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mtxref_ficAuthor's Note: Written for < lj user="love_bingo">'s "first kiss"> Featuring a pre-college-aged Muraki and Ukyou.
Word Count: 540
Because of the things that Saki had done to Ukyou, because of the way he had brutalized the girl, she feared the touch of others, even those who cared for her. At best, she grew uncomfortable, when even the people closest to her would put a gentle hand on her shoulder or her arm -- her shoulder in particular; at worst, she started to panic and tremble, even cry. And because of this, Kazutaka decided to wait before offering his first kiss to her. He could wait, for her sake; she was worth waiting for, worth taking their relationship with patience and care. She had been among the first of his classmates at Shion University's affiliated high school who had opened up to her and let him into their heart, who looked at him as a person worthy of love and friendship, and not as a pale, strange looking freak. He could wait to kiss her, even on the cheek.
He understood her fear of being touched: he had feared being touched, after the things his mother had done to him, things that stopped only when his grandfather had intervened. It had taken him years to come to terms with this and the patience that Oriya had shown him had helped him to resolve his need to be touched and held with his fear of either, helped him to process the conflicting feelings that had his spirit in knots. He could thank Oriya for helping him to open up, so that he could handle her with the same care and delicacy.
At their graduation, after the commencement exercises, after the reception that followed, the two of them stepped out onto the terrace of the hotel where the reception had been held, she with her hand on his arm, he letting it rest there lightly, as if a bird might be perching there, a bird that followed him to enjoy the fading sunset and a breath of fresh air, away from the press of the crowd in the hall.
He felt Ukyou's hand nudge his arm, gently, as if she wanted to get his full attention. He turned to her, leaning down, thinking that she wished to speak to him.
But instead, to his surprise, she stretched up and kissed him, lightly, but on the mouth. Not on the cheek, but on the lips.
He pulled back, looking down at her, blinking. "Was that all right? Was I too forward?" she asked, frowning with concern.
"No, not at all: you weren't forward, but... you did surprise me," he admitted. "I was about to gather the courage to... offer a kiss to you.
"Was my offer too forward?" he asked, with a small, wry smile.
"No, it wasn't: If you'd asked, I would have given you a kiss," she said, smiling, blushing, soft pink, like the rose without thorns that she was.
"May I give you one in return for the one you gave me?" he asked.
"Of course you can," she said, looking up with a smile.
And he leaned down, giving her the kiss he had so looked forward to giving her. His would have been on the cheek, but he returned the kiss that she had given to him....
Word Count: 540
Because of the things that Saki had done to Ukyou, because of the way he had brutalized the girl, she feared the touch of others, even those who cared for her. At best, she grew uncomfortable, when even the people closest to her would put a gentle hand on her shoulder or her arm -- her shoulder in particular; at worst, she started to panic and tremble, even cry. And because of this, Kazutaka decided to wait before offering his first kiss to her. He could wait, for her sake; she was worth waiting for, worth taking their relationship with patience and care. She had been among the first of his classmates at Shion University's affiliated high school who had opened up to her and let him into their heart, who looked at him as a person worthy of love and friendship, and not as a pale, strange looking freak. He could wait to kiss her, even on the cheek.
He understood her fear of being touched: he had feared being touched, after the things his mother had done to him, things that stopped only when his grandfather had intervened. It had taken him years to come to terms with this and the patience that Oriya had shown him had helped him to resolve his need to be touched and held with his fear of either, helped him to process the conflicting feelings that had his spirit in knots. He could thank Oriya for helping him to open up, so that he could handle her with the same care and delicacy.
At their graduation, after the commencement exercises, after the reception that followed, the two of them stepped out onto the terrace of the hotel where the reception had been held, she with her hand on his arm, he letting it rest there lightly, as if a bird might be perching there, a bird that followed him to enjoy the fading sunset and a breath of fresh air, away from the press of the crowd in the hall.
He felt Ukyou's hand nudge his arm, gently, as if she wanted to get his full attention. He turned to her, leaning down, thinking that she wished to speak to him.
But instead, to his surprise, she stretched up and kissed him, lightly, but on the mouth. Not on the cheek, but on the lips.
He pulled back, looking down at her, blinking. "Was that all right? Was I too forward?" she asked, frowning with concern.
"No, not at all: you weren't forward, but... you did surprise me," he admitted. "I was about to gather the courage to... offer a kiss to you.
"Was my offer too forward?" he asked, with a small, wry smile.
"No, it wasn't: If you'd asked, I would have given you a kiss," she said, smiling, blushing, soft pink, like the rose without thorns that she was.
"May I give you one in return for the one you gave me?" he asked.
"Of course you can," she said, looking up with a smile.
And he leaned down, giving her the kiss he had so looked forward to giving her. His would have been on the cheek, but he returned the kiss that she had given to him....
