Chapter Title: So Warm
Rating: T to M
Note: Ah. Finally, after waiting a full seven hours of downloading time...I have it. I've downloaded episode 9-12, and I must say, it feels good. Like that nicotine high that smokers get. And no, I do not smoke. But we shonen ai/yaoi lovers feel the same. Anyway- smoking is bad for your health and others!
Also, thank you very much for the wonderful reviews! And here are some responses:
xxforeverlovelessxx, Naikoru, Sara - thank you for the encouragement. I will continue!
bleddingblackrose: lol. Well, I was writing this fic while watching the last episode, and I'm telling you it really inspired me to write this chapter, because this is what I think Soubi would really do. I wonder where I could find the mangas to download.
Amaya: It's alright! You reviewing is nice, and I'm open for constructive criticism!
AlysiaStorms: Glad to make you curious, and hopefully you keep reading!
ElementalDragon1: Yay! For my first Loveless fic I'm glad I came up with a good plot!
Genius girl: haha. I hope I keep it interesting, so you try to keep me on my feet and tell me when it sucks, k?
Chapter Summary: Ritsuka's new home is Septimal Moon...but, someone won't allow that. SxR
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-O
"Loveless!"
The whole class jumped from their seats as soon as the door slammed viciously against the wall, their four-eared heads turning in one direction together.
Ritsuka, otherwise known as Loveless, looked up from his books and blinked at the huffing girl...well, woman. "Na-Nagisa sensei." he recognized. A short interval of wordless peace passed by before the red nubs on the wall began to blink their bright cautioning color red, shrilling in high pitch noise an ambulance-like sound.
The class intruder caught her breath and snapped, "Evacuate this class!"
The teacher of the class Asan-sensei clapped his hands twice at the panicking children before saying, "All Sacrifice please stand in attention and gather your things." swiping back his hair that came short of the small of his back, Asan-sensei watched in patience as his students, no more than ten total, collected their things and stood in high attention to him.
Once more scanning that nothing was left behind, he nodded to his students,
"Let's go."
"Asan-sensei!" Nagisa called sharply, meeting his calm gaze with a heated one, "You will let one of your students lead the way while you, fall back, and watch from behind."
"Why?" he replied coolly. His sharp green eyes condescending to the 'princess' teacher.
"Because Loveless is in the last of the line." The woman turned to the students and pointed to one of the girls, "You, lead the class to Ritsu-sensei's room. He will lead from there." then turning on her heel, she took up young Ritsuka's wrist and pulled him towards his sensei, "This is an order Asanoda. You will keep close next to Ritsuka!!"
The way she her voice rose every passing syllable made the children jump, but nevertheless they left the room, leaving Asan-sensei, Nagisa, and of course Ritsuka who was trapped in a bitter mental fight. Ritsuka flinched at how the woman clutched his hand fiercely before asking,
"Se...Sensei. What's going on?"
"Nothing!" she cried. She realized her hold on him and let go, smiling at last, she petted his head despite Ritsuka's silent discordance.
"Just stay close to Asanoda, alright?" and without waiting for another word, she hopped on her feet and scurried away.
Strange. The Sacrifice thought.
"Finally, that strange woman is gone. Come Loveless." Asanoda smiled warmly and tapped his shoulder, turning away towards the door.
The student broke from his daze and nodded, glumly taking up his backpack, he walked after his teacher. Ritsuka wanted to ask what was going on. He'd been told by Yamato on the way to Septimal Moon that there has never been an emergency lighting before. So why now?
Must be a drill. He thought, it seemed plausible, they had drills all the time back in his school...
No! Don't think of them! The Sacrifice thought bitterly, shaking his head as subtlety as he could. He was here in Septimal Moon now!
But it was no use, Ritsuka's mind, just like any other days, have wandered off back to Earth.
I wonder, how is everyone doing? Do they even know that I've left?
"Loveless." Asanoda addressed, "You've been doing so well in your studies. The others could learn from you, Loveless."
