Ken had relaxed more now that he wasn�t keeping his secret anymore, at least not from those people closest to him. Unfortunately, they hadn�t been able to find out any more information about the people working for Takatori. Shinta decided that the best course of action was to keep an eye on Ken and the people around him. If any of them began acting suspiciously, they would be likely be the people sent to kidnap him for Takatori.
The bell above the door rang, startling the brunette out of his reverie. �Hello,� he greeted warmly. �How can I help you today, sir?�
The customer was still standing in the doorway, so Ken couldn�t see any details of his face, but he could tell by his build that it was a man.
�Hmm,� the customer mused. Stepping further within the shop, he turned toward some hydrangeas and said, �What are these?�
�Hydrangeas,� Ken said. �In the language of flowers, they can mean �thank you for understanding�. Their color depends on the soil chemistry where they�re planted.�
�I see,� the man stated, turning to face Ken. He smiled slightly and adjusted the glasses perched on his nose. Holding out a slip of paper, the man said, �I�d like an arrangement made with these flowers, please.�
Ken took the list and nodded. �Would you like them delivered?� he asked, scanning the list.
�Yes,� the man stated. He gave the address and then said, �Be sure they are delivered at two o�clock tomorrow, promptly.�
�I�ll do it myself,� Ken assured him. �Would you like a message on the card?�
The customer smiled. �Just my name,� he said. �Crawford.�
�Okay,� Ken agreed. He wrote down the details of the order and rang up the total on the register. After the customer had left, he looked over the list again. It was a strange arrangement: Bilberry, Daffodils and Harebells. It would be a nice combination, but not a normal one in the least.
Ken was distracted from his musings when Youji entered the shop from the backroom. �Hey, Kenken,� the blonde called.
Hidaka rolled his eyes. �Youji,� he growled. �You were supposed to be here an hour ago!�
�I was busy,� he said, shrugging nonchalantly.
�Whatever,� Ken stated, shaking his head. �I have some deliveries to make. Ran is in the back, setting up some arrangements, so you need to be in the front.�
�Fine,� Youji said, pulling on his apron, as Ken clipped a paper to a customer�s order. �Want me to do anything else?�
�Water the hydrangeas,� Ken stated, heading out the door.
Youji rolled his eyes and muttered, �We have got to find a better cover that selling flowers.� He glanced at the order Ken had been working on and frowned thoughtfully. �Weird,� he said out loud. Bilberry meant treachery and Harebell could mean either grief or submission. Daffodils could mean a great many things, including desire, sympathy, affection, respect, hope or even deceit. He shrugged. �Maybe Mr. Crawford just likes these flowers,� he mused, putting the thought out of his mind.
**
The next afternoon, Ken was taking the flower arrangement the Crawford had ordered out to his bike. As strange as the arrangement had seemed, he had to admit that the small delicate bilberry flowers looked really nice amid the soft violet harebells and vibrant yellow daffodils. He stopped when Omi caught his arm.
�Ken-kun?� the other boy said softly.
Hidaka blinked in surprise, a blush coming to his cheeks. �Yeah, Omi?� he asked. �What do you want?�
�Well,� Omi started. �Ran said that your shift is done right after you deliver those flowers.�
Ken nodded, not sure where his friend was going.
Omi smiled. �I figured I could go with you,� he said softly. �Then we could� hang out this afternoon.�
The brunette smiled. �Sure, Omi,� he agreed enthusiastically. �Just make sure you keep your wings folded, or else we�ll get a lot of drag on the bike.�
The younger boy nodded happily and climbed on behind Ken, after the flowers were stowed in a special sidecar. It was rare for Omi to ride with any of them, preferring to get most any place under his own power. However, Ken found himself enjoying the other�s closeness and wishing it would happen more often. The thoughts caused him to blush once again and he shoved them aside to focus on the task at hand.
When they reached the address, Ken pulled the bike to the curb and climbed off. �This�ll only be a minute,� he said, pulling the flowers out of the sidecar.
Omi nodded and climbed off to stand beside the bike. Suddenly, he grinned and asked, �What does that mean?�
�Huh?�
�Your eyes,� Omi explained, blushing slightly. �I�ve never seen them turn golden like that before.�
Ken blinked in shock and then looked away. �Um�,� he said. �I � I better get these to � to� yeah,� he said, scurrying away quickly. How could he tell his best friend that when a Star channel�s eyes turned golden it meant that they were� excited? He doubted Omi felt anything more than friendship toward him, especially given the number of times he�d participated in mating flights. None had been successful, but that was beside the point. Omi clearly preferred girls and Ken wasn�t going to ruin their friendship with something like this.
He rang the doorbell and wait anxiously for a response. Soon the door was opened by a tall man with long red hair and sharp green eyes. �Hello,� Ken said, holding out the arrangement. �I have a flower delivery for you.�
�So you have,� replied the man, his voice sounding rather nasal.
�Who is it, Schuldich?� a youthful voice asked.
�Flowers, Nagi,� the man replied. Taking the arrangement, he read the card. �From Crawford.�
�I see,� came the reply. Ken noticed a boy, probably a little younger than Omi standing just beyond the man called Schuldich and frowned slightly.
