Dlbn: Hey, everyone, and welcome to our annual Halloween fic!
Nbld: It was originally a one shot, but I kind of got carried away and wrote forty-seven pages in the span of three days soooo I made it a two-shot.
Dlbn: Hey, to be fair, we've posted a Halloween one shot, and a few multi chapter Halloween fics before, so at least it's new.
Nbld: Originally this year's fic was going to be a sequel to Creepy Doll, but I never got around to it, and once I realized Halloween was soon, and I didn't have time to write and post it weekly, I figured I'd make a different thing.
Dlbn: This story was influenced by an episode of the ORIGINAL Teen Titans called "Haunted". Watch that later if you'd like.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own loveless or anyone canon. That all belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off writing this fanfic.
Disclaimer 2: So people aren't confused by conflicting information from previous fanfics and the manga, this takes place in the ANIME World. Where Yokohama was a full episode told in different viewpoints from everyone going to the therapist for some reason, and the final episode was bullshit that had nothing to do with anything but was still cool and made MUCH more sense when you watched the dub version.
000
It started about a week later. A week after he had his nightmare that resulted in real-world Soubi declared that he'd rather die than hurt or kill Ritsuka. The twelve-year-old wasn't sure what had come over him so suddenly. One minute, everything was fine. The next, it felt like his world was turned upside down. He always felt like someone was watching him, even when he was in class or in Soubi's apartment. When he was alone, it was like he could just feel someone else nearby; even on dark, empty streets when he snuck out for walks around two am once and a while. Yoji and Natsuo had chalked it up to him being worried about other units attacking him, but he wasn't so sure. He knew he was safe as long as Soubi and the Zeroes were around. None of them would let anyone hurt him. Hell, it was Soubi's job to keep him safe and fight for him. He wouldn't get hurt. What was it? Soubi had bene concerned, but he couldn't offer up any explanation, just suggesting his nightmare was still clinging to his mind. He wasn't sure if that was the case, but he'd take it. He hadn't told his sensei, his school friends, or his therapist about it. he wasn't certain how they'd react. It wasn't like any of them knew about his world of spells and the like. They'd either think he was crazy or laugh at him. So he kept it to himself.
Walking home from school with Yuiko and Yayoi one day, Ritsuka felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His heart dropped and his stomach lurched as he quickly paused and whipped his head around, looking for what was making him feel so alarmed.
"Ritsuka-kun?" Yuiko asked, her voice dripping the concern that her eyes were drowning in. "Are you okay? You're acting funny."
"No, I just…is someone here besides us…?" He looked around again.
"Yeah, a lot of people…" Yayoi muttered.
People were walking around at this time of the day, but he didn't see or sense anyone menacing. Still, his body felt like it was on fire with his flight response buzzing. He could feel the bond around him shimmer and tug as if it were calling to Soubi for help or leading him away from the predator.
"No, like someone that shouldn't be…?" Ritsuka shook his head to clear his mind. "Sorry, I'm just being paranoid, I guess."
"It's not even Halloween. What's wrong?" Yayoi wondered. "Has someone been threatening you?"
"What? No, of course not." Ritsuka denied. "Soubi would handle it anyway. I just…I don't know, something doesn't feel right."
"Ritsuka-kun, you're scaring Yuiko." She tried to hide behind Yayoi, which was almost comical because he was so much shorter than her.
"Sorry…must be something I ate, I don't know…"
"The cafeteria food did look questionable today," Yayoi nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe you should go home and lie down."
"Yeah, good idea. Walk Yuiko home, would you? I don't want to drag you guys to my place just to have to turn around."
He also didn't want his mother to see hem and freak out. He didn't need witnesses.
"Sure." Yayoi beamed at the idea of being alone with her. "I hope you feel better."
"Yuiko does, too."
She seemed surprised when all he did was wave them off and say he'd be okay, instead of correcting her grammar. His phone began buzzing against his chest where it hung. He grabbed it and flipped it open without even looking at the caller ID.
"Are you busy, Soubi?" He wondered.
