Author: Mosh
Fandom: Loveless
Title: Choices
Pairing: Ritsuka/Soubi
Rating: PG
Summary: Soubi makes his own decision.
Disclaimer: These boys belong to Yun Kouga. No money being made, no copyright or trademark infringement intended.
A/N: Written as a gift for Teka Lynn, on the occasion of her birthday. With thanks and love to Akuni for the beta! 430 words. :)

Note: You may not archive, re-post, or alter any of my stories without my permission. Please contact me first. Thanks!

Ritsuka paces back and forth across the waiting room carpet. A woman with bright red hair and a lip ring sits at the counter, watching him with her chin resting in her palms and a mildly amused expression on her face.

“Would you like something to drink, love? Might calm your nerves,” she says to him, smiling.

Ritsuka pauses, looks at her. The ‘love’ stirs a deep-rooted memory, and immediately the image of his mother appears in his head, back from when she was still alive and in one of her better moods. She’d called him ‘love’ only once, but he has never forgotten it.

“Um… I’m okay, thanks,” he replies, shoving his hands in his pockets and continuing to pace.

“Don’t worry,” says the lady. “It doesn’t hurt that much, and your friend looked pretty strong, if a bit on the thin side.”

Ritsuka nods vaguely, chewing his lower lip between his teeth. What’s got him on edge is not how much it’ll hurt - pain isn’t something that worries him. Not any more.

This is all about choices.

After what feels like a lifetime, an adjoining door creaks open.

Soubi stands in the doorway, shirtless, a white bandage crossing his shoulder, down under his arm and back up around. Ritsuka stills and stares at him from across the waiting room.

Soubi smiles and strides towards him. “I’m supposed to leave it for a few days,” he says as he nears, coming to stand in front of Ritsuka. Although Ritsuka doesn’t have to crane his neck quite so much now, Soubi still towers over him. “But I wanted to show you now.”

Ritsuka bunches his hands in his pockets. His palms are sweaty. He swallows thickly as Soubi unwraps the bandages - it seems to take an age, and in the end Ritsuka closes his eyes because the anticipation is too much for him. His words from earlier that morning echo in his head.

“If you’re dead set on getting it done then I want it to be something you want, not something you think you should get.”

“Ritsuka,” says Soubi softly, and Ritsuka feels a finger under his chin, tilting his face up. “I made my choice.”

There’s that word again - choice. Ritsuka opens his eyes.

The letters are tall and fine, printed in a neat line across Soubi’s pale shoulder. Ritsuka forces down the lump in his throat, a smile slowly blossoming on his mouth for the first time since they had entered the tattoo parlour.

“Yes,” he says, taking Soubi’s hand in his own. “Freedom.”

~Fin~