The Color of Chinese Bellflowers
Chapter eight: Cloudless night
Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless.
A/N: This is an original AU fic. I've tried my best to keep everyone in character.
Obi - The "belt" of the kimono, the sash
Tadaima - "I'm home"
Okairenasai - "Welcome home"
"Mou, you're pulling too tight!" Youji complained. His arms fell from their outward position so he could pretend that he was being strangled, "I can't breathe, you're killing me!"
"Would you quit complaining? I barely wrapped it around you. Hell it will fall off if I don't put it back on tighter!" Kio grimaced, they had been squabbling over the young boy's obi(1) for 10 minutes. With a sudden tight pull Youji let out a yelp.
"Quit being such a baby about it." Natsuo commented to his other half. "I think you look great." The two's eyes met briefly in a loving way but then quickly broke away.
"My, for someone I took in off of the street you wouldn't think he'd complain so much." Soubi was sitting in a casual style beside the mirror, like he always did when the three were being dressed. A tradition he started when it was only Ritsuka there.
"Oh come on that's not fair!" Youji pouted, his arms returning to point straight out in opposite directions so Kio could continue. Soubi merely smiled.
Natsuo and Ritsuka sat on the other side of the mirror, judging each other on how they sat. Giving hints to straighten one another's backs there, to lift their chins that few more degrees upward. For the past two weeks life had seemingly returned to normal, Ritsuka hadn't seen Yuiko at all. Although that made waves of guilt wash upon him, he thought it was a lot easier not seeing her. But never the less Yuiko was his friend, the second one he had ever made just a few months ago. He owed to her more than this. More companionship, more friendship. Even more so he needed to give her a reason for their sudden midnight rendezvous, but he hadn't even come up with one yet. It was apparent, jealousy. Jealousy over seeing Soubi secretly making love to a stranger. But, that was no reason he could see. Ritsuka couldn't pin it, pin the reason why seeing that sweaty event happen made him feel the need to prove that he could do it too. Maybe I was feeling overwhelmed, living in a house were everyone else had lost their ears. He would tell himself. That was the only thing he could imagine. What was Soubi to him? Someone close to him of course, but then again so was Yuiko. Both of their smiles sent his heart into an excited flurry of a dance. He was sure if he had come across Yuiko doing that, he would have reacted in the same way. Geisha weren't supposed to be feeling this, whatever it was he was sure of that. But it couldn't be but so wrong, it's something Natsuo and Youji feel. Not only that but it's something they feel towards each other.
But since those two came to the okiya, it seemed that they had never lost their vast popularity among patrons and kept a strong hold onto their positions. They had experienced a dip under Nagisa's negative handling but popped right back up under Soubi. It amazed Ritsuka how they both could look at it in such a serious business sense. He never had the mind for things he didn't want to do. But apparently they had spread the word of being taken in by Soubi and that they now shared an okiya with Ritsuka, because the dark haired cat boy's popularity skyrocketed to sit on an even level with theirs. Now the youth went from visiting one teahouse per night, only visiting the dumpiest of places to something completely different. He was hob-nobbing with the greats and pouring sake for men far richer than Soubi at multiple teahouses a night. At first he was nervous, he wasn't used to having to keep up with the flow of conversation. Especially when now conversation was about happenings around the whole nation of Japan, who was richer than who and the reputations of geisha everywhere.
It had brought into light a lot of things he hadn't known. Men knew of Mieko, they spoke of her has a money grubbing hag with a few polished marbles but mainly a batch of dingy ones. At least that's what he told them, when he heard more stories he was able to decode the metaphor. He thought Yamato as an almost big sister figure. Apparently, as of late she had gotten herself into a bit of trouble. It was no shock that she had no ears, she sold them at a young age. So there was no way to tell when she'd been messing around or who she was messing around with. He was surprised when another popular geisha he'd seen of named Koya was rumored to have a relationship with her. It actually shocked more than surprised him. Koya had spent a ton of time at his okiya, sipping tea with Yamato and talking. He thought they were best friends, but apparently they were more than that. It clicked inside him that now and he knew why they looked at each other the way they did, with just the same glowing brightness in their eyes as Natsuo and Youji. Now that he thought about it Koya didn't have her ears either, and the strange muffled sounds escaping Yamato's room on nights when Koya stayed over without Mieko knowing made sense. Thinking about it made him blush.
