Authors Notes: To everyone; Happy New Year! To those who are familiar with my other Toradora works; here's a new year's gift! An entirely new story. Not a one-shot (for once) either.
And to newcomers: I have other Toradora works. You know, just in case wading through this one isn't suffering enough for you.
Bit of trivia for any of my fans: This is my 10th fic!
Now we got that out of the way...
If there's one thing I don't like about Ryuuji's character, it's that he takes just a little too much shit from Taiga. (at least in the early days) I say "just a little" because his tendency to take care of others is an integral part to his character. Plus it's anime, there's probably a rulebook about stuff like this somewhere. (though Toradora is relatively realistic for an anime)
However, everyone has their limits, and since the two never had what could be called a serious falling out, I think it's worth exploring what one could be like.
Where this story starts: It starts in episode 7. However, it's going to deviate from the cannon plot. (both in big details and in little ones) The fic will take place through an altered version of the Pool-centric arc. (seemed the right place to put this story)
Font change index.
"Text with speech marks": Speech
"Text with speech marks in italic": Thought
"Italic text with speech marks and underlined text": Remembered speech (IE: Character remembering something someone else said)
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Well today had been...something. First they'd woken up late (oddly, Taiga ended up getting hit for that, in a very strange role reversal), then the school had announced swimming classes were starting at the start of next week. The plan was for he and Taiga (Minori as well, to Ryuuji's pleasure) to get to store to pick up a new swimsuit for her (Ryuuji nearly had a heart attack when he saw her last one), but for some reason or another Minori was "urgently" required after school for some club-related thing he didn't remember, and Ryuuji didn't trust in his skills alone at forcing Taiga into the store. Plus he had a feeling telling him Ami had intended to come along, and he didn't want to combined Ami, swimming, and a strangely acting Taiga. It'd be a recipe for a disaster he did not want to be responsible for.
Now, Taiga's strangeness. He could not yet decipher a reason, yet since the announcement had been made Taiga had been acting...well he'd say sullen and snappish but that described the normal Taiga pretty well. He'd have to settle for "more so than usual". Something was really bothering her, and as they left class at the end of the day he decided to press the matter.
He'd had better luck in conversations with an extremely hungover Yasuko.
He brought up what to make for dinner...then he knew something was really wrong. (no response)
He brought up their original plan to get the swimsuit, just the three of them, since her best friend always put Taiga in a good mood. ("Shut up.")
He brought it up again, somehow coming up with the idea to try and include a certain student vice president. (No response, except her posture seemed to get even more depressed...since when did mentioning Kitamura become a bad move?)
He lastly tried pointing out how having a class outdoors in the summer was a good thing, instead of being stuck in a classroom. Also it could be really fun.
The term "backfire" quickly came to mind.
"Ha, I knew it! You can't wait for classes to start, can you?" They came close to passing by a flight of stairs. "Then you can see that stupid chihuahua in a swimsuit!"
He briefly lost command of his tongue. He'd seriously not been expecting that. He stopped walking, as did she. He turned to face her. "Are you still mad about that? I told you already; she was just teasing, like always."
There was a sound like a tiger's growling, and Ryuuji felt a chill of fear pass down his spine as he met her eyes. That was the look that promised pain, and it was delivered quickly. "Shut up!" Her elbow slammed into his stomach.
Ryuuji was knocked off his feet, almost literally, he was knocked back a couple of steps. The first step was fine. The second however...
His foot never found steady flooring.
With a gasp he realized he was falling, falling fast down the stairs and there was no stopping him. There might have been a scream, but it was too brief to tell for sure, or who it was from.
The next thing he felt was pain, and all too quickly, there was only black.
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His eyelids twitched, as did his fingers. He felt pain in his head. With a groan he opened his eyes, what had happened? "O-ow."
His pain was not helped by the dozens, possibly hundreds (his vision was far too blurred to tell) of previously-departing students who'd gathered, all in discussion about what was in front of them. Some wondering how this had happened, others whether he was injured or not, very few really caring either way.
"Takasu!" Ryuuji flinched from another shot of pain. That was Yuusaku's voice. Yuusaku quickly found his place by Ryuuji.
