Sousuke didn’t quite trust the other boy’s expression at the moment. Though Rin said he was fine, was obviously leading him through the castle on his self-guided tour, was he really all right? Each time, that thought came back to him. The window captured his attention and he gazed at the mixture of strong, wrought iron and clear glass perfectly fitting the stone frame. He turned away and found himself glancing at Rin again. Another painting passed by him and he turned to look at it, wonder why this guy would have such a romantic scene surrounded by a gilded portrait. He didn’t ask, but upon leaving the picture, flicked his eyes to the young god. What was behind this door, were they going to look inside it, or were they just going to walk past without… apparently they were walking past it. And he once more took note of Rin’s positioning and how he walked through the sun-soaked halls. So much so that it came to bother him inside. What in the world was he being so concerned about? Why did he care whether or not Rin ran himself into the ground out of stubbornness or pride? Rin was his god, yes, but Sousuke wasn’t his personal caretaker.
So why does your smile not reach your eyes?
A small scoff slipped out. “I’m relieved.” Leave it to Rin to wonder if he was being sincere or sarcastic. But he trusted him to at least make a path for them to follow. He went where Rin went, from one hall to the next, through another archway, past rows of windows. Wandering. They were wandering. In a way, Rin was right. It was impossible to get lost if you didn’t have any idea where you were doing in the first place. Which… Sousuke guessed was okay for a tour where neither of them had the time to get familiar with the structure. It was most definitely not some kind of bonding experience.
Even after he found himself returning from getting lost in that sunset sky, his eyes took another onceover, as if there was something he might be able to see in Rin that the other boy simply didn’t want to admit. He shoved the thought aside again and focused on the smile and those words—Ugh, should’ve stayed lost in the painting if this is what he came back to. “I could find you without a problem,” Sousuke shot back with a frown, head lifting some to make that comment sink in. Yeah, take that.
The carpet skimmed under his toes again as he followed the other boy round the corner. Another hallway. Another flight of stairs. More wandering. His legs were tired and his feet, despite the luxurious carpet, still ached from the walking and running earlier. Once or twice he found himself lingering just to scuff over the rugs, wondering if he could just sit down for a bit… But then something else would catch his attention and he’d be up once more, moving forward to look at a mirror or out another window. The rays of sunlight began to mingle between silent clock ticking, second chiming each time a ray washed over Rin’s back, and a soporific metronome. Maybe Rin wasn’t the only one who could use a rest… Sousuke pushed himself forward, not at all willing to consider something like that. Especially not after making such a deal about Rin’s state.
He paused mid-step when Rin stopped. Once again, he was looking at him, taking in not only his body, but the way the sunlight… did things. Drenching him in a halo of glowing gold, took the light in his eyes and flashed like rubies shaking under a thin surface of water. Sousuke wasn’t sure if Rin was surprised or if something else happened. Something that brought back memories of that moment an hour ago out there in front of the mansion. A broken heart amid the sakura trees.
Rin couldn’t hide that even if he was two meters away from him. The lump in his throat slid down visibly as the cords in his neck flexed and pulled taut from the weight of it. It wasn’t a normal swallow; that was easy to see. Before he could comment though, Rin was turning away from him and a weak laugh floated out behind him. But it was only due to Sousuke’s tired legs that he really noticed the way their pace picked up. Rin was walking faster… He’d offered him his answer based on what he thought; that was all. So why was it having this kind of affect?
Sousuke frowned at the compliment. Yeah, he was. And he was noticing something else too. That cover up. He took the first step silently, following after Rin as they ascended the staircase. There was no glancing backwards from the god before him. Wouldn’t be with the way his shoulders and neck were so tense like that. As if he was determined not to look over his shoulder and see him. His eyes lidded, their teal gaze sharpening in the gentle shadows of the twisting steps. Yes. All this. This caslte is romantic. Your proud and strong. As for ‘free’… well, Sousuke’d admit he didn’t really know why he said that word. He was a shinki bound to Rin; that wasn’t exactly free… though if it was true that shinki couldn’t survive without a god binding them, maybe it was. Ugh, stop thinking about that!
That laugh, verging on strange and forced, earned a slight twitch at the corner of Sousuke’s upper lip. Okay this was getting ridiculous. He stepped off the stairs onto the landing and moved forward, picking up some speed along the way. Turning another corner—Rin was swerving! Going from left to right like he was searching for something a lot more desperately than before. Don’t talk to me in that kind of voice, damn you. The notion about lagging behind, about pants, all of it went out the window and the shinki shoved forward.
In one motion, he caught onto Rin’s wrist, planted his foot to the ground to haul him to a stop, and then abruptly drew him backwards and to the side in a firm, but controlled spin. ‘Thud!’ Wood rattled as the young god’s back hit the door and Sousuke slammed his forearm and fist against the sturdy door above Rin’s head. Shadow swallowed the small space between them, from the door’s arching frame alcove and Sousuke’s tall body leaning over Rin and blocking the sunlight. Teal eyes narrowed onto the red, threatening, angry, intense. Sousuke didn’t know it, but Rin was definitely going to feel the icy irritation welling inside the shinki’s body.
