RP Log: Ryoga & Rin

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Date: Feb 6th
Rating: PG
Summary: Rin can't sleep alone, Ryoga's forced to help and uhm...

Rest was necessary, that much Rin knew. But he was also certain he wouldn't get any rest if, as silly as it was, the other mutant was away. It's been what? One-two days? Since he was back, and yes, he wanted... needed even, some quality time. Even though Ryoga wouldn't be pleased with the idea, or so Rin thought. He could never tell with the other.

There were things though, lurking around his mind, which came up during his time at the freaky labs and later at that deserted apartment. Things that the blonde wanted to set straight, or as straight as it was possible, anyway. He was gathering his wits for that all throughout the time apart, and now that he could do everything he thought out... he was suddenly... surrealistically... shy. When, by everyone, he was not known to ever be shy.

Rin sighed, curling up on the bed. Ryoga didn't agree to his request, which meant he most probably wouldn't show up and that knowledge sparked up this paranoid feeling that the other would be taken away from him again. And this time for good. It was absurd, the nineteen year old was perfectly aware of that, but it refused to leave. Freezing the blood in his veins whenever he more or less focused on it.

It was lonely. The bed was more comfy, the place smelled different, there were many softer, or louder noises coming from the household. He knew it wasn't the labs, but it still felt lonely.

Running the risk of sounding like his father, Ryoga could have gone for a stiff drink and lazing around without any interruptions for a while. What he got was the combined annoyance of dealing with his mother picking at him constantly like he was a small child who couldn't even wash his own face, and Rin who was acting like a small child who couldn't even wash his own face. Well, that wasn't really fair - Rin wasn't that bad, but he was definitely needier than normal, and after the embarrassing display of urgency on Ryoga's part, the last thing he really wanted to do was to fawn all over the blonde boy. Something had indeed changed - he was not sure when or how... or why, for that matter - but the dynamic between them was no longer entirely comfortable for him. Rin expected something of him, now, and Ryoga neither knew what it was nor wanted to give it.

...Maybe he did know what it was, somewhere deep down, but the fact remained that the whole of the past few months were something he wanted to put behind him completely and focus on getting things back to normal. Normal did not include this uncomfortable expectation of Rin's.

A hand in his hair interrupted his thoughts - he was getting comfortable enough with the intrusions of his mother. She was ever straightening his collar, combing his hair, forcing food and drinks upon him, ordering him to relax... it was the sort of mothering he had never really received from her, before, but from his aunt back in Florida. Even with all the time and distance stretching between them, Ryoga still knew this woman as Mom. "Sweetheart, where's your friend?" The inevitable, unwanted question did, however, make Ryoga wish just a little that his mom didn't always have to be... Mom.

"Resting up in Ryoma's room, if he listened to me," the boy responded, shifting so that he could look at his mom over the back of the couch. Even as she aged, Rinko would always be a beautiful woman. It was no wonder Nanjiroh had gone for someone like her. "Not that he did. He's stubborn as an ass." Before he even finished speaking the words, Ryoga knew it was a mistake - his mother was giving him that look that only mothers make - the go up there and see him this instant, young man look. There was no helping it, now. "...Yeah, yeah. I know." With a sigh, he lifted himself from the couch.

"Make sure he gets some sleep, dear." The woman patted her son lightly on the shoulder and went back to what she was doing - it appeared to be an inventory of the kitchen, making a shopping list. Sighing, Ryoga left his mother to her work.

Ryoma's room was quiet, when Ryoga returned - for a moment, he thought Rin might have actually listened and gone to sleep, though it became immediately obvious from the way the other was breathing that he was still awake. "Thought I told you to go to sleep," Ryoga drawled, closing the door in his wake and kicking off his house slippers. His brother's room had been kept quite clean by their mother, but Ryoga had also been careful to keep everything in its place and orderly. "Mom's worried about you."

The steps outside the room were not missed, but Rin didn't expect the soft click of door opening and then closing and... well, he didn't have to turn around to see who it was. There were many things that told him who was approaching -- the steps, the scent, different and distinct for every person -- and only now did he realize how badly he missed that knowledge. Not only that, but also the sharp senses and overall feeling of ahh, he never know how to put it right, being healthy.

He didn't have to turn around, but he did. It was always better to look at someone when talking with them -- with Ryoga especially. "And I--," pause, as the blonde pushed himself up to sit, face twisting ever so slighly in pain. "Told you I can't," ever since they left the labs and that one time, when he forced the ... well, claws out, he couldn't do it again. Even though Rin did try, many times over, but it never worked and he didn't know what to do to make it work. He wanted a break from the pain and soreness, even though it'd be a little more awkward then. "There's nothing to worry about," he smiled, settling his hands in his lap, palms up, "Although it's nice to have someone worry." Mrs Echizen was a lovely woman, Rin has taken liking to her long time ago, when he first met her during that party -- ahh, he didn't exactly remember when it was. She was very unlike his mother. Even though the difference was hard to point out.

Idly, he wondered how was his family doing and made it a point to call them sometime this week.

And now Rin couldn't help but feel somewhat strange, even stranger when he ran a hand through his hair and fingers went through it all too soon, brushing past the bare back of his neck.

Ryoga crossed the room, his steps nearly silent in the plush carpet, and settled on the edge of the bed, reaching out to give Rin's shoulder a shove. "I told you lyin' down helps," he countered half-heartedly. Stretching his back, he settled his hands behind him and leaned his weight against his wrists with his head rolling lazily sideways so he could gaze at Rin. Despite what the other mutant had come to believe, Ryoga thought short hair actually looked quite good on him - even if it were shorter, it would suit him.

