Of Promises and Lies- Chapter 7
As a conclusion of the dislocated wrist, there was a neat but exaggerated cast on his wrist. After showing Suzaku the 'right' wrist that had been dislocated, having done the deed himself when everyone was distracted by Suzaku, he had to pretend to be 'sick' for the boy.
He had been carefully ushered to Suzaku's room and told to rest on the futon. Then, a big hot water bottle was placed on his head. It nearly suffocated him. Then, Chika, playing the doctor, put a thermometer into his mouth after being given the tool by Suzaku, who was playing the assistant. Toudou just watch amusedly from the sidelines, chuckling at R.R.'s demise. R.R. just glared at him, vowing to get revenge at the man for not helping him.
But, R.R. just played along, saying how he ached all over his body, all the while feeling ridiculous.
The situation was reaching its limit when the two pretenders had even got a special pillow especially for his wrist. The joint was wrapped in gauze and braced way too much, in R.R.s opinion, to be the normal treatment.
He was then bundled in a mountain of blankets and wrapped tightly with the covers, save for his arm, so he couldn't escape. That didn't mean he didn't try. On the contrary, he tried three times. Each attempt failed and only added to his misery and embarrassment. He had cursed and cursed Toudou inside his mind. The man, during the whole time, just stood there against the wall no matter how much R.R. had glared daggers at him with his eyes.
He had gotten, slowly but surely, furious with the treatment. He wasn't an invalid, so why were they acting he was? Even an actual dislocated wrist didn't require this much treatment. And, he couldn't have told that to Suzaku, who was having more fun he should from the situation, because he was bundled up in the blankets so much!
R.R. sighed, returning to the present time. He stared at his drawing, and an eye twitched. It was horrible. He looked down hatefully at the cast around his wrist, wishing he could take it off. But he didn't, knowing what would happen after he did, having already done that once.
Chika and Suzaku had panicked, or at least Suzaku did. Chika had 'panicked', feigning the emotion. His wrist was promptly set in with a new cast and brace. Then, he found out his time as an invalid was lengthened by that action.
Yes, he wasn't going to do that again. He turned his attention back to his picture.
R.R. drew Suzaku's hair in the picture he was currently on, but then erased a part of it. He brushed the eraser scraps away. Earlier, he had switched to using a pencil to experiment and conserve paper. He sketched the boy's bangs, but messed up again. Eraser fragments piled on the floor to his increased irritation. His wrist's reduced mobility and flexibility didn't help much with his drawing efforts.
This cycle continued until the floor was littered with eraser. R.R. sighed in defeat, and set down the book, pencil, and eraser. He couldn't draw today. Also, an issue kept on popping up in his mind. An issue that was tall, muscled, and had a name that started with the letter 'J'.
Jiro.
Yes, it was Jiro, the bodyguard. R.R. wasn't too sure on why the other man was so hostile towards him, but he had a feeling it was something to do with honor and his roots belonging in Britannia. Nonetheless, he was getting tired and sick of it.
In the beginning, it was tolerable, being glares and dark looks. Nothing was too bad. Then, the longer R.R. stayed in the Kururugi house, the more drastic Jiro's actions became.
First, it started by not telling him it was dinnertime once. He found out later that Chika had told the bodyguard to tell him. Then, it was giving him wrong directions as to where Suzaku was in the house. Yes, R.R. sometimes left Suzaku's side, but it wasn't for excessively long periods of time, staying within shouting distance if necessary.
Recently, the small gestures had escalated to full-blow physical actions. If R.R. was walking down the hall alone and Jiro just happened to pass by, R.R. would get shoved roughly by the shoulder. If he was going around the dinner table, there was no doubt Jiro would be waiting to subtly stick his foot out and trip him. There were countless other times where the bodyguard had displayed similar actions, but R.R. wasn't going to list them all.
Now, the question was, what was he going to do about it?
R.R. could complain about it to the others, sure that they would defend him. He chuckled. Suzaku would ask with those big, innocent eyes why Jiro was being so mean to his friend. Chika would walk up to the man, arms akimbo, and threaten to whack him over the head with one of her beloved frying pans. Toudou probably would walk up to Jiro and give him a long talking-to.
If he decided to take this course of action, the problem would be solved. However, R.R. closed his eyes in thought. Doing so would make him seem like a whiny brat, unable to stand for himself. Also, it would be dishonorable.
R.R. sighed. When did his life become so complicated? Though, compared to the past, it was pretty tame. A chuckle came from his lips. Had he really become so soft? It was almost unimaginable. Now back to the matter at hand…
He opened his eyes and got up. He exited the room and began to aimlessly wander the halls.
He could arrange a meeting between the two of them and then write down his answers… R.R. quickly shot that idea down. It was too cumbersome and Jiro would most likely get frustrated at him and walk out, ending the meeting, since writing more time consuming than verbal answers. Doing that would just worsen the already horrible relationship between the two.
