~*Outside of Troy's house.*~
Kyouki sat for a half hour just outside of the house she once shared with Troy. The lights were on at the house, in that whole time she went to get out of the car twice. She had every right to go in there and punch him in the face, cuss him out and punch him in the face again.
Her hands went to her face, and she smelled Gat. "Damnit. Damn him. Damn you, Oshiri." Kyouki sat with her head in her hands. She could just try to talk to Troy, try, and try not to punch him in the face.
She was seeing why Johnny was always threatening him. He had a face that was just right for punching. Ky just couldn't see it. She was content with Troy, even though he was never completely around. Ky smiled in thought. She caught Johnny threatening Troy and stepped in to defend her man.
Kyouki looked at the house again. The thought of him was bringing up a mix of emotions. She shouldn't be here. She went to start the car and sighed, sitting back with her head on the headrest rolled to the side. "Why me?"
~*August of 97'*~
A few days after, Troy had seen her with a whole new wardrobe when he saw Kyouki leaving with Johnny. Troy found her in Dex's office going over some plans for the next point of attack with Dex, hovering over her shoulder, disagreeing with shakes of his head.
"You can try to go from here, or if there's a window coming from behind, don't pull a Johnny."
"You know my flight leaves tonight."
"Yeah. I also know that you'll have this shit still on your mind. How long you staying for?"
"Maybe a week or two. Don't worry, my cousin will keep you company." Seeing Dex smile at the mention of her cousin, she then went back to plotting against the Rollerz.
"Ky?" The both of them looked up.
"Yeah, oh hey Troy?" She asked with a raised eyebrow when she looked up.
Troy licked his lips as he eyed the girl. "Can I talk to you a sec?"
"Yeah, sure, gimme a few." She waved the papers in her hands and saw him step out of the doorway.
"Aight, I'll be out front." He called behind him.
~
Gat heard him when he walked up, watched for a second, then ran back to his office. When Troy walked past, Gat was on alert. 'Fuck this dude up too.' Johnny pretended to look busy.
Shortly Li came up the hall from where Dex office was, he could hear her heels clicking on the stone floor, she stopped in front of his office talking with one soldier, the guy she was speaking with nodded to what she asked, she felt someone watching her back; she saw Johnny waved with a smile, continuing to her previous destination. The soldier who she was just speaking with hadn't budged. He was ogling as she walked away; burning a hole through her jeans.
Hell, Johnny couldn't help but stare. She had on a pair of tight black low rider skinny jeans that hugged her ass like a second skin and a purple camisole top with thin straps that slid off her cinnamon shoulders.
"Daaaaamn, she got a phat ass." The Saint runner said when a fellow Saint came up, watching her leave biting his fist mock crying, not noticing Johnny shooting him rocks from his chair. "I'd let her shoot me to get wit her."
Johnny cleared his throat, and the boys scurried. One dropped off papers for Gat and the other to his assigned task. Johnny hurried after catching up. He watched as she left the church. He stood in the shadows of the archway, remaining unseen as he ducked behind a tree, listening closely to what the two of them were saying.
~
Stopping briefly to send another patrol out, she spotted Troy leaning against the wall near the street. "Sup, Troy, you needed me?" Li said as she came down the stairs towards Troy.
"Yeah, I uhh... I wanted to know if you wanted to go get something to eat or hit up a movie." He was looking at the ground with his arms folded, kicking a rock near his foot.
Li looked around, then back to Troy. "You're finally asking me out?" She spotted Gat's shirt when the wind blew.
Johnny laughed. It was funny she could kick his ass seven ways from Sunday, and what surprised him the most was her answer.
"Yeah, what time?"
Troy looked up, grinning. "How about now, I'm jonesn for a Freckle Bitches Fun Bag." He rubbed his stomach.
Li laughed. She didn't think Troy meant it or even honestly noticed her. "You know that shit will kill you one of these days. Do you even eat at home? I'm not dressed, let me go…"
Troy stopped her mid-sentence. "Nah, you look good the way you are." He said as he slipped a hand on the lower part of her back, leading her away. Troy could no longer resist, he had fallen hard for her.
"Thanks." she whispered, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear. The two of them hopped into his car and drove off.
Johnny had the same thoughts the other day, not that he was the type to make the first move. It's the girls who do, and now he was even more confused. Why in the hell he's feeling Li when he got Aisha? When she wasn't mad at him about something.
~*S.R.1*~
Kyouki got out. The cold hit her face, but she needed to see something. Knocking on the door, she waited. Troy answered. She looked past him in the home, seeing evidence boxes on the floor. Looking at him, he stepped back to allow her in.
She took two steps in. Stopped, turning to Troy, studying his face. Her hand went up and Troy flinched. Ky shook her head. She couldn't touch him and he knew it. Ky turned to leave, Troy pulled her into a hug. Standing there, she felt this rush of emotion she couldn't explain.
Li shook him off and left. Getting to the car, she pulled off. She couldn't do it, she couldn't bring herself to face Troy. He didn't deserve to see her twice on the same day. He didn't deserve her conflicted thoughts because she was thinking of better times, of blowing up at him. But he lied, and that alone she, after thinking about what Brian had said about it being a "hard call", didn't deserve her guilt for walking out on him, and almost giving in to Johnny. Troy didn't deserve an apology at all.
