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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 29, 2016 21:40:44 GMT -6
Silence filtered through the room for a few minutes, Sojiro staring after his friend but still befuddled by the half-naked body of his girlfriend. Running a hand through his hair, Sojiro took a deep breath and sat up, grabbing the nearest thing, his haori, and covering Makino’s chest. His face was on fire, but this time, it didn’t seem to bother him too much. He was too preoccupied. He hung his head.
“I think we liked that dessert a little too much… Maki,” Sojiro chuckled, half-heartedly. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to do that. Just,” he dragged the hand down his face and over to his neck, “tease you, I guess.”
He stared at her gorgeous flushed face and deep, piercing violet eyes. And he felt his body responding, hardening. His hand was itching to remove the cloth from her. He sighed and stepped off the couch. “I think I need to talk to Riku. We startled him…” he brushed at his hair, turning away from her body, “but I’m not sure it’s just that.”
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Post by Makino Tori on Aug 29, 2016 22:06:54 GMT -6
Makino nodded as she reached up and took Sojiro's hand. When he turned to look at her she stood keeping herself covered. Kissing his cheek softly she whispered softly to him. "I was teasing you first. It's just as much my fault."
He smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead. "Get dressed I will be back in a second and walk you back to your dorm room."
She nodded slightly and watched him walk around the couch toward the rooms in the back. "I will put away the things Riku brought in while you talk to him." Sojiro waved over his shoulder to her as he disappeared into the small hall and a knock on Riku's door echoed out in the still silent room. Makino then grabbed her top and slipped back into it, walking toward the kitchen to put things away.
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 29, 2016 22:15:41 GMT -6
Riku was easily shaken from his meditation, flinching violently. He moved Kusemono off of the pillow in his lap and folded his hands in the pillow instead. He knew who it was at the door, and he had no intention of telling him to come in. However, he remembered he forgot to lock the door, and at the moment he thought it, Sojiro opened the door and walked in after announcing his entry. Riku refused to look at him. Not out of anger, but because he knew Sojiro would take one look at him and see right through him. Eyes truly were windows to the soul, and Riku's were like freshly cleaned ones to Sojiro. He couldn't hide anything from his best friend. The only thing he could do was force himself not to cry.
"I'll be out in a minute. Have you decided what you want for dinner?" Riku prayed that Sojiro would ignore the shaking in his voice. He kept his head bowed low.
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 29, 2016 22:34:30 GMT -6
Sojiro sighed yet again and shook his head before walking into the room and closing the door. He leaned against the wall. Riku didn’t say anything, just stayed facing him with his head lowered - as if he had done something wrong. No, shameful. “Riku, what’s wrong?” he asked.
Riku flinched and didn’t look up. His zanpakuto was beside him, unsheathed and faintly glowing. Had he been trying to escape using Jinzen? Sojiro walked over to the bed and stood over it. “Riku, you’ve been acting weird for a while now - ever since Maki accidentally kissed me. Are you upset about Maki and I? Is it something else that happened when I was upset about the captains and my Mom?"
His best friend remained silent. Sojiro looked aside. “Do I need to leave?”
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 29, 2016 22:45:59 GMT -6
He hated that word. He hated that word more than anything. "Leave." It was such an ugly, insensitive, and hurtful word. He'd been told that word multiple times. Most recently when he went home for the first time in years. "Leave." Maybe now it was time for him to do it again. And it hurt like someone had lit his heart on fire and threw gasoline on it.
"N-no... I... I'm probably the one who has to leave..." Again his voice shook. This time he couldn't catch the stray tear that squeezed out. He wiped it away as if it were a fly. "I'm the one who's intruding. I just... " He shook his head, unable to put his thoughts and feelings into words without breaking the already horribly tarnished dam.
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 30, 2016 0:52:53 GMT -6
Sojiro’s temper ignited at the deep-rooted despair in his friend’s eyes and his vague attempts to disguise it. It brought up bad memories. “Damn it, Riku! Stop pretending this is nothing! And quit faking! You’re hurting! And if it’s because I made a move on Maki-chan-”
He took a breath and turned a tight circle in the room. No way was he going to let it end like this. “Damn it, say something besides copying me, you big idiot! You were my first friend! Your opinion matters. I’m still upset at myself for hurting you earlier. Don’t run away because you won't explain yourself."
