"Ngh...Sou...bii....."groaned Ritsuka. He opened his eyes slightly, and he quickly shut them again.

'Stupid sun, why does it have to be so bright?'

He looked around, noticing he was in Soubi's apartment. He also noticed that said male was laying his head on the edge of the bed, right hand gripping Ritsuka's much, much smaller hand. 'He's so peaceful...'

Just as the boy was about to look away, the blonde's crystal blue eyes opened.

"Ritsuka...you're awake..." Soubi smiled gently. He leaned forward and kissed Ritsuka's forehead, earning a small blush from the boy. "Yukata."

"Sou...bii..." was all that Ritsuka could mutter. Using the hand that wasn't occupied by Soubi's large hand, he reached up and rubbed his throat. Soubi got the point.

"Would you prefer milk or water?" Ritsuka held up one finger. "OK, i'll be right back." As Soubi walked out of the room, Ritsuka felt a small twinge of fear, and...was that panic? Soubi was leaving him? Why? His fear was soon resolved when Soubi walked back into the room with a mug of milk. Ritsuka tried to get into a sitting position, but his arms felt like rubber. Seeing his feeble atempt, Soubi sat the mug on his desk and helped Ritsuka to sit up. Then he handed him the mug. The small neko downed half of it in one large gulp.

"Soubi...how...how long...have I been asleep?" He looked up, feeling incrediously small.

"About three days...Your mother must have hit you pritty hard. How does your leg feel?"

Soubi asked as he sat softly on the edge of the bed. He begn to pull back the comforter, only to have a small hand plced on his.

"Soubi... I...I was so scared..." Soubi glanced at Ritsuka. His bangs were covering his eyes, shielding his eyes from Soubi's view.

"Ritsuka, look at me." Soubi put his fingers under Ritsuka's chin and lifted them so that he could see the boy's eyes. Tears were silently streaming their way down his face. Soubi pulled Ritsuka into a gentle and comforting hug. He slowly rubbed small circles on the boys tiny back.

"Shh...it's ok Ritsuka....Dont cry, please. I cant stand to see you cry." Soubi placed one hand on the nape of Ritsuka's neck and the other around Ritsuka's almost-too-tiny waist.

"Soubi.....thanks...."Ritsuka layed his head just under Soubi's chin. Then he grabbed Soubi's shirt with his hands, succeeding in bunching up the shirt. He started to cry harder, harder and harder still. Soubi grasped his sacrifice tighter to him.

"If you cry anymore Ritsuka, i'm going to start crying too." Soubi said, tears coming to his eyes. Ritsuka looked up to see a lone tear slip down Soubi's pale cheek. Surprising Soubi, he decided to lick away the tear.

"Ritsuka....what..?" Soubi jumped when he felt the small, cat like tongue on his cheek. It actually felt good to have Ritsuka lick his cheek. Once the tear was gone, replaced by a thin trail of Ritsuka's saliva, Soubi smiled. Then he placed Ritsuka on his lap and slowly began to rock the boy until he had calmed enough to talk reasonably with Soubi. After about an hour of talking, Ritsuka's stomach betrayed his unwillingness to eat. Soubi smiled and started to walk to the kitchen that adorned the small bedroom.

"Wait, Soubi.....can I....can I watch you cook?" Ritsuka asked, fidgeting with his fingers in front of him and looking down at his feet.

"Of course...can you walk?" Of course, no matter how much Ritsuka said he could, Soubi still picked him up. And to make it worse, it was bridal style. When the two entered the kitchen, Ritsuka was given the choice of a chair or the counter: he chose the counter.

"I can sit on the counter!?" Soubi chuckled at the boys response. He sat Ritsuka near the sink, above his head was where the pasta lay in its boxes.

"Bowties, mini bowties or wavy noodles?" Soubi smirked. He knew which one Ritsuka would pick.

"Mini bowties!!!" Ritsuka was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. He had'nt had those in years! Soubi put on a pot of water to boil. Soubi nearly jumped ten feet into the air when he heard Ritsuka's hysterical giggles. He whipped his head around, then procedced to look over himself, looking for what Ritsuka was giggling about.

"Soubi, you always say we aren't connected, but I can plainly see our name on the back of your neck." Ritsuka said, pointing. Soubi's eyes widened.

'How can Ritsua see my neck? I'm wearing a turtle necked shirt.' Soubi looked confused, so Ritsuka motioned him over.

"I can feel it more than I can see it. If you look at my back, im sure you'll find it there on me as well." Ritsuka slipped his hand under Soubi's high shirt neck and lay his hand where he knew the small scratch-like letters were forming. Soubi unbuttoned Ritsuka's pajama shirt and pulled it down just far enough to see the letters. Soubi gasped.

"Ritsuka...do you...how long...?" Soubi was at a loss for words.

"A couple days." He smiled and hugged Soubi closer, his small arms rapping around the artist's slender neck.

"Ritsuka...you have no idea how long...i've waited to have a true master." Soubi could feel a lump rising in his throat. He pulled Ritsuka away gently, smolong down at his master.

