Ritsuka's bedroom was dark, and the boy himself was already curled in his bed, but the glass door was still unlocked and Soubi's heart clenched as he slowly slid it open and stepped inside. The breeze rustled the curtains, and Ritsuka shifted, pulling his blanket a little more tightly around himself. Soubi moved beside him, hand out, shaking his shoulder softly.
"Ritsuka," he murmured, "Ritsuka, wake up." He jerked, eyes flying open, and Soubi took pride in how quickly he settled once he saw who was there. Still, his eyes went almost immediately narrow, and Soubi could see that he was biting back the urge to tell him to move his hand.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed, and Soubi, for the barest of moments, couldn't think.
"You left the door unlocked," he said, quiet, reverent, like it meant the world even though he knew that, to Ritsuka, it most certainly did not, or at least he'd never say it did. His lips pursed, eyes tilting down to one side for a split second before he stared at Soubi head on again.
"Who says I left it unlocked for you?"
"I shouldn't have left," Soubi said, biting back the urge to say that Ritsuka should have ordered him not to leave because that wasn't Ritsuka and he knew that well. For a few moments, Ritsuka said nothing, instead minutely leaning into Soubi's hand, probably not even realizing that he was doing it himself.
"No, you shouldn't have. You never said you were back for real," he said at last, and Soubi smiled, reaching out and stroking his head softly.
"Has Takeo been cruel?" Ritsuka frowned, ears twitching.
"He's been… kind. We go to the park most days. Yuiko and Yayoi like him, but they've both been asking about you. I haven't known what to say. Why are you asking?" Soubi swallowed, shaking his head.
"He isn't really your Fighter. He fled the Seven Voices Academy and marked himself with your Name. I don't know why, but he could be dangerous. Do you know where he is?" The boy pulled away, frown deepening as he shook his head.
"What? Is that the only reason you came back? I won't… he isn't a bad person. You said yourself that that academy was unpleasant, and everyone knows that you… that you're Seimei's Fighter, not mine. He probably thought it was the only way." Soubi clenched his jaw, shocked at the anger that coursed through him suddenly. Takeo, Blank as Soubi himself, had run away and thoughtlessly taken someone who wasn't his despite knowing that he was unsuited, and now… now Ritsuka was defending him. He wished more fervently that he hadn't left, that he'd just killed Takeo as soon as he appeared, that none of this had been allowed to happen to begin with. He wanted to say that, or at least something to that effect, but when he opened his mouth, the words felt caught in his throat. Ritsuka was too kind. Ritsuka was always too kind.
"I missed you," he said instead, "I love you, Ritsuka." Ritsuka said nothing, looking away again, but he didn't protest when Soubi gathered him into a tight hug. Finally, he sighed softly; Soubi felt his breath against his neck and shuddered.
"Takeo started meeting me at school at the end of the day. You come too. We'll all talk and figure out what to do. Just promise me you won't hurt him if he doesn't attack you first." Slowly, carefully, Soubi nodded, letting Ritsuka go and standing up. If necessary, he had enough wiggle room to work with that without actually disobeying the order.
"Of course. I'll see you then. Be safe, Ritsuka."
"You too," he mumbled, quiet, like he didn't really want Soubi to hear, but it made him smile anyway as he turned and left Ritsuka's room.
For Soubi, the next afternoon couldn't come quickly enough. He paced around his apartment, ignoring the questions about his absence the Zeroes lobbed at him, unable to paint even a line. He left earlier than he should have, walking fast even though he knew he'd already have to wait a while and realizing that he couldn't just wait in front of the school like usual only after he was over halfway there. Takeo might run if he saw him waiting there, and that was most certainly not the goal. He slowed down, lingering near buildings like he was trying to see what they were for and finally settling on a bench for a bit, checking his phone every few seconds until at last he was able to finish the walk to the school.