~*March of 98'*~
Gat cornered Troy in his office, Johnny couldn't shake Li from his mind and the time he spent with Aisha was comforting, but he kept seeing Li's face when he looked into his on again off again girlfriend. Li was spending less time around Gat and confided in Aisha. Since she had started to date Troy officially, Johnny forced himself to focus on Aisha. Now he wanted to skin Troy after Lin's death.
"Troy, the hell up wit you and Li. You couldn't be there after Lin?"
"Why?"
"Cause I'm askin that's why, you fuckin?"
"What concern is it of yours? You got Aisha."
Gat stared at Troy, his fist balled ready to punch him in his smug face, if looks could kill, Troy would be dead with his glare, still very unsure what it is about Kyouki that makes him need to protect her, make her his, it was aggravating him."I already told you don't do shit to hurt her, or I'll fuck your ass up." Johnny shouldered past Troy, opening the door to Kyouki, staring up at him, a raised tapered eyebrow and a hand on her hip.
"Oshiri really, you know damn good and well I can look out for myself. If not, you want to take it outside so I can remind you?" She glared at Johnny. She could see his light brown eyes through his glasses from the sunlight the broken windows gave. He closed his eyes and walked away without another word.
Li watched his back as he walked up the hall. She went to follow him, confused why their talk was still with him all up in Troy's face, then was distracted as Troy walked up to her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go, I'm hungry."
"Stupid, you're always hungry. How about I cook for you?" She smiled as they turned to go outside.
Johnny popped back from around the corner with a piece of paper in hand. "Oh, you cooking, I want some too." He never took his eyes off Troy.
Ky sighed. "Fine… go get Noel. I have to hit the store anyway, then we'll go to Obachan's and we'll have dinner with her."
~*S.R.1*~
~*Aisha's house*~
Li opened the door and was greeted by and house full, Pierce, Shaundi, Carlos, and Ramon, a car pulling up behind her.
"Li!" It was Ren, coming with a backpack and travel case.
"Hey, ya'll… What are you all doing here?"
Aisha took Ren's bag and hustled them in, shutting out the cold. "I called them. There's more than enough room. I figure why not." Smiling at her best friend.
Li looked around and snorted. Seeing Gat standing at the top of the stairs avoiding making eye contact, she sniffed. "Oh, dinner must be done. Let's eat!"
~
As she headed to her room to discard her jacket, then wash her hands, clicking on the light, she ran the water and didn't notice Gat pushing the door closed, locking it.
Looking up in the mirror, she nearly screamed from being startled. Gat covered her mouth, shushing her, when she turned around, holding her hand over her heart.
"Where did you go?" Picking her up and placing her on the counter.
Kyouki was about to protest as Gat was pushing to stand between her legs, invading her personal space. "Sorry, why is that a concern of yours?"
Johnny leaned in closer, looking her over as she backed up. "I just wanted to say I had them all come so this wouldn't happen."
"What wouldn't happen?"
Gat took her face in his hands, licking her face.
~*~
They heard screaming coming from the bathroom. They heard the door hitting the wall as it was flung open. The sound of cackling from a man running for his life. Johnny ran out of the bathroom and through the house. Everyone turned to the sound as Gat was ducking behind the couch.
"[ I'm going to kill you ]!" Li came after him and it wasn't hard to spot him. She was red faced and looked as if she was seriously going to kill him. " Koko ni kite kudasai, watashi wa anata o kizutsukemasen. Oshiri-san ~" It all sounded innocent to those around, but Gat was going to die before the sun came up.
Gat was laughing hard. He came from behind the couch. "Nah, none of what you said was nice. You can't kill me, you love me! You're just mad cause I understand you."
That made Li swell up more. "Oh, no, Oshiri-san, you will die tonight. Noel, I sure hope you have a nice black dress." Li climbed over the couch and came inches to Gat before Ramon caught her.
"Run Gat, run!" Ramon called out as he tickled Ky.
"Ramon, you traitor! How dare you! Carlos, Shaundi, Ren help!" Ky screamed between laughing.
Shaundi jumped on Ramon's back. It was a wasted effort as the large man continued to tickle the wiggling Li in his hands, flicking Shaundi off like she was a bug. Everyone else laughed and tried to save Kyouki, Aisha and Brian grabbed Kyouki's hands when she turned on her stomach to crawl away, only to be dragged back, Carlos and Ren tried to tag team Gat who was dipping and dodging laughing as he ran and slid through the kitchen.
Pierce was recording for prosperity, cause who would ever believe The Saints leader could be taken down with tickles.
Kyouki was in tears as she swatted at Ramon. The sound of shattered glass paused everyone looking in the sound's direction. Ky was out of breath and trying to catch her breath. "Oooooooh." She giggled from her position on the floor. That prompted others to follow.
Gat looked guilty and stood in one spot, Carlos and Ren stood with their mouths open. "They did it!" The three pointed at each other. "Gat did it!"
Aisha stood with her hands on her hips. "I don't care which of you did it. Clean it up!" She went to grab the broom and vacuum. "Hurry up or you three don't eat!"
Li sat up, helped up by Ramon, who went to wash his hands. She smiled to herself as she sat on the couch. She sighed, listening to Aisha still fussing at the three who broke the vase. Johnny did it again. He gave her a family; she knew he did it. She looked over her shoulder and Gat was grinning, then stuck his tongue out at her, raising his eyebrows in knowing, before Aisha swatted his arm.
"Chop, chop, food will be cold before you finish cleaning." Aisha grumbled.