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Coincidence	By : Kiba Category: +. to F > Ai no Kusabi Views: 9481 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ai no Kusabi, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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chapter 39: disturbia

Nyet stood in the door frame, shaking his head in disbelief. “He spitfire.” Kris turned his head towards the technician and smiled but the smile did not reach his eyes. “You look awful, Kris. How long have you locked yourself in here?” The Feron looked as if he was going to pout but he turned back to the system, completely ignoring the man.

“He never left.”

The technician looked puzzled at the furniture, partly because he'd never heard him say a single word and partly because he had left Eos three weeks ago. He knew, that Raoul remained linked to the system and tried to fix the corrupt clusters. Sister needed him, Tanagura needed him, maybe all of Amoi needed him. The data traffic was heavily disturbed though and Daars was totally incommunicado but that Kris never left this room saddened him.

“He cries himself to sleep from time to time.” The furniture sighed and left. Nyet moved over to the station and pulled the Feron into a tight hug, pressing the smaller frame against himself, “I know you're aching.” “There is no need to comfort me.” “Kris...” The young man pushed against the technician, “The system bottoms out. Raoul is waking.”

Kris led the Blondie safely back to the realms of reality. He greeted the man like he had greeted the mongrel thousand times before, “Welcome back.” He helped Raoul to get out of the basin and toweled him while the Blondie sat on the basin's ledge, slowly regaining full consciousness and control over his body. Nyet realized how tender and careful Kris went upon his tasks as the Blondie's technician. And the Blondie reciprocated the service. A sudden pang of jealousy at being put out took possession of Nyet who considered himself the closest friend to the Feron but he shrugged it of with an inward laughter. Well, at the moment was no need for him to be here, so he decided to canvass the rest of the strange bunch.

It seemed like a decent idea to start with Kyle since he lived closest, although Nyet wasn't entirely sure whether the Blondie worked at that time of day or was at home. He lucked out and found not only Kyle at his condo but also Dorian, Katze and even Elaran and Hazall's Karinese. Now that he stood in front of those men, he felt a guilty feeling return. They had used all of them to gain power over the mightiest man on Amoi. Once Am had put the Achilles upon himself, Ajax had done everything to control the tiny mongrel who didn't even count as an adult when they implanted him. Never did they think about the effects their actions had on those people's lives. They simply denied to regard them people with feelings and history. He stepped up in the middle of the room, bluntly interrupting their talks, “Who is giving me the skinny?”

Everybody fell silent and four pairs of eyes turned towards Katze. “Apparently me.” The redheaded dealer invited him to take seat next to him. If he realized how much he resembled the Blondies sometimes?

“The dummy plug has ran continuously since your departure. While Raoul contributes to Jupiter's emotional make up, Lord Droscha and my humble self devote ourselves to repairing the corrupt clusters of the initial program which is fairly difficult with the program constantly changing its structure. Daars is still incommunicado but maintenance and information supply are secured via direct business. Dorian took over the vacant position as head of the market, admittedly doing well and fine. Lord Amidari coordinates the intercourse and official movements of goods between Amoi and the Federation as head of the intergovernmental legal department. If you want an extended version feel free to ask anyone but me.”

That spoken he turned back to Kyle. “You are rude, Katze. Foul language doesn't suit you.” Kyle's eyes had an mischievous gleam to them that couldn't entirely mask the exhaustion in his face. Katze gave him an evil glare, prompting the Blondie to withdraw the hand he was about to extend around the dealer's hip. Nyet padded over to the Karinese and Elaran, taking seat in between them, “How about an extended version?”

~~~

“Did Sister release you for a few moments?”

“Bitterness doesn't suit you, Liam.”

“Nah...” the young man sighed, “He has been watching over me for all of my life.”

“Is that the reason, why you are here every waking hour?”

“I can't muster the courage to leave. If I let go … We were always connected ... always.” He turned around, granting Raoul a brief glimpse behind his facade of confidence and arrogance.

“You can't stay like this forever.”

“But I can for today.”

Raoul caught sight of the chef physician in the hallway. He excused himself and went to pester the man for a detailed medical report.

In the meantime Liam moved closer to Raven and moved some stray bangs out of his face. “You didn't prepare me for this. You gave me a focus but now I'm lost.” The young man became aware of a movement behind his back. He hadn't realized Kris entering the hospital room together with Raoul.

“We have never been alone in a room.”

“Didn't have much time...” Kris moved over and took seat opposite Liam, “We are equally arrogant, aren't we? I refused to recognized you as who you are. I labeled you and I'm sorry for that.”

“No offense taken.”

“Do you realize how much you mean to him? He never intended to hurt you. The awkwardness, you feel is a gift even though you might not recognize it. Raven wanted you to have your own focus. You might look like an adult but from my point of view, you're a child. Get rid of Ajax's leash, create your own memories and history. If you still feel the need to return and pilot the dummy plug...” The Feron sighed, “Raoul wouldn't stand in your way.”

“Ironic, isn't it?”

Kris leaned down and touched his forehead to Raven's temple, “Where you lead I follow. Don't lead me astray, beloved.”

