Ten Things I Love About You (Ritsuka #2)
Title: Ten Things I Love About You (Ritsuka #2)
Author:priestess_grrrl
Series: Loveless
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Ritsuka+Soubi
Notes: This is an ongoing theme inspired by h_mania. Each fic stands on its own, but if you would like to read the previous fics you can find them here.
Summary: Ten things Ritsuka loves about Soubi #2: Soubi never asked questions.
Soubi never asked questions.
Often Ritsuka felt like he just wanted the whole world to leave him alone. It seemed like everyone was always badgering him with questions: his teachers, his friends, his therapist, his mother. Ritsuka, are you all right? Ritsuka, won’t you join our club? Ritsuka, what happened to your arm? Ritsuka, aren’t you coming down for dinner…?
It was exhausting, having to constantly rack his brain to come up with safe answers to their never-ending interrogations. I’m fine. I don’t have time. I’m clumsy. I’m not hungry…
His ever-acquiescent Fighter, however, although he could sometimes be annoying, never asked those sorts of questions. As many times as Ritsuka had arrived with new cuts and bruises, as many chaotic situations Soubi had walked in on, even that horrible time Soubi had found him tied to a chair in the kitchen, Soubi never said anything. No oh my God, what happened, are you all right, none of that. Just Soubi’s knowing, accepting eyes peering out at him behind circular lenses.
At times it seemed to Ritsuka that Soubi was merely an extension of himself, just another part of the fabric of his own being, a silent witness to all he went through, without judgment, without opinion. Ritsuka supposed some people would find that strange or think it was wrong. It was true that sometimes Soubi’s unresponsiveness disturbed Ritsuka, especially during spell battles, when he could be extremely callous. Ritsuka sometimes worried that there was a part of Soubi lurking under the surface whom he had not yet met and would perhaps not like to meet.
Yet everyone failed to understand just how much of a relief it was for Ritsuka to have someone in his life who didn’t demand explanations, someone he didn’t have to hide things from or make up lies to placate. Soubi was just there, like a tall tree with great sheltering branches, providing refuge and demanding nothing in return.
There was one awful time when Ritsuka’s mother had scalded him with hot water and the whole left side of his face had been scarred bright red. He was up half the night worrying about what he would do the next day, desperately trying to come up with a story that sounded plausible. Skipping school was tempting, but he knew that they would call his mother and it would just make things worse. Besides, it would only prolong the inevitable, because the scar wasn’t going to go away any time soon.
For an entire, wretched day that seemed to last an eternity, Ritsuka struggled to keep his hair in his face and fend off questions as best he could, self-hatred rising in his throat like bile. It was an accident; our shower was broken; the landlord had to come to fix it. Of course they wouldn’t simply accept his lies. His teacher pulled him aside, the school counselor wanted to talk to him, and for one terrifying moment they threatened to call his mother to corroborate his story. Luckily they either gave up or were unable to reach her and Ritsuka was able to breathe again.
By the time school let out, Ritsuka was in such a fragile state, his nerves were so shattered and his hands were shaking so hard that he nearly dropped all of his books. Just let me get home, please; I can’t stand it if one more person questions me today…!
He rushed out of the school with his head down, trying to avoid all contact. He’d just about made it down the street without notice when he felt the habitual grip of his Fighter’s long fingers on his elbow. Soubi, I don’t have time for this today…!
“Soubi, let go, I need to go home today, I’m not -”
He stopped. Soubi seemed to be holding him oddly for some reason. When Ritsuka twisted around, he realized why: Soubi’s other hand was full of ice creams.
“Ritsuka. They had new ice cream flavors at the 7-Eleven. I didn’t know which one you would like, so I bought all of them.” Soubi was looking right at him, smiling as if ice cream were the most important thing in the world.
“Soubi…!” Ritsuka crushed himself against his Fighter. Calm washed over him like a cool hand on a fevered forehead as Soubi’s steady arms wound around him. Soubi, don’t leave; I need you; don’t go…
Soubi pulled back, reaching out to touch Ritsuka’s hair gently on the left side of his face. Ritsuka felt a moment of panic. No, Soubi, not you, too, please, no…!
“Ritsuka, I’m so sorry… I got ice cream in your hair.”
Ritsuka breathed in sweet relief, trying to hold back tears. “I-it’s okay, Soubi. It’s okay.”
Now that you’re here, everything’s okay. Ritsuka nestled himself under Soubi’s empty arm as they started walking home. “Which flavors are they? Did they have cherry blossom yet?”
