I find the relantionship between Ritsu and Soubi utterly fascinating so I wanted to write more about it. If you like this, read Nameless there's a bit Ritsu/Soubi there too. Quick little one shot..... It could get a little confusing, but here's how it works... the first bit of each section (Agatsuma Soubi, age...) is Ritsu POV and the second is Soubi's, it some instances the first may be Soubi and the second Ritsu. Except for the last section, which is Ritsuka then Ritsu, the section "Agatsuma Soubi, age 12" will be explored in more detail in a later fic. My flashback is in Italics
First impressions
Agatsuma Soubi, age 5 years
Ritsu looked at the child, sleeping on his sofa, the boy, Soubi moaned and twitched in his sleep, his eyes flicking frantically beneath their lids, indicating that the child was dreaming.
Ritsu ran his hand through his long blond hair and sighed, he really hated children, but he guessed it wasn't so bad, just a few more days he would be able to send the boy off to be trained as a fighter and he would hopefully never have to see him again. He found the child nauseating, he was disgusted at how his fighter had been able not only to marry someone else but have a child with the man, a sacrifice-fighter bond was sacred and a fighter should be completely committed and dependent on their sacrifice
Soubi had never been to school before and he hated it. The teachers kept using words he didn't know, but the all the other children seemed to know. He worked hard during the day and boarded at the school at night, usually it was forbidden normally for someone his age to board, but given the 'unusual' circumstances he was in, it was decided that he was allowed.
So he spent his nights in his own large, empty, lonely room. Just until he was older then there would be people his own age to share with, Soubi wondered if this was really better at all.
Agatsuma Soubi, age 10 years
"You're really not even slightly interested in how's he's doing?" Ritsu really wanted Nagisa to leave, she was intensely irritating.
"No, that boy is no concern of mine." Emotionless tone, blank face.
Nagisa shook her bouncy curls and glared at the Ritsu, "You really are one Heartless bastard."
Ritsu smirked.
It was valentines day at the school but you wouldn't have known it, it was strictly forbidden for students to give each other flowers, cards or gifts, it was risky for fighters to fall in love, they where supposed to be devoted to their sacrifices.
But as it was valentines day the students where aloud a day off from their studies. Because it was a sunny day, the teachers had taken students to the playing field owned by the school, a place used mainly for battle demonstrations and practical spell lessons. They had taken most of the students with them. Most of them....
Soubi was sat in his room, a room he now shared with three others and he was enjoying the silence.
His face was covered in smudges of varying sizes and colours and he was leant over a large canvas, a paint brush in his hand. The image he was painting wasn't particularly amazing, it was mostly a swirl of various colours, but it was beautiful in it's own way and it certainly worked, much like Soubi himself.
Agatsuma Soubi, age 12 years
Fighters where taught about this day all of their school life, if not their lives. The job of fighter was not easy, they had to be quick witted, clear headed and with a wide vocabulary, because of this it was necessary that they attended school from the age of four or five, while a sacrifice had only to attend school from the age of twelve and the whole time they where never without their sacrifice, they where even permitted to share a room with each other, though under age ear loss was strictly forbidden. There where rows of fighters eagerly awaiting what was going to happen next, Soubi's tail twitched nervously.
Tears where streaming down the child's face, as the words had left Ritsu's mouth. Ritsu rarely allowed himself to become attached to students, but the sight of the crying child made him uncomfortable, he reached towards Soubi comfortingly. Soubi jerked away, pushing the stool out from under him, "It's not fair!"
Ritsu glared at him, "That's not the proper way for a Fighter to behave."
"I'm not a fighter!" The boy sobbed.
"Yes you are."
"How can I be? I don't have a sacrifice! Without a sacrifice a fighter is nothing!"
Ritsu grabbed the boy by the wrist and locked eyes with him, the boy stared up at him in confusion, but at least he wasn't sobbing. "You are a fighter, you're a good fighter, but so was your mother.."
Soubi's ears perked up.
"....but..... you could be a perfect fighter." He smiled to himself... yes he liked the sound of that.
Agatsuma Soubi, age 14 years
Soubi knew there was something wrong with him. He felt like he was letting himself slip away. He'd never had friends, but at least he had spent time with children his own age, now he couldn't, he had no sacrifice and they did, but sometimes he didn't think he minded so much, as long as he got to his lessons with Ritsu Sensei.
And that was the other thing that was wrong with him.
Even when he was sore and bleeding, with gashes across his back, it wasn't the cuts and the blood that disgusted him when he saw his reflection, it was the ears perched on his head, the tail flicking from side to side.
