Work Text:
1-18-15
Prompt: Lesson
Sousuke should have seen it coming when he noticed Rin looking at him with that smile. Or when Rin stripped off his jacket and started casually stretching his hamstrings. Or maybe when the grunts coming from the redhead weren’t quite natural enough to be from the exertion of his sit ups. Hell, even the absolutely, totally accidental brushes of skin on skin here and there and far too frequent should have been some sort of a sign.
Sousuke was nothing if not thick.
When a full thirty minutes had gone by and Sousuke had still not fallen victim to his devilish charm, Rin sat up with a huff and a pout. Rin was getting tired of Sousuke not paying attention, and after all, the taller boy’s lap was at just the perfect height…
Rin was nothing if not persistent.
“Rin,” Sousuke said without looking down from his studies, “what are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Rin snapped, nuzzling his head a bit more into Sousuke’s thigh and rearranging his legs on the floor beside him. “I’m tired, and I want attention, and you’re not giving me any.”
Sousuke smiled. Rin, for all his sharp edges and sharper teeth, was really just a big housecat at heart. He set down his pen and moved his chair back, dislodging the redhead and invoking a mass of complaints. He settled down on the ground behind Rin and pulled him into his arms, scooting back until he could lean against the bed behind him.
“I’m sorry, Rin,” he whispered into the redhead’s ear. Slowly, he nudged Rin into laying back against his good shoulder and propped his legs up on either side of the other’s hips. “But you know, if you wanted me to pay attention to you, you could have just asked.”
“Tch. What makes you think I wanted attention from you?” For all his snark, Rin settled his hands on top of Sousuke’s, and leaned back into the broad chest behind him.
“Absolutely nothing,” Sousuke chuckled. “I know you’re only here out of convenience.”
“Yep.”
“Nothing to do with any affection toward me at all.”
“Nope.”
“You are your own person, and you don’t need any validation from anyone.”
“Right.”
It was silent for a minute. Sousuke closed his eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of the boy in his arms. Rin, however, was staring straight ahead, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.
“Rin.” Sousuke’s arms tightened around his waist. “Rin, stop thinking so much. I love you.”
Rin was not reassured by those words. Rin had no need to be reassured by those words. Rin did not melt completely into his best friend’s embrace at those words. Rin did not blush at those words. And he absolutely, positively, completely and totally did not start crying.
“Rin.” Rin let his eyes fall shut at the soothing whisper that Sousuke breathed into his hair. “It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”
“Why?” Rin choked.
“Why what?” asked Sousuke.
“Why are you so good to me?” Rin rolled over until he could hide his face in Sousuke’s shoulder and hook one of his ankles around his boyfriend’s. “I’ve been an absolutely shit friend to you, so why are you still here?” Of all the ways Rin could have expected Sousuke to react, sudden, violent laughter was not one. “Sou?”
“I’m sorry,” Sousuke laughed. “It’s just, I’m the one who should be asking you that.” Rin looked up to catch the way Sousuke’s eyes half-closed in a fond smile that took his breath away. Sousuke reached up to wipe a tear from Rin’s cheek. “Rin,” he whispered, and his name had never sounded so precious before. “One of these days you’re going to realize what a treasure you are. And then you’ll understand that of all the wonders of the world, the only thing I could ever wish for, could ever dream of without even a prayer of deserving, is the chance to hold you in my arms. I will never not love you, Rin.”
Rin never answered him with words, but they lay like that for hours together, just holding and touching one another, relearning the shape of each other in the most innocent of ways. Sousuke knew he should have seen this coming. Rin was insecure in everything he did, no matter how perfect he truly was. So he settled in and strove to teach his love with each caress, each kiss, each shared breath. And when the morning came and found them still pressed close, Sousuke smiled and thanked every god he could think of for the chance to start the lesson all over again.