Ice cream and no questions: this was Ritsuka’s perfect definition of love.
Author:priestess_grrrl
Series: Loveless
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Ritsuka+Soubi
Notes: This is an ongoing theme inspired by h_mania. Each fic stands on its own, but if you would like to read the previous fics you can find them here.
Summary: Ten things Ritsuka loves about Soubi #2: Soubi never asked questions.
Soubi never asked questions.
Often Ritsuka felt like he just wanted the whole world to leave him alone. It seemed like everyone was always badgering him with questions: his teachers, his friends, his therapist, his mother. Ritsuka, are you all right? Ritsuka, won’t you join our club? Ritsuka, what happened to your arm? Ritsuka, aren’t you coming down for dinner…?
It was exhausting, having to constantly rack his brain to come up with safe answers to their never-ending interrogations. I’m fine. I don’t have time. I’m clumsy. I’m not hungry…
His ever-acquiescent Fighter, however, although he could sometimes be annoying, never asked those sorts of questions. As many times as Ritsuka had arrived with new cuts and bruises, as many chaotic situations Soubi had walked in on, even that horrible time Soubi had found him tied to a chair in the kitchen, Soubi never said anything. No oh my God, what happened, are you all right, none of that. Just Soubi’s knowing, accepting eyes peering out at him behind circular lenses.
At times it seemed to Ritsuka that Soubi was merely an extension of himself, just another part of the fabric of his own being, a silent witness to all he went through, without judgment, without opinion. Ritsuka supposed some people would find that strange or think it was wrong. It was true that sometimes Soubi’s unresponsiveness disturbed Ritsuka, especially during spell battles, when he could be extremely callous. Ritsuka sometimes worried that there was a part of Soubi lurking under the surface whom he had not yet met and would perhaps not like to meet.
Yet everyone failed to understand just how much of a relief it was for Ritsuka to have someone in his life who didn’t demand explanations, someone he didn’t have to hide things from or make up lies to placate. Soubi was just there, like a tall tree with great sheltering branches, providing refuge and demanding nothing in return.
There was one awful time when Ritsuka’s mother had scalded him with hot water and the whole left side of his face had been scarred bright red. He was up half the night worrying about what he would do the next day, desperately trying to come up with a story that sounded plausible. Skipping school was tempting, but he knew that they would call his mother and it would just make things worse. Besides, it would only prolong the inevitable, because the scar wasn’t going to go away any time soon.
For an entire, wretched day that seemed to last an eternity, Ritsuka struggled to keep his hair in his face and fend off questions as best he could, self-hatred rising in his throat like bile. It was an accident; our shower was broken; the landlord had to come to fix it. Of course they wouldn’t simply accept his lies. His teacher pulled him aside, the school counselor wanted to talk to him, and for one terrifying moment they threatened to call his mother to corroborate his story. Luckily they either gave up or were unable to reach her and Ritsuka was able to breathe again.
By the time school let out, Ritsuka was in such a fragile state, his nerves were so shattered and his hands were shaking so hard that he nearly dropped all of his books. Just let me get home, please; I can’t stand it if one more person questions me today…!
He rushed out of the school with his head down, trying to avoid all contact. He’d just about made it down the street without notice when he felt the habitual grip of his Fighter’s long fingers on his elbow. Soubi, I don’t have time for this today…!
“Soubi, let go, I need to go home today, I’m not -”
He stopped. Soubi seemed to be holding him oddly for some reason. When Ritsuka twisted around, he realized why: Soubi’s other hand was full of ice creams.
“Ritsuka. They had new ice cream flavors at the 7-Eleven. I didn’t know which one you would like, so I bought all of them.” Soubi was looking right at him, smiling as if ice cream were the most important thing in the world.
“Soubi…!” Ritsuka crushed himself against his Fighter. Calm washed over him like a cool hand on a fevered forehead as Soubi’s steady arms wound around him. Soubi, don’t leave; I need you; don’t go…
Soubi pulled back, reaching out to touch Ritsuka’s hair gently on the left side of his face. Ritsuka felt a moment of panic. No, Soubi, not you, too, please, no…!
“Ritsuka, I’m so sorry… I got ice cream in your hair.”
Ritsuka breathed in sweet relief, trying to hold back tears. “I-it’s okay, Soubi. It’s okay.”
Now that you’re here, everything’s okay. Ritsuka nestled himself under Soubi’s empty arm as they started walking home. “Which flavors are they? Did they have cherry blossom yet?”
Ice cream and no questions: this was Ritsuka’s perfect definition of love.