Ryoku heaved a heavy sigh, straightening his back out as he shifted from his offensive stance. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he placed a hand on his hip, staring at his opponent who had yet to break one. Honestly, it creeped him out how very little disturbed his brother, but then again, his brother was a creature all his own. He was more his father than Ryoku or Hikari were, and that alone was reason enough to be creeped out by it. Eien regarded Ryoku with an even stare, straightening out his posture before folding his arms against his chest. A smirk adorned Ryoku's face, causing Eien to shake his head and left his brother to his own accord. Their sparring session was finished for the day, he need not linger any longer than necessary.
With a heavy sigh, Ryoku rolled out his shoulders, listening to each one pop before he placed a hand over his left shoulder. "Well that was fun," he spoke to himself, throwing himself onto the ground and gazing up at the sky. He pursed his lips together, an irregular thump in his chest as he propped his elbow up, resting his head in his hand. It's been about three days (which felt more like weeks really) since he last saw his friend. Eien and Hikari had both made sure of that, calling and using him for frivolous things, or in Hikari's case they were. With Eien, it was usually a sparring match, or quick word. He never really paid much attention to what Eien had to say. Usually it only dealt with his ways, however; as of late, he had remained with just the one.
Even when he was propositioned, he would decline it. And that was saying a lot. Ryoku never turned someone down, regardless of the situation. He sighed, something he thought funny and had been doing a lot as of late. He needed to remedy that. With a smirk, he stood from his spot in favor of looking for his remedy.
As it so happened, that remedy was currently in a bit of a pinch; two lions were tearing at each other, though if one looked closely enough, you could tell that they were sparring, though it was not obvious by the noise. They were growling ferociously, and every once in a while they would break away and circle each other, their blue-green manes shimmering ever so slightly.
It wasn't until they caught someone's scent that Haru backed off, shifting back into his human form; while Haru had inherited his father's ability to assume any form he wished, he preferred to take on the form of his familiar. He rolled out his neck as Ryoku approached. Kon shook out his mane, padding over and lying underneath a tree, his head on his paws.
"Ro-chan; you've been neglecting me." He acted like he was pouting, but he couldn't banish the grin on his face, it always seemed to show up whenever Ryoku was around.
Ryoku stared at the scene before him, watching as the two lions tore at each other. An amused smile tainted his lips as he watched Kon and Haru spar. He knew the two were just doing that, sparring, however; to any one else who did not know his cousin and his familar, it would appear that the two were literally trying to kill each other. Ryoku folded his arms against his chest, watching in mild amusement as Haru morphed back into his human form. The grin on his face faltered just slightly at Haru's statement. Who was neglecting who? The way he saw it, Haru was avoiding him, not the other way around.
"Oh? Have I now? I don't seem to recall how it is I that has been doing the neglecting when I recall a certain someone running off as soon as I rounded the corner last week," he replied, the amused smirk placing itself upon his face. Ryoku shook his head an released a slow sigh. "Or is it simply because Ruru-chan's grown bored of me? Oh do tell if I bore you dear cousin. I am sure Kari would just love the chance to drag you away," he spoke, half teasing, half serious, though one wouldn't be able to tell he was being slightly serious. He knew of his sister's little crush on their cousin, however; he also noted that, that crush had lightly began to fade.
He was amused to say the least, however; he never said nothing much on the subject. She was free to like whoever she wanted, and that just meant that he could get Haru more to himself. He blinked at those thoughts though and shook his head. This was just a passing fancy...Haru wouldn't see him as anything more than that, not with the way the two of them lived their lives.
Haru blinked slowly at that. Kari wanted...to what? He scoffed slightly. Kari was...he stopped at that train of thought. His cousin? Well, so was Ryoku, and that hadn't stopped him. But then again, there was nothing between himself and Ryo. He was losing his grip on reality, it seemed. So, instead of acting surprised, he only shrugged.
"Is that supposed to mean something? I mean...she's my cousin. It's not like anything would ever actually happen."
Ryoku allowed a hint of hurt to pass through his features at Haru's statement. Is that how he saw him as well? Just a cousin? Though it was obvious enough that, whatever it was they had, they were more than just cousins, and Ryoku felt strongly about Haru more than just as a cousin should. And the thought of Haru only seeing him as a cousin stung Ryoku, deeply. Without intending to, Ryoku released a slow, drawn out sigh. Perhaps he had fooled himself into believing that there was a bit of hope for them, that they could change. If only slightly, they could change and Haru would be his and he Haru's. They wouldn't need for another, because they would be enough for each other, like his father and mother.
"Cousin, yeah. But don't ever tell her that, you'll break her heart," though it wouldn't really matter, because his heart was breaking ever so softly. If one listened quietly, they could hear the faint echoes of glass cracking, not completely shattering just yet. "Whatever," he stated, a bit of a bite laced behind his tone, though unintentional. He sighed a bit harder than normal and unfolded his arms, placing them to his side. He closed his eyes briefly before turning his back to Haru, taking a step before stopping. He should have known that it would be like this. He should have known better. Whatever his parents had, it was special, a one time thing that very few people could find. And they were lucky, just like his uncle and aunt, Sora and Nicole.
He would never have that. It was better to face it now before allowing it to grow further than necessary. "I need a break," were the only words he left before making to leave. He should have known better.
Haru was...confused. He'd not missed the hurt look that had passed over Ryoku's face. What had that been all about? It wasn't as if Ryoku had any sort of feelings for him. It was impossible. They simply couldn't be; not with the way the two of them were. Even so, he flinched at the bite in Ryoku's voice. He watched as Rykou turn and began to leave; Haru caught himself reaching for him.
