Riku And Ichiyo
This story is gonna get bigger, I just know it. I'm a sucker for my own characters that way.
the story of riku and ichiyo
a history spanning before their time, from their father's time and their father's fathers
how long ichiyo's family has been in service for riku, but here, reversed because riku's father, the unseen Goku has fallen in unseemly love with ichiyo's father, a hospital director who is strict in his requirements for his son.
and because of this strange reversal, Goku has always been especially kind to Ichiyo, much to Riku's dismay and disappointment and envy. He begins his subtle insinuation into Ichiyo's psyche, from that young age.
"Do you know what it is that our fathers do when they enter my papa's study?"
In the simplest and wisest of ways, Ichiyo understood that Riku's papa was kind to him and Riku was not always kind to him. And in the wisest of ways, Ichiyo ran away. Riku did not give chase. However, Ichiyo couldn't always run away, as they grew up, and Riku grew bigger and stronger and faster and taller then him. Riku's papa was still kind to him, and truth be told, much favoured the sweet-smiling child over his own beautifully stern faced child, who was so much like his unwanted wife. But just as Riku's papa favoured Ichiyo, but Ichiyo's papa much preferred the stoic child that Riku had become, seeing in Riku so much of himself that he would have claimed Riku for his own if he could.
Their fates should have bound them closer, and did, albeit in such different ways. Riku grew stronger and more stubborn for the lack of love whilst Ichiyo grew more and more dependant on it, like a drug.
"Ichiyo, do you know what my papa likes best?"
Three years ago, a wiser Ichiyo had run away at a similar question, but three years later, an innocent Ichiyo shook his head dumbly and asked, "What, Riku?"
"He likes your papa best." Ichiyo considered that response and nodded; he could understand anyone liking his papa best, although Riku's papa was very nice also.
"And do you know what your papa likes best?"
The three-years-later Ichiyo knew the answer to this though.. "I think papa likes Riku best."
Riku curled his lips. "Then do you know who I like best?"
Ichiyo thought about it for a long minute, but this bold boy who seemed only to enjoy hurting him didn't seem capable of liking anyone, although he didn't want to say it to his face. So he shook his head.
"I think that I like Ichiyo best. Because if I don't then no one will like Ichiyo best. And then Ichiyo will be very lonely."
Ichiyo was very wide eyed at this pronouncement. Many years later, he would remember thinking that Riku was kinder then he thought possible. Many years later, he would wonder how he could ever have doubted that Riku. And so Ichiyo, faced with this statement he least wanted to confront in his life, in the face of this bold boy, who always hurt him the most, cried. Riku, confronted with a crying child didn't know what to do. Ichiyo had always been the sad eyed child who seemed just short of crying, never once crying, despite his sincerest efforts otherwise.
He reached out one hesitant hand to pat the wet eyed boy on his dark head. "You're mine now. OK? So don't cry."
Ichiyo cried all the harder and Riku's papa emerged from his study to see what the commotion was about. Ichiyo looked particularly pathetic, and was still just small enough to sit on his lap till his sobs subsided.
the story of riku and ichiyo
a history spanning before their time, from their father's time and their father's fathers
how long ichiyo's family has been in service for riku, but here, reversed because riku's father, the unseen Goku has fallen in unseemly love with ichiyo's father, a hospital director who is strict in his requirements for his son.
and because of this strange reversal, Goku has always been especially kind to Ichiyo, much to Riku's dismay and disappointment and envy. He begins his subtle insinuation into Ichiyo's psyche, from that young age.
"Do you know what it is that our fathers do when they enter my papa's study?"
In the simplest and wisest of ways, Ichiyo understood that Riku's papa was kind to him and Riku was not always kind to him. And in the wisest of ways, Ichiyo ran away. Riku did not give chase. However, Ichiyo couldn't always run away, as they grew up, and Riku grew bigger and stronger and faster and taller then him. Riku's papa was still kind to him, and truth be told, much favoured the sweet-smiling child over his own beautifully stern faced child, who was so much like his unwanted wife. But just as Riku's papa favoured Ichiyo, but Ichiyo's papa much preferred the stoic child that Riku had become, seeing in Riku so much of himself that he would have claimed Riku for his own if he could.
Their fates should have bound them closer, and did, albeit in such different ways. Riku grew stronger and more stubborn for the lack of love whilst Ichiyo grew more and more dependant on it, like a drug.
"Ichiyo, do you know what my papa likes best?"
Three years ago, a wiser Ichiyo had run away at a similar question, but three years later, an innocent Ichiyo shook his head dumbly and asked, "What, Riku?"
"He likes your papa best." Ichiyo considered that response and nodded; he could understand anyone liking his papa best, although Riku's papa was very nice also.
"And do you know what your papa likes best?"
The three-years-later Ichiyo knew the answer to this though.. "I think papa likes Riku best."
Riku curled his lips. "Then do you know who I like best?"
Ichiyo thought about it for a long minute, but this bold boy who seemed only to enjoy hurting him didn't seem capable of liking anyone, although he didn't want to say it to his face. So he shook his head.
"I think that I like Ichiyo best. Because if I don't then no one will like Ichiyo best. And then Ichiyo will be very lonely."
Ichiyo was very wide eyed at this pronouncement. Many years later, he would remember thinking that Riku was kinder then he thought possible. Many years later, he would wonder how he could ever have doubted that Riku. And so Ichiyo, faced with this statement he least wanted to confront in his life, in the face of this bold boy, who always hurt him the most, cried. Riku, confronted with a crying child didn't know what to do. Ichiyo had always been the sad eyed child who seemed just short of crying, never once crying, despite his sincerest efforts otherwise.
He reached out one hesitant hand to pat the wet eyed boy on his dark head. "You're mine now. OK? So don't cry."
Ichiyo cried all the harder and Riku's papa emerged from his study to see what the commotion was about. Ichiyo looked particularly pathetic, and was still just small enough to sit on his lap till his sobs subsided.