Disclaimer: I only own Akira. Everything else belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing in this category.
Dedication: This is dedicated to those of us who have fathers, and those of us who do not. And to my boyfriend John, my cousin John (different John. Sad that I have to say this, but some people, man), my cousin Nick, my uncle Jeff, my brother in law, my brothers through adoption, and all my male friends and coworkers with children. Happy father's day everyone!
000
It wasn't all that unusual to hear shouts of anger and pain, and the sound of breaking china in the Aoyagi household on a Tuesday morning just before school started. Or after six PM on a Tuesday afternoon. Or any day, really. No one really seemed to pay any mind to what was going on in that house anyway, as if the walls were soundproof and no one heard. But if the walls could talk, they'd tell horror stories of anger and pain and abuse. They'd tell stories of a now thirteen-year-old boy bruised and bloody and broken on the bathroom floor with a first aid kit and a raging mother banging on the other side of the door. They'd tell stories of a father that never came home and a brother that was missing due to his 'death' years prior. They'd tell stories of a crying young boy curled up on the bed begging to whatever could hear him that the pain would just stop, that Soubi would just come home and save him from this madness. It had been getting worse, the walls would say, ever since he hit thirteen. She's been worse ever since that day those few months ago when his birthday came and went, followed shortly thereafter by Christmas and New Year's.
Less than gracefully, thirteen-year-old Aoyagi Ritsuka stumbled out of his house and crashed onto his backside on the pavement walkway, his mother screeching incomprehensible garbage at the boy she had just heartlessly thrown out of her house and onto the sidewalk. The screeching silenced and a suitcase shortly followed before a door slammed, the suitcase's contents spilling on the ground around the young boy. There Ritsuka sat, knees bent and arms wrapped around them as he hung his head low so his obsidian hair would block his face and the tears flowing from plum eyes. Had this happened a few months ago, he'd pick himself up, dust himself off, gather his things back up, and make the seemingly long fifteen minute trek to Soubi's apartment for sanctuary. But without Soubi around, there was no one there but their friends Sagan Yoji and Natsuo, and he'd never let them know what was going on unless Soubi was there to intervene when Yoji's teasing went too far; it always did.
A lone car drove by slowly, stopped as if the owner was going to get out and approach, but quickly drove away again as if the owner had decided this was an issue best left to the parents of the weeping teenager. God, it wasn't fair. Where was he going to go? Thunder rumbled overhead, snapping Ritsuka out of his rather pathetic seating on the walkway. He gathered his things in his suitcase, felt for his camera and phone in his pocket, before standing and beginning to walk his normal path towards school. Halfway there, he stopped, head hung low to avoid people on the streets. Men in pressed suits and uniforms scuttled their way around him as they continued their face paced walks to work, women and children in bright, sunny outfits eased around him on their walks to school or to run errands. Ritsuka turned the corner to go in the exact opposite direction of his school. He wasn't going to go there with a suitcase, looking like this. There would be too many concerned questions from Shinonome-sensei and Yuiko, and too many teasing remarks from the less than cordial members of his class.
He didn't know where he was going, but in the end, anything was better than this.
000
Ritsuka looked up at the large brick college across the street from where he was sitting on a bus stop bench under an awning. The rain had begun a few minutes before he'd reached the dry safety of the bus stop awning, but the downpour had been so heavy the boy was already drenched to the bone. He shivered as he rubbed at his arms, trying to get moisture to escape from the fabric. Once the rain stopped, he'd go to McDonald's down the road and change into clothes from his suitcase. He had nothing to put the wet clothes in to separate them from the dry ones, but he supposed he could fix that by asking for a bag and folding his things up neatly inside. He didn't know why he'd made his way here. There was no one here who could-or would, he thought bitterly-help him in his time of need. Soubi wasn't here anymore. Hanabi-chan wasn't an option either. Why did he waste his time coming here? Maybe a shred of hope still lingered in him that Soubi had come back without warning and was attending classes; something he seemingly rarely did even before he left. Why pay so much for college and never show up? Probably to spite Ritsu-sensei.