"I always have time for you, Ritsuka." Soubi responded.
Ritsuka felt his heart calm a bit. "I'm almost home. Meet me a block away."
"Ritsuka, are you alright?"
"Just do it." He hung up and started walking.
Soubi knew where to go even if he wasn't told which direction away he meant. The blonde called it following their bond. Ritsuka called it being a stalker.
000
He was only a few feet from where Soubi was when Ritsuka felt that ominous feeling again. He stopped and quickly looked around. He could have sworn he saw something sitting up in the trees, but as soon as it was there, it was gone. The ravenette shuddered and took off running. He barely noticed Soubi standing there until the blonde grabbed him by the wrist to stop him.
"What are you running from, Ritsuka?" Soubi wondered calmly.
Ritsuka froze and let the blonde wrap his arms around his quivering frame. "I thought I saw something…"
"Again?" Soubi wondered. "Hm, how troubling."
Ritsuka didn't reply.
"Come with me." Soubi didn't give him time to respond as he took the boy's hand and led him down the road.
Ritsuka tugged on Soubi's hand to make him turn. The blonde happily obliged, but there was a look of concern on his normally rather schooled features.
"What's wrong?" He wondered. "You turned so suddenly."
"I got that feeling again." Ritsuka shuddered. "It's like I'm being watched. Constantly. I hate this…"
"It's normal to feel this way after you wake."
"After I wake? I feel it even in my sleep."
"Wake as a Sacrifice." Soubi stated. "The constant state of paranoia that another team is going to attack you when you're alone."
"I'm with you and I felt it. I felt it with Yayoi and Yuiko earlier, too." Ritsuka said it. "It's not just when I'm alone."
"When you're without me, you worry you'll be unable to defend yourself. When you're with me, you're afraid of fighting." Soubi offered.
"I don't think that's what the problem is…"
"I assure you, Ritsuka, there's nothing there. Shall we go back and look?"
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Ritsuka glared. "Just take me to your place…"
"As you wish."
000
Ritsuka didn't know what to think when he woke up covered in sweat and shivering later that night to an empty bedroom. Soubi had agreed to stay until he fell asleep, so the blonde was long gone. It wasn't Soubi being gone that surprised him, but more what was there that shouldn't have been. The ravenette all but screamed as he forced himself back towards the wall his bed rested against. There was a shimmering silhouette in the corner that shouldn't have been there. Ritsuka scrambled for his phone and flipped it open to use the light as a flashlight. He shone it on the area where the silhouette stood, only to find it empty. He laughed in nervous relief as he ran a hand through his hair and over his flattened ears. Of course nothing was there. It was just shadows created by the moonlight, that was all. Still, he dialed a familiar number and pressed the phone to his ear.
"Can you come over?" He asked, once he heard a click that told him someone picked up the phone.
"Of course, Ritsuka." Soubi replied. "Is something the matter?"
"I'll tell you when you get here. Just, please, hurry up, Soubi…"
"Of course. I'll be there shortly."
Ritsuka curled up under the blankets until he heard a knocking on his balcony door. He jumped and continued hiding until he remembered that that was how Soubi got inside. He rushed out of bed and opened the door for the blonde, latching to his middle. Soubi was wearing blue and white pajamas with his long purple coat with black fur trim. He took a step back before ushering Ritsuka inside and shutting the door behind him.
"What's wrong, Ritsuka?" He wondered. "Another nightmare?"
"I thought someone was here…" He replied. "I swear I saw something in the corner, but it's gone now…"
"I see." Soubi kissed the top of his head. "Well, I'm here now. If anything was there, it's not coming back."
"Thanks…" Ritsuka crawled under the covers, poking his head out of his cocoon. "I feel so pathetic…"
"It's alright, Ritsuka. Lots of people have trouble sleeping after a nightmare, especially as bad as the one you had." He chuckled. "To think I would ever harm you…" He ran a hand through Ritsuka's hair.
"You wouldn't, right…?"
"I'd sooner die."
