blow to be sure, but he had things he didn't want to talk about either.

He felt Ran's eyes on him again. "What do you want, Ran?" Just as quickly, he felt the redhead look away again, without answering him.

A while later a lady came into the shop with her little terrier. It was a good thing You Mangy Bastard was locked in Leon's rooms. Unfortunately Leon himself was there, which was almost as bad. The dog yelped and yiped in fear, tugging hard on the leash in an attempt to get as far away as possible.

Leon glowered at it. "I need to get something from the back," he said and left, leaving the customer to Aya. The animal calmed down once he was gone, but was still shaking.

The blonde came back as soon as she left with a double handful of plants and started to put them on display. Ran gave him a funny look, which he didn't miss. "Yes, I do have that effect on animals. No, I don't know why," he said matter of factly, never looking up from his work. It was a lie. He had a very good idea why.

The rest of the shift was uneventful. Ran wmprempressed. Leon seemed to have a photographic memory. He only needed to be told the name of a flower once, and he would remember it, and he picked up the knack for arranging bouquets just as quickly.

At the end of the shift Leon gratefully took off his apron. One of two little old Chinese women strolling by looked in at that moment. "Liye gui!" she gasped. Leon turned around to see her friend quickly make a sign to ward off evil spirits. He flinched.

"That didn't take long at all," he grumbled and stormed off into the back again.

+++++++++

Late that afternoon, Aya sat back from the computer. 'Liye gui' - a Chinese word for ghost. So someone had already recognized Leon, just as he said. He was starting to agree with Ken- Omi was being careless. The former detective was too close to his home ground- there was no telling who he might accidentally run into.

The old woman had called him a ghost- just as others in Kritiker had dubbed him that. But Ran's thoughts on that topic were interrupted by a friendly grab on his shoulder.

"Hey," Leon said, "Youji and I are going out clubbing. Want to come?"

The swordsman shook his head. "We have the morning shift again tomorrow."

"Yeah I know. I'm not planning on staying out past midnight."

"Hn." And that was that.

Leon went to get changed. A short time later he and Youji went down the stairs, Leon in his usual jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt, the playboy in one of his customary 'come fuck me' outfits- a tight sleeveless shirt that was cut several inches above an equally tight pair of leather pants.

"See you later, Aya-kun," Youji called out cheerfully as they went by.

"Hn."

Aya stood up from the computer and went into his own rooms. Why should he care? His teammates' business was their own. He had never pried in their affairs before, and he had no intention of starting. He wasn't Youji, after all.

He picked up the book he was working his way through and sat down to read. He didn't notice the passing of time, until there was a knocking on his door to bring him back to reality.

"Hey, Ran, you're not waiting up for me, are you?" Leon's voice came through the door, slightly muffled by the wood.

The redhead looked at his watch. It was almost midnight- his American teammate must have seen the light under his door. He got up and opened it.

Leon was definitely tipsy, and a roguish grin spread from ear to ear. "It you were going to stay up late anyway, you shoulda come with us."

"I didn't mean to," Aya said irritably. "I lost track of time." What was he doing? He didn't have to explain himself. How was this man getting to him?

"My bad," Leon replied, lapsing into English. "And here I thought you were showing some concern for me."

That sounded a lot like Youji's teasing. "Go to bed," the swordsman said, glowering.

Leon chuckled, and clumsily ruffled Aya's hair. He then somewhat unsteadily made his way to his own rooms.

"Temee," the redhead muttered, and closed the door. He touched his hair tentatively, pulling slightly on an eartail. He couldn't believe it. He actually wanted to be touched by the other man. More and more, he craved Leon's friendly physical contact. What was wrong with him? He threw himself onto his bed without even bothering to change and fell asleep.

That night he dreamed of tall, blond, and handsome.

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TBC in Chapter 3