Ritsuka looked at the food laid out in the table in front of him. There was a vast amount, all different dishes, setting off a delicious aroma. He looked up at his mother, who was studying him, her eyes never leaving him. It was a test; Ritsuka knew it. His mother had done it plenty of times before. Cooked a range of dishes. Some the old Ritsuka liked, and some he had hated.
"Eat up, Ritsuka, its getting cold" his mother encouraged. Ritsuka nodded, picking up his fork. He had to be careful. If Ritsuka made one mistake, he could end up getting hit again. If ate something the 'real' Ritsuka didn't lie or didn't eat something that he liked, then it would anger his mum. Ritsuka could see the knife on the table, next to his mother's shaking hand.
Ritsuka started to dish food onto his plate, thinking hard. When Seimei had been here, he would nod, or wink at Ritsuka to tell him if he was picking the right foods. But Seimei wasn't here, so Ritsuka was on his on.
"Aren't you eating, Mum?" Ritsuka asked, eating some carrots.
"No, I'm fine, just eat" the woman replied. Ritsuka fall back into silence. He ate for ten minutes, until hands slammed onto the table, shaking plates and dishes. Ritsuka looked up, into the fiery eyes of his mother. She was angry.
"Mum?" Ritsuka asked, dropping his spoon and standing up. He moved backwards, away from her.
"You're not Ritsuka!" she shouted, "Ritsuka hates strawberries!" Ritsuka's eyes widened at his mistake. He ate strawberries so much with Yuiko let he had begun to like them.
"Where is my Ritsuka?! Give me my Ritsuka!" his mum began to yell, throwing plates at him. One hit Ritsuka in the head, making him fall over, stars dancing in front of his eyes.
"Mum!" Ritsuka shouted, shielding himself with his arms, as his mum jumped on top of him, hitting him continuously, "Give me back my Ritsuka!!" she shouted, tears pouring down her cheeks. Ritsuka tried to push her off, but his mum held him down, hitting him. Something gleamed in her hand, shining dangerously. Ritsuka couldn't make it out, through the yells and his dazed mind, but a sudden pain brought it into clearer view. Ritsuka saw the knife, as blood ran into his eyes.
"Mum! No! Please!" Ritsuka begged, covering his face with his shaking hands. The knife rose again, and Ritsuka let out a yell of pain, and grabbed hold of his silk ear. Blood dripped slowly through his finger tips.
"It's not fair!" his mum sobbed, falling backwards off him, "Why did you take my Ritsuka away?" Ritsuka got to his legs, his world spinning, and ran out of the kitchen. He climbed the stairs, tripping and falling in his rush, confusion and pain. He opened the door, covering the door handle in blood as he did so, Ritsuka stumbled into his room, and locked the door, before falling to the floor, tears running down his pale cheeks. He could hear his mum crying and yelling downstairs, and it tore at his ears. Her pain, her anger, all because of him.
Ritsuka couldn't see, all was red. The blood stuck to him, and pain was running through him. It was making him dizzy, and Ritsuka could feel himself slipping into darkness. He slowly got his phone out of his pocket, and dialed the long ago memorized number. Ritsuka laid his head down on the floor and listened to the slow ringing.
"Hello" came Soubi's calm, pleasant voice. Ritsuka tried to speak, but words refused to come to his weak mouth.
"Ritsuka?" Soubi asked, concern coming to his voice.
"….S…Soubi?" Ritsuka asked, his voice small. He closed his eyes.
"Ritsuka, what's wrong?!" Soubi asked, panic now echoing in his voice. Ritsuka could no longer hold the phone. His arm fall to the floor, dropping the phone.
"Where are you? Ritsuka!" Ritsuka heard Soubi say, before darkness finally claimed the young boy.
-
Warm arms wrapped themselves around Ritsuka.
Is this heaven? He asked himself, feeling as he was floating as the arms picked him up.
Is this death? If so, it was quite pleasant.
Tears allowed themselves to fall, as Ritsuka was carried away.
I don't to die, he thought, before the darkness surrounded him again.
-
Ritsuka slowly woke, a dull ache filling him. But he felt warm. He was lying on a comfortable bed, with a thick quilt covering him quite smugly. Someone was holding his hand tightly, and Ritsuka could feel a soft weight on the bed beside him. Going against every last protest that his body had, Ritsuka opened his eyes, wincing at the light shining from a lamp.
Soubi was there, resting his head on the edge of the bed, asleep. Ritsuka couldn't help but smile at his fighter, and tightening the grip on their hands slightly. Pain shot through the boy's body, and he bit his lip, stopping the cry.
Soubi stirred, and lifted his head. A small smiled fall upon his lips.
"You're awake" he calmly said. Risuka nodded, tears prickling at his purple eyes.
"Where does it hurt?" Soubi asked, stroking the small boy's hair hair, carefully. Risuka shook his head.