"Finally, I thought it would take Kio forever to dress you." Natsuo shot Kio a grin, while he walked up to his partner gently holding both his hands with his own. "You look good as always." The russet haired boy finished his sentence with a grin, and nuzzled his nose against Youji's. Since their lips were painted, they couldn't kiss so they nuzzled instead. Kio frowned, "you're going to rub each other's makeup off, so stop! I don't want to hear you two complaining when you have to re-apply it. Playfully, Natsuo stuck his tongue out at the older man and blew a loud raspberry. Youji smiled and held his fists to his hips in triumph.
"Now listen, all three of you. Tonight you're entertaining at a top of the line venue. Among the men there, I've been told Ritsu will be attending. Make sure he's happy or else I'll be the one to hear about it."
"Why you?" Ritsuka tilted his head that the other man in confusion, his tail waving in patience.
"It's a long and boring story but it ends with him being tied to us directly, in a financial sense. I don't think I need to stress to any of you further how important that is." Cigarette smoke drifted from his mouth as he spoke.
"Yeah yeah, I got it be nice to this Ritsu whoever he is." Youji placed both of his hands behind his head leisurely. "Let's get going." Without another word he walked from the room, with Natsuo and a curious Ritsuka following close behind. Kio began following them too, but then stopped at the doorway when he noticed Soubi wasn't the caboose on this little geisha train. He turned his head back to him, "are you coming?"
Soubi took a long drawn out drag on his cigarette, "not tonight. I think I'll stay in here."
"Suit yourself." Kio left. After making sure all three young geisha had on the right shoes and sparking the flint over there shoulders he bid them goodbye. Something bothered them though, Soubi always watched them leave. Ritsuka, particularly. Going back upstairs to the room where he had dressed the three he saw Soubi still sitting there, motionless in the flickering candlelight. "Soubi?"
Slowly, the blondes head turned in Kio's direction. It seemed almost in slow motion and it was a while before he found the voice to answer. "Yes?"
"That Ritsu person, I think you've told me about him before." Kio crossed the room to sit cross-legged in front of Soubi.
"I have, do you remember?"
"Yeah. Humm, was he the one you lost your ears to?"
"No that was a different person. Almost, though."
"That's right, he tried to take them but someone interrupted I think. Afterwards he tried making it up to you by buying you a whole bunch of stuff, right?"
"Something like that. He still buys me things, you know."
Slowly, Kio pt the pieces together. "He bought this okiya for you ... didn't he?"
"No, he bought my former house for me. But I sold it and bought this, so in a way it was my money responsible for the okiya."
Kio gave a short and quiet laugh, "yeah because you sold what he bought you. But I can't complain, since I'm here I'm kind of living off of him too."
Soubi nodded. "You are, and so are the boys. That's why I told them to please him. They are oblivious to whom he is, but he certainly knows who they are."
"Scary sounding guy, let's hope they do well."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"And so then he did the funniest thing I've ever seen," Natsuo fanned himself, "to make the child stop crying he started doing the most ridiculous dance in the middle of the street!" The men Natsuo was telling the story to laughed politely. Ritsuka smiled at Youji, "it sounds like a dance I would want to see, can you do it now?" He was getting better at polite, witty conversation.
Youji shook his head furiously, "no no no no, I was only trying to keep a small child from crying!"
"It was crying because you scared it," Natsuo said with a giggle.
"It wasn't on purpose." As Youji pouted, the men in the room chuckled. They certainly weren't a rowdy bunch, but they weren't dead weights either. Aged men who looked at their conversation like they were reliving their childhood, that's who they were. So it was a bit of a surprised, when two young and good looking men came into the room. Out of courtesy the aged men greeted them. Ritsuka recognized one of them, it was the man who'd accompanied Soubi the first night they'd met. He remembered Soubi called him Ritsu.