�Um, yeah,� he mumbled. �Well, have a nice day now,� he said, bowing and turning to head down the steps to the sidewalk. Suddenly, he found he couldn�t move.
�Not so fast,� Schuldich said softly from behind him. �Please, come inside. I really must insist.�
Ken�s eyes widened in surprised realization. �Omi,� he called. �It�s them!�
Omi�s eyes narrowed and he launched himself up and through the door so quickly that both men were too surprised to counter the attack. As the smaller man plowed into Nagi, Ken found that he was able to move once again. He whirled around, just as Omi flew back out of the house and grabbed him around the waist, practically hurling him down the steps to the sidewalk where his bike was parked.
�Come on,� he ordered.
Ken nodded slightly and hopped on the bike. Somehow the pair managed to get away before either of them had recovered from Omi�s assault.
As Ken pulled up to the flower shop, he looked up to see that Omi had arrived just ahead of him. He climbed off his bike and ran over to meet Omi as soon as he�d landed. �Thanks,� he said softly.
Omi nodded. �Are you sure you�re alright?� he asked, blue eyes clouded in concern.
Ken nodded and then asked, �How�d they find me?�
�I don�t know,� Omi answered. �But this definitely complicates things.�
Ken nodded again and the pair headed inside to tell their other teammates of the latest development.
Ken and Omi rushed into the flower shop only to find Ran pinning Shinta to the wall. The pair froze in shock. The tall redhead looked angry enough to want to hurt Shinta, while the smaller man was simply regarding him calmly.
Omi was the first to react. �Ran-kun!� he shouted. �Put him down!�
�What�s going on?� Ken asked Youji at the same time.
�Aya�s been kidnapped,� Youji stated softly.
�Three weeks ago!� Ran growled. �You knew and you didn�t even tell me!� he accused Shinta.
The smaller man sighed and pushed Ran�s arm away with surprising force, then landed lightly on the ground. �We had other things we needed to be concerned about at the time,� he stated firmly. �I�ve been working with the Gamma Team and doing everything I could to locate your sister, Ran. You couldn�t be involved anyway.�
�She�s my sister,� Ran countered.
Shinta nodded. �That,� he said, pointing at Ran, �is exactly why you couldn�t be involved.�
�This definitely complicates things,� Ken sighed.
�What things?� Youji asked. �What are you guys doing back so soon anyway. Omi said you�d be out the rest of the day.�
�They found me!� Ken all-but-shouted. �They tried to grab me when I dropped off the flowers. There�s at least three of them and they are all talents, I think.�
Shinta sighed deeply and said, �If they know about the flower shop, it�s not safe anymore. We�ll have to move to a more secure location.� Turning to Ran, he added, �Your sister, by the way, is safe for the moment and we have a lead that may help us find her location.�
Ran took a steadying breath and bowed slightly. �I�m sorry,� he apologized. Turning to Ken, he asked, �Are you alright?�
Ken nodded. �Thanks to Omi,� he said softly.
Shinta nodded. �Right,� he said. �Start packing your personal things. Other agents will take over the care of the shop. I�ll tell Persia we need a new cover set up for you right away. It�ll be ready by nightfall.�
As the small team leader headed out of the shop, Ken turned to his teammates. �Sorry,� he stated morosely.
�This isn�t your fault, Ken,� Youji assured him. �Let�s go get our stuff. I, for one, have a lot of packing to do.�
�Yeah,� Omi agreed.
**
As Shinta had promised, their new cover was set up and they were moving into their new apartments by the time night fell.
�Where The Cat Lives,� Omi read in a soft voice.
Ran scowled and looked over at Shinta, who was grinning mischievously. �Is that supposed to be funny?� he asked.
The small man shrugged and unlocked the door to the shop. Showing them inside he said, �I thought it was appropriate.�
�A flower shop?� Youji said, after seeing the layout. Turning to Shinta, he asked, �Why is it always a flower shop.�
�Would you prefer a pet shop?� he quipped.
�No,� came Ken�s immediate response. �I have enough trouble with plants, and they don�t go anywhere.�
Omi rolled his eyes and hovered up so that he was looking into Youji�s eyes. �Maybe we always work in a flower shop because I use poison darts,� he suggested. �Where�d you think I got the poison?�
�You make it?!�
Omi grinned and nodded. �I use some of the plants from the shop to make poisons for my darts,� he explained.
Youji frowned and said, �You also cook dinner on most nights.� Scowling at the younger man, he said, �Maybe we should� take turns with meals.�
�And have to eat something you make?� Ken asked. �No, thank you! Just leave food to me and Omi.�
Ran sighed deeply and said, �What are the agents who take over the other flower shop going to tell people?�
�That there was a sudden family emergency and you had to leave town,� Shinta said. �Your friends went with you for moral support.� He handed Ran the keys and said, �The apartments are upstairs. I�ll let you get settled in and we�ll start on our mission tomorrow.�
Ran nodded and looked down at the keys for a moment.
Shinta locked eyes with the younger man and said, �We�ll find her, Ran. It�ll be alright.�
Fujimiya merely nodded and then turned away to look at their new shop. He couldn�t help but wonder how long they�d be able to consider this place safe. Shaking the gloomy thoughts away, he picked up a couple of boxes and headed up the stairs to the apartment he would call home.
End