Disclaimer: Loveless and its lovely characters aren't mine. Trust me.
A/N: This is my first Loveless fic ever. What do you think?
Art Lesson
"Ritsuka is bad at art!" Yayoi announced triumphantly, happy to find a flam in his seemingly-perfect rival.
Ritsuka scowled at the longhaired boy. Beside him, Yuiko started a stuttering defense on Ritsuka's behalf, glancing at him all the time to determine his reaction. It wouldn't change anything, though. Ritsuka was really bad at art. He could excel on science, social study, or language but art was always his weakest point. Apparently his ability in art only went as far as snapping pictures to preserve memories.
"So what re you going to do for your project?" Yuiko asked.
Ritsuka frowned and looked up at the blue sky above. The three of them were walking home together. Soubi was unable to meet him after school because he had an exam and Ritsuka made him promise not to abandon it in favor of meeting him. Despite the fact that he was the one who told him not to come, Ritsuka was feeling a bit disappointed with his absence. The text message from Soubi that informed him that the blonde would catch up with him and his friends as soon as he was finished only consoled him slightly. He continued to feel that something was missing and despite Yuiko's constant chipper, he felt very lonely. He missed…
"A scenery, maybe." Ritsuka replied in an attempt to distract himself from his thoughts of Soubi. The last time he had drawn Fuji mountain, Shinonome-sensei had mistaken it for a drawing of an ancient vase. The young woman was so embarrassed and kept on apologizing when she realized her mistake. "Or maybe I'll draw one of the pictures I've taken."
Yuiko blushed as she stammered. "N-ne, Ritsuka-kun, c-could you… d-draw my picture?"
"Hmm?"
"Ritsuka."
The deep sensuous voice was nearly inaudible as Yayoi's protested loudly, making excuses about how drawing a photograph with water mark was very difficult and how he would gladly draw Yuiko himself. But Ritsuka immediately turned around when he heard that voice. Warmth spread all over his limbs, making his body tingle pleasantly when he saw Soubi approaching them. A smile tugged at his lips but he held it down. He forced himself to stop lest he'd rush to the man, appearing far too eager to see him than he'd prefer.
"I miss you." Soubi said, smiling gently at his Sacrifice.
"Fool." Ritsuka muttered, sulking slightly. "You're the one who had something to do."
"Forgive me, Ritsuka. You can punish me later." When Ritsuka did nothing more than glaring at him slightly and muttered 'baka Soubi', he turned to the boy's company who weren't aware of the true nature of their exchange.
"Soubi-san, we were talking about our art project. It's should be done with watercolor and is due next week." Yuiko told the blond. "I want to draw the Ferris wheel. I think it's very beautiful. Do you think it's too difficult?"
Soubi smiled at the bubbly girl. "It is very beautiful." He said simply, not answering the original question about the level of difficulty. "What about you, Ritsuka? What do you want to draw?"
A blush spread on the boy's cheek, a fascinating sight for Soubi to behold. Ritsuka shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "I haven't decided."
"Ritsuka isn't very good at drawing." Yayoi repeated his announcement with a happy smile.
"Really?" Soubi wondered out loud, glancing at his blushing Sacrifice.
"Well, it's not like I want to be an artist!" Ritsuka said in annoyance as he stomped away, pouting slightly. Why was everyone making such a big fuss about his artistic skill?
Soubi smiled, watching the slight figure move away. Ritsuka was so adorable with his cat ears twitching violently and his tail tensing like that. The childish tantrum somehow relieved him. He was glad to know that Ritsuka still maintain an immature part of his personality. With all the things going on around them, Soubi feared Ritsuka had matured too quickly. Soubi had lost his childish innocence too early and he didn't wish for Ritsuka to go through the same.
"Perhaps you could teach him? You are an art student, aren't you?" Yuiko suggested as Soubi was about to chase after Ritsuka.
Soubi's eyes lit up when he heard that. "That is a good idea." He said, smiling. That way he could make up for the lost quality time. It wasn't his idea of punishment but it surely was Ritsuka's. "Why don't you to go ahead and go home together. I'll help Ritsuka with his art project."
Ritsuka gasped when his hand was pulled gently. Soubi was already walking beside him, holding his hand. The blush on his face grew but he didn't pull his hand. "What?" he asked without looking at his Fighter.
"May I help you with your art project, Ritsuka?" Soubi asked. He carefully used a neutral tone, not wanting to scare, embarrass, or anger Ritsuka.
"Really?" Ritsuka asked, looking up to Soubi excitedly. "Would you?"
Soubi nodded and held his tongue. He knew how much Ritsuka hated it when he said 'if that's what Ritsuka wants'. "Yuiko-san suggested that."
Ritsuka looked at his friends whom he had left behind. Yuiko was waving to him as she turned at an intersection, Yayoi following her with a dreamy expression on his face. "When could we start?"
"We could start now." Soubi offered.
There was very little hesitance in Ritsuka as they walked together, hand-in-hand to Soubi's apartment. He had taken to stay out till late at night. He had come up with a way to avoid his mother's violent outrage as a result of his lateness. Soubi always helped him to enter through the window whenever he broke the curfew. The Fighter was always willing to help. It was the least he could do to protect Ritsuka from his mother.