"Don't talk about dying…" Ritsuka muttered. "Between that dream and Seimei dying…"
"I apologize. Shall I be punished…?" Soubi sat on the edge of his bed.
"No…just don't leave again…"
"I won't." Soubi promised.
"You can…uh…" Ritsuka blushed and rolled away. "You know…"
"Arigato." Soubi slipped off his coat and slipped into bed behind the boy, careful not to disturb him.
The blonde bit his lip as Ritsuka scooted back to seek him out. He gingerly wrapped his arms around the boy to drift to sleep. If he could.
000
Ritsuka was ripped from sleep by the incessant beeping of his alarm clock. He reached over and slammed a fist onto it as he groaned in annoyance. He felt something brush his hand as he did so. Assuming it was Soubi, he poked his head out from under the pillows to look up at the Fighter. Instead, a scream ripped itself from his throat and he scrambled off the bed to back up towards the bathroom. Standing there, as plain as the nose on his face, was his older brother. Seimei smiled gently at him, offering him a hand as he stood there. Ritsuka paled when he realized he was seeing through his brother to the wall behind him. he didn't say anything or make any movement; just stood there with his hand extended towards his baby brother and smiling.
"Ritsuka?" His mother pounded on his door. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, mom." He swallowed, his throat dry and raw. "Just a nightmare…"
"Breakfast is done."
She scuffled away down the hall towards the stairs. Ritsuka counted the stairs as they squeaked in protest under his mother's footsteps.
"Seimei…?" He wondered.
"Ritsuka?" Soubi asked from behind him. "Are you alright?"
Ritsuka looked away from the apparition at the blonde standing in the doorway of his adjoined half bathroom. He looked confused, but not surprised or afraid to see the dead teen standing in the room. His hair was up in a loose ponytail, a few tendrils hanging near his face. He was shirtless, but wore the same pajamas he'd worn when he came over and was barefoot. Ritsuka blushed.
"How could I be alright with him here?" He wondered, pointing. "How are you not freaking out?"
Soubi looked as confused as he did when Ritsuka had yelled at him in his nightmare. No, this was the real Soubi. This tall, shirtless, confused blonde was his Fighter. Not some nightmare induced killer.
"Him?" He asked. "Ritsuka, who are you referring to?"
"Seimei!"
"Seimei?"
"Don't you see…huh…?" Ritsuka turned to find the apparition gone. "But…but he was just there! Standing there reaching for me! How…?"
"It was likely a response to your dream, Ritsuka, if you indeed had a nightmare as you told your mother. The dream was still fresh, so you saw a ghost."
"No, I swear, I felt him touch me and everything."
Soubi walked over, closely inspecting the area where Seimei had stood just a few moments ago.
"No one is here, Ritsuka. If they were, they were gone, and they were certainly not your brother."
"Are you sure…?"
"As much as I'd love to see Seimei once again, and although I know it would make you rather happy, I can say for certain that Seimei was not here recently."
He'd died before they moved here, anyway. It wasn't like he'd know where to go if he had been alive and come looking for his family.
"Then what…?" Ritsuka sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "I guess I'm just overreacting to that dream I had…"
"Hm." Soubi nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me."
He walked closer to the preteen and knelt in front of him. "I promise you, Ritsuka. Whatever happens, you don't have to worry. I'll protect you." He brushed stray hair out of plum eyes.
"Don't promise such things…" Ritsuka muttered, shuffling his feet. "You can't know that you'll always protect me."
"Oh, but I do." Soubi smiled gently, tipping Ritsuka's chin up with one hand. "Sukidayo, Ritsuka." He pressed a gentle kiss to the boy's mouth.
Ritsuka pushed him away. "B-Baka!" He complained. "Go on, go home! I'll see you after school…"
"Wouldn't you like me to walk you?"
"And risk people seeing you? You already upset Sensei once, you know."
"I apologized."
"Because I told you too, and it was a half assed apology at that!"
"Gomennasai."
Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "Go on, Soubi. That's an order…"
"Hai." The blonde stood, grabbing his shirt off the back of Ritsuka's desk chair and pulling it on. "I'll be eagerly waiting to see you again."