This conversation...it's all too familiar. The student thought, disliking the sudden topic. "This isn't the time Sensei. There's a drill going on."
The young neko boy found his voice shattered within the walls of the hallway by the sudden increase of volume on the alarms. A loud buzz echoed in the school before another adult's voice came in the intercom and urgently commanded,
"All teachers but Ritsu sensei report to Level C outside immediately, repeat, all teachers."
As the box static faded away with the voice, Ritsuka stopped before the teacher that stared down at him with quite different eyes from the ones that looked at Teacher Nagisa. Of course, Asan-sensei wouldn't treat his students like he would to Nagisa. Everyone knew that woman running around in her dresses was a high pompous woman with her nose set high beyond proud since she tamed great 'Loveless.'
"Whatever." Ritsuka mumbled to himself.
Asanoda turned back to the direction where they had just come from, saying, "I have to take leave. Ritsu sensei's room isn't far, just down the corner and up the stairs." before the man took off in a run he pinched Ritsuka's furry back ears and whispered to the flustered student, "Take care Loveless..." and with a smile he was off.
The student frowned, "What was that all about?" he grumbled, heading to the direction Asanoda sensei had pointed. To Ritsu's class.
Ritsu's class...
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"Ritsu sen...sei?" Ritsuka repeated. It was strange...it felt like he was addressing himself.
"Yep." Yamato replied. She opened his room door and started for the closet, putting Ritsuka's packed clothes in the hanger rack, "He's a colleague of Nagisa-sensei. Zeroes' creator. But more of a rival."
Suddenly the door to the room blasted open, and the boy found himself staring at a rather haughty looking woman dressed in a silk dress with red laces for sleeves.
"Ritsu? Where? Where?" After much searching in the room, she turned to Ritsuka and held up a finger, "That's right. Stay away from that sore loser. I bet you he's crying now when I show the others what my creation has brought back." She clapped her hands together, "Well done Kouya!"
She turned to Yamato with a smile,
"And as for you, also well done. Maybe taking you away from Kouya isn't a good idea after all- my dear prototype."
After that, Ritsuka only watched from the sidelines as both girls, Zero, shone their eyes at each other...undoubtedly in love- and happy. Nagisa must have threatened them with something.
"That's right!" The sensei called while heading out the door, "From now on this is your dorm and you won't have to worry about anything. But do remember, Keep away from Ritsu!"
And she was gone."
Three days after that warning, he did just that. Bumped into Ritsu-sensei. At first, they only stared at each other. Ritsu sensei had hair just a little darker than Soubi's, his eyes was sharp and upon deep thinking, it almost seemed he was Soubi's reflection. But the young boy could tell he wasn't Soubi in any form. His eyes didn't look at Ritsuka the way Soubi did.
"So-sorry." the Sacrifice mumbled, but the man brushed him aside and walked off. He hasn't seen him since.
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Ritsuka jumped a little in surprise when his bag fell with a soft 'tchak' It seemed this days, for the past weeks or so, all he ever did was think about the past. He'd been told however that soon, Septimal Moon would become his home...and he was still waiting.
He picked up his bag and started down the hall, murmuring, "Baka Ritsuka-"
He would have continued to condemn himself too.
He would have told himself to forget about Earth.
But a pair of soft hands wrapped around him from nowhere and pulled him away from the hall, behind the stairs and into the shadows, tightly holding him.
So familiar.
The student began to struggle until he heard, "Ritsuka isn't stupid." A soft face nuzzled his ears, breathing on them in tired sequences.
"So..." but it can't be! "Soubi."
"Ritsuka. Ritsuka..." the arms held on to him, the voice unceasing, "Ritsuka."
A soft kiss touched his cat ears and the Sacrifice closed his eyes, relishing that refreshed pain from that night. Just for a moment.
"Let me go Soubi."
"No."
Ritsuka pushed against him roughly, "Soubi- let go!" and he somehow freed himself, his bag flying with its contents spreading all directions, falling in one instance with a loud clatter. The black haired Sacrifice glared upwards at the shadow hidden face, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration- but he was taken aback when his eyes were countered with a tiny glowing screen.
