Work Text:
You only have to look at Itona to know he’s different. He’s quiet, pale, wide eyes oddly empty. On his bad days, he’ll fold into himself, flinching at touches and loud noises. He’ll sit alone, shaking, slipping thin fingers under his wristbands to scratch at the skin beneath with ragged, bitten nails. He pulls a lot of jeering from the higher classes, but never too loud, because there’s something about that face, those hollow eyes, that unnerves people.
When Terasaka looks at Itona, he doesn’t see any of that.
He sees strength, coiled so tight that it eats away at itself. He sees a boy beautiful and fragile and powerful, like a sculpture built of glass and iron. He sees pain curled up with laughter, and fear warring with hope, and hurt lying together with healing. He sees steel, broken and forged again into something stronger than before. He sees golden eyes and silver hair, a treasure better than anything the world has to offer. He sees sunshine and ice and scars.
He sees love.
You only have to look at Terasaka to know all about him. He glances over test papers with a bare pass mark on them, and shrugs like he doesn’t care. He’ll drift away in class, staring out the window with the end of a pencil between his teeth. His hair is unbrushed and the dye is growing out, and his shirt is permanently unbuttoned, his tie crooked. He sits sprawled, long limbs and wide shoulders, and doesn’t seem to care how much space he takes. He doesn’t seem to care about anything.
When Itona looks at Terasaka, he doesn’t see any of that.
He sees stability, and warmth, and a sort of lazy grace, like a lion in the sun. He sees laughter and tears, creased lines of concentration. He sees pen and paper, smiles and frowns over rows of ticks and crosses. He sees long hot afternoons and long soft nights, and a pair of hands always ready to hold and comfort. He sees wide smiles that shine like jewels and stars and everything bright and good. He sees life and worry and care.
He sees love.