AN: I do not own these characters or Loveless. They belong to Yun Kouga or whoever. Not me. Get it? Got it? Good.
This is just chapter one. If people like it, I may continue. Reviews would be very helpful, thank you. ^^;
PS: This is a working title. I don't know where it'll end up going, so I'm just gonna be generic. Rating M in case of developments.

Just Say It

Ritsuka's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 3:09 am.

Damnit.

He punched the pillow and rolled over, willing sleep to come to him again. He was having a really good dream. He was frustrated that his body decided to wake him up. He sighed and sat up in bed.

He looked around his small room and his eyes locked on his cell phone. The red light was blinking.

"Text message?" he mumbled, wondering.

He got up and went over to his computer desk, picked the thing up, and flipped it open. It was a text from Soubi.

To Ritsuka:

I'm sorry if I wake you. I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Good night, Ritsuka.

Ritsuka scrolled down and looked at the time that the text was sent. 3:09 am. So Soubi was up. His ears twitched and he hit the reply button. He typed in his message, hit send, and went back over to his bed with the cell phone in his hand.

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Soubi jumped as he felt his phone vibrate under his pillow. He dug it out and flipped it open.

To Soubi:

Why are you still awake? Go to sleep already. *chuu*

He smiled to himself. He could remember a time when Ritsuka would have been really mad about getting awoken for something so simple like that. But times had changed. Ritsuka was a man now. Well, almost. At seventeen, he had grown a considerable amount so that he was almost as tall as Soubi. His silky black hair now swept his collarbone and his body had matured into a sleek, muscular figure.

Ritsuka's mind had matured as well. He had long since accepted that Soubi loved him, and that it was no longer just an order from Seimei or a spell to make their bond stronger. Soubi had fallen in love with Ritsuka of his own free will, and Ritsuka adored him for that.

Soubi sat up and chewed on his lower lip, trying to decide. He got up and pulled on his coat and shoes and swept out the door, leaving only a faint scent of lavender and tobacco behind.

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Ritsuka sighed as his laid back on his pillows. His eyes slid to the darkened bulletin board on the wall above his computer. That was where all of the most important memories were kept. There were photos from when Soubi and Ritsuka had first met and gone to the park all those long years ago. There were pictures of the various outings that Yuiko had dragged him along on. There were also some more recent ones, done in the MySpace style of holding the camera up at an angle of him and Soubi together. Him and Soubi hugging. Him and Soubi kissing. He smiled. Soubi had that effect on him, he couldn't help it.

Then Ritsuka heard a gentle knock on the window to his balcony. His ears perked and his tail swished excitedly. He hurried up and went to unlock the window. He stood there looking at Soubi, smiling.

"I knew you would come."

Ritsuka stood aside to let Soubi in. He took off his coat and hung it over the chair at Ritsuka's computer desk. Then he crossed the floor in two strides and pulled Ritsuka into a tight embrace.

"I missed you."

"I know you did. I missed you too." Ritsuka sighed as he nuzzled his head into Soubi's chest. Soubi found this incredibly adorable. He lifted Ritsuka's chin and looked into his dusty purple eyes. They were like portals into Ritsuka's heart. Soubi loved Ritsuka's eyes. They made him melt.

Ritsuka put his arms around Soubi's neck and kissed his soft lips. His fingers snaked into Soubi's long dusty blonde hair. Soubi put his arms around Ritsuka's waist and poured his whole self into that kiss. It was amazing how well they fit together.

Ritsuka pulled away enough to look up into Soubi's face.

"So why were you still up, anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep." Soubi said.

"Well no shit. Why couldn't you sleep?" Ritsuka loved it when Soubi toyed with him like that.

"I was thinking.""What were you thinking about?""One guess." Soubi tightened his arms around Ritsuka and kissed him. Ritsuka felt a heat coming to his cheeks. He didn't know if he was embarrassed or if he was turned on. He just knew that hearing Soubi say that made him weak in the knees. He swooned and grabbed onto Soubi's shirt. But Soubi's arms weren't letting Ritsuka go anywhere. They held him there, next to him, and Ritsuka felt that he could be in those arms forever. His tail swished contentedly and he closed his eyes as he nuzzled into Soubi's chest again.

"I'm sorry for waking you up. I know it's a school night." Soubi said as he nibbled softly on Ritsuka's silky little kitty ears.

"It's ok. I wasn't sleeping well anyway." he lied. This, no matter how good his dream was, was always better.

Soubi smiled because he knew that Ritsuka was lying. He swooped down and picked Ritsuka up, newly-wed style, and carried him over to his bed.

"I just ---" he said, between kisses, "wanted--- to see you--- so much. --- I love you--- Ritsuka."

Ritsuka blushed and bit his lower lip. His arms were still around Soubi's neck even though he was laying down again. He held on tight, hoping that Soubi understood. Ritsuka still wasn't comfortable with saying that he loved Soubi to his face. He knew that he did, and he didn't know what was holding him back. What was more, all of his friends knew how he felt about Soubi too. They had been together for five years. They were best friends. They were in love. He just couldn't bring himself to say it.

