Pairing: Crawford x Ran, minor Yoji x Ran and Schuldich x Farfarello

Teaser: Rather short fic where Crawford contemplates his relationship with Ran.

Spoilers: Minor spoilers for both the final fight against Estet (episodes 24) and the Human Chess tournament in episode 2.

Disclaimer: For the last time, Weiß Kreuz and its characters does *not* belong to me. How I wish they were… The song is copyrighted Nelly Furtado.

#Blah# is the lyrics

/Blah/ is thoughts

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#You're beautiful, that's for sure
You'll never ever fade
You're lovely, but it's not for sure
That I won't ever change#

Brad Crawford looked down at the sleeping redhead, his features softening. Stroking the red locks gently, the American leaned down and kissed the younger man on the top of his head. The younger man simply snuggled closer.

They had first met at the Human Chess tournament that occurred a little over a year ago. At that time, Crawford had been accompanying Takatori Reiji to the tournament as his bodyguard. When the red-haired contestant showed up in the ring, he had caught the American's eyes immediately.

/Beautiful/

That was the only word his mind could come up with at that time. Simply beautiful. Even that awful orange sweater he had been wearing then didn't change his opinions in the slightest bit.

And he was a great fighter, Crawford noted.

Several moments after the redhead's first victory, the American was pulled into yet another vision. When he returned to reality, his lips curled into a smile.

/Interesting/

Just as he had seen in his vision, the red-haired contestant had decided to come after Takatori's neck. For whatever reason, Crawford didn't care. At that moment, when blade connected with bare hands, the foreigner was able to see the redhead up close.

/God, how truly breath-taking he had been/

The pair of amethyst eyes were something that Crawford weren't able to pull himself away from. He spent nearly each waking moment simply thinking about them. But of course, there was an advantage to having such a computer freak as a fellow teammate.

#And though my love is rare
Though my love is true#

He had gotten Nagi to pull up a small dose of information on the redhead. It wasn't an easy task and had taken Nagi more than two weeks to accomplish.

The redhead's name was Fujimiya Ran. His father had been a banker, and his mother was a housewife. There was also a younger sister named Aya. The rest of the information dealt with what bank his father worked at, what school the siblings went to, etc. And that's where it ended.

Crawford found it quite odd how it seems that the redhead have just disappeared off of the face of the Earth without a single trace.

That was when he remembered the night of the tournament. The events that had occurred led Crawford to believe that the redhead was just like him -- an assassin. The only remaining question that remained was why he became one.

It didn't take him long to find out. With the help of Schuldich (more like butting into something he has no business in), the American was able to find out where the redhead worked and little bits of information that he didn't really need then.

#I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is
I don't know where my home is
And baby all I need for you to know is#

Schuldich had literally rolled onto the floor in laughter moments after snooping around in the redhead's mind. Crawford had stared at him patiently for him to cease what he was doing.

"You are so not going to believe this," the German finally said, as he attempted to sit up again. Crawford looked at him, bored. "He's a florist! An assassin working as a florist during the day!"

"And where does he work as a florist?" Crawford asked.

"Some place called 'Koneko no Sumu Ie,'" Schuldich laughed again. "Gott, this is too much for me."

And so, the American located the flower shop and visited it one day. He had been sitting in a black car directly across from the shop. There were hordes of girls crowding around outside and inside the shop.

Crawford continued his search for anything red. It didn't show up until nearly all the girls had disappeared by then.

#I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is
I don't know where my home is
All I need for you to know is#

Ran was carrying a pot of gardenias outside then. Placing it onto the ground by the shop window, he had spared a glance around when his eyes fell on the black car across from him. The windows were rolled up and he couldn't see inside it. The car wasn't turned on either, but something told the redhead there was someone inside.

Crawford watched with slight interest when a taller man with blonde hair sauntered up to the redhead. The man, later confirmed to be Yoji, had slung an arm around Ran's shoulders. While his right hand was toying with the redhead's right eartail, the blonde began whispering things into the redhead's left ear.

The exchanged ended with Ran swatting at the blonde's right hand and he moved back into the shop. Crawford continued sitting in his car, not moving for about half an hour more. Then, he finally started the car and drove off back to the Schwarz safehouse.

During that time, the American never thought that he would have so many opportunities to see the red-haired assassin. His team had clashed with the redhead's team, called Weiß, several times thereafter.

#Your faith in me brings me to tears
Even after all these years
And it pains me so much to tell
That you don't know me that well#

Schuldich had a lot to do with their getting together. Of course, Crawford never wanted the German's help in the first place but the damn man was a pest.

"Getting them together hurts God," the German had once said to his lover when asked why he was bothering to do this. Unfortunately for the American, Farfarello bought that story and even allowed his lover as much time as he wanted to get the two together.

As it turned out, Crawford never needed anyone's help for the redhead he had his eyes on also returned the feelings. But because of the fact that the American was still working for Takatori Reiji, the redhead never agreed with Crawford's advances.

