It's All Relative

Aya waited a few minutes to see if the door would reopen. When it didn't he returned his attention to the breakfast tray. Although he didn't trust Crawford, part of his speech was true. Aya needed to eat to regain his strength. He finished the toast and eggs, grimacing a little over the fact they were cold. The steak he left to rest in its congealing fat. Aya had never gained any understanding about the American fascination with giant slabs of artery clogging cow flesh.

He poured himself another cup of tea from the little ceramic pot on the tray and sipped thoughtfully. So, Crawford wanted him to be part of Schwarz. The idea both intrigued and confused Aya. What possible use could he be to people like Oracle and Mastermind? He didn't possess any gifts like theirs. It was preposterous to believe he could fill either one of the two open positions. Aya almost dropped his cup. It was even more ridiculous to realize he was giving the proposal serious consideration. Why the hell was he even thinking about it? The answer should have been simple. They were the bad guys, the dark beasts, right? They were assassins, killers, murderers for hire. Definitely the bad guys, and Aya was....Aya was....what? Crimson hair slid forward to cover his pale face as Aya floundered to define himself and raise him above Crawford and Schuldig.

Aya shook his head in irritation and slumped back into the pillows of Crawford's bed. He didn't want to think any more. He was tired, his gut ached like a bitch and he was at the mercy of two men he had never bested in combat. It was safe to say his current situation sucked and Aya couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if he had died in the street.

"Depressing little thing, aren't you, Abby Cat?" Schuldig asked from the doorway.

Aya flinched. There. That just topped it all. He hadn't even heard the telepath come in the room. Aya glared daggers at the German for accentuating his humiliation. Schuldig frowned at him and crossed the room to take the chair by the bed.

"You're giving me a headache, Abby, with all this angsting."

"Fuck you."

Schuldig flashed a predatory grin. "Are you offering, Abby?"

"Not interested, and don't call me that."

"Such prudishness. I expected better from you since we're already so intimate at the moment."

Aya closed his eyes, fighting the exhaustion and pain that wanted to drag him back under. He was starting to shiver with chills.

"What the hell are you talking about, Schuldig?"

"Just that you are wearing a pair of my favorite silk boxers. Your clothes were bloody and ruined." Schuldig leaned closer and licked his lips before leering. "Not exactly an indirect kiss, but you get the idea."

Hazy, purple eyes opened half way in disbelief. Damn. Damn. Damn! Aya wanted to strangle the telepath. He couldn't get his body to cooperate and dimly heard Schuldig yelling for Crawford as he fell into darkness.

Aya woke periodically to voices and gentle touches. Hands carefully unwrapped the seeping bandages and changed them. Someone picked him up and held him like a child while commanding the bedding be changed. That same someone cradled his head and coaxed his lips to open and swallow several medications with water. Aya fell into a deeper sleep listening to the deep, soothing voice. His pain and he kept a death grip on a linen shirt, subconsciously knowing it would keep the voice close.

Crawford twitched reflexively and nearly snarled at the watching German. "You were supposed to be monitoring him, Schuldig. How did he get this bad so quickly?"

"Nt"I'm no doctor, Brad! He was stabbed in the gut and he's not like us. He won't heal like us. He was thinking about being better off dead and dropped like a rock." Schuldig snapped back.

Crawford tried again to disengage himself from hands that held him with desperate strength. He gave up and relaxed into the bedding, swiping silver hair from his eyes.

"I can't get loose. What the hell is he thinking now.?"

Schuldig closed his eyes to concentrate. When he reopened them he smirked at Crawford.

"All I can tell is he likes your voice. Right now he's comforted by it." Schuldig chuckled wickedly. "The Great Oracle being used as a living teddy bear!"

"I will kill you for this, Schuldig."

"You have to escape the claws of the Abby Cat, first, mein Oracle."

"Be useful and get me some coffee. It's going to be a long night."

"Whatever you want, snuggly bear." Schuldig purred and dodged the clock thrown his way. He dropped his smirk and spoke to Crawford seriously. "Aya's different than he used to be, Crawford. Something changed him in that last mission. He's let himself be more human." Schuldig stopped speaking and absently pulled at a lock of flaming hair.

"And?"

"Are you sure about this, Crawford? He might be right. What good is an assassin with no self confidence left?"

"We'll bring him back."

"You've 'seen' this, then?"

Honeyed brown eyes met blue.

"Yes." Crawford answered.

"There's one other thing. It may be helpful in getting him to join us."

"Yes?"

"He's terribly, horribly lonely, Crawford." Schuldig left his leader to get the demanded coffee.

With the prying eyes of his telepath gone, Crawford smoothed ragged, sweat damp hair back from Aya's pale face. His face didn't show it, but he smiled inwardly when Aya clutched him tighter in his sleep. Yes, Aya's loneliness could be used to convince him to stay. Crawford wasn't above using emotions as tools when it suited his purpose.

"Your ours now, Abyssinian."