Breaking Barriers
By EmptyWord
Disclaimer: Loveless is the property of Yun Kouga, Ichijinsha, Tokyopop, Media Blasters, and others I may have missed.. Certainly not me. Believe me, this is all in fun.
Warning: Silliness and stupidity to follow, as well as one mild swear, courtesy of Soubi – believe it or not! Oh and slight OOC-ness for Soubi.
Dedication: To Manga Girls for her kind words and encouragement. This shoddy thing could not express my thanks enough.
Kio loved window shopping. But he didn't like window shopping because he was gay; he liked window shopping because he was an artist with an empty wallet. Really.
All that glittery stuff behind a glass barrier drew artists and women like bees to honey, and Kio considered himself a very magnificent bee. Probably the queen bee, he thought proudly.
He hurriedly amended that thought to king bee.
While he was wandering a bustling street one day, gawking at glittery things he couldn't afford, fate landed on him in the form of a butterfly. A delicate, rare, and stunningly gorgeous monshiro fluttered to his shoulder, right out of his line of vision, like a temptress.
Kio was awed. He had received a message from the gods, and he knew what this meant.
Today was, after all, Soubi's birthday.
"SOU-CHAN!"
Soubi winced at the damage his eardrums would soon receive. He'd already insured both his ears, applied for the insurance two days after meeting Kio, but he still hoped to buy Kio a muffler for his next birthday.
Speaking of which, what horror had the brat found, killed, and/or cooked for him this time? Something bought from a decent store was too much to hope for.
Kio bounded into the room, tossing a bag of groceries onto the floor. Soubi eyed the mess and sincerely prayed that that was his gift.
"Sou-chan!" Kio beamed, lunging into Soubi's face, completely disregarding the bottles of acrylic paints he knocked in the meantime. "I got you the best present ever! You're going to love it!"
Soubi tried to forestall the disaster. "Please, Kio. There is no need –"
"Come on, Sou-chan!" grinned Kio, shoving a clumsily-wrapped box into Soubi's hands. "It's probably not a conventional gift, but I know you absolutely adore butterflies, so I had to get it for you!"
Soubi balked. A careful examination of the pretty box confirmed his fear. There weren't any oxygen holes. Not that he even liked butterflies, but there was a principle here. "Kio," he said quietly, "are you sure it isn't dead?"
Kio only said impatiently, "Just open it!"
Seeing no way out but the way Kio offered, Soubi unwrapped his gift. When the gaudy, extraneous paper had been cleared away, his gift lay innocently in his palms, and Soubi felt his heart miss seven beats.
What. The. Hell?
Lingerie. Kio had gotten him lingerie, with butterflies sewn into the silk.
What did Kio think would fit into those things? What did Kio think he was? Feeling ill, Soubi cleared his throat.
"Kio, I am not a woman."
Kio's face fell.
A/N: Take of that what you will. Personally, I think Kio's just very, very open, not gender-confused. He doesn't seem like the person to consider the boundaries he's crossing with his words or actions (note his blatant lasciviousness towards Soubi and his stalking). All he thinks is: hey, Soubi likes butterflies, right? Never mind that it's women's underwear. :P
And I think I may be possessed. Whenever I see anything with a butterfly insignia (and especially butterfly jewelry), I think immediately of Kio buying it for Soubi. It's kind of unhealthy how Im living vicariously through Kio. A crayon box reminds me of Kio.
I am now back from Europe. :) If you've read this crooked, limping attempt at humor, then I thank you very much indeed!
June 24, 2007