A dark green car pulled up in front of the bus stop and the window rolled down.
"Rit-chan?" He heard a familiar voice call him. "Is that you? What are you doing?"
Ritsuka looked up from where he was staring at his lap to see who was addressing him. Inside the car's passenger seat was none other than Kaido Kio; Soubi's best friend. That meant that his boyfriend Shujimeki Akira was likely driving. He didn't think Kio had friends outside of those two but if he did, he doubted they'd be close enough to drive around together.
"Waiting…" Ritsuka muttered.
"You look soaked." Akira commented, leaning back so he could be seen around the green haired artist who was practically leaping out of the window. "Come on, I'll give you a ride."
"No thanks…"
"You sure…?" Kio seemed to look closer before pushing himself back into the window, rolling it up, and hopping out of the car. "You look like hell." He commented, wrapping an old but dry blanket around Ritsuka's shoulders.
"Thank you…" Ritsuka sneezed. "I'm fine, really. Just soaked."
Kio touched his cheek and pulled back blood stained fingers.
"You're bleeding."
"It's nothing…"
"Come on." Kio pulled him up to stand.
Ritsuka barely had time to grab his suitcase before Kio opened the back door to the car, pushed him in, and climbed in after him. Akira turned around, shifting the car into park as he did so.
"What are you doing out here in the rain with a suitcase?" He wondered, running his fingers through Ritsuka's wet hair and catching on his neko ear.
Ritsuka shuddered. "Nothing…don't…don't worry about it…"
"You're waiting on Sou-chan, aren't you?" Kio's brow furrowed. "Thoughtless idiot not telling anyone where he went…"
A bus blew its horn behind them. Akira shifted the car out of park and started driving away, waving a hand at the bus and earning the bus driver's middle finger in return. Rain pelted the car from all angles as the drenched neko stared at the floor of the car.
"Something's not right." Kio commented, running his ringers through Ritsuka's hair like Akira had done. "What happened, Rit-chan?"
"Nothing…"
"So why do you have a suitcase?"
"No reason…"
Kio checked his watch. "And why aren't you in school?"
"Didn't want to go…"
"Well, we're not bringing him to school soaked anyway." Akira offered, looking in the rearview and giving Ritsuka a warm, comforting smile the boy didn't feel he deserved. "You can come back to our place and warm up, alright?"
"You don't have to…" Ritsuka muttered.
Kio frowned. "We want to." He stated. "Look at me, Rit-chan."
When he didn't, Kio placed two fingers under his chin and tipped his head to look the boy in the eyes. The concern in his mauve orbs was overwhelming.
"Ritsuka, are you alright?"
Despite himself, Ritsuka shuddered and broke down into tears. Kio pulled him into a hug, not saying anything as he placed a gentle kiss o the top of the weeping boy's head behind an ear. He and Akira shared a look in the mirror.
000
Half an hour later, Ritsuka sat on the plush couch in Kio and Akira's apartment on the other side of Tokyo, dressed in warm clothes from his suitcase and holding a cup of warm-but not hot-cup of hot chocolate between his still trembling fingers. Kio and Akira hadn't said anything, but the elder of the two was working on a paper for his class while Kio sat next to Ritsuka, digging through a first aid kit to clean up and bandage a few wounds he'd found when Ritsuka had taken his shirt off. Other than Kio's tinkering and the scratch-scratch of Akira's pen on paper, the apartment was silent. Ritsuka let out a shuddering breath, prompting both men to stop what they were doing and look at him. Ritsuka flushed.
"I'm sorry…" He said at last.
"For what?" Kio wondered, finally finding a bottle of disinfectant in the unorganized kit.
"I don't know why I'm here…I shouldn't have gone to your school…I just…I don't know how I ended up there…"
"Don't worry." Kio stated. "You can hang out here as long as you need to, alright? We don't mind."