But the sight of Riku's slumped, defeated form abated the flames as quickly as they had come. He knelt down by his friend. "Riku-kun, please, I thought - I thought our friendship was more than this. Just tell me what I did to hurt you."
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 30, 2016 15:24:14 GMT -6
Sojiro's words slammed into the dam in Riku's heart like a wrecking ball. He hunched over, his face landing in his hands. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the pillow. "Soji-kun... You're the idiot! You were my first friend too! You were the only one to trust me when I came here. You mean everything to me. Your friendship is the most precious out of all the things I treasure in life. It's priceless, but... but I wanted more than what I knew I could have. I knew it wasn't possible, but when Makino kissed you and then just now... I don't want to suffer like this. I know I shouldn't, because no matter how much I want it. No matter how much I wish for it or pray for it, you'll never be mine. You'll never belong to me like you belong to Makino! And more than anything I wish it didn't hurt this much to see you with her!"
He wished he could just become his tears and melt away into the fabric of the pillow. The proximity and heat of Sojiro's body just made it worse, but he wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around him. But he knew he couldn't. Sojiro wasn't his. He never would be. He never was. And facing the reality of that was much more painful than simply knowing it subconsciously. Seeing it presented in front of him made it real. Too real.
"Soji-kun, I love you. I can't help that I do. I'm sorry," the words were out before he could stop them.
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 30, 2016 18:18:43 GMT -6
Sojiro blinked a few times as Riku’s long declaration of his importance morphed into a confession of love. He had always thought the boys were teasing Riku when they said Sojiro was more Riku’s type. Because Riku had always brushed it off. He had to have known that that wouldn’t work out. But still… He sighed and stood up, putting space between them. “I’m sorry, Riku. I didn’t - I mean I should have helped you through this ages ago. We both knew logically that it wasn’t like that, but-” He shrugged. “We were friends. We didn’t want that to end.” He looked away. “But I don’t want you to suffer because you fell for the wrong person. If … if it will make you happier someday,” he clenched his hands, “I’ll be fine on my own again.”
“But, Riku, I really didn’t mean to hurt you. I never would have brought Maki over here to study if I knew it would make you this upset. Do you believe that?”
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 30, 2016 18:40:42 GMT -6
Riku stood up quickly, the pillow dropping to the floor. "I do believe you! And I always will! And if you think I want our friendship to end over something petty like this you're dead wrong! My feelings for you have nothing to do with us being friends!"
Riku wiped his eyes and slowly sat back down on the bed. "I AM happy for the two of you. I don't hate either of you, and more than anything I don't want you to be alone. I've always been on your side and that won't ever change. I'll always be there for you. That's what best friends are for. And..."
He finally looked up at Sojiro, smiling lightly. "And your friendship will always be more important to me than petty feelings. Feelings are temporary. Friends aren't. Especially for us."
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 30, 2016 19:20:16 GMT -6
Sojiro continued to frown. Especially with that last line. It reminded him of what the God Ouranos had said and his long warning to Maki. He took a breath. “I appreciate the thought, Riku, but you need to be sure.” He sat down at the opposite end of the bed, giving his friend space. “I told Maki this and I am telling you. I told you the other day about Aizen coming for me. You, as my friend, will be in danger, too. It could be worse if there is something between us that can hurt you. Are you sure that this will subside or you can handle it?"
He paused and then shook his head. "Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I have seen what happens when someone's heart is shattered or twisted through the emotion called love. I don't want to see what has happened to my aunt happen to you."
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 30, 2016 19:51:49 GMT -6
Riku shook his head, moved closer to Sojiro and patted his leg. "Please don't worry about me, Soji-kun. If I was afraid for my life, I would have run a long time ago. I can take care of myself. And I have Captain Ashimitsu and Lieutenant Namori to help me keep my head on straight."
He pulled a handkerchief out of his kimono and wiped away his stray tears then blew his nose. "I know a lot of people think love is a weakness to be used against them, but I believe that only weak or tarnished or corrupted love fails to prevail. Someone who truly loves someone--in whatever way--and trusts them can't be weakened with that love. Love is strong. I don't say that because I'm naïve, I say it because I've seen it. During my time as a thief, I've seen and stolen from a lot of bad people. But I've also seen and protected people who have demonstrated that fact to me."
