A Twisted Triangle

Author’s Note: Finally moving forward. It looks like A Twisted Triangle will be wrapping up very soon. Look forward to some highly anticipated action! *hint hint*

Review if you take the time to read, pretty please? *puppy eyes* They give me incentive!

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Wasurenai de ai afureta ano hibi
Kimi no kao mo omoidasezu ni
Itsuka kaze ni kakikiesarete yuku darou
Ima wa futari omoidasezu

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“You’ve outdone yourself!” Ritsuka announced, pointing his chopsticks at the blond on the opposite side of the picnic blanket. “This sushi is delicious!” Ritsuka licked his lips and swished his tail about, eliciting a chuckle from Soubi.

“Thank you,” said Soubi with modesty. “I did my best with what time I had.” Soubi paused and picked up one of the plastic containers they had used to carry their food (rice balls with plums, tekkamaki [1], steamed vegetables, and fried dough with sugar). “Although…” Soubi laughed at his own expense. “There’s not much to be said for presentation.”

Ritsuka laughed next.

Soubi beamed with content as that smile once more washed over his young love’s face. “Kio took my bento boxes with him when he went on vacation. What he’s doing with them, I’ll never know. He can’t even boil water.”

Again, Ritsuka laughed. His laughter rang into Soubi’s ears as chimes on the breeze; lovely, melodic, peaceful. Soubi loved to be the cause of that beautiful laughter.

“Even I’m not that bad,” Ritsuka commented lazily, skillfully scooping up one of the last two pieces of sushi with his chopsticks. “I can make basic stuff,” the neko elaborated. “Rice and noodles and stuff. Nothing too flashy.”

Soubi shrugged, watching as his little kitten downed his salmon. “It’s a start,” he assured. “I can teach you how to cook, if you like.”

Ritsuka’s ears perked up. “Really?”

Nodding, Soubi took a sip of his homemade green tea. “I’m no professional,” he said, “but I’m not bad. I’ve had a lot of practice cooking for Kio.”

“I’d like that,” Ritsuka chimed.

“You can help me with dinner, then,” Soubi announced. “I’ll make seared ahi. Very simple to cook.”

“Okay!”

Ritsuka glanced down to the container housing a final piece of sushi. “Do you want the last one?” he offered kindly. Soubi shook his head. “No, you have it. I’ve had more than enough.” Ritsuka nodded, moving to pick up the raw fish, only to see Soubi’s set of chopsticks swooping down and snatching it up first. Ritsuka glanced up questioningly, only to be met with Soubi’s playful smile.

Soubi did not explain, however. The blond inched his way across the blanket and the grass beneath to sit closer to his feline love. Only whispers away from Ritsuka, Soubi held the sushi tantalizingly closely to Ritsuka’s full lips.

“Open,” Soubi murmured gently.

What in the Hell was he doing? Where in the Hell had this come from? Why choose now to flirt with the little neko? Soubi had no answers for any of his own questions. All he knew was that he was enjoying this, enjoying the sight of Ritsuka’s gentle blush and labored breath. Regardless of the subtle pink staining his cheeks, Ritsuka craned his neck, leaning forward, parting his lips in order to claim the fish. Soubi was close enough to feel Ritsuka’s warm breath on his skin, close enough to here Ritsuka’s tongue move through saliva. Tempting, so very tempting…

Soubi refrained from any more of his advances, instead setting his chopsticks aside. He leaned back on his arms, watching Ritsuka intently. The neko chewed his food down, swallowed it, and then smiled gratefully to the blond beside him.

It was then that Soubi noticed Ritsuka was still blushing.

Oh, no.

That meant Ritsuka knew that Soubi was flirting! Didn’t it? It had to! Soubi didn’t comment on it, however, hoping to whatever God truly existed that Ritsuka wouldn’t notice his flirtation.

“T- Thanks, Soubi,” Ritsuka said at last, violet eyes boring directly into Soubi’s own stunning blues. “For everything. N- Not just the food.”

Soubi tilted his head gently. Blond hair fell over one of his narrow shoulders. He looked into Ritsuka’s eyes, searching, or so it would seem. Whether Ritsuka knew it or not, he and Soubi already shared a bond. Soubi could gaze into those eyes and silently read the words that Ritsuka couldn’t speak aloud. This, Soubi knew, meant that they were well on their way to becoming truly connected, just as Soubi had once been connected to Seimei. Only this time, Soubi hoped, wouldn’t end in a million different pieces.

An enigmatic smile befell Soubi’s lips.

“You’re welcome, Ritsuka.”

“H- Hey, Soubi,” Ritsuka muttered, clearing his throat a bit. Soubi responded with silence, but a compliant sort of glance. “Let’s make some memories today.”

“Pictures?” Soubi queried.

Ritsuka nodded, his eyes bright, his smile luminous. “It’s a really good day. I want to remember it,” he explained, reaching into his back pocket for his handy little Sony camera. The device was small, almost wallet-sized, and more than likely very expensive. Soubi remembered going out to the store with Seimei to help pick it out the week before Ritsuka’s last birthday. Soubi knew more about cameras than Seimei, after all.

Seimei managed to slink into every other thought that ran through Soubi’s head.

Promise me you’ll take care of him.

The words Seimei had spoken that ugly night left Soubi paralyzed from the neck up. He felt guilty, so guilty…

“Okay, then,” Soubi said at last, a plastic smile on his lips. “Let’s make some memories.”

Soubi couldn’t seem to override the guilt that came along with loving Ritsuka. As to why it was bothering him now, he had no earthly idea. Loving Ritsuka felt so right, how could it possibly be wrong?

Seimei owned him.

Seimei had owned Soubi since the day they met. They had a silent understanding that Seimei’s word was law, Seimei’s demands were written in stone, and God help the man who disobeyed. Even in absentia, Seimei had a hold on Soubi, one to rival the grip of a vise and the jagged cruelty of a hook. Even so, Soubi had loved him whole-heartedly.

Did that mean… Soubi couldn’t love Ritsuka the same way?

Damn it.

So many complications…

No. Soubi couldn’t love Ritsuka the way he loved Seimei. Seimei was unique, the only one of his kind. His blood, Soubi had decided long ago, did not run warm and red like everyone else’s; it ran cold and crystal clear like arctic water through his veins. His eyes were no longer violet in Soubi’s memory. In retrospect, those eyes were pools of bloody amethyst; deceptive, unfeeling, and endless. There was absolutely nothing in Seimei to love, only Soubi’s view of him. As romantic as it was, it was also very hopeless. Soubi had known that from the get-go.

It was impossible to love Ritsuka in the same way. Because of that, Soubi was all the more entranced by the boy. Despite their physical similarities, and even in some of their mental characteristics, Ritsuka and Seimei stood on opposite ends of the playing field. Not many - perhaps no one at all - could ever see that.

Soubi, however, could see the difference. However slight to the naked eye, the Aoyagi brothers were very different, and Soubi loved them both. Someday, perhaps, Seimei would be of lesser importance as far as love was concerned. As for right then, Soubi knew he would remain torn between them, torn between the north and the south, torn between two masters, both of whom he loved endlessly and unconditionally.

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Don't forget those days that overflowed with love.
I can't remember your face;
One day, the wind will erase it.
Now, neither of us can remember it.

- BUCK-TICK

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[1] Tekkamaki are cylindrically shaped pieces of sushi with raw tuna filling.