"Of course not." Akira tapped his pen on the table, smiling at the young boy. "I am pretty curious as to what happened." He nodded at the injuries and then the suitcase at the foot of the couch.
"Mother…" Ritsuka started, but stopped.
Kio and Akira didn't know about the abuse he suffered at home.
"Your mother?" Kio cocked an eyebrow. "She did this…?"
"She kicked me…o-out…" Ritsuka muttered, looking back down at the cup in his hands.
Kio and Akira shared a look.
"You're thirteen." Akira commented.
"Yes…"
"And she kicked you out?" Kio huffed. "What is wrong with people now days? Can't deal with having kids so they toss them aside the moment they get the chance." He wrapped his arms around Ritsuka's shoulders in a loose hug. "You can stay with us as long as you need to, alright? Maybe you can go home when things cool…"
"No." Ritsuka interrupted a bit too quickly for his own tastes. "Mother was clear…don't ever come back…"
Kio's lips pursed into a tight line. "And your injuries…?"
"Mostly old…china…" Ritsuka swallowed the lump in this throat that was telling him to shut up.
Kio made a tsk sound as he opened the ointment. "This may sting a little on the newer ones."
Ritsuka just closed his eyes and let Kio patch him up. He didn't have the hard to tell the sugar addicted artist that he could do it himself since he was so used to it.
"May I ask where your father is?" Akira wondered.
"I don't know." Ritsuka shrugged. "He hasn't come home in a long time…"
"Does he know about any of this?" Kio asked, humming as he worked.
"He hasn't been home. How…"
"I meant the older ones."
"N…no…he knows what…what mom does…but not about the scars…"
"I see."
"Regardless, you have a home here with us, alright?" Akira offered a gentle smile. "But you have to go to school at some point."
"Just…not today…"
Kio nodded. "Stay here and rest. I didn't have classes today, but Akira does at three."
Ritsuka nodded, muttering his thanks and taking a sip of hot chocolate when Kio finished patching him up.
"You're welcome." Kio answered. "Should we call the school and let them know you're okay…?"
"No, they'll ask questions…they'll call mom…maybe…"
Kio frowned. He'd never seen the boy so broken before. It was almost a mirror image to what Soubi was like when Seimei died. Sheesh, the two of them were so much alike it was pathetic. Both blinded and tortured by the fact that their daily abusers weren't in their lives anymore. What was in the water? He and Akira would have to stop using the tap before it consumed them as well.
But at least, when Seimei died, Soubi still had Kio. But Soubi wasn't here. Ritsuka had no one to run to for comfort. Well, until Kio and Akira found him anyway. The neko put his empty cup on the coffee table and curled up against the couch. Kio draped a heavy afghan over his small form. Once Ritsuka drifted to sleep, he sat at the table with Akira.
"Poor thing." He sighed. "I had no idea he was dealing with so much…"
"Abuse victims hide it rather well." Akira informed, pulling his boyfriend onto his lap. "I mean, look at how well Soubi hid what happened because of Seimei before you found out."
"On accident…"
Soubi hadn't had his bandages on around his neck when Kio had gone over one day, and he'd ask about the jagged scars that spelled 'Beloved'. Soubi had only said 'I wanted it to hurt'. The day he saw the word on the left middle finger of Seimei, he understood.
"Still, you found out all the same." Akira nuzzled his face into the top of Kio's head, his yellow-orange hair both contrasting and complimenting with Kio's mint green.
Kio unwrapped a lollipop and pushed it into his mouth. "And we found out about this on accident." Kio stated around the stick. "If he hadn't come to our school, we may have never known."
Akira nodded. "Poor kid. Dealing with all this shit so young. I wonder if Soubi knew."
"Most likely. They were so close, after all." Kio sighed, a bit jealous.
He'd do anything to have been as close to Soubi as Ritsuka was; whether in a romantic sense in the past or just as best friends like they were now. But it seemed only the little brother of Aoyagi Seimei could melt the icy walls around Soubi's heart.
Akira nodded. "And he didn't say anything…?"
