I am pretty sure that no one else has done this, and if they have, I haven't come across it! The fact that this is on fanfiction should be enough indication that I don't make money off this.

Another day, another battle fought.

Once again, Soubi was hurt, from protecting me, and from having our opponent's spells thrown at him.

And from serving a master who didn't share his name.

Me. Loveless. One who is loved by none. Soubi. Beloved. One who is loved by all.

Every time someone comes after me; be it because of my brother, or my connection to Soubi, it is Soubi, not I, who bleeds. Fearless, Breathless, Bloodless, Moonless, Faceless, and the Zeros. In every battle, it has been Soubi who is grievously injured; the fighter instead of the sacrifice.

After a particularly harrowing encounter with Beloved- My brother- I watch as Soubi sleeps restlessly. I decided to spend the night at his apartment with him; he was in no state to be left alone, and he was terrified to have me out of his sight.

My fingers ghost over his temple as I smooth back a few locks of his hair, shining gold in the light of the moon. Soubi deserves to be called Beloved; he is kind, strong and handsome.

Yet he himself has attached himself to Loveless. To me.

I turn my gaze to the window, looking out onto the darkened streets. A maze of blackened road that could hide any number of potential attackers. But not tonight. As I raise my hand to rest on the cooled glass, I know that no pair will be coming for us tonight.

Seimei's attack has guaranteed it for tonight if nothing else; no one wants to challenge Beloved after all.

Soubi stirs and I return my gaze to his form. I can feel myself wince upon the sight of his bandages; they wind around his neck and chest, and capture both his hands. I feel my nails bite into my palm when I realise that his hands will take at least a week to fully heal.

Soubi is an artist; he should never have been introduced to this world of fighting and pain!

I force my hand to unclench from it's self-induced coil when I feel the tell-tale liquid upon my skin. I have sliced my palm in my anger.

Moving as silently as I am able, I leave Soubi's room and enter the living room, making my way to the couch where I had left the first aid kit. Opening it's lid, I know that tomorrow, Soubi will be upset that I had injured myself further, but even as I loop the cloth around my damaged hand, I feel nothing. Years of abuse from my mother in her attempt to find 'her Ritsuka' has left me feeling no pain from such small abrasions. After I have tied off the bandage, I rise and find myself staring at none other then 'my' fighter, the man who has dedicated himself to me and my name; Soubi.

"When I woke up ..." Soubi's words trailed off, but his eyes didn't leave my own. He started again. "I was worried that you had left."

I wince as I hear the slight accusation in his voice, and I step forward until I am directly in front of him.

"I may be Loveless, Soubi, but I'm not heartless. I'm not going to leave you."

Soubi releases a sigh as I say those words, and I suddenly find myself in his arms, Soubi hugging me for all his worth. I can't make them out, but I can hear him mumbling words into the space where my shoulder meets my neck.

Letting out a small sigh of my own, I wrap my arms around the man's torso, gently rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down.

Though he'll never say so, after a fight, Soubi always has nightmares.

As I lead Soubi back to his room, I think on the other sacrifices. They are all different; from me and from each other, but all of them have one same difference to me.

They will all 'discipline' their fighters for misconduct.

I hate violence. I abhor it. I hate how someone can think that it will solve anything. So I never use it. Not on Soubi, not against my mother, and not against those who attack me.

As Soubi lies back down on his bed, and I retake my seat, I think for a final time tonight on the nature of my name.

Loveless.

I have no love for the world I've been thrown into.

Done! Written in roughly half an hour, and I'm pretty sure I didn't stuff anything up!

My theory is that the names between a pair reflects how that pair thinks of battle; Breathless will battle as hard and as fast as they can, leaving you no time to breathe. Bloodless attacks your psyche, your mental state, until you can no longer stand, winning without shedding blood. Beloved revels in the fight, to them, a fight is a beloved thing. And Ritsuka - Loveless- holds no love for fighting or violence, upon the field of war, he is loveless of the conflict.

I don't care if I'm ranting; it totally works in my mind!

Toodles and Love,

Oky Verlo