"It's ok…I can deal with it" Risuka mumbled. It hurt everywhere, espically his ear, which was thodding in time with his heart beat. But this was his punishment for not being the 'real' Riskua and he was going to cope with it. Risuka tightened the grip on Soubi's hand again as another wave of pain overtook him.
"What happened?" Soubi asked, gently, continuing with the long, caring strokes. Risuka shook his head again, tears trying to spill, but he refused to let them fall. Not in front of Soubi.
"It's ok to cry" Soubi told Risuka, as if reading his mind. Risuka brought a bandaged hand up, hiding his eyes as tears finally win the battle and ran from them. The shaking of his chest hurt, like he was being stabbed continussally and the sound of his sobs echoed into his damaged ears.
Why? That was the question running though Risuka's mind. Why did his mother hate him so much? Why couldn't she just accept the way he was? The way he had changed? Why couldn't she see that he was still her son and he still loved her? why couldn't she love him?
Soubi's arms wrapped around Risuka, and he held the young boy close. Risuka clutched at Soubi's t-shirt, crying into his chest.
"Why…?" Risuka chocked, barely heard over his sobs. Soubi didn't reply. He either didn't know the question, or felt the silence was a better cure.
"I thought….I thought I was….going to die!" Risuka cried, "I seriuosly…thought that…and…I couldn't do anything…but scream" more tears fall as Soubi held him closer.
"I would never let that happened, Risuka, I will always protect you" Soubi whispered into Risuka's human ear. Risuka flinced slightly, suddenly trying to push the man off.
"But you can't….not when I'm with her" he told Soubi.
"Then I won't let you go back there" Soubi calmly replied. Ritsuka shoved Soubi off him, wincing at the pain in his chest, and rolled over, so he wasn't facing Soubi.
"I have to go back there…she's my mum…I can't just leave her" Risuka told him, holding his chest which heaved in pain.
"You shouldn't move suddenly like that, you've broke your ribs" Soubi told him, the calmness still in his voice, which made Ritsuka angry for some reason. Ritsuka closed his eyes, trying to get his breathing even, as Soubi slowly stroked his hair again.
"A mother would never do that to her child if she truly loved them, and if a mother doesn't love her child, then she cannot be a mother" Soubi told him.
"But she is all I have left…" Risuka cried, pulling his legs up and hugging his tail, "Seimei died, and my dad left…she is all the family I have" Soubi stayed quiet, rubbing the boy's back gently. The motion calmed Risuka, and the tears slowly creased. He wipped his face with his bandaged hand, before examining it. It was a neat bandage, and carefully held together with a safety pin. It looked like Seimei had done it. Seimei use to always wrap Ristuka up when he had been hurt by their mother. It had always been neat. Since Seimei's death, Ristuka was left to do it, and it was always messy.
"You had some glass in your palm, it was pretty deep" Soubi told him, watching Ristuka trace the bandages. There was also sereval plasters up and down Ristuka's arms, and his legs. A thick bandage was wrapt around his chest, and around his forehead. Ristuka felt it, wincing at the sharp pin of it.
"That cut was deep, I had to put five stitches in it" Soubi answered the unasked question.
"And my ear?" Ristuka asked, reaching up and feeling his cat ear. A thick bandaged was wrapped around it, competely covering it. But it felt weird through the bandaged. Soubi's experssion fall slightly, but he still kept the sad smile on his lips. He reached up, and gently stroked the other cat ear, which Ristuka responded by flicking it. Soubi lent over and kissed Ristuka on the cheek, which began to burn red.
"You're found out soon" Soubi told him. Ristuka rolled back over, slower this time, and faced Soubi.
"Thank you" Ristuka whispered.
"I've told you, I'll do anything for you" Soubi said, kissing Ristuka's forehead. Ristuka was quiet for a moment, looking at his fighter.
"You look tired" Ristuka told the blonde-haired man.
"Well, some is occuping my bed" Soubi replied, with an actual real smile on his face. Ristuka looked across the double bed, at the wide space beside him.
"There is enough room for two people" Ristuka stated as a fact. Soubi smiled again, and got up. He walked round the bed and climbed in next to Ristuka. Ristuka heisted for a minute, before curling up against Soubi, seeking warmth and comfort. Ristuka just wanted to feel love. The love that his mother refuses him of. The love every child should receive. Ristuka wanted to feel affection and care. Even if Soubi had been ordered to love him. Even if Soubi's love was just a lie, Ristuka wanted to believe it. He wanted just to feel someone love him. Just for once.
Soubi looked down at him, holding him tight against him. Ristuka buried his face into the man's chest, annoying the burning in his own. Soubi kissed Ristuka's forehead, before resting his chin on top of the boy's head. Ristuka shook slightly, as soubi beathe three simple words,
"I love you" Ristuka felt the words brush his hair and ear, and he whimpered into Soubi's chest.
Very slowly, they fall asleep.