"You know how Soubi is. Ritsuka probably told him not to and he listened."
"This is more than just getting a lousy grade on an exam." Akira glanced at the sleeping neko. "If this went on much longer, he might not be here anymore."
Kio nodded, burying his face in Akira's shoulder. Poor, sweet, innocent little Ritsuka.
000
It was around three that afternoon when Ritsuka woke up from his nap on Kio and Akira's couch. He rubbed his eyes as he glanced around the room. It was quiet. Well, Kio did say Akira had a class at three. The neko heard someone tinkering in the kitchen and decided that must have been where Kio was. He stretched, pushing the blanket off him and onto the couch. Standing up, he followed the sounds. Sure enough, Kio was in the kitchen washing dishes by hand at the sink. He was wearing sweatpants that were about to fall off his hips and slippers, but he was shirtless. The black inked tattoo on his back glistened in the light of the kitchen and, for a moment, Ritsuka could understand why it had fascinated Soubi so much. The raven cleared his throat, surprising the artist and making him drop a spoon into the sink with a clink as it hit other items. Kio turned, clutching a hand to his bare chest.
"Rit-chan!" He gasped. "You scared me."
"Gomen…" Ritsuka replied.
"It's alright. I didn't know you were up." Kio turned his attention back to the dishes. "You sleep good?"
"Yeah, thanks, Kio." Ritsuka blushed. "I'm sorry for intruding on your life like this…"
"No intrusion at all." Kio waved him off. "We invited you, didn't we?"
"You wouldn't have if I hadn't gone near the school…"
"I'm glad you did." Kio offered him a smile. "Hungry? I can't imagine you've eaten today with everything going on."
"I had some eggs before mother threw me out." Ritsuka confessed. "Ritsuka doesn't like scrambled eggs…" He muttered.
"What…?"
"N-Nothing…just mother…memory…um…" Ritsuka scratched the back of his neck. "I need to use the bathroom…"
"You know where it is."
"Yeah."
Ritsuka left the room, dragging his feet on the hardwood floor. He just didn't have the strength or desire to move, but he knew he had to. God, today was just miserable. First his mother had attacked him for eating scrambled eggs, then she'd tossed him out with barely enough time to grab his backpack of clothes and some photos he had, then he'd gotten drenched, now he was imposing on Kio and Akira. Even though they were insisting it was their pleasure for him to stay, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Maybe if he hadn't eaten breakfast this morning, his mother wouldn't have gone off the handle on him. No, it was a long time coming. It wasn't his fault.
Once done in the bathroom, the neko went back to sitting on Kio's couch with his hands folded between his knees. He'd never been to Kio and Akira's place before, so he wasn't sure what to do or how to act. Kio came into the room, drying his hands on a hand towel.
"I'm making lunch. What do you want? I can order in if you'd like." Kio offered.
"Um…whatever you make is fine, Kio, thanks…"
Kio frowned. "I asked what you wanted because I wanted to know. I'm not going to get mad at you for choosing what you want to eat. Who would do such a thing?" He laughed.
"My mother…"
Kio frowned and sat at Ritsuka's side. "I'm not your mother. Or your father, for that matter. Whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to do, just ask for it, just do it. I don't care. I mean I do but you can make your own choices."
Only Soubi really let him be himself. Even around Yuiko and Yayoi he was guarded to a degree. He'd learned a long time ago, before moving to Tokyo, that he had to be what others wanted. Not what he wanted. His therapist encouraged him to be himself as well, but she didn't really understand. She couldn't, honestly.
"I've never…"
"Everything's been decided for you."
"Yeah…"
Even his future with Septimal Moon and his fate of being a Sacrifice was chosen for him. He hated it.
"That's unfortunate." Kio sighed. "No one's allowed to just do whatever they want anymore." He stated. "When I was eighteen, I could do whatever the hell I wanted. Hell, when I was your age I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I wasn't hurting my family image by doing so."
"Your family image…?"
"I come from a very…prestigious family." Kio admitted, blushing. "Female dominated."
