And as for Ran...

“What are you doing waiting out here?” a low rich voice demanded from behind him. “I thought you would have at least started opening the shop by now.” ‘Moron,’ the tone seemed to add without actually saying so.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Yohji twitched.

“Well, excuse me,” Yohji said, irritated and swinging around. “As it happens, I can’t find my shop keys. I think I’m gonna need to get ‘em replaced.”

Fujimiya A—Ran gave him a level, cool violet stare as if evaluating the truth of that statement. “Why haven’t you done it yet?”

“Well, I *just* lost ‘em,” Yohji retorted, raking a hand through his loose chestnut hair. “Are you gonna open shop, or what?”

Ran looked at him a moment longer, and just when Yohji was starting to feel uncomfortable – wondering if he’d grown a third eye or had a really big zit or something – the younger man turned in a fluid motion to unlock the metal siding.

“Nanda kore wa?”

Yohji held up the video tape. “Mission da yo.”

“Ah.” Ran’s eyes held an odd glimmer in the instant before he flipped the shop lights on. “Good.”

Yohji locked up the door behind them. "Ran."

"What?" Ran replied without turning around.

Yohji was fed up. He wanted an answer *now,* before he got all bloody and broken later. "Just admit it. You hate me, don't you? You're nice to everyone else - literally everyone else - and you're a total prick to me."

Ran spun around. "Fine! You want the truth?"

Yohji nodded, warily putting a hand to his watch.

"I'm JEALOUS of you!" Ran fumed. "You get all the women! Even Omi hangs off your every word! You got a real woman for a love interest - look what I got; a teenager who looks like my sister! I'm sick and tired of it! Even Aya-chan, all she can say is 'Yohji-kun this,' or 'Yohji-kun that!' And you act like your life is *hard!* How am I supposed to compete? No one cares about my angst anymore!!"

Ran trailed off, breathing heavily. His thin nostrils flared.

Yohji blinked. "Are you done?"

Ran's mouth twitched. "No."

"What else?" Yohji demanded, exasperated.

"I want to turn you over the countertop and screw you until your toes curl."

Yohji blinked again. Suddenly his knees felt weak. "Um, what about opening the shop?"

"It can wait an hour."

"Will you stop being such a prick?"

"Hn. Maybe."

"Um. Okay, let's do it."

“Oniichan, how’s business?” Aya-chan sidled up to the counter, giving Omi a poke in the ribs on the way over.

The boy ‘eeped,’ clutched the planter in his arms, and kept trying to navigate the crowded shop floor.

“Busy, as you can see,” Aya replied dryly, rubbing the back of his head and allowing himself to look harassed.

Aya-chan grinned at him, unrepentant. “Of course, you’re always busy! With the four of you working here, it’s an easy lure for high school girls. And of course, we all think you're sleeping together."

"A-YA-chan!" Aya's voice broke in ways it never had before.

"Oops!" the girl pressed a hand to her mouth, looking from one chagrined expression to another. "Am I not supposed to talk about that?"

"A-A-Aya-chan," Omi stammered, setting his pot down, "surely you don't really think I-I..."

"Ara, Omi-kun," Aya-chan swiveled on him, "of course we do! You're everybody's uke, after all!"

Omi blink-blinked. "I-I am?"

"No, Aya-chan," Sakura spoke up in disagreement, "we outvoted you, everybody's uke is Yohji, remember? Omi is everybody's fucktoy."

"Ma-masaka--" Omi clapped both hands to a wildly-bleeding nose and fell over.

"Yohji is NOT everybody's uke," Aya said icily.

Aya-chan widened her eyes. "He's not, oniichan? Then what is he?"

"MY uke. And nobody else's. And don't you forget it," Aya asserted.

"Honto ni!?" Aya-chan and Sakura sparkled, clasping their hands and leaning towards him. "Suteki~!!"

"I knew it! You owe me ¥8500, Aya-chan!"

"Ah, mou, I could've sworn oniichan was with Ken-kun..."

Aya reeled. "Yaoi fangirls are scary..."

K’so. He had to...couldn’t be helped. He just wished he could turn off Omi’s camera first.

He grabbed Jack by both shoulders and kissed him full on the mouth. Hands slammed against his chest and he rocked back, fingers still gripping Jack.

Dark eyes glared up at him, hard and angry.

“What’s the matter?” Yohji feigned an easy attitude. “Don’t want to get to know me better?” He slid one hand to Jack’s neck and glanced over to the doorway.

Jack knocked his hands away. “Your timing sucks.”

“What, a little fight never got your blood going?” he grinned. He took a step closer, committing ultimate violation of private space. “I’m Yohji.”

He could hear Omi’s voice making strangling noises in his ear. Too, there was a faint cry of ‘Yohji did WHAT!?’ Chikusho, was he ever gonna pay for this later...

"I knew it!" Ken raved, "I knew Yohji was gay! He HAD to be, I mean, look at what he was wearing! He's gay! Hah! And he never told us! And we always *hear* about his big dates but never see..."

"Ken," Omi said wearily, "shut up. You're in no position to talk."

"Huh?" Ken looked back down at the blond boy entangled in his arms, shirt pushed up messily under his armpits, hands a welcome invasion while delving down the open front of his jeans. "Oh, yeah."