Of course, if he didn't find a way to get Rin back to sleep, his mom would have a fit at him, Rin would complain, and he'd end up in a worse situation than where he started. "What's keepin' you up, anyway?" He moved one hand to find the blonde's leg under the blanket and pat his knee - he remembered his uncle doing that when he had nightmares as a child. Not that he thought Rin was the sort to be losing sleep over nightmares. "'S it hard to sleep in a weird place?"

"No, this place is not weird," Rin said, shaking his head, "Weird was there, here is normal, just maybe unfamiliar. And that's not a problem." There was a smile on his lips still, small, but not forced. Smiling was like telling yourself everything'd be fine, and more importantly believing in it. And Rin always thought he'd be damned if he wasn't able to, anymore.

Playfully, he poked the hand on his knee and had to resist the strong urge to do more. "You're going to call me dumb for that," or any other name the other could come up with, really, Rin didn't keep a list, but he was certain there were many, "But after a month of being forced to be alone, I don't want to willingly do that." A shrug, hands settling back in his lap. He used to be a loner, surrounded by people during the day, enjoying the quiet and emptiness at night. Then Ryoga came. It was supposed to be temporary, but ended up being permanent and things changed.

"Nah, it's not dumb." Or if it was, Ryoga was no better - he had felt the symptoms of loneliness the whole time he was trapped at Ryuhana. Not only had he been separated from Rin, but with his brother's mind completely gone, and Niou off in hibernation or whatever it was. "Though if that's the reason, you're still bein' dumb. It's not like you're alone, here." Or maybe it was just Ryoga who was starting to feel like he could not be alone in this place no matter how hard he tried - between his mother and his roommate, the world suddenly felt very small.

Time ticked by, each second accented with a matching soft noise from the clock on the wall. With each tick, Ryoga started to feel more and more... like he ought to say something encouraging. "Once you've slept, come with me to run errands for Mom - 'm sure she'd appreciate it, and you've probably got cabin fever."

Running the risk of being called dumb again, Rin murmured with a smile, while carefully lying down next to the other, "I'm alone when I'm asleep." He shifted a bit, head tilting to the side, just barely touching Ryoga's shoulder. "I could use some fresh air though, later," some fresh air, moving a little, that'd certainly do him good. "Maybe it'd also help me sleep and you won't have to put up with my whining," taking a stab at his own behaviour, why not? In certain cases his roommate was too transparent, or so the blonde thought. Sometimes the other boy still managed to surprise him even when he thought he had him figured out already. It was frustrating, but also exciting at the same time.

"What, you bribin' me, now?" With a sharp laugh, Ryoga flicked Rin teasingly in the forehead. For a moment, Ryoga considered taking another stab at Rin for trying to snuggle up to him, but he could not bring himself to say it. Even he knew when he was walking the line between playful and cruel. "'F you sleep, now, you can look forward to the grocery store. If that place doesn't wear you out, nothin' will." The last word were spoken with a wry smile as he recalled a shopping trip from what seemed like eons ago. Had it really only been a year since he and Niou had gone with Ryoma to run errands for their mom? So much had changed...

Rin laughed as well, eyes shut tightly at the flick, "Is it working?" With a sigh, he fully pressed his cheek into the other, his hands lying limply on his stomach, "Mm, grocery stores are fuuun~," well, okay, they weren't exactly fun, but they weren't boring either. All these humans rushing around, sounds and scents some more, some less, pleasant -- when in a good mood, and not headaching, going to a grocery store was like a fest. "Heh~, so I guess I should be a good boy now and sleep, huh?" Pause, and wide grin, which wiped the uncertainty from his voice, "Will you stay until then~?"

"'M trapped, now," the other boy murmured, his voice lacking the edge it had held up until then. Somewhere along the line, Ryoga had realized it was time to stop fighting... it was not the same as giving in or giving up, he just could make some small concessions like this from time to time. Maybe. A bit more sternly, he added, "You gotta sleep, though." He might try to sneak away once he was sure Rin was really asleep - lying around waiting for the other mutant to wake up was not exactly his idea of a good time. Not that the blonde needed to know that... and Ryoga was pretty sure, from experience, that he would not be able to get away, anyway.

Sleep, the blonde needed the sleep. Not exactly his body, but his mind certainly. Or was it the other way around? At this point, he didn't know what it was exactly that didn't let him rest (apart from this absurd feeling of loneliness). Maybe it was both? But then, why did he need it as badly as he did? And why did it even matter?

Only a soft, incoherent sound came as an answer, thin lips almost unmoving as the remains of consciousness tried voicing an agreement of sorts. He could be a good boy, when he put his mind to it... or not. Sleep sneaked up on him suddenly, without a warning, probably using contentment as a disguise. Rin shifted again, already asleep, rolling to his side, one hand moving unconsciously to rest on the other's chest. His breathing evened out -- not too shallow, nor too deep, though unnaturally quiet, but this kind of quiet was actually natural for the blonde mutant.

Ryoga let out a silent sigh, tilting his head so he could regard the sleeping boy curled against his side. Very rarely did he see Rin sleep - not only did the other mutant rarely need it, Ryoga typically was asleep if Rin decided to sleep at all. Some people looked different when they slept - the blonde was not one of them. He had a small, content smile on his face and the lines of worry had long since been smoothed away from his forehead. Even his breathing was not very different from when he was awake - it was in his muscles, too lax for even the best actor - that Ryoga could be sure he was asleep.

A smile snuck up on Ryoga's lips. "Idiot," he accused softly, so as to not disturb the blonde's slumber. "I'm not going anywhere." Another small adjustment allowed him to press a kiss to the blonde's forehead before closing his own eyes and submitting himself to the warmth and the appeal of an afternoon nap.