Present time-
Waking up from his massaged induced sleep, Tatsuha looked around. He smiled seeing Kumagoro and a note laying down next to him.
Picking up the bunny and the note, Tatsuha set up, smiling when he felt that the soreness in his muscles were feeling a lot better. He knew that had a lot to do with the massage Ryuichi had given him.
Thinking of the massage, Tatsuha blushed. And speaking of massages, Tatsuha was still almost naked and he was cold. He would be colder had somebody not put a blanket over him.
"Ryu is really sweet," Tatsuha said, as if he was talking to Kumagoro.
Opening the note, Tatsuha slowly read it.
Heya Tatsuha,
+Waves at Tatsuha+
I left Kuma behind to keep an eye on you. Tohma insisted I come over; Noriko is in town and he thought I'd want to see her.
I didn't want to leave you, but Kuma promised he'd keep you company.
I'll be back later tonight. Make sure Kuma eats something, kay? Don't tell Kuma I said so, but he's looking rather thin.
Ja ne!
Ryuichi
Tatsuha quirked a smile, looking at the bunny. He laughed out loud. The bunny was looking skinny, and that was because he had a hole and his stuffing was falling out.
"Come on, Kuma, I'll fatten you up."
Shaking his head, Tatsuha got out of bed. "How does a nice helping of cotton sound?"
The bunny remained silent, of course; he only talked to Ryuichi.
Tatsuha knew the bunny wasn't alive, but when Ryuichi was around the pink bunny seemed so life like.
-----
...
"Can I help you?" a young girl asked, looking at Tatsuha, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the bunny in his arms.
"Yes, I need... stuffing, needles and thread." Tatsuha pointed to the hole.
The girl grinned, "you need a sewing kit?"
Tatsuha shrugged, "I guess so. I've never sewed before." he admitted.
"Aww, well I'll get you set up. Did your poor sister put a hole in her bunny?" The girl went to take Kumagoro from Tatsuha, but Tatsuha backed away from the girl, feeling protective of the bunny.
"Just get me the stuff I need and I'll do the sewing."
'And no, not my little sister, my much older roommate, who I happen to like a lot.' Tatsuha thought in answer to the girls question.
"Oh, all right. Right this way." the girl said, leading Tatsuha toward the sewing section in the store.
"You need this, this and this..." the girl handed Tatsuha thing after thing, the teen not even knowing what some of the things were.
"I'm just sewing one simple hole, I don't need..."
"Oh, right of course." The girl smiled, "here, just take this." She handed Tatsuha a box. "It has everything in it that you need. Needles, thread and such. And on the fifth isle," she pointed south, "you can find cotton to stuff the bunny with."
Nodding his thanks, Tatsuha headed toward isle five.
...
"Ouch!" Tatsuha cried out.
He looked at Kumagoro who seemed to be mocking him as his big plastic eyes looked up at him.
For the fifth time, Tatsuha was sucking his thumb.
'Sewings sooo hard,' Tatsuha pouted.
Determined to do this, Tatsuha tried to sew the hole again.
Another half hour and Kumagoro was fixed.
"Finally!" Tatsuha all but cheered. "Now you look fat and I can honestly tell Ryuichi I fed you."
Siting the bunny on his bed, Tatsuha put the sewing kit in his medicine cabinet. No telling when he'd need it again.
----
...
Quietly walking into the house, Ryuichi looked around for his roommate and friend. He saw no sign of Tatsuha and briefly wondered if the teen had left him again. Thinking that made the man sad. But he quickly perked up when he heard the sound of someone in the restroom.
Grinning, Ryuichi tiptoed toward Ryuichi's bathroom door. There he waited, holding in a giggle.
The door opened and...
"Boo!"
Tatsuha jumped, yelling in alarm.
"Ryuichi, you scared me to death." Tatsuha said, trying to give the man an annoyed look. Though he was soon joining Ryuichi in his laughter.
"Haha, Tatsuha, did you see your face?" Ryuichi pointed, doubling over, laughing harder.
Tatsuha put his hands on his hips, "how can I see my own face, Ryuichi?"
Ryuichi's laughter stopped as he thought about that for a moment.
"You could see your reflection in my eyes." Ryuichi finally said.
Tatsuha laughed, "but then I'd have to be super close to your face."
Ryuichi stood on his tiptoes, pushing his face close to Tatsuha's. "Like this?"
"Umm, yeah," Tatsuha gulped, "I can see myself now." They were so close.
Pulling away from Ryuichi before he did something he'd regret, Tatsuha walked to his room, Ryuichi hot on his hills.
Going to his bed, he picked up Kumagoro. "Look, I fed him and he's doesn't look skinny anymore."
Ryuichi looked at the bunny with wide eyes. "Kuma, you're fat!"
Kuma frowned, looking down. "No, no, I didn't mean it badly. You look good." Ryuichi nodded. "Doesn't he look good, Tatsuha?"
Tatsuha smiled, "yes he looks great." he said, looking at Ryuichi and not Kumagoro.
Ryuichi giggled, making Tatsuha want to melt. "You see, Kuma, we both think you look great."
...
Looking up, Tatsuha blinked, seeing that he was face to face with a pouting Ryuichi. The man's lower lip was trembling and it looked like tears would soon start to flow.
Worried, Tatsuha put his hands on Ryuichi's shoulders. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Tatsuha lied to me." Ryuichi said, sniffling.
Tatsuha blinked. When where? He didn't remember ever lying to Ryuichi.
"I haven't lied to you." Tatsuha said, his heart breaking at the sight of Ryuichi so upset.
"Okay, well you didn't tell me the whole truth and that's almost the same as lying. K-Kuma agrees."
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean." Tatsuha pulled Ryuichi to him, hugging him tight.
"Please tell me what I did so I can make everything right."
Ryuichi remained quiet, save for small sounds of sobbing.
The dam had broken.
Review