I do not own Loveless.
Pairing: Soubi/Ritsuka.
WARNING: SEVERE FLUFF! YOU MIGHT GO INTO A DIABETIC COMA!
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Beloved
Chapter 1
Kiss Me
Song of Solomon 1:2 : Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine.
His kisses are soft. Like butterfly's wings. Like the soft rose petals against the skin. Like snowflakes. Like the fingers of the soft rain falling on my face.
Memories of his lips against mine erase everything - for there is only him and me.
"Soubi," his light voice suddenly jolts me into reality. "Is something the matter?"
And looking down at his squared shoulders, I can only chuckle.
"Nothing's the matter. I was only thinking of you," I smile down brightly at him - and my heart jumps at the blush that spots his cheeks.
"Idiot," he says, embarrassed. "You're scary, you know that?"
"I'm sorry, Ritsuka."
"No. Never mind... It's..." His face turns even redder. "Kinda... nice..."
"Hmmm... well... I was just thinking of your kisses."
"Ewww! Soubi! You're such a pervert!!!!"
"I'm sorry."
"No you're not! I bet when you go home, you think perverted thoughts alot - when I don't know!"
"Hmmm... Is it wrong for me to feel so happy about you?"
His adorable little face turns an even BRIGHTER RED (if that was possible).
"Ah... um... SOUBI! That's -" His fingers are fumbling now with a tassle on his shirt. "Well... that is -"
"RIIITSSSUUKKKAAA!!! SSSOUUUBBIII!!!"
It's Yuiko and Yayoi. Ritsuka's classmates. Both of them come running, jumping up and down at the thought of a leisurely summer picnic at the park.
I wonder yet again how a romantic tryst between Ritsuka and I degenerated into a party...
But sure enough - there's Kio coming down the street as well.
"Soubi... why so sulky?" he asks, arm sliding invitingly around my shoulders. "Does Sou-chaan need cheering up? I think alone time is order -""I'm not sulking," I quietly rebuke my noisy friend with a sigh.
Why is he so immature?
"Ah! Kio! I'm glad you could come!" Ritsuka smiles at the art student. "It's a beautiful day to make more memories -"
"I found out that Soubi-san and Ritsuka were going to the park -"
"To a park? Alone?" Kio wails hysterically, interrupting the young girl's explanation. "Sou-chaan! Why didn't you invite me?"
"Because -"
My excuse is cut off abruptly by Yuiko's bright chatter.
"But you know, I like parks - and picnics - right, Ritsuka? And you know, Yayoi, have you eaten food cooked by Soubi-san? It's soooo goood!"
While the girl went into transports of delight, Yayoi and Ritsuka sweatdrop.
"Absolutely true!" Kio nodded. "Which is why I'm here today!"
I sigh and roll my eyes.
"Well, now that everyone's here, we might as well get going," I point out. "Ritsuka? Where would you like to go?"
And so we set off, Ritsuka as our leader.
-----
Watching the children running around and playing - Ritsuka getting his friends and himself in various poses - finding some nostalgic kind of joy in the swingset - Soubi felt strangely detached. Sitting there underneath the elm tree - with the remains of the food now neatly packed away, he should have found some sort of peace under the dappled shade - the cheerful sun and the gently puffy clouds. There was something picturesque about the whole thing - an image that resonated with the children's stories that he had read when he was very young.
His mother's voice was almost inaudible to him - over time, it faded away. But the pictures were still there...
They had stopped now... the three of them on the swings - Yuiko and Ritsuka reviewing the pictures they had taken of each other... no doubt choosing which ones would be trashed and which ones would be eventually printed off and distributed amongst them. The amount of money Ritsuka spent on photographs amazed Soubi continually. But it was cute - aesthetically a pleasing sight - the artist in Soubi had to admit. And his eyes, carefully finding the light and the shadow - the gentle hues of the summer day reflected in their casual clothes and bright faces...
Burning it in memory... and then... maybe finding a place for it on blank canvas... a reminder in a darker future of a happier past...
Ritsuka...
Soubi thought fondly.
Perhaps we're not so different after all...
"Kio..." he said.
"Hm?"
"Nothing..."
Soubi found the small notepad he had stowed away for possible Ritsuka-sketching (a dream which had died a quick death earlier on that day) and his pencils. Quickly finding a blank page, he sketched the scene out - Yuiko's face, pressed close to Ritsuka's as they chatted over the camera. He left Yayoi out - the boy had slowed now to small swings - obviously wanting to join the intimate couple but unwilling to destroy Yuiko's fun.
"Quite intimate, hm?" Kio said lazily, as he peered at Soubi's sketch.
Soubi stared down at the pad.
Yuiko and Ritsuka - so close...
