Title: As Easy as You Make It
Author: Kagome
Warnings: Mild suggestiveness (teenage hormones~), fluff.
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Soubi/Ritsuka
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.
Summary: Sometimes, Ritsuka thinks love is complicated. But it doesn’t really have to be.
Comments: For
gryfndr84, the Soubi to my Ritsuka. ^_^ Happy Birthday, darling. I hope you enjoy it. <33333333333 Also, Happy Early Birthday to Ritsuka. XD This is another one of those happy fics, taking place when Ritsuka is fifteen years old.
As Easy as You Make It
Ritsuka thinks that this whole love business is complicated sometimes. He knows that Soubi loves him, and he doesn’t question it-not like he used to. In three years, he’s done a lot of growing up, and while he’s not an adult by any means, he’s certainly not as blind to the workings of the heart as he once had been. He doesn’t understand everything about love, but he’s learning, and he knows it’s not always easy.
Even now, there are times when Soubi hides things from him. There are times when his Fighter doesn’t exactly lie, but he doesn’t tell the whole truth, either. It upsets Ritsuka when Soubi does this - hides - but he’s learned that it isn’t because Soubi doesn’t trust him. When Soubi doesn’t tell him everything, it is because he’s trying to protect him in his own way. Ritsuka knows this - has known it for years - but the heart isn’t often as rational as the mind, and so Ritsuka still gets upset even though he understands the reasoning behind Soubi’s not-quite-truths.
But Soubi always finds ways to make it up to him. He’ll apologize; he’ll pull Ritsuka close and kiss him. He’ll let Ritsuka take as many pictures as he wants. He’ll buy Ritsuka ice cream while they walk home from Ritsuka’s school together. He’ll make dinner just for the two of them. He’ll cuddle with Ritsuka on the couch later while they’re watching a movie. He’ll even help Ritsuka with his homework.
And now, since Ritsuka is a little older, Soubi teases him sometimes. He kisses Ritsuka deeper than he used to, and kisses him in other places aside from his lips, cheeks, and forehead. He’ll kiss Ritsuka’s jaw-he’ll trail kisses from there to the neckline of his shirt, and he’ll find that sensitive spot just behind Ritsuka’s ear with his lips and his tongue, and he’ll stay at that one spot until Ritsuka makes a noise low in his throat. Then, his lips will close around Ritsuka’s earlobe and he’ll suck softly, and Ritsuka’s entire body will feel so very hot, even in the dead of winter.
Soubi’s hands wander sometimes, too: Along Ritsuka’s arms and back, fingers stroking over the length of his tail before moving back up and under the hem of his shirt to caress bare skin. And then those hands will slide smoothly down his hips and thighs before they move up and in, dangerously close to and yet not quite touching where Ritsuka feels he needs to be touched.
Then Soubi will always snap out of it and regain control of himself, leaving Ritsuka feeling dizzy and hot all over-leaving him aching and frustrated and wanting something that he isn’t even sure he fully understands yet.
Ritsuka can never stay angry with or frustrated at him for very long, though. Soubi makes it rather impossible for Ritsuka to be upset with him for an extended period of time.
And Sometimes, Soubi needs Ritsuka to be the strong one. Sometimes, he needs to be the one that is held instead of the one doing the holding. Sometimes, the past will rear its ugly head and the memories will be too much for Soubi to bear alone. Sometimes, he needs to be rescued, in a sense. From himself. From the memories. From the rest of the world, for a little while.
So Ritsuka holds him. He pets his hair and he even brings him soup in bed. He lets Soubi rest his head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. He lets Soubi draw strength from him when his Fighter feels like he has none. He kisses Soubi’s forehead and his eyelids and his nose and his cheeks and lips-kisses every part of him that is bare; even his fingers.
Ritsuka figures that’s the way love - and love is what it is, even though he’s never told Soubi (but he thinks he should) - is supposed to be. Burdens are supposed to be shared, not placed entirely on one or the other. Ritsuka believes they do a pretty good job of sharing the load.
He should be sleeping now, but he isn’t. He is wide awake and he is thinking. He’s also listening to his Fighter-to his steady, even breaths. Soubi is sleeping soundly, and part of Ritsuka hates to wake him, but he needs to. He has to.
Sighing softly, he reaches for the lamp on the nightstand and fumbles for the switch before finding it and turning the lamp on, flooding the immediate area with dim light. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, but the instant that they do, he rolls over so that he is facing Soubi, and he gently nudges him. “Soubi, wake up.”
Soubi’s body stiffens almost immediately and he opens his eyes. They are filled with concern. “Is something wrong, Ritsuka?”
Ritsuka shakes his head and then hesitates. “I just… I need to tell you something.”
Soubi’s brow furrows in obvious confusion. “It must be very important, for you to want to tell me right now.”
Ritsuka nods. “It is.” And he could probably wait until morning to say it, but he doesn’t want to, so he’ll say it now.
Tracing the curve of Soubi’s cheek with his index finger and holding his Fighter’s gaze, Ritsuka whispers “I love you” for the very first time and he blushes, waiting for Soubi to reply.
Happiness chases the confusion from Soubi’s face and he smiles beatifically, leaning into Ritsuka’s touch. “I love you too, Ritsuka.”
And that’s all there is to it, really. It doesn’t have to be so complicated, and this… this isn’t complicated in the least.
Love can be just as complicated or as easy as you make it, after all.
~END~
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Where did all of my angst for these two go? XD Even the smut I’m working on for these two is filled with fluffy goodness.
Anyway, this was extremely fun to write, and I honestly think it suits them well. What do you all think~?