And the lessons where becoming more painful too, not just physically but emotionally too, his desires where getting the better of him, at night he dreamed of a tall blond man, who wore glasses.
Sometimes Ritsu thought about how easy it would be. When he saw that boy with the coy little smile, those flirtatious eyes, his slim toned frame, the sight of which was reserved for Ritsu alone now that Soubi was back in a room of his own. Sometimes Ritsu thought that a child his age couldn't look so.... appealing. And it wasn't just his body or his cute angel face, so like his mother, the way Soubi purred "Yes Sensei," sent shivers down Ritsu's spine. And every time he saw the boy he was reminded of how like his mother the boy was and his desire increased.
After one day of training he watched Soubi bend to pick up his shirt, wincing, Ritsu couldn't help but smile slightly, as he turned his attention back to the butterfly he had pinned early that morning. He heard the boy approaching his desk and looked up to see him standing there with his shirt draped over one shoulder, his head tilted to one side, a coy smile on his face, "Goodnight Sensei."
Yes, sometimes Ritsu thought it would be very easy indeed.
Agatsuma Soubi, age 16 years
Soubi struggled to remember the last time he had celebrated a birthday as he headed to Ritsu's office, whistling quietly to himself, he knocked on the door, "Come in."
He entered the dimly lit office, quickly removed his shirt and placed his hands on a butterfly free section of wall. He heard the sound of Ritsu Sensei's footsteps but didn't turn around. Ritsu Sensei leaned against the wall beside him so he could see Soubi's face. "It's your birthday." He said, void of any emotion Soubi nodded, "you're 16 today Soubi- kun, so that-" He nodded in the direction of Soubi's outstretched arms, "-won't be necessary." Soubi moved away from the wall cautiously and reached for his shirt, only for Ritsu Sensei to speak again, "that won't be necessary either." Soubi smiled. Ritsu Sensei moved away from his place against the wall, placing a hand against Soubi's cheek, the other hand used to pull him closer, by the waist, he kissed him roughly. Though they where almost the same height Soubi had stretch up on tip toes to return the kiss, winding his arms around his Sensei's neck for support.
The boy was more than eager and surprisingly good at kissing and he was quick to have Ritsu's shirt off, even as his own trousers where being removed. Ritsu had to stand back for a second to appreciate the full view of Soubi's beautiful body. His gaze finished on the boys hungry eyes, blue just like his father's, Ritsu cursed inwardly. He wrapped his arms around the boys waist, caressing the flesh as he kissed him, lifting him slightly, so that he was supporting some of the boy's weight and carefully maneuvering him through the door to his room, as the boy landed naked on his bed, he saw that the boy's hair spread out beneath his head like a halo, he smirked.
Later as Ritsu reflected on all that had happened, watching the sleeping, earless boy beside him, he thought about how strange it was to sleep with someone who couldn't bring himself to moan his name and instead called out "Sensei!" in the midst of passion, he decided it wasn't so bad.
Agatsuma Soubi, age 18 years
Sometimes you had to let the things that you loved go, Ritsu had decided that the day that his prize student become Beloved. He frowned and ceased typing, resting his cheek in his palm, remembering the boy of a year ago, who from the age of twelve had been his student, that boy was an adult by now, that boy was the best fighter the school had ever produced, even Nagisa had agreed, though she promised to one day produce a better student with her experimental program.
Still Ritsu wondered if giving Soubi to Beloved had been a good idea, whether the boy could be trusted, sometimes he wondered whether he should have keep Soubi for himself, but it was wrong, a sacrifice should only have one fighter and one day Beloved would realise that, then where would his Soubi be?
Soubi silently lit a cigarette as he replaced his glasses, Seimei wasn't looking at him, instead scrubbing a patch of blood off of his shoe with a tissue, his ears flicking in annoyance, when he was almost done he spoke to his fighter, "That was good, but good is not what I want from you, I want perfect from you, next time I want you not to allow the enemy's fighter to restrict me at all or I will punish you." He spun around catching hold of Soubi's face roughly, "Is that understood?" he said with a smile.
"Yes, Master."
Seimei suddenly looked down, spotting the cigarette in Soubi's hand and sniffing slightly, "You smoke Soubi?"
"Yes Master."
"Why?" His Master asked with almost childlike curiosity, tilting his head to the side.
"It calms me down, helps me forget...oww." He suddenly dropped the cigarette when he realised it had burned his hand, Seimei grabbed the hand, studying the burn, he smiled "We could have fun with this."
