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fictionaluntruthsTitle: Exceptions.
Fandom: Loveless/Digital Devil Saga.
Warnings: AU for both.
Characters/couples: Ritsuka/Heat, mentions of others.
Summary: In a different time, Ritsuka does get to meet his Fighter.
Rating: PG.
Notes: Happy Holidays,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
telrunya!
Exceptions.
Minami sounds amused as he tells him. Heat resists the urge to swear or hit him or both – just like that son of a bitch Sheffield, this bastard – so he turns around instead.
There's no name yet on him, only the experiments that bind him to a twelve years old boy. To Aoyagi Seimei's brother. Now outside of the school, he doesn't stop himself from cursing, hands tight into fists.
To have to form a bond with someone like that, Heat thinks, couldn't be worse.
*
Except for the fact where Ritsuka is nothing at all at what Heat had been expecting. He had expected either a spoiled child, making demands, or a smiling-and-lying-to-your-face boy rather than this one who looks wary at him, who slaps his hand away and who is almost glaring at him.
“Stop that,” Heat orders – there is no bond yet, and thus no reason for him to obey just yet, even if he's starting to feel it, the link that would bind them together. “It's about your brother.”
That, at least, gets him a curious, distrusting stare. The kid doesn't seem like an idiot and he doesn't seem like a fucking insane person the way his brother did – and perhaps does.
Heat almost smiles. Could've been worse.
*
Except for the way Ritsuka refuses to give orders, scared and angry and upset, refusing to say anything that might hurt other people, even if it means he's the one that ends up hurt.
“I don't care!” Ritsuka screams, loud and angry and smart, smarter than any damn brat of twelve should be and he almost sounds as if he would cry if he wasn't there, which stings a little. “Fighting and violence is not the solution! Just leave! NOW!”
Heat goes, cursing all the way down to his place. Ritsuka doesn't answer when he tries to call him. Heat curses again and barely resists the urge to .
It's not until the next day when he sees the bandages around Ritsuka's arms and over his face that he gets why he reacted like he did. And still Ritsuka forbids him to deal with the people that hurt him, instead just glaring at him.
*
Except for the times when Ritsuka asks him things and he seems pleased that he's not lying, that he tells him the truth as it is even if it hurts him. Even when he tells him about their suspicions that Seimei might be alive and Ritsuka screams at him, later he seems – if not relieved at least calmer, more reflexive and not rushing so much to be the boy he seems to think he has to be for the rest of the world.
And then there are the times when their battles has meant that they've to kiss, how Ritsuka's lips move over his, small fingers pressing in tightly against his forearms or shoulders. Lately, Heat has started wondering how it'd be to actually kiss him, once he's older. Even if Ritsuka's mind and smarts make him older than his twelve, there are limits to even Fighters and Sacrifice, and he knows that Ritsuka wouldn't order anything like that.
The feeling of relief and bitterness is weird so Heat does his best not to think much about it.
*
There is no exception for the way his stomach feels heavy when he looks at Ritsuka's scars on his arms and a few on his back. Most of them small cuts from broken glass or china, a few that come from burns.
He clenches his jaw and Heat has to stop himself from calling his Sacrifice a masochist for allowing his mother to do this, for him who is so strong to believe that he has a fault to pay.
If he wants to be hit, so be it. His duty is to protect his Sacrifice through battles and that's it, Heat tells himself.
He doesn't believe his own words at all.
*
“But you're bleeding,” Ritsuka says, stubborn. Heat can see the way his hands have curled into fists. “And it's because of me. Because I couldn't. Because I wasn't a good Sacrifice.”
Heat shrugs. No case in denying it.
He fears Ritsuka will start crying, the way the boy acts and does things still to unfamiliar for him to know how he might react.
The boy, however, just moves towards him and picks up the first aid kid.
“Sit down,” Ritsuka orders, even though his voice sounds small.
When he does, Ritsuka moves to his side, carefully cleaning up the cut over his arm, wrapping unnecessary bandages around it.
Neither of them speaks.
