All characters depicted here (except for Damario) are mine. (Damario belongs to P.) So no takey.

Luffy

He lay there, on top of the blankets but not cold despite the obvious chill in the frigid winter air. He couldn’t be cold, not with the warm body draped across his lap, resting heavily on his chest. Aoshi brushed the other boy’s silky hair absentmindedly, his lips pulling another drag from the crumpled cigarette. His own crimson hair was hanging in his eyes, begging him to be cut. And he made a note to do it, as he did every night. He hadn’t the heart to actually go through with it. Not so soon…

~*~

“Aoshi-san!” The red-head looked up from the thick paperback he was currently working his way through into a pair of mischievous green eyes.

“Guess what, Aoshi-san…” The auburn haired teen had perched himself on the arm across from his leader, clutching a ragged teddy bear in one hand. He smelled of cloves and honey- he must have just washed his hair. His shampoo always smelled that sweet.

Aoshi smiled, despite himself.

“Yes Kyann?” The teenager leaned forward, excitedly, placing one hand on Aoshi’s drawn up knee. His eyes sparkled as he reached over to lightly touch the redhead’s cheek before catching one of the waist long tresses and pulling it lightly. Golden eyes narrowed and then widened as small hands came into contact with his bare flesh, sending over strong waves of the younger boy’s gleeful thoughts.

Kyann released Aoshi’s hair, before rushing off with a giggle, the stuffed animal dancing behind him.

It was breakfast time, and the only members of Storm at the table were the young waif and a fire-tempered man, who was currently reading the paper. Luffy, the old, brown teddy walked along the tiled floor, following the lines of the vinyl tiles, stumbling whenever Kyann’s concentration was broken by long, inconspicuous glances at his companion. Aoshi smiled behind his paper as Luffy clutched the bottoms of his pants, giving a soft tug.

“Aoshi-san?” Kyann’s soft, airy voice was a pull as tangible as that of the animated bear. He called out again, tentatively, afraid that his elder did not hear him. A gentle mental nudge urged him on and Kyann took a deep breath settling his nerves before going on. “Aoshi-san… I’ve been having those nightmares again.” The voice wavered in boyish shame, afraid to admit a weakness to the one he admired so greatly. Not getting any response from the other he went on. “Jun and Yaho have helped, but they still come.”

At the mention of their names, the two cloth kittens trotted into the kitchen to rub and nuzzle at the ankle of their owner who bent down with a delighted giggle to scratch behind their ears.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kyann.” Aoshi set down his paper, causing Kyann to look up surprised. He had not expected him to respond… he normally didn’t. Pale hands reached across the table to lightly pat the boy’s hair. The touch was unexpected, but not unwelcome and the boy let out a mew similar to the ones issued from the imitation cats as he pushed up into the contact.

“Can I stay with you tonight, Aoshi-san?” Pleading… that was the only way to describe his eyes. Aoshi couldn’t have denied him, even if he’d wanted to.

Darkside-san. Come in Darkside-san. Kyann’s voice was distorted harshly by the radio headset. The older assassin adjusted the settings before answering.

“I’m here Moonstone. Repeat progress.”

Kite-san and Highwire-san have successful obtained the target. How is surveillance going? Aoshi winced at the word. His mind was reeling from suppressing the minds of those within the building, trying to keep them from noticing the three intruders. He couldn’t help but notice the hint of worry in the younger boy’s distorted voice. He hated how it sounded over the radio- but it was necessary. Aoshi had too much to concentrate on to maintain a mental link with his four team members. He preferred the human sounding mind-voice the boy possessed.

Darkside-san! Are you there? The red-head turned the receiver, and gave him his answer.

“Aoshi-san?” He felt the slim fingers playing with his hair fall away. The golden-eyed assassin didn’t bother turn his head, and he felt the slim teen bubble happily behind him, shifting on the red-head’s legs in anticipation. The two were on Aoshi’s bed, Kyann- brush in hand- tending to the redhead’s now thigh length main while the older man lay on his stomach enjoying the attention. He grunted his acknowledgement. “Why is your hair so long?”

Aoshi lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “I don’t know.” He responded honestly. “I haven't had time to get it cut.”

Kyann smiled, running his fingers through the red silk, getting them tangled within the strands purposely, pulling so the older man’s head tipped back at a painful angle. “May I cut it for you, Aoshi-san?”

Kyann’s voice was innocent, and his fingers demanding. “I want to see what you’d look like with short hair…”

“If that’s what you want, Kyann.”

The brunette could barely contain his glee as he released the crimson hair from his greedy fingers and rushed off to find the closest pair of scissors, laughing happily.

“Damn it!” He felt the wall give way under his fist, and watched with idle fascination as his hand sunk into the white pristine surface. It was cut, he could feel the stinging of hundreds of tiny lacerations coating the fair skin, but he didn’t remove it from the hole. On the table lay a memo from the higher-ups, calling him into a private meeting. There was only one reason they would call him in to their offices.

Aoshi could feel Kyann sitting outside his bedroom door, and he knew that the boy was clinging tightly to Luffy. He knew that the boy was shivering. “Damn it.”

“Your hair is getting long again.” Kyann was standing there in his doorway. It had been a month since Aoshi had been called to review the honey skinned boy’s case with the superiors. It had been a month since Aoshi’s pleading had convinced them to set up a review and evaluation. It had been a month since the boy had last cut his hair.

“That it is.” The redhead’s eyes golden eyes- now a burnished copper, dulled by his exhaustion- met equally tired green orbs. Kyann stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, before daring to approach the other man. Barely a foot away from him, he reached out to brush shaggy red hair.

“Aoshi-san?” He asked, his voice shaking.

