Disclaimer: I do not own Weiß Kreuz or any of its characters.

Lilies or Roses?

"Where are you going?" Crawford asks coolly, sipping his coffee as he noticed Nagi leaving the house.

"Out." He turned the doorknob and stepped out, leaving Crawford behind with his eyes still lingering on the newspaper with a smirk plastered firmly on his face, for Crawford knew that no matter where Nagi went, he would still be back in time for the new mission to commence…

Nagi wandered aimlessly around the city, with the only thought of getting out of the suite that Schwarz was currently residing in. Though he has been living with them for nearly his whole life, Nagi still had to get away from all the pressure that he was placed under while living under the same roof with them, especially Crawford.

It was a rare chance that Nagi stepped out of the house and had time with himself, but alas, he had no idea what to do with it.

When he spent time with Crawford, not a word was said as Crawford casually looked through his files and Nagi spent his time on the computer trying to find information that Crawford desired.

With Schuldig, it would be either endless teasing of Nagi's lack of interest in girls or Schuldig's endless prying into Nagi's mind, of which he seldom succeeded and end up laughing his head off at the poor psychic's thoughts.

With Farfarello – Nagi shuddered to think about it.

Usually when he was alone, he would just reminisce about Tot and what would have become of them if she never left him and how he would not be drowning in this endless pool of sorrow and loneliness that engulfed him each passing day. Sure, he had Schwarz but they could only supply him with company – not love.

Why did you have to go? Nagi asked silently, knowing there would be no answer. Deciding that he would visit the ruins of Takatori's Mansion, he was soon interrupted in his thoughts while he stood outside a flower shop –

-with a bunch of school girls squealing both inside and outside.

"…She'd like flowers." Nagi mused as he noticed the blue-colored lilies, that held a similar resemblance to the shade of her hair, among dark shades of roses.

But how the hell was he going to successfully get in and out of the shop with the flowers intact? Use his powers? Nagi doubted that anyone would actually notice a bouquet of flowers floating above their heads but still, it was a risk he did not wish to take, especially if Crawford were to hear about it…

Nagi squeezed into the shop just as a deep voice growled among the screams and squeals of the girls.

"If you're not buying anything, then get out!"

At that moment, the shop was empty apart from the two shopkeepers, of which one headed to the back due to the absence of the schoolgirls, and Nagi himself.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" the same voice snarled, clearing mistaking Nagi for one of the schoolgirls (look at his height!). For some reason, the term 'shi-ne!' kept ringing in Nagi's ears each time he heard the voice.

Fujimiya Ran then whisked around to shout at the 'girl' until he realized that it was a 'boy', and a familiar face at that.

"Schwarz."

"Weiß."

"What do you want?"

"What else?"

"This isn't a place or time to fight."

"I want flowers, you dope. Why else would I step into a flower shop?"

"What flowers?"

"The blue lilies."

"Take them yourself."

"I'm the customer. You serve me."

"…" Ran snarled and gave into Nagi's demands. It was true but Aya didn't fancy the idea of having to serve Schwarz. But as he remembered the power that this boy held of reducing a fully intact mansion to rubble, he thought twice.

"I didn't know Weiss worked in a flower shop… how interesting." Nagi commented sarcastically as Yohji stepped back into the front shop, unaware of Ran's glare at him for taking so long a break and making him serve the brat.

"A-re? It's the Schwarz chibi?" Yohji exclaimed, causing Nagi to narrow his eyes.

"I'm not looking for a fight, Weiss." Nagi glared at the flirtatious Yohji.

"Hurry up and pay Schwarz." Ran interrupted the staring contact between the two of them, of which only Nagi was participating in. Yohji seemed to have cleanly forgotten about what the chibi could do…

Nagi settled a note down on the counter and with one last glare; he strutted out of the shop.

"Wait! Your change!" Yohji called out after Nagi, who didn't manage to hear it because the schoolgirls had started to crowd the shop again.

"Ay – Ran! The Schwarz chibi forgot his change!"

"So?"

"Take it to him~" Yohji whined.

"Why me?" Ran replied, clearly not pleased at Yohji's decision to make him chase after the telekinetic. Especially the one from Schwarz, which he just served.