"Soubi, I am not your master. I'm your sacrifice, and you are my fighter. Dont forget that." Ritsuka, for the first time, brought his lips to Soubi's, initiating their first kiss as a pair.

"Of course." Soubi said after they parted.

"Soubi...I...I love you, Soubi!" Ritsuka said and looked down, embarrassed.

"I love you, too Ritsuka." He kissed Ritsuka one last time before releasing him and finished cooking the pasta. After draining the noodles, he put them in a smaller pan with some garlic, butter, a dash of salt, and a little bit of grated parmesan cheese. Ritsuka hopped off the counter and grabbed two plates from the cabinet. He looked in his reflection on the glass door. His right eye was still slightly purple, and there was a scratch below his hairline above his left eye. From what he could see, it seemed that Soubi had at least bathed him while he was asleep. He made a mental note to thank him, but also chew him out. Since when did he give Soubi permission to see him naked? Not to mention the older male could see all the scars that littered the neko's body. He then, after his mental rant, sat the plates on the table along with some forks and napkins. He then grabbed a beer for Soubi and a coke for himself. As he set them on the table, Soubi came over and put the pan of little bow-ties in the middle of the table and sat down. Ritsuka sat opposite him.

"Would you like to say grace, Ritsuka?" Soubi smiled. He watched the boy fold his hands together in front of him, then he mimmicked the action himself.

"Dear lord, I pray that you keep us safe, My Soubi and I, from all who may harm us. Please also protect my older brother Seimei, whom has been distracted by the pull of something evil. And protect Yuiko and Yayoi, my dear friends, from any possible harm that may come to them. May you also bless this food, which my fighter has so lovingly made for us. Amen." Ritsuka finished, then looked up when he heard Soubi that Soubi had finished with "Amen." as well.

"Shall I serve, then?" Soubi smiled again. He began by picking up Ritsuka's plate and proceeding to spoon some of the noodles onto the plate. Ritsuka took the plate from Soubi when he was finished. Then Soubi spooned some onto his own plate. They began to eat, with Ritsuka's ears twitching ever so slightly when the was a noise or a car that went past the small appartment. Soubi chuckled.

"Hmm?" Ritsuka said, finishing a bite of his food.

"You're so cute, Ritsuka." Soubi said and wiped a bit of the sauce from the noodles off of Ritsuka's was still some left on his fighters finger when he put it in his mouth.

"Soubi!......don't you think thats nasty?"Ritsuka asked.

"What?"his fighter asked back.

"That was on my face!"Ritsuka said blushing.

"So...."Soubi taunted.

"You sure you're an adult, Soubi?" The small neko asked. Soubi smiled. He reached across the table and cupped his hand around Ritsuka's cheek. He pulled the boy closer so that their lips met across the table. Ritsuka, stunned, slowly closed his eyes. Soubi brushed his tounge along Ritsuka's lower lip. Ritsuka opened his mouth to allow him entrance. A small moan escaping his lips, Ritsuka was shocked how a shock ran through his body when the duo's toungues touched. When they pulled apart, both were flushed and gasping for air. When they regained their breath, Ritsuka smiled and went back to eating.

"Wow..." Soubi muttered. This was different. Ritsuka smiled after a kiss like that? Normally he was reprimanded for such a thing.

"Soubi, you have a weird look on your face. Is something wrong?" Ritsuka observed, worried.

"No, no not at all. I'm very happy actually." Soubi smiled and went back to eating. After cleaning up and sticking the left-overs in the fridge, Soubi noticed Ritsuka leaning against the wall. He walked over and picked the boy up bridal style.

"Soubi?" Ritsuka questioned. He wrapped his arms around Soubi's neck so he had some leverage.

"Your leg must hurt. And you look tired. Perhaps we shall go to bed?" Soubi asked. He walked over to the bed where Ritsuka had woken up just a few hours earlier.

"Am not..." Ritsuka tried to say. He failed, though, since he yawned right after saying it.

"Sure, sure. But we're still going to bed.

"But theres only one, and I know you're gonna make me sleep there. What about you Soubi?" Ritsuka wondered.

"I will sleep on the couch." Soubi nodded to his little brown couch. Ritsuka cringed. Soubi was much too tall to sleep on the little thing comfortably. Soubi sat Ritsuka on the bed and pulled the covers over him, mindful of touching Ritsuka's wound. As Soubi turned to walk towards the couch, a small hand reached out and grabbed the bottum of his shirt.

"Soubi...please don't leave me..."Ritsuka said. He looked down, his hair covering his face.

"Ritsuka, im not going anywhere." Soubi said.

"But you're going to be way over there...please just stay with me tonight...please?" Ritsuka asked. Soubi saw a tear fall onto the comforter.

"Ritsuka...I'll stay beside you, so please dont cry." Soubi said as he picked Ritsuka up again and lay down where the boy had just been. He layed the boy on top of him andwrapped his arms around the boy's waist.

"Thanks...Soubi." Ritsuka smiled, though another tear escaped his eye. Soubi reached up and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Your welcome. Now sleep, my little sacrifice." Soubi smiled and kissed Ritsuka once more before lulling his young charge to sleep. Even easier did he fall asleep thent his sacrifice.