“I’m scared…”

“Of what? Nothing bad is going to happen, Kyann. I promise. It’s just a misunderstanding.” The moment the words left his mouth, he knew they were a lie. He had a feeling that Kyann did too.

“Tip your head back.” Aoshi did as Kyann requested, allowing the boy to rinse the shampoo from his scalp, along with the remaining strands of hair that had not fallen from the trimming. Kyann ran his fingers though the short locks, removing all the shampoo. As the last of the white foam rinsed down the sink, Aoshi felt Kyann’s steady hands start to shake. He sat up, still dripping and caught the trembling, tanned digits in between his own, pale fingers.

“I’m sorry, Aoshi-san…” Kyann apologized, voice wavering as badly as his limbs. “It’s just-”

“We haven’t heard anything in two months, Kyann.” Aoshi reaffirmed the boy. “I wouldn’t worry.” He heard the other let out a shaky sigh.

“I know, Aoshi-san… It’s just, the other night, I had this dream…”

Aoshi stood outside the kinetic’s room, trying to steady himself before entering. He took a deep breath and turned the knob of the door and entered. Kyann lay in the center of his room, his stuffed animals dancing around the reclining boy happily. He didn’t look up as the red head took a step into his room.

“Kyann…”

“Don’t say anything, Aoshi-san.” Kyann said, looking up, smiling. Luffy and the others continued in their little dance, oblivious to their master’s lack of attention. “Don’t say… anything.” He pushed himself up from the floor, stepping over the ring of twirling toys to take a shaking pale hand between his own honey colored hands.

“Come sit down with me.” The boy demanded, and Aoshi did, unable to resist. “I had another dream last night, Aoshi.” The boy began, and when the red-head opened his mouth to respond, one slim finger found it’s way to his lips.

“Hush,” Kyann said, eyes laughing. “Let me finish.” When no further interruptions came, he continued. “I had a dream, that you were standing outside of my door… crying. I saw your eyes. I’ve never seen anything so haunted looking in my life. All I wanted to do was hug you, and make you feel better. I wanted to stop you from crying Aoshi. But…” The boy’s face looked troubled. “But for some reason… I wasn’t there. I think I know why I wasn’t there, now.” He whispered, reaching out to tug on once again shaggy red hair. “It’s been another month… I really should’ve cut it yesterday…” He shook his head absentmindedly.

“Kyann-” Aoshi pleaded, whispered, his voice harsh. He could feel his eyes well up with tears and tried desperately to bite them back.

“No!” The boy snapped back. “I won’t stop… not until I finish saying what I have to.” He tipped up Aoshi’s face- hunter green eyes, no longer as innocent and naļve as they once were, met a pair of troubled gold. “You were crying in my dream, and I couldn’t reach out to hold you. I couldn’t. I don’t want that to happen.” Kyann stopped to blink back tears. “I know… it was my compassion that got me into this mess in the first place, wasn’t it. I couldn’t go through with those missions, Aoshi! I did sabotage them… I couldn’t kill all those innocent people! I’m giving up my life for theirs.” He stopped talking and smiled happily, resting his forehead against Aoshi’s.

“In my dreams,” Kyann said, voice light and cheerful- sounding to all the world as if he did not grasp what was about to happen… as if he did not know. “In my dreams, Aoshi, I’ve seen my future. I know what you’ve come here tonight to do. I know.” He pulled away, eyes shinning with unshed tears. The toys dropped mid twirl, all except Luffy, who came scampering to his master’s side to pull on the hem of the white night shirt.

“I know, Aoshi… I know that I won’t be here to comfort you.” His hands slid around the redhead’s waist to his pocket, to draw out the small silver hand pistol that Aoshi had placed there. Aoshi caught the slim wrist but Kyann shook off his grasp, cradling the gun to his chest with one hand.

“Luffy was always my favorite.” Kyann said with a little smile, patting the toy’s head with his free hand. “Take care of him.” The small bear jumped up and down excitedly as his small master touched him, releasing Kyann’s shirt and dashing off to tug on Aoshi’s hoping to entice the boy into a game. Kyann just shook his head, sadly. “

I’m so sorry, Kyann.” Aoshi whispered. The slim, honey-skinned boy with the auburn hair and the laughing green eyes smiled as he leveled the gun to his temple.

“Don’t be, Aoshi.”

~*~

Aoshi, carefully pushed Damario’s sleeping form to the side, covering the man before leaving his room. The words that he had shouted at the other man were still tumbling through his head. We are toys. If we're broken, we're thrown away.... easily replaced by another, newer, better toy. I've thrown away a lot of toys in only a few years. Relationships between team members... friendships between team members...they destroy our edge. They hurt the organization’s purpose. We aren't allowed to have connections with the world outside of the shadows. We're dead… dead to everyone outside of these walls as well as everyone within them.

The redhead stopped outside of a familiar door and leaned his head against it before taking a deep breath and opening it. He half expected to see Kyann lying there as he was that last night, with all of his toys dancing around him. Kyann… His slim, pale hand reached up to play with his hair- which had grown out past the shaggy ends that would earn him a monthly trim from the eccentric boy and into long, ruby strands that tumbled down his shoulders. It hadn’t been cut in two years. Aoshi took a tentative step into the room and towards the closet.

He parted the double sliding doors and bent down, riffling through the boxes on the bottom. They were all storage boxes. He hadn’t allowed anyone to use this room. He could still see the blood staining the floorboards. It just didn’t seem right to him. Aoshi’s hands found what he had been looking for and pulled put out a shoe box, dusting it off. Fingers trembled as he opened the top and looked upon the raggedy, comforting, worn face of Luffy. Delicately he removed the old toy from the box and held it to his chest reveling in the almost forgotten scent of cloves and honey.