"Oh…I didn't know…"
"Not really something you go around advertising, being a member of my family when you're a male. Not because of the female dominated thing, but just because being a male Kaido typically gets you disgusted looks where I'm from." He laughed, running his fingers through his hair. "I was kicked out when I was eighteen."
"I'm sorry."
Kio shrugged. "It's alright. Female dominated family and all that, I shouldn't have ever expected better." He stated. "But I had my father's place to go to. But you? Doesn't seem like your father is really the caring type."
"Why he and my mother ever got married and had children is a mystery to me…he didn't even want me…"
"Rit-chan…"
The sadness in the neko's eyes was almost unbearable.
"But it was okay because I had Seimei. But now, well, I'm all alone."
"You're not alone."
"My aunt and uncle and cousin want nothing to do with us and I don't like them anyway, and mother's side of family is just my grandparents but they died soon after I was born. Mother hates me and kicked me to the curb. Father's never around and has a new family to take care of now. Seimei was murdered." A lie he wasn't so comfortable telling Kio anymore. "I have no one."
"You know that's not true. Sure, you don't have blood family, but you have family. Me and Akira, Yoji and Natsuo, Yuiko-chan and Yayoi-kun, your sensei, Soubi…we're family." Kio smiled. "Not by blood, but it still counts."
Ritsuka shrugged. "Yeah, I guess…but Soubi's not here, Yoji and Natsuo are leaving for Gora soon…" He sighed. "We might be a family, I guess, but we're falling apart as quickly as my biological family is."
"It's only temporary." Kio argued. "Yoji and Natsuo are just going on vacation, so they'll be back when that's over. And Soubi will eventually come back; you know that as well as I do."
"What if he doesn't?"
"He will."
"How are you so certain?"
"He loves you."
Ritsuka blushed. "How…how do you…?"
"You think I'm an idiot, Rit-chan?" Kio laughed, leaning back into the couch. "I've seen the way Soubi treats you, how he talks to you…he's never been like that with anyone else. And don't think I haven't seen him kiss you before, because you know I've interrupted you two a couple times now."
"But he left…without a reason or explanation. Just poof…"
Well, more like just walk away with Seimei and Akame.
"I know."
"Maybe he loved me at one point, but I don't…"
"I don't claim to know what's going on in his mind or what kind of crazy, dangerous things he's into on the side, but I do know what's going on in his heart. We've had a long discussion about the two of you." Kio blushed. "To be honest, the age difference concerned me. He's way over eighteen, and you're way under."
"It's not like we'd do anything!" Ritsuka flushed, covering his eyes with his hands. "Promise…"
"I know, I believe you." Kio pat him gently on the back, laughing. "And when he told me you were Seimei's brother, to be honest, I was livid. Trading one abusive master for another."
"I'm not…"
"But I met you and got to know you, and you're nothing like that violent bastard of a brother of yours. Sorry."
"I won't argue with you."
He knew more about what Seimei had done than Kio did, after all.
"But once I got back from visiting my family, which got me no answers whatsoever, by the way." He groaned. "Who the hell was that girl that said she's my twin…? Anyway." He shook his head of the thoughts. "I had a long conversation with Soubi about you and him. He assured me it wasn't anything sexual or anything…"
"Of course not!" Ritsuka blurted. "I could never…" He shuddered.
"I know." Kio agreed. "The way he is with you is so much different from how he is with your brother. He was always so submissive to Seimei, so afraid of him. Seimei was violent. He's hurt Soubi so many times, both physically and emotionally, yet if Seimei were to rise from the dead and come back to life and find Soubi, Soubi would fall right back into those patterns at the drop of a hat."
"You have no idea." Ritsuka deadpanned.
"But with you…hm, how do I explain it…Soubi told me he does love you. He said it countless times when we were talking, whenever we'd mention you. He considers you more than whatever he and Seimei were. Hell, if you'd agree to it, I'm pretty sure he'd call you his boyfriend."
