Title: Bibliophile
Author: tacit_galaxy
Pairing: KiryuuTouga x Saionji Kyouichi
Fandom: Revolutionary Girl Utena
Theme: Zeta #07: Nazca
Rating: Teens (for Saionji's dirty mouth)
Disclaimer: I do not own "Revolutionary Girl Utena" or any of its characters.
Bibliophile
Touga had recently been scouring Ohtori's massive library with a vigor Saionji had yet to see duplicated in the redheaded playboy. The teen would return to his dorm room at all hours of the night, smelling of dusty mahogany, mildewed pages, and cracked bindings. Saionji would frown at this, unable to comprehend the sudden interest in the school's collection of outdated books.
What was worse, Touga would never talk about what he had read, not to anyone.
"You know, I'm curious…" Saionji muttered one day after classes, "What the hell do you spend all that time reading?"
Touga blinked and stared as if the question were absurd.
"Fairytales."
"Are you serious?"
"Very. They're extremely interesting." He grinned, leaning back in the desk he so confidently occupied.
"Do you remember Nanami's trip to Peru?"
It was Saionji's turn to look baffled. He shook his head, a bit impatiently, now that the answer to his question was revealed, he didn't want to stick around for the explanation. Touga seemed to sense this and let out an easy laugh.
"Oh, come on now! You asked me! This whole thing is Nanami's doing, really. She came back from Peru with some of the most interesting stories…about a place called Nazca, that had huge carvings whose crude pictures are only visible from way up in the air….and of course the elephants!" He laughed again at this, shaking his head at his younger sister's antics.
"All of this because of Nanami? I thought you regarded her as a nuisance at best?" Saionji felt his cheeks flush at the question though he didn't really know why. He seemed to remember every annoying thing the melodramatic blonde did that aggravated him and most of all he began to get angry at Touga for speaking in such a flippantly fond manner about her.
"Well…she can definitely be a bother…but she's my sister, you know?" He paused for a moment, seeming to think something over, then said, "You do remember Nanami's trip, don't you? I fail to see how you could forget it! What with the curry and all…"
"I have no fucking clue what you're talking about."
"Kyouichi…"
"Don't call me that!"
Touga sighed and hung his head.
"You know…the books in that library are so old. It's almost like they've been there since the beginning of time, just waiting for me to read them."
"You're talking such bullshit! Shut up about the goddamn books and your fucking sister for once, alright?!"
Saionji leaped forward, almost as if he was going to attack his friend, and forced their mouths together with his usual violence. Touga let his fingers tangle into Saionji's green hair like fish hooks. Both of them frowned through the kiss, angry to be together, but too lonely to break apart. There was nothing loving about anything they did nowadays.
"Stop whatever you're doing…" whispered Saionji after releasing Touga from the forceful kiss.
"Whatever you're searching for, stop it. Love, or books, fairytales...it's already here." At this he let his arms raise as if he were about to point to himself but thought better about it.
Touga smiled sadly. He was trying to remember was he had read that day, but no mattered how hard he thought, he could never recall the words.