He drew his hand back, balling it into a fist. When Ryoku was gone, he let out an irritated sigh, slamming his fist into the tree next to him as he sat down rather quickly. This was nothing less than he'd expected; it wasn't as if there was anything really going on between them, it had been nothing more than a passing fancy.
So why did it hurt so much to watch him leave?
With a heavy sigh, Ryoku rolled out his shoulders, listening to each one pop before he placed a hand over his left shoulder. "Well that was fun," he spoke to himself, throwing himself onto the ground and gazing up at the sky. He pursed his lips together, an irregular thump in his chest as he propped his elbow up, resting his head in his hand. It's been about three days (which felt more like weeks really) since he last saw his friend. Eien and Hikari had both made sure of that, calling and using him for frivolous things, or in Hikari's case they were. With Eien, it was usually a sparring match, or quick word. He never really paid much attention to what Eien had to say. Usually it only dealt with his ways, however; as of late, he had remained with just the one.
Even when he was propositioned, he would decline it. And that was saying a lot. Ryoku never turned someone down, regardless of the situation. He sighed, something he thought funny and had been doing a lot as of late. He needed to remedy that. With a smirk, he stood from his spot in favor of looking for his remedy.
As it so happened, that remedy was currently in a bit of a pinch; two lions were tearing at each other, though if one looked closely enough, you could tell that they were sparring, though it was not obvious by the noise. They were growling ferociously, and every once in a while they would break away and circle each other, their blue-green manes shimmering ever so slightly.
It wasn't until they caught someone's scent that Haru backed off, shifting back into his human form; while Haru had inherited his father's ability to assume any form he wished, he preferred to take on the form of his familiar. He rolled out his neck as Ryoku approached. Kon shook out his mane, padding over and lying underneath a tree, his head on his paws.
"Ro-chan; you've been neglecting me." He acted like he was pouting, but he couldn't banish the grin on his face, it always seemed to show up whenever Ryoku was around.
Ryoku stared at the scene before him, watching as the two lions tore at each other. An amused smile tainted his lips as he watched Kon and Haru spar. He knew the two were just doing that, sparring, however; to any one else who did not know his cousin and his familar, it would appear that the two were literally trying to kill each other. Ryoku folded his arms against his chest, watching in mild amusement as Haru morphed back into his human form. The grin on his face faltered just slightly at Haru's statement. Who was neglecting who? The way he saw it, Haru was avoiding him, not the other way around.
"Oh? Have I now? I don't seem to recall how it is I that has been doing the neglecting when I recall a certain someone running off as soon as I rounded the corner last week," he replied, the amused smirk placing itself upon his face. Ryoku shook his head an released a slow sigh. "Or is it simply because Ruru-chan's grown bored of me? Oh do tell if I bore you dear cousin. I am sure Kari would just love the chance to drag you away," he spoke, half teasing, half serious, though one wouldn't be able to tell he was being slightly serious. He knew of his sister's little crush on their cousin, however; he also noted that, that crush had lightly began to fade.
He was amused to say the least, however; he never said nothing much on the subject. She was free to like whoever she wanted, and that just meant that he could get Haru more to himself. He blinked at those thoughts though and shook his head. This was just a passing fancy...Haru wouldn't see him as anything more than that, not with the way the two of them lived their lives.
Haru blinked slowly at that. Kari wanted...to what? He scoffed slightly. Kari was...he stopped at that train of thought. His cousin? Well, so was Ryoku, and that hadn't stopped him. But then again, there was nothing between himself and Ryo. He was losing his grip on reality, it seemed. So, instead of acting surprised, he only shrugged.
"Is that supposed to mean something? I mean...she's my cousin. It's not like anything would ever actually happen."
Ryoku allowed a hint of hurt to pass through his features at Haru's statement. Is that how he saw him as well? Just a cousin? Though it was obvious enough that, whatever it was they had, they were more than just cousins, and Ryoku felt strongly about Haru more than just as a cousin should. And the thought of Haru only seeing him as a cousin stung Ryoku, deeply. Without intending to, Ryoku released a slow, drawn out sigh. Perhaps he had fooled himself into believing that there was a bit of hope for them, that they could change. If only slightly, they could change and Haru would be his and he Haru's. They wouldn't need for another, because they would be enough for each other, like his father and mother.
"Cousin, yeah. But don't ever tell her that, you'll break her heart," though it wouldn't really matter, because his heart was breaking ever so softly. If one listened quietly, they could hear the faint echoes of glass cracking, not completely shattering just yet. "Whatever," he stated, a bit of a bite laced behind his tone, though unintentional. He sighed a bit harder than normal and unfolded his arms, placing them to his side. He closed his eyes briefly before turning his back to Haru, taking a step before stopping. He should have known that it would be like this. He should have known better. Whatever his parents had, it was special, a one time thing that very few people could find. And they were lucky, just like his uncle and aunt, Sora and Nicole.
He would never have that. It was better to face it now before allowing it to grow further than necessary. "I need a break," were the only words he left before making to leave. He should have known better.
Haru was...confused. He'd not missed the hurt look that had passed over Ryoku's face. What had that been all about? It wasn't as if Ryoku had any sort of feelings for him. It was impossible. They simply couldn't be; not with the way the two of them were. Even so, he flinched at the bite in Ryoku's voice. He watched as Rykou turn and began to leave; Haru caught himself reaching for him.
He drew his hand back, balling it into a fist. When Ryoku was gone, he let out an irritated sigh, slamming his fist into the tree next to him as he sat down rather quickly. This was nothing less than he'd expected; it wasn't as if there was anything really going on between them, it had been nothing more than a passing fancy.
So why did it hurt so much to watch him leave?