Ritsuka blushed. "B-Boyfriend…?" He wondered, wringing his hands between his knees. "I didn't know Soubi felt so strongly for me…I thought he was just doing what Seimei told him to…to find me…he really loves…?"
"I don't see why that's so hard to believe." Kio chuckled. "He'll drop anything and everything at a moment's notice if he knows you're in danger or otherwise need any sort of help. He's done it before, and only because he couldn't find his cell phone and was worried you might need his help and couldn't contact him. If you were in any real danger? Well, I'm certain he'd transcend even light speed."
Ritsuka cocked a sheepish little grin. He knew Soubi would do anything to protect him, but that had been an order, too.
"Seimei told him to…"
"Hm?"
"Seimei told him…that if he dies…Soubi should find me…and love and protect me…how can I be so certain he's not just acting on that order?"
"Order?" Kio cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, right, your brother ran their relationship like the military."
"They were never together."
"Sou-chan insists that, as well." Kio nodded. "Well, enough of that. Just take my word for it. Soubi loves you just as much as Akira and I love one another. I can just tell. Not because he's told to, but because he knows you."
"Yeah…he does…"
"So, anyway, my original point was you've got a family here in Tokyo to take care of you, and if you ever need anything, you have people to call. You're welcome to stay here all you want. Akira can drive you to school in the morning. He doesn't do morning classes like I do."
"Sure…thank you, Kio, I appreciate this…"
"Of course."
"No offense, but my first choice was Soubi's apartment, but then I remembered he's not there, so it would be pointless. Yoji and Natsuo wouldn't stop picking on me anyway if they knew."
"They'll know eventually. And if they give you trouble, I'll shut them up." Kio grinned. "Deal?"
"Deal." Ritsuka couldn't help but giggle.
Kio pulled the neko into a loose, one armed hug. "So don't you ever say you're alone or you've got no one ever again, got that?"
"Got it, Kio." Ritsuka gave him a gentle hug back.
"Besides, your straight parents were terrible parents. Let's see if the gay guys can do any better, hm?"
Forgetting the pain and sorrow of the day, Ritsuka laughed.
000
The next day in front of the school, Ritsuka sat in the passenger seat of Akira's dark car. Other students were making their way to and fro with their friends, laughing and joking around. They all seemed rather happy. If only he felt the same way. Well, in a way he did. Living with Kio and Akira was rather fun. They played games together all through the night and Akira helped Ritsuka with some homework he'd neglected to do the night before when Kio made dinner. He'd even watched the two of them work on their art after he took a shower. Thankfully, they'd kept it down at night while Ritsuka slept on the couch. They were going to set up the guest room for him while he was at school. Once that was done and he had an actual room to sleep in, they could be as loud as they wanted at night. He was a pretty sound sleeper anyway, unless he had a nightmare, which he thankfully didn't the night before.
"Sorry, Ritsuka, but you can't sit in the car staring at people forever." Akira stated. "Being a creep is Soubi and Kio's job. Not yours."
Ritsuka sighed, gently smiling. "I'm just not sure what I'm going to do when I go in there…they're going to ask where I was…"
"You were nauseous. Twenty-four hour bug." Akira offered.
"I guess that works."
"I see Yoji and Natsuo. Why don't you go say hello to them? I know you don't want them teasing you about what happened, but Kio and I will set them straight."
Ritsuka smiled gently. "Thanks, Akira."
"Any time." He replied. "Do you need someone to pick you up here after school? Or should I just meet you guys at Soubi's place later?"
"Soubi's place is fine if that's easier."
"Either way works, but if we meet there, you can hang out with your friends a bit first. I have a class at four, so I can grab you after that since Soubi's closer to the college than we are."
"Okay." Ritsuka paused, grabbing the door handle to let himself out. "Akira?"
"Hai?"
"I'm really grateful for what you guys are doing for me…you didn't have to."
"We wanted to." Akira ruffled his hair. "You're a good kid, Ritsuka. You've just been dealt a bad hand."