"So how do we start?" Ritsuka asked after he prepared his art equipment on a low table in Soubi's apartment. He was familiar with the place now, having spent so many hours there. He no longer hesitated in using Soubi's belongings and knew where he kept his stuff.
"Why don't you draw something for me?" Soubi suggested, handing the by some sheets of paper. Then he sat beside Ritsuka to observe the boy as he worked. Though he hadn't quite agreed when Kio demanded him to buy the low table, it now became useful as a place for Ritsuka to do his works whenever he came to Soubi's apartment. Soubi was grown a fondness to it to ever since he was allowed to embrace Ritsuka almost all night long as they warmed themselves up under the heating blanket they put on table last winter.
Ritsuka blushed. He wasn't sure about showing Soubi. He had seen Soubi's paintings and couldn't help but feel intimidated. He was no match to an art student at all.
Noticing the way Ritsuka's cat ears flattened and his tail moving restlessly in uncertainty, Soubi caressed his cheek gently. "It's okay, Ritsuka. I'll help you."
Feeling a little more confident, Ritsuka too a sheet of paper and began to draw. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he did plan it to be a house. Sure the door was misshapen, the windows were oblique, the roof looked like it was falling down and the tree on the far left looked more like a green ice cream cone, but it was supposed to be a house! As one last desperate touch to improve the drawing, Ritsuka made a matchstick man in the centre and shoved the paper to Soubi who was watching him work with much amusement.
"This is nice." Soubi commented lightly.
"It's not nice! It's horrible! It doesn't look like anything at all! It's…"
His yelling was interrupted when Soubi pressed his lips against Ritsuka's; their first kiss that day. Ritsuka involuntarily closed his eyes, savoring the soft warm pressure against his lips. Soubi's lips work on his for a moment and his tongue flicked Ritsuka's closed lips briefly before the young man pulled away slowly.
"So cute, Ritsuka." He whispered, caressing Ritsuka's flushed face tenderly. Cute wasn't adequate to describe him now, though. When those mauve orbs were wide and bright as they looked at him, that fair skin flushed, and those lips redden from the kiss, the word to describe Ritsuka would be 'beautiful'.
"Shut up." Ritsuka said hoarsely, without much conviction.
Soubi smiled fondly at Ritsuka then dropped another quick kiss on his lips before returning to the sheet of paper. He hated to even think about this, but Ritsuka was quite hopeless in this. "Maybe we could try copying one of my drawings."
Ritsuka nodded and randomly chose one of Soubi's sketches that the young man offered to him. Soubi's kisses always left him weak in the knees and the head. The pleasant sensation from their kisses still coursed through his body. He wondered how Soubi could still do things easily after they kissed when he was greatly affected by it.
His hand was trembling slightly as he tried to draw the flower, making the lines shaky. Ritsuka frowned, trying to concentrate on his task. But Soubi's presence so close beside him kept distracting him. All he could think of was their lips moving against each other's and Soubi's large hand on him. Ritsuka frowned even more, feeling a little angry of himself for getting distracted so easily. It didn't help his work that the brush was so difficult to use.
"Here, let me help you."
Ritsuka's breath caught when Soubi's hand closed over his while his other hand resting on Ritsuka's hip. Carefully, Soubi moved their hands to complete the chrysanthemum and colored it. Then he guided Ritsuka to draw several more flowers until they finished it with the last piece, a butterfly hovering over one of the red flowers.
"See, it's not so difficult after all." Soubi whispered. When he received no response from the boy, Soubi backed away, worried that he had crossed the line to far this time.
Much to his surprise, Ritsuka grasped his wrist before he moved away completely. "Hold me." The boy said without looking at Soubi directly in the eyes.
Soubi paused for a moment. Then a smile spread on his face and he wrapped his arms around Ritsuka's small frame, pressing their bodies together. Soubi inhaled Ritsuka's sweet scent and basked in his presence; they always had a strange calming effect on him. Soubi never felt safer and at peace than when he was with Ritsuka. He kissed the crown of Ritsuka's head, his temple, and his cheek. Slowly, Soubi turned Ritsuka's head to his direction. Their eyes locked onto each other for a long moment. Ritsuka's mauve ones spoke of curiosity and affection while Soubi's azure ones spoke of compassion and complete submission. Almost in unison, their eyelids fluttered closed as they moved closer until their lips touched. The kiss was chaste at first but then Soubi sweeps his tongue on Ritsuka's bottom lip, asking for entrance. Ritsuka inhaled a shuddering breath and parted his lips, allowing Soubi to explore his mouth, marking him, claiming him. He moaned softly when Soubi's tongue teased his into a sensual dance. A flame was ignited inside of him as he kissed him back, his hands clutching Soubi's arm tightly as the young man stroke his back comfortingly.
Ritsuka wasn't the only one disappointed when the kiss ended. Soubi smiled as he pushed back his building desire for the boy. Mentally he told himself to wait, this wasn't the time yet. He stroked Ritsuka's swollen bottom lip with his thumb as he gazed lovingly at his sacrifice, his master, his lover.
"I love you, Ritsuka." He whispered. No longer did he say it based on Seimei's order. Now he said it because he really meant it with all his heart.
Ritsuka nodded and rest his head on Soubi's chest. "I know, Soubi. I know."
I love you, too.
R&R, please bows