Disclaimers and Warnings: See ch. 1.
New Year's Day - 12:30am - Sohma Main House, The Great Hall
With a sigh of contentment, Sohma Ritsu, cursed with the spirit of the monkey, lifted the cup of tea from where it was sitting at his knees.
He sat with legs curled under him on a small pillow on the porch just outside the hall, looking into the gardens. Quietly, and with a warm smile, Ritsu had watched what had just occurred between Kyo and Yuki, and he was happy for them. And amused, but not surprised, that they were getting away from the main house as quickly as they could climb.
Ritsu had known it would happen soon enough, Yuki and Kyo. The way one stared at the other when they thought no one else was paying attention. The way they fought, almost a dance of getting closer to one another. The expression one made at the mere mention of the other. If they had not known it themselves earlier, at least both their subconscious thoughts had no doubt.
As they perched on the top of a wall, Yuki leaned over and gave Kyo a peck on the cheek. Ritsu covered his mouth demurely with one hand as he was unable to hide his laughter at the red shade of the cat's face.
"So it finally happened, eh?" A silken voice came from somewhere above Ritsu.
Startled by the sudden presence, Ritsu looked up and immediately stopped laughing, although his hand remained covering part of his face. Ayame stood looking down at him, one hand on his hip and one in his pocket, his gold eyes smiling along with his lips and his silver hair flowing down to his waist.
Ritsu blushed brightly, eyes widening. Ayame was talking to him. Ritsu wanted more than anything to answer elequently, but no words came, and he could only stare at the beauty of the older Sohma as the moonlight fell upon him.
As if the silence hadn't been minutes long, Ayame continued speaking. "Yuki and Kyo. They were going to get together sometime..."
Jolted back into reality by the sound of more words, Ritsu removed his hand from his face and grabbed his teacup with shaking hands, but didn't drink. "I'm in your way, aren't I Ayame-kun. I'm sorry, I'll get up and let you enjoy the gardens! I'm sorry! I'm always in the way!"
"Oh hush! Do not apologize for such! You are not in my way at all. Two people can enjoy the view at the same time, right?" Ayame smiled at Ritsu.
Ritsu nodded and looked down at his hands, blushing. As if realizing he'd been holding his tea without drinking, Ritsu hastily brought the cup to his lips, almost spilling, and took a sip.
And he kept sipping at his tea, longer than anyone would have considered normal, thoughts racing through his brain. Ayame was next to him, near him, and the combination of excitement and pain nearly wrought Ritsu into tiny bits. Ayame represented everything Ritsu wanted to be, everything he wanted to have, and the silver-haired snake was the only person Ritsu wanted to possess. Ritsu had spent most of his life watching Ayame from afar, knowing him from infrequent meetings, short, polite conversations, and stories passed through other members of the Sohma clan.
With a short sigh and a stretch, Ayame kneeled beside Ritsu and looked out into the night. "I am glad they've found some happiness, even if it might be for a short while. They have been through so much and it is something they deserve, an opportunity to love. Something everyone deserves." Ayame put extra weight into the last phrase, hoping to lure a response from the shy Ritsu.
Ritsu nodded, setting his now empty teacup beside him as if just realizing he had been holding it to his lips for minutes. "Yes." His voice was soft and his cheeks still flushed. "It is the greatest emotion of all."
Ayame smiled softly and nodded. "So true. And yet, also the hardest. And even so, it can cause the most happiness." Ayame paused. "And the most pain." Ayame watched as Ritsu's face lost a bit of its light at that last statement. The younger man only nodded in response, looking down to his lap.
They sat in an only relatively comfortable silence for many minutes more before Ayame could think of more words to speak.
"Your dance was beautiful this evening." The snake turned his head to face Ritsu. "I really liked it."
This being the last thing Ritsu was expecting, and his face abruptly turned to Ayame's as he flushed a dark crimson. "Th-thank you."
Ayame nodded. "You are quite talented actually." He paused, noting how Ritsu blushed impossibly deeper red. "I didn't see it at first, but you really have a way of conveying passionate emotion in your movements. I was very moved."
Ritsu's eyes widened. "I'm sorry if it was too emotional... I just got caught up in it all. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable. I only wanted people to enjoy-" In the fashion of his parents, Ritsu began to babble apologies, again.
Ayame stopped him by placing a light finger to the other man's lips. "Shh." Ritsu quieted, startled, but now beet red and his eyes were wider than plates. "It was a compliment, nothing bad. You must not apologize so much." Ayame's finger was still on Ritsu's lips and he did not remove it until the monkey had nodded his agreement. "However," Ayame sighed, folding his hands in his lap but still looking at Ritsu. "I know for a fact that you could not have conveyed such emotion without understanding it deeply. And I just wanted you to know that, well, I understand how much unrequited love can hurt." Ayame's voice was soft at the end.
A wide range of emotions quickly flashed through Ritsu's expressive eyes before he controlled them and spoke. "I'm... I'm sorry you have to know such pain as well." And Ritsu was sorry, for he wished so much for Ayame to never be in pain.
"Ah," Ayame wagged his finger in front of Ritsu's nose. "I said no apologizing." The snake continued with a smile. "And thank you for your concern, but it is through things like this that we grow. Besides, hearts do mend over time."
Ritsu's expression softened and he nodded, a soft, knowing smile gracing his fine lips as he looked back at his lap. "True, but that doesn't mean it does not hurt less in the present."
