by Suilan Lee
***
Ryuu became his world after that day. If it was possible for someone’s focus to shift entirely in a minute, he liked to think that day in the solarium was the day his focus became centered on Ryuu Shin.
Visiting his grandparents for the first time, Kyo clung to the fact that Ryuu stood by his side while his grandmother scrutinized him as if he was a piece of fish in the market. Even with Rin smiling at him with encouragement, he couldn’t forgive his grandmother for having put him up for adoption without batting an eyelash. The more he learned about the Kiyoshi family, the more he held on to his adopted name, frustrating Rin who wanted to make a formal announcement so that he could take his place beside her.
When he went back to school, Ryuu made sure he was always the one to pick him up. Ryuu also invited Kaori and Daisuke over to the large mansion making sure no one would stop them from seeing him. He even convinced him to give up his one bedroom apartment and arranged for all his personal belongings to be brought to Rin’s home.
One afternoon six months into his new life, Kyo was busy painting in a storage room he’d found in the back of the property when Rin came rushing in. She was clearly distressed and her make up was all messed up, as though she’d been crying. Turning off his ipod, he frowned when he was suddenly wrapped in a tight hug.
“Rin?” he asked trying not to get any paint on her nice designer clothes. “Rin, you’re going to get paint all over. Are you okay?”
She trembled and kept holding him tight. He dropped his brush onto the pallet and held on. After a full five minutes of an unexplained breakdown, she pulled back and wiped her face, while she touched his cheek.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“No one could find you,” she said quietly. “Ryuu went out to deal with some issues at the offices and the aunts and uncles said you’d left for good. I’ve had security looking for you for the past four hours. I thought you ran away.”
“Wow, I left a note with in the kitchen. It was stuck on the fridge.” Kyo frowned and shook his head. “They must have no told you.”
“I don’t care what they think, Kyo. All I care about is you,” Rin said quietly sinking into a dirty stool that he’d been using to stand on. She was clearly more upset than she was letting on. Kneeling before her, he tangled his paint stained fingers with her elegant ones. “I’ve been selfish lately, haven’t I? I asked Ryuu to take care of you and make sure you didn’t run away, and he’s done such a good job. I know you feel stifled here, and how hard it can be sometimes, but I can’t let you leave. I need you to let me take care of you.”
Kyo leaned his head down wondering if Ryuu was really getting closer to him for the sake of his mother or for what he was feeling. He didn’t know how to feel about that. Especially when his own heart was now Ryuu’s, there was no doubt in him anymore. He loved being with Ryuu, he was in love with Ryuu.
Rin ran her fingers into his long hair, messing up his ponytail. She sighed and leaned down to press a kiss on the top of his head. “I’ve been having issues with the family. The foundation needs a visible head and each of them wanted to have their children named the successor since I didn’t have any. Now that I’ve found you, my dear Kyo, they are all bitter and disappointed. That’s how big families like ours work. Seeing how you, Daisuke and Kaori are, I know it must seem foreign to you to have people like those related to you, but I will fix it.”
“How, you can’t chase them away,” Kyo said with a sigh. “They are our family.”
“No, I cannot chase them away.” Rin chuckled and he looked up to find her smiling. “Your heart is pure, just like Ryuu has told me so many times. We can’t chase them away, but we can move them, my dear Kyo. I want a happy home now that you’re with me. I almost went mad with panic when I thought you had left. To find you having to paint in such a place,” she shook her head, “no more.”
Kyo looked around the large room and shrugged. “There is nothing wrong with this storage room. It’s dusty, but that’s okay, and no one uses it.”
Rin stood up still holding his right hand, she moved to stand before the painting he’d been working on apparently for the duration of time she’d been looking for him. She gasped as she realized what she was looking at. “You’re painting me.”
Kyo shrugged. “I didn’t want you to look at it yet. I’m just developing some ideas for my thesis, its very rough-
“It’s spectacular.” Squeezing his fingers, she took a step closer. “I won’t say anything else, for now, I’ll wait until you’re done, and you have to promise to show it to me first even before Ryuu.”
He looked at her guiltily and she smiled. “I have eyes, Kyo-chan. I can see he means the world to you.”
“You don’t mind?”
“How can I hate something that makes you happy?” Pressing a finger on his forehead, she waited until he was looking straight into her eyes. “You’re part of me. I’ll always be on your side, okay.”
And he could see it in her eyes, that she meant every word. She helped him cover the painting, unwilling to leave him alone after her recent scare. She dragged him out of the storage room and they walked sedately back to the main house. He liked how he seemed to dwarf her. She clung to his elbow tightly, talking a mile a minute about all the places she wanted to take him that had inspired her painting. And did he want to go with her to see them? And would he like to spend a day at the beach with her? And would it be all right if she brought some strawberry cupcakes from her favorite bakery for him?
Each question healed a part of him he hadn’t realized was hurting. By the time Ryuu returned to the house, he felt as though he’d known his mother all his life. Standing at the balcony in his room staring out at the darkened manicured back lawns, he wasn’t surprised when Ryuu came to join him.
“I heard there was some excitement earlier,” Ryuu said leaning on the balcony beside him.
“Rin was worried I had left,” Kyo said quietly. “I didn’t realize how hard things were for her until today. I was just thinking about myself. And, how much I don’t like the family. I never once thought what it must be like for her. Will you tell me what to do to help her? I think I’d like to do that.”
“Are you sure, Kyo? What about your painting?” Ryuu asked quietly. “Some things, like your paint stained hands will have to change.”
“I’m sure we can find a way to go round it.” Kyo turned to look at him. “I think I would like to give her that as a present for finding me.”
“It might take a while, living the life of a socialite is not so easy.”
“I can learn if you teach me. As long as I don’t lose my hair, I really do like it long.”
“Me too,” Ryuu said straightening up. He turned and leaned on the balcony with his back to the view.
Kyo allowed Ryuu to pull him into his arms, lifting his head up, their lips met in a kiss full of promise. He loved these moments when nothing else mattered but the feel of Ryuu holding him close. Kissing him senseless and taking him to levels, he could never reach alone. Returning the kiss, Kyo tasted Ryuu’s strength, an unbending resolve that gave him courage; he tasted his love, warmth that filled every part of his heart, heating him straight to his core. Clinging to Ryuu’s shoulders, he thanked the gods for bringing this man into his life.
