The window is rigged. The slightest push to open it from outside will cause significant noise, enough to wake the person inside.

I approve. Eeeny, meenie, miny, moe,catch a Katzchen by the toe. This Katzchen probably has very cute toes. I press down on the sleeper's mind, blurring out the loud creak...there! Jumping lightly down into the room, I look around.

Moonlight shows me the usual clutter of a bedroom, a tiny kitchen off to the side, a narrow bed against the wall with one figure curled up in it. I perch on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch him. Not yet.

Closing my eyes, I stir through the boy's thoughts. A waking person's mind is full of threads whipping about, coiling over and through each other and then weaving endlessly into the carpet called memory. When they fall asleep, the threads drop to the floor, sort of. All tangled together any which way, making the stuff of dreams.

And I love to play with scissors. What were this one's thoughts full of today? Oh geez, a birthday. How utterly cute. Even Nagi's never admitted to one of those. How do these kittens kill and still stay so damn...fluffy?

Normally I'm an impatient person. Normally I'd screw the boy in the bed senseless tonight. But Weiss is - special in some way. I risk Crawford's anger by keeping their names secret, even bribe Farfarello to leave them alone. Why?

Hey, I've never had a birthday or a present. Not ever. These guys are my present.

And tonight I'm gonna watch movies.

* * *

It had taken Omi forever to fall asleep. He was more excited than he ought to be, and even a little nervous. // Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.//

Was this what kids felt like on Christmas Eve? He couldn't remember. Any happy memories of his childhood were long gone, and then after Persia had rescued him there was no time to be a child anymore. Just a little apartment and endless tutors, and the woman who cleaned and cooked but spoke no Japanese. Once in a while Manx would visit and smile at him; even more rarely, he'd been taken to visit the big man behind the big desk. It was all very lonely.

//But now, I have a family. And they gave me a birthday.// Youji had come up with the idea in one of his unexpected flashes of kindness. "Hey, bishounen, is your date of birth in the Takatori records? So what is it? Seriously? You're turning eighteen in a month? Hey, KEN!"

There'd been whispering. And smirking and conspiratorial looks. Omi was absolutely positive he'd seen a large package being carried in from Aya's Porsche one evening. Aya almost _smiled_ and told him to keep tomorrow free. And Youji...

Youji had put a finger on his nose last night and whispered, "Eighteen is the best birthday, bishounen. You'll be legal. This is when all the fun starts." Omi knew what THAT meant. Drinking. And clubs like the one he'd been at with Ouka, for that painfully sweet hour or two. Only this time as himself, in, oh, leather pants or something, with his teammates, laughing and dancing. He couldn't wait.

Finally he willed himself to relax muscle by muscle, and drifted off.

* * *

The sun was slanting in through the windows when Omi opened his eyes. He stretched and yawned. Someone was knocking...

Youji opened the door and bounced in. "Wake up, sleepyhead! It's your birthday!"

//It is!// He sat up, instantly awake. "Un!"

Instead of leaving him alone to get dressed, Youji sat down on the edge of the bed. The older assassin had a smirk playing on his lips, and Omi grinned back. //I sense a surprise...//

"So, you're eighteen now, bishounen. Feel any different?"

"Of course not, Youji-kun. It's only one day older."

"Ah, but this is an _important_ day." Youji waved a finger. "Today you get to do things you couldn't before. And today you become a full member of Weiss!"

//Huh?// He wrinkled his nose in confusion. "Youji-kun, I was in Weiss before you were. Have you guys been holding something out on me?" The thought hurt.

"Kind of," the man admitted, reaching out to touch Omi's cheek. "We were waiting for you to be old enough."

Omi grabbed his hand. "Old enough? I killed the first time when I was twelve, Youji-kun. What was I not old enough for?" // They should know better.//

Youji took a deep breath. "This." And kissed him.