Ritsuka said nothing, only glared at the blonde as he left through the bedroom window. Once he was sure the elder male was gone, he huffed and stormed into his bathroom. Taking a seat on top of the closed toilet lid, Ritsuka bunched his hair into his hands and closed his eyes.
"Ugh!" He groaned. "Stupid dream! Stupid Soubi!"
000
When lunch came around that day, he sat again with Yuiko and pulled a sandwich out of his brown lunch bag. Her old friends were watching them out of the corner of their eyes, but none of them made a move to bother them, so he ignored it. Yuiko munched happily on a piece of toast covered in strawberry jam, though the bento box sticking out of her bag proved it was just a snack and not her main meal.
"You should eat your meal first, you know. It's better for you." Ritsuka commented.
"That's okay, Ritsuka-kun. Even if it's better for me, Yuiko likes it this way!"
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I, Yuiko. The word is I."
"Oh, right!" She giggled. "I, I, I, I!"
He rolled his eyes. Her naivety was a bit endearing compared to the harsh life he'd been through that had forced him to grow up too fast, but it got annoying sometimes. Since he was already annoyed by that morning, now was one of those times.
"How was your night, Ritsuka-kun?" She wondered. "Did you sleep well?"
"No, I had a nightmare and made Soubi come over." He groaned. "How embarrassing…"
"Soubi-san came over?"
"Yeah, he stayed the night."
"That's good. Did you have any more nightmares after that?"
"No…"
"Maybe Soubi-san should stay overnight all the time, then!"
"No!" He argued, flushing crimson. "It was just a one-time thing, Yuiko. I'm not relying on Soubi to chase the monsters away."
He would, however, rely on Soubi to fight the other units away, but that was something else entirely.
"Okay." She seemed disheartened at that.
He knew she liked him and was fond of Soubi, but could she maybe like him, too? First off, that would annoy Yayoi like crazy. Second, Soubi was Ritsuka's and Ritsuka's only. He wasn't going to share. The preteen blinked in confusion down at his sandwich. Where had that thought come from? It wasn't like Soubi was his boyfriend or anything. No, but he was his Fighter. That was something…what had Soubi called it…? 'A bond stronger than the bond between any two people'? Yeah, that explained it. So what if Yuiko happened to like Soubi? Ritsuka knew who the blonde was after. Damn pervert.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom." Ritsuka stood up. "Don't wait on me."
"Don't forget to ask Sensei for a hall pass!" Yuiko grinned.
He nodded and went to her desk. "Sensei?" He greeted, making her look up from the papers she was grading. "May I please have the hall pass? I need to use the bathroom."
"Of course." She responded, grabbing the item from her desk drawer. "By the way, Ritsuka-kun, you did wonderful, on the last English test. Highest score." She winked at him, making him blush.
"Thanks, Sensei. Seimei used to practice with me before he died. He was at the top of his English class when he took it."
"Well, I'm glad you had such a wonderful study partner, for as short of a time as you did."
His smile never waned. "I am, too."
He left the room without a word or a glance to silently warn Yuiko's friends to leave her alone while he was gone. He took a left down the hall towards the nearest bathroom.
"Ritsuka." A voice greeted him, barely a whisper.
He turned around, wondering if Yayoi had come out of his classroom, too, and was trying to scare him. he saw no one and shrugged, attributing it to waning effects from the incidents that morning.
"Not that way." A voice warned him when he reached a fork in the hall and started to go right.
There were bathrooms on either side, but that was the one he preferred; it was often cleaner. He ignored the voice's warning. Halfway down the hall, a locked slammed open as if it hadn't been locked properly and the wind had knocked it open. He jumped back, gripping onto his shirt over his chest. That scared the heck out of him! With a shake of his head, he continued to the bathroom. When he tried the handle, he found the door locked. With a groan, he realized there must have been something wrong with it and the janitors had blocked it off. Going back the way he came, the same locked slammed open and papers blew out. He rushed through the whirlwind to the beginning of the fork and went the other way. He quickly grabbed the handle to the bathroom door and pulled it open. He slipped in and shut the door, leaning on it as he panted. What was that all about? There wasn't much wind that day, let alone enough to open a locker twice and blow about its contents. What a mess that would be to clean up later. The preteen pushed open a stall and slipped in to relieve himself. Once done, he washed his hands in the basin under the mirrors.