"Good evening!" Ritsuka greeted them with a large smile.
"Good evening." Ritsu answered. Natsuo continued on telling stories, while after scanning the room for a few moments Ritsu took a seat next to Youji.
"Sake?" The sea foam haired geisha offered. Youji placed a cup in front of Ritsu and began to pour some for him. Ritsu stared at him as Youji poured, his eyes observing the geisha's slender hands with a strange thirst. Youji turned his face up to his with a smile and yet inwardly he shivered. This guy gives me the creeps! Youji thought. Ritsuka was sure Ritsu was properly entertained, so he turned his attention to observe the other man. Reaching about six foot two inches he was taller than Ritsu. His hair was dark, just about the same color as Ritsuka but with a gentle wave to it. For the majority of the night, that mysterious gentlemen remained silent. Ritsuka was positive he hadn't heard him speak until Ritsu spoke. "Well it's been a long night and I believe we should be getting home." He turned so he was staring down at Ritsuka. "Tell Soubi that I said hello." Giving a demure smile Ritsuka nodded. Ritsu then shifted his gaze to his silent companion. "Let's go, Seimei." And then they were gone.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"So, that was the last place right?" Ritsuka asked. His voice was tired and his features sagged with fatigue.
"Yeah," Natsuo sighed, walking with his two friends down the street not too far from the okiya.
"Ritsu is one weird guy! I mean yeah you expect a reaction as a geisha when you show the tiniest amount of bare skin but his hands were practically shaking." Youji's eyes were glued to the ground, his face indifferent. The next words he barely whispered so only Natsuo caught them, "he reminded me of the stranger who took your eye." Thoughtfully Natsuo's hand took Youji's, their fingers lacing. Ritsuka's eyes caught this affectionate gesture, only to look away shyly. The rest of their short walk home was spent in silence. Youji and Natsuo's eyes would flicker to each other and meet occasionally, speaking in a language no one else could hear or understand. Ritsuka felt slightly awkward whenever the two did that, so his eyes strayed upward to watch the stars dance around the waning midnight moon. That night, there were no clouds out.
The three reached the okiya in only a few minutes, sliding open the door Youji shouted "tadaima!" to have Kio and Soubi reply "okairenasai" as they always did. Ritsuka hadn't known that to happen in any other okiya, so it made him feel special. Like this was a real home, and it almost was. A familiar, bell like voice rang from the shadows just as Ritsuka was about to step in. "Ritsuka! You're finally back!"
Ritsuka spun around, looking up slightly to see none other than Yuiko. Glancing back inside the okiya Kio looked at him with a confused face, Soubi watched with his normal cool expression and the two musketeers had already disappeared onto the second floor. "I'll be in in a few seconds." With that Ritsuka closed the front door, remaining standing in the street. "Uhm, hello Yuiko." Ritsuka fidgeted due to the cumbersome feel in the air, and he was nervous. Yuiko had never seen him all dolled up.
"Wow wow! Ritsuka you look so pretty I can't believe it, if I didn't know it was you I'd think you were really a girl!"
Ritsuka pouted at the gender confusion, "Thanks I guess, but was there something you needed Yuiko?"
As if she remembered something, her lips drew into a thin hard line, her eyebrows pulling together. "It's something hard to say."
"Well, it can't be that bad. So go ahead I'll be glad to listen." Ritsuka's smile beamed.
"Ritsuka, I like you very much." She was stumbling over her words.
"I like you very much too." His right ear twitched innocently.
Her cheeks puffed out and she sighed heavily. "I'm not sure you understand though..."
"Understand?"
"Ritsuka, I love you!"
Le gasp! Mmm, I couldn't help but to put Koya and Yamato's relationship in there. Networking! So pwease weview! X3 Seimei?! gasp choke
PS this was a few hours late, gomen!
PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER NINE - December 7th, 2007
"You're so young Ritsuka, I wonder if you don't know?" Soubi repeated himself from earlier.
"What?" Ritsuka tried his best to look away, but Soubi's strong grip caught ahold of the catboy's chin and he was forced to look into those peircing eyes.
"I wonder if you don't know that I-"