He went rigid in shock. //What?// Forcefully, he pushed at Youji, but somehow he couldn't get any purchase. The other's hands were moving to the back of his head, pulling him into the kiss. Youji's mouth was larger than Ouka's, his lips differently soft, and - that was a _tongue_ prying at him. "Mmmph!" Omi tried to bite, but he was too slow and then the tongue was in his mouth, moving everywhere.

Finally Youji let him break for air. "What are you DOING!" Omi felt himself trembling in shock. "You're a GUY! We're teammates!"

"I know." Softly, Youji stroked his cheek. "Didn't you like it, bishounen?" His eyes were kind and understanding. Omi let out the breath he was holding. "No." //Youji just hit on me. This is so bizarre.// "Now go awa-"

Suddenly he was flat on his back, on the pillows, and Youji's full weight was on him. "You will, Omi. Trust me."

Omi's further protests were smothered by a kiss, which went on and on as his pajamas were unbuttoned. //Why can't I move? I'm an assassin, this doesn't happen to me!// Now Youji was pinching his nipples, stroking them in time with the movement of his tongue, and horribly, it felt _good_.

Thrashing in panic finally got his mouth free. "STOP IT!"

"Omi?" Ken's voice was the most welcome thing he'd ever heard. "What's wrong in there -- hey!"

For a moment all three of them froze. Omi had no idea what expression Youji's face bore, but he was all too aware of what he must look like. Clothes half off, the other's hands all over him... Embarrassingly, his voice broke into a sniffle. "Help?"

Ken shook his head, slowly. "Youji...you never could wait, could you?"

There was a smirk in the playboy's voice. "Never. But we just started, really. It's not _my_ fault you slept later than me for once."

Omi gulped. "K-ken-kun?" //This is not rescue, is it...oh no.// His best friend in Weiss, the person he trusted most, calmly shut the door and came to sit on the edge of the bed. Ken took Omi's chin in his hand. "You okay?"

"N-no..." //Please don't...//

Ken did. His lips were chapped and rough, but gentle, and unlike Youji he closed his eyes to kiss. Omi found himself kissing back without meaning to. His nipples were sparking with pleasure, being licked and sucked. //This is sex, isn't it.//

He pulled his mouth away, and Ken let him. "Ken-kun...why?" He stared intently into his friend's eyes. "Why do this? I don't want to."

Before answering Ken brushed a thumb across Omi's face, wiping away tears. "It's okay, Omi, honest. I was scared the first time too."

"He was," Youji confirmed, from somewhere Omi couldn't see. He could feel, though; there were Youji-lips on his stomach, hair and skin nuzzling him. In a safer context Omi would have giggled. "Honestly, bishounen, if you'd only gone looking on the net more like I told you, you'd have known what eighteen's about."

He _had_ looked on the net, some. But none of the pictures were terribly appealing, and so he'd gone back to hacking with a vague sense of relief. Besides, he'd been looking at girls! "Are you telling me EVERYBODY-"

Ken kissed him again. "Of course. What did you think, baka?" This time he slid his tongue inside Omi's mouth. Different, not like Youji, he tasted like Ken... Omi shuddered, half in pleasure, and tried to push the other tongue out with his own. Instead Ken sighed at the contact and pulled him closer.

//Why can't I move? It's like being stuck in molasses, like a nightmare. I can't even kick Youji.// He tried, but the man only laughed and took hold of Omi's pajama pants, pulling them down along with his briefs.

"Mmmph! Mmmm..." He couldn't say anything and they weren't listening anyway and he was bared now, cool air between his legs.

Suddenly Ken let go of him and stood up. Omi took a deep breath and began to yell. "Stop it, get off me, go away, I don't care what you think!" He leaned over to reach for the darts in the bedside table, still fighting that slowness. "I'll kill you if you don't stop it!"

The drawer was _gone_ somehow; nothing but smooth wood met his fingers. The others were laughing. Ken was standing over him, looking down with a broad grin. "Silly Omi."

//three voices laughing?//

In horror, he turned his head and saw Aya leaning against the far wall. Silent as usual, a faint smirk on his face. Not helping.