He looked up in the mirror to see darkening bags under his eyes; the mark of someone who didn't sleep. With a sigh, he looked back down, but a flash of movement made him look up again. He spotted himself in the mirror, and something that hadn't been there before. Standing near the stall he'd just come out of was Seimei again; one arm outstretched for him to take, and the other behind his back. He gave his brother the same smile he had that morning. Ritsuka nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around to face the apparition. When he did, it was gone. He groaned. Not this again. Damn his mind for playing tricks on him. He turned back to the sink and almost let out a scream. It died in his throat as he found himself face to face, almost chest to chest, with his brother's form. The elder Aoyagi said nothing; only stared with almost blank plum eyes and smiled at his brother reassuringly.
"Seimei…?" Ritsuka wondered, reaching out towards him.
Seimei moved back as if he'd been struck and his sweet smile turned into an ugly grimace. Ritsuka closed his eyes as Seimei let out a screech. He rushed out of the bathroom the second his brother's voice rang out. He almost bumped into someone on the way out.
"Aoyagi-kun!" Yayoi's voice greeted. "You're in a rush. You forgot your hall pass, I think. Is that it on the floor there?"
The longer haired boy reached down to grab Ritsuka's hot pink hall pass.
"Thanks…" Ritsuka stated.
"You're welcome…you look pale. Are you getting sick?"
"No, I'm fine." Ritsuka shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory of what he'd just seen. "Not enough sleep is all. I had a nightmare."
"Again? That's not good." Yayoi adjusted his glasses. "How bad?"
"Not really, but enough to wake me up screaming."
"Gomennasai…"
"It's okay. Sorry for almost hitting you."
"It's okay. It happens." Yayoi smiled at him and went into the bathroom.
Ritsuka sighed and looked down the hall where the locked had been. The hallway was clear and all the lockers looked undisturbed. Had he imagined that? No, someone probably came through and cleaned it up. Didn't one of the fifth-grade classes down there have gym this period? Maybe they reported it. He went to the other bathroom and tried the handle. It opened with ease; unlocked. Confused and a little scared, Ritsuka pulled his cell out from under his shirt and chose a contact to message.
Are you in class? He wrote.
The reply was almost instant. I am done for the day. Are you alright?
Come stay outside my school. If anyone asks, you're early to pick up a cousin or something.
Did something happen?
I saw Seimei again. Stop asking questions and get over here! :
Gomen. See you soon~
Ritsuka sighed and put his cell away to go back to class. He had to get to the bottom of this. He couldn't just call Soubi and make the blonde uproot his entire life to guard him from the things in his head. He walked back to his classroom, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rising like they had the day before. Trying to look as casual as he could about it, he quickly pulled the door open and entered. Nothing tended to happen with other people around. He smiled at Sensei and gave her the hall pass back. He was back for only five seconds before Yuiko began yammering on about something inane that he didn't care about. He was too concerned with the demons in his head.
000
Soubi sighed as he put away his paints and cell phone. Kio glared at him in a mix of concern and annoyance.
"You can't just run off every time Aoyagi calls you." He complained. "Does this mean I have to go?"
"You can stay if you like. I'll be back later."
Kio nodded. "What's with the kid anyway? Texting in school?"
"He's had nightmares a lot lately." Soubi stated. "They're starting to slip into his waking life, as well."
"He's got an over active imagination. Plenty of kids his age have them. It's no reason to go running when he has a problem."
"You couldn't understand, Kio."
"You said the same thing about Seimei."
"I'm aware."
"So what makes this kid so special? Because Seimei told you he is? Or because he's related to Seimei?"