Riku turned and smiled at Sojiro again, this time more confident. "So with that, I'm going to work hard at loving you as a friend instead. Because I do care about you greatly, and I couldn't bear it to be away from you, even if you asked or begged me to. And I know you're going to worry about me constantly. That's just who you are. You worry about your loved ones and friends. So to make up for making you worry in the future, I'll become strong mentally and emotionally so that no one will be able to use me to get to you. That will be my way of protecting you. Okay, Soji-kun? So please, don't feel like you have to walk on egg shells around me or be gentle with me. I'll be fine. I actually feel a bit better now that I got it off my chest."
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 30, 2016 21:48:33 GMT -6
With a smile, Sojiro shrugged and offered his hand, pulling Riku off the bed. “I’ll hold you to do that but not become a Kuchiki. If you do that, I won’t be able to tell when you’re mad or when you’re laughing.” The two boys chuckled. Sojiro squeezed his shoulder and then let go. “Become strong and don’t call me an idiot when I mess up with Maki. Because I have NO idea what I was doing!” Riku sputtered into his hand. “What?” Sojiro exclaimed. “I don’t!”
“Yeah right!” Riku laughed, wiping his eyes.
Sojiro folded his arms. “Aren’t you supposed to be hooked and miserable without me?”
Riku shook his head with a grin. “It doesn’t matter. I confessed. I can have just as much fun as the next one if you act like this after what I saw!”
Sojiro flushed scarlet and then shook himself. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about that now. “Well, just so you know, we had peach cobbler and there’s still some in the pan if you want it. I don’t think there were any leftovers from dinner though.”
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Aug 30, 2016 21:53:57 GMT -6
Riku shook his head furiously. "Oh no! I'm not touching that cobbler! Who knows what it'll do to me if you two ended up like that. Then I'll just end up digging myself an even deeper and darker hole. And if you really had no idea what you were doing, then that cobbler must have instilled into you some god like knowledge of pleasure."
He laughed when Sojiro grumbled. For a moment his smile fell and his head lowered. He fiddled with his hands. "So... does this mean I'm not allowed to hug you anymore...?"
Sojiro laughed. "Not unless you think you will get stuck in your hole for touching me," he teased.
Riku laughed as well and shook his head, practically tackling Sojiro in a vice grip bear hug. "No. I won't. Promise. Besides, friends are allowed to hug, right?"
Sojiro, barely standing from Riku’s attack, laughed and braced himself against the wall, patting his friend on the back. “You don’t- hug, Riku-kun. You- strangle. Can I- breathe now?” When Riku only tightened his grip, he laughed again. "Okay, okay, ye- yes, you can. Breathe now?"
Riku chuckled and beamed brightly, feeling like a substantial amount of weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He trotted out of his room and into the living room. "Maki-chan! I'm making ramen! Do you want any? Oh, wait. You guys are probably still full, huh?"
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Post by Makino Tori on Aug 30, 2016 22:32:55 GMT -6
Makino poked her head around the corner smiling brightly. Sojiro's talk must have helped because this was the happiest she had see Riku in sometime. Even the chipper tone in his voice was back. "In here guys." She turned back around and started putting away the empty bags.
"And no thank you Riku. I am still full from the stir-fry, but thank you." She turned as both boys stepped into the kitchen. Her cheeks heating up when her eyes met Sojiro's, flash backs of his warm body against hers, his warm tender kisses and his lips pressed against--She shook her head quickly chasing away the thoughts as she looked over to the clock on the wall tucking the bag into its place.
"You know, maybe I should be going." She looked back to the boys trying to avoid eyes contact with Sojiro. "I still have homework I need to do."
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Post by Sojiro Ichimaru on Aug 30, 2016 23:06:33 GMT -6
“Yeah, that’s true,” Sojiro murmured, looking toward the bedrooms - not a good direction - and then down at his feet with a hand scratching his hair. With Riku back on track, happily humming in the background like normal, it was getting much harder not to think about all the details he had learned about Makino tonight. Her cute moans, the quick gasps of his name, the shape of her succulent-
Sojiro leapt backwards when someone cleared their throat. “Sorry, I spaced out there. Maki-chan, do you want some of the cobbler to take home?”
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