"Yeah, with all I've been through, you could say that…"
He'd broken down the night before and told them about his memory loss and personality change to explain why his mother acted the way she did with him. Kio was angry with her for being so selfish, but he was more comforting for Ritsuka anyway.
"Yeah, no offense, but your family is all kinds of messed up, really…"
Yeah, but my other family is pretty cool." Ritsuka smirked. "I've got these awesome cousins, and two fathers to look up to."
Akira beamed as Ritsuka got out of the car.
"Arigato, Akira, really." He stated. "It means a lot."
"Any time."
Akira honked and waved when Yoji and Natsuo turned to see who it was. Yuiko smiled at Ritsuka.
"Who's that, Ritsuka-kun?" She wondered. "Your father?"
"In a way, I guess." Ritsuka laughed. "That's Akira. He's Kio's boyfriend."
"Kio?"
"Soubi's friend. Green hair? Was at Ritsuka's birthday party we made him have?"
"Oh, right." She beamed.
"He gave you a ride to school?" Yayoi wondered. "That was nice of him."
"Yeah, he and Kio are pretty nice guys. They take care of me now that Soubi isn't around."
"Awesome." Yayoi smiled as the bell rang.
"Uh oh! We're going to be late!" Yuiko broke into a run towards the school.
"Yuiko-chan, wait u-u-u-u-up!" Yayoi chased after the pinkette.
"Do you mind telling us exactly what you meant by saying that he's your father 'in a way, I guess'?" Yoji asked, slinging an arm around Ritsuka's shoulders as he and his brother forced him along towards the school with them.
"Well, he and Kio are more like fathers to me than my actual father is…" Ritsuka blushed.
"So is Soubi and you want to sleep with him." Natsuo offered.
"I do not!" Ritsuka denied.
"Sure, you don't, Loveless." Yoji winked.
Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "Don't call me that in public, you jerk."
Yoji and Natsuo laughed.
"So for real, why did he bring you to school? They don't live around here."
"Akira didn't have morning classes. I'm staying with them for a few days."
"Oh?" Yoji wondered. "Why?"
He explained what had happened the day before, from his mother attacking him with half the china cabinet and then kicking him out to running into the boyfriends at the bus stop and his chat with Kio.
"I always knew your mother would snap like that one day." Yoji commented. "But why didn't you come to Soubi's?"
"You guys are leaving in a few days for Gora for your trip, and I don't want to be there alone. Too many memories."
"Makes sense." Natsuo shrugged. "But Kio and Akira? What an odd couple of people to pick you up and give you shelter."
"It's weird, I admit, but I kind of like it. Akira helped me with my homework and showed me some graphic design stuff on the computer, and Kio's a pretty good cook. I had fun." Ritsuka smiled gently. "I mean, when Soubi comes back, I'll probably just move in with him, but Kio and Akira said I can stay as long as I like, no hard feelings when I leave."
"At least you have people looking out for you, I guess." Yoji shrugged.
"Like how Soubi took us in when we lost and were convinced Nagisa-sensei didn't want us back?" Natsuo wondered.
"Yeah, like that." Yoji agreed. "Never thought I'd say it, Ritsuka, but your brother did a good thing; sending Soubi to you. None of this would have happened if he hadn't. Hell, we probably would never have been sent for you and never would have become friends."
"Yeah, I'll be sure to thank Seimei for that one especially." Ritsuka rolled his eyes.
"Hey!"
Natsuo laughed at his partner.
"So do we have to call Kio and Akira our cousins too, now? Since you said they're like father's to you and if you're gonna be with Soubi, you're part of our family, too." Yoji laughed at the raven.
Ritsuka rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Hey, Kio did say we're all like one big family. Call them whatever the hell you want."
Ritsuka pushed open the classroom door and was instantly greeted by his sensei.
"I saw you got a ride to school today, Ritsuka-kun." She informed him. "Your father?"
Ritsuka smiled as the twins burst into laughter.
"Yeah…" He confirmed to their confused sensei. "Something like that."