"Are you alright, Takasu?"
Ryuuji flinched again. "Hurts." He tried moving, but his legs were not as responsive as they should have been. "Little help?" Yuusaku nodded, and in short order Ryuuji was on his feet, supported by Yuusaku and a teacher who's face he did not recognize. Yuusaku's head shot around, looking for "Aisaka! Aisa-"
"No."
Yuusaku turned to "Takasu?" Ryuuji took a heavy step.
"Just...get this looked at."
Confused, but compliant, Yuusaku assisted in helping Ryuuji along his way. Soon they found themselves in the infirmary, the teacher leaving the two of them alone and to find the school nurse. Ryuuji lightly felt the back of his head, flinching. He pulled his hand away, looking at his hand. No blood, so maybe he'd gotten off lucky. Still hurt like hell though. Across from him Yuusaku spoke up.
"Takasu, what happened?"
Ryuuji removed his gaze from his hand. His voice was calm, and whatever he was thinking was impossible to determine. "Taiga."
Before either could speak again the nurse swept in, quickly shifting Yuusaku right out, who's worries were dispelled with a lazy wave and smile from Ryuuji. It took several minutes, but eventually the nurse determined there were no easily detectable problems, and he was free to go, being warned not to overexert himself and to put something cold on his head. She'd also insisted he'd take the next day off ("just in case" she said), effectively giving him a three day weekend. Ryuuji accepted with no complaints, or much of a reaction of any kind really. His thoughts revolved around the cause of the injury, rather than the injury itself. With only a short thanks Ryuuji made his way out of the now empty school.
He slowly walked down each flight of stairs, his face pensive. He made his way to the entrance, silently putting on his own shoes and making his way out into the sunset. He took a breath, and a moment to decide: Store first, to get something for dinner and his head then home.
Speaking of which, where did Taiga get to- "Ryuuji." Speak of the devil(ess).
She was leaning up against the entrance to the school grounds with her arms crossed. Her face that signature blend of annoyed impatience. "Seriously. I was starting to think you'd never come out. Let's go."
She turned.
Ryuuji could not pretend he had been expecting her to act any different from normal. Yet, Taiga could have killed him. Didn't she...
She started walking.
Didn't she care?
As he watched her take steps, choice moments, choice actions, and choice words from Taiga played back in his mind. His gaze turned downwards as he saw things differently than he had before...
All the physical beatings. (how he still had his eyesight/no broken bones he did not understand)
Referring to him only as "dog" or "mongrel" most of the time. Atop the other various mean remarks and suggestions.
Her outright admitting she was cold to him.
It would seem he was wrong about something. He had thought that early on, when she had decided just to confess, she was being considerate of him. He had thought, despite well, everything. In her own way, she at least cared somewhat. Yet today...his mind was paused for a moment, it could not move forward with just one obvious question right in front of it.
Why was he doing all this? For someone who didn't even seem to have the slightest care if he...
"Hey, Ryuuji, what are you waiting for?"
He looked up, meeting her eyes. There was nothing...different in them. They were still whatever it was that defined her regular gaze when it was set upon him. His mouth had opened before he even realized it, but despite the fact he could have, he chose not to stop himself. He spoke without malice, yet without any gentleness in his voice.
"Our deal's off, Taiga."
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End of Chapter
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Author's Notes: All the people preaching the end of the world during 2012 got it wrong...it's actually 2013 in which the world is screwed. This chapter is less than 1500 words. I've written a chapter less than 1500 words! The end is f**king nigh, people!
Now for the fic itself:
I figured if just narrowly escaping death wouldn't get him to react in a "we're done" fashion then nothing would.
Let's see where this goes. If it should continue. What do you think, people? Should it? I know I'm going against cannon material here, but I think it's a concept worth exploring. Yet, I don't write if there's no market for the content, so is this something people want to read?
Now, my intention is for this to be a short story. (Should it continue, and it'd 10 chapters in the most extreme scenario) Feel free to open up a betting pool on what the actual length might be.
Put me down for $50 on at least thirty chapters!
After that; go celebrate! Happy New Year to you all!