Saying:
Soubi love me.
"No!" Ritsuka cried, trying to slap it away, but Soubi held the phone and slumped forward towards the little boy, his chin resting on the sixth grader's shoulder. Listening, "You can't be here! This is Septimal Moon, I came here on my own! Go back! Go back to Earth! Go back home!" Ritsuka opened his mouth to say more, but nothing more came out but a resounding sob.
Soubi inhaled his master's scent, "Ritsuka's my home. I am home." He tightened his hold, "I won't let Septimal Moon interrupt."
Realization hit Ritsuka.
"You're the one who's causing all this...this alarm. Everyone...all the Senseis, the Fighters, they're all looking for you!" He tried to push the adult away, "Go back! Go away! I don't want to see you!" when he wasn't relinquished he cried, "I command you to leave me alone! I command you to go back to Earth! I command you- I command you to never see me again!!!"
Silence. And then a soft, "No."
Silence.
"Loveless! Aoyagi Ritsuka!!" Kouya's voice along with some of the teachers.
Loveless panicked. They can't find him! Not like this with Soubi...Soubi looked like a mess and it was for sure the man wouldn't let go of him. But they'll find him sooner or later and who knows what Nagisa and her Zeroes would do before anyone found out they've found the lost Sentouki!
"Loveless!!" the voices were nearer.
Squirming about until his arms were free, Ritsuka reached up at Soubi's pale face. He could see his eyes now, and they looked horrid. They talked to Ritsuka and seemed to only say to him one thing.
I want to just watch you Ritsuka.
Cupping the man's cheeks and bringing their face leveled with each other, Ritsuka hissed, "You have to leave. If you do, I'll see you. I won't command you not to see me- but you have to leave now. You have to go...if you want to see me."
It took a moment, but he received an answer, "When?" his Sentouki asked, his face nearing Ritsuka's.
"Tonight." The boy replied hurriedly, hearing the footsteps all about, "Tonight. At the secret courtyard of the Sakura trees, inside the Willow Forest just outside this place." when he'd finished he realized he wasn't the only one caressing a soft face anymore. Soubi's fingertips reached for his lips and touched them.
They were both trembling.
"Alright."
And though Ritsuka hated it, he let go of his fighter's dreamy face and pulled back, picking up his backpack and ignoring the spilled things. If he didn't leave now, he himself would never be able to.
"Ritsuka." Soubi called, and before the boy could brush him aside, he reached for his master's small soft hands and pulled him on his toes, bending downwards himself and connecting them by mouth.
It took a long minute before it registered to the teen. A kiss. From Soubi.
A kiss.
"At the Sakura Grove." Soubi mumbled on his lips.
And He answered, "Yes. Tonight. At the Sakura Grove."
And Soubi was gone, leaving all the weight of loneliness to fall on the teen, dragging his shoulders into a slump as the young man himself returned his blank face and walked towards the calling voices.
It wasn't long before someone got a hold of him.
"Loveless!" Asan sensei.
And a classmate, "There you are! Where the hell have you been? We've been looking all over and Nagisa sensei is freaking out!"
"Yeah!" Yamato called, jogging over to the fast forming circle around Ritsuka.
"Come. There has been a mistake, and I am to escort you fully to Ritsu's class." Asanoda glanced at the other sentoukis and fighters, "Come."
Ritsuka followed close to the teacher, his face reverted back to the way they last saw it, troubled, yet distant.
And no one knew the warmth Ritsuka felt inside, like stars bursting in him.
'So warm.' He thought, and entered Ritsu sensei's room.
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Next Chapter Summary: Tonight has come. Soubi and Ritsuka under the petals of love. Don't let anyone destroy tonight.
Note: Please review! It really helps me put out the next chapter, and without reviews I'm...museless. Whahaha, funny how that works, but it's true. So without reviews, no muse and no muse means no meeting for Soubi and Ritsuka.
Ritsuka and Soubi:Sob: Onegai review! (Sparkly eyes)