"Because I gotta handle the shop! Unless you want to take care of all these girls-" Ran snatched the bills from Yohji's hand and stormed out of the shop, not letting Yohji continue his whining.

"Baka." It was obviously blackmail.

*

"Tot, these are for you." Nagi murmured quietly, so as not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere around him and laid the bouquet of lilies in the middle of the ruins. Her body was never recovered or found had gave Nagi hop that she was alive, but after 2 years with no news of her, that hope was starting to get hard to grasp on.

It had been difficult for Ran to find Nagi for one thing, he was really short and also, he was wearing a normal school uniform that blended easily in the crowd.

But Ran was an assassin. And soon, he was leaning against a tree watching Nagi talk to… nothing.

"How I wish you had listened to me. Then you wouldn't have left me and I wouldn't be stuck in this mess of loneliness. I wake up every day with no instinctive to live on. I get nightmares of your death often… and of my mother who I never knew and yet I destroyed with this power of mine."

Ran winced as he listened intently to Nagi's outspoken thoughts, but he showed no pity for the young boy because of the fact that he was Schwarz and also the kid who blew this place up.

"I don't know who I am… or even my real name. Naoe Nagi was a name given by Crawford when he took me into Schwarz. I am grateful to them as others shun me for what I am. But… I never wanted to hurt people… I hate my power… I hate being a part of Schwarz… I want to join you, at least I can find someone to consider as family." Unshed tears flowed down Nagi's cheeks and he got up to leave.

"It's better not having a family than to lose them all at once." Ran snarled, casually leaning against the tree. Nagi was taken aback. He didn't notice he was followed. How much had Weiß heard? It was never safe to let your enemy know your weakness—

"Your change." Ran shoved the bills into Nagi's hand and walked off.

Eh? Something was wrong… Nagi thought. Then—

"Isn't your shop – that way?" Nagi asked, pointing towards the opposite direction of which Ran was walking in.

"Uh… I have to pick something up first." Ran hastily replied, trying to avoid embarrassment.

"What?"

"What what?"

"What are you picking up?"

"Is it any of your business?"

"I'll fling you at that tree."

"Paper stars." Ran plainly said the first thing that came to his mind. Paper stars? What the hell? Ran thought as he remembered that Aya-chan loved paper stars and had taught him how to fold them.

"Teach me."

"What?"

"How to fold them."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know."

"Why should I?"

"Because I can fling you against that car." Nagi pointed and Ran shifted his gaze to a speeding car on a highway that was about a mile from where they stood. Not pleased at the image of himself as Superman – only that he had no control over the direction he was flying in – Ran slightly nodded and the two proceeded to walk to a nearby stationery shop in the direction of which Ran was not too familiar with.

An hour later, they finally managed to find one shop after wandering around – clearly lost. Both were annoyed at each other as they bickered on the way on which direction and route to take.

Ran purchased a pack of dark gray paper strips and Nagi, who had enough of Ran's 'perfect' sense of direction, led them to a coffee shop.

Nagi was a fast learner and the table they sat at was soon filled with perfectly shaped stars, with a few rotten ones every now and then. Ran was pleased that he did not have to go through the trouble of slowly teaching him as Aya-chan had taught him, but sudden crowds of people rushing into the shop for lunch made him realize how long he had been away from the shop. He got up and before he walked out of the shop, he heard a 'thanks' coming from behind.

"Don't mention it."

*

The bell of the Koneko jingled as Ran pushed the door open. It was pretty empty for the schoolgirls had gone off for lunch and Ran was grateful for it. He didn't think that he had any more energy – after being forced to teach Nagi – to deal with them.

"Ay – Ran's so mean!!" Yohji whined as Ran took a seat at the table. "I had to handle the whole shop on my own for your whole entire shift!"

"Shut up Kudou. I only took ten minutes. Besides, you were the one who asked me to go after Schwarz."

"You liar! You took nearly two whole hours!" Yohji complained just as Ken and Omi stepped into the shop to take over their shifts.

"What's up with chibi anyway?"

"Would I know?"

"You spent so long out—"

"I took my time to return."

"Aya's so mean!"

"A-re?" Omi and Ken looked at each other, wondering what that was about.