Brothers chapter 2: Bitter memories
Chars: Ryuuki-centric this time... with bits of Shuurei.
Warning: None.
Summary: Ryuuki remembering on his mother and bitter childhood.
Disclaimer: Still applies.
A/N: Nothing special really. Just an idea that popped up in my mind, so I wrote this short drabble down. For me this is a good exercise to get rid of my writers block. Have fun with that bit ^^
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„How are the manjuu´s, Ryuuki?" an inquiring gaze met Ryuuki´s eyes. The gleam of expectation in her eyes made him smile. He loved how she could get excited about things so small.
„As always fantastic, Shuurei. We love your manjuu´s," he declared cheery, after he had swallowed the first bits down.
A faint smile curved around her lips. „Thank you", she nodded pleased and then took one of her delicious buns for herself to eat. Ryuuki looked a bit absent-minded at the manjuu in his hand.
„Umm,...we never asked you but where did Shuurei learn to cook so good? Especially those manjuu´s?"
„Huh?" Shuurei looked up, surprised. „Well, um... I had to learn it since my father isn´t really skilled in the kitchen, she smiled shyly before adding hesitantly,...and after all someone had to cook after my mother died."
„Oh sorry, we didn´t want to bring up bad memories," he looked apologetic at her and felt guilty for bringing up that topic as he noticed the sad undertone in her voice.
„No its okay, they aren´t that bad after all. Actually I learned to make those manjuu´s from my mother. Not that she was a good cook, no most the time she was as clumsy as otou-san in the kitchen." On that thought one corner of her mouth quirked up to a wry smile. Then her eyes seemed to lighten up. „But her manjuu´s were always great and she patiently showed me how to make them, no matter how many times I failed in it before."
Ryuuki was watching her closely as she enthusiastically continued to tell about her mother. Although Shuurei had lost her when she was just a little girl, she was able to talk about her mother so vividly. Despite that awful experience she was able to maintain the good memories on her mother. Good memories...a part of him couldn´t help to envy her for that. His thoughts trailed off, far away from Shuurei, from the present.
Mother...
Ryuuki never had a person he could call like that. He remembered on the hateful expression in his mother´s eyes when she looked at him. How her nails scratched easily through the soft flesh of his face. How she did blame him for losing her beauty. And how much fear he felt when she was locking him up in a dark place for days.
To Ryuuki reminding on his mother wasn´t really pleasant, like it was to Shuurei. He was only an unwanted child who was nothing more than bothersome to the woman who gave birth to him. His mother never cared or loved him. So remembering on her was nothing more than a collection of bitter memories for Ryuuki. He never learned the meaning of the word mother, like Shuurei did. That was why he couldn´t help but to envy her.
„Ryuuki?"
The worried undertone in Shuurei´s voice put him out of his thoughts, back to the present. Then he looked up again just to meet a pair of sorrowful eyes, watching him intently. Those warm, brown eyes of her which he learned to love and which were able to dispel his bitter memories just by looking in those.
„Everything okay, Ryuuki? You looked so sad for a moment, I was worried." Her concern was genuine.
He noticed one single tear in the wink of his eye and wiped it away with his finger. He swallowed hard before he answered „ Ahh...yes, sorry. W-We just remembered something."