A/N: Best read when listening to "An Eternal Flame" by the Bengals. Because that's what I was listening to when I wrote this and what inspired it. xD The characters do not belong to me, however the plot does. Italics would be flashbacks. Thank you! And please review! Feedback is always loved.
Disclaimer: As much as it saddens me to say it, none of these characters are mine. They are all copyrighted to their respective owners.
An Eternal Flame...
Looking up at the assignment that Shinonome-sensei had written upon the board, Ritsuka thought about all of the people that could fit the stated role. Normally, his automatic response to the question (Write down the name of your hero and why you chose this person) would have been Seimei. But now there were so many other people to consider in his life...
"Ne, ne, Ritsuka. Who're you going to put down as your hero?" came the usual, peppy inquisition from the girl who sat right beside him: the first girl who had ever tried to be his friend. Hiwatari Yuiko.
"I can't decide between you and my Mom," she continued, oblivious to the fact that neither of the blue eyes boring into her face were conscious of where they were looking. Lost in his thoughts, Yuiko's voice slowly detached itself from her body and into Ritsuka's mind, melding instead with the reminiscent Yuiko he'd always keep trapped inside. It didn't matter if he was Aoyagi Ritsuka or just a shell of the former boy's self. Yuiko would always, always be there.
"Yuiko's favorite color is pink!" Yuiko chimed happily, joy evident on her consistantly expressive features. "Because pink suits Yuiko the best!"
"I told you to address yourself as 'I' and 'me' instead of 'Yuiko,'" Ritsuka retorted, though he'd only half thought out the words before they fumbled from his lips. It wasn't that he found Yuiko annoying, but her ability to be so alive and unhindered by any of the negative influences around her made him feel uncomfortable.
"A-ah! My favorite color is pink!" she tried again, a tint of her favorite hue adding a lovely shade of color to her cheeks. She was right. Pink did suit her the best. "What's Ritsuka's favorite color?"
"My favorite color...?"
"Everybody has a favorite color," Yuiko explained patiently. Pointing upwards, she managed to smile in a moment when others usually scorned Ritsuka for his tactless response. It was these seemingly aloof responses of him that had him labeled 'weird'. "Yuiko--ah, that is--I think the color blue suits Ritsuka the most, because the sky is mysterious, but everybody loves to look at it. There wouldn't be a world without the sky, and the sky is blue. So I think that Ritsuka would be expressed by blue the best."
"Then... My favorite color is blue..."
Yuiko had been the very first person to accept him. She had not thought of him as strange, or given up hope even when he'd shot nasty comments at her from over his shoulder about how weak she was. She had only tried and tried again with a persistence that even Ritsuka couldn't elude for very long. She was consistent: she was his stability.
Ready to write down the pink-haired girl's name, Ritsuka was drawn from his reverie and train of thought as Yayoi came from across the other side of the room, sitting down in the empty seat in front of Yuiko. The class had been allowed to talk amongst their friends and move around the room for this assignment. Why, Ritsuka didn't know. It was a personal matter.
"Yuiko, I put you down as my hero," Yayoi announced, aiming to get Yuiko's affection per-usual. This brought a small smile to Ritsuka's lips as he watched the two talk over the green-haired boy's decision. Maybe his hero was Yayoi instead.
"I'll beat you no matter what, Ritsuka!"
"Hmm?" Ritsuka turned around, a sullen expression on his face as he came face to face with a boy the same height and the same age as himself. "What are you talking about, Yayoi?"
"I'll win Yuiko's heart no matter what! You can't--"
"Ritsuka-kun!"
Blinking, both boys turned to face Yuiko as she came down the walkway of the school, stopping at the gates to catch her breath for a moment before moving closer to the blue-haired boy. "Ritsuka-kun! I thought you had left without me!"
Unable to fight down the blush on his cheeks, Yayoi looked pointedly away from the both of them. Ritsuka could still see the way he was twiddling his thumbs nervously because of Yuiko's sudden appearance despite the boy's best attempts at hiding it. "W-well. Let's go, then."
Yayoi was his friendly rival--not that he wanted to become involved with Yuiko--in everything. From video games to reading a book faster, Yayoi was always trying to best Ritsuka in everything he did. And even though he always lost to the boy with natural talents and a knack for doing things right, Yayoi was never discouraged to try again. Yayoi was his hero too. Yayoi was his strength.
"Do you need help with your assignment?" Shinonome-sensei inquired, approaching the trio just as Ritsuka finished erasing Yuiko's name and started writing a new 'Y' down on the paper. "Please ask me if you have any questions."
"Please ask me if you have any questions, Ritsuka-kun," came the soft spoken, sincere voice of his new elementary school teacher. Ritsuka hated this part of transferring, the way everybody on staff was artificial and fake.