"Ritsuka has nothing to do with Seimei." Soubi assured his friend. "He's special to me because he's Ritsuka."
"You should write for Hallmark." Kio muttered, going back to his painting. "What has he been seeing from his dream?"
"Seimei."
Kio paled, looking up at him. "Do you think there's any validity to that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Could Seimei be haunting him?"
"If he was, I'd be frightened for Ritsuka, myself."
"At least we can agree on that, Sou-chan." A sigh. "Just go take care of your boyfriend."
Soubi chuckled. "Jealous, Kio?"
"Of course not. But it's not right, Soubi. He's just a kid."
Soubi paused, hand inches from the doorknob. He smirked. "He's so much more than that."
He left before the confused greenette could ask him to elaborate or call him a creep.
00
He should have stayed the night at Soubi's or had the blonde stay over again. But no, Ritsuka's stubborn pride made him send Soubi home just before he went to bed. Now he was sitting on the corner of his bed with the blankets over his head, shaking. He could hear screeching like in the bathroom, but he was certain it wasn't coming from his mother downstairs. He was surprised she wasn't rushing upstairs to yell at him or hit him for screaming or playing a game too loudly. The ravenette clung tightly to his cell phone, hands and body shaking. He was surprised when the noises stopped thanks to a knock on the balcony door. He scrambled out from under his blankets to find Soubi standing on the other side, looking as frightened as Ritsuka felt. He pulled the door open and practically launched himself at Soubi. The blonde took a step back.
"Ritsuka, what's the matter?" He wondered.
"How did you know I needed you?" Ritsuka muttered into his shirt instead of answering him.
"You called me."
"No I didn't." Ritsuka looked up at him, confused.
Soubi touched his chest where a translucent piano wire like object stretched out of the boy's skin and waved freely at the end that spun around him. It was their bond that only they and other units could see, but it was broken at the end. How had he used it to call Soubi if they weren't connected?
"I don't understand…"
"You will in time."
"What did I say…?"
"He's here, he's back, help me, Soubi." The blonde explained. "Who was here? Seimei again?"
Ritsuka nodded. He'd told the blonde about the locker and the bathroom, but he didn't know what had caused it. he was still certain it wasn't Seimei. Ritsuka wasn't so sure, but the thought that it wasn't his deceased brother calmed him a bit. Whatever it was, it was frightening him something fierce.
"How do I make it stop, Soubi?" He wondered, tears welling in his plum orbs. "How do I make it go away?"
"He's not here, Ritsuka. There's nothing to make go away. You were just imaging it."
"I heard him scream, I heard his voice in the hall at school leading me to the bathroom where he was. The other bathroom was locked when I checked, but it wasn't when I went back."
"Perhaps they finished cleaning it."
"I guess…"
Damn the blonde's older, more rational mind. Ritsuka sighed.
"I don't want to live like this anymore." He stated, shaking his head. 'I don't sleep, I don't feel well enough to eat or attend classes. I'm too afraid to close my eyes, because I'm afraid that when I open them again, he'll be here…screaming…staring at me…"
"Whatever this is, Ritsuka, if it's anything at all, it is not your brother. He wouldn't torture you so."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…you always are…"
Soubi chuckled. "Not always."
"About this you are. Like you've dealt with it before…?" He stepped back and glared up at him. "You haven't, have you?"
"Of course not." He shook his head. "But I do remember what it was like to be your age and have nightmares and fears."
"Yeah…sure…" Ritsuka sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Stay the night…?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
000
The following day was a Sunday, so neither of the males had classes to attend. Soubi had woken up early and left a note for Ritsuka to explain he'd left so his mother wouldn't discover him, but that he'd be back whenever Ritsuka wanted. His cell phone began beeping and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he answered.
"Hello?" He greeted.
"Ritsuka-kun, it's Yuiko!" A bubbly voice greeted.
"How are you so happy this early in the morning?"
"But Ritsuka-kun, it's noon…"
He checked his alarm clock. How had he slept this late?!
"Oh…"
"Anyway, Yuiko and Yayoi-kun are going to go to the park today. Do you want to go? You can bring Soubi-san!"