*
Ritsuka lets Midori and Ai guide him to a room where he could sleep. Heat doesn't blame him for wanting to rest, for all that his chest aches, remembering the way Ritsuka had looked when Seimei had appeared, the betrayed look upon his face, the way his hand had clenched around his wrist as if he could make it okay.
He wants to hit something, Heat realizes. Preferibly Seimei and those fighters of his. Both of them, damn them to hell, not for the way they had disrupted the school and what they did to Ritsu, but for that long, long moment in which all of Ritsuka's hopes and trust came crashing down around him, for breaking his heart.
But there are things to do now and he can't go after them, even more because his Sacrifice said no. Because his young-old Sacrifice had said not to go behind his brother, not yet. And he's angry because Ritsuka still loves his brother, despite it all.
Fuck the work. He's tired, he's angry and he's worried. Still feeling frustrated, he goes towards the door to his room but stops when there is just one small, hesitant knock and there's another pull that makes him cross the space of his office in three long strides.
“Ritsuka.”
He doesn't know what to ask, but Ritsuka is there, not quite looking at him for all that he's not looking down, either.
Heat doesn't know what to say, what comfort to offer. He steps aside and Ritsuka walks in, notices the open door to his room and he goes there, too, Heat following him. If it wasn't for the way Ritsuka's ears are pressed to his hair, he wouldn't know what to make of his Sacrifice's behaviour.
At least Ritsuka doesn't say a thing either as he curls on his side. Heat knows that he's not sleeping – his tail brushes his thigh, showing that he's nervous or scared of both – but, after a few moments of almost hesitation, he curls to the same side, too, damning to hell the voice that tells him he shouldnt, drapping his arm aaround the boy to draw him close.
Ritsuka doesn't fight this and Heat thinks that he feels Ritsuka relaxing against him, just a bit.
Fandom: Loveless/Digital Devil Saga.
Warnings: AU for both.
Characters/couples: Ritsuka/Heat, mentions of others.
Summary: In a different time, Ritsuka does get to meet his Fighter.
Rating: PG.
Notes: Happy Holidays,
telrunya! Exceptions.
Minami sounds amused as he tells him. Heat resists the urge to swear or hit him or both – just like that son of a bitch Sheffield, this bastard – so he turns around instead.
There's no name yet on him, only the experiments that bind him to a twelve years old boy. To Aoyagi Seimei's brother. Now outside of the school, he doesn't stop himself from cursing, hands tight into fists.
To have to form a bond with someone like that, Heat thinks, couldn't be worse.
*
Except for the fact where Ritsuka is nothing at all at what Heat had been expecting. He had expected either a spoiled child, making demands, or a smiling-and-lying-to-your-face boy rather than this one who looks wary at him, who slaps his hand away and who is almost glaring at him.
“Stop that,” Heat orders – there is no bond yet, and thus no reason for him to obey just yet, even if he's starting to feel it, the link that would bind them together. “It's about your brother.”
That, at least, gets him a curious, distrusting stare. The kid doesn't seem like an idiot and he doesn't seem like a fucking insane person the way his brother did – and perhaps does.
Heat almost smiles. Could've been worse.
*
Except for the way Ritsuka refuses to give orders, scared and angry and upset, refusing to say anything that might hurt other people, even if it means he's the one that ends up hurt.
“I don't care!” Ritsuka screams, loud and angry and smart, smarter than any damn brat of twelve should be and he almost sounds as if he would cry if he wasn't there, which stings a little. “Fighting and violence is not the solution! Just leave! NOW!”
Heat goes, cursing all the way down to his place. Ritsuka doesn't answer when he tries to call him. Heat curses again and barely resists the urge to .
It's not until the next day when he sees the bandages around Ritsuka's arms and over his face that he gets why he reacted like he did. And still Ritsuka forbids him to deal with the people that hurt him, instead just glaring at him.
*
Except for the times when Ritsuka asks him things and he seems pleased that he's not lying, that he tells him the truth as it is even if it hurts him. Even when he tells him about their suspicions that Seimei might be alive and Ritsuka screams at him, later he seems – if not relieved at least calmer, more reflexive and not rushing so much to be the boy he seems to think he has to be for the rest of the world.