"Ah, I was hoping you'd sleep late for once." Youji sounded much like he had the day Omi caught him "borrowing" orchids to give to his dates. He grinned disarmingly at Aya from where he knelt between the boy's legs. "Do you want first taste?"

Aya shook his head. "I don't share. Later." That little smirk again. "And Youji. Ten o'clock, my room." The blond man winced.

Omi turned his face into the pillow, away from Aya and the sight of the swelling in his pants. His own sex was starting to respond despite his fear. //Youji's going to -//

He'd forgotten about Ken. Without warning his hands were caught and yanked above his head, then fastened to the bedframe. "I was going to get you to suck me," Ken told him, amused, "but you look like you might bite."

"Damn straight!" Omi pulled at the bonds, feeling as helpless as a week-old kitten. "What gives you the right to just-"

"What gives us the right to kill people?" Aya asked.

Youji's eyes were serious for a moment. "It doesn't really matter anymore, Omi. We're all going to Hell together in the end." And he bent his head.

//Oh god//

It felt as good as Omi had ever imagined it would, alone at night. There was a moan starting in his throat and and he let it out, his body arching up to meet that incredible wet warmth. For a small eternity there was nothing else.

Ken's hand in his hair, and then his lips again. Omi kissed him back without caring. //Hell is different than I thought.//

A finger inside him, slippery, pushing up. He choked and began to struggle once more. "Shh, shh," Ken breathed into his mouth. "It won't hurt for long and then it feels good."

A snicker from Youji. "Ken should know. Now that you're old enough to be at the bottom, he can finally get some sleep. And find out what he's been missing, too." Two fingers, stretching him, exploring... Omi bucked up in startled pleasure as the fingers touched someplace new.

"Oh, yeah," Ken murmured. His friend was placing small kisses all over his face, warm chocolate eyes intent. "I've dreamed about today, Omi." He could only stare back dazedly.

Youji was lifting his hips, moving his knees far apart. Something much too large pressed against him and Omi knew what it was. //I guess it can't hurt as much as being stabbed or shot.// Still, he gasped and clung to Ken as Youji thrust inside.

Ken hugged him tightly. "It's okay, it's okay." Omi buried his face in Ken's shirt. He was dimly aware that he was crying, had been for a while, but it didn't matter. Ken was stroking his erection now, his hand moving in time with Youji's thrusts.

//Hell is not like I thought.//

The tide of pleasure was rising in him, inescapable.

//I thought it was for only after death.//

And he was coming.

* * *

I sigh, feeling the ecstasy rush though me. Omi's little sobs and moans as he fought the dream, the look on his sleeping face...sweet, so sweet. I take my hand off the boy's sex and wipe it on the blankets.

Omi rolls over and burrows into the pillow. His mind is sliding into another phase of sleep, out of reach. I could follow him, but really I'm done for tonight.

That was incredible. Take one Katzchen's innocent happiness, his guilt over killing, his shy fumbling sexuality, and set blender to "puree". Nightmare milkshake, yum.

The thought makes me hungry. Time to find a snack, and then someone to screw - no, Crawford will be a sonofabitch if I'm not home by three. He'll probably be one anyway. I think he knows I have a secret.

I ruffle Omi's hair before standing up to leave. Happy eighteenth birthday, little Katzchen. Hope you liked your present. It's much nicer than what I got.

* * *

The sun was slanting in through the windows. Ken knocked on Omi's door, loudly. "Hey, Omi! Wake up, it's your birthday!"

A loud crash came from inside, followed by other noises. "Hey, did you fall out of bed, there?" Ken grinned. Setting up Omi's birthday had been a delight, the boy was so obviously happy. Gods knew he deserved it.

There was a loud creak, and then silence. "...You okay?"

Ken fumbled for the ring of apartment keys in his pocket and unlocked the door. "Hey, you can't hurt yourself, we have a lot to do today! I'm taking you shopping, and then tonight we're going to the..."

He trailed off, puzzled. The room was empty, the window swinging wide.

* * *
fin

Tell Marith that was just plain mean