"Yeah, we'll go…"
She practically squealed. "I knew you would! Okay, I'll tell Yayoi-kun! Meet us at the park in an hour by the swings!"
"Okay…"
He hung up before she could chirp at him more. She'd keep him busy on the phone for hours if he wasn't careful. He sent a short text to Soubi and started to get ready to go.
000
Soubi met Ritsuka on the corner near his house like he had asked, and the two walked hand in hand towards the park where Yuiko had told them to meet. It was coincidentally the park where they'd shared both their first kiss and his first spell battle. Ritsuka shivered at the thought, trying to hide it from Soubi as much as he could. Even though it was winter, it wasn't cold enough for either snow or for Ritsuka to claim he was shivering from the cold. He wore an open coat that wasn't particularly warm, no hoodie, and a t-shirt with jeans and sneakers. It wasn't like he was bundled up to stay warm either. Soubi wore his signature long purple coat with the black fur, a green shirt with a few little paint stains, and sneakers with jeans as well. He lazily smoked a cigarette as they walked. Every so often Ritsuka would wave his hand in front of the face to keep the smoke from the stick from blowing into his face. He hated when Soubi smoked, but the artist didn't really listen to him when he asked him not to, so he ignored it the best he could.
"Soubi?" He asked.
"Hai?" The blonde glanced down at him.
"I'd like to live to see my next birthday, if you don't mind."
"Gomen." Soubi snuffed the cigarette out between his fingers and stomped it out on the ground.
"Didn't that hurt? Using your fingers like that…?"
"It was nothing."
"Alright…" Ritsuka paused. "Are you sure you don't like pain, Soubi?"
"I hate pain." The blonde answered earnestly.
"Sometimes I wonder about that…" Ritsuka sighed.
Soubi chuckled.
"Ritsuka-kun!" Yuiko's voice called. "Soubi-san! Over here!"
She was standing near the archway that led to the entrance of the playground, waving enthusiastically as she bounced on her toes. Like Ritsuka, she was dressed rather warmly for the season in sneakers, jeans, and a pink shirt with a light blue vest over it. Yayoi stood at her side, waving one hand slightly. He wore a hat on his ears, but that was all that he had on as far as warmth went. He wore skinny jeans and sneakers with a shirt and light jacket as well.
"Yuiko said this place is great for making memories." Yayoi told them when they got closer. "We figured you might want to come."
"And you brought Soubi-san, too!" Yuiko beamed. "Yuiko…I mean I'm glad! See, Ritsuka-kun? I said it! I said I!"
"Well done." Ritsuka muttered.
Soubi chuckled. 'Shall we?"
Yuiko practically ran into the park, bouncing as she did so. Yayoi sighed as he walked next to the other males.
"She has so much energy." He observed. "I wish she'd loan some to me…"
"Yeah, me too." Ritsuka agreed.
"Indeed." Soubi added.
"Liar, you have more energy than Yayoi and I combined."
"I suppose." The blonde smirked.
"So how do you know him again, Ritsuka?"
"My brother."
"Seimei was a dear old friend of mine." Soubi informed. "It was disheartening to hear of his passing."
"Yeah, what a way to go, huh?"
"What are you talking about?" Yuiko asked, pushing herself on a swing as the others neared.
"My brother dying."
Yuiko's smile faltered. "I'm sorry the girls at school were looking it up and talking about it…that wasn't fair to you. They could have just asked…"
"They're mean. Always have been, always will be." Ritsuka shrugged and took his hand from Soubi.
"I'm not entirely certain he would have answered." Soubi added.
Ritsuka sat on a swing, glaring at him. "You act like you know everything, you know that? But you really don't?"
"Oh, I don't?" Soubi sat next to him. "How are you so certain?"
"No one knows everything."
"I beg to differ."
Yayoi laughed at that, Yuiko giggling in agreement.
"Baka."
"Are you guys excited for the winter carnival?" Yayoi wondered. "I'm not going to be able to do much with my asthma, but my step mom is baking cookies and stuff for the bake sale."