Ayame placed a comforting hand on Ritsu's shoulder and the other man shot him a surprised look. The snake only smiled and gave Ritsu's shoulder a light squeeze before releasing it.
"Hm..." Ayame hummed, returning his hand to Ritsu's shoulder and feeling the fabric of the man's kimono. "Where did you get this fabric? It is fabulous... Do you always wear kimono like this? Women's kimono that is..."
Ritsu blushed again. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable bu-"
Ayame tapped Ritsu's nose with his finger. "No apologizing." He waited until Ritsu nodded. "Okay, please continue."
"I... I..." Ritsu stammered, holding back this need he had to apologize. "Yes. I feel more comfortable this way... I... I... I can be more reserved, more demure. I can be more of myself."
Ayame's bright smile nearly made Ritsu melt. "Really? This kimono does so suit you... but, oh!" The snake put his hands to his own cheeks in excitement. "I have this wonderful outfit that would look amazing on you! It's not women's but..." Ayame clapped his hands together in excitement. "It's a suit I designed myself! It's based on an old British frock coat I saw once... oh, you must come to my shop and try it on!!"
Ritsu blushed crimson, not really knowing what to say. He had seen many of Ayame's designs and had loved them all, but never had the courage to go to the boutique himself. "I... I couldn't... I... I..."
"Nonsense!" Ayame waved his hand in the air. "You must. I insist. You can't say no."
"I..." Ritsu stared at him with wide eyes, blushing a deeper crimson. "I... I... I.......... okay." Ritsu mangaged to squeek out, swallowing hard.
Ayame beamed, clapping his hands together again and again. "Fabulous! I know it's not women's clothing, but I do think it would really suit you... and I have plenty of other stuff to boot." Ayame winked here. The snake reached over and ran his fingers into Ritsu's long tawny hair, pulling some of it back from his face. "And maybe with a dramatic pony tail... or... I could do a..." His voice faded out as he considered the myriad of fashionable possibilities in his head.
Ritsu initally froze at the touch from Ayame, like a fawn in headlights, having no clue how to react, but as the other man kept his hand firmly planted at the back of the monkey's head, holding his hair back - eventually Ritsu relaxed into, and even relished in, the warmth of his hand. Closing his eyes he leaned into the touch slightly and smiled.
Ayame almost immediately noticed this and stopped babbling to himself, staring at the peaceful expression on Ritsu's face as he leaned ever-so-slightly into the snake's hand.
It took a moment for Ritsu to notice that Ayame was watching him and no longer talking, but once he did he leapt away from the other's hand and blushed brightly, looking down into his lap. "I.. I... I'm so sorry! Forgive me! I didn't mean to, I just-"
"Stop." Ayame cut in again, shaking his head from side to side with a smile. "I really need to get you to stop that." Ritsu looked up and him and nodded once, a rather grave and regretful expression on his face. "And don't look like that, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the touch of another." At this Ritsu blushed even more, the flush travelling down his neck and over his ears. Ayame mused for a moment at how becoming such a blush was on the younger man.
Unprepared for a shift in his own thoughts, Ayame's musings suddenly went tumbling downwards, his mind rapidly painting images of Ritsu flushing with moans of passion under him. A slim, soft body writhing and panting under his, clothes thrown recklessly across the room, skin pressing to damp skin.
As quickly and suddenly as the image had appeared in the snake's mind, it was gone, and it left Ritsu no longer alone in his blushing. Ayame looked forward, closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath, composing himself.
"A... Ayame-san?" Ritsu's voice ventured softly. He was obviously confused by the rapid change in expression on the older Sohma. "Are you alright?"
Taking one more deep breath, Ayame faced Ritsu and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine." Ritsu gave him a look of disbelief but didn't move to question the other man further. "I really should go back in and make sure Hatori hasn't killed Shigure... last I heard Shigure was going on about his latest romance novel." Ayame winked and Ritsu blushed again.
"Of course... I'm sure you're missed." Ritsu looked down into his lap, suddenly very interested in his hands demurely folded there.
Standing, Ayame patted Ritsu's shoulder and the monkey looked up at him. "Mondays are my 'work' days. The shop is closed and I usually just finish up all the work that has to be done for the rest of the week. I don't know if you could make it all the way into town on such short notice, but..." The snake smiled warmly. "I'd love it if you'd come and try on that suit I have."
Ritsu's eyes went wide as he simply stared up at Ayame. He knew what he wanted to respond with, it just seemed his body was incapable of moving.
"Ritsu?" Ayame's expression became slightly concerned.
"Ah! I didn't say of course?" Ritsu blushed brightly. "I mean. Of course, if you'd like."
"No, no. Not just if I'd like. You need to want to come as well..." Ayame smirked, knowing the monkey didn't mean it that way, but unable to resist teasing him.
Ritsu brought his hands up to his mouth, covering it in embarrassment. "Oh! Of course I do! I'm sorry!! I didn't mean-"
"Ah!" Ayame interrupted. "No apologizing." Ritsu nodded. "Good. So I will see you on Monday?"
"Yes." Was all he managed as an answer.
Ayame smiled brightly down at the other Sohma. "Until then..." And with a wave the snake was gone into the room.
Blinking, Ritsu looked forward into the garden and noticed that Yuki and Kyo had long since disappeared into the night. Smiling softly to himself, he thought about Ayame's invitation, and all the possibilities that lay ahead.