(- 02.15.06 -)

Series. Loveless
Character. SoubixRitsuka Ritsukaxoc
Type. Stand a l o n e

Author Notes. Hm. A Loveless one-shot. I wanted to try a first-person perspective. My least favorite. Along with a new style.

Disclaimor. I don't own Loveless. It belongs to Kouga Yun.

Stolen
Loveless

'Our heart is not our own to give away.
We want to protect it, to keep it ourselves.
But someone will always come along who is special enough to steal it.'
"Ah, Ritsuka-chan, where will you be going now?" I asked him. I liked that name for him, Ritsuka-chan. But Ritsuka-chan didn't like it, because he thought it showed affection.

"I'm meeting someone," he answered, staring long and hard at his cellphone, a new one. It was after-school, and we were walking towards the gate.

"Oh? Who Ritsuka-chan?" I asked, curious, with wide eyes. I called him Ritsuka-chan because that is just what he is. Small. Ritsuka-chan doesn't realize it, but he's small, oh so small. Small and fragile. But maybe he is right. Perhaps I call him that out of affection as well.

Ritsuka-chan looked up, eyes suddenly bright. But my affection has been stolen.

"Soubi!" he shouted, before running to him. I stared at him, before following after him. I followed, and saw that he was running towards a blonde haired man, an adult. And now it was only being wasted.

"Ah! Soubi-kun!" I shouted as well, following after Ritsuka. I had met Soubi the other day, when me and Yuiko-chan had walked with Ritsuka-chan after school. My affection was wasted, because fragile Ritsuka-chan's affection was not directed back towards me.

"Hello, Mihi-kun" Soubi-kun said to me. Ritsuka-chan turned to look at Soubi-kun. Ritsuka's affection was not directed back to me, because it was directed to someone else, who had also stolen his affections.

"Mihi, do you want to come make some memories with us?" Ritsuka turned to ask me, with bright violet eyes. But unlike me, Ritsuka's affections were not being wasted.

"Ah, hai, Ritsuka-chan!" I said, nodding and smiling. But Ritsuka-chan did not yet know that his affection had been stolen.

"Let's go then!" Ritsuka-chan said to me, holding on to my wrist. He looked at me, and smiled. I liked Ritsuka-chan's smile.

"Soubi, come on!" Ritsuka-chan said again, already leading me down the sidewalk. He turned back to look at Soubi-kun who was following behind us with a relaxed smile and casual steps, and smiled. But I liked that smile even more.

&&&.

We arrived at the park, and Ritsuka-chan took out a camera.

"Ah, Soubi, can you take a picture of me and Mihi?" he asked happily, giving Soubi-kun the camera. But Ritsuka-chan's special smile was not meant for me.

Soubi-kun only smiled, taking the camera and motioned for me and Ritsuka-chan and I to stand in front of a tree, next to each other.

Ritsuka-chan leaned in close to me and told me to smile at the camera. "Smile, Mihi!" he said. Oh, how I wish Ritsuka-chan's special smile was for me.

I smiled, very happily. Because that was my special smile, for Ritsuka-chan. If only Ritsuka-chan had a special smile, for me.

Soubi-kun took a picture, then we switched places. Now, I have to take a picture with Ritsuka-chan and Soubi-kun. I envy who Ritsuka's special smile is for.

Ritsuka-chan and Soubi-kun smiled, as I took a picture. I wonder if he knows, that he has stolen Ritsuka-chan's affection and special smile.

I snapped many pictures of them, because I felt Ritsuka-chan would like them more. I suddenly wanted to throw Ritsuka-chan's precious memory-making camera on the ground. But I didn't, because it was precious to Ritsuka-chan.

Instead, I smiled, asking Ritsuka-chan and Soubi-kun if they wanted another picture taken of them. The memory-making camera was precious to Ritsuka-chan, just like how the person who stole his affections was precious to him.

"Let's take a picture of all three of us!" Ritsuka-chan said, asking a woman passing by if she could take a picture of us. She smiled, before turning to us and snapping another picture. I wonder, if I am precious to Ritsuka-chan?

"Thank you!" said Ritsuka-chan, ever being so polite. Maybe I am, but never as precious as the one who has stolen Ritsuka-chan's affections.

&&&.

"Arigatou, Ritsuka-chan!" I exclaimed, looking at the photos we took yesterday. How precious these memories will become to me.

"You're welcome, Mihi," fragile Ritsuka-chan said, giving me a small smile. I wonder if these memories are precious to Ritsuka-chan?

"Eh? Ritsuka-chan, what's wrong?" I asked him. They must be, for they show that person that is precious to Ritsuka-chan.

"Don't call me Ritsuka-chan," he muttered to me. Has Ritsuka-chan finally realized that his affections has been stolen?

"Eh? But that is what Ritsuka-chan is, small and fragile," I told him, blinking. So small and fragile, unable to protect his heart.

"No Mihi, it shows affection, I don't deserve it!" he shouted, before turning around. I looked at Ritsuka-chan's back sadly as he walked away. We are all small and fragile, when it comes to protecting our heart.

&&&.

I walked home by myself, looking at the photos in my hand, the memories. A memory can sometimes be as fragile as a heart.

I gave a sad smile at them. They should be kept close.

My smile faded slightly however, as I glanced down at the one of Soubi-kun and Ritsuka-chan. Even the bad ones.

And then with that, I let out a soft sigh. So I will always remember the good and bad ones.

"Ritsuka-chan. . . is a good thief, ne?" I whispered quietly to myself, already knowing the answer. Because even if Ritsuka-chan's smile is not meant for me.

"But Soubi-kun is a good thief as well," I whispered, with a melancholic smile. Even though Ritsuka-chan's heart has already been stolen.

My heart will always belong to him.

Whole. . .

Or broken.

&&&. E n d

(- 06.10.07 -)

Well, looking at the date from above to the one down here. You can probably tell I took a rather long time. Anyways, I kinda lost my inspiration towards the end. I wanted to keep Mihi's thoughts simple and naive, yet knowledgable of Ritsuka and Soubi's relationship so I could sort of stress on it throughout the Shot. At the same time, I wanted her to be a character with flaws, but accepting herself for what she is, while she still rather dislikes it. I don't think I succeeded. The italics pretty much represented her subconscious thoughts. And in case any of you haven't figured it out by now, a one-sided relationship is when you consider someone something, but they don't return the same feelings for you.

Anyways, looking back at my other fics, you can probably see a rather big difference in style. I'm still rather undecided and experimenting on styles and such. So hm. . . yeahh.

t h x && b a i.
S.h.a.d.o.w.