Another option was open, but R.R. was hesitant about it. It involved him directly speaking to Jiro, like he did with Suzaku. To be honest, he wasn't comfortable with the idea. Speaking like that, to R.R, was personal between Suzaku and himself. It was something he was reluctant to share with the bodyguard. It felt like secret, known only between two people.
However, if that's what it took to better the relationship between R.R. and Jiro, R.R. would do it. R.R. nodded, that's what he would do. He stiffened as he saw the subject had been thinking out come around the corner. Hastily, he sent a thought up to whoever was aware of his situation, saying just because he thought up an idea to settle things between him and Jiro did not mean that he was ready to confront the man yet. But still, it was too late. The bodyguard was getting closer to R.R. every second he waited.
R.R. took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for the upcoming conversation. He raised an arm and reached forward, about to touch Jiro's hand. Suddenly, his senses told him something wasn't right and he instinctively ducked.
Luckily, he was right and Jiro's hand rushed through the air above his head. He winced. Judging from the force and speed of the blow he just dodged, he would've received a lovely lump if he hadn't avoided it. He quickly threw himself to the side and rolled to pass by a kick. Jiro saw this and changed the course of his foot. The third attem[t clipped R.R. on the side. R.R. winced at the sudden pain. That was going to bruise. He got up and shifted to a loose pose he learned from watching Toudou and Suzaku, but it was unneeded.
"Don't you dare touch me, you Britannian filth!" Jiro growled, and then stalked away. R.R. blinked, not understanding what just happened. When it finally caught up with him, he decided to forego his idea of speaking with the bodyguard. It wasn't worth it. Though, now he had another matter to ponder on.
R.R. shrugged. No matter, he would find a solution. He always did, he thought, a plan already starting to form in his mind.
Jiro stormed out of the house, his coat flaring angrily behind him. He roughly jerked the handle of one of the vehicles parked at the side of house and quickly drove away to town. R.R. blinked in surprise at the man's harsh actions, and then shrugged. He returned to his sketchbook. It was none of his concern.
He would see realize how wrong he was.
Jiro walked through the town, his hands in his pockets. His hands caressed the money he had in his coat. Maybe he could afford to buy a drink or two? He paused in front of a bar, debating. Then, he slid the doors open and entered. He walked straight towards the bar with great familiarity and sat at one of the seats.
"Two bottles of your strongest sake!" he called out. The current bartender turned around and saw the man. She grinned flirtatiously.
"Ah, Jiro-san. Back again? How are you?" Jiro glared at her.
"Just give me my sake." The bartender wagged a finger at his statement.
"Now, that wasn't very nice, was it?" she chided. "You should be nicer to your favorite girl." The bodyguard frowned at her assumption.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not interested!" The other surrounding customers just ignored the two. This was a regular occurrence. The women sighed dramatically and put a hand on her brow.
"Rejected, again. How many times do I have to ask you before you say 'yes'? You're so cruel, Jiro-san." She said in a hurt voice. The bodyguard wasn't affected by it and his frown deepened.
"Just give me my drink." The women sighed and waved a dismissive hand.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be in a moment." She grumbled as she turned around, grabbed the two ordered bottles. Why did she have to act all nice again? Oh yeah, because the man was a regular customer. But seriously, the man needed to lighten up. Did he ever smile? She slammed the bottles down on the countertop.
"Here you go." She said cheerily. Jiro didn't even bother to thank her before pouring it on a dish and drinking it down. The bartender just rolled her eyes, before moving toward another customer.
The entrance doors slid open again to let in another person in, but Jiro didn't pay them any attention, taking another long pull at his drink. He didn't look when the newcomer chose to sit next to him. The person ordered a thinned down bottle of sake and he snorted into his bottle. The other couldn't even hold her drink!
When the bartender gave the newcomer her order, the girl sipped the dish quietly and conservatively. The two sat in silence for a while. Then, the girl spoke.
"You're Jiro Watanabe, correct?" The bodyguard glanced to the side.
"What's it to you?" The other had a small smile on her face behind her bottle. Her amber eyes glimmered in amusement from behind her low hat.
"I'll take that as a yes. How are you?" Jiro looked at the girl suspiciously.
"Who are you?" he demanded. The woman swished her dish around, staring at the rotating sake.
"You can call me C.C." Jiro set his sake down and stared long and hard at C.C. The girl paid him no mind as she sipped at her sake. She linked her ankles together in a calm fashion, waiting. Finally, Jiro spoke.
"That's just like that other boy." He spat out. C.C. raised a delicate eyebrow.
"Oh?" she said. "Might you be referring to this 'boy'?" She pulled a picture out of her coat and set it on the table, pushing it towards him. Jiro picked the picture up and looked at it. R.R.'s blank expression stared back at him, his normally vibrant violet eyes a dull purple. He set the photo down.
