Loved
Mantineus-Hope you enjoy. I know; I can't believe it either. Something besides InuYasha or his brother.
Fun Fact: Started writing this on my Birthday. Sad, huh?
Disclaimer-"Reprise" belongs to Mew, Souta and all related themes are property of its owners. I'm just barrowing them for my own amusement.
Ages:
Souta: Same as show.
Hojo: Same as show.
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Souta tried hard not to let the tears show as he stood near the parking lot awaiting his mother to pick him up. Soccer season was over, thus goes his wanted recognition and any reason for his "friends" to talk about anything besides his sister. It was lonely being him; his mother only worried about Kagome, his grandpa finally became full-blown senile and his sister was frequenting less and less-which obviously did not make matters any better.
He was-once again-left to walk home alone. And, as if some sadistic god was really out to get him, it started to thunder…And then the rain fell.
Souta did not know the exact length of the soccer field to his house; only that it felt like an hour had passed and he was still walking in the pouring rain. Deep in his intellectual mind-not that anyone ever noticed-he knew that due to his eagerness to escape from the rain, it felt longer than it was.
What Souta guessed was minutes later, a car pulled up alongside him, slowly decelerating to a crawl. A tinted window was rolled down and a familiar voice shouted his name. Both boy and car stopped. Souta stared at Hojo. The high school senior sat behind the wheel, his brown hair combed in its usual style, a big grin plastered on his face.
"Souta…" Hojo began.
"Kagome's still sick." Souta snapped.
That's what they usually asked. Anyone whom knew Kagome always asked about her. They never asked about his mother, his grandfather, or him. It was always her. Yet Souta seemed to be the only one annoyed by it.
"What?" Hojo seemed thrown off by the boy's outburst. "No…Souta, I'm here to offer you a ride."
That, in turn, threw Souta off guard. No one had ever done this for him before. Wanting to get out of the rain, Souta nodded and walked towards the passenger's side and got in.
"So, why were you walking in this weather, Souta?" Hojo asked. "Don't you know you could have caught a cold? And with Kagome so sick…"
"Can we not mention sis." Souta whispered, snapping at his rescuer.
"Oh," Hojo said, calming up. "Okay. But still, why were you out in the rain?"
"Mom forgot to pick me up again." Souta said before he realized what he was saying.
"Now Souta." Hojo said, sounding cheerful-an attempt to try and cheer up his passenger. "I'm sure she was busy or something came up. Do you have your cell phone with you?"
"No." Souta said. "I had soccer."
"True." Hojo nodded. "But maybe she called it thinking you had it."
"Doubtful." Souta rolled his eyes. "No one ever calls me to talk with me. They call to find out about sis! And my mom never calls me. She hardly notices me."
Souta gasped and closed his mouth. What was happening to him? He was never this open; not even to InuYasha. He looked at Hojo and blamed it on his charming smile and soft, soothing voice-so thick and sweet as chocolate, yet uplifting like a bird's song. His voice was like cyanide.
Hojo's smile faltered. He looked worried. Like his perfect world where families never ignored their youngest child and he-according to many people-was a knight in shining armor, ready and able to protect and make feel better the fair Kagome. But…Was Kagome really so fair? All this attention can spoil a fair maiden. Which then opened another can of worms; Kagome never seemed thankful for all he's done for her. All the remedies he gave her. Were maidens not supposed to be glad to receive gifts from a knight and witches in disgust? But he needed to stop this line of thought. There would be plenty of time for it later. Right now he had to concentrate on the suffering boy next to him.
"Souta," Hojo said. "I'm so sorry."
Souta's head perked up from its downward glare.
"I didn't realize I was such a pest to you." Hojo said, sounding upset. "And that I totally ignored you."
Souta could not believe what he was hearing. Thinking back on it, he realized that the whole car ride he was rude to Hojo, too.
Facing the ground once more, Souta replied. "That's ok. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting."
Hojo had a small smile grace his lips, though Souta did not see it.
"It's ok, Souta." He said. "You've been running around all morning and now your legs are tired and you were caught in the rain."