And then there are the times when their battles has meant that they've to kiss, how Ritsuka's lips move over his, small fingers pressing in tightly against his forearms or shoulders. Lately, Heat has started wondering how it'd be to actually kiss him, once he's older. Even if Ritsuka's mind and smarts make him older than his twelve, there are limits to even Fighters and Sacrifice, and he knows that Ritsuka wouldn't order anything like that.
The feeling of relief and bitterness is weird so Heat does his best not to think much about it.
*
There is no exception for the way his stomach feels heavy when he looks at Ritsuka's scars on his arms and a few on his back. Most of them small cuts from broken glass or china, a few that come from burns.
He clenches his jaw and Heat has to stop himself from calling his Sacrifice a masochist for allowing his mother to do this, for him who is so strong to believe that he has a fault to pay.
If he wants to be hit, so be it. His duty is to protect his Sacrifice through battles and that's it, Heat tells himself.
He doesn't believe his own words at all.
*
“But you're bleeding,” Ritsuka says, stubborn. Heat can see the way his hands have curled into fists. “And it's because of me. Because I couldn't. Because I wasn't a good Sacrifice.”
Heat shrugs. No case in denying it.
He fears Ritsuka will start crying, the way the boy acts and does things still to unfamiliar for him to know how he might react.
The boy, however, just moves towards him and picks up the first aid kid.
“Sit down,” Ritsuka orders, even though his voice sounds small.
When he does, Ritsuka moves to his side, carefully cleaning up the cut over his arm, wrapping unnecessary bandages around it.
Neither of them speaks.
*
Ritsuka lets Midori and Ai guide him to a room where he could sleep. Heat doesn't blame him for wanting to rest, for all that his chest aches, remembering the way Ritsuka had looked when Seimei had appeared, the betrayed look upon his face, the way his hand had clenched around his wrist as if he could make it okay.
He wants to hit something, Heat realizes. Preferibly Seimei and those fighters of his. Both of them, damn them to hell, not for the way they had disrupted the school and what they did to Ritsu, but for that long, long moment in which all of Ritsuka's hopes and trust came crashing down around him, for breaking his heart.
But there are things to do now and he can't go after them, even more because his Sacrifice said no. Because his young-old Sacrifice had said not to go behind his brother, not yet. And he's angry because Ritsuka still loves his brother, despite it all.
Fuck the work. He's tired, he's angry and he's worried. Still feeling frustrated, he goes towards the door to his room but stops when there is just one small, hesitant knock and there's another pull that makes him cross the space of his office in three long strides.
“Ritsuka.”
He doesn't know what to ask, but Ritsuka is there, not quite looking at him for all that he's not looking down, either.
Heat doesn't know what to say, what comfort to offer. He steps aside and Ritsuka walks in, notices the open door to his room and he goes there, too, Heat following him. If it wasn't for the way Ritsuka's ears are pressed to his hair, he wouldn't know what to make of his Sacrifice's behaviour.
At least Ritsuka doesn't say a thing either as he curls on his side. Heat knows that he's not sleeping – his tail brushes his thigh, showing that he's nervous or scared of both – but, after a few moments of almost hesitation, he curls to the same side, too, damning to hell the voice that tells him he shouldnt, drapping his arm aaround the boy to draw him close.
Ritsuka doesn't fight this and Heat thinks that he feels Ritsuka relaxing against him, just a bit.
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no subject
on 2007-12-27 06:21 pm (UTC)I think I died of glee.
I just... o-omg.
You know I completely LOVE Soubi, b-but this AU is so damn beautiful and fantastic. I utterly ADORE how well this idea works and dammit, Nina, you wrote it so well. ♥ THANK YOU SO MUCH. I loved the details in the dynamics and how even though the plot doesn't change, it still feels somewhat different and I love how Heat can't top. |D
*GLOMPS* Thank you.
no subject
on 2007-12-28 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-12-28 04:58 pm (UTC)OTP OTP OTP!! <3333 I'm currently braindead, and I wish I could say anything coherent about it, but gawd. Wünderbar. I loved the interactions <333
no subject
on 2007-12-29 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-12-29 01:29 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-12-29 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-12-29 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-09-25 09:49 am (UTC)Isn't there something missing?
And I really like this story :)