“Stop it.” His voice dropped to a steely quality, quiet and hard. “I don’t know what’s driving you, but don’t ever try to sacrifice yourself for me.” Fingers tightened, the side of his hand shifting against the door above Rin’s head. “You’re pushing yourself right now.” He heard it in his voice, saw it in the way he refused to look at him, felt it in the way that stupid laugh was so forced and unnatural. “Because of me.”
Sousuke breath came out silent and dark. “Now tell me. If my being here is a problem; spit it out now and we can be done with it.”
no subject
So why does your smile not reach your eyes?
A small scoff slipped out. “I’m relieved.” Leave it to Rin to wonder if he was being sincere or sarcastic. But he trusted him to at least make a path for them to follow. He went where Rin went, from one hall to the next, through another archway, past rows of windows. Wandering. They were wandering. In a way, Rin was right. It was impossible to get lost if you didn’t have any idea where you were doing in the first place. Which… Sousuke guessed was okay for a tour where neither of them had the time to get familiar with the structure.
It was most definitely not some kind of bonding experience.Even after he found himself returning from getting lost in that sunset sky, his eyes took another onceover, as if there was something he might be able to see in Rin that the other boy simply didn’t want to admit. He shoved the thought aside again and focused on the smile and those words—Ugh, should’ve stayed lost in the painting if this is what he came back to. “I could find you without a problem,” Sousuke shot back with a frown, head lifting some to make that comment sink in. Yeah, take that.
The carpet skimmed under his toes again as he followed the other boy round the corner. Another hallway. Another flight of stairs. More wandering. His legs were tired and his feet, despite the luxurious carpet, still ached from the walking and running earlier. Once or twice he found himself lingering just to scuff over the rugs, wondering if he could just sit down for a bit… But then something else would catch his attention and he’d be up once more, moving forward to look at a mirror or out another window. The rays of sunlight began to mingle between silent clock ticking, second chiming each time a ray washed over Rin’s back, and a soporific metronome. Maybe Rin wasn’t the only one who could use a rest… Sousuke pushed himself forward, not at all willing to consider something like that. Especially not after making such a deal about Rin’s state.
He paused mid-step when Rin stopped. Once again, he was looking at him, taking in not only his body, but the way the sunlight… did things. Drenching him in a halo of glowing gold, took the light in his eyes and flashed like rubies shaking under a thin surface of water. Sousuke wasn’t sure if Rin was surprised or if something else happened. Something that brought back memories of that moment an hour ago out there in front of the mansion. A broken heart amid the sakura trees.
Rin couldn’t hide that even if he was two meters away from him. The lump in his throat slid down visibly as the cords in his neck flexed and pulled taut from the weight of it. It wasn’t a normal swallow; that was easy to see. Before he could comment though, Rin was turning away from him and a weak laugh floated out behind him. But it was only due to Sousuke’s tired legs that he really noticed the way their pace picked up. Rin was walking faster… He’d offered him his answer based on what he thought; that was all. So why was it having this kind of affect?
Sousuke frowned at the compliment. Yeah, he was. And he was noticing something else too. That cover up. He took the first step silently, following after Rin as they ascended the staircase. There was no glancing backwards from the god before him. Wouldn’t be with the way his shoulders and neck were so tense like that. As if he was determined not to look over his shoulder and see him. His eyes lidded, their teal gaze sharpening in the gentle shadows of the twisting steps. Yes. All this. This caslte is romantic. Your proud and strong. As for ‘free’… well, Sousuke’d admit he didn’t really know why he said that word. He was a shinki bound to Rin; that wasn’t exactly free… though if it was true that shinki couldn’t survive without a god binding them, maybe it was. Ugh, stop thinking about that!
That laugh, verging on strange and forced, earned a slight twitch at the corner of Sousuke’s upper lip. Okay this was getting ridiculous. He stepped off the stairs onto the landing and moved forward, picking up some speed along the way. Turning another corner—Rin was swerving! Going from left to right like he was searching for something a lot more desperately than before. Don’t talk to me in that kind of voice, damn you. The notion about lagging behind, about pants, all of it went out the window and the shinki shoved forward.
In one motion, he caught onto Rin’s wrist, planted his foot to the ground to haul him to a stop, and then abruptly drew him backwards and to the side in a firm, but controlled spin. ‘Thud!’ Wood rattled as the young god’s back hit the door and Sousuke slammed his forearm and fist against the sturdy door above Rin’s head. Shadow swallowed the small space between them, from the door’s arching frame alcove and Sousuke’s tall body leaning over Rin and blocking the sunlight. Teal eyes narrowed onto the red, threatening, angry, intense. Sousuke didn’t know it, but Rin was definitely going to feel the icy irritation welling inside the shinki’s body.
“Stop it.” His voice dropped to a steely quality, quiet and hard. “I don’t know what’s driving you, but don’t ever try to sacrifice yourself for me.” Fingers tightened, the side of his hand shifting against the door above Rin’s head. “You’re pushing yourself right now.” He heard it in his voice, saw it in the way he refused to look at him, felt it in the way that stupid laugh was so forced and unnatural. “Because of me.”
Sousuke breath came out silent and dark. “Now tell me. If my being here is a problem; spit it out now and we can be done with it.”
I won't allow you to hurt yourself because of me.