"Yes, how do you have this picture? I thought he was just a stupid Britannian hiding in the woods." C.C. chuckled, returning the picture to her coat.
"Oh no, that's not right at all. He's more than he looks. You see, this 'boy' is a very important… member of the organization I'm working with. He's been missing for a year now, and we want him back."C.C. sipped her sake. Jiro liked where this was going, but was still suspicious of the women.
"Are you a Britannian like him?" C.C. laughed and waved a dismissive gesture.
"Does it really matter if I am or not? You want him out of the picture and we want him where he belongs. So, why don't we work together?" She held out a hand and looked at him with her amber eyes. "Are you going to disappoint me?" Jiro chuckled and accepted the offered appendage.
"No, of course not." C.C. smirked.
"Good."
Back at the Kururugi household, R.R.'s hand twitched for a moment and messed up a line. He groaned, mentally whining. He was almost done too! He glared hatefully at his hand. Why did it have to ruin the picture? But deep down inside, R.R. knew exactly why that happened, and he dreaded it with a passion. He sighed.
He was running out of time, and soon he would have to leave Suzaku.
That night, R.R. was internally debating whether or not to hint to Suzaku that he might be leaving soon. His eyes drifted to the boy changing into the proper sleepwear. He didn't want to tell the boy, but what was the best choice of action? What his heart dictated or what his mind schemed? His frowned furrowed in thought, his mouth a stern frown.
"R.R.?" Suzaku's voice drifted to him. "What are you thinking about?" The men looked up at Suzaku and saw the complete honesty and trust in the boy's eyes. He closed his own and made his decision. He held out a hand, smiling reassuringly.
'I'll tell you later some other day.' He said. Suzaku pouted, but didn't protest. R.R. never lied, at least not to him. If he said he would tell, he would tell. It was just a matter of when. His eyes fell on the sketchbook lying on the ground. He brightened up and stood up.
"I'll be back in a moment." The boy went into the hall. R.R. looked curiously at the opened door and blinked. What was Suzaku's thinking? He soon received his answer when the boy came back with a couple sheets of paper and a pencil. "Look what I got!" Suzaku giggled, holding the material in his hands up. R.R. raised an eyebrow in question and touched the boy's wrist.
'What are you going to do with all this?' he asked. Suzaku looked at him funnily, as if the answer was obvious, which it was, but only to him.
"I'm going to draw of course! You draw all the time. I want to try."
'Don't you do brush painting?' The boy nodded.
"Yes," he said agreeing, "but it's different."
'How?' Suzaku opened his mouth, but closed it only to open it again. Then he closed it. Repeating his actions multiple times, R.R. said, 'Do that enough times and you'll stay stuck like a goldfish forever.' Suzaku's mouth snapped shut. 'So, how is pencil or pen drawing different from brush painting?'
"I…" Suzaku started, getting flustered. "You use different things. In brush painting you use a brush and in pencil or pen drawings, you use pencil or pen!"
'Thank you for stating the obvious,' was said dryly. 'Like I didn't know that.' Suzaku flushed in embarrassment and crossed his arms.
"They just are, alright?" There was a chuckle.
'Fine, fine. What are you going to draw?' Suzaku pointed at R.R.
"You!" The man was surprised.
'Me?' he questioned, pointing at himself, dread tickling his stomach. 'Why me?' He was relieved when the boy shrugged.
"I don't know."
'Then why not…' There was a pause as R.R. scanned the room, searching for something else that the boy could draw. He spotted something and nodded towards it. 'That lantern over there.'
Suzaku wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"Why would I want to draw a lantern? You're much better, unless you don't want me to draw you…" R.R. felt the stirrings of panic at Suzaku's dejected tone and shook his head.
'No, no, no, it's fine. You can draw me if you want to. I was just making sure you did.' He put a hand behind his head. 'It's fine, really.' Suzaku looked at the man.
"Are you sure?" R.R. nodded and the boy beamed. "Okay then. Look that way." The man turned to stare at the direction the boy pointed to.
'Is this right?' Suzaku smiled.
"Yep! Now look just a little bit down." R.R. dropped his chin. "No! Not like that. Like this!" The man let Suzaku poke and prod him in place, and then primp his hair.
'Hey! What are you doing to my hair?' R.R. said when he felt his hair being played with. He shifted his face. There was a light rap on his head.
"Don't move." Suzaku commanded, parting the white locks so some of them lay artfully in front of R.R.'s face. R.R. just sighed as he felt himself get poked and prodded again.
It was going to be a long night.
Here's Chapter 7! I hope it wasn't too disappointing. And also, sorry about the lateness of this chapter! I was so be done with chapter eight by the time I posted this, but right now chapter eight isn't finished. Right now, I'm working at a county fair with a friend. Because of that, I thought I would be able to write more. Instead, I write even less and maybe have more holes in my story. So, the rate I update may become longer and less consistant. If you find any in future chapters from eight on up, please please tell me!
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Lots of Love,
Shini
