Transaction

Disclaimer: Blah.

Author’s Notes: Here we are at chapter eighteen. This is a climactic moment in the story, as you astute readers may have picked up. A lot of things are coming to boil at this point and time, and looking on it now… I hope we’re not overloading you! But, still I think it’s fairly easy to keep everything straight.

Thanks to Silverone and Sisely on AFF for reviewing. Again, thanks to Starbright, Lady Sakura and Zookeeper on gurabiteshiyon. And, a final thanks to Leihko on FF. Reviews are always wonderful to get.

Here’s your payment for the reviews!
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Transaction
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Chapter Eighteen
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He had a fucking death wish! He had to! Kenji shook his head a little harder as he pushed himself away from the table he'd been leaning against. He was headed to the door before he could think about it, out into the hall and toward the stairs.

Keiko snapped her head as Kenji rushed out. "Ken-" he was already out "-ji..."

She sighed and looked at the other two before looking towards the door again. As much as she knew Kenji would want his space, if he ran into Taki, something bad might happen. Certainly not good.

"Help me find him," she said to Haido, and left, going down the hall and upstairs.

Haido was feeling nervous again. The tension was heavy and it made him jittery. As much as Kenji was right for what he said, there was another part to it.

He had a feeling, that if Taki had just left it with Shuichi, Tohma wouldn't have done a thing to him. But he dragged in someone close to Tohma (Ken had mentioned a lover Tohma knew). Taki had threatened that person too.

...

Still... something so brutal for one person...

He looked up when Kenji ran out and wasn't sure of what to do when Keiko ordered him to help. He quietly thanked Ken for his time and rushed out to see Keiko going upstairs. So, he went downstairs.

Haido searched each hallway peeking into every room and bathroom and break room. Eventually, he spotted a lone figure sitting in an empty studio. Quietly he opened the door and saw Kenji. He walked in, shutting it carefully behind him, but wasn't sure of what to do now.

Kenji's foot connected with the wall harder then he'd intended as the door opened, and he glanced behind him. Sighing softly, he slipped off the table he'd sat on, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned to face Haido.

"Hi." Quiet. Everything about him was quiet now. From those first whispered words in the studio with Ken, he was quiet.

He hadn't really wanted Haido to find him. He could admit that he wanted to be found, or he wouldn't have left, but he could hug Keiko and rat and rave, and know that she would listen and give him a little smack to wake him up.

But Haido made him uneasy. Not a bad uneasy, he just wasn't sure how to act around him. It made him nervous, and he certainly didn't know how to act now.

"If... I'd known it was going to be that bad, I wouldn't have involved you in it." He was apologizing again, but he couldn't stop it, looking away from Haido and at anything that could hold his interest. Finally, he settled on the floor.

Haido took the 'hi' as an okay to go over to him. Once Kenji had settled on the floor and Haido went to sit near him on the floor. He greeted him softly and shook his head at Kenji's words. He didn't want his band mate to feel bad. He may not have willingly gotten into this, but he wasn't going to let anyone blame themselves because he couldn't say no.

"Sonoda-san, it's fine," Haido assured him, though he knew it did no good. "I'm more worried about you... "

He closed his mouth then. That came out completely wrong. What if Kenji took it the wrong way!?

"I mean... you were very upset, so that why," he explained. "Why I would worry, I mean."

He was tripping over himself now.

"Will you stop calling me that?" Kenji sighed, looking over at Haido with a disgruntled expression. "It sounds like you're talking to my father or something." Of course, he was referring to the respectful title.

He wasn't used to being addressed with respect. It was weird.

It was easier if he ignored Haido's statements about worry. They confused him, and made him wonder if maybe... Haido was just as nervous as he was.

And he still didn't know why. It was driving him nuts!

Haido nodded his head, looking over at Kenji and ducked his head, muttering an apology. He didn't want to make his mood any worse. So he didn't like the respectful title? Well... Haido guessed he could tweak it a little, even though he didn't know him that well.

"So... Sonoda-kun, then?" he mumbled, looking up at Kenji through fallen strands of dark hair in his eyes.

It felt weird, but he didn't know what else he could do. First names certainly couldn't be used. Not for him at least.

"Do you... do you want to... talk about it?" he asked softly.

A light scowl appeared on Kenji's face, and, suitably distracted, he pushed himself so he was sitting face to face with Haido. "No. No Sonoda-anything. Kenji."

That was his name, after all. He answered to that better then anything else.

Except for maybe some of the more inventive names Keiko had called him. Those he answered to because they made him laugh.

"Just say it, okay? Kenji. It's not that hard." He rested his elbows on his knees, chin propped on his hands.

Kenji was an easily distracted boy. It didn't take much. But, it didn't take much to send him plowing down into a bad mood, either. It was a fair trade, more often then not.

Haido frowned slightly. It wasn't as though he couldn't say his name. It was a matter of being respectful! He was always overly respectful. What was worse? Insulting someone, or flattering them? He didn't realize it, but he was pouting slightly. He wasn't some little kid!

"I can say your name," Haido inform Kenji. "I just don't feel right doing it. I barely really know you."

And he noted how Kenji avoided (or was it completely ignored) his other question. Well that was rude!

Haido didn't notice the pout, but Kenji did. Just a small little accent to his lower lip. That was all it took, and Kenji couldn't look away from it anymore. He wasn't even listening to what Haido had to say.

There were just those lips.
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Author’s Notes: Silverone, I have a question. Have you ever read Torture Chamber? Kel mentioned in passing that someone continually reviewing our story was someone who continually reviewed that one, too. You’ve been the only constant reviewer so far. Kel was a co-writer of TC.

Anyways, my usual rant.

Like I said, a lot of things are coming to boil at this point. This’ll get crazy awesome eventually. But, I’m pleased to say you can notice a lot more personality in Haido. Kenji seems more comfortable with himself. I think this was about the time Kel settled on him.

So, leave us a review and we’ll see you next chapter!

~Subby