Soubi smiled and held Ritsuka close to him. He could feel his gentle heartbeat against his chest and his soft breath against his neck. He understood.

Soubi straightened up and looked down at Ritsuka. "I should go and let you sleep." he said sweetly.

Ritsuka's ears twitched. "I won't be able to now."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll be thinking." Ritsuka blushed. "But if you were to stay…"

"...I could fall asleep if you were here."

Soubi smiled wide and asked, "well then, maybe I should stay?"

Ritsuka grabbed his hand and dragged Soubi down to the bed. He laid down and wrapped his arms around Ritsuka. Ritsuka was smiling contentedly and his hands were balled up in the front of Soubi's shirt. "Thank you," he said sheepishly.

Soubi put his chin on the top of Ritsuka's head. "Anything for Ritsuka."

They soon fell asleep.

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Ritsuka was startled by the alarm clock going off. He looked around. Soubi wasn't in bed anymore. His coat was still on the back of his computer chair.

"Now where did he get to?" Ritsuka asked the room.

He got up and shut off his alarm. Seven am. He couldn't wait until he was a university student and he could wake up whenever he wanted to. Ritsuka inspected his bedroom more closely. Soubi's shirt was pooled on the seat of the chair where his coat was. Ritsuka smiled and picked it up. It smelled like Soubi. He folded it neatly and set it back on the seat. His ears perked when he found a small note laying on his keyboard.

Went to take a shower.

Ritsuka sighed and placed the note on his bedside table. He stripped himself of his pajamas and pulled on what he was going to wear to school that day. A pair of jeans and a sweater. It was getting cold outside.

He went out into the hallway and padded softly down the hallway to the bathroom. He knocked gently on the door, trying not to make too much noise so that he wouldn't wake up his mother.

Soubi opened the door and smiled. He was in the process of drying his hair in one of Ritsuka's preferred towels. It smelled like Ritsuka. His chest was bare but he had put his pants on already. Ritsuka felt sheepish and said, "I have to brush my teeth."

"Of course. Help yourself to the mirror. I'm almost done drying myself off."

But Ritsuka just stood there, looking at Soubi. He could see countless lacerations across Soubi's chest and back, scars from wounds that his Sensei and Seimei had inflicted. Ritsuka felt a swell of emotion at the sight of them and he blinked. His eyes were wetter than usual.

Soubi looked at Ritsuka curiously. "What's wrong, Ritsuka?"

"You have so many scars." Ritsuka said simply.

Soubi smiled and stepped closer to Ritsuka. He looked down into his shining eyes and saw an emotion he couldn't really place. It was somewhere between concern and anger.

"They're long in the past now, Ritsuka. Don't worry about me. I'm fine now." He ran his finger down the edge of one of Ritsuka's ears. It twitched and Ritsuka purred. "You have nothing to feel badly about, Ritsuka. You've never hurt me."

Ritsuka's eyes, which he had closed at Soubi's touch, snapped open. He stared into Soubi's warm and welcoming face. Suddenly he bolted forward and wrapped his arms around Soubi in a fierce embrace. Soubi was taken aback slightly. Usually it was him who initiated any physical contact.

"I'm sorry about what Seimei did to you, Soubi."

"Now now, Ritsuka, you couldn't help it. You were only a boy then. And we didn't even know each other."

"I know, I just can't believe that he was like that. He was so nice to me. But…."

"Hmm?"

Ritsuka's face was flush with emotion. "I guess he tricked me."

Soubi slid the fingers of one of his hands into Ritsuka's and the other he entwined in Ritsuka's hair. He didn't know what to say. "Seimei deceived many people, Ritsuka. Don't feel bad."

Ritsuka was soothed by Soubi's warm body. He could feel his heart thumping softly in his chest. He looked up into Soubi's face. Soubi's fingers came up to his face and wiped away the tears that were welling up at the sides of his eyes. They lingered on Ritsuka's cheeks. "Please don't cry about what happened to me in the past, Ritsuka. My heart hurts whenever I see you cry. I love you."

Ritsuka pressed his lips against Soubi's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Soubi hugged Ritsuka tightly as Ritsuka kissed him. "It's not your fault, Ritsuka. I just don't like seeing you hurt, that's all."

Ritsuka stared at Soubi's lips. "I don't like to see you hurt, either." His ears twitched and suddenly, Ritsuka's soft lips were caressing Soubi's. They were coaxing his mouth open. Soubi felt a silky little tongue dart into his mouth and slide against his. He was startled and visibly shivered at Ritsuka's sudden brashness. He had tried containing his want for the boy over the years. He wanted Ritsuka to be comfortable when the time finally came for them to get more physical. So far, though, they had never kissed like this before, and all of Soubi's desires came flooding back. He had to use all of his willpower to not pounce on Ritsuka and take him right there on the bathroom floor. Ritsuka would choose when was the right time. He was the master, after all.