"Yuiko can't wait!" The bubbly pinkette chimed in, pumping a fist into the air. "I love the carnivals. This one is going to be in the gym at our school, right?"
"Right." Yayoi nodded. "Sometimes they rent out other places, but not this year." He informed Soubi and Ritsuka.
"Did your old school have them, Ritsuka-kun?" Yuiko wondered.
"I…I don't remember." He looked away. "I found my brother's dead body there, so can we not talk about that place, please?"
"I'm sorry." Yuiko apologized.
"It's alright…"
"We don't need another nightmare." Soubi added.
"Shut up!" Ritsuka complained, ears flushing red as his tail went stiff.
"You're still having nightmares?" Yayoi asked as he sat on a swing next to Yuiko. "I know you had one the other day, but did you have one last night, too?"
"No…"
"Because I was there." Soubi stated.
"Shut up, that's not why!" Ritsuka sighed, kicking his legs to move slowly back and forth. "Just what you said about e feeling weirded out during the day had something to do with remembering my nightmare. I don't know, putting some logic to it all just kind of helped."
"I'm glad it did." Soubi smiled gently at him.
"Are you doing anything for the Winter Carnival, Yuiko?" Ritsuka changed the subject.
"I'm helping with decorating this year!" Yuiko beamed. "Yuiko wanted to last year, but all the slots filled early."
"They tend to." Yayoi nodded. "It takes the most work, but it gives you more time to enjoy the Carnival since you're not working during it."
"Did you sign up for anything, Ritsuka-kun?"
"No, my mother wouldn't like me volunteering to bring food or anything so I didn't bother."
"You should talk to Sensei! Maybe there's still an open decorating spot for you!"
"Don't we do that stuff Wednesdays on club days? I can't do Wednesdays."
"No, it's the Friday before." Yayoi corrected. "If you don't want to help, just don't. No one is going to be mad at you for saying no."
"I wouldn't mind helping." Ritsuka corrected him back. "I'm not much for decorating…I'm better with a camera than with my hands and a ladder…"
"I think the newspaper club still needs a couple people to take pictures for it. You don't have to join the club; just volunteer."
"I don't know…"
"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, Ritsuka." Soubi stated. "You love taking pictures."
"I'll think about it, I guess…"
"Yay!" Yuiko cheered, kicking her legs a little harder.
Even Ritsuka had to smile at how innocent she was. He kind of envied how his friends could stay children so long while he had to grow up the day he woke up memoryless. Heh, that should have been his true name. Then again, Loveless was just as fitting. Maybe not with Soubi, but still.
He sighed and looked out towards the trees that hid the picnic table area where he and Soubi had first kissed and blushed. Why did everything go back to Soubi? He was just Seimei's weird older friend that took a liking to Ritsuka only because Seimei told him that he had to when he died. Kissing him and telling him that he loved him were just part of Seimei's orders, right? That's why the whole ordeal was tearing the teen apart. Being told by someone that they loved him on their own was one thing. Telling him that they loved him because someone else, let alone his own brother, told them to was something else entirely. Maybe that's why he was so on edge and so affected by that dream as he was. No matter what Soubi told him, he could never be sure that he truly loved him and that he wasn't just following orders. Hell, even when he promised he wasn't just saying it because he was told to, that could have been an order too; to reassure him no matter what that his love was true and genuine. He was certain Seimei had only ordered it out of concern and compassion for his brother, knowing how alone he'd truly be when Seimei died. Did his brother know he was going to die? Was that why he ordered it? There were so many mysteries surrounding his brother that he wasn't entirely certain he'd ever know the full truth of his world. It was all so new to him, but Seimei had been doing this for years. The preteen was shaken form his thoughts as he saw something moving within the trees.
His friends were talking and laughing amongst themselves, Soubi included, but none of them seemed to notice anything off about Ritsuka or where they were. He looked as close as he could to where he though he saw someone standing, but there was nothing there. He shook his head. Of course it was just a figment of his overactive imagination. That's all it ever was.