When the politician was finally six feet under, then and only then was the redhead submissive.

The two had spent many nights together in each other's arms. After almost every mission, Ran would first return to Weiß's home with the others. An hour following his return, the redhead would then leave his apartment and go straight to Crawford's.

Their relationship had been a well-kept secret until Yoji found out. The blonde was getting more and more suspicious on Ran's absences, an hour after their return from a mission. One night, he had followed the redhead to a penthouse and was shocked to realize that it had belong to Schwarz.

#And though my love is rare
Though my love is true#

Yoji had confronted them that very night. Everything had went downhill from there onwards. Soon after, the rest of the Weiß unit also found out and the three of them had kept extremely close tabs on their redheaded leader.

Of course, that angered Ran. After suffering through nearly one week and a half of being under his teammate's watchful gazes, Ran exploded. He had snapped at them coldly before storming off.

Crawford noticed that, in all three remaining Weiß members, the blonde had been most protective of the redhead. The American soon found out from his lover that he and Yoji used to have casual sex and perhaps, the latter had developed something for the redhead. But whatever it was, Ran assured the older man that he doesn't reciprocate the feeling.

"Not my type," was all the redhead gave as an explanation.

#I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is
I don't know where my home is
And baby all I need for you to know is#

Ran muttered something in his sleep before snuggling even closer to the warmth that was Crawford's body. The small action shook the American out of his reverie for a moment.

Looking at the sleeping bundle in his arms, Crawford realized exactly how lucky he had been. Very much like Ran, the American had closed off his heart for further access a very long time ago.

Assassins shouldn't have a heart. That was what the American had said once and was told numerous times in his youth. But right now, he was glad he had let the redhead in.

But in the end, Ran never gained full access to Crawford's heart. Not even when the redhead had gave all of himself completely to the foreigner. In the end, they were still enemies and will eventually part. If he had given Ran everything in return, then the ache that he will surely experience in the future would be so much greater than it is now.

At this moment, simply holding the redhead close was enough for Crawford.

#It's not that I wanna say goodbye
It's just that every time you try
To tell me, me that you love me
Each and every single day I know
I'm going to have to eventually give you away#

"You know, if you don't tell him now, you may never get a chance to," Schuldich had said to him, as if thinking Crawford doesn't already know.

It's not that he doesn't want to say those three simple words -- because God knows exactly how much he wants to -- but sometimes, words were not needed between him and Ran. The redhead knows he loves him and despite not hearing the words out loud, it was okay for him.

Ran understood completely why the American had refused to say those three words, even when he himself said it. He understood it all to well. But it didn't matter to him anyway. Although Crawford's way of thinking annoys him sometimes.

#And though my love is rare
And though my love is true, yeah
Hey I'm just scared
That we may fall through
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah#

Their separation had came during the final fight with Estet and each other. He didn't say the words then either, not even when the ceiling was caving in on them and all eight members were already plunging to their deaths.

By some miracle, he had survived after that fall. It took him some time before he found the rest of his team and they spent a few months recovering. During this entire time, his German teammate had kept nagging at him about how he refused to say it even when they were about to die.

It took him another two months before he found out that Ran was still alive. Schuldich had informed him that the young man was back well and alive, living in a cozy apartment somewhere in Kyoto with his sister. The second the news came out, the American had rushed off to find the redhead.

#I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away
I don't know where my soul is
I don't know where my home is
And baby all I need for you to know is#

He had found him exactly where Schuldich said he would. Ran had been very surprised when he saw the American standing at his doorstep. He, too, had thought the other man was truly dead.

The two began their relationship anew. This time, they had no annoying teammates of Ran's to bother them. From what Ran had been telling Crawford, while Weiß still remained as a unit, everyone had basically moved out and only see each other when a mission arrived.

Ken and Omi shared an apartment together somewhere in Tokyo, living only a 15-minute walk away from their old shop. They had asked the oldest Weiß member to live with them, since there was a spare room anyway. But Yoji decided to head out by himself and had settled down in a place that was only a two-hour drive from the younger men's place. By that time, the blonde had already completely given up on Ran.

For Crawford, that was an exceptionally good thing. He never liked dealing with the jealous types anyway.

Ah, but of course, as long as Schwarz and Weiß both remained, the two lovers were still enemies. But at least they were better than before. Oh, the two teams had tried to get along numerous times but it never worked anyway. It was either someone being too pesky, too homicidal or they simply hated each other's guts.

At least the American was able to find more peace with his redhead than he could before.

"Brad?" the redhead beside him mumbled, sleepily.

"Hmm?" Crawford looked down at the pair of amethyst eyes he loved so much.

"What are you doing still up?"

"Thinking," the American replied, as he continued to stroke the red strands of his lover's hair.

"Well then, stop thinking and go to sleep," Ran yawned and settled down again, falling asleep just as quickly.

He may not be able nor want to say those three words now but eventually, after everything is over, he will. No doubt about that.

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A/N: I am one horrible, horrible writer. -.-;; Er… feedback?