Title: Steam
Rating: Don't think there is one, for this.
Pairing/Character/s: Ritsuka, Soubi, Seimei, Yuiko
Word Count: 366
Warning/s: Some spoilers for the manga, perhaps.
Summary: Ritsuka's pondering.
A/N: First one, thought I'd kick it off with a nekkid Ritsuka. Not that you see anything…he's only twelve after all…

Steam rose from the surface of the bath, pirouetting in the air before fading from sight. Ritsuka followed it with morose eyes, wondering if he would share the same fate some day. Here one moment, gone the next. The rubber duck floated into view, bobbing along merrily, and he pushed it away with the tip of his tail. At least he'd have the photos, a reminder to anyone who cared, that he had been here. Memories captured in pixellated images.

Sometimes, he felt they weren't enough.

The pictures didn't capture the sound of Yuiko's hesitant giggle when he smiled at her. Pixels couldn't hope to hold the touch of Soubi's hands, and how safe he felt when his own were encased within the Fighter's. But…he wished he had more photos of Seimei. Seimei had always been there, and so Ritsuka had never thought he would go, had never thought he might need more than a few photos to pore over. He wouldn't take anything like that for granted again. He'd learnt that lesson.

He'd heard and read about people who begin to forget what their loved one's faces looked like, had heard that they forget the sound of their laughter and voice. Ritsuka shuddered, sinking further under the murky water and holding his breath. He clenched his eyes shut and focussed on the dull pain and multi-coloured dots that sparked and died behind his eyelids. Seimei…

In a way, he didn't think he'd mind disappearing. Because that would mean never having to forget…never having to forget Seimei's voice when he was scolding him for not running fast enough, never having to forget the taste of Yuiko's home-made food. He'd always remember Shinonome-sensei's encouraging smile and concerned eyes, and Yayoi's vehement denials of being short. And Soubi…well, he'd never have to go through the pain of Soubi leaving. He wouldn't have to bear with the anguish of these things being there, and yet not. He wouldn't ever get to that time where he'd grasp for the memory, only to find it dissipating as quickly as steam in the air. He didn't think he'd mind, not feeling that.

It was selfish, in a way, to want 'Ritsuka' back.