Beating of the Rain

Chapter 1. Downpour.

Ritsuka couldn't take it anymore. He pulled on a long sleeved short and a pair of jeans before looking at his door. He had to be careful incase his mother heard him again. He didn't want a repeat of earlier. He pushed his hair behind his ear before looking for his shoes. He looked around his room before noticing he left them by the door. He couldn't go get them, so he slipped off his socks and walked over to the window.

Ritsuka's feet touched the ground, and he shivered lightly. The ground was cold from the night air. He looked up but didn't say anything. The shy was dark and cloudy, but Ritsuka didn't care. He started walking, unknown of his destination. "Maybe I should go to Soubi's…" he whispered to himself. Shortly after, he shook his head. He wouldn't go to Soubi's.

Suddenly, a downpour of rain fell onto him. It didn't even drizzle first, but here didn't mind, he just walked on. He neared the school, and stared at it for a second. He was drenched and shivering. He shook his head again, and walked on. He quickly realized he was walking in familiar places. A place he didn't want to go. He walked over the bridge and slid down to the water. He let his body fall into place before the water and looked up at the rain drenching his skin.

He was happy… He was away from his mother. But his heart wrenched at the same time. Tears streamed down his face. He shivered from the cold rain and the night time air after a sob shook his body. He was finally allowed to relieve his stress.

But… Since when was he not allowed? When was he not allowed to cry?

His body shook again with a violent sob, and he curled up into a tight ball on the wet ground. He winced from a bruise on his side that his mother so graciously gave him. He didn't bother to move though. It would stop throbbing soon.

He glared bitterly at the ground, wondering why everyone wanted him to be okay. He wondered why everyone thought he was happy. Was his façade that hard to look through? He wanted someone to look through it. It pained him when day after day, everyone believed his stupid lies.

"Why?" he whispered. His mental breakdown was torturing him. He felt his body wrack with a sob again. He took a shark intake of breathe, glad that the rain was covering his trail of tears.

He shivered again, noticing he was extremely cold. He pushed himself off the ground and decided to make his way to the park.

"Ritsuka?" A voice. Ritsuka paused in his walking. It was Soubi's voice. He shook in a bit of fear, and from the cold. He was standing under a lamp post, highlighting his features. He knew he wouldn't be able to act casual in a situation like that. Ritsuka didn't answer Soubi.

Hearing footsteps, Ritsuka was tempted to turn around, but didn't. He looked up when he felt nothing on his head. He looked up to find an umbrella over his head. "You shouldn't walk in the rain barefooted Ritsuka. You could get a cold…" Soubi said softly. His voice was laced with concern.

"I'm fine…" Ritsuka whispered. "Go home, Soubi." He sounded like he was begging the older male to go home. He heard something shift behind him. He turned, just to be pulled into a bridal style. "Soubi! Put me down!" He practically screeched at the fighter. "I'll go home, but you're coming with me to warm up. You're shaking…" Soubi said sternly, but still with a lot of concern. Ritsuka couldn't help but stop struggling and nod.

Ritsuka forced himself to stop crying as Soubi carried him. He studied Soubi for a second as Soubi watched where he was going through the heavy rain. He heard Soubi sigh. "You're drenched… what caused you to walk in the rain with no shoes, Ritsuka?" Soubi asked, recalling all the times the smaller boy yelled at him for standing in the rain without an umbrella.

Ritsuka found no use in lying to Soubi anymore. "My mother hurt me again… I wanted to escape…" he said, burying his head into Soubi's jacket. The pounding of the rain lessened. Somehow the rain calmed him.

Soubi dropped the umbrella, not even bothering to close it, and pushed opened his door. He was cradling the much lighter boy in only one of his arms. Soubi kept the smaller boy in his arms as he kicked the door closed.

Ritsuka watched as the older male made his way to what seemed to be a bathroom. He studied the walls, the floor, and anything else weary mind could take in. His hand made its way to his forehead. He had a headache from crying.

Looking at Soubi, Ritsuka noticed that he had a concerned face instead of the normal cheerful face. An Emotion, guilt, tugged at the small boy's heart. "I'm sorry…" he whispered to the older male. "What for?" Soubi asked. "For being an idiot…" He stated to Soubi. "You don't have to apologize for that," he said, sitting the smaller boy of the toilet seat. Soubi pulled a large, white, fluffy towel from a towel rack and tugged at Ritsuka's clothes. "Take them off and dry up. I'll be back with some dry clothes…" Soubi said and stood up, walking out of the bathroom.

Ritsuka sighed, pulling at the wet shirt that clung to his body. It refused to come off! After a few struggling tries, he managed to pull it off. He started at his jeans. The button stubbornly slipped out of his fingers every single time.

"Need help?" Soubi asked as he walked in. "No," Ritsuka said flatly, and finally pushed the button through the loop. Before attempting to get his pants off, Ritsuka dried the to half of his body. "It's a downpour out there…" Soubi said, smiling lightly at Ritsuka.

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