Soubi had just gotten off the Ferris wheel with Ritsuka when the new life he'd been given fell apart. It had been a good morning; after a long time spent trying, he'd convinced Ritsuka to come back to the Yokohama fair with just him. He'd stolen the kiss Yuiko had never gotten, and Ritsuka had blushed and glared like always but there had been a little smile on his lips. He'd leaned a little nearer under the pretense of pointing out the lovely features of the landscape and everything had felt like heaven for the barest of moments. The carriage car they rode descended slowly, and Ritsuka's ears twitched irritably as the man running the ride helped them both down. He'd been thinking about convincing Ritsuka to ride it with him again at the end of the day, perhaps taking a few longer kisses, when the person he hadn't even thought to dread walked up to them.
He was as tall as Soubi, with hair dyed a violent shade of red and tufted ears colored to match. He was looking at Ritsuka intently with dark brown eyes that could've been black in dimmer light and he set Soubi's teeth on edge like few people ever did. Ritsuka glanced up at him, then over at the other man, tail lashing as he stepped closer to them. Soubi gently pushed Ritsuka back a half-step and moved in front of him, arms crossed. The man laughed, actually laughed, and Soubi clenched his jaw; he was a Fighter, that much was obvious, and relatively strong, but there were no other Sacrifices nearby.
"Man, for a blank Fighter carrying someone else's name, you sure are protective! I gotta say, I kind of appreciate it, but I'm not here to fight you either way. I think maybe we should go somewhere a little more private and chat, yeah?" Soubi felt Ritsuka start moving and his hand shot out to stop him, thoughtless; the desire to declare a spell battle felt heavy on his tongue, and he knew how easy it would be to let the words fall free. A Fighter with no Sacrifice would be simple to kill, after all, and then the uneasy feeling deep in his chest would fade away.
"Who are you?" Ritsuka asked, as if he were nothing more than a simple annoyance, and Soubi's lips twitched up at the familiarity of it. The Fighter smiled, then, soft, like a different person than the one who'd first approached them, and walked a little closer again.
"Loveless," he said, gentle, "I'm Loveless. Your Fighter Unit." Soubi froze, hand pressed against Ritsuka's chest falling limp at his side. Ritsuka didn't move either and Soubi clutched at that in his heart. It was easy to lie about such things, and if Ritsuka felt no pull towards him, felt his bond with Soubi was stronger… he swallowed, jerking his head towards the dim, narrow space behind a row of games.
"Over there," he said, and wanted to curse himself for not keeping his voice steady. He pawed at his pockets for his cigarettes for a few moments before he remembered that Ritsuka had asked him not to bring them that day, but neither Ritsuka nor the Fighter noticed since the both of them were already walking towards the place he'd indicated. He breathed in deep and followed after them quickly, always sure to keep at least one hand on Ritsuka in case the other man tried to grab him and run.
He didn't move to do anything, though, even had the audacity to look calm, and as soon as they stopped behind the buildings, he was lifting up the shirt he wore. Ritsuka looked ready to shout, probably call him some kind of pervert like he always did Soubi, before he saw what the Fighter was showing. The name "Loveless" marred his chest, the letters thick and dark and unmistakable. Ritsuka was shaking. Soubi clutched at him a little more tightly. The stranger just smiled again, holding out a hand towards Ritsuka.
"I've been looking for you for a long time, Ritsuka," he murmured, and the name fell from his lips like a prayer. "I was afraid I would never find you, before I started hearing rumors of Loveless fighting with half of Beloved. Thank you for protecting him until now." He bowed to Soubi. Soubi's arm jerked, pulling Ritsuka against his chest. He felt like a fool for it; he was Blank, he knew that, Blank but for the name carved into his throat, because Ritsuka could never bring himself to replace his brother's name even when Soubi had asked. All he had were his earrings, and though they'd mostly settled the need in him, they weren't a name. Ritsuka himself couldn't seem to say a word, looking rapidly between Soubi and the other Fighter, ears twitching and fingertips squeezing around Soubi's arm.
"He's… Ritsuka's name hasn't appeared," Soubi said, and the other nodded.
"I know, but he is Loveless; everyone knows it. It's strange, but I can still feel him call, you know? Just like you probably still feel Beloved even though he found his real fighter too. You really should let him go now, by the way." He smiled, outwardly polite, but didn't bother to hide the flash of his teeth.
"What's… what's your real name?" Ritsuka mumbled against Soubi's skin, still gripping his arm, "What everyone actually calls you?"
"Takeo. I don't have a last name, though, or at least not one that I actually know. Kind of the trouble with being sent to the Academy so young." He chuckled and Soubi felt Ritsuka nod but he still couldn't bring himself to let the boy go.