"I'm fine, sensei!" Ritsuka replied with feigned enthusiasm. "I'll ask you if I need anything, sensei. Thank you, but I need to go home now! Bye!"
Shinonome Hitomi was different from all of those other teachers, though. Her kindness originated from the very depths of her soul, her sincerity went unrivaled by any he'd met yet, and her concern was enough to, for a couple of hours, make up for the lack of mothering he received at home. Yes, Shinonome-sensei was his hero. Shinonome-sensei was his security.
Paying the conversation between his teacher and both of his friends no mind, Ritsuka erased the first letter of Yayoi's name and instead replaced it with his sensei's.
Shinonome-sensei is my hero because...
Sensei, Ritsuka mused. And all at once, he found himself lost once again in a sea of thoughts. There was somebody else too...
"I like Ritsuka," his counselor stated, smile curling her lips as she swiveled in her chair to face her client. "I like Ritsuka."
Flushing, Ritsuka sat up on the couch and turned his head away from her. "H-How can you say something like that so casually? I like Ritsuka, I like Ritsuka, I like Ritsuka! How can you say that? Why do you say it?"
"Because Ritsuka is Ritsuka."
"That doesn't make sense," Ritsuka murmured, but it was a retort made under his breath as, much to his counselor's amusement, he lowered himself back down onto the couch with an air of resignation and rested one forearm across his eyes.
Sensei always listened to Ritsuka's thoughts, no matter how insignificant they were. She made sense of things in a way that nobody could; in a way that nobody tried. She was always there, always smiling, always open to his feelings. Sensei was a hero as well, because Sensei was his assurance.
But then, Ritsuka's mind strayed before his eraser could make his teacher's name disappear. He had one more person on his mind, one he could never forget no matter how many times he tried. There, unwavering, listening, constant, encouraging, was Soubi. Soubi with his easy smile. Soubi with his calm looks. Soubi being Soubi.
"I love you, Ritsuka."
"You can call me any time and I'll answer."
"Is that a command?"
"Let's go make more memories."
"Pierce my ears, Ritsuka."
"Does it hurt?"
"Are you okay?"
"Kiss me, Ritsuka."
"I'm sorry."
"I love you, Ritsuka."
Kisses. After hour rendezvous. Secrets. Love. Soubi was everything that turned his world upside down and right side up at the same time. He was beautiful and yet somehow haunting; open but all together secretive. Soubi kept Ritsuka on his toes, left him guessing, and always, always protected him even when Ritsuka wished for nothing more than him to do anything but. Soubi was his hero, because Soubi was his stability. Soubi was his strength and his assurance and his security all rolled into one because Soubi did what nobody else could do: Soubi loved him. And Soubi was Soubi.
Soubi was, beyond a reasonable doubt, his Eternal Flame.
With a smile on his lips, Ritsuka got a new piece of paper altogether and began his assignment anew. This was the absolutely most accurate answer, and Ritsuka didn't think that he could have responded with anything more convincing--more true than this. This was who his hero was. This was who made Aoyagi Ritsuka Aoyagi Ritsuka. This was what made him him.
My Hero
My hero is Aoyagi Seimei, Hiwatari Yuiko, Yayoi-kun, Shinonome-sensei, Sensei, Agatsuma Soubi, and everybody else I've ever met. They're my heroes because they were my first friends, my first happiness, and the very first time that I ever felt content with who I am. I've learned now that I like Seimei, and Yuiko. Soubi and Shinonome-sensei, Yayoi and everybody else. Somebody once told me that the color that suited me the best was the color blue, because the sky is blue and everybody loves to look at the sky, regardless of how mysterious it is. Everybody wants to touch it; everybody wants to experience it. There would be no world without the sky. But I think that's wrong. There would be no world without the sky and no sky without the sun. Nothing shines more bright or more brilliant than the sun and everybody I've ever met creates its light. It's just six people, however, that illuminate my sky and reach out to touch my world. This is why Aoyagi Seimei, Hiwatari Yuiko, Yayoi-kun, Shinonome-sensei, Sensei, and Agatsuma Soubi are my heroes. Because they're the only ones that shine brighter than any sun in my world. They provide me with the light to grow and see exactly where I'm going.
Aoyagi Ritsuka
Grade 6
Lyrics:
Close your eyes
Give my your hand, Darling
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
Am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
I believe it's meant to be, Darling
I watch you when you are sleeping;
you belong with me.
Do you feel the same?
Am I only dreaming,
or is this burning an eternal flame?
Say my name,
Sunshine's through the rain.
A whole life, so lonely,
And then you come and ease the pain.
I don't want to lose this feeling.
Say my name,
Sun shines through the rain.
A whole life, so lonely,
And then you come and ease the pain.
I don't want to lose this feeling.
Close your eyes,
Give me your hand.
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
Am I only dreaming,
Or is this burning an eternal flame?
--"An Eternal Flame", the Bengals