This was a first. One of Kagome's friends was being nice to him. Usually they only sounded nice to get information out of him. In reality they did not care for the young Higurashi. The car stopped and Hojo spoke.
"It's still raining." He said. "Wait a sec and I'll walk you into your home."
"Thanks." Souta said, bowing his head slightly.
Hojo opened his door and opened his red umbrella and he walked around to Souta's door. Like the gentleman he always thought himself as, Hojo opened up Souta's door and made the umbrella a dome over the space he got out from. Both boys walked up to the Higurashi's front porch. Souta stood out there with Hojo, said boy was closing the umbrella and shook it clear of water as best he could.
Souta opened the door and both boys took off their shoes and replaced them with slippers-Hojo putting on a pair of the guest's slippers-and placed the umbrella slanting against the wall close to the door.
Souta walked into the living room, upon his approach he could hear two sets of women's voices talking. Upon arrival to the room, Souta's suspicion's were correct; it was his sister and mother.
"Oh, hello Souta." His mother said.
"Hi souta!" Kagome said happily.
Souta did not say a word as he ascended the stairs and entered his room.
"Young man, you come right back down here and apologize, right now!" Souta's mother shouted.
Hojo-a little surprised at Ms. Higurashi's response-quickly said that he would check up on him and quickly went up the stairs. He found Souta lying face down on his bed.
"Souta," Hojo said as he entered the young boy's room.
"It figures." Souta said, his voice muffled by the pillow. "She came back."
"'came back'?" Hojo said. "Came back from where?"
Souta sat up and looked at Hojo.
"I suppose I should tell you." Souta said. "Kagome's never sick. She goes back in time to the feudal era. Me and Grandpa made those ailments up to cover for her.
She's probably heading for the well as we speak."
As luck would have it, Hojo looked out Souta's window and saw Kagome run into the shack that had held the Bone Eater's well. And then it struck Hojo. He had just seen Kagome happy and smiling. Something he wanted to see since she first started getting these weird illnesses. Yet…He was not overjoyed like he thought he would be. Instead, his head was a mess over Souta's well being.
It was a second later that Hojo came back to reality and noticed that he had just held Souta's gaze longer than was comfortable. Yet…It was like one of those fairy tale moments when the prince looks at the princess before they kiss.
"Uh…" An idea struck him. "Do you mind if I show you something on your computer, Souta?"
"Uh, no." Souta said. "Go ahead."
Hojo turned on Souta's computer and went to a website, there he typed "Reprise" by Mew. He found what he was looking for and clicked on it. From the start of the song, Souta could feel and emotion stir inside of him. Something warm and fuzzy. Something that turned his frown into a smile.
Hojo smiled softly. "This is a song I like to listen to when I feel down." He explained. "Hopefully it will cheer you up, too."
The song hit a crescendo and continued to play before a high, barely audible sound accompanied it.
"What are they saying?" Souta asked, already figuring it as the lyrics.
Hojo waited until the second time the voices started.
"Lift your head…" Hojo sang. "Don't forget…You are loved."
Lift your head…
Don't forget...You are loved.
Hojo found himself still singing along, his eyes never leaving Souta's. The vocals seemed lower, more audible then the last few times.
Lift your head…
Don't forget…You are loved…
"But Hojo…" Souta said, sounding sad. "No one loves me."
Hojo moved away from the computer and sat down next to the young Higurashi. He put his right arm around him and looked down at Souta.
"Hang on…To me." He sang, yet let the song take off from him.
That'll be the first words that you learn.
"Souta," Hojo said. "I cannot say for certain that I love you. But I do like you, if that counts for anything."
Listen child and believe them till you die
Not long, for me
For you see the dreamer have all grown
And I so wanted children-of my-own.
"Yeah," Souta said.
Both boys looked deep into each other's eyes intently. Both knight and damsel in distress leaned closer to each other as the song continued with the melody, the lyrics gone. Their lips touched in an innocent kiss.
When they broke apart, the song ended.
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Mantineus-I'm hoping this was good. Whether or not a relationship will form from this or not is up to you right now. I know what I'm thinking will happen, but I thought it would be good to end it there.