Life of a Uniform

To Senketsu, Matoi Ryuko was an incomprehensible being, as all humans were.

They cried, they laughed and ate totally suspicious food. There was nothing to understand in these creatures, or so was Senketsu's conclusion.

Even if she could hear him, Matoi Ryuko couldn't listen. She refused to wear him, to truly wear him. She'd put him on, cry for synchronisation and feel a placebo kind of power. However, the Life Fiber uniform knew it was all fake emotion and resolve. The Matoi girl had guts, but that's all.

He endured torture under the Mankanshoku wife, ate soap in greater quantity than he should. He was drooled on, ironed (albeit that particular treatment he appreciated), folded, torn to shreds, sewed back up and touched from everywhere.

Damn Professor Matoi, if only he'd given him the power of speech, Senketsu'd give all those stinky humans a piece of his mind! He was a powerful piece of cloth, not just some mundane uniform fit for a girl who couldn't see the obvious, not a pig-headed girl like Matoi Ryuko.

She was her father's daughter all right. Senketsu was glad, for the very least, that the Matoi girl only took her mother's gender as heritage.

But damn. What was he supposed to do? Why was he given to a girl with the resolve of a mule and the attitude of a girl who tried to act tough and rough? It didn't suit her, nor did she suit Senketsu.

He wondered if Kiryuin Satuski's cold was any warmer…

He played Matoi's little game, acted stubborn and uncaring. He was wary and careful and in return, Matoi's blood was bitter and acre. Nothing good to take out of, so there was nothing good she'd take out of him, not one shred of power. Let her go with willpower if she wished to deny him, fine.

He didn't need any of them.

Senketsu grew strong with every Life Fiber he consumed. Matoi Ryuko made an unwilling partner, but she satisfied his constant hunger, so Senketsu made with what he had. He wondered if human stupidity was the reason the threads he ate were so thin or never filled him up. He wondered in silence where those holes in him came from, leaving Matoi Ryuko with her ill-mannered human companions.

But... It was a little hard to resist joining them when the Mankanshoku daughter ("Mako. That's her name. You'll never make friends if you don't learn a name other than Matoi.") would tug him out of his slumber and crush him against Ryuko and herself.

It was a little hard to forget the feeling of Ryuko's peaceful breathing, himself expanding and contracting with every sigh to fit her the more perfectly.

It was hard to remember why he wanted to be so cold to those humans. Maybe… maybe his stitching had been done badly.

Yes, that must have been the answer. There were too many holes in him, and they slipped inside with warning or his permission. He ought to be more careful, next time.

Matoi's walls never crumbled once. In fact, Senketsu'd say Ryuko only snaked past the cracks or loopholes to shout and fight and rush back inside for protection. All humans played that little sickening game of Hide-and-Seek and eluded Senketsu furthermore.

If they wanted to grow strong, they had to let go of these barriers. For proof, ever since Ryuko had let him spill inside, just a little, enough for her to reach him but far enough to be safe, they became… How should he say it?

Ah, yes. They were partners.

Not friends, not strangers. Not acquaintances, but not people they could care for. Humans and clothing were two different species, and Ryuko and Senketsu only worked together to keep the distance and the balance in between.

So why was Ryuko wearing only him? Why was she acting all friendly but tough at the same time? Maybe she was trying to play a dirty trick on him, maybe she wanted no more of him.

Maybe he wasn't needed.

The thought froze Senketsu's attempts to reach out past Ryuko's walls, and, unknowingly, secluded him inside of his personal prison of threads and fibers.

Each time he fought, Senketsu felt like he was getting apart, thread by thread. He was cold, so cold. The rage that engulfed Ryuko was burning like ice, it froze him from the inside out. His whole being echoed with her fears, he shook so much he couldn't feel anything.

Senketsu wanted to shout, wanted a hug, wanted no one. He hated humans, hated Ryuko for all those weird feelings they brought. He loved them, cared for them so much he never saw when his walls crumbled.

But Ryuko, she was throwing him out. Her walls were sky-high, they pierced the heavens and left him knocking pitifully at the door.

Senketsu was tired. He was cold, afraid. In the shadows of the walls, Senketsu was lonely.

He felt numb, so numb, so numb…

"Ryuko… open up. It's me…"

When he came back to, Senketsu was warm, scorching like the sun. He was all thorn up, skewered badly, aching and bleeding, however improbable it was. Those humans must of have infected his mind, concluded Senketsu. A single eye opened, but there was nothing but the feel of skin, so alive and warm and comforting, pressed up to him, to every fiber that was his being.

Ryuko's tears dripped from her eyes like from an open faucet. Each droplet was warm and cold, like a tidal wave washing him in and out. She was holding him so tight he'd be missing breath if he had needed air.

Ryuko's breathing was shaky: she was missing oxygen. However, even Senketsu's feeble attempts at pushing her back, giving Ryuko her space, was not enough.

Senketsu understood. Ryuko had thrown him out in a fit. But she wanted him back, needed him back. And…

He needed her back too.

He dissolved in a salve of flames. Or maybe it was Ryuko's warmth. He'd miss that, for sure.

Oh, and he'd miss the girl herself.

But she didn't need him anymore. She became who she was supposed to be, did what she had to do. Now, she could live a normal life with silent cute clothes, cuter than he was for sure.

Professor Matoi didn't lack genius or ingenuity, he lacked a sense of fashion.

Ryuko was crying. Again. So was he. But this time, Senketsu knew it couldn't be tears of fear of losing each other.

They were tears of heartache, tasted like goodbye, smelt like good-fortune and felt like needles digging into his every fiber.

And tasted oddly salty.

Ah, but who cared?

Ryuko… Senketsu reached out to her, his little sleeve-hand dissolving thread by thread into star dust, fading. As long as was in her heart, however, he'd still live.

"I'm still here, in your memory. I'll be waiting to hear of your exploits and tell you all of mine."

He wanted a last hug, so Senketsu closed his eyes and brought up the souvenir of Ryuko's tears, holding him tightly after her fit, after her rage and sorrow.

Ah, incomprehensible humans sure did give out the best of embraces.

Ryuko.

A/N: Kill La Feels, Sob La Sob, Feels La Feels (you know who you are ). Senketsu and Ryuko are darlings, they are adorable. So is Mako for her crazy ideas and Satsuki for that Natsu-catches-Lucy-falling-from-the-sky-I-don't-remember-which-ending of Fairy Tail. I LOVE you KLK, for your craziness and fuzzy characters. And I want a Senketsu to cuddle with. :3

(EDIT: 2h later, I fixed the typos or weird words).