His heart sped up.
Ritsuka -
"If you aren't careful," Kio prodded. "You'll be losing your little boy toy to a little girl!"
"Kio... there's nothing -"
"Don't tell me there's nothing..."
"I'm not a pervert, Kio."
"Mmmm... maybe not... but... your eyes say something else even more frightening..."
Soubi didn't answer - instead, he stowed away the notepad and the pencils, rose and left a rather dampened Kio behind.
"Oho, Sou-chan... it's the silent treatment, huh?" The art student muttered to himself, as he lamely followed his friends to the swing set.
"You've made some pictures, Ritsuka?" Soubi asked softly.
"Yeah," Ritsuka held out the camera for Soubi's inspection. "They're okay. I want a picture of us all though -"
"Of you and I?"
"I said us all - Yayoi, Yuiko and me!" Ritsuka huffed. "I've got tons of pictures of you! People would think I'm a stalker or something!"
"You're too cute to be a stalker," Kio laughed. "But if you've got nice pictures of Sou-chan, I'll take 'em."
Ritsuka looked suspiciously at Kio.
"You're a pervert too?"
"UWAH! So uncool, Sou-chan! Tell him to have mercy on me!"
"You tell him, Ritsuka," nodded Soubi.
"UWAH! Soubi! You're so cold!"
"I'll take the picture," Soubi said. "It will be the best one yet."
Five minutes later, the three middle schoolers were looking through Soubi's snapshots.
"I guess Agatsuma-san is no art student for nothing," Yayoi said in awe as they oohed and aahed over the camera angles and the beautiful blend of sunlight and color.
"Yes, Soubi-san is very awesome!" squealed Yuiko. "He does painting!"
"Painting?" Yayoi blinked. "Wow! That's hard stuff! You're lucky, Ritsuka, to have such a cool friend!"
Ritsuka blushed as he looked at Soubi leaning against the swing set frame.
"... Yeah..."
"You should take a picture of him on a swing with me," Kio suggested wickedly, winking at Ritsuka.
Ritsuka blinked.
"Errr... well..."
"Soubi! We're to take a picture of you and I on a swing together! Ritsuka has commanded!"
Soubi looked at Ritsuka questioningly.
"Well... I want a picture of Soubi... yes..."
"YAYYY!!! Soubi! You sit there and I'll sit here! And - presto! The hottest picture in Tokyo!"
Ritsuka, looking through the viewfinder at Soubi, who was trying to place as much space between him and Kio (impossible since they were sharing a swing), couldn't help but agree.
The picture would be hot - but only because Soubi was glaring (very mildly) at Kio - who was snuggling really closely to his classmate.
Too close.
Ritsuka took the picture with a pang of regret.
-----
Later on, when the sun began to set in a sky of fiery red, Ritsuka found Soubi alone by the river staring thoughtfully at a bunch of flowers. And scribbling. He came up quietly and paused - as he watched a picture come to life on the blank page.
The flowers, the water with trees reflected in its mirror - and him, Ritsuka, sitting there, hand raised with a butterfly on it.
It was beautiful.
And fanciful.
As if I'd sit around for a butterfly... Ritsuka rolled his eyes. But... Here, he paused. But... it's beautiful... and so... I look so happy.
And suddenly, Ritsuka could hear Kio talking. Earlier during the lunch.
"But you know, Sou-chan's specialty is butterflies -"
And Ritsuka suddenly knew that perhaps here, Sou-chan was most happiest - drawing a picture of Ritsuka - happy - with him.
The butterfly must be you.
It's a beautiful dream...
Raising his camera, Ritsuka took the picture - and at the sound of the camera's click, Soubi's head whipped up - his usually composed face startled. And when he recognized Ritsuka, his ears turned red.
Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh.
"Ah! Sorry, Soubi! I just - wanted to know what you were doing so quietly over here..." The dark-haired boy bent down, ears twitching with excitement. "But you know... that's really beautiful!"
"Beautiful?"
"I think it's an awesome picture! Are you going to paint it?"
"Do you want it painted?"
"Maybe..." Ritsuka back-pedaled at Soubi's careful voice. "If you want to..."
A pause.
"The butterfly is you, right?" Ritsuka asked. "Whenever I see butterflies, I think of you."
"I hope you see them all the time then," Soubi smiled, looking up - and then realizing, with a start, how close they were right now.
Ritsuka tensed too. And they stared at one another for a long time. Then -
Ritsuka leaned forward and gave Soubi a quick peck on the check.
"You're mine," he said softly.
Soft. Like butterfly's wings. Like rose petals. Like snowflakes.
And it fills me up -
I felt like I could fly. Like I could win the hardest spell battle.
Brimming with love.
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