When he arrived, Ritsuka was already standing there next to Takeo, chatting with Yuiko and Yayoi. Takeo stood where he once had, hand light on Ritsuka's shoulder, body close like he belonged there, like he had any right just because he wore a stolen Name, and Soubi wanted to kill him. The need sparked in his chest like a wildfire, blazing and out of control and Ritsuka had ordered him not to. He took a deep breath, repeating that in his mind over and over as he walked over to them. Yuiko saw him first and smiled like she'd never been happier, waving wildly. He forced a smile and a wave of his own as Takeo and Ritsuka turned to face him too. They, though, were not nearly so blind to the conflict on his face, and as he got closer, Yayoi seemed to notice that something was wrong as well because he tugged at Yuiko's sleeve, trying to get her to leave with him.
She was confused, but Ritsuka looked back at her and said something Soubi couldn't hear, and, though she still seemed unsure, she nodded and left with Yayoi. Soubi forced his breathing to remain steady, focusing on the slow in-out-in just so his mind wouldn't stray to a Spell Battle he was not supposed to start even though he knew the power of his words and knew the weakness of Takeo's. He swallowed. Ritsuka was beside him, though, and despite the invalidity of it, they were currently a named pair and that might've been enough to make Takeo a threat.
"Soubi!" Takeo called, hand tightening around Ritsuka's shoulder, "Nice to see you! Why do you still have the bandage around your throat? Did your new Sacrifice choose to put their Name there too?" Soubi laughed, shaking his head, arms crossed firmly over his chest.
"Don't act like you're a fool. Don't act like you're a fool. You wrote that letter and you fled the Academy and you took Ritsuka's Name. Return to the Academy now and I will do you no harm." Takeo laughed. He honestly, truly, really laughed, as if Soubi had told him the funniest thing he'd ever heard.
"Man, you're crazy! I know you cared about Ritsuka and all, but I'm his Fighter now. I was born to be his Fighter. It's over for you; you said it yourself, it's better he's with his real Fighter." Soubi shook his head.
"Were you his real Fighter, I would agree. However, you are not. As such, my previous orders still stand. Let go of him and be on your way, Takeo. You are as Blank as I am; lying about it, stealing a Name, changes nothing." Takeo's hands were shaking, his eyes suddenly desperate, and Soubi moved a little closer, almost worried now. Nana had said that he was unpredictable, and Soubi was beginning to see that.
"No. No, I'm not Blank, I am Loveless. His Name hasn't appeared either. I am his Fighter, I am Loveless! I knew it the moment I saw the Name, as soon as I heard about him." Soubi tilted his head, smiling politely, and laughed himself. It sounded bitter and angry to even his own ears. Ritsuka looked almost frightened, eyes flashing between the two of them and ears twitching.
"Liar." He said it quietly, firmly, felt the power of the word as he shaped it, and it fell heavily between them. Takeo flinched. His eyes were wide and dark and Soubi felt the sparks of madness on him.
"Shut up! You don't know anything, Beloved! You don't know what I feel, what I know! Ritsuka is mine and I won't let someone like you taint him!" He dropped to his knees, then, throwing his arms around Ritsuka and pulling him close, lips pressing firmly against the boy's. Soubi had never felt as angry as he did then, and he felt his mouth shaping the words to disobey Ritsuka's order, and knew he would have had Ritsuka not jerked away when he did. He took a couple steps towards Soubi, and Soubi had almost forgotten the feeling of peace that flooded through him whenever Ritsuka was close. Still, Ritsuka didn't take the last few steps to his side either, instead standing between the two of them. Takeo looked betrayed, as if Ritsuka owed him anything, hand held out like he could call Ritsuka back.
"No… I'm… I don't belong to anyone, and neither of you belong to me. Don't talk about me as if I'm not here. We should… go to the park. Somewhere quiet. This isn't the place for this." Tension sparked between all of them like lightning strikes, and for a moment, Soubi thought, perhaps even hoped, that Takeo would declare a Spell Battle then and there. He didn't. Eventually, both of them nodded, trailing after Ritsuka towards the park. Order or not, Soubi saw few ways he could let Takeo live, and even fewer ways in which he wanted him to. He would protect Ritsuka above anything.