~~~

“We ran another CT this morning. We are not entirely sure whether the remaining concussions are functional or structural. The intracranial pressure stabilized. We need your permission to cut him from the life supporting system to see if the brain readopts its basic functions and thus if the patient is viable.” He handed Raoul the folder containing Raven's medical report. “Sir?”

Raoul handed the folder back, “Take the necessary actions immediately.” He directed his feet back to Raven's room after leaving Katze a message.

The decoupling was a quiet affair. The head physician, a nurse and another doctor separated Raven from the machines. The medical stuff went without emotional contribution but efficiency upon the task while the seconds stretched out endlessly in the eyes of the three bystanders. Liam nervously pressed his fingertips together and Kris bit his lips, clutching Raoul's hand on his shoulder as if his life depended on it. Only the Blondie maintained the personified picture of self control. However, it snapped for the tiniest moment when the monitoring system announced brain functions and the tiny body in the bed started breathing on its own. Raoul squeezed Kris' shoulder. The Feron flinched but before he could even react, Raoul had loosened his tight grip.

~~~

Three month had gone bye since Raven woke and was transferred to Raoul's condo. At first both Raoul and Kris were delirious with joy but soon it became apparent the dark one didn't make much progress. It pained them and on an emotional level it pained Raven. Stagnancy edged itself into their life and like a thorn driven into flesh, it was accompanied by frustration. Frustration didn't sit well with the Blondie. He left the two ex-pets in the care of his furniture and sought out Katze in his hideout. Now that Jupiter's clusters had been fixed, the dealer had reclaimed his position as head of the market. At least Katze had a place where he belonged.

Katze's brow furrowed. The requested item lay in between him and the Blondie on the table. Neither one dared to approach the subject. Stubbornly both held on to their respective mugs and drew out the topic of how to drink coffee best. Katze's patience snapped first, “Raoul is this what you really want?”

“I see no alternative.”

Katze contemplated simply asking the Blondie but decided otherwise. Raoul always had reason to his actions and would descend on his path whether he conceded or not.

“For a long time I thought, I was obligated to you through hereditary rights. It took me a while to realize it was just my imagination, moreover my thread of the undiscovered country.”

“Quoting classics, Katze? Isn't that Raven's part?”

“Probably.” The dealer shrugged, “He knew every letter of that play.”

“And many others. I'm well aware. Where does this train of thought venture to?”

“You know him better than anybody in this world. Why don't you reconstruct his mental make up.”

“Spoken in terms of Shakespeare – the undiscovered country doesn't lie within one's past.”

To Katze, the risk and the pain were not worth the effort. Hell, Raven would never know. Raoul's flawless techniques never failed him, not even the Feron would be able to concern a difference between the former Raven and the reconstructed mind, if Raoul did the reconstruction. Anyhow, Raven was still terrible young to Katze. The little part, Raoul considered a past was merely the blink of an eye to the dealer, taking the years in account, Raven had ahead of him.

“He doesn't need fixing, Katze.”

In that moment a strange realization struck the dealer that sudden, that he giggled nervously. When did the tables turn around? When had he adopted the blonde aloofness while Raoul descended from his pedestal to become human? Respect was one thing but admiration another. Maybe those tings were mutually exclusive when it came to relationships but at that moment, Katze admired Raoul. He handed him the readjusted VR. Still, he did not dare to hope
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Coincidence