Ritsuka Aoyagi, age 13 years
Ritsuka was a piece of art, Soubi just painted them. Seimei caused pain, Ritsuka received it, but more than that he bore it, he kept his head down and bore the scars that those around him dealt him, his mother, other fighting teams. And Soubi loved him, completely and utterly, he loved the feel of his soft lips against his own, he loved his violet eyes, alive with emotion, he loved the soft pink hue that crept across that small effeminate face and best of all he loved the way they made each other feel.
It wasn't long before Ritsu heard about Loveless, the brother of Beloved and how Soubi, the best fighter in the school had a new sacrifice, in fact the whole school, teachers and students alike was in uproar, most of them found it vile, others found it simply incomprehensible.
So, inevitably it was not long before Ritsu tried to contact his ex student. The responses he received where not what he had expected, mostly he was ignored, any attempt at conversion saw a rude and unpleasant Soubi, and it hurt. More than he had anticipated.
Ritsuka Aoyagi, age 18 years
As he left the building, he saw him. A young man about eighteen years old, leaning casually against the wall, in dark jeans and a long grey coat, synched in at the waist. He was tall, slim and quite feminine in appearance, but with quiet broad shoulders. He was undeniably beautiful with a slim face, large violet eyes and raven black hair that reached to his shoulders, slightly scruffy, with a messy fringe swept to one side. The only thing that hadn't changed about him was the large violet eyes, well that and the bandage across one cheek, his expression was unusually severe and it was pretty amazing how different one could look without ears and tail.
"Sensei." The man called, walking towards him, his voice was somewhat deeper now too.
"Loveless." Ritsu said with a nod.
Loveless smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, it was false and superficial, "We might not be around for much longer, I want to get out of here."
"Will he come to say goodbye if he leaves?" Ritsu said struggling to keep his voice level.
Loveless stared him directly in the eyes, "No."
Ritsu gritted his teeth, "Did you order him not to?"
"I rarely order him to do anything, so no."
Ritsu tutted, who did Loveless think he was, "It is the job of the sacrifice to order the fighter."
Loveless smiled, "If the master is confused, it's the dog that gets mislead, " He recalled.
"Precisely."
"But I realised something, Ritsu." Ritsu frowned, "He's not a dog," He paused, smiling slightly, "he's my best friend, he's my equal, my brother, my lover."
Ritsu scowled, "He was mine before he was ever yours."
Loveless frowned, "maybe, but he hates you now."
Ritsu decided to cut to the chase, "I would like to know why."
Ritsuka was taken aback, "You honestly don't know?"
Ritsu paused, "Well I suppose... I betrayed him, I handed him over to Beloved and Beloved caused him pain, he feels as though I am responsible for what Beloved did to him."
Ritsuka shock his head sadly, "He never resented those who caused him pain."
"Then why?" Ritsu asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
"You betrayed him, but there was more..."
Ritsuka remembered a few days ago.... it was dawn and the sun was streaming through the bedroom window, he ran his hands through Soubi's blond hair, watching the way it gleamed in the light, enjoying the texture of it against his skin, his hand, his bare chest, as he let another strand fall, he traced a scar along Soubi's back with his index finger, frowning, he bent to kiss the mark, though the angle he was at and the way Soubi was lying across him made it difficult. The first time he had seen those marks had been the night that he had lost his ears, he had cried and cried and kissed each mark across his lover's back, neck and chest, until he had fallen asleep in Soubi's arms.
Soubi lifted his head and smiled up at Ritsuka, reaching out for his glasses, Ritsuka handed them to him, frowning, "Did I wake you?"
"I don't mind. You look so beautiful in the sunlight."
"It seems that great minds think alike, I was just thinking the same about you."
Soubi laughed, but Ritsuka's expression become more serious. "Soubi" he said softly, playing with a strand of blond hair.
"Yes Master?"
Ritsuka frowned, "In a few days, I will be out for the day, I will return in the evening."
"May I ask where?"
Ritsuka chewed his lip nervously.
"It's ok if you don't want to tell me."
Ritsuka frowned, " I will never withhold truth from you, so if you ask me again I will tell you."
Soubi was silent, Ritsuka sighed, he took hold of his lover's face in both hands and look directly into his blue eyes, "I love you."
"I love you too, Ritsuka."
"Why does he hate me?" Ritsu repeated.
Ritsuka smiled, his first genuine smile since the conversation had begun, "Because he learned what real love was."
A/N Phew... that took me a long time to write, but I'm pretty pleased with it, I love reviews (hint, hint)
By the way, my description of 18 year old Ritsuka is based on a picture Yun Kouga released of 17 year old Ritsuka, link: .?t=74266