"I will need proof that you really are the Loveless Fighter Unit. Anyone can have a word tattooed on their chest." Takeo sighed like Soubi was the one being the bother even though he was the one who had come from nowhere, trying to take Soubi's Sacrifice. He wasn't really Soubi's Sacrifice though, was he? Hadn't he known that this would always be a possibility, that, somewhere, Ritsuka's real Fighter was waiting? It just hadn't seemed like something that would ever actually happen, though, not when so many other threats, like Seimei, always seemed closer. Hadn't Ritsuka promised that they would stay together, though? Their bond might've been weaker than a Named pair, but it was still a bond, wasn't it? He forced himself to keep breathing. Takeo let his shirt fall back into place and slid a folded paper from his pocket, handing it over to Soubi with an easy shrug.
"Here; it's from the Academy. I didn't read it, but they told me to give it to you when I found you two. I guess they figured you'd want some kind of proof; I swear I didn't know a Fighter like you could get so attached to a Sacrifice that wasn't even his." Ritsuka tensed under his arm as Soubi took the letter with his free hand, shaking it open and holding it so they could both see.
He recognized the Academy stationary, and that alone might have been unnerving enough, but the words underneath chilled him to his core. It was addressed to him, and more than one member of the Septimal Moon had signed it. This Fighter Unit was Loveless, and had finished his training hardly a month before he himself met Ritsuka. Soubi was expected to hand Ritsuka over quietly and return to the Academy, where they would remove Beloved's Name and assign him a new Sacrifice. He didn't know if Ritsuka had finished reading the letter, but his fist clenched involuntarily around the letter and he tilted his head up again to glare over at Takeo. Soubi was not Loveless, he knew that clearly, but just as clearly, he knew that Ritsuka was his Sacrifice.
"Soubi?" Ritsuka whispered, and Soubi shook his head.
"I won't let him take you." Takeo laughed again, but Soubi couldn't see the joke.
"Seriously? Man, I didn't come here looking for a fight, Beloved, and I'm not dumb enough to think that I'm stronger than you. Besides, it isn't your choice anyway; it's Ritsuka's." He held out a hand towards Ritsuka, smile turning quiet and encouraging. "Come on, I'm your Fighter; I know you feel it. I've always been alone too, you know that? Got dumped at the Academy before I could even walk, and it's not like… that's not a place where you can make friends, you know? Don't you… don't you want the place where you can finally, really belong? I know I do. I'm sure Soubi cares about you, and I know he's protected you, but he's never going to be able to completely put you first. He's left you for Beloved before, right? And even if he replaced Beloved's Name, all it'd take is a new one on his skin and he'd be gone again. I'm yours, only yours, always." Soubi shook, and he could feel Ritsuka doing the same. His hand loosened, then fell away.
Ritsuka turned and stared up at him, wine-purple eyes wide and shining, and Soubi could think of nothing to say. His heart was clenching like it was going to tear in two and Soubi wanted to grab him again and run away but he couldn't seem to move.
"Soubi?" he asked again, more uncertain than Soubi had ever heard him, and "I love you" wrapped around Soubi's tongue, heavy as lead, but he couldn't say it and his heart twitched again because not being able to say it made it no less true. His stomach roiled like he was going to be sick.
"He's right," Soubi said instead, and he wanted to scream because it was true. He could never be Ritsuka's, not really, not fully, not like he should've been and not like Ritsuka deserved. He would always be Ritsu's, Seimei's, Blank, replaceable and unnecessary. It hurt. "It's… it's your choice, Ritsuka, but I… if Seimei tries to take me back again, I don't know that I can fight it. I do… I love you, Ritsuka, but I don't have a Name." Ritsuka stared at him and Soubi wished he could kiss him one last time, hold him close and stroke his velvet-soft ears and protect him and warm him and—he took another deep breath. It wasn't his choice to make. It was never his choice to make.
"Do you want to leave me?" Ritsuka asked, so innocent, so quiet, and Soubi shook his head.
"What I want doesn't matter. Going with him would be the right choice. He could protect you with all of himself, like I can't. He could make sure you never got hurt again. You belong at his side, not mine, as Loveless. Your souls match." Takeo smiled but Soubi couldn't look at it for long. He imagined that he was ripping out half of his own heart with every word he said. Ritsuka shook more violently for the barest of moments, then, very suddenly, went completely still and shook his head. His eyes were shiny wet but he didn't cry.
"You're… I can't believe you. I thought… fine. If that's what you want." It was never what he wanted. If he could've… if he could've, he'd have never let Ritsuka out of his sight, never let him go, but this was for the best and he knew it. Takeo was Ritsuka's fighter. They could be strong together in a way Ritsuka could never be with him. He said nothing. Ritsuka turned towards Takeo and Soubi didn't think anyone could ever look as happy as the redhead did then. He understood that, understood what he must be feeling even though he'd never have the chance to feel it himself—completion. The other half of his soul at